AURORA DESIGNS JEWELRY “CHANGE IT UP” BLOG HOP sponsored by B’SUE BOUTIQUES

Hi!  Welcome back to my Aurora Designs Jewelry’s blog post!  It’s been a while…no excuses for the long absence, just didn’t do it.  BUT, Brenda Lansdowne from http://www.bsueboutiques.com, challenged us again, and who can resist that cute face when she issues a challenge!  So, here I am participating in the “Change It Up” Blog Hop.  We were tasked to choose one of the pieces in the photo below, from http://www.bsueboutiques.com, and make it into something unrecognizable from the original piece. I want to share my journey and my processes through a pictorial journal.  Please follow along with me on my journey to my finished piece and see how I “Changed It Up”.

These are the four pieces from http://www.bsueboutiques.com from which we had to choose.

This is the piece I selected to use for my “Change It Up, Vintage Flair” Blog Hop

This is how I started to “change it up”. I separated each necktie and cut off the small tabs that connected them.

I added some texture to each piece with my texturing hammer,  for cool interest.  I wanted it to show well after I colored the pieces.

Soldering station set up and ready to solder some of the pieces.  I hadn’t soldered in quite a while, so I just went with what I remembered from the class I took a long time ago.

Needed to do a bit of bending and forming to get the shape I want with a bracelet bending pliers, my husband’s vise, and some brute strength.

Picked some B’sue focal pieces from my stash and added some color with alcohol inks.  Can you see where I’m going yet?

Cold connected the focal pieces with a screw, washer, and nut, and realized it looked similar to a red and black cabachon from B’sue’s supply website.

Anyone who knows ME, knows I always need to have some BLING!  Do you recognize these red pieces?

I decided it needed a touch of PearlEx powder here and there.  I glued the pearl into the center and put some red Perfect Pearls on it, then sealed the whole thing.  Wasn’t crazy about the red pearl, so…I “changed it up”.  You’ll see it in the final photo.

After painting and sealing the sides, it was time to connect the focal to the the sides. Some gluing and clamping works for that.  Now it sets for twenty-four hours.

After waiting for twenty four hours for the glue to set, I took the clamps off and when I was making an adjustment to one of the sides, it came off!!  I was not worried.  I just decided to cold connect the cuff sides to the center focal.  Took it apart and started cold connecting.  When I finished that process, I repainted the whole thing, and sealed it.  Now I present to you, my Change It Up, Vintage Flair Gothic Cuff.

Matte black and Glossy red with a black pearl center and rhinestone cup chain accent. Pearl Ex powder on the focal swirled edges and the outside flower petals.

Here is the side view of the finished cuff.

Here I am modeling the finished cuff on my wrist.

Before I started my Challenge piece, I decided that I would not start another new piece until I had cleaned up EVERY half finished piece at all three stations on my large kitchen table, so away I went, working five to six hours a day, non stop.  I was inspired by my friend Jann Tague of Clever Designs, when she was here for a play date a couple weeks ago (we played with resin that day, and I made a bunch of cabachons in my mold), and she started digging (literally), through my stuff on the table.  She kindly sorted out a bunch of things for me, and point blank told me to “git ‘er done!”  So I began working on all the things on my table.  Many only needed chains/neck treatment to be finished.  (I have a hard time with that sometimes.)   Then, I posted them on our B’sue Boutiques Creative Group Page last Friday and Saturday for FUF (Finished Up Friday).  It felt SOOOOOO good to have finished about half of what was on my work table.  Here are photos of some of the finished pieces and my Work Table photo for this past Wednesday’s WTW (Work Table Wednesday).  Once I finish what is on there, I will have fewer than ten pieces left to finish.  Then, I can start my FALL Themed pieces!

Pretty Black and Gold medium assemblage with vintage rosary chain.

Large blue polymer clay flower with a Swarovski rivoli center, and brass ox book chain.

This altered piece had been on my work table for over a year. Rhinestone chain accent and book chain finished it.

