Design Challenge: 30-Minute Earrings

by valerieaheck on January 25, 2009

So I missed the deadline for the 30-Minute Earrings book but I thought I’d share my sketches, design and directions with you. (Submissions are due tomorrow and I’ve never heard of today shipping.) These earrings are for someone with a stretched earlobe (specifically ear hole is stretched from wearing heavy earrings). The sketches above show the front (left) and the side (right). The earring is made of a silver disk and the post is soldered into the middle of the back.

Supplies:
2 20-gauge earring posts and backs
2 silver discs 5/8 inch diameter
4 20-gauge jump rings (small)
2 pieces of 24 or 26 gauge silver for balling and adding crystal
2 crystals or pearl beads

Steps:
1) Drill a small hole in the silver discs close to the edge (make sure your jump rings can fit through)
2) Use a small punch stamp and hammer to put a dot design around the edge of your discs (pictured below)
3) Use doming block and slightly dome discs for depth
4) Take 2 pieces of 24 or 26 gauge wire and use your torch to ball the ends
5) Sandpaper discs (220 grit) for more artistic texture as shown below
6) Solder ear posts on center back of domed discs
7) Add a jump ring through the hold in disc and attach a second jump ring to that (at this step I through them in my tumble vibe to polish for maybe 10 min, before you add the crystal)
8) Use 24 or 26 gauge balled wire and add bead then wire wrap to second jump ring

Here are your finished earrings!

For a slighting easier project skip the dot texture around the edge of the earrings like the ones pictured above.

valerieaheck

valerieaheck

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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

Beatriz Fortes January 27, 2009 at 6:51 am

It was a fun challange! Unfortunately, I missed the deadline as well, which is ironic considering the theme.

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