Small assemblage necklace

Time to make a necklace with this poker chip assemblage. One fun thing about this one is that the middle part of the brass rivet is attached to the poker chip. The outer ring can actually spin and move around some - which is why it looks slightly off center.

Combined with a very patinated brass bead and an stone bead, probably agate,

and this adorable dog charm. Unfortunately I had to drill a hole through his head. Poor Fido.

Here's how it looks. I rather like it. 

The travelling dog. That's what I'll call this one.

Necklace with upcycled rulers

Yet another poker chip necklace. This assemblage has a slice of a vintage three-sided ruler. So I paired it with a vintage folding ruler hinge. 

And added some faceted brown beads that I salvaged from a designer dress that a moth had a little meal on.  (Not that I buy designer dresses. That's actually a rather hilarious thought. On several fronts. I basically never wear dresses. And I'm incredibly thrifty and buy probably 95% of my clothes at thrift shops and yard sales.) 

And some pearls and recycled mother of pearl-looking beads. Still a nice length. 

I'm pleased with it, and I got to use my drill press and my bandsaw. I know, I'm weird. 

Part of a necklace with a cool homemade thimble

Here's part of a necklace with one of the poker chip assemblages. I couldn't finish it yet because I didn't have any chain that worked with it. So I am actually going to have to buy some. Egads! 

I also used a turquoise bead, probably faux.

I really liked how my tassel turned out. I used a vintage Monopoly thimble and turned it into a tassel. When I got it on my drill press, I was surprised to discover that it was actually made of metal. Isn't it cute? Can't wait to finish it!

Have you ever made tassels out of an unusual object? I'd love to hear your ideas.

Poker chip assemblage necklace

Time to turn one of my poker chip assemblages into a necklace! I started this one by adding the hinge of the same vintage ruler to the poker chip. I liked it because it coordinated with the ruler piece on the chip. But, at this point, I really wasn't sure whether I liked it; the colors were too different. But I've learned to keep throwing stuff into the mix, and it usually will coalesce at some point in the future.

I added beads I made with vintage atlas pages and some recycled brass beads. Now the colors are complementing each other better.

Finally I added salvaged green beads and I was done.

I have a tendency to make shorter necklaces, so I thought this would be a chance to make a longer necklace. I think I succeeded, right?

What do you think? More assemblage necklaces coming up!

Poker chip assemblages

I bought a box of vintage poker chips a while back. I'm not sure what they are made of; they're definitely not plastic. I got inspired to create something with them this week and decided to make small assemblages.

This assemblage has part of a map from a 1950's atlas - the colors are so much better in old atlases. It's topped by an electric component that I bought at a fabulous estate sale that had a garage filled to the brim with all kinds of stuff. I went nuts. And my daughter bought a 1970's era poster-sized map from Tolkien's trilogy. 

(I have to add that this photo was shot at an angle that makes it appear that it's off-center. Don't worry; it isn't really.)

On this one I used some vintage sheet music and a slice of a vintage three-sided ruler.

More map and a rivet that I salvaged from an old belt. I really am a scavenger, aren't I? 

This one has some paper that I marbled. You should have seen me on the porch marbling paper. I had rows of clothesline hung between the columns with all these marbled papers hung to dry. Wonder what my neighbors thought I was doing?

I topped the paper with an upcycled Lotto game piece. 

More marbled paper here. And a really cool salvaged piece - the green piece is from a theatrical costume made by a NYC firm tat went out of business in the Great Depression. So it's more than eighty years old. I think that's cool.

Still more marbled paper and a piece I cut from a vintage carpenter's folding ruler. Love my bandsaw!

Coming up, I will show you what I made with these little assemblages.

Back at making jewelry

So I have definitely been off doing other things and neglecting this blog and my jewelry. But recently I went to the huge flea market here at the fairgrounds and bought a few goodies that definitely got me back in the creative groove. 

I got these great chandelier crystals. They're about an inch or more in diameter; so they're a great size. And I got them for a great price which I love.

I've had this half of a vintage belt buckle for a while. But I never had anything I wanted to pair it with...until I got the new crystals.

I really liked how they looked together. I added some of my handmade beads created from vintage book pages. I have a thing for typography.

Here's a closer look at one of the upcycled book page beads.

 Finally I threw in recycled chain and beads from a mid-century necklace.

I think I'l call it the sailor and the lady. It reminds me of a ballroom in the first half of the twentieth century. With crystals chandeliers, sailors in uniforms, men in tuxedos, sparkling jewelry, and beautiful women with long gowns swinging. 

Thanks for visiting!

