The concept of "Upcycling"

One of my favorite things to do in my jewelry design is to use things that need new life. Many people use the word "recycling" or "upcycling" to describe this method of taking something that is used and repurposing it into something new. I love this concept. It is good for the environment and allows for creative expression through everyday items. Here are some examples of things I have used in pieces I consider "upcycled".

1.) Old bottle caps and pop tabs.
I really enjoy taking old bottle caps and turning them into interesting jewelry pieces as well as magnets and coasters.  I myself use resin and confetti or other "found objects" to do this.  I have seen other artists simply use paper print out and glue.  The sky is really the limit. 
I have also seen other artists, such as Cindy's Creative Crochet, using pop tabs to create new and fun
accessories.

2.) Vintage costume jewelry bits and pieces.
This is hands down my very favorite kind of thing to upcycle.  I love to buy and use old vintage costume jewelry pieces in my newer designs.  For example, this sim
ple bracelet  was made by taking this old vintage milk glass neck
lace,

and adding in czech glass beads and findings in my normal stock.  Lovely, simple and upcycled.  I've done LOTS of pieces like this and
they are some of my best sellers.

3.) Sea shells, watch parts and other "found objects" available.  Anything you can find in your everyday surroundings is considered a "found object".  I've seen LOTS of creative ideas with this concept.  I myself have used pressed flowers, watch parts, microwave parts, computer mother boards, confetti, catalogue and magainze cut outs, cigar bands and so much more to create unique and unusual jewelry pieces, magnets and coasters.  There is really no limit to what a person can do with found objects.  A friend of mine in an art class once used a large clam shell she had.  She actually punch some holes in it and placed rivets in the holes!  It was an amazing piece and a stunning idea. 

So, whatever you choose to recycle or "upcycle", be it old clothing, vintage pictures, pop cans, bottles... have fun with it!  Everything has the potential for creative rebirth in the right hands!

A new piece in progress

So, I haven't done a piece in progress post in a while.  And now I have a piece in progress to share.

A friend of mine from back in MN was looking over one of my recent steampunk pieces and remarked that it was lovely.  She then lamented that she has longed to see a steampunk necklace, pendant or brooch that has a skull and cross bones and wings.  Her Steampunk costume persona is that of an airship pirate.  I decided that day to order some brass embellishments and get after that idea. 
I started with an old vintage rhinestone buckle.  A lot of the rhinestones are missing but it still has a lot of shine to it.  I then wired swarovski crystals around the oustide.  I added the brass charms and am now about halfway through adding cogs and other watch parts to it.  I haven't decided yet if it should be a pendant or a brooch.  I also think it needs some additional wire work and perhaps some more beads....

New "steamy" pieces to come

I have had a longing to find some new way to steampunk out my wire wrapping... create some kind of new pieces for my shop.  I tried my hand at one this week and the result is now listed in my Artfire studio.  I am hoping to take and expand on these ideas and designs in the near future.  It feels like it's been AGES since I created something new.

Featured Studio piece 3-25-10

I would like to feature not a single piece today, but a whole lot of them. I am of course talking about one of the fabulous grab bags I offer in my studio!

Today's grab bag feature is my "Steampunk" grab bag. I make these lovely pendants/charms out o Easy Cast resin and encase many different types of things. In this grab bag I use gears, cogs, and any other watch parts I can get my hands on. On occassion some scrap wire or other machinery makes it in as well. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and no two are alike. This grab bag gives you 4 pieces for $25.

Featured Studio piece 3-24-10

Today I would like to feature one of my resin based pieces. This lovely bracelet is a steampunk inspired piece using multiple cast resin pieces. I use Easy Cast resin and various molds and am willing to encase pretty much anything that will stand still. In this case, I used gears, cogs and other miscellaneous watch parts. I then drilled holes into the them and used my wire skills to link them together. This fun bracelet is a chunky, steamy bauble that any gear head is sure to enjoy! $25