If you've ever worked with chatons and epoxy clay in a stud earring bezel (or any bezel with a post/pin such as a brooch or a clutch pin), you'll know how difficult it is to keep them horizontal and level whilst they cure. Here's a little trick you might find helpful: use the foam protector that comes in the chaton packaging . After creating your sparkly earring, stand the foam upright and insert the earring post in the top.  Place the foam in a medicine cup (or a shot glass) and fill with rice to stablise it. Now your resin clay can cure without fear of becoming lopsided! You can also try this trick with liquid epoxy resin but just set your earring posts into the foam before you begin pouring the resin - your earrings will have a perfectly level dome. Here's another post with tips on how to stabilise bezels with uneven backs . Pin it for later! 'Til next time..... If you can't get enough of My Tutorials and you want even more inspiration,  click here to find m......

One of the wonderful things about creating wedding jewellery is that lots of sparkle is good. I'm working on some gorgeous wedding jewellery at the moment using Swarovski crystals. Apart from regular stringing techniques, I've also included some crystals which are placed in settings. There are a couple of different methods I use and they depend on the type of setting I'm using. Today it's the claw setting (sometimes known as a tiffany setting). These settings have a deep well inside to accommodate the pointy back of the crystal and a number of claws which wrap over the top of the crystal. You use your pliers to press the claw against the surface of the crystal to hold it in place. That sounds really easy, right? Well yes.... and no! Crystals can be fiddly to set - they have a habit of flipping upside down or not sitting properly level in the setting so here's a couple of tips I use when I'm setting them. Firstly, getting the crystal into the setting. If your fin......