Sooooo.......

           Just how cold IS it where you are right now?

This morning on Oahu's North Shore
74 degrees on   1 - 17 - 15

As many of you know, I am in Hawaii - Yes, I get a lot of jealous 'hate mail' in my conversations with customers :)  I'm never hesitant to INSIST that ONE day, they must ABSOLUTELY visit this beautiful and diverse state.  Winter is my absolute favorite month in Hawaii........it's COLD for us when the temperature drops to the upper 50's and we have to wear socks and sweat pants to bed!  Sob, right?   LOL  OK, I better stop adding insult to injury!  Anyway.........you're here because we share a passion for jewelry.  Not just any jewelry, but Vintage Jewelry!  Whether you wear it, collect it or re-assemble them as I do, my blog has always been about encouraging you and equipping you to shop and/or make your own.  With no further adieu, I introduce.....

JEWELRY TRENDS IN 2015 - First Quarter

With 2014 in the back seat, it's time to look ahead into 2015 and see what's in store for jewelry trends.  The next time you're out and about, make it a point to check out the jewelry that women are wearing.  Chances are, over time, you will see a trend.  Whether or not it's "your" style or not, you will begin to notice trends; trends not only in jewelry, but fashion as well.  It's FUN!  It's like being your own SECRET SHOPPER.  I'm constantly checking out styles on others for ideas and inspiration.  After admiring something that I REALLY like, I inquire as to where they purchased the item and even ask if they would mind if I took a quick cell photo!  I've never been denied ;)

Now, you must know, that for me personally, I prefer the timeless beauty, style and elegance of vintage and antique jewelry.  I will choose vintage every time over something new and mass produced.  After all, you can always put a vintage 'spin' on just about everything, even trendy jewelry.
  

1. STATEMENT NECKLACES big and bold are such a strong trend for 2015 or for anytime you want to make a big impression with your jewelry.  Statement jewelry can be any kind of jewelry that makes a big impact - several bracelets on one wrist, generously sized chandelier earrings or the most common of statement jewelry, big and bold bib necklaces.  I've seen some pretty hideous statement necklaces out there, but I've also seen some unique beauties too.    

TIP:  Make sure to wear only one piece of statement jewelry at a time.

 Jewelry is the perfect way to bring life to an outfit and complement your best features. 

So, why not complete your look with an exceptional, bold and attention-grabbing piece of statement jewelry?

The modern pieces of jewelry can be gorgeous, however vintage-inspired jewelry brings a certain

 level of sophistication and makes the wearer look fabulous and unique.

New Word of the Quarter:  Vintage Assemblage - the aret of recycling and repurposing pieces of  vintage jewelry with other elements to recreate something new

2. BANGLES come in a variety of materials for a variety of looks and can really make a statement!  As you WATCH for trends, you're sure to have noticed girls walking around with wrists covered in gold and silver bangle bracelets.  What I love about these bangles is that you can add your OWN charms to these beauties.  PERSONALIZE bangles with shells, pearls, charms, initials, crystals, photo charms, etc.  

Consider bangle bracelets for their effortless and trendy style.

Handmade bangle bracelets easily slip over your wrist or open on a hinge, s
o throwing them on with anything is simple and fun!

   

3. SHELLS are timeless.  Maybe it's a "Hawaii Trend", but shells are definitely in here!  Whether you live near the ocean or dream to, or perhaps it's a reminder of that wonderful vacation, shells retain their natural iridescence and God made beauty.  Nothing manufactured or artificial here!  After all, the oldest known jewelry in the world consists of two perforated beads made from shells of a sea snail discovered in Israel!  Trendy shells + pearls are VERY popular in both earring and necklace trends.

 I have a personal appreciation for sunrise shells.  Generally, I am not a "shell jewelry" person. I think  my husband wishes I were, but it's a bit too "hippy-ish" for me (personally) to wear as jewelry.  That being said, our family does have a personal collection of SUNRISE SHELLS.  Some we have personally found, which is like a lottery ticket, and others we have purchased from local residents.  They are by far, the most beautiful and prized shell for shell jewelry...

