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Saturday, April 6, 2013

Making Vintage Jewelry

Such a random kinda week for me.  Got my hair colored for the first time to cover a few grays
sprouting up in the front. I love it!  A demi-glaze (I think that's what it's called)
that makes it look a lot richer and shinier.  And then instead of making cards for friends,
doing laundry, putting away my Easter decorations (or taking down my Christmas tree!!!!!!!
Yikes!!!!! Can't believe I admitted that) I started making jewelry--and a really big mess!



With a vintage pendant and various vintage chains that I picked up at thrift shops and
 a yard sale, I put together this necklace:


I wire wrapped freshwater pearls and linked them with gold chain pieces to 
layer with this and other necklaces.

(Do you like my model?  It's a French guy, so I decided he is Joan of Arc for this shoot!)  :-)

And then I had to have earrings to go with it:


The pair on the right was made with leftover parts of the necklace chain.
The pair on the left was actually two pairs of vintage earrings that I combined.
 I added the pearl and bead cap on the crystal piece, and it looks like I'll have to replace a pearl that somehow came out during my trek from the powder room to the photo area!  :-(

While I was at it, I decided to add some additional charms to my sterling and topaz pendant
to bring it more into fashion with the bigger necklaces we're all wearing.
(Lucky that I had blue topaz and sterling charms in my drawer!)


With a medallion from Michael's, I upcycled an off-the-rack necklace from a local store:


and made earrings to go with it:


I wire-wrapped these Austrian crystal beads and added a heavy sterling clasp to make this bracelet:


I've made and redone quite a few other pieces--
I've probably taken apart half of my jewelry so far, which I do about every 10 years or so
--and I'm just dying to take the wire cutters, Dremel, and jewelry pliers to the rest!
Hubby made me promise to clean up before doing anymore.

So off to vacuum and put things away!


I'm linking up with
Make It Pretty Monday at The Dedicated House
Metamorphosis Monday
Tweak it Tuesdays at Cozy Little House
Knick of Time Tuesday
You're Gonna Love It
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Show Me What You Got Tuesdays
Primp Your Stuff Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesdays
Share Your Cup Thursdays
Grace at Home
Show and Tell Friday
Sweet and Simple Fridays
Open House Party

Weekend Showoff Party
Time Travel Thursday

Laura

21 comments:

  1. Laura, what gorgeous jewelry! They would sale for a hefty price. Using vintage to make new is so wonderful!
    hugs,
    Jann

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  2. It is so much more fun to work on creating jewels rather than the boring house chores. I love the first necklace and the earrings, great job! Have a great week, Laura

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  3. Gorgeous pieces! It feels so great to make new pieces from old.

    blessings,
    Danielle

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  4. You are so talented!!! I couldn't make jewelry if my life depended on it. I'm not very creative that way and not good at thinking up my own ideas. Do you have an outlet to sell your jewelry or just do it for yourself?
    Cindy

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  5. Really pretty pieces, Laura! I don't think I could pick a favorite. I have to put my Easter stuff away, too. I always seem to put off putting stuff away when it requires a trip to the attic to the get bin. Luckily it's not as much stuff as Christmas, so I hope to get it done before the weekend.

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  6. Hi Laura,
    WOW what gorgeous creations you designed. I love the details in your necklaces.
    And the earrings are stunning too.
    Have fun and happy creating.
    Hugs, CM

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  7. Oh my and you did all that in how much time? Amazing pieces.
    Had to laugh about the Christmas tree though. hahahahahah
    Hugs Lynn

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  8. You are so creative and talented...these are absolutely gorgeous!
    Thanks so much for sharing on Amaze Me Monday!
    Blessings,
    Cindy
    (you sell on etsy?)

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  9. Maybe one day I'll have an Etsy store, or a little shop linked to my blog. Thanks for asking! (smiles)

    Laura

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  10. The jewelry you make is absolutely gorgeous!!
    Thank you for stopping by for a visit. I'm a new follower, Mary Alice

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  11. Your jewelry is so pretty! What a nice job you do.
    Have a great week!
    Sherry

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  12. Hey Laura...thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving a very nice comment on the shabby vintage postcards that I'd done on a previous challenge for Simon Says Stamp and Show. I'm so glad that you found them on Google. Yay! :) That was so sweet of you to stop by my blog and leave a comment. I had to come check out your blog and I am so glad that I did! Oh my gosh, girl! Your jewelry is gorgeous. I love the vintage feel all of it has. You've done such a gorgeous job of mixing old with new to make it all look like it always had been part of the same piece. Love it all! <3 Candy

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  13. Hi Laura, so nice to view your pretty designs again. Everything is stunning. Thank you for stopping by and your kind comment Wishing you a great week and happy creating.
    Hugs, CM

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  14. Oh that first piece is just beautiful. I love the design and details.

    Have a lovely day!

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  15. these pieces are absolutely breathtaking

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  16. You're very patient and talented because crafting jewelry is not easy and very delicate, particularly for vintage type. One must be sure of every piece she will use to make a fine piece. Anyway, they all look beautiful. I'm looking forward to see more. :)

    -->Idaline Cirillo<--

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  17. That's really nice jewelry I like it very much. Please keep it up and I believe that we can take more about it.

    Watch Faces

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  18. Fabulous! I guess it's ok if you forgot about the Christmas stuff and focused on making these awesome pieces first. Hehe! Creating your own jewelry is a great hobby and with these fabulous samples here, I can say that you can make a lot of money when you decide to sell it. Many jewelry fans are already looking for homemade crafts today and many of them loved the idea of suggesting the design of what they'll purchase. That can be a good way to add to your income. :)

    Compelling-Creations.com

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  19. You have good skill in making customize vintage jewelry. Your work looks beautiful and fabulous. If you continue this and devote your time in making a lot of these, you can make a fortune out of it. Who knows, you might even get famous because of these stuff.
    Lorita Littleton @ D & M Estate Buyers

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  20. Very pretty! I love your vintage jewelry you recreated. I am so glad I learned the basics of jewelry making - it's so valuable to understand how things are put together. I especially love to wrap wire. It's been fun visiting you today!

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