Do Overs :: Freeform Peyote

A couple months back, Karen and Mandi challenged a few of us to a free form peyote hop. I think this is one of the stitches that I've been most scared to try, but glad I finally did. For so many reasons.

Not only is it fun (can you believe I'm saying that about a stitch I was so frightened of?) but it has opened a door for me. 

I've been experimenting with all kinds of new stitches. And not getting so worked up if it isn't perfect, or the tension is a little off. Doesn't mean I don't need practice, but sometimes being too much of a perfectionist gets in the way of learning new things. So for that, I want to thank Karen and Mandi for getting me outside my comfort zone!

So take 2 of this bracelet was more of what I had in mind when I started this project. I wanted something that had the flow of water to it, that felt like tide pools and surf with the treasures you find when you go hunting for shells. It is by no means perfect, but then I'm not sure that freeform peyote is meant to be?

Do Overs: Upcycling Old Projects

Just finished reading a fun post from Crafty Hope on digging up some of those old projects. Got me thinking. 

Its been about 5 years now since I took a wire wrap class on a whim. I had never done anything other then simple bead strings. But my sister-in-law was visiting (along with my Brother) for Christmas and I decided it would be fun to take a class while she was here. She is a classically trained artist who specializes in encaustic painting, an ancient Egyptian technique, and so I knew I had to up the game a bit and pick a class that might challenge her.

Funny thing is, that class jump-started my beading after many, many years. I used to bead when I was a kid. Could not get enough of it, but I wouldn't go as far as to say I was any good. Just your simple bead strings. I lost interest when I hit my teen years and tucked the box of beads away in the attic. I did keep a few of the necklaces, and gave them to my girls without much of a thought. Only one survived all the dress up outfits and tea parties. A tad worse for wear, but I managed to save the beads. I keep it in a bead tube as the last artifact of my early work. This one I think I'll leave just as it is.

There is something soothing to me to just sit and string beads. I have a lot of people ask me why I make jewelry, and so much of it. I always answer "because I don't knit."

Do Overs: So What is Upcycling?

I have come across the term upcycling a number of times from my Etsy crowd. I see shops that sell upcycled products and blogs that talk about the things they make from upcycled materials.



So what exactly is upcycling? I set out to see how a product qualifies as being upcycled.



The concept was first talked about in 1994 by Reiner Pilz, a German who was upset that local demolition teams were not using reclaimed materials, but were instead smashing them for someone else to use in recycled products. He called recycling 'downcycling' because the materials are reprocessed, use a lot of energy to create and add to pollution. He noted that we should be 'upcycling' which reclaims existing materials in their current form - no manufacturing or process needed.



I went back through my items to see what I might classify as 'upcycling,' and found that I was upcycling some of my pieces.  I save earrings when I've lost one of the pair, I reuse charms from other pieces and I've recently starting including sea glass in settings.  One of my best tools is a silver polishing cloth.  Mine is black from use, but I have 'reclaimed' many a silver chain and pile of charms with this handy cloth.
Materials
1. Reclaimed silver chain, reclaimed silver cross in heart charm
2. Sea Glass with silver wire wrap on reclaimed silver chain
3. Reclaimed cat's eye earring, filigree, silver chain and clasp

Do Overs: Pearls & Suede

I've told you all about my Turkish friend I ride the train with every morning on my daily commute into New York.  She, and another friend of mine (a Designer) often flip through magazines and catalogs on our hour-long ride each day. We talk about jewelry, current styles and of course the celebrity gossip of the week.

One morning my Turkish friend flipped past a pretty pearl bracelet in the Sundance catalog and asked if I could make a similar bracelet for her?

It was a Southwestern pattern with freshwater pearls, suede and silver (right).  I never seem to copy any pattern exactly ... I usually add my own flare and interpretation to a piece.  

In this case, I did not use any of the silver chain. Wow has silver become expensive lately! But taking out the silver worked in my favor for this pattern. My friend doesn't like 'heavy' jewelry, and so I am forever trying to 'lighten' up the pattern for her.  She has a bit of a Goldilocks thing going on ... "too much, too little, not enough, can you take that out." Over time I've gotten better at knowing what she'll like, but I still take plenty of pieces apart when designing for her!

