Saint Salvage

I've been wanting a bracelet holder for impromptu jewelry sales. Since I'm "Saint Salvage", I had to do something that fits.... So, instead of recycling a paper towel roll, a plastic tea bottle and reusing bubble wrap....     I cut the top off the bottle, cut down the roll lengthwise, and rolled the bubble wrap as tightly as possible.   I put the roll of bubble wrap inside the cardboard tube and taped it.   I cut the sides down on the bottle.   Then, I filled the bottle with some large gravel chunks to keep it from tipping.   I taped the roll-filled tube and the bottle.   Lastly, I covered it with standard duct tape.   It took about 15 minutes to do, and no extra costs for me. It's not the prettiest bracelet holder, but it'll work great for me.

I bought an issue of  Wirework Magazine  at the local  Books a Million Bookstore , and I found it to be loaded with lots of ideas. Oh, what to make???? I settled upon making my version of the Helios pendant, which was designed by Deborah L. Gray-Wurz . Her project is on pages 36 - 39 of the issue, is you want to follow this step by step. I decided to use 20 gauge brown wire and 26 gauge non-tarnish wrapping wire. The chain was a bulk oval link chain I bought at the local Michaels Craft Store . The accent "donut" shaped stone was also from Michaels, from the Bead Landing Collection, and on sale for $2.99 for a strung set of 4. The dangles.... the crystals were from an orphaned clip on earring. The tiny turquoise clusters above the yellow drops were from broken earrings. The center dangle and the yellow drops were from broken earrings, too. It took me about 2 hours to do this project.... Not too bad. Oh, yes.... the extender chai...

The starting point for this upcycle makeover is an oatmeal colored triple strand necklace. It was from the "Mad Men" area, but blah....         So, I took a pair of scissors to it. Snip, snip, snip!   The beads have now been freed from their oh-so-blah beige environment.   I had plenty of beads left from my first Crochet Wire and Bead Necklace , so these are going into the mix... a box of beads that were a mix of yellows, oranges and metallics.   I also had this elastic beaded bracelet to chop up.   I had plenty of copper wire (26 gauge) left over from that other crochet project, so I didn't have any extra cost for this project. I used the same single crochet technique that Rose taught me in the class I took at Mays Landing, NJ Michaels store. I made a total of five strands, but I left them loose, for a lot of movement. The five wires got attached in the back, and I left the original faux pearl c...

Saint Salvage was featured by Lucky Magazine's Lucky Community: My Most Ambitious DIY Yet: Frankenputer by Tiffany Sollog : Lucky Community I'm stoked!

I wish I took more photos of my making this. This upcycle consists of a broken vintage silvertone chrysanthemum pin, a broken multistrand necklace and some extra freshwater pearls from broken necklaces.   I reassembled the broken multistrand bracelet into a double strand necklace. Then, I attached the small light green freshwater pearls as charms.     Then, I found some larger loose light green freshwater pearls and epoxied them to the front of the broken pin. I applied a little bit of glitter nailpolish to some of the petals.     Lastly, I wire attached the chrysanthemum pin to the chain. It took about an hour. 

I took a wire crochet necklace making class last night (Oct 08), for two hours, at the Michaels Store in Mays Landing, NJ . My instructor was  Rose. It was great! She had a lot of patience! I highly recommend taking a class every now and then to get inspired and learn new skills. I bought copper wire; 26 gauge, a box of beads that were a mix of yellows, oranges and metallics, and a toggle closure kit. Then, I learned wire crochet for the very first time. The first strand took the longest. It has about 35 beads on it. Then, I made 2 more strands, single crochet. I twisted the first two strands together and then the third one around the others. Lastly, last night, I wrapped the toggle ends to the end of each end of the rope. We took a photo on a display bust. My instructor, Rose took a photo of me last night. I am proud of my new creation! Today, I finished it by making a charm on the loop end of the toggle. I had a an orphan...

 The weather was not so good this past weekend, and I've been admiring wire wrapping projects online and in books and magazines, so I decided to make a wire wrapped ring that used one of my beads from broken jewelry.   I had some Artistic Wire that I bought about a month ago, and wrapped it arund my ring mandrel twice.  Then, I made the loops to secure the bead wire my round-nosed pliers.   I wrapped some fine gauge silver wire under the loop, and threaded it through the left loop.     I threaded it through the bead and pulled it taught. Then, through the other loop.     I wrapped the remaining portion of the wire down the other side and around the bead, and secured the tail.     Here it is from the top.   It took me a about 30 minutes to wrap the ring. Not too bad. I guess it's time to get more inspiration.

This project started with a pair of tangerine orange "fireworks" style clip-on earrings that I got at an estate sale.       As you can see, the beads are on head and eye pins that are secured to a circular metal screen backing. They have clip on backs that are corroded! Yuck!!!   I don't know exactly when they were made. I suspect 50s / 60s era.   They were made in Japan.   I cut off the clip on backs and epoxied on new silver pierced backs.   Good as new! Saint Salvage strikes again!

Here's another quickie DIY I did. I picked up these vintage shell earrings in a grab bag lot at an estate sale recently. One was missing an earring hook, and the "silver" was peeling and tarnishing.     So, I used my 18 karat gold leafing pen by Krylon, and applied the gold leafing.     Then, I upgraded the hook to a French Hook with a clear stopper.   Last, I found a printable pdf from www.howaboutorange.blogspot.com and printed it out on brown kraft paper (from a box about to be recycled). Then, I cut the cards out, punched holes and hung the earrings.   Ta dah! They are ready for gift giving or selling, all nice and professional looking.