Earrings with Electroplated Hemalyke™ Drops and Seed Beads

Attach one 4mm jump ring through the loop on a fishhook ear wire.

Use the EUROTOOL® template to trace an approximately 37x23mm oval onto a piece of Lacy's Stiff Stuff.

Apply a small amount of E6000® Jewelry and Craft Adhesive to the back of one 18x13mm Hemalyke™ scale design drop. Place the drop on the section of Lacy's Stiff Stuff toward close to one end of the oval, then allow to dry according to manufacturer's instructions.

Tip: It is important to apply enough adhesive to secure the edges of the drop to the fabric, but not so much that it comes out around the edges. This could cause issues with the needle passing through the fabric later.

Cut one 6-foot length of FireLine® thread. Thread a beading needle almost doubling the thread (to make it easier to work with) but leaving a tail so you are working with only one thread. Knot the end of the working thread.

Tip: It may be necessary to cut other lengths of thread later in the design.

Pass the needle up through Lacy's Stiff Stuff, close to the edge of the Hemalyke drop. String four nickel-finished teal #11 seed beads then pass down through the fabric. Pull the thread tight, securing the beads in place. Skip back two seed beads, pass up through the fabric then through the two seed beads.

String two teal seed beads then continue down through the fabric. Skip back three seed beads (two just stitched and one previous) and pass up through the fabric then through the three seed beads. Repeat to stitch two seed beads at a time around the circumference of the drop.

Use the teal seed beads to create a second row close around the previous. Tie off the thread then trim excess.

Cut a new length of thread then thread a needle. Knot the end of the working thread. Pass the needle up through the fabric along the edge of the oval and close to the previous row of seed beads. Continue to brick stitch along the bottom of the previous row of seed beads using three rows of opaque galvanized peacock #11 seed beads and six rows of glazed clear #11 seed beads, filling the oval. Secure the thread then trim excess.

Cut a new length of thread then thread a needle.

Pass the needle up through Lacy's Stiff Stuff, close to the edge of the Hemalyke drop, then through one seed bead in the first row. String one teal #11 seed bead then pass the needle through the third seed bead in the base row (skipping the second seed bead). Continue the tubular peyote stitch around the entire base row: stringing one #11 teal seed bead, skip a seed bead and pass through the next seed bead from the base row. (This will make a total of three rows.)

Continue to stitch one more row using teal #11 seed beads and two more rows using fancy gunmetal green #15 rocailles. Stitch back through the adjacent seed beads to secure then trim excess thread.

Trim the Lacy's Stiff Stuff around the edge of the last row of seed beads.

Apply E6000 to the back of the fabric. Press a piece of leather scrap onto the fabric then allow to dry. Trim the leather close around the edge of the Lacy's Stiff Stuff.

Cut a new length of thread then thread a needle. Knot the end of the working thread. Pass the needle between the two layers of fabric. Exit on the end of the oval near the Hemalyke drop, close to the edge of the component, concealing the knot.

String two teal seed beads then pass the needle through the edge of both layers of fabric, approximately 2mm from the previous stitch. Pass up through the fabric layers and the second seed bead.

String one seed bead, then pass down through the edge of the fabric layers approximately 1mm from the previous bead. Pass up through the previous seed bead. Repeat to create a brick stitch around the entire edge of the leather base. (Use the same color beads as in the adjacent rows as you stitch around the edge.)

Pass up through one seed bead along the edge of the leather, string one fancy gunmetal green #15 rocaille, then pass down through the next bead along the row. Continue to create a final row of gunmetal green #15 rocailles. Stitch back through the adjacent seed beads to secure then trim excess thread.

Cut a new length of thread then thread a needle and tie a knot on the working thread.

Pass through the front side of the hole in the Hemalyke drop, then string approximately one inch of fancy gunmetal green #15 rocailles. Pass the needle through the leather on the backside of the component exiting through the hole in the drop, forming a bail. Tie a knot to secure the bail.

Repeat Steps 1 - 11 to create a second earring.