Every year, the office girls at McCowat Mercer Packaging Company, get a new pair of Christmas earrings! One year I made snowman earrings with cracked crystal beads, complete with a black top hat. Last year I digressed & gave them earrings I had made up earlier that year, no holiday theme. Well this year, after being sickly for a couple of weeks, I had to play catch up!
A sweetheart of a friend, Glenda Logsdon, knows I create jewelry & love getting bits & pieces of antique jewelry. While in New York last year as she was cleaning out an apartment with a friend, they happened upon a box with an array of strung beads, loose beads, etc. mixed in with some dirt to add to the "antique" value of the find. Well now, being the dear sweet lovable friend that she is, she compiled a goody bag & presented it to me at a Scrapbook retreat last February in KY. I was THRILLED looking through all the beads, dirt & all. When I got home, I took the beads apart, cleaned them with a mild soap & water solution, let all the pieces dry then organized them in a compartment box. There they sat until just the right moment when they would be "needed". Of course, Glenda has a pair of these little trees coming her way...... hopefully just in time for Christmas (I did say I was sickly--ok, it's a pitiful excuse but one I'm running with ......alas, causing me to be so late in creating them). Now, on with the project!!
While looking around Hobby Lobby, I found a new line called "Timeline" beads. The one that caught my eye were the little acrylic flowers in blues & greens. While I'm not a fan of acrylic beads, I saw a future in store for these. They resembled some little vintage green glass flower beads that was in the bag Glenda brought to me from New York. I have an assortment of wooden beads (who doesn't?) of course have lots of Swarvoski crystals in stock.
Now.......assembling required.
Beginning with a head pin: square wooden bead (base of tree), a light green acrylic flower (turned upside down to make the tree); a darker green acrylic flower; a vintage green glass flower followed by a light green/dark green acrylic flower......then for the tree topper, a very small 3mm Swarvoski crystal. Attach to ear wire, you're good to go.
I simply LOVE how vintage glass flower is "peakin" out from it's acrylic sisters. Using the glass flower gives the earrings a really nice feel. Hope the ladies like them as much as I had fun creating them!
The presentation card is black cardstock, run through a Sizzix Big Shot using a texture plate which is then aged by distressing the edges. Ranger Snow Cap dapper was used to add the white area to further age the card. Dollar Tree had the tree tinsel of all places! I had been looking so hard for this evergreen tinsel.....and there it was! Cut into 4 inch pieces, round & twist into a wreath; tie red ribbon into little bows, glue to card using Beacon's Quick Grip glue. Punch two holes for the earrings.......and wha la........there ya go!
Wearable Christmas trees!
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