majong in silver

Here's a majong necklace made with antique silver findings. I have found a supplier, other than Vintaj, that makes brass filigree, but with silver plating.

Brown necklaces

Hi Jay-Louise! Here are some brown necklaces I made

More Dragonflies

These are my latest innovation in jewelry design!! I place the hook closure on the lower section, and 2-3 inches of chain on the end of the upper section, so the length can be adjusted. Also, I'm pairing a dragonfly with another brass stampimg, to create a mostly brass pendant. They jingle a little when you move.

This is slightly more close-up of the pendants....

Blooming Garden

I am so ready for Spring! We had very mild weather this past weekend. It was nice to get outside, but it really wasn't like Spring. Everything is still dead/ dormant. There were no spring flowers to look at. The crocus and my Hyacinths are starting to come up, so there's a little green out there.
This necklace is Spring inspired.

Seeing Red?

Here's a collection of red necklaces. The one in the middle is one of my most favorite. It was created when I was trying to make something special with some beads my neice (Isabelle) gave me. The striped beads were from Isabelle. Thanks for the inspiration, Boo!

Blue?

I've started photographing multiple necklace at one time. It will save on uploading time. Here's a collection of blue necklaces.

My birthstone

I got a small bag full of opals recently at the auction. They are all different sizes, and not very fiery. They are mostly "crackled" looking. I thought I'd see how one would look in a vintaj setting. What do you think? I really like it. It's a "less is more" design.

More Majong

I wore my necklace made with a Majong playing piece and received a bunch of comments/ compliments. So, I decided to make some more. I don't like making anything twice, so these are similar, but different. I'm planning to sell these.

Old Cut Steel Buckle

It did not photograph well, but I made this with a darling little buckle made with cut steel. The buckle is probably 60 years old, or maybe older.

Majong Anyone?

I finally made something out of one of the Majong pieces I got a couple years ago. I love the old Majong peices - made of Bakelite, I think. The other beads are handmade ceramic, citrine chips and yellow crystals.

Nature's Silhouette

This is my entry for the Vintaj March Design Challenge. I decided to put my Blue Jay pendant on a brown hand woven cord. The cord has some flecks of aqua blue, so the Blue Jay goes well. I put little blue beads in the toggle bar, to further coordinate the blues. The challenge is underway, here's the link to the site, so you can vote:
http://vintaj.com/wpblog/?p=1249

Pearl Coin earrings

I made both of these pairs of earring last year to go with a necklace I made. I wanted an "everyday" pair, and a dressier pair.

Lovebirds

I made these a while ago. They are very long and swingy. I wanted to make a pair of earrings that would go with all my Vintaj necklaces, with no beads or color theme.

Sparkly Earrings

These earrings are also from an idea on Vintaj's website. I have a box of mixed rhinestones of all shapes and sizes that I bought at the auction. These rhinestones are heart shaped with an AB finish. The picture does not do them justice. They are very sparkly, especially when they move around.

Another Dragonfly

I just made this necklace this week. I'm trying to make as much as possible, so I can take lots of stuff to Calif in July, to have a jewelry party at Laura's house. The focal piece is made from my favorite Vintaj dragonfly and a Marsha Neal ceramic Button. Her patterns and glazes are so beautiful.

Lucite Leaves

I bought these vintage Lucite leaf beads a while ago at a bead show, thinking they'd make good focal beads. I've been trying to use them, but no filigree ever looked good wrapped around them. They are too irregularly shaped! Then, on the Vintaj website, in their idea gallery, they used the same bead (in purple) in a necklace. So, I have made 2 necklaces attaching the bead to the front of the filigree. The pink necklace also incorporates other vintage Lucite beads.

Old Czech Buckle

I've been going through some of my antique jewelry lately and stumbled across this old rhinestone buckle. It's very well made. It was made in Czechoslovakia, probably in the 1930's. I wanted to use it, but without destroying it. I'm happy with it. I don't think I can part with it. But if anyone has an old buckle or a favorite old odd earring they'd like made into something wearable (like a neckalce or bracelet) let me know.

