Reaching for Stars Earrings

Here's a tutorial with photos showing you how to create a set of Reaching for Stars earrings using the Reaching for Stars Pressing.

I was able to finish all 5 pairs of earrings (including making the ear wires in less than 2 hours, so I’m definitely going to create more designs using this type of border with straight sides! 😊👍❤️

First, purchase a Reaching for Stars Pressing from Metal Maven

For this earring set, Metal Maven used 20-gauge metal.

This pressing is available in copper and sterling silver in different gauges on the Metal Maven website.

The pressing has five different designs. Each component is 1-1/8" Tall by 11/16" Wide. The earring designs are mirrored and the third copy can be used for a pendant.

Add patina to the whole pressing.

Use Liver of Sulfur to darken the entire pressing.

Sand the high spots.

Lightly sand the high spots using 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper and then sand with 2000 grit sandpaper to finish.

Cutting out the earring and pendant designs.

A quick and easy way to cut the designs out is to use a guillotine shear. You can also use a Jeweler's Saw to cut out the designs.

File the edges.

Use a small benchtop belt sander to "file" the edges and round the sharp corners. Next, use a Jool Tool to smooth and polish the outside edges of the border

You can also use a file to smooth the edges of the of your piece. Use the flat side of a #6 half-round half-flat file.

Drill a hole for an earwire or jump ring.

Use a fine point Sharpie and mark where you are going to drill a hole just below the top peak of the inside border.

Tip: To keep your drill bit from ruining your piece, use a pointed awl or small nail to put a dimple in the center of your mark.

Lightly tap the end of the awl with a hammer to form a dimple. This step is to form a tiny impression so that your drill bit will stay centered and not dance around on the surface of your metal resulting in unwanted scratches.

Line up your drill bit on the dimple and drill a hole. You can