What I Made With A Chewed Up Earring

Frida Kahlo Necklace by Wink Artisans

It all started with my sister-in-law, Jackie, and her dog Buddy. Sometime last year, Buddy got to one of her earrings and gave it a good chew.  Needless to say, that pair of earrings was gone.  Soon, the earrings made their way into my recycled bin to be "salvaged" or be turned into something else.   And that's how this Frida Kahlo necklace came about.  Below are pictures of the process for you to see how the pendant developed. 

The Pair of Earrings

I decided to only use the chewed up earrings. I'll save the other one for another project later on. I kept it on my desk for about three hours before figuring out what to do with it. I kept looking and looking at it. 

The Chewed Up Earring

First step: to cut it open the top with shears, then carefully open the body with my hands and finally cut with the saw blade the bottom where the two pieces of metal were soldered.  

Cut the earring open.

 After I flattened them, it was time to stamp away. You know I love stamping my metal.

Stamping and Texture

 Then I saw a heart shape. I had to do several more cuts to get the desired shape.

Shaping it into a heart

Then came the background in copper.  I enjoy mixing metals and textures. I opted for a cold-connection technique. I grabbed my drill and started drilling holes for riveting.

Riveting to copper background

 Once the piece was washed and polished, then came the image... of course it had to be Frida Kahlo.

There you have it.  Now, let's see you is going to snatch this beauty away.
Good luck everyone!