|
|
(PMC) Bell Earrings
These earrings are made from one sheet of PMC+® Paper (sheet) that is cut, folded, and glued over fine silver wire to form the bell shapes. Each earring body uses two four-sided pieces of sheet and each dangle uses one triangular piece of sheet. In the January issue, we cut out all the parts for the bell earrings and began applying the paper to fine silver wire. Here, we will finish assembling all of the parts, fire and finish them, then assemble the earrings. Photo of finished piece by Frank DeSantis; all other photos courtesy of the author.
Carl Stanley and several other designers talk about the advantages of PMC® in "Feats of Clay" in January 2004 LJ. |
| Step by Step |
|
||||||||
|
It's okay for the tool to poke through the sheet, but be careful to make the pattern lighter rather than heavier. You don't want to affect the structure of the sheet.
Repeat Step 17, creating four bells with decorated fronts. These four bell-like pieces will become the main parts of the earrings. Set these aside and get ready to make the dangles.
|
|||||||||
|
|
|||||||||
|
Allow the wire to extend about 3/8" below the bottom. The remainder of the wire will extend about 3/4" above the thin tip of the wedge. |
|||||||||
|
Take the piece of card stock used in Step 15 and gently push the two pieces together firmly around the wire. Be careful and keep the wire in the center, but avoid excess pressure and realignment or you could tear the shapes. Repeat Steps 20 and 21 to make two dangles.
Remember to keep it light so the pieces do not tear and they retain their integrity. |
|||||||||
|
During firing, the sheet will shrink as usual. However, the wire does not shrink, and the added thickness of the applied detail will cause the sheet between the wires to distort and buckle. Sometimes the result is satisfactory, but in most cases you'll need to do some reshaping and adjusting. Remember that any of the PMC® products will become stronger the longer they are fired at 1650°F up to two hours. This extra strength ensures that they won't crack when bent and adjusted to shape. For me, the five minutes extra it takes is cheap insurance that the work I've done so far won't go to waste.
|
|||||||||
|
|
They need to be bent first to reveal areas hidden by distortion. When finished, they should all have the same basic look and shape. Much of the finished shape is a result of the resistance of the wire to the shrinkage of the sheet. When the bell-like part is fired and shaped, it becomes full and even more bell-like. |
||||||||
|
The loops should lie flat, as before they were twisted.
|
|||||||||
|
Twist the two wires on each side tightly together three to four times, taking care to make the overall shape even and clean. |
|||||||||
|
Clean off the flux with water and wire-brush the melted bead. Repeat this on both sides of both earrings.
As an alternative, you can trim the wire so that there are at least three tight twists, and glue a small gemstone bead or pearl over each end. One other method is to twist the wires together at least three times, melt the ends of the wires into separate balls, and then coil the excess wire in opposite parallel directions. Of course this will require you to plan ahead and make the wires longer. Whatever method you choose, this will join the two halves of the earring together securely at the bottom. At this point, you may want to patina and place all or some of the parts in a tumbler to give them a polished finish. Or you can leave all the parts with a satin, wire-brush finish. Choose any combination of finishes you like. In my sample, I applied a patina, tumble-polished the main parts, and left the dangles with the satin finish.
|
|||||||||
|
________________________________________________________________ Cool
Tools | Feature
Stories & Artist Profiles | Projects
& Workshops | Technique
Articles | Business
Articles | News,
Conferences, & Deadlines | Subscribe
to JA Flashcard eNewsletter
Articles & Workshops | Bead Fest | Jewelry Classes | Jewelry Show Guide Show Calendar | Search for Products & Suppliers | Classified Ad Deals | Advertising Rates & Information | Store - Books & Back Issues | Contact Us | Links | Site Map
About Us | Subscribe to Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist | Subscription Customer Service/Account Lookup Contact
us |
Use a ruler or straight edge and cut both pieces from the top left to the bottom right corner with the knife, making four wedge-shaped pieces of equal size.
<< Use hand pressure to adjust the four main pieces over a wood dowel or some other round object.
Finish all the fired pieces to a satin sheen with a wire brush.
Twist the wire at the top of each piece two times to create a pattern with a loop on top. It helps to use a toothpick to keep the loops in a nice round shape.
Bend one half of the wire over at the top of each dangle and twist it into a loop, using the toothpick to keep the shape round and even.
Select a pair of bell-like shapes so the openings face one another. Pass a 4mm jump ring (sterling or gold) through the loops to hold the two pieces together.
If you have access to a torch (and you are qualified to use it), trim the excess wire close to the second twist. Use a jeweler's third hand to hold the earring assembly by the loops so that it hangs down. Apply a small drop of flux to the twisted wire ends and melt them into a small bead, fusing the two wires together.
Slide one or two beads onto the bottom wire of the dangle pieces and glue them in place. You may need to trim the wire. I like to use a half-drilled bead on the end for a clean finish.
Open the jump ring that holds the top wire loops of the two halves together and remove it temporarily. Slide the loop of the dangle piece up through the earring halves and between the top loops. Reapply the jump ring now holding the tops together as well as the dangle in place.
Now all you have to do is attach a pair of ear wires of your choice to the jump rings and you are finished. Whew! Wow — a lot of steps to complete, but well worth the effort! One of the nice things about this pair of earrings is that they are very light and easy to wear, as well as being very attractive.
