Costume Jewelry Revival

I was at my favorite flea market a couple of weeks ago, and came across a vendor selling bins of mis-matched costume jewelry. I couldn't find any pairs in the earring tubs, so I just picked three of my favorites (and believe me, it was hard to narrow down).



Now here's the fun part: I pulled off the backs with some jewelry pliers and used heavy duty epoxy to affix the former earrings to some ring blanks that I ordered from nearby Hong Kong (less than $5 for 10, on ebay!).



Now I have three totally unique vintage rings, sure to spice up any outfit. And just in time for National Talk Like Mae West Day!

An Old Bracelet is New Again

Like most girls (women) my age, I have a drawer full of jewelry that I once loved and lived in, that has now become a bit passé. Remember this Tiffany bracelet that was so popular about seven years ago? No one is wearing them anymore, but it's nice heavy silver, and charm bracelets are so in right now! So I decided to give mine a new life.

Of course, I don't have a bunch of charms lying around, but I did have a surplus of foreign coins from various trips, just gathering dust in a closet.



Using the jewelry attachment on my fancy new Dremel, I buffed the coins to give them a little shine.



Then I laid everything out, making sure the size distribution seemed right. I decided to mix my metals, so I'd be able to wear the bracelet with a variety of other accessories. Then I let the drilling and linking commence! Word to the wise, stick with the Dremel for drilling holes in the coins - I broke two bits when I tried to use my regular wood drill.



Ta da! An old bracelet is new again. Special thanks to my hand model, Jen!