Lady Necklace

November 2013 I bought this brooch of a lady surrounded in a rhinestone frame. I paid $25 for it even though it was missing a few stones and the pin back didn't work. Since that time I've wanted to turn her into something wearable yet I had no idea where to start. Now that I'm getting such a valuable education from Brenda at BSue's Boutique, I felt prepared to do right by "lady". I quickly designed a necklace to showcase her...but I had no suitable supporting components. Because, really, I'm about to throw away the small amount of big box cheap metal chain, jump rings, etc. With my mock-up ideas and measurements at the ready, I placed an order at the Boutique and waited a week for the mailman. 

The finished piece uses a triangular filigree as a base for the brooch, which I wired in place. The chain, connector rings, toggle clasp, bead caps and jump rings are all from BSue. Those crystal beads were a gift from a Spellbound friend, A Gilded Life metal/rhinestone bead, a piece of a vintage rhinestone chain,  a lovely old button to dangle and she's ready for her close-up. 

Quality Control

I'm learning so much as I follow along with Brenda Sue's YouTube videos. What I learned on this bracelet is that quality counts; quality of the elements that construct a piece as well as quality of construction. 

 

I estimate there is about $3 worth of supplies in this bracelet. 50 cents each for the mood stone and 2 filigrees, and less than that for the toggle closure, chain, bead cap, rhinestones. The only top quality component is the gold laurel wreath filigree, which cost around $1. While this bracelet is pretty, lightweight and comfortable, I know that I used cheap stuff. While I don't sell my things, I do give away most of it and my friends deserve the best.  I am resolving to be more selective in my purchases, while I shall continue to include found object bits and bobs. 

Horseshoe for Luck

Still learning, which means I'm keeping this for myself.  This started with an old brass stamping of a horse head and horseshoes, found in the $1 box at Rose Bowl Flea.  I just purchased the small guilloche cross on eBay and to me, it needed to be on this necklace.  The other must have element is the "French vine stamping" from bsueboutiques.  This little stamping was small and required setting stones into tiny indentations...oh boy.  E6000, a toothpick and tweezers required, plus a steady hand.  So...here is the finished necklace, first edition. 

I felt that the chain swag, with the single length of chain was just the sort of simplicity this necklace required.  Yet it nagged at me that I really wanted additional lengths of chain to add to the swag.  2nd edition, and I think this helps. 

Just For Me

I don't usually make things to keep for myself.  Often I make something tailored to the recipient, like a birthday gift or simply a Thank You trinket.  Since I've begun to make these metal findings collages, while learning, I decided to keep my projects for me.  When I saw this hippocampus at bsueboutiques I ordered it immediately.  And it comes in pairs!!  I'm tempted to make a single earring from the 2nd charm...with complimentary charm for the other earring.  Perhaps. 

For this necklace I used a patined brass heart stamping as the background, layering the fantasy horse on top of a Tim Holtz pewter wreath charm (mostly covered), then kept adding old pearls, tiny metal feathers, etc...all e6000'd into place.  I set the vintage flat back "heliotrope" stone at the upper left of the focal point, encasing it into a bead cap.  Besides BSue's products, I used a number of things from BumbershootSupplies. 

This is lightweight and comfortable.  I cannot wear heavy jewelry around my neck or earrings.  These wonderful brass stampings are very light even though they look substantial. 

This was the first round of design.  I like to take a pic of the work in progress.  It helps me to see if something is out of place or looks unfinished.  Yup, unfinished it was, so I got to go back in and have more fun. 

Protection

I'm so excited by the techniques I've learned from Brenda of bsueboutiques that I'm metal collaging everything in sight.  Above is my alterations on a $12 new ex voto on a stand.  Import, faux French looking.  Cool on its own, but I got busy with some special old bits along with this and that of uncertain provenance (I do know where the Buddha charm came from...China). 

I could not make Brenda Sue style designs without this trio.  Of course the glue and tweezers you recognize.  How about that jump ring tool in the middle?  It fits on the upper section of the middle finger on non-dominate hand; with jump ring and pliers in other hand, you slip the jump ring between correct sized slot in the ring tool, twist, voila.  Open and close!!  Watch any of BSue's excellent videos on YouTube and you will see it in action.