The Jeweled Dress Form and Art Upcycled Treasures!
I've been making alot of jewelry lately, I had a recent trunk show of my jewelry and handmade dress forms, it was so much fun, to get my mind channeling into another direction, back to my jewelry roots, all while recycling what I had and using up vintage and new pieces.I love dress forms, they are the perfect accompaniment to any artist studio for showcasing your fave treasures on or to display them at an event or art show. I have always wanted to pick up a dress form, but never got around to it, the old ones are expensive and harder to find, the new ones, well they aren't timeless, but with a bit of distressing they can achieve that worn look

Display IDEAS:

-But what about making your own? All you need is a thick wooden dowel or porch post, some scrap wood, batting and fabric. For smaller ones, a wire base with legs or a bird cage or standing plant stand will work, and again, batting and fabric.

-You don't need a dress form to display your treasures, what about covering a corkboard w/fabric and painting the wood frame antique gold or a fun pink, robin's egg blue or chalky white.

-A Garden Wire Rack or floral ornament will work as great displays, closet shutter doors, wooden window shutters, or 3 door screens are all great displays.

Try buying 3 door sized pieces of wood, cover both sides with upholstery batting, staple gunning to wood. Cover with fabric of choice, trim sides with molding, trim or upholstery tacks, hinged together, voila instant 3 door screen w/displaying capability.

Some art-upcycled pieces I made:
1. The Gothic Victorian Bracelet:A hand beaded and sequin fabric cuff bracelet I made and extra embellished with a vintage pin.
2. Priscilla's Garden Bracelet:A bracelet with vintage and modern pieces.
3. The Money Talismen Bracelet:A bracelet to bring the wearer good fortune and luck. I love this one, we could use fortune and luck in our lives don't you agree?

For more of my jewelry and inspiration visit my flickr set called: Handmade Jewelry and Tiara Set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonfaires16/sets/72157604136359174/

________________________________________________________________
My Mom Joan aka Aurora-tique is a wonderful designer, here are some of her new art up-cycled pieces using vintage jewelry, mixed with various old and new elements:

1. The Secret Garden Locket: Escape to a secret garden of your own, just open the locket and be transported to your favorite secret place! The main pendant is a vintage jewelry locket, a vintage chain, crystals, beads, along with other dazzling componants and findings.
2. A Charming Life Bracelet:
3. Underwater Garden Party Bracelet:
4. Le Papillon Necklace:
To see more of my mom's works visit her Flickr site at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/31727305@N04/

To purchase her works or for requests/orders visit her new Etsy Store at:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6390013

To see her blog visit:
http://auroratique.blogspot.com/

Jewelry Boudoire!
When asked the question: "What is your fave art medium or technique?" I can't truly answer that with one specific thing, everything inspires me and I love working in every medium, it all comes down to my mood, if I'm in a sewing phase I'll sew everything from aprons to tea cozies to dolls or quilts. If I'm in a illustrative phase, I'll draw, if its mixed medium illustration, I'll draw and paint on everything for that time. My dollies, get made all the time as do class projects and instant inspired pieces which I have to get down on paper and create.

For the past few days I have been in a jewelry phase, it started after I started finishing up the studio organization, that I began to find places for all my jewelry findings. I came across old stuff and new stuff that I recently bought and decided to make some jewelry.My earlier jewelry consisted of alot of seed beading and beading weaving, I could never find a beading loom large enough and cheap enough, so I picked one up at Toys R US about 12 years ago for $15.00 and it works perfectly for small beading weaving works, they are still available in toy stores and crafts stores in the children's craft set section. From these I have made bracelets, belts, beaded purses and amulet bags and its so easy.Seaside Soiree BraceletFor the past 2 years I have been focused on salvage style jewelry, but it wasn't until my first meeting with Terri Ventura (Dimestore Daze) http://www.dimestoredaze.com/default4.asp That I began to dive deeper into salvaged jewelry. Terri and I met at Tinsel Trading and have been friends ever since, her jewelry is gorgeous and so inspiring, now to top it off Terri also sells the most amazing supplies, such as my fave: Marie Antoinette Brass Charms, in many finishes, they are essential to Marie style projects: http://www.dimestoreemporium.etsy.com/ Recently Terri surprised me with a huge package of charms and wares, I nearly fainted when I opened it, she is just incredible. Some other inspirational jewelry atists/books are: Charming Exchange by Ruth Rae and Kelly Snelling http://ruthrae.blogspot.com/ Semiprecious Salvage by Stephanie Lee http://www.stephanielee.typepad.com/ and Rejuvenated Jewels by Amy Hanna http://amyhanna.typepad.com/ These books by these fab artists are filled with wonderful inspiration and project to begin or enhance your salvaged jewelry journey.The pieces that you see are my newest creations, the bracelet is called: Seaside Soiree, the necklace is called: Midsummer Nights Dream and the beaded one is called: Lady Chantilly's Tea! All are made from vintage and new findings, the beaded one is a refurbished necklace I made from one I already had, just switched around the beads and handmade beaded balls, which are extremely easy to make.For the Midsummer Nights Dream Necklace I used a vintage bracelet, Vintage gilded back crystals which are similar to mercury glass, blue moon jewelry pieces and findings, a vintage Austrian rhinestone button, and vintage art nouveau style brass pendant, I've decided to keep this piece for myself, and wore it for the first time yesterday.The Bracelet: Seaside Soiree is made from vintage and new findings, blue moon findings and funky clasp. I have made three of these bracelet styles and will be offering two of them in my etsy store today: http://moonfaires.etsy.com/ Lady Chantilly's Tea Necklace is also staying in my jewelry collection, I love how it looks with a white linen shirt or button down, so vintage tea chic.
To Make the seed bead balls:
Materials:
-Seed beads
-Wooden ball bead or jewelry ball or small styrophome ball w/whole in center
-Fabric tac or no sew glue
-Quilting thread (color of choice)
-Beading needle

Directions:
1. Thread needle with 2 feet of thread, tie knot at end, insert needle through ball hole, twice, loop needle through the 2 strands of thread, and knot.
2. Now slip seed beads onto needle to the thread. The amount of beads on the thread should cover the two hole areas, end to end.
3. Once beads are threaded onto thread strand, insert needle into ball hole, come out the other end, repeat, until the whole ball bead is covered with beaded strands, at the last strand, tie a knot, twice, dab with fabric tac glue or no sew glue, and that's it, you have a beaded ball.

-Refer to the last picture for example of the ball bead.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and get inspired to make some salvaged jewelry of your own.