With this bracelet, I really liked the pearls and suede together. Somehow it makes a very dressy piece wearable on a day-to-day basis (top, left). I used an antique silver button to give it that Southwestern touch. I confess, I wore it to work a few times before I gave it to her just to see how 'wearable' it was (shhhh, I didn't tell her).  I got lots of compliments, but still have yet to make a version for myself.  Perhaps someday when I have a spare moment .... But this one went to my friend who declared it 'perfect, and exactly what she wanted.'  Phew

She then wanted a necklace, but this time with all the silver. The silver on the bracelet has a cluster of little silver circle "stamps" attached ... which would make a necklace ridiculously heavy.  So with the necklace I took even more creative license.  I used patterned connectors (to dress it down a bit), created my own wire wrapped pearl chain and added another light-weight alternating silver chain for contrast. She doesn't like things too "matchy-matchy" and it couldn't be too heavy. What I showed her was simple, and hung right at the collar bone ... just as she asked. Again she declared it perfect.  I was batting 1000 on this one!  For the earrings, the first version I added suede with the pearls.  But my batting average plummeted.  I didn't even take a picture of them because we both agreed it was simply better to start over.  She decided that she might like a black pearl instead.  I went back to a simple drop earring, which she liked much better.  So only had to 'do over' 1 out of 3.  Not too bad.

Do Overs: Dreaming of Summer

I mentioned a few blogs back that my Designer friend had been flipping through a Sundance catalog on our daily 90 min commute into to work each morning.  She saw a multi-strand turquoise necklace that she LOVED and really wanted to bring with her on an upcoming trip to the Mediterranean.

I recently went looking for a picture from the catalog but it isn't listed anymore. I did find this bracelet (right) that is a very similar pattern.


The conversation about turquoise jewelry is really where it all began, and how I became known as the Train Jeweler for my morning train crowd.  I was sitting with a few of my friends, and my Designer friend says she LOVEs, loves loves the turquoise necklace, but "does it really cost that much to make this?"  And I say "ooooh it is really pretty, but noooo it shouldn't cost that much to make a necklace like that." Her reply "could you make it for me?"  And so it begins ... the personal jeweler of my train crowd taking custom orders.  Next?

I never make any piece exactly like the picture, which is exactly how I cook.  I usually have 3 or 4 open cookbooks on the counter while I 'doctor-up' my own version of a recipe.  I got to work on the necklace.  Her request was 'please lots of silver' and could you add some suede.  Suede?  hmm, never tried that before, but ok. This is the same friend who lost one of her favorite silver hoops and her soon-to-be husband texted me a picture of the remaining hoop and asked if I could make a new pair.  

My Designer friend said that she wanted the necklace to wear in the summer with her long, simple tank dresses. Operative word in that sentence would be simple.  Really, I should hope so.  Simple has got to be the name of the game given how much silver and turquoise went into this piece!  I don't think you could wear it with a pattern, at least I'm not brave enough to try it.  

She was looking specifically for a style she would wear on the beach somewhere in St Tropez. This train ride can get REALLY boring, and yes we fantasize about getting away ... often.  Especially now in the middle of winter when our train tends to break down from the frozen switches and we play duck, duck, goose with which car will have no heat.   



What resulted was a mix of multi-sized turquoise beads, types of silver (including hill tribe silver), hand-hammered silver connectors and knotted suede. She wore it all summer with her her simple long summer dresses, not in St Tropez but regularly on the train to NYC. She is tall and thin with beautiful long dark hair. The necklace really looked spectacular on her. I had so many turquoise beads left over that I ended up making a few extra pieces.


There was a matching pair of hoops, a cute little pair of drop earrings and also the fun bracelet (left) that I added in a few heshi shell beads and white amethyst.  I picked up the amethyst in India, but you can catch that story in an upcoming blog.  


I must caution ... don't try wearing any two pieces together! It could result in a carni-inspired, turquoise studded get up.  I loved the story that her soon-to-be told me later.  He had emailed me on the sly and asked if I'd not only create the turquoise necklace, but could I include the few extra pieces (hoops, bracelet ... basically the motherload of turquoise).  He gave it all to her on Mother's Day which she promptly put on.  ALL of it!  And he responded ... "um, honey ... you might want to try it one piece at a time."