OK,  a little Hawaiian.....puka is the Hawaiian word for "hole" and refers to the naturally occurring hole in the middle of these rounded and worn shell fragments.  The shell on the left is called a "puka shell and easily found on Hawaiian beaches.  When used in jewelry, it's very cool and very close to home.  A very popular beach or island style jewelry trend.

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I hope you've enjoyed this FIRST quarterly of 2015.  Even more so, I hope this has gotten

you EXCITED and INSPIRED!  Don't forget to take notice about jewelry trends you see

and let us know what YOU find.

Until next time, warmest aloha!  -Susan

         Visit my website HERE              Visit my store HERE

December DIY - EASY Wrapping & Bows Tutorial

December DIY

QUICK & EASY WRAPPING IDEAS!

'Tis the season to learn new tricks and get inspired 

with packaging ideas from The Charm Hunter

Oh my how the year has flown by!  Here we are just days before

Christmas.  It has been such a pleasure to share with you some of

my Vintage Jewelry Assemblage projects with you throughout the

year and my hope remains the same, to INSPIRE and ENCOURAGE.

So now what?  We have all these lovely gifts
both handmade and store bought, how do we wrap
these lovelies in quick and easy handmade gift wrap?

1. Think simple

   This trick reminds me of my dear mother-in-law, Margaret.  She came to visit us

in Hawaii soon after we were married and insisted on buying us our very first

Christmas tree and ornaments to "get us started".  What a sweetheart, I was so

touched and never forgot it.........even today, 28 years later.  HER TIP:   Start

with white (or any neutral color).  That way each year you can introduce another 

color and it will always match as you build up your collection of ornaments.

And that's what we did.  I had a beautiful green tree full of an assortment of

all white ribbon and ornaments.  I wish I had a photo of it; truly I thought it looked 

like a designer's Christmas tree, and each year thereafter I introduced a new color.

   So, use the same concept!  Using white wrapping paper, white butcher paper, brown

paper bags or brown packaging paper will give you an inexpensive base to work with.

Even black & white newspaper makes a classic wrap and save the comics to use to wrap 

children s' gifts!

Black & White Newspaper makes a CLASSY wrap!

                                                

Comics make the PERFECT wrap for children of ALL ages!

                                      

2. Think "outside" the box, as in "outdoors"

   Once you have your neutral base, ANY element you add will match and add an

impressive POP to your wrap.  Instead of a traditional bow, GO OUTSIDE!  Snip

greenery from your own yard or surroundings.  Rosemary, tree sprigs, berries, shells,

leaves, pine cones,  

flowers that preserve well like baby's breath, statice and lavender....the possibilities

are endless!  Last resort?  Snip some of the back branches of your Christmas tree off!

Use twine, string or ribbon - whatever you have - to secure.

Snip a piece of real (or artificial) Christmas tree branch! 

3. Reduce, reuse and repurpose

   An option to adding something from the outdoors is to reuse things you already

have INDOORS:  artificial flowers or greenery, teabags, paper doilies, candy, buttons, 

confetti, stickers, spare outdoor Christmas light bulbs, netting, lace, burlap, yarn, jewelry, 

and charms!  Last resort?  Let the kids draw their very own pictures on the wrap with colorful

markers or crayons!

Real lace OR paper doilies look beautiful when placed over white OR brown paper

4. Add snappy bows for the finishing touch

   For you traditionalist, bows NEVER go out of style!  Here's a few CUTE tutorials I

recently stumbled upon for some clever bow making:

MAGAZINE BOWS!

How clever is this?  Click here for the tutorial on these bows made with recycled magazine paper!

ORIGAMI BOWS!

I saw this tutorial here.  Your computer can translate for you OR just
follow the photo instructions with a 3" x 3" or 4" x 4" square piece of paper

PERFECT TINY RIBBON BOWS!

My good friend Marge sent me this cool tutorial

What’s your favorite addition to 

a practically-perfect package? 

Share your ideas & photos with us!

