Monday, June 8, 2020

Modern Leather Earrings Embellished with StencilGirl® Stencil Designs


Oh hey my friends are you ready to make some modern leather earrings using StencilGirl® stencils?  I'm Debi Adams and I've been having an absolute blast over in my little craft workshop working up these cute little accessories. It hasn't been that difficult for me to find things to do while being quarantined.  The introvert in me enjoys being told to stay inside, although I will admit, this length of time has been a bit confining.  What about you?  Hard stuff for sure.  Anyway, I'm always on the look out, whether physically shopping or online "researching", for the latest trends. I follow a lot of unique, style-setting leaders on instagram in all areas of designs, not just art.  As my new Columnist title states, I'm officially on the "trendsetter" trail.  From home decor to wedding florals, watercoloring to macrame, I try and open myself up to a bit of each. It is often reflected in my art and sometimes, not so much, but it never goes away void.   Having four grown daughters who continually keep me updated is definitely a perk.   What I have observed is that much of what is being created today is very organic, simple and geometric in design.  When I decided to make these earrings I kept those ideas in mind and lucky for me, my girls loved them!  Though these may not be your look, it is starting place and yet another idea for ways to extend the use of your stencils.   



 It doesn't take a lot of supplies to create these. I bought a package of leather pieces. You can get them from a leather supplier or even at your local hobby store. Although I recommend using leather paint (very reasonably priced btw) on leather for pliability, these earrings are not being used as clothing so chalk paint or acrylic paint will work fine too. Grab some thin permanent pens for mark making. I got a 24 kt. gold metallic pen too. I would seal it all with a leather sealer when finished.


 This little punch tool is a gem.  You can purchase it online. It has an interchangeable tip for different sizes of holes. It's called a Hole Punch Drill.  It slices through leather like butter, perfect for earring making.


As for the circles, you can get some specialty leather scissors and cut your own shapes or you can use steel rule die-cuts, which is what I used here.  I did see some plain shapes, pre-cut at a popular craft store in the jewelry-making section, so there's that. :) Also, you will need whatever earring base you like, studs or hoops, and if choosing the latter,  jump rings and a jump ring tool. 


And lastly, don't forget your favorite stencils.  Although all will work, I found the ones with smaller details were the best.  I used Mary C. Nasser's Mixup stencil, Mary Beth Shaw's ATC Mixup #1 and Seth Apter's Mixup #2.  Most of the Mixups are perfect! 


 I traced some of the images onto the leather first but feel free to start stenciling anyway you want once you have painted your base.  Tip: The paint dries very fast on leather.
Here you can see where I used Mary C. Nasser's stencil. I traced the design then painted in the image. 


And here is how my earrings shaped up.    




Love this color combo.  Totally in.  I used Seth's stencil here. 


Although I didn't do it on these, you can add additional pieces of embellished leather onto your earrings to  make a layering of sorts.  Love that tulip flower on Mary Beth's stencil. 


Of course, you can make a necklace instead of earrings or you can create an entire collection.  It's all up to you.  Feel free to add more and layer it up like you do with any mixed media piece. I cannot wait to see what you create! 



Happy you stopped by.  Hoping you learned something new.  

XO,

Debi Adams
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6 comments:

  1. These are fantastic, Debi!! I absolutely love them.

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  2. Swoon! Love these!! And these solve a huge problem for me. I love big earrings but can’t wear many of them because of their weight. Perfect using the leather! Brilliant!

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  3. oh wow, Debi! So wonderful! Little works of art for our ears! You're creativity never ceases to amaze me!!

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  4. So creative and inspiring! Fabulous post and I’ll be trying this! Thanks for sharing such a creative unique idea!

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  5. You have such an eye and talent for color and color combos and cute or cool projects.

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  6. These look fantastic! Such great detail and stenciling. Beautiful!

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