CCC - April Clay Earrings - Hosted by @LunarLilyDesigns!
This month is different. This month is new. Because this month, we have a GUEST HOST! That’s right, @lunarlilydesigns, Erin Barrios, is here to teach us all about Polymer Clay Earrings! We are all going to learn together because I haven’t touched clay at all since probably first grade. So, Erin graciously offered her services to the CCC gang! I am so pumped to make earrings, I’ve been wanting to do this for a while but never got the chance. I hope all my friends are appropriately pierced and ready to feel appreciated by me showering them with earring gifts!
...Once I can see them again, of course. This month, we’re all in the same boat - and that boat is indoors, alone, at home. We’re socially isolating and trying to keep ourselves busy while we do the right thing and stay the fuck home, and crafting is the perfect way to while away the time. To help y’all out, we wanted this month to be extra-awesome, and we also wanted to get this out early because I know a lot of places have delayed shipping right now to keep everyone safe and clean! So order your shit ASAP to give it plenty of time to arrive.
Tools & Materials
Polymer Clay here or pick your colors individually! Alternative link here.
No alternative home link. You gotta get the clay to make the clay things!
I believe most Sculpy Clay will work just not Sculpy III. This clay does not work well for jewelry.
At home alternative: Jar, bottle, anything hard and cylindrical!
Cookie Cutters. Alternative link here.
At home alternative: bottle caps, shot glasses, ruler - something hard that can cut a defined shape. Look for varying sizes.
Any smaller cookie cutter will work! Get crafty with it.
Some sort of place mat to roll out clay on. I use a cheap place mat from the dollar store. Wax paper taped in place to a hard work surface (...table) works too!
A cookie sheet for baking items in the oven.
At home alternative: super glue, hot glue.
You want to make sure this is tough shit, it’s what keeps your earring backings in place.
Jump rings (these are almost out of stock, so you can try these too). Alternative link here.
No at home alternative UNLESS you are like me and have thin wire laying around (like jewelry wire). In which case, just hold on to that wire for later…
These are the “jewelry” bits of making your own jewelry. I know you got distracted by all the fancy clay stuff.
Earring Studs (pliers included) or these (hypoallergenic, lacks pilers).
No not that kind of stud, pay attention! This is the part that goes into your damn ear.
Optional: Sand paper
At home alternative: nail file.
We have plans for this. Wiggles eyebrows.
Optional (kinda): Pliers. These will be included if you bought the above earring kit, if you did not, you gotta grab some from your tool box honey.
At home alternative: regular-ass tool box pliers.
Optional: an Xacto Knife
At home alternative: regular-ass knife. From your kitchen. A SMALL ONE PLEASE, lady.
For if you want to get freaky with your shapes (i.e. different from the ones you have available in cookie cutters)
Tips & Tricks
Plan ahead! What shapes/designs do you want to make? A sketch pad can be helpful. Look at the colors and supplies you have available and think about what you can do with them, then turn into one of those Project Runway Season 1 contestants and sketch your way to fashion glory…. Okay, I got ahead of myself, but you got the point. Need some ideas? Check out @lunarylilydesigns on Instagram, she has a lot of top-notch earring inspiration:
Getting Started
If you’ve never worked with clay before (or, like Helena, not since you were a wee kiddo), take a little out and get used to the feel of it. Form a couple of shapes with your hands before you stick it back in with the bigger lump.
Set up your workstation to get ready for the first livestream! Here are some examples of Erin’s workstation to give you an idea of what good looks like:
Schedule
March 23-April 2 - Order your stuff!!
IG Live Sesh Dates:
April 3rd, 4pm PST
April 10th, 4pm PST
April 17th, 4pm PST
April 24th, 4pm PST
Resources
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42bjv2RBOW4