             Visit my shop here                 Visit my website here

  

Warmest Aloha, Susan

Novemeber DIY

brought to you by The Charm Hunter

Handcrafted by One Charming Treasure

     Add a Charm Bangle Bracelets

Handcrafted by One Charming Treasure

Why do these make the perfect gift?  

They're cute, easy, & inexpensive to make!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who doesn't like a bangle?  They're fun and easy to wear 

and the best part is that one size fits all!  They are adjustable 

and expandable to fit any size wrist.  You can add as few

or as many charms as you wish and personalize for the

person you're making it for :)

Handcrafted by One Charming Treasure

Follow these quick and easy steps:

SUPPLY LIST:  

                        wire cuff bracelets

                        charms and/or beads

                        4 - 6 mm jumprings (depending on wire diameter)

                        2 pairs of pliers

STEP 1:  

Gather your supplies.  You can find expandable, adjustable wire cuff

bangle bracelets at your local craft store or on line.  Amazon has several

styles available in a variety of finishes.  While the styles may vary slightly, 

they all have a "locking" mechanism that prevents the charms from

sliding off.  The most popular and least expensive are silvertone/goldtone.

Silver/gold plated as well as sterling silver metals are also available

depending on how much you want to spend.  I would recommend a sliver

or gold plated, as the finish will last much longer than the silver or goldtone

and they are just a few dollars more.  These below are listed at $5.25 ea.

            

Silver Plated

Gold Plated

  

STEP 2:

Gather your charms!  You can use charms, beads, photo charms, 

beach glass, shells, pearls, just about anything that has a hole 

(or that you can drill a small hole in).  If your charms don't come 

with jumprings already attached, you will need to add them to attach

to your bangle.  Use pliers to attach jumprings, add to bangle and then

securely close.  If you are not familiar with jumprings, read this quick 

and easy tutorial first.

STEP 3:

Personalize by adding charms, dangles and handstamped tags.  You

can add to both the "fixed/locked" area of the bangle, as well as the

to the rest of the bangle.

- Wallah! -

Add as few OR as many as you wish!

The options are ENDLESS !

                                  

YOU can do this !

I hope this project has inspired you!

Aloha, Susan

       Visit My Shop             Visit My Website

October's

Brought to you by The Charm Hunter

Handcrafted by The Charm Hunter

Heavenly Earrings

Bronze filigree cross earrings with chain and red garnet quartz gemstones

by

One Charming Treasure

These are very easy to make and you can choose whatever color you like.

Since we're about to enter into the CHRISTmas Season, I chose red garnets.

----------------------------------

The supplies are pretty basic and you may already have all the elements 

to make these.  If not, the parts are inexpensive to purchase.

I love vintage crosses and religious medals.  They combine beautiful

art work with spiritual meaning.  Religious medals make wonderful

elements to work with in assemblage charm jewelry.

Supplies:

• Two filigree crosses; look for ones with scrolls, loops and spaces
• Loose chain link, ideally in the same finish as your cross
• (4) 7mm jumprings and (4) 5mm jumprings, in the same finish
• Four tear shape/pear shape or similar beads
• Two ear wires, in same finish

Tools:

• Two pair of pliers
• One pair cutting pliers/nippers
• Ruler

I always say in every post to NEVER throw away your broken jewelry. 

 Keep everything.  You can always use their spare parts in other projects, as shown today.

Step 1:

Organize your supplies.  The brass ornate crosses I chose are approximately 

2 1/4" x 1 1/2".  I cut a piece of brass chain into (2) 4" lengths after draping over the 

cross to see how long I wanted the chain to hang.

Step 2:

Use your pliers to pry open each 7mm jumpring and attach to each end of the chains.  Before closing the jumprings, attach each end to the outer ends of the cross in the outermost opening you can find.  Use your pliers to securely close the jumprings.  If you are not familiar with jumprings, read this quick and easy tutorial first.

Step 3:     

Now the fun part.......selecting the jewels!

I have a huge collection of Vintage jewels, but the hard

part was finding FOUR matching beads!  They can be made of

glass, plastic, acrylic, pearl or stone, and of course in any color!

