Re-purposing Thrift store Finds

I tend to be a pretty thrifty person and love to hit garage sales and consignment shops. Beads and finding are getting up there in price so I always keep an eye out for items I can re-purpose. I found a long beaded necklace that was about $5.00 at goodwill about a month ago. I liked the individual beads but wouldn't wear the necklace myself. I took the piece apart and created a memory bracelet for a relative for Christmas.

I added a couple elements that weren't in the original piece but also made two other pieces for a gift and have more beads left. The necklace had a lot of very distinctive beads to use.

This is a great way to be green and save money. The memory wire goes along way and I have several more bracelets that I will be making off of this package. So for about nine dollars so far I've made 3 pieces and could use the left over beads to make several sets of earrings. When using memory wire don't use your regular jewelry cutters. They will be damaged by them so I just used regular metal cutters from the garage and filed the end if needed and turned the end into a loop.

My Red Bling

I've kind of gotten into this red thing lately so I thought I would do a little "show and tell". I made these last week and have fallen in love with them. I've worn them with everything and they add a little pop of color.

The stone is a faceted rice shaped ruby with a cultured pearl and vintage ab rhinestone spacers.

This pair has small cultured pearls, faceted rubies with a vintage brass finding and a small pink bicone at the top, that I can now see is almost impossible to detect in the picture. I used smaller pearl head pins I bought a month ago on both pair. Love the Victorian feel these have.

Anyway here is a call for info. I desperately need to go to an artist retreat over the summer. This would be my second year to go to something. Last year I blogged about a retreat I took in Durango and I had a great time but want something different this year. I need something sort of in the state or near it. My Dh is a Principal and only is available in the summer to watch our son. They need some boy time and I need a vacation. I think it really helps me stay sane and him understand what it takes to take care of a child pretty much 24/7. The last one I went on was three days and when I got back they couldn't get enough of me ;P I know a lot of women think they couldn't leave like that but believe me it makes a huge difference in our lives when I return. Everything I do is more appreciated and I love and adore my time with them more. So please HELP!!! LOL

Repurposed Necklaces and OWOH New Friends

I just want to say thank you to all of the new followers and everyone who came to visit after I left a comment on their blogs. I went around on that Wonderful OWOH blog hop and had so much fun seeing everyones blogs. I think I have over a hundred new blogs to follow now, I just couldn't help myself. I'm sad this is the last year though. I didn't know about it till 5 days ago and have been to 400+ blogs for visits. I'm going to try and complete the list even though it is officially over. What a blast! I am so excited by my new followers and hope I never bore you and your just on the tip of your seat waiting for my next post. I will warn though my grammar stinks and sometimes things seem so funny to me and fail to translate .

Anyway I realized I had failed to post two newer necklaces I made and wanted to do a little show and tell.

This is a vintage pendant  that I put on an assemblage necklace. The brass curb chain is textured and so beautiful then I added some vintage book chain and glass pearls with rhinestones. I've listed this one in my etsy store. www.repurposedbeauty.etsy.com hopefully this link works someone told me they had a hard time with the other link. This next necklace is a repurposed brooch into a pendant on some more book chain and a vintage Napier necklace. The pendant is much more beautiful in person.

Sorry it's a little blurry. I went to a couple thrift stores today to search out some new jewelry to repurpose. I thought I would also post a little picture of a project I did of my son Brayden and dog Frasier.

I made these for my husband's 90 year old grandpa because what do you get someone turning 90. He adores them, I also made a set for us and my DH dad. I just love them every time I walk by them they make me smile.

Then lastly, if anyone has any suggestions to improve my blog let me know. I started this almost a year ago but haven't done much with it and need to figure out the buttons and badges well maybe I don't need any stinking badges LOL. I hope you get that! Bye