Got a few pieces of acrylic scrap lying around? Got a super-cool laser cutter?

Well, friend...shortly, you may have a new pair of earrings.

Let's begin our self-decorative expedition...

Step 1: Tools & Materials

Here's what you shall need to embark on your journey:

Materials
-Acrylic

Tools
-Laser Cutter
-Adobe Illustrator

Calloo-callay! Onward lovely soldiers! Say, you look smashing with that bindle.

Step 2: Find a Clip Art Heart

Find a super-duper cool free clip art heart. I like to use Google Image Search. Make sure the heart is one solid color, with no outlines! (This will make it easier to trace in Illustrator).

Save the image file to your computer.

P.S. Your eyes...they glimmer...like an iridescent bird of paradise. Jus' sayin...

Step 3: Trace the Heart

-Drag your image into Adobe Illustrator CS6.
-Press the "Image Trace" button -> Illustrator will trace the heart and color it black. Black like your...heart.

P.S. Did I say your heart was black? Only because it contains unknown galaxies. Like space, girl. Like space.

Step 4: Resize the Heart

Keeping the heart selected, change the size of the heart shape by typing in the W/H area in the toolbar. Make sure the "link" icon in the toolbar (between the Width and Height) is selected, to keep the proportions of the heart.

What size should you make it? It depends on the base you're attaching it to. My stud earring base is 6mm, so I'm going to make the heart 12mm.

P.S. Are you wondering how big my love is for you? Well, girl...it's simply unmeasurable by any human standard. Girl, even an alien would have trouble, even with their mega-space laser rulers.

Step 5: Duplicate the Heart

If you want 2 earrings, duplicate the heart. Hold down the alt-key & select and drag the heart - this will create a copy.

With both hearts selected, click the "Expand" button.

P.S. Did I say expand? Yes, I did. Kinda like the galaxy. And my adoration of you from your toenail to the queen-like crown of your head. Ever expanding, girl. Ever expanding.

Step 6: Finalize Your Laser File

Next, give your hearts no fill & a .25pt stroke of #ff0000. If your heart ends up having a square border, use the white arrow tool to shift-select the borders points and delete them. Your final file should look like the second image...Now, we're ready to go laser!

P.S. Nothin'... Just...you know...thinkin' about you.

Step 7: Lasertime!

Use the file you just made to laser your hearts away! Golly gee, look how beayoooteefull! Remove your beautiful new hearts from the laser cutter.

P.S. Girl, did you know that your body is a wonderland roller coaster of demure grace? Jus sayin'...

Step 8: Glue Hearts to Stud Earring Base

Use super glue to glue the hearts to your earring base. Let dry.

P.S. Just admiring your incredible skill and dexterity. Damn, woman, you got fingers like an elvin QUEEN...

Step 9: Bask in the Glory of Future Laser Jewelry!

When they're dry, lovingly insert your earrings into your earholes! Dannnnnnng!

And VOILA! Or, as my musician friends say...VIOLA!

Now...Strut. Strut. Strut.

Damn. Today was a good day for laserin'.

I made these gems at Techshop, a modern day marvel.

xoxo...until next time, my pretties...