Video #246: “Wow! So pretty. I love those earrings! Cindy, you rock!” ~Dawn-B
Some beads can be a challenge when it comes to using them in jewelry designs. The Red Clover Flower Bead that we made in last week’s tutorial is a good example of this.
That does not mean you shy away from these types of beads. Instead what you should do is rise to the challenge, and create jewelry pieces that best suit such special polymer clay bead designs.
Love it!! As far as continuing to demonstrate different ways to use beads, those among us who are design challenged (namely, me lol) really benefit from your taking what you teach us one step further. As always, thank you for what you do. ~Elisabeth-S
Cindy. I love how you made the earrings, simple but lovely. ~DJ
Inspired for us to challenge our creativity. I love it. ~Jocelyn-C
Oh My, loving the earrings SO much!! Can’t wait to see how you did this, it’s Amazing, it’s Brilliant, just freaking out right now ;D Cool Cool Cool and perfect timing Spring has arrived in western NC and I am SO happy that you are going to teach us how to make these! YIPPY! ~Tantesherry
So… coming up tomorrow (Friday, March 9, 2012) in the Vol-046-2 members video at the Polymer Clay Tutor Library, I will be teaching you how to make your pretty little clover beads into gorgeous earrings in two different styles… one Modern, one Bohemian. As well, I will demonstrate several tips and techniques for working with wire in your jewelry making projects.
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… Please Note: A general prerequisite for all of my weekly tutorials is that you have a good understanding of the polymer clay basics, including: conditioning clay, using a pasta machine, clay blade and other simple tools, making Skinner Blends or Teardrop Blends, baking clay, as well as sanding and finishing. If you need help in these areas, my Polymer Clay Beginners Course will get you up to speed quickly. There is also plenty of free information on this blog. Use the search box at the top of the page to find articles on specific topics.
Supplies & Tools: Video-046-2 Clover Flower Earrings:
- Clover Flower Beads from Red Clover Flower Bead Tutorial.
- 2 Small Glass Seed Beads. I used one clear, green size 11 seed bead per earring.
- 2 Accent Beads. I used one 8mm Rose Swarovski Crystal per earring.
- 20g Round Half Hard Wire. I used 20g Round Half Hard Silver Filled, but you could use any 20g ear safe wire of your choice.
- Chasing Hammer.
- Steel Bench Block.
- Flush Cutters (jewelry grade).
- Ruler.
- Flat Nose or Chain Nose Pliers (jewelry grade).
- Wire Rounder (Cup Bur), or fine file.
By the way, many of the “shopping” links I provide for the various tools and supplies used in my tutorials, are “affiliate” resources. That means companies like Amazon and the other suppliers I refer, pay me a small commission if you click on the links and end up making a purchase at their site. It’s not a lot, but every little bit helps in keeping the cost of my tutorials so low… at only $3.32 per month. And, the prices for products that you may purchase through my links, are exactly the same as what you would normally pay. So please do feel free to click away whenever you need to pick up a few things for your studio. Thanks so much for supporting this site :-)
The full version of the Vol-046-2 Clover Flower Earrings video will be posted in the Polymer Clay Members Library on Friday March 9, 2012.
The full version of the “Clover Earrings” preview video shown above, is now available for purchase at the Polymer Clay Library in the Vol-046 Back Issue Package.
Customer Feedback About Membership Value:
I was just scrolling through all the back volumes of our clay lessons and WOW! Does anyone realize all we have learned? What a treasure this website holds. I know I have advanced as a clayer. I found a few I hadn’t done before but now look doable or my tastes have changed and now I will look at them closer. Thanks Cindy, Doug, etc. for the fun and learning. ~Pollyanna
WOW!!! What a month it has been with four great tutorials along with what will probably be my favorite colour palette. The Lietz team has done it again. What a bargain. For less than $4.00 we got a practical and fun project along with a number of techniques in 50 minutes of video and a great colour palette. I’m left speechless. Where is an Academy Award for Polymer accomplishment and Doug’s cinematography? ~Lawrence-S
Just finished watching the tutorial and was NOT disappointed… investing in your weekly videos is one of the smartest things (probably THE smartest) regarding polymer clay I have ever done. You are extremely appreciated. Blessings. ~Bonnie-B
The following topics are included in this week’s Polymer Clay Tutor Library, Clover Flower Earrings video tutorial:
- See examples of clover flower beads in a couple of beautiful dangling earring designs.
