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CD Egyptian Necklace and Earrings

By Nancy Leimer
Rubber Roadsters
Advanced Stamping Design Team

Using pieces of a CD can lead to designing just about anything you can imagine. Egyptian and Oriental art are so addicting to me that I decided to make something that would resemble a piece of Egyptian art recovered from some ancient tomb.  Start with a specific cut piece of the CD or just break up into individual pieces and see what emerges to spark you imagination. 

Supplies:
Hieroglyphics Stamp (CTMH)
StazOn Black Archival Stamp Pad (Tsukineko)
Gold Embossing Powder (Stamp N Stuff)
Clear CD
Red Beads (The Beadery)
Turquoise Beads (The Beadery)
Gold Beads-small 5 (Unknown)
Leather Rope for Necklace (Wal-Mart)
Jewelry End Crimps (Jewelry Designer)
Earring Wire (The Jewelry Shoppe)
Jump Rings (Fashion Accessories)
Lobster Clasp (Fashion Accessories)
Head pins-5 (Fashion Accessories)
Embossing Heat Gun (Stampabilities)
Jewelry making tools or small pliers and needle nose pliers
Battery Operated Drill (Unknown) or sharp instrument to make holes in the CD
Craft Knife (X-Acto)
28 Gauge Non Tarnishing Gold Wire (Darice)
Small piece of fine sand paper
 

Instructions:

1.      Score the CD to size you want to make the main focal point of the necklace. I cut a piece 1” x 1 ½” using the outside curved portion of the CD for the bottom of the piece.  Mark the CD using pen and start scoring the marked lines with the knife. Once the scoring is done heat the CD slightly with the embossing gun.  Bend CD on heated scored lines, and it should break easily. Sand the edges slightly to remove any sharp portions. 

2.      Drill holes in the CD piece. Two on the top portion, three on the bottom portion and two on the right side to add the wire decoration.  See photo for placement of drilled holes. 

3.      Pour some of the embossing powder into a small container.  Make sure that your stamp is close by and the black ink. Start heating the piece of CD a little at a time.  As the piece is heated it will start to change shape if over heated. When the piece is somewhat warm drop into the embossing powder. Remove the coated piece with tweezers and heat again to melt the powder.  Continue heating and coating the piece until a thick layer of melted embossing powder covers the piece.  While the piece is still hot, coat your stamp heavily with ink and push into the hot embossing powder. (See photo for placement. Stamp to the left of center). Do not remove stamp; allow piece to cool with the stamp embedded in it and then remove the stamp. 

4.      Drill holes to the top and bottom of the CD piece and add the jump rings. 

5.      Cut a 6” piece of the gold wire. Insert the wire into the hole from the backside of piece.  Twist the two pieces and add a small bead. Thread one end of the wire back through the bead and thread through the hole into the back and up to the front side.  Run wire back through the bead and cut off.  Using the long piece of the wire, form three circles around the bead in varying sizes. (See photo). Then twist remaining portion back through the bead and trim off. 

6.      Cut a piece of the leather to the length that is comfortable to your wearing. (16”-18”).  Add end crimp to one end of the leather. Loop one end into the crimp, close with pliers, and trim excess. Add two small red beads, one turquoise bead, and two red beads. Thread through first jump ring on top of the piece. Then add one red bead, one turquoise bead and one red bead.  Thread through the other jump ring and add two red beads, one turquoise bead and two red beads. Add final end crimp to other end of leather and close with jewelry pliers. Add a jump ring to each end crimp and then add the lobster clasp. (See photo). 

7.      Using the three head pins, add beads as shown in photo. Hook pins to jump rings, bend closed to fasten, and cut off excess. Each head pin will need a small gold bead on the end and then add the larger red bead and the one or three turquoise beads.                                                                                    

8.      To make the earrings use the ear wires, head pins, and beads and repeat process as listed above.

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