A Tasty Trunk Show at Dabchick

Stop by our trunk sale for fabulous deals on lovely vintage and vintage recycled jewelry, vintage accessories, handmade bags and tasty treats on Sunday May 6 from 1-4 pm.

 

HUGE SALE ON VINTAGE JEWELRY

GET 25% OFF ON ALL JEWELRY AT DABCHICK VINTAGE GEMS ON ETSY

http://www.etsy.com/shop/dabchickvintagegems

Now through Dec. 16 you'll receive 25% off all vintage restyled jewelry at Dabchick Vintage Gems when you enter coupon code GET25OFF at checkout. 


Just visit Dabchick Vintage Gems and select from over 130 one-of-a-kind vintage pieces.  From dazzling statement necklaces and chokers to polished pendants, and brilliant bracelets filled with vintage charms, you’ll make a stylish impression in Dabchick Vintage gems.  


Remember to enter coupon code GET25OFF!

The Bauble Necklace: Before & After

The Pearl Bauble Statement Necklace:  A Before and After Project

Here are some before and after pictures of a tired and worn vintage costume pearl necklace I restyled into total fabulousness!  I loved the old style of the pearl baubles, but the worn and crumpled pearls had to go...  Now the entire necklace is refreshed with new grey pearl beads and silver head pins.  The old, vintage chain and findings were polished up a bit and recycled.  And, voila (as my nine year says), a newly retro pearl statement necklace!

Old, crumbling pearls had lost their luster...

New pearl beads and head pins, elbow grease, and lots of time later.

Five Essentials to Update Your Jewelry Box

     With these five essential elements, you can transform tired and worn costume or vintage jewelry into fabulous new creations:

1.  Courage!  It takes courage to tear up old jewelry, especially sentimental pieces.  Rule of thumb:  If it gives you heartburn, don't do it.  Go to a thrift store and find something cool without the sentiment attached to it.

Basic Jewelry Tools

2.  Tools and Techniques.  I use three tools over and over:  good wire cutters, long nose pliers and round nose pliers.  With a small investment in tools, you can do a lot of creative damage!  Once you invest in the tools, learn a few simple techniques like how to open and close a jump ring and how to loop wire.  You Tube is a great source for learning basic wire jewelry techniques.  Check out this video:  YouTube - Looping Method For Wire Wrapping

Jump Rings

3.  Jump rings.  Jump rings come in a variety of sizes, thickness and materials.  I use 7 mm jump rings most often to attach charms, brooches, pins and chain.  I use sterling silver and gold filled jump rings for most projects, but you may want to use less expensive silver tone or gold tone jump rings, depending upon the value of the piece.


4.  Head pins and eye pins.  I'm lumping these two items into one category.  You can use wire head pins and eye pins to restring jewelry, create earrings from old beads, attach brooches to chain, and much, much more.  Often I'll take a an old vintage double or triple strand necklace and restring the beads vertically using new head and eye pins.

Vintage chain

5.  Chain.  Old or new, chain can be used to refashion jewelry into major statement pieces.  I buy chain by the yard at jewelry supply stores, but sometimes I'll hit the clearance aisle at Kohls or Target to pick up chain.  I disregard the pendants and beads, since I'm primarily looking for quality chain, and fastenings.

With a small investment in a few tools and techniques, you can transform your jewelry into new, sparkling treasures like these:

Citrine Dreams Makes Etsy's Front Page!

Happy Monday!  My vintage repurposed Citrine necklace is featured on the front page of Etsy this morning.  I'm excited given all the jewelry designers selling on this unique, handmade portal of fabulousness...  My "views" went from 38 last night to nearly 400 as of 8 am this morning.

The Front Page of Etsy...