April Assemblage DIY

May 11th is Mother's Day

~ create a special & meaningful gift ~

~ Beautiful Dangling Assemblage Cluster ~

from the Charm Hunter

This beauty can be assembled in one afternoon.
Grab a friend, you daughter or granddaughter and create
something beautiful together!  This would make a FABULOUS
Mother's Day gift too!

Grab that jewelry box, sewing kit and stash of broken pieces!  This is a fun

and wonderful "quality" time activity to spend with your best friend or loved one.

The Charm Hunter's Supply List:

             (double this list if creating with a friend!)

• 30" (or more) link chain (a 15" drop)
• toggle clasp
• 6 pieces of short misc chain pieces
• 8 6-8mm jumprings
• 6 random jewelry elements                                     (pearls, stones, shell, buttons, pendants, bling, etc)
• 2 pair pliers

                          THAT'S IT!

STEP BY STEP....

                     

You'll need about 30" (+ or -) of any type of link chain.  You may already have or can 

purchase inexpensively at your local craft store.  I like this length because it fits right over 

your head without needing to add a clasp.  You'll also need a medium size toggle clasp, 

also readily available at your local craft store or online.

The two piece toggle clasp already comes with a link attached to each piece.  I've used 

two straight pins to show how I used a jumpring to attach each part of the toggle to the 

same link in the center of the link chain.  (Do not follow the instructions on the toggle clasp packaging.  We are using the toggle as a decorative element and not as a clasp.)  Use 

your pliers, one in each hand, to open the break in the jumpring by gently pulling and 

prying in opposite directions.  If you've never tried this before, view THIS LINK first.

Next, lay out six pieces of random chain.  They can be of any size and color.

Most pliers have a cutting portion on the top inside of the pliers.  If yours 

do not, you may need a pair of cutting pliers OR simply use the above method

in the link provided above to pry apart an individual link in the chain.  I planned

on each piece being no longer than 3".  Each strand should be cut at

different and random lengths.  There's no rules, just play around with

different lengths.  You can always cut them shorter if needed.

Here are my miscellaneous elements...shell, button, pearls, crystals, etc.

Use your pliers and begin attaching your elements to your pieces of chain.

Once you you have all your elements attached to the ends of your chain

strands, lay them out at varying lengths to see which need adjusting.

Move them around and shorten chains that need shortening.

Now open each jumpring wide enough to fit into the end of each chain link

and then onto the round part of toggle clasp.  Once you've attached to

 both pieces, pull and pry back into the closed position.

Continue with all chain strands.

Wallah!

See other Assemblage Jewelry

I hope you've enjoyed this month's DIY.

Even more-so, I'd like to see YOUR projects!

Please post and share your re-assemblage projects here.

               

                                        Warmest Aloha, Susan

                aka The Charm Hunter          Visit my shop here

March's DIY Project

 Re-Assemblage Charm Necklace...

from The Charm Hunter

"Re-Assemblage" Charm NecklaceDesign by The Charm Hunter

What is Re-Assemblage?  Assemblage art was born as an act of recycling and repurposing. Fundamentally, it is accomplished by taking something that is broken (or without use in its current form) and putting it together with other found objects to create a piece of art.  Like pieces of a puzzle, you too can use found elements to re-create something new, beautiful and one-of-a-kind.

The Charm Hunter's Supply List:  

• Seed bead necklace
• Miscellaneous chains, 5 short pieces
• Rhinestone strand 
• Crystal Chandelier Glass Disk
• Miscellaneous beads, pearls, bling, crystals, buttons, etc
• 24 gauge beading wire
• 3mm jumprings
• 2 pair jewelry pliers

My Big Beautiful Mess!
I'm really a very organized person, but somehow I always
end up working with a pile that looks like this!

STEP by STEP...

As always, make use of what you have.  Mismatched earrings, broken chains, buttons, and out of style jewelry pieces can transformed.  And as I've always said, SAVE YOUR BROKEN JEWELRY.  Don't throw ANY part of it away; you'll be amazed at all the tiny components (findings) that you will re-use!

Here I have a 36" glass seed bead necklace, chandelier glass pieces,
a broken rhinestone necklace, and random beads, pearl, crystal and button.
(You can also use a necklace that you already have - metal chain, leather, pearl, whatever!)

And of course, my famous jar of broken chains.

I used 24 gauge silver beading wire, only because that's what I had on hand.
You can use silver or brass, and/or a thicker wire (The smaller the gauge, the thicker the wire)

Use your wire to wrap around findings to make loops
whereby you can add jumprings to attach to necklace

Here I added a single pearl to the bottom of a
chandelier piece.  Again, if a headpin or wire
loop is missing, make your own with beading wire

I played around with varying lengths of chain and
added my miscellaneous beads to then ends

I used tiny 3mm jumprings to attach each different length of chain
 to the necklace.  HINT:  lay them all out and play around with
placement BEFORE attaching to the necklace

A simple wire wrapped button makes a nice touch.  Don't over think wire wrapping - the more
wrapping and the more rustic looking, the better!  You can re-use the wire as you practice.  After a couple
attempts, you'll have an unrefined look, which is what you want!

