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In recycled jewelry news, two things happened this week.

The first is that I continued to play with redesigning wedding jewelry out of old costume jewelry to eventually send to Women of Worth Uganda. (Please see previous post.)

I dumped out a bunch of nice plastic and glass “crystals” and sorted through to find uniform clear ones. These all came off of various bracelets, chipped necklaces and single earrings.

Then I found a long broken necklace (which would have been really easy to fix,) but I liked the gold links in the chain.

I separated the beaded links from the gold chain links:

Then, using the black bead link as a model, I fashioned 9 links out of the sorted clear “crystal” beads:

After playing with several patterns, I chose this design to link up the links with tiny gold-tone jump rings.

Finished Earrings and Necklace–

The second thing is that I started to set up a little jewelry “store” in the waiting room outside my music room. Rather than making people feel “obligated to buy,” I am trying something new that I think will be fun–if someone finds something they like, they simply “make me an offer I can’t refuse.” There won’t be any set prices, no price tags.  Plus the stuff is so darn pretty and makes me smile every time I walk by!

OK, and now, off to Salt Lake City, Utah, later this week for a singing teachers’ convention. I am actually looking forward to NOT presenting or teaching or performing or lecturing, but to just having fun and learning!!!!

One thing I hope to make time for is a hike in the Wasatch Mountains outside of Salt Lake City. Talk about Inspiration!

Pearls for Some Jewels…

Through synchronicity, my passion for refashioning jewelry out of old costume jewelry led to involvement with an organization called Women of Worth Uganda.

One thing that I learned when I interviewed Sarah Adams, the American missionary who first organized WOW, is that wearing a traditional white wedding gown and pearl jewelry is important to many African women living in Kampala, Uganda. When I first heard about this and saw photos of women beaming at their wedding ceremonies, I was surprised and REALLY skeptical.

I thought, “Isn’t this just another attempt for Americans and Europeans to dominate another Third-World culture?” But I learned that for truly impoverished women (and as a privileged American, I can not begin to understand their plight,) white wedding gowns and pearls are not symbols of colonial oppression, but bright and lovely ways to help uplift them out of daily struggles and societal boxes.

Of course, not all Ugandan women cherish this scenario. Just many of the women of Women of Worth. I had to suspend my judgement and accept their feelings on this topic–a very good lesson for me!

So what does this have to do with “Recycled and Refashioned Jewelry and The Words that Go With Them?”

To make this connection, we have to understand the level of poverty in which much of the third world lives. There are no faux pearls, no pieces of Claire’s rhinestone jewelry lined up on walls at the local mall. I have a lot of nice faux pearl jewelry waiting to be refashioned. And an ocean and a continent away, there are women who would LOVE wedding jewelry fashioned with what I have stashed in my crafts’ area.

So, I checked with my friend Sarah, who was ecstatic at the thought of receiving wedding jewelry for Women of Worth. I selected a broken double strand with a broken rhinestone clasp:

Then I took it apart and realized there were enough beads for an earring, bracelet and necklace set. I took the clasps off the rhinestone and placed it on the front of the necklace:

I found some assorted spacers in my stash that had come off of other broken pieces of jewelry:

I even recycle beading wire–found a piece that had a little blue seed bead on the end. It reminded me of “something borrowed, something blue…” and while I am not sure that saying means much to my African sisters, I can send a little message with the set explaining the tradition!

Some of the pearls had to have their holes enlarged to fit on the wire which I was able to do with a large sewing needle:

The finished set, completed in about an hour.

Prayer Box Necklace Commission

I received a commission for a man’s necklace from a student, Kim-Scott Miller. Here it is, hanging about his handsome Self at the end of his lesson today! It consists of a Tibetan Prayer Box, turquoise stones, and bone heishi and wooden beads.

The prayer box opens and there is space to put a little written something or stone or favorite thing. It was great fun to make, and I think he carries it very well!

Camera’s Lens

Aren’t this master work of Eco Art and photo AWESOME???–I wish I had saved the artist’s and photographer’s names, but all I remember is that the stone boulders were imbedded in a shallow lake and then stacked in an arch. The reflection in the water forms a complete circle!

And I don’t yet know what I am going to do with this set of brown and creme agate beads, but you can bet the inspiration is coming from the above photo!

I love seeing what has inspired other artists and craftspeople from Nature’s realm. The leap from what stirs the senses to the finished product is a Thing of Wonder.

Australia’s Mezz at Creative Outlet frequently shares photos that inspire her arts and crafts. One of my favorites featured on her blog was taken while she was traveling in New Zealand:

Anyone want to guess what this is a photo of?? Write your guess and I’ll let everyone know as soon as I do!!:)