This week's Free Project is from the innovative new book Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed by Margot Potter, Fernando DaSilva and Katie Hacker for North Light Books. Elements that usually play supporting roles take the lead in over 50 fascinating designs by three gifted jewelry designers. From wire designs that defy gravity to innovative uses of everyday findings, there is inspiration for the beginning beader and the experienced jewelry designer on every page.
I'll be selecting someone from the comments here to win a free copy of the book, a 30ft. spool of 19 strand Satin Copper Beadalon wire AND a 28mm CRYSTALLIZED-Swarovski Elements starfish pendant. Leave a comment and I'll announce the winner with next Wednesday's free project! Good luck!
Cascade Earrings
Excerpt from Bead and Wire Jewelry Exposed
North Light Books
Design Copyright 2009 Margot Potter
(Buy the book for step by step pictures of the project!)
Cones can be used in all sorts of ways and I love exposed wire tendrils exploding out of them like they do in these earrings. This beaded wire fringe is a fun new take on a traditional idea. I wanted to make the colors festive, like a fireworks display. This was a more the merrier situation because the more cones I made, the merrier the earrings became.
Materials
5 4mm padparascha CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements rounds
5 4mm Indian sapphire CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements rounds
5 4mm light topaz CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements rounds
5 4mm black diamond A/B CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements rounds
8 gold plated cones
8 gold plated eye pins
8 gold plated kidney ear wires
32 gold plated crimp beads
8 3” lengths .018 Satin Gold wire8 2.75” lengths .018 Satin Gold wire4 5mm gold plated jump rings2 gold plated small toggle circle ends
(*Order from Art Beads before July 31st and use my code to save 10%:SCF10P-POTTER-0112)
ToolsRound nose pliers
Chain nose pliers
Nipper tool
1. Cut 8 3” and 8 2.75” segments of Satin Gold wire.
2. Flatten a crimp bead flush to the end of a 3” wire section. Add a light topaz and a padparascha bead to wire.
3. Flatten a crimp bead flush to the open end of wire. Use nippers to cut off any excess.
4. Repeat process making 8 3” light topaz/padparascha and black diamond/Indian sapphire beaded and crimped wire segments then 8 of each color combo using the 2.75” wire.
5. Take a 2.75” and a 3” beaded wire segment each with a different color combo and thread them on to the pre-opened end of an eye pin.
6. Close the eye pin and thread it into a cone.
7. Keep the wires even as you pull the tail of the eye pin inside of the cone. Use round nose pliers to do this.
8. Keep the eye pin secured as you create a coiled loop flush to the top of the cone.
9. Repeat making eight threaded cones.
10. Create coiled dangles with the remaining beads. There should be two of each color.
11. Attach a cone to a jump ring with a light topaz coiled dangle.
12. Attach a second cone to a jump ring with a padparascha coiled dangle and thread it into the bottom of the first, alternating the placement of your cones and coils so they hang on opposite sides of their jump rings.
13. Add a cone with an Indian sapphire dangle and repeat for the final cone with a black diamond coil. There will be four cone and dangle combos on each earring.
14. Attach the small end of a toggle circle to the kidney wires, using pliers to secure. Repeat for second earring.
15. Open and attach the top jump ring of your cascade to the large end of the toggle circle and repeat for second earring.
MaterialsBeads CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements, findings Beadalon