I beaded the focal pieces and couched them onto altered pieces from b’sueboutiques, and added some chain to complete the cuff.

Here is a preview of one of my fall themed pieces, a beautiful rusty orange sunflower necklace.

One of the resin cabachons that I colored with Perfect Pearls and Mica Chips, them made into a pretty brooch.

Iced Enamel and Ice Resin small heart earrings with a crystal accent, and bow lever backs ear wires.

This is what I have left to finish on my work table. I will have them finished by the end of next week. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, now. WOOHOO!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my blog post and following along in my process for “CHANGING IT UP”, and seeing some of my creations.  I love working in mixed media and love being in such a loving, supportive, encouraging group of people. Brenda Sue Landsdowne is an awesome mentor, and she has the absolute BEST supplies and perks on her website, http://www.bsueboutiques.com.  I hope you’ll check out her site and while you’re there, be sure to click on the Design Team page and read about my journey.  Thanks for reading, and I will be ever so appreciative if you will leave a kind comment and share and like my blog post.

I leave you with this thought.

The list of participants is below and they all have made some amazing creations.  To join the Hop, just click on the next name’s url below mine, and away you go.  Please leave them a kind comment, too.  I know they’ll appreciate it!!

Brenda Sue Lansdowne

Jewelry Making Outside the Box

Mary Deis

The Rose Sword

http://theroseswordmdeis.blogspot.com/

Jann Tague

Clever Designs

https://janntague.wordpress.com/

Lori Beekman

B.Accessorized

https://baccessorized.wordpress.com/

Renee Hong

Fine and Dandy Jewelry

http://www.fineanddandyjewelry.blogspot.com/

Cynthia Wainscott

Exotic Peru Jewelry

http://exoticperujewelry.blogspot.com/

Dana Hickey

Magpie Approved

http://magpieapproved.blogspot.com/

Mary Beth Quigley-Spiker

Q Settings

https://qsettings.wordpress.com/

Karen Eaton

KJewelry Creations

http://kjewelrycreations1.blogspot.com/

Shari Gardner

SLG Jewelry Designs

https://slgdesigns.wordpress.com/

Alison Huie

Ally’s Baubles

http://allysbaubles.blogspot.com/

Pamela Anger

Novegatti Designs

http://www.novegattidesigns.blogspot.com/

Carole Carlson

Beadsophisticate

https://beadsophisticate.wordpress.com/

Cindy Peterson

Howling Dog Jewelry

https://howlingdogjewelry.wordpress.com/

Marcia Tuzzolino

Aurora Designs

http://auroradesignsjewelryblog.me/

Charlotte Smothers

Sea Horse Ranch Life

http://seahorseranch.blogspot.com/

Catherine Shattuck

Victorian Rose Boutique

https://vrbrose.wordpress.com/

Clare Wells Nemeth

Papercrafting Magic

http://papercraftingmagic.blogspot.com/

Erin Whitacre

Shattered Time

https://shatteredtimejewelry.wordpress.com/

Lynda O’Mara

Lomara Creative

http://www.lomaracreative.com/

Ginger Hammond

Lynn Leigh Designs

https://lynnleighdesigns.wordpress.com/

Ingrid Anderson

Lilis Gems Artisan Jewelry

https://lilisgems.wordpress.com/

Deb Beechy

Beetique

http://www.beetique56.blogspot.com

Harry Wood

Oscar Crow

http://oscarcrow.blogspot.com/

Delyssa Maxwell

Past Time Fancies

https://pasttimefancies.wordpress.com/

Paula Gaskill

Lovely Layla Bugs

http://lovelylaylabugjewels.weebly.com/blog

Irene Hoffman

Heart’s Dezire by Irene

https://heartsdezirebyirene.wordpress.com/

Alexandra Sefton

Imaginary Jewelry and Altered Art

http://wilywolverine.blogspot.com/

Leslie Carver

Adorn Divine Designs

http://adorndivinedesigns.blogspot.com/