- Find out how simple it is to create these gorgeous looking flower earrings, by just following along to the step by step instructional video.
- Learn the reasons why some types of beads pose design challenges, and how to design your jewelry accordingly.
- See how I store my wire, and learn more about wire working tools and techniques that will take your polymer clay bead designs to a whole new level!
- Plus, with some creativity and ingenuity, there are many ways to come up with other unique designs of your own.
The full version of the “Clover Earrings” preview video shown above, is now available for purchase at the Polymer Clay Library in the Vol-046 Back Issue Package.
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Thanks for the supply resources. I know you are concerned about quality of supplies. Plus , I would rather spend my time claying rather than looking all over the internet for just the right supply.
I have a question. I recently bought Beadalon silver plated “German Style Wire”. How is that different from other wire?
I would love the answer to that question too!! Thanks for posting it, Anna.
Hi Anna and Elizabeth, I got this definition of German style or German Silver Wire from Wire-Sculpture.com. Hope this helps!
German Silver: Also known as NICKEL SILVER, this alloy is actually roughly 60% copper, 20% nickel, and 20% zinc. If approximately 5% of tin is present in this alloy, it is called Alpaca. As you can see, there is no silver in German Silver. German silver wire is very inexpensive and is used to create costume jewelry. It should be noted that about 1 person in every 10 has a metal allergy to nickel.
Ah, so maybe not always the best choice considering that so many are allergic to nickel. Thanks for the research, Cindy.
Can’t wait for the tute. Those earrings are sooooo pretty!
Beautiful earrings! Come on Friday……..
These are gorgeous, Cindy! Can’t wait for Friday!!
Oh Cindy I was so hoping you would show us an earring tute on these gorgeous beads so I am anxious for Friday. . I just finished making the Dogwood Flowers and have not been able to figure out how to make a matching pair of earrings for these lovely flowers.
Can you come up with a tute on those also? I love it when you can make a matched set of anything.
Thank you Dixie Anne, you say such sweet things! I will try and put some thought into Dogwood earrings. The cutters are a little large for earring though (unless you like huge earrings). But maybe some adapting with a smaller cutter would work? Will think about that. Thanks for your comment!
Do you know where I can purchase the bench block in the UK?
Sorry Hazel, I do not. Maybe someone else here from the UK can help? Have you tried a Google search? Something should come up for ‘bench blocks’ in your area.
The earrings are so pretty. Great job on this tut!
Karonkay
Thanks for the supplier. It is difficult to find Silver Filled items. The plated silver just doesn’t last.
Filled wire hasn’t caught on YET>
The Clover earring are darling. So feminine and pretty. Thanks for showing us how to finish them so beautifully. Must make a pair for my daughter!!
It’s always hard to wait for Friday, but I’m never disappointed. these are spectacular. I will be starting these this afternoon. So, pretty.
Really…
Elegant…
Darlings…
Cute as candy…
Lovely finish…
Only you could achieve, Cindy…
Very explanitory tute…
Excellent camera work (thanks Doug)…
Raring to go and make zillions of these.
Loved your new posh tools Cindy, makes such a difference to use the best…
Cheers xx
Hello everyone…haven’t posted anything for a while as life is just starting to get back to a new normal….my beautiful 18 year old daughter suffered a stroke last month and life has been crazy. She is doing better and we are so very lucky to still have her with us. I am getting back to my clay and I have been meaning to post and tell everyone that it is a perfect time to use those Michaels and/or Joann Fabric coupons to purchase the Wilton gum paste cutters that Cindy has been using in her tutorials. Just don’t make the bonehead mistake I did: I kept looking for these cutters to be in a clear plastic case but they actually come in a white box and are hanging in the cake decorating isle…for some reason I kept looking for them to appear as they did in the tutorial until I Finally realized they were packaged in a white box…anyhow they are much cheaper with the coupon and so worth it! Great find Cindy! Love, love, love these. If anyone does not have access to these locally they are on Amazon
at a reasonable price….if that isn’t an option I could certainly pick up and mail to you so private message me and let me know. Gladly will help you out cause these are awesome :). They are fairly light so postage would not be too bad…can’t wit for the daisies….hint, hint, hint.