Earthy Delights

This is my latest creation! It is very different than anything I've done. I've made asymmetrical necklaces, but not like this. I wore it today, and received a compliment from a stranger. Everyone at work knows I make jewelry, so they comment on or ask about whatever I'm wearing. Kind words can make some one's day - something to keep in mind.

love those dragonflies

I really love the Vintaj dragonflies. The main beads in this necklace were made by the same people that made the "egg shell" beads. These are made of cracked nut shells. I thought they were interesting.

Red!!

I order this focal element online. I like it, but it's a little bigger than I thought it would be, and a little brighter than I thought it would be. But, I like it in this necklace.

birds of a feather

Update 12/7/12: I had to delete the photo of these earrings because they will be appearing in a publication this Spring!! I'll re-post about them in the Spring!!
Actually, these are birds of glass - handblown glass from China. I was so tickled with the way these turned out. I wear them all the time and get tons of compliments. I don't like making the same thing twice, but in the case of these earrings, I think I'll need to make an exception!

"I think it's stupid"

When I first started making jewelry with Vintaj (this is one of my early designs), I was excited to show off my creations. I took them over to my parent's house, hoping for "ooohs" and "ahhhs". My Mom thought they were pretty. My Dad said "There's chain on one side and beads on the other". I replied "Yeah, that's the style now". He said "I think it's stupid".

Thanks for your support, Dad!

Another white necklace

This is another white necklace I made, when I was making white necklaces for Mrs. Weldon. I think it's not quite as successful as the other one, but, the butterfly is pretty.

woven cord with lock & key clasp

This is one of my hand woven cords. Before I discovered Vintaj, I was going crazy making cords. Having been a Textile Design major in college, I have always been drawn to textiles. I love making the cords. You select a bunch of different yarns, ribbons, cords, etc with an idea of what the cord will look like. It usually turns out way cooler than you even imagined it, once it's woven. Anyway, this was made to put a turquoise cab on it. I'll do that eventually.

Mrs. Weldon's necklace

A very lovely lady requested that I make or find a white necklace for her. They go with everything during the summer months, but it's hard to find nice looking white necklace. She ended up selecting a vintage necklace, and none of the necklaces I made for her. I guess it's a little too funky for a 86 year old! I was secretly happy when she did not select it, because I had already worn it and had fallen in love with it. Now I get to keep it, but I will always think of Mrs. Weldon when I wear it!

Some non-Vintaj creations

I bought some other brass filigree from a source other than Vintaj. The price per piece was about the same as Vintaj, but they were plated, so, when I tried to bend some of them, they snapped in two! Live and learn. While Vintaj's selection is not quite as vast, the quality is superior. The purple necklace is made with a beautiful old belt buckle, and some chain I bought at Michael's. So pretty...

The first Vintaj piece I made.

This is the first thing I ever made with Vintaj. I really had fun making it. The blue jay was from an odd vintage lucite earring I had laying around.

Does this scream "Whispered Romance"??

For the February challenge @ Vintaj.com, the theme is "Whispered Romance". OK, I know you're all thinking that pink is so cliché for a valentine's necklace, but atleast I don't have any hearts in it. I looked through all my stuff I have, for focal pieces, and this was the only one that was pastel in color. I guess I like saturated and bold colors, not a lot of pastels in my collection. The glass cabochon was created by "2BeadSisters". I bought it a little while ago at the bead show in Doylestown. Feel free to vote for my design at vintaj.com, click on "blog" to find the challenge post.
Wish me luck!!

My winning design...

I entered a design challenge in Jan 2009 at the Vintaj website, and I won!! The name of the challenge was "Ice Crystals". I already had this necklace made and thought it fit the bill. The focal piece is made of cracked egg shells. I think it looks like cracked ice.
Thanks to everyone that voted!!