Recycling
Busy doesn't even begin to describe my life right now. My FT job is very demanding (which I love...I hate being bored!), fall shows are in full swing, planning for my daughter's wedding, and just trying to keep things in semi-organized chaos around the house are a challenge.
But I'm going to seriously attempt to blog, even a teeny weeny bit, on a daily basis for the next week. Get me back in the habit and I'll probably do it on a regular basis!
Speaking of challenges...I've been seeing a number of challenges and contests lately for jewelry using recycled items. There are so many ways to recycle using jewelry - from mixed media projects made from found items, to redoing flea market finds - I know you can come up with some great ideas!
One of my favorites was the floppy disc charm bracelet I made for my friend Amy. Geek Chic used the metal from old 3.5" floppy covers and it makes a great conversation piece!
Another favorite recycle project was the set of bracelets that I made from an old necklace of my grandmother's. I used the light blue Swarovski crystals in her necklace, added some clear crystals and "garden" themed beads (dragon flies, flowers, butterflies) and made bracelets for my daughter (who's named for my grandmother), my mom, my sister, my brother's daughter, and me.
Look around you - is there something you don't use, or are planning to throw away that might make great jewelry? Use your "green" eyes and repurpose something!!
Labels: bracelet, busy, geek chic, recycled, repurposed
New Contest and "The Answer" to Geek Chic
It's been a while since we've held a contest, and it's high time, don't you think??
First of all.....did you guess what
Amy's Geek Chic bracelet charms were made of? Here's what Amy figured out before I gave her a couple of clues:
The beads are thin, round metal. They appear to have been cut from something larger. They are aluminum color with black text. The phrase 'geeks rule' is on a bead, and I swear I saw AT&T on one.
Yes, and there are also charms with Imation, Memorex, 3M, and KAO printed on them in some form or another. As well as "2HD"
Got it?
Yes! I was cleaning out my desk one day, and found a bunch of old floppy discs that I'd backed up all my data onto on that fateful day: 12/31/1999.
Not wanting to have data (no matter how old) just floating around, I tore the metal "shield" off, and cut through the disc inside the plastic cover. After I'd done a couple, I looked again at the metal shield and thought "I can use those...." And sure enough, they worked GREAT. So I not only made some cool jewelry, but I reused something that might have just ended up in a landfill. It's not only Geek-A-Licious, it's GREEN!!! :-D
So, here's the contest! I'm giving you plenty of time to come up with your own Green jewelry, using mainly recycled items. No "junk"...make something you'd actually give as a gift or wear. Send me a photo via
email no later than Monday, April 21 12:00 midnight CT.
On Earth Day, April 22, 2008, I'll draw from all the entries and send one lucky person a copy of the new Interweave Press book Simply Modern Jewelry, which uses a lot of re-purposed and unusual components. All entries will be posted in the Beading Help Web blog, to show just how creative you can get with materials.
Labels: contest, earth day, geek chic, green, repurposed
One of my favorites was the floppy disc charm bracelet I made for my friend Amy. Geek Chic used the metal from old 3.5" floppy covers and it makes a great conversation piece!
