Free Jewelry Project: Cascade Earrings from Exposed

Here's a free jewelry project to whet your appetite for Bead & Wire Jewelry Exposed co-written by Margot Potter, Fernando DaSilva and yours truly (F+W Pubs 2009). From wire designs that defy gravity to innovative uses of everyday findings, there is inspiration for the beginning beader and the experienced jewelry designer on every page.

Leave a comment here to win a free copy of the book, a CRYSTALLIZED jet twist pendant and some other fun goodies. I'll announce the randomly-selected winner with another free project next Wednesday. Good luck!

Cascade Earrings
Excerpt from Bead & Wire Jewelry Exposed
Design Copyright 2009 Margot Potter

Cones can be used in all sorts of ways and Margot loves exposed wire tendrils exploding out of them like they do in these earrings. This beaded wire fringe is a fun new take on a traditional idea. She wanted to make the colors festive, like a fireworks display. This was a more the merrier situation because the more cones she made, the merrier the earrings became.

Materials
5 4mm padparascha CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements rounds
5 4mm Indian sapphire CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements rounds
5 4mm light topaz CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements rounds
5 4mm black diamond A/B CRYSTALLIZED™-Swarovski Elements rounds
8 gold plated cones
8 gold plated eye pins
8 gold plated kidney ear wires
32 gold plated crimp beads
8 3” lengths .018 Satin Gold Beadalon 19
8 2.75” lengths .018 Satin Gold Beadalon 19
4 5mm gold plated jump rings
2 gold plated small toggle circle ends

Tools
Round nose pliers
Chain nose pliers
Nipper tool

1. Cut 8 3” and 8 2.75” segments of Satin Gold wire.
2. Flatten a crimp bead flush to the end of a 3” wire section. Add a light topaz and a padparascha bead to wire.
3. Flatten a crimp bead flush to the open end of wire. Use nippers to cut off any excess.
4. Repeat process making 8 3” light topaz/padparascha and black diamond/Indian sapphire beaded and crimped wire segments then 8 of each color combo using the 2.75” wire.
5. Take a 2.75” and a 3” beaded wire segment each with a different color combo and thread them on to the pre-opened end of an eye pin.
6. Close the eye pin and thread it into a cone.
7. Keep the wires even as you pull the tail of the eye pin inside of the cone. Use round nose pliers to do this.
8. Keep the eye pin secured as you create a coiled loop flush to the top of the cone.
9. Repeat making eight threaded cones.
10. Create coiled dangles with the remaining beads. There should be two of each color.
11. Attach a cone to a jump ring with a light topaz coiled dangle.
12. Attach a second cone to a jump ring with a padparascha coiled dangle and thread it into the bottom of the first, alternating the placement of your cones and coils so they hang on opposite sides of their jump rings.
13. Add a cone with an Indian sapphire dangle and repeat for the final cone with a black diamond coil. There will be four cone and dangle combos on each earring.
14. Attach the small end of a toggle circle to the kidney wires, using pliers to secure. Repeat for second earring.
15. Open and attach the top jump ring of your cascade to the large end of the toggle circle and repeat for second earring.

See the book for step by step pictures of the project!