Refracting strong sunlight, this is one of three similar pairs of UTEEite earrings available.
I was convinced I could somehow form molten UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel) into transparent teal waves inside 1.5″ hoop earrings. Four hours later, I had produced three sets of similar earrings, two for pierced ears, and one with adjustable clip-on attachments. The trial-and-error process wasn’t easy, but I’m delighted with the results.
At first, I thought I could just dip the hoops into molten UTEE in my Melting Pot. No such luck. It only coated the wire. When I tried letting that cool and building up layers of UTEEite by redipping, I ended up with a log-shaped lump of UTEEite on the bottom of the hoop. No wave! I remelted that effort and started over.
I next poured molten UTEEite into the hoops as they were laying flat on a teflon heatproof mat. Excess UTEEite was cut from the outside of the hoop with a scissors. If the “wave” did not look like a wave, its shape was adjusted with the paddle attachment on my hot wax stylist tool. Some waves had to be remelted and reshaped using a hot air gun.
The UTEEite gradually changed color during the 4-hour heating process. Therefore, each pair of earrings is a slightly different color blue, as I worked on one pair at a time.
As you can see in the picture above, the sunlight shining through these earrings produces some lovely patterns, much like the patterns created when sunlight shines through water. Just as no two waves are alike, don’t expect any of these hand created treasures to be identical!
These would make terrific holiday gifts, so be quick to snap them up on my website. While you’re there, check out my other creations with gift giving in mind. Don’t forget to include yourself on that gift list! ;o}
Would you like me to create more hoop earrings similar to these, perhaps in different colors? If so, what color(s) would you prefer I try next?