Wallah!  

See other Assemblage Jewelry

I hope you've enjoyed this month's DIY.

Even more-so, I'd like to see YOUR projects!

Please post and share your re-assemblage projects here.

Warmest Aloha, Susan, aka The Charm Hunter

Visit my shop, One Charming Treasure

February's DIY - Dangle Earrings 

from www.TheCharmHunter.com

Perfect for any occasion, from casual to dressy, these beauties only take a few supplies & a few moments to make.

Design by The Charm Hunter
I recycled these beads from an out of style clip on earring!

The Charm Hunter's Supply List:

• about 1 inch of chain, 2 pieces
• 2 ear wire hooks
• 7 small jump rings
• 7 beads, preferably with head pins
• 2 pair jewelry pliers

I've said this in just about every blog, SAVE YOUR BROKEN JEWELRY!
This is my stash of broken chains in all different sizes and colors.

• attach ear wires to top of chains
• attach each jump ring to each bead used
• arrange the beads around the chain and play around with the placement until you're happy with the look.  You can always move them around after
• use pliers to attach to links of the chain at varying lengths

I used the largest bead at the bottom and worked
my way up with the next smallest, ending
with the smallest beads on top.

The combinations are endless.  This is just the "starter recipe".  

Simple                                                             Full                                                                     Fuller

  If you want fuller earrings, just connect the loaded jump rings

together.  For a longer look, you can use less beads or connect

empty jump rings between your loaded jump rings.  Varying 

sizes and shapes also help to add interest to your mix.

Thanks always, best wishes for a happy and healthy 2014 :)

-Warmest aloha, Susan, aka The Charm Hunter

Visit my shop at One Charming Treasure

Happy New Year!

Susan here from TheCharmHunter.com.

 I've been as busy as ever charm hunting and creating

one-of-a-kind treasures.  My custom orders have increasingly been my best sellers!

You can heck them out at my etsy store.

Is it the end of January ALREADY?????

I know how busy life can be - I'm married with children and pets

 and work outside the home like many of you do and can appreciate that your time is important

 to you.  Because it's important to all of us, I've decided to take a different approach to my blogs this year in 2014.

*******

Follow me - once a month - as I take you through simple jewelry making fun DIY tutorials

.  Your comments and questions are always welcomed.  I'm so excited to have a blog where

I can share jewelry making with you.  Information is gold  :)

Have you kept your New Year's Resolution thus far?

Well, I'll share with you one of my 2014 resolutions:  As a jewelry designer, I'm always on the lookout for new ideas, new products and new materials to work with.  I absolutely LOVE the hunt and disassembling parts and pieces to create new one-of-a-kind items and custom orders for others.  That's the problem - for others.  

My goal is pretty simple:  To wear accessories with each and every outfit;

 with shorts and T-shirt, with my work uniform, with dressy outfits, etc.

Simple yet stunning starburst layered with a cross charm necklace

Accessories will always play an important role in

fashion and they are often used to express one's individuality.

ACCESSORIZE!

      January's SIMPLE tutorial - layering!     

                     

Most of us would have those times when we don’t feel like putting too much thought into 

our attire for the day but don’t want to appear sloppy or plain jane-ish. 

This is when accessories come to our rescue. 

We can choose to layer on necklaces or bring along a statement bag for that panache to your ensemble.

Begin by layering two or three of your own necklaces

of different lengths and styles to create a stylish new look at NO cost!

Find your own combination of varying lengths of necklaces

 There’s no hard and fast rules as to what you can do with your accessories 

so feel free to foray into unmarched territories!

Come visit me at

www.TheCharmHunter.com

www.OneCharmingTreasure.etsy.com

America Recycles Day!

Today is America Recycles Day!

November 15

America Recycle Day

November 15 is America Recycles Day, an initiative of Keep America Beautiful. 

This national commemoration is the perfect opportunity to raise public awareness 

while encouraging action, because every person can make a difference. 

Click here for more information about how The Charm Hunter recycles and

re-purposes jewelry parts and pieces into new creations!

These beautiful bracelets were up-cycled from buttons, brads, vintage clip-on

earrings, and estate sale jewelry pieces.  YOU can up-cycle too!  Just take a

peek into your own jewelry box.  You're sure to find outdated, broken and lost

earring pairs that you can re-assemble into a new and fashionable wear.

Click here for many other jewelry recycling ideas!

Ten Ways To Save Money This Holiday Season

PS:  Check out #5 - Make (or purchase) handmade and DIY gifts

Beautiful Handmade Customs Gifts Can Be Found Here!

Happy Holidays!

This Mess Is A Place

Recently discovered:  DFW treasure shops!

