Two Turtle Doves Earrings | Holiday Designs

Two Turtle Doves Earrings

by Judy Larson

Category: Holiday Designs
Technique(s): Cutting, Texturing, Butane Torch Techniques
Skill Level: Intermediate

Have you ever noticed that half the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas song we are so familiar with are birds?! After the first three bird days were designed, something different was needed so doing a word association chain helped to come up with ideas for the other birds as well as the remaining days.
The biggest challenge making these earrings was to use only what was on hand, mostly leftovers from other projects, which is how things were done when this song first became popular. 24 gauge Argentium silver scrap sheet and leftover Argentium wire were used for all the designs except for the jump rings and dots made from gold filled scrap on The Fifth Day of Christmas.
Rolling mill laser cut texture sheets were used for many of the designs, but metal stamps will also work. If the metal is annealed, texture sheets can be hammered onto the metal to be textured to impart designs. Be aware that the textures will usually not be as sharp as when a rolling mill is used. The shapes are what makes each earring, but texture is always fun to add. Play with texture hammers, stamps, etc. to make your own versions of these earrings.

Materials

24 Gauge Dead Soft Argentium Silver Sheet - 6 Inches

H19-24SM6

Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1 Inch
Price: $48.95
Gold Club Price: $36.71

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20 Gauge Round Half Hard Argentium .940 Silver Wire

H19-20H

Lesson Quantity: 4.00 inches
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 1FT
Price: $4.22
Gold Club Price: $3.17

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Tools

French Shears - Curved Shear with Spring

SHR-531.01

SHR-531.01
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $29.97
Gold Club Price: $22.48

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Basic Sawing Kit

G15-7

G15-7
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $34.95
Gold Club Price: $26.21

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Basic Soldering Kit

G15-4

G15-4
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $58.95
Gold Club Price: $44.21

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Wubbers Artisan's Mark 4 Pc Texture Hammer Set

HAM-6100

HAM-6100
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $99.95
Gold Club Price: $74.96

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7 Piece Mini TruStrike Hammer Set with Stand

HAM-520.70

HAM-520.70
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $140.54
Gold Club Price: $105.40

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Steel and Rubber Bench Block 4x4 Inches

G17-44

G17-44
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $29.95
Gold Club Price: $22.46

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NATURE'S TOUCH CITRIC PICKLE, 2LB PLASTIC JAR

CLN-163.00

CLN-163.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $17.95
Gold Club Price: $13.46

Out of Stock

Pickle Pot, 16 Ounces

CLN-584.00

CLN-584.00
Lesson Quantity: 1.00 pieces
Purchase Quantity: 1.00 each
Price: $31.95
Gold Club Price: $23.96

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Instructions

Step 1

The first template, 2½" x 6", contains the designs that are to be cut out and assembled. The second template, also 2½" x 6", contains size and shape approximations for those designs requiring a backing, except for number 4, which is a charm disc that could be cut out and number 3, an alternate French Hens design. The numbers on the designs in both templates refer to the day in the song and in the tutorials.

Hearts are often seen in combined with turtle doves in jewelry. When I realized that a left and right wing set side by side resembled a heart shape, Bingo! Heart shaped wings. A wider tail would also look nice so both cutting lines are shown on the template.

Decide on what texture or metal stamps to use for the bird wings. Because any texturing/stamping will distort the metal shape, it is best to texture the 24-gauge Argentium sheet metal before cutting out the design. Glue the templates in place on the metal. Cut the bird bodies and wings out.

Judy Larson's Two Turtle Doves Earrings - , Holiday Designs, Cutting, Cutting Tool, Cutters, Texturing, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, two turtle doves earrings

Judy Larson's Two Turtle Doves Earrings - , Holiday Designs, Cutting, Cutting Tool, Cutters, Texturing, Butane Torch, Soldering, Solder, templates

Step 2

Use a center punch or small period punch to impress the eye dot. See Step 5 before doing this: Use the same tool to impress the spots on the bird belly.

Step 3

Remove the paper templates from all the metal pieces.

Step 4

Use a small straight design stamp to make tail feathers. ALL textured pieces should be annealed and flattened before soldering pieces together.

Step 5

Decide where the wings will be placed. The wings may cover some or all of the dots on the bird belly, depending on where they are placed.

Step 6

Place the birds face up on a soldering block. Put medium paste solder as shown on the back of the wings. If the wing tips will be above the bird body, do not put solder there. Press the wings into place on the bird bodies. Heat until the solder flows. Do not quench. Allow to cool naturally.

Step 7

Cut two 2" (51mm) long pieces of 20 gauge round Argentium wire. Ball both ends of each wire so each piece becomes 1½" (appx. 38mm) long.

Step 8

Place the birds face down on a solder block. Bend the balled wires in half. Position the hanging loop/legs assemblies on the back of the birds. Use an ultra fine point retractable Sharpie to draw a line on each bird to help in placing a line of medium paste solder on the back of each bird.
Press the hanging loop/legs assemblies into the paste solder. Heat until the solder flows. Allow to cool naturally.

Step 9

Heat the birds with a butane torch until the solder flows. Allow the pieces to cool on the solder brick. Pickle, rinse, and dry the birds. Tumble the birds for several hours.

Step 10

Patina the birds if desired. The birds shown have patina added.
Add ear wires

Reviews

Judy Larson

My philosophy has always been "I will never live long enough to learn everything I want to learn, go everywhere I want to go and see everything I want to see!" So, what I make and how I create it is always changing and evolving. I was born shortly after WWII to parents who grew up during the Depression. They always had a "we can do it, we can make it" attitude which rubbed off on my two younger brothers and me. My brothers are amazing and can make and do ANYTHING! When I was a little girl, my mother gave me an old carved cigar box, which I cherish, filled with pop beads, wooden beads and yarn for stringing. That was the beginning of my jewelry making journey.

On a visit to the Grand Canyon when I was a young woman, I was fortunate enough to help a Native American silversmith sand cast my first silver bracelet and bezel set a large turquoise nugget on top. I was in love, hook, line and sinker! While working full time and having a family here in northern Minnesota, my artistic endeavors slowed down but never stopped. I am an artist, scrapbooker, seamstress, woodworker and jewelry artisan. Now that I am retired, I am able to indulge in all my hobbies. However, there just never seems to be enough time in the day to do it all, but I try!

I have been teaching community education beginner and intermediate jewelry making classes since my retirement. Many of my students have been bitten so hard by the jewelry making bug that they say I have turned them into monsters-they just can't get enough. Making jewelry, seeing something take shape from small bits and pieces, is so rewarding that I hope it brings out the "monster" in you, too!