DIY Spring flower earrings

This pair of earrings will be a lovely addition to your spring outfit! Make it with Albina Manning in no time and you give it as a gift for Easter, Mother's Day or just because! 

To make a pair of earrings like these, you will need:

- 6mm Swarovski bicone crystals - 2

- 4mm Swarovski bicone crystals - 2
- 10mm Swarovski filigree flower -2
- 2" eyepins - 2
- Earwires -1 pair
- Chain nose pliers, round nose pliers, wire cutters

1. Slide one 6mm and one 4m Swarovski crystals onto an eyepin. Make a loop just above a 4mm crystal. Make sure that both loops are in the perpendicular planes.

2. Open the loop by the 4mm crystal and slide an ear wire on. Close the loop.

3. Open the second loop, by 6mm crystal. Slide a filigree flower on and close the loop.

Your first earring is done!

4. Make the second earring in the same manner. 

 If you would like to see these instructions step by step follow this link:

Have fun making earrings!

Easter Egg free cross stitch pattern

This chart will work perfect for your Easter tri-fold card.


You still have time to stitch and send your card by April 24th!


You might choose to stitch it in different colors to compliment your card, please feel free to do so.


I would be happy to see how your design will turn out!

 Please send me a photo of your finished card through the conversation at my Etsy shop (AGardenCottage) and I will publish it on my blog!

How to make a tri-fold card for your cross stitch

Home made cards are great as a gift to a friend who lives far away. They show that you care!

I like to add some stitching to my cards so I am either making window cards to put my miniature stitching in or just glue them to a piece a cardstock to decorate my card with.

Today I will show you how to make a tri-fold card.

You need:

An envelope, approximate size 3 3/8" by 5 3/4",

A decorative cardstock, approximate size 5 1/2' by 11"

Your scrapbook supplies: a cutting mat, exacto cutting knife, template for oval op
ening, ruler, rotary trimmer, small scissors and a pencil

Divide your cardstock to 3 even parts and fold sides to the middle with a help of ruler. Fold all 3 sides and check if you need to adjust the size of card. I am usually trimming cards as needed to be perfectly rectangular.

With pencil and ruler, find the center of the middle section on the back side of the card and mark it. Place your cardstock on a protective cutting mat with the back side facing you. Place your oval template so it is centered over the center point. Cut the shape with your exacto knife, then turn your card to the front and see if you like how it turned out. If it needs some adjustments make it with your small needlecraft scissors.

Fold your card, and it is ready for you to place your stitching!

Tutorial: Spring Flower Earrings

Spring Flower Earrings by Albina Manning 
Copyright 2010 Albina Maning

Please do not distribute, lend or copy. Do not mass produce. Please always give credit to the Teacher*

www.around-beads.info

www.aroundbeads.etsy.com

This lesson shows how to make 3-D (three-dimensional) spirals and use it for making earrings, pendants, etc.

Materials:

· 15” (38cm)* of 18 ga Round Soft Wire

· Jump rings -2

· Ear wire -2

* The length of the wire depends on the mandrel’s diameter and the number of coils.

Tools:

· Chain nose pliers

· Wire cutters

Round mandrel (or pencil)

Step 1:

Clean and straighten the 18ga wire (you can work from the spool). Start coiling the wire end around the mandrel.

Step 2:

Make 6 full coils around the mandrel. Cut the wire.

Step 3:

Remove the spring from the mandrel and using flash cutters cut one end as shown.

Step 4:

Make the second cut on the other side of the coiled wire, directly across from the first cut.

Step 5:

With your fingers, start opening the coils from just one side (outside). Both cuts have to be on the inside of the spring (see red arrows)

Step 6:

Continue forming the spring circle. The wire cuts have to meet each other and be very close.

Step 7:

Make sure that all six “rays” are evenly spaced

Step 8:

Using jump-rings, attach the ear wires

Variation: you can make 7-coil flower as well

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial!

* Published with permission of Albina Manning

Interview With A Star - Albina at AroundBeads

Back in March of this year I told you about Albina Maning, a wonderful person I met during the jewelry show in Tuscon, AZ. Albina is a jewelry designer and also an instructor of jewelry classes. (you can read the full story here). Since then we continue our friendship and I am still planning to take some more of her great classes.

I asked Albina if she’d like tell us some more about herself, her work and her family. So here she is, Albina with her beautiful AroundBeads shop!

Q: Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

A: I was born in Yoshkar-Ola, Russia, a small town not far from the Volga River. I graduated from Mari State Pedagogical Institute (college to become a teacher) and then worked for 9 years as a certified elementary school and physical education teacher in my hometown. In 2003 my life changed a lot! I met my soul mate Peter and moved to Arizona, where we were married. A year later our beautiful daughter Anya was born.

Q: How did you start making jewelry?

A: Several years ago my friend, who is living in Japan, sent me a beautiful Christmas gift. A wonderful red beaded rose. I loved it so much that I wanted to try to make one myself. Soon after that I made a beaded Money Tree. It has a lot of “technical” mistakes and looks like an old untrimmed tree but I still love it. That was the beginning of my journey to the creative world of beads and wire

Q: What items in your shop do you most enjoy making and why?

A: I enjoy making wire wrapped jewelry, especially complicated items. I love to create my own designs.

Q: What are your main sources of inspiration?

A: My inspiration comes from anywhere: nature, literature, clouds in the sky…you name it.

Q: Do you have a favorite item you have made?

A: I think the most recent item I made is my favorite. Then after I make my next item this one will be my favorite J… But I love all of them, just like a mother loves her kids.

Q: Do you take custom orders?

A: Yes, I do.

Q: Why will people love your items?

A: Because they are beautiful, one-of-a-kind and made with love.

Q: Name 3 things you can’t live without?

A: My family, my friends and my wire

Q: Do you have a Favorite quote you'd like to share with us?

A: It’s from my grandfather’s riddle: make the first step to start your journey.

How true it is, Albina! If you just think about something it will never happen. Thank you for being with us today!

Albina also was so kind to share with us one of her tutorials, thank you so much for that! It will be posted here this coming weekend.

If you’d like to see Albina’s work, purchase some jewelry or take her class you can find her at her website or her Etsy shop