First you have to find the shed antlers. Caribou shed their antlers every year. The bulls shed starting in November and the cows shed just after they calve in the spring. Most of the earrings I make are made with the smaller cow caribou antlers. We cut the antler on a band saw and then it's a process of sanding and adorning with beads to make into earrings.
I use Birch bark that has been peeled off after the tree was cut for firewood. The bark has many layers so I cut the pieces in the shapes I like for earrings and then peel the layers until I achieve the look I am after. Next I file each piece with sand paper to smooth the edges, paint with a clear coat to preserve the wood and then adorn with metal, wire and jewels to get the perfect finished look.
Making the metal earrings is quite the process! First I select nickel, copper or brass sheet metal and cut to the desired shape. Next I hammer the metal and file the edges to get the right look. I paint flux on the metal pieces to enable the solder to adhere to the clean metal surface. I then melt silver solder onto the piece and then stamp with a red rubber stamp to get the pattern I like. After the piece cools there is another long process of washing the flux off with baking soda and water, filing the piece again, soaking the piece in patina to get a nice "aged" look, washing again and sanding edges to get a shine where I want. Finally, I adorn the piece with gemstones and beads for the perfect earring.