A Friend for the Necklace with a lot of History

When I finished the necklace with the West Point button from the 1800's, I decided it needed another necklace to wear with it. So I made a friend for it to play with.

I started with this brass leaf charm that I salvaged from some old jewelry.  I like how it has developed quite a patina over the years. Then I added parts of an old rosary and various recycled beads and bits of chains.

See how well they play together? 

Did you know the word rosary comes from the Latin word rosarium which means crown of thorns.

A Little History to go with Your Necklace?

 An asymmetrical necklace that is full of whimsy. When I started this one, I only knew that I wanted to make a very eclectic piece of jewelry.

I started with the piece of the vintage carpenter's rule that I cut on my band saw, and then I added this button. When I saw the maker's name on the button, I had to Google it. Turns out this is a West Point uniform button from around the 1850's! It's over 150 years old, dating to the era of the American Indian Wars. What a great little piece of history.

I added other upcycled beads, salvaged faux pearls, and chain links. Then I added one of my handmade beads. Made by me out of pages from a vintage book, rolled, sealed, then hand wrapped in wire. 

I just had to include one of these antique laundry pins. Made of brass that has developed a wonderful patina with age. 

I think I'll make a companion necklace tomorrow.

I think I'll close with this picture from last night's First Friday here in Raleigh. This is at the Hargett Street Market in front of the Raleigh Times. I love the illuminated hula hoop.

Cleopatra's Scarab Necklace

This is my latest creative effort. The perfect necklace for the contemporary Cleopatra. This gorgeous upcycled scarab piece was my focal point. I salvaged it from a 1920's era belt. 

Part of this necklace is made from part of a vintage 1960's necklace. I also added the small vintage domino, recycled faux pearls, and faux coral chips.

I added some extra chain to make the length somewhat adjustable. And included a pearl dangle to adorn the back of the neck.

Here's a closer look at the scarab. I love the filigree brass base. and the patina of age on the brass. Some of the paint has worn away over the years but that is only to be expected from a piece that is ninety years old. 

 

All of this is made with upcycled materials except for the smallest chain and the clasp. I love reusing pieces that might otherwise wind up in someone's trash.

In 1922 King Tut's tomb was discovered. This began a period of Egyptian Revival in jewelry design. Egyptian themes were common in jewelry and accessories. Winged sun disks, pyramids, hieroglyphs, and scarabs were common themes. 

Assemblage Earrings with More Paper Beads

Just made this pair of earrings with more of the paper beads. I like the antique brass chain with the black and white beads and the dark pearl.

I love the color of the pearls against my rusted antique fence piece. The earrings are resting on a giant stylized leaf shape in the center of the panel.

 This pair is nice and colorful - perfect for spring and summer. It features beads made from book pages that I marbled. All the beads were recycled from a lightbulb cover. 

 And one last look. 

When electric lighting was new, ceiling lights were bare bulbs and were very bright. To soften the glare, people covered the bulbs with beads woven into a mesh with wire. Since then bulb covers have come in and out of fashion as an accessory rather than a necessity.

Eclectic Star Button Necklace

Since I finished my wire-wrapped paper beads, I've been dying to make some more jewelry with them. It's funny how creativity begets creativity. While I'm making a necklace with the paper beads, I get more ideas for future necklaces. 

Anyway, here's my most recent creative output.

 The beads are all recycled from necklaces, and I upcycled the etched circle in the center from a vintage belt.

 I love the brass star button. I hammered it to flatten it some and drilled it for hanging. The paper bead is made from a page in a vintage book that had yellowed beautifully.

I love how all the colors and textures play so well together. And it hangs so gracefully.

When America first began manufacturing brass, buttons were the first brass items to be produced. The buttons were then traded by itinerant peddlers.

Another Necklace with a Marbled Paper Bead

I'm still having fun using the wire-wrapped paper beads that I made. This time I used one that was made from a page from a book that I marbled by hand on my front porch. Overlooking our beautiful mini park. So I feel that it is full of good energy.

 I added these carved bone rose beads and stone beads that look like jasper to me. Like most of my materials, they are recycled. So I cannot be certain what they are made of.

 I added a piece of a vintage carpenter's rule. I used my bandsaw to cut it, then sanded and waxed it with beeswax to enhance the wood. I'm often amused by the reactions people have to my jewelry with rulers. Evidently you either get it (and love it) or you don't get it at all. And age doesn't seem to predict which camp you belong to.

 This picture gives you a better look at the marbled paper bead. And the recycled acrylic teardrop dangle. 

 Here you can see how all the colors work together.  I love necklaces that dangle in the decolletage. It's very alluring.

The word Jasper means "spotted or speckled" stone.