Cindy, have you done anything with the sweetpea cutter yet? I got it, but have not been clever or creative enough to figure it out…or maybe I am still just too tired ;). I have to say that being at the hospital 24/7 with my daughter Nikki, it was a godsend to have these tutorials and read everyone’s posts and see your pictures! Felt like there was my clay family in the room with me….prayers and positive thoughts for my daughter always welcome….thanks! Laura
Laura: I am so happy your daughter Nikki is improving… what a shock it must have been for your family to hear such a diagnosis in a teenager! I just saw your post as I am late getting started this Saturday. You may be assured you all will be in my thoughts and prayers, and those of all who read your post, I am certain. Nikki will be drawing on the fabulous healing strength of the young, as well as the love and support of her family!
Continue to seek out what gives you comfort. It is SO important to look after our own health (especially our mental health) when facing a family crisis of any kind. I agree 100%… Cindy’s tutes have been, and continue to be, a wonderful opportunity to force our minds to be positive, creative and inventive, even when circumstances limit our opportunities for expressing it. What a godsend indeed!
Laura – I echo the comments made by Monique. All our prayers and good wishes are being sent to you and Nikki. Hope for a full recovery !
Laura I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. I would be devastated to have that happen to one of my children and my heart goes out to you, your daughter and your entire family. It is a comfort to know that she is improving and that you have found a therapeutic value in the polymer clay tutorials and support from our little clay family. I think it is such a positive way to cope with the challenges you are facing right now.
You are so sweet to offer to help people purchase the Wilton Cutters at the discount. I think most people will be able to get them on their own, but thank you for offering. I have not yet seen the Sweet Pea cutters in my store but I have seen them online. I have an idea on how to use them, and I am crazy about Sweet Peas so as soon as I get the cutters in my hands I’ll start figuring out a tute.
As far as the Daisies, they were the first flowers I tried from the set. But since it was just before Christmas and a little out of season, I started with the Poinsettias and Dogwood flowers first. Trust me, I will eventually do every single flower I can from the set, plus any other I can adapt from it. It is such a good value and there are so many possibilities that I just won’t be able to resist playing with it as much as possible!
Take care of yourself and your daughter. Stay positive and know that we are all sending you our love.
Appreciate the information about German style wire. Definitely will not use this for earrings wires or buy it again. The package I bought says “Nickel Free Silver Plated”. I am going to call Beadalon customer service number and see if they can explain that. I e-mailed them a while ago and never heard back. Thanks, Anna
Anna – I e-mailed them too. No reply. BUT, when I commented on Facebook -tadah!- I got an immediate response !!!!!! Apparently, that is the way to go. FYI……..
Hey everyone, Michaels has Premo on sale this week
4/$5.00 Finally got the white translucent.
Hi Dixie Ann:
I am making my list, checking it twice….LOL
I saw the ad just before I came online to see your note, but THANK YOU for putting it up here. In the Polymer Guild that I belonged to previously, whenever a member anywhere in the state of NH saw the sale from either Michaels or ACMoore – it was always understood to post it on our Yahoo group automatically. One month, we had 3 messages for it, but at least no one missed the 99 cent sale!
Gone are those days!
Wow .99 cents. I remember those days. Sigh..
at least we can get them here in Iowa for 1.25 each and thats a lot better than $2.79 I sure wish we had a Polymer Clay Guild here but have not found too many clayers in my area. Do you know how to start a Guild? I would love to find out then I could get them all to join Cindys Tutes…wouldn’t that be a hoot!
I too bought two packs of the German Silver wire. I think I might use some for wire wrapping- can practice with the half round and square before buying any thing more expensive.
Hi Everyone:
I have a question, I want to make these clover earrings but the only set of inks that I have are the Pinata inks. Can I add alcohol to the colors that I want to use to help speed up the drying process? Or does this ruin the brand?
Or do I use the Pinata Inks and just wait for them to dry even if it takes much longer? Suggestions are welcomed
Pauline
Pauline, I have never used the pinata inks so I don’t know if you can dilute them or not. I have only used the adironak inks and love them, but I am sure someone on this forum has used them…I would imagine that they are the same makeup as the others, but I am not positive. If I get time later I will google and try to find an answer. Happy claying :)
Hi Laura:
I have an answer regarding the Pinata Inks but, I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. I went through a situation with my 11 year old grandson who needed Brain Surgery last January and the small family that we are – we were simply terrified at the news and going through the fear of it. The patient himself, well he was just a trooper. All ended well, he is back to playing sports this year.
I surely hope the best for you and your family as well.
