Carey Burns

 Another Maker's Monday, another pair of earrings! I'm using gold-filled findings this time and some lovely Swarovski rondelle crystals in Denim Blue. Variations on this basic jewelry project are endless! I linked to where I purchased my supplies but you can buy them elsewhere.  A dainty pair of earrings A note about gold findings: When I first started making jewelry, I didn't want to use gold because it was expensive and the findings I could get locally were gold-plated and just looked cheap. Gold-filled findings have more gold in them as compared to gold-plated so they should wear longer, be less prone to tarnishing, and the gold won't "flake off." A brief explanation can be found in this Artbeads.com article.  Supplies: 2 gold-filled headpins (2 inches long) 2 8x6 mm Swarovski rondelle crystals in Denim Blue 4 gold-filled saucer beads 2 gold-filled ear wires Add caption Tools: Jeweler's pliers (one or two pairs, depending on y...

Happy Independence Day and Maker's Monday! This week, I decided to plan a little bit better. I had a handful of gold-filled headpins and beads left from a class I taught, so I thought I'd use them up. I also had a few wonderful Swarovski crystals in Turquoise that I just love with pretty much any metal. As always, I've linked supplies to where I have purchased them but you may buy them elsewhere. Supplies: 6 gold-filled headpins (1.5 inches long) 2 6mm round Swarovski crystals in Turquoise 4 gold-filled saucer beads 2 gold-filled ear wires Tools: Jeweler's pliers (one or two pairs, depending on your preference) Flush cutters Instructions: 1.  This pair of earrings is a bit different in that we'll use different lengths of headpins. Slide a Swarovski onto a headpin. With the tips of your pliers, make a 90 degree bend in the headpin just under 1/2 of an inch from the end of the tail. Repeat for the other headpin. 2.  Line up two h...