Lucky me won a giveaway package of Industrial Chic components from the ICE Queen E-Zine. The package arrived at an especially good time since I'm preparing for two craft shows, an in-person show in northern Colorado to raise money for a local writing studio and Lori Anderson's Virtual Craft Show November 26-December 3, 2011.
Materials that are available at huge craft chains (Industrial Chic is available at Michaels) can be affordable (and quick) alternatives to making everything by hand. However, because these items are so widely available, they deserve extra attention during your jewelry construction process. Otherwise, you run the risk of having your jewelry look just like someone else's. And who wants that?
For me, if I'm not going to create every part of a jewelry piece, I want
to make sure that it's still my style and fits with my general
aesthetic. Here are two examples adding my own touch to two Industrial Chic components before turning them into jewelry:
Little Car Charm
I loved this little car, but I wasn't crazy about the eye pins through the wheels, especially since I was considering using the cars for earrings and I though the loops might get caught in a customer's hair or jab them as they moved.
My own style tends to be more feminine, so I gave the cars little pewter daisy spacer hubcaps. So cute! I also redid the wire loop at the top, replacing the simple loop with a wire-wrapped loop. There's nothing wrong with simple loops—I still use them for designs—but wrapped loops just feel more polished and sturdy.
Horse Pendant
I really liked this resin pendant with the word "horse" inside. I wanted to add a horse charm to the bottom, but I also wanted to keep the lines of the pendant simple. I added a tiny silver-plated bail to the back of the pendant, which worked perfectly. Look closely—there's now a little silver loop above the top jump rings. Unless you read this blog, you'd never know that it wasn't part of the original piece!
Of course, I'll further add my own touch to these pieces by combining them with other special beads and materials. It doesn't take a lot of extra time to add your unique touch to mass-produced items and make something that only you could make!