Necessity is the Mother of Invention: Part 2

Ok...so here is the follow up to my previous entry Necessity is the Mother of Invention. Enjoy!

Before: Nice parts, but a little gaudy and too heavy!

After: Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, oh my

1. A rhinestone gold bow and a pearl with gold chain

2. A versatile hair clip featuring rhinestone chain with

 ribbon and metal hair clip added

3. Dangle earrings with rhinestone and gold chain and

crystal, pearl, and earwire added

4. Rhinestone headband with added round

charms, pale gray ribbon, and headband

5. Black rhinestone and gold heart with

added black ribbon and headband

6. Several shades of gold chain connected with a rhinestone

gold key and heart lock with added lobster clasp.

7. A long necklace with multiple gold chain, black rhinestones featuring an

assymetrical rhinestone heart and pearl centered with a gold key

8. A rhinestone starburst set atop a gold flower connected with an

added green crystal and rhinestone headpin on a gold chain

Before: Multiple layers of rhinestone, silver, and black chains

After: Chain, chain, chain....

9. A simple long rhinestone chain tied with an added robin's egg blue ribbon

10. Black and Crystal Rhinestones set on gunmetal chain

11. A black chain bracelet with added lime green ribbon entwined in midst

Before: A GORGEOUS rhinestone necklace, but a little too heavy and large

 12. A glamorous rhinestone medallion on silver chain set long and finished with a robin's egg blue frayed ribbon.

I get so many compliments on this piece!

13. The matching bracelet with chain from all three necklaces...love it!



14. Another piece to add to the collection...a headband!



15. The original form of the necklace minus all the chains

and medallions...definitely more versatile!

16. A rhinestone chain on purple silk ribbon bracelet



17. A wrapped chain and rhinestone bundle with added pearls and turquoise ribbon



18. A long necklace featuring rhinestones, chain, and added pearls.



A mixture of all three necklaces...

19. A simple flower cluster on a gunmetal chain

20. A chain adjustable belt finished with a gold key

21. A hodgepodge of the leftover materials



22. A multi-layered necklace featuring gold butterfly and rose

charms, black chain, and purple beads.

 The grand total: 21 individual pieces of jewelry

Necklaces-11

Bracelets-5

Headbands-3

Earrings-1

Hairclip-1

Belt-1

There are so many things you can do with unwanted, old, inexpensive, or gaudy jewelry. Just break it apart and start from stratch. There's bound to be at least one nice feature on any old piece of jewelry to use. Mix and match with other pieces of jewelry that you don't want or with your current stock of bead/jewelry supplies. 

I still have a few pieces left over. A couple of rhinestone flowers will be used in my wedding bouquet and the other pieces...well I'm just not sure about it yet! I still have to think about it!

Post pictures of your unwanted jewelry and I'll do my best to give you some project ideas of your own. I hope this sparks some creativity!

Auntie's Beads~what a great find!

I finally found the Chinese crystal beads that I've been looking for at Auntie's Beads!

I've seen other companies offering a small selection of Chinese crystal, but Auntie's beads offers a much wider selection. They also have gemstones, pearls, swarovski crystals, findings, charms available and so much more!

If you are an avid beader, you can get a membership called the Beader's Advantage for $30 which includes FREE SHIPPING and 10% off of every order! That's such a fantastic deal. See there website below for more details.

http://www.auntiesbeads.com/

Along with the great selection of beads, they have free beading videos, articles, and other beading projects!

A Kaleidoscope of Textiles

It's been a little while since my last post....wedding planning, work, and family have taken up my time recently leaving little time for my jewelry line and blog. Well, I'm back with new ideas for spring!

I've been trying to create the perfect silk flower to wear in your hair, as a pin, or an embellishment for a belt. School was cancelled due to bad weather leaving me with two days off last week! I went to a fabric store that I've never been before because I wanted to look for the perfect fabric for a silk flower for my hair on my wedding day (months away). I hit the  JACKPOT with scraps of gorgeous textiles on sale for 75 cents or so a piece....pefect for what I needed. I admit that I went a little crazy on the purchasing!

A rainbow of fabrics plus some

made into spring blossoms

This is just the beginning. They're not finished yet!

P.S. I didn't forget about the "after" post for the Express jewelry. I'll get to that soon!