You'll need:
Jewelry pliers
Ranger Alcohol Ink - Botanical & Stream
Clay conditioning machine
6 mm and 4 mm round ball beads
Earring wire
7 mm jump rings
2" nail head wires
Premo white clay
Ceramic tile
1.75" teardrop shaped cutter
Protective gloves
99% Isopropyl Alcohol
Metal spoon
Instructions
Roll white clay on the #3 setting of the conditioning machine. Cut four rectangles to measure 2.50" x 1.50" minimum. This will provide a piece large enough for the 1.75" long teardrop shaped cutter.
There is no one way to arrange your ink. A couple of drops of each color is all you need. For the blue earrings I put down blue, blue and green together, and green. I also added a bit of red (not shown).
For the green and orange earrings, I added yellow. This is what the dried ink tile looked like after I colored the clay. While it may seem like a mess, a light spray with with alcohol will make it fluid and workable again.
Wearing gloves while you work will eliminate the fear of getting ink on your hands. To color the clay, press the surface into the ink. Dab it, swirl it around, or use your own technique. You'll quickly realize how easy it is to create fabulous color combinations.
The first time you put the clay onto the alcohol the color will be thin. The ink dries quickly and setting the clay down again will build on that first layer. For deep colors, add a light spray of alcohol. For paler colors dilute the ink with a stronger spray.
As you can see, no two pieces will be identical in color. But that's what makes this technique so interesting. From the four pieces, choose the two you like best for the earring fronts.
Place your two least favorite pieces ink side down on your work surface. Place your favorites over them. Press the cutter into the clay.
With a mini hole cutter create holes in the center top of the pieces. The front and back pieces have color and the sides are white. I liked that effect. Use a colored clay for your base if you don't want white edges. You can also paint edges with a different color ink and a brush.
Place the clay in the bowl of a small spoon with the widest part against the tapered end of the spoon. (See tips on spoons and shapes below). Bake the spoons on parchment paper in a 275 degree oven for 30 minutes. Allow the clay to cool. Carefully pry the clay from the spoon. Apply a glaze to the clay if desired.
Slip a nailhead wire into a 6mm then a 4mm ball bead. Create a loop in the top of the wire and cut away excess. Click here if you are unsure of how to make a loop. Connect the loop to the earring with a 7mm jump ring.
The adjusted earring wire will allow the earrings to hang straight with the concave shape facing forward.
