Color Monday: Stucco Says

A palette inspired by a stucco building wish Spanish flair. Complimentary blue and oranges mix with darker black. Feel free to use in any art project you have.

Beginner Tutorial: Easy Drop Earrings

The next installment in my "beginner tutorials" phase...

earrings! These are so simple and don't require any complicated wireworking skills to create.

Feel free to use any kind of beads, just make sure you have a statement bead and a smaller crystal or pearl to keep the look elegant.

These beads are just made with a headpin, bent to form a drop earring shape.

Let's get started!

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed are pliers, two larger beads, two long headpins (about 3") with a ball end (you can find them at craft stores), and smaller crystals or pearls. If you can't find the ball-end ones, you can use regular headpins but the look won't be as elegant.

Step 2: Take your headpins, and mark about 1cm from the end with a sharpie. This is where you will bend it. If you have longer/larger earlobes feel free to mark at 1.5cm.

Step 3: Thread on your bead and then crystal. Position your pliers right below the mark you made. Take the end, and gently bend it back to create a notch in the headpin.

You have just created the first earring!

To get the Sharpie mark off, dip your finger into water and just rub it off. 

Repeat the last step for your second earring. If you see, the beads will not come off the headpin if you make the notch bent enough. To wear, you might want to use clear fishhook stoppers so that the earrings don't come out of your ear.

See, I told you that was easy!

Shown worn. Don't use any super-heavy beads as these will throw the earrings off-balance. 

Make these in different bead combinations for every outfit!

All images and text copyright Allison Beth Cooling. Do not use my photos without crediting me, and if using this tutorial please link back!

Beginner Pendant Necklace Tutorial

This is a super-easy tutorial for any beginning jewelry maker.

Pros can also follow this one as well, as the necklace comes together really quick and can be customized to make tons of different kinds of necklaces!

You will just need three "ingredients", and you can make this in less than 15 minutes!

I used pearls from Prima Bead for the second necklace, which contrast nicely against the crystals.

These look really dainty and fancy and are perfect for any occasion.

Let's get started!

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed is a necklace chain with a clasp, roundnose pliers, wire (about 22 gauge), and beads; you can use crystals, pearls, anything.

Step 2: Make the loop; start with a length of wire that is about 5 inches or so. About three quarters of an inch from the end, make a sharp 90 degree bend in the wire with the pliers. Place your roundnose right where the bend starts, and loop it around in the opposite direction, creating a nice, even, neat loop. When the wire has looped and met the place where it starts, wind it around the long piece of the wire to close. Don't wind it around more than twice otherwise you will get a big ugly bunch of wire. Cut the wire right flush to finish.

Step 3: It should look like this. Add your beads, and make another loop at the end to close. Look at the pictures if you need help.

It might help, if you have extra wire, to cut the wire shorter first before winding as it can be a little hard to cut the wire flush if it's right up against the beads.

Step 4: Now, measure the middle of your necklace chain: open the middle loop of chain and detach it from the rest of the chain. Add one of the end loops of your bead panel to this loop, and close the loop.

Repeat with the other side of your bead panel, using the other side of your necklace chain to complete and finish off the necklace.

There you have it! Simple.

Layer these for a cool look, and make them in different colors and metals to match all outfits.

All images and text copyright Allison Beth Cooling. Do not use my photos without crediting me, and if using this tutorial please link back!

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Baublebar Deco Stud Earring Tutorial

These cute Baublebar Art Deco Stud Earrings are a great alternative to simple ball studs. Plus, the combination of gold and black is super-chic. 

In this tutorial, I will show you how to make the triangle studs, because they were my favorite shape!

If you want to make the trio, follow all the steps but just shape them differently.

We will be making these from scratch, using my "faux metal" technique with polymer clay. 

Polymer clay is a great medium, possibly my favorite, for making all sorts of different jewelry and crafty things! Plus, it's really cheap too and easy to use....

Great for dressing up or dressing down, people will be surprised when they hear you made them yourself!

Let's get started!

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed are earring posts, Sculpey Polymer Clay, superglue or E-6000 glue, a paint brush, Metallic Gold Acrylic Paint, and black and shimmery gold nail polish.

Step 2: Take your clay (I used yellow because it's the closest to gold). Make two small marbles, and shape these marbles into small little triangles. 

Step 3: Take these triangles, and make the little indented lines like in the real earrings. You can do this gently by dragging a toothpick through; keep it gentle, and smooth with your fingers as you go. Bake these two triangles; I do about 15 minutes in a toaster oven at 125 degrees.

Step 4: Once baked, glue onto your earring posts. Cover with two coats of your acrylic gold, then one coat of your shimmery gold polish for extra shine! When dry, add your stripe of black with your black nail polish. 

Simple and chic! Make them with silver acrylic paint instead of gold if you are a silver lover!

Maybe try other combinations, like a coral and teal, which is totally in for spring!

If you share/use/post this tutorial, please link back to me. It is much appreciated!

Do not copy or use photos without permission or crediting me please.