 Decisions, decisions, decisions....

Step 4: 

I really wanted to use a teal or aqua blue, (my favorite), but I didn't have 

four matching pieces.  So I decided that since CHRISTmas is just 

around the corner, I chose red garnet teardrop stones.

Use your pliers to dis-assemble (if applicable) the stones.  If you've

purchased new stones your all set.  Use the 5mm jumprings to

attach your stones to another opening in your filigree cross,

preferably an inward area so that it falls inside the hanging chain.

Lastly, use your pliers to attach earwires.

NOTE:  Your jumpring sizes may vary depending on the 

opening size you have on your particular cross

**--- Wallah! ---**

You can do this!

I hope you've enjoyed this month's project

and that I've inspired you!

Aloha, Susan

Visit My Shop        Visit My Website

                        

Travel Charm Bracelet

September's DIY Project

Charm Bracelet

Brought to you by The Charm Hunter

 I love to travel and always save memorabilia, currency and coins that from around the world. What a wonderful idea it is to a charm bracelet using these coins and charms to remind you of your travels, like a scrapbook on your wrist!

Original design by The Charm Hunter
Custom made to order on Etsy

The supplies are pretty basic....

Supplies:

• Coins, tokens, travel charms
• Chain link bracelet (I used an old one I had on hand!)
• 9mm and 11mm Jumprings
• Small square of scrap wood
• Clamp

Tools:

• Hand Held Electric Drill 
• 1/8” Pilot Point drill bit (or drill bit specifically for metal)
• Needle nose pliers (Jewelers pliers would be even better)
• Brass or Copper polish (optional) OR ketchup!

Step 1

Heads up! This project involves power tools and other sharp objects. Please use precaution and style yourself up with the proper safety gear (like goggles or gloves) when necessary.  Proceed at your own risk!

Look for drill bits specifically made for metal.
Either 3/32" or 1/8" makes a good hole size for charms

First you’ll need to identify where you’d like the hole in your coin and then position it accordingly.  I used a small block of wood and clamp to help stabilize coin.  Carefully and slowly begin drilling the hole through the coin.  Be patient, this may take a full minute and several intervals to drill through the coin.  You'll know it's gone completely through when you feel the bit hit the wood block beneath the coin.  Repeat with remaining coins.

 Some metals are thicker than others

Step 2

Once all of the holes are drilled, you can polish up your coins if you want to! Some of these were a little grimy, so a quick clean up really helped! You can use store bought cleaners such as  Brasso, but you could use any formula meant to clean metals.  Make sure to use gloves and do this step in a well ventilated space.  BUT, did you know that plain old ketchup works too?  Ketchup is a great metal polish!  Squeeze on tarnished copper and brass, rub with a cloth and the brilliant metals should shine though in a few minutes.  Just rinse and buff.  Silver coins can be soaked in vinegar for a few minutes, rinsed and buffed as well.

Step 3

Assemble jumprings to each coin, token and travel charm.  If you are not familiar with using jumprings, view this quick and easy tutorial first. You can use two different pliers, a screw driver or dull knife.  Play around with this step and be patient.  Two pliers work best.  Repeat with all the elements you wish to add to your bracelet. 

Step 4

Lay your bracelet out and lay then out your coins and charms in different patterns to determine the final look. Play around with the placement and remember the bracelet will form a circle, so you will want to alternate colors and sizes.  You can use all coins or a combination of coins and travel charms.  Once you're happy with the placement, using the same jumpring technique in Step 3, attach them to your bracelet links.  Consider having the same amount of space (link spaces) in between each charm

You can use only coins for a simple look OR add travel charms as I have 

.

Wallah!    YOU can do this!

See more handmade charm jewelry here

You could do this project with a combination of so many little things! One reader on facebook suggested guitar picks! The sky is the limit! Just make sure you use the proper drill bit and allow one or two of your “charms” for trial and error!

As always, I would love for to share your travel charm bracelet with us here.

Warmest aloha, Susan

aka The Charm Hunter

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