Make Your Own: Five-Minute Earrings Using Epoxy Stickers

Another instalment of my Enduring Sticker Love series, here I wanted to show you just how easy it is to use (and to love!) these epoxy stickers, by making a pretty pair of earrings - and the best thing is it really only takes five minutes!

It may help to know that I was about to go out and I couldn't find any earrings to wear that I fancied wearing.  Sometimes you just have to have something new - so I figured I would make them!

I gathered my materials - simply, a pair of earwires and earnuts for the backs, a little bezel tray (here I used two of the 13x18mm silver plated ovals from the shop), two stickers, two lots of images, and a bit of ModPodge.

You need to peel off the plastic film protecting your epoxy stickers - I say 'protecting' but these stickers are actually very sturdy little things, they will withstand most things that life as an earring can throw at them.  So, peel off the plastic film, grab your sticker and position it over the paper.  I used a simple inkjet print from my home printer and I did not seal it in any way.

Here I was hoping to recreate a butterfly in two halves. It didn't quite work as I ended up with a mutant butterfly that has two bodies, and slightly askew it is too, but when you wear the earrings nobody really notices, so we're good.

The adhesive on the epoxy sticker will provide a good fast bond, but just make sure you have no bubbles showing through by rubbing the sticker against the paper.  Then carefully cut around the sticker so you have two images of the exact size for your bezel.

Glue these with a little bit of ModPodge to your bezel setting.  If the ModPodge comes up over the side of the sticker, it's fine, just ignore it for now - first of all, it dries clear, and secondly it's far easier to peel off when it's dry than it is to wipe when wet.  However the sticker will benefit from wiping with a damp kitchen towel when it is totally dry just to remove any traces of errant ModPodge.

Hang from your preferred earwires, and that's really all there is to it!

Beautiful earrings, in a jiffy.



All image credits to Download - http://www.etsy.com/shop/download

A Vintage Image Feast

Today I thought I would share with you one of my very favourite resources for vintage graphics.  The Graphics Fairy is a blog, nay, a treasure trove of beautiful antique images - curated by the fabulous Karen who very carefully collects them, beautifies them and then generously shares them with the world.

The images are copyright-free for any crafting purpose for fun or profit, though please read the terms of use.

They are organised by category and in the blog you will find all of the vintage themes that you can see in the shops at the moment.

You want birds?
                 

After Eiffel Towers??

How about hearts?  of the anatomical kind of course.  It is after all, well past Valentine's Day.

Insects?  Deer?  Vintage postcards?  Coiffured ladies?? It's all there.
 
And this one will probably never fit in a pendant, but it made me smile - antique paper dolls where you be the hairdresser, and by the looks of it, supreme mood-maker - click on the image for a larger view and you'll see what I mean.

Just think of all the wonderful vintage style projects this amazing blog offers... 

Simply put, it is a thoroughly excellent resource. Thank you Karen!

Getting Ready

Whilst you are getting your supplies ready to embark on this jewellery making adventure, I thought I would give you a couple of free images to start you off.  These are for you to download and to do as you wish with them.  How about if I give you the images I used on this blog's banner?  

Here we have, a cute little fairy:

A bird with berry:

A Mediterranean tile pattern:

And a sample of handmade Japanese Chiyogami paper:

Enjoy!