Bijouterie - Viva Les Earrings

This project combines everything: Viva Ferro, Precious Metal Colour Paint, Wooden Beads, Rubber Stamping and Copper jewellery findings. Ohhhhhhhh...... the excitement, I can hardly contain myself!

I made these in 10 mins. (I try to do things fast! lol) and Millie (my trusty assistant) took the photos as my hands were a bit tied up. The reason the right one is focussed and the left one isn't is because we told the camera (Marks' I phone) to do that.....and then we had to run out the door to a football tournament, so I didn't get to take more in the same light.....nevertheless.... here's how we did it all.....

Step One: Ferro

Use a spatula (no cleaning required - mine is a coffee stick) to apply Viva Ferro paste (can you see its a little sparkly?) to the base of the wooden bead. I used graphite, but any colour will do based on the colour jewellery you prefer. I'm a blue girl so that's where I was heading, and I had graphite open already, but I could have done the same thing with any other Ferro base. 

Ferro comes in loads of colours...check out the Golden Orange or Golden Iron ...in fact all the colours are wicked...you know you need them!

Apply a layer about 1mm thick, you can smooth with your finger once you have a good amount on the bead. See how I used a toothpick to hold the bead? Makes it easier.

Step Two: Texture

Now select a rubber stamp. I used Mini 44 because I wanted a texture with a deeply embossed stamp, but i was also thinking SM08 would look cool too. The rubber on this stamp is a very deep 1-2 mm. It's nice to roll the bead along the script because you can't see where it starts and finishes.

TOP TIP: Make sure to wet the stamp with a babywipe first. This makes a good release agent, plus clean up is easier, and that's a good thing!

If you aren't happy with the job you did, you can smooth off the paste with your finger and repeat. Or you can add or remove ferro if you have too much or too little. 

Experiment a bit until you find out what works best...maybe square beads would be easier to stamp each side??? We have those in stock too....check them all out here.

Step Three: Paint

Shake up your Viva until the ball clacks about to mix the metallic pigment thoroughly. This colour is turquoise. 

Apply a spot to some Cut and Dry Foam. Dab the spot onto your craft sheet so you get a flat even layer, and then while holding the bead on a toothpick ( or cocktail stick or whatever you like to call those pointy things...my Dutch friends call them kabab sticks!) dab all over with the paint. Note how the paint doesn't go into the recesses, it sits on the top, and the black crevices are a nice contrast to the gorgeous turquoise colour.

We like this. It's easy! And sparkly!

Step Four: Peaky contrast

How about introducing another colour? Paint always looks great when you do this, and on a dark colour like turquoise, a pale shade will pop in contrast too. I used bronze and it picks up the texture of the Ferro to add another layer of interest.

Look in the background, and you can see I'm doing beads the opposite way too, Bronze on the base and Turquoise on top. 

Imagine the possibilitie for a matching necklace, bracelet and earrings. And even though these look metallic, they are not heavy because the base is wood, plus for those people who are allergic to metal, this is a great solution!!. No more jewelery avoidance!

Step Five: Findings

using the new Bijouterie findings in copper from PaperArtsy, you can quickly make these beads into earrings.

I am not the greatest, nor the most experienced jewellery maker in the world, so if I can do this it must be easy! Take a flower end cap (these are soft so you can wrap the petals around your bead) and put it onto a copper head pin.

A star spacer or simple round bead looks nice at the top, or you can simply make a loop with round nosed pliers. Trim off the excess wire with wire cutters.

Next attach the loop you made to a copper earwire finding and you did it! New earrings in 10 mins!

Here's a piccie of the supplies that I used to make a this project. 

If you enjoyed this project, then book onto Leandra's Jewellery workshop (ref# S4, Saturday 14:15 -15:15) at the Artisan show on October 3&4, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, Leamington Spa, where you will get to have a go at making these yourself. 

On Sunday Leandra is also teaching workshop #S7, 13:00 - 14:00 which will be Stamping and texture embossing metal with Ten Seconds Studio tools. You will decorate the cover of a mini book made with the brand new PaperArtsy Papers.

The Artisan show is sponsored by Traplet Publications (Publishers of Beads and Beyond and Craft Stamper magazines) and the focus of the show is stamping and jewellery making. 

Drop by the PaperArtsy stand to check out Leandra demoing with new Christmas Rubber Stamps and new Christmas Papers from PaperArtsy, Ten Seconds Studio Metal Products, Viva Decor paints, Kaiser Colour Paints and PaperArtsy's Bijouterie Jewellery findings.  

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