Regarding the Pinata inks made by Jacquard:
“Intense, transparent colors, waterproof and permanent. Any surface, acid free, dilute with Claro Extender or alcohol, clean with Pinata CleanUp Solution or alcohol. Dries on raw clay or cured. To mix with liquid clay, drop ink on top of clay, let sit undisturbed for half an hour or more to allow alcohol to evaporate. ”
For anyone who might have wondered…take care, Pauline
That is awesome you found your own answer Pauline! I haven’t yet worked with Pinata inks so I was hoping someone else would pop in with advice. I figured they were pretty similar, and sounds like they are, except for the Pinata colors are brighter than most of the Adirondack inks.
A blow dryer set to cool, may help speed up the drying time, if you find it is taking too long. Just don’t use any heat, or you could risk partially curing your clay.
Thank you so much for coming back and posting what you found! That not only will help others, but it gave me some new info as well, which I very much appreciate. I can’t try every single product out there (I’d love to but it is difficult) so having you all out there testing what you have access to and then sharing what you’ve learned, makes this blog a valuable resource for us all!
Another neat little find in the cake decorating section is the deluxe tip set………they make awesome impressions in the clay, and there are so many to choose from, or you can buy a set of them like I did with your 50% off coupon :) They make really neat impressions if you are doing the mokume gane technique. Quite unique.
Thanks everyone for the well wishes for me and my daughter. Much appreciated!
Laura thanks for the great tip on the deluxe tip set. I will check that out since I love working with Mokume Gane. It is one of my favorite techniques.
Dear Laura,
Our thoughts go out to you and your daughter Nikki. My youngest sister suffered a stroke a couple of years ago. Thankfully she is now recovered but it was a long haul!! So keep strong and keep claying.
As to Adirondack versus Pinata inks. There is not much difference between the two brands although I prefer the nozzel on the Adirondack bottles. I bought a set of Pinata which included seven colours, an extender and clean-up solution. I mixed the two brands to get the colours for my red clover petals. They are drying at the moment so will have to wait and see how they turn out tomorrow………………. Watch this space:>
I am looking at the wire to buy for the clover earrings. What is the difference (besides price) of thr 20 G HH nickle silver and the HH silver filled will either work? There is a big price difference.
Hi Mickey, Cindy just explained a few comments back about the wires. The 20 ga. Half Hard silver nickel consists of copper and nickel with a silver coating. You would not want to use this for anyone who has a nickel allergy. Some of it will say non-tarnish which means it has been coated with an anti-tarnish finish which really helps but eventually coating do wear away. This is pretty common wire used in jewelry findings and is readily available reasonably priced.
The 20 gauge Silver Filled wire is much more superior and is a nickel free copper based wire that has a thick coating of 10% sterling silver which allows it to act and feel just like real sterling silver wire and thats why the cost is much more. You can find it at WireSculpture.com for about .89 cents per ft. or if you order through Amazon you can actually get 25 ft for the price of 20 ft. plus shipping and it also comes from WireSculpture.com. Don’t know what the difference is but price wise it was a better deal for me when I ordered 5 – 5ft. coils from Amazon.
If you don’t want to spend that much for wire, Artistic has a premium grade non tarnish silver wire that is less expensive and works very well in most projects and is very widely used. They also have a nice color line but again the coatings will scratch off if your not careful. If you are looking for a really really good deal on all kinds of wire (except the silver filled) go to parawire.com where you can order any gauge in larger quantities for about $19.00 a spool and the quality is right up there with the Artistic if not better. Hope this helps.
FY! – please read the BACK of ANY Artistic Wire package !!!! It is now being made in Pakistan ! The quality is terrible. I e-mailed Beadalon and complained. They are sending me replacements ( I bought 8 pkgs). Do not buy unless it says made in U.S.A.. Sad, but true !
Thanks Patti for letting us know about the Artistic Wire. This is really good to know. Luckily the stuff I have was made in USA.
Hazel
I think I got my mine from Ebay
Hope that helps
Sam
Cindy: I think your clover blossoms are the best thing you have ever done… and you have done some great things. I LOVE them!
Bev
Hi there, just made a pair of these lovely little ear-rings. Happy with how they turned out too. Isn’t it funny how a photo can make something look big and intimidating? this is what i thought before making these, which is why it took so long to have a go. But now, wow, the are so darling, i think i will be making a few pairs of these to give away to friends as well.