On a recent trip to the Dallas Fort Worth area, I went in search of treasure shops

not only in search of vintage jewelry, but other vintage finds on "my list".

Some places were complete dives in 'sketchy' neighborhoods, others had been 

completely shut down and replaced with new businesses, but I continued down my list of 

researched possibilities anyone, determined to find the type of shop I was searching for. 

 Although I LOVE antiques, stores labeled as "Antique Stores", are usually pricey and you 

can expect to pay top dollar.  That's why I like to sniff out the "in between"...in between a 

thrift store and an antique store; it's harder than you think!

Cornish Antiques & Collectibles

My first impression was skeptical, a tiny shop with metal bars covering every

window reminded me the likes of a liquor store as opposed to an antique store.

This sign on the front door warns newbys, be prepared!

            Oh my goodness, be prepared.  When I opened the door I was taken aback.  

It was hard to believe the amount of things, everything you could imagine, crammed into 

this small space. I think I spent two hours in there and I'm SURE I overlooked many things. 

 Let's just say that organization is not the owner's gift, however, her collection of treasures certainly is.  

Of course first on my list is always vintage jewelry pieces. OMG, I was in heaven.

Trays, and trays, and boxes, and piles of  jewelry.  Her counter was so cluttered with

piles of everything, she couldn't even get to all the trays in the glass counter, seriously.

Many pieces had 'lost' halves, which I grabbed without hesitation.  But she also had such 

an enormous amount of every type of jewelry, nice pieces, truly vintage and some real 

antiques. Let me just say, I scored many treasures here, jewelry and other finds.

Cornish Antiques has trays and trays of vintage jewelry!

 Talk about a kid in a candy store!  I got to know the owner after a couple of

hours with her.  Judy was a very sweet, older woman, obviously overwhelmed with all 

that she had.  I shared my jewelry making hobby with her and then she showed me her 

antique button collection with me!  WoW.  She had been collecting them for years and still 

could not part with them.  I told her I'd pay her a visit the next time I was in town and to 

bethinking of selling those buttons to me!

Cornish Antiques

4310 East Lancaster Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76103

See what I've been up to with my newly found vintage treasures!

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        What are your favorite treasure stores???   Please Share With Us!

Garage Sales Galore!

The ultimate source of found treasures...

Garage Sale, Moving Sale, Estate Sale, Swap Meet, Flea Market, whatever you want

 to call it, they're pretty much the same BUT they are definitely the place 

to find whatever item you may treasure!

Yes, I admit I can be regularly seen running into my local thrift stores for a brief scan of merchandise.  They're always there with set hours, conveniently located in select areas of other errands I'm running, 

which seemingly looks like a mad dash on my way to work.  (I am always amazed that I make it on time despite the maze of strategic stops made beforehand!).  However, I have new found excitement for garage sales that I must tell you about...

You see, I'm a night person.  My husband and I both work afternoons to late evenings.  By the time we get home, take a shower, have a snack and wind down, it's pretty late.  We are therefore not early morning people, which is when most garage sales begin........or at least you need to get there early to get the best picks.  This is why I've kind of given up on garage sales, that is until now.

In my own sleepy and small town, a neighbor told me about a garage sale down our street with some "good stuff".  I thought to myself I might take a look after returning from my cardio class, but I wasn't too excited and surely wasn't expecting much.  Boy was I wrong!

Ask and you shall receive...

I asked the lady if she had any costume jewelry...

 This "estate sale" literally had a bit of everything imaginable, which can be overwhelming when you see everything all at one time.  When I told the lady I was looking for costume jewelry and buttons, she said yes she had some but hadn't brought anything out yet because she wasn't quite sure what to do with it all.  (Hugh? I thought)  She brought out a Tupperware container type first and then she brought out her mother's wooden jewelry box, which was huge, like 2' wide!   I told her immediately I wanted to buy the jewelry box.  It was noticeably old and worn and in need of refinishing, but my goodness, the blue velvet lined drawers with skeleton key locks and ornate decorative trims on the top was something I could not pass up.

Ornate brass corners

Of course she said she already gone through everything and kept the pieces that she wanted, but I was taken aback at the size.  For a split second I thought to myself, "Is this a dream?"  Talk about a kid in a candy store!  I spent the next 20 minutes going through this "treasure chest" of goodies.  I admit I felt sort of guilty rummaging through her mother's jewelry; thinking how she might feel.  I sympathized with her recent loss; can't imagine what that must be like for her.

Brass Center Medallion 

Well, she was kind enough to take a "Bulk Price" for the selected jewelry, box, and other miscellaneous items.  I was ECSTATIC !    I have a new found mission to check out garage sales that I often pass on the road.  And who knows, maybe, just maybe I may find myself getting up early to seek out those treasures.

Take a peak at what I've been doing with my new found treasures here

Here's some tips for you:

Garage Sale Pricing Guide for Selling AND Buying!

Garage Sales in your area 

Happy Hunting! 

-Susan, aka The Charm Hunter