I really hope I am not boring you, but I just had to show you a few more pictures of my thrifted jewelry/supplies.

I have had that little watch piece for a while. I want to build a necklace around it. 

I couldn't resist a closeup of those sparkly beads:

They kind of look like hematite (or marcasite maybe), but they are glass. 

Is this a lamb? I'm calling it a lamb:

My fingers are dirty in this picture because I had been pawing around in all my old jewelry supplies for a while!

I love that copper color.

This one has some interesting components: 

On the back  of the piece above, it says 'Peruvian Art.'

Some jingly jangley bells: 

That one above I actually bought new, but it is in this pile to be pulled apart and redesigned.

(Just a few more now. )

I love the simplicity of this one, an eyeglass holder ... or...what is the right term for that? you know, it has little rubber rings on each end? For slipping th eends of glasses into so they can hang around your neck?

 And then there is this great necklace that I may just want to keep as is:

I know, I  know, I go a little crazy with the closeups! I can't help it, I love them!

Some bone beads ( which kinda freak me out, but I am drawn to them):

And these little bits o somethin' hanging off the end of chain: 

ok, hang in there, almost done.

There, all done. That wasn't so bad, was it? 

I made these ceramic beads when I was in high school.

16 years old!

I still love them.

Lots of different kinds: terra cotta, stoneware with red iron oxide glazed and unglazed, high fired stoneware, Saggar-fired stoneware and some gray stoneware.

I used to make so many of these!

These aren't necklaces, they are strung on leather cord so I can keep them all together and hang them up. It makes me so happy to look at these big chunky strands of my own handmade beads.

Some of them are huge:

That one in the front, above? It is bigger than a golf ball!

yummy, earthy, tribal! 

Do you remember me telling you about my friend Madelyn? She was one of my art teachers in high school! It was in her ceramics class that I made all of these beads!

She was 23 and it was her first teaching job. We connected right away. Unfortunately, she left the school after one year, but for the rest of my time as a student we stayed in touch through letters, phonecalls and occasional visits. We grew closer and closer over the years and I am so lucky to count her as one of my dearest friends.

Dang,  still need to show you all of the photos from my visit with her this summer!

Meanwhile, check out her shop. It might be slim pickins because it is show season, but she'll restock in January! 

Been hanging out in my workroom tonight- playing with my jewelry supplies,  still.  I just keep looking through my tons of little boxes and jars of treasures that I have been accumulating for years.

I just  can't bear to clear off my tables and return the goodies to their bookshelf without making a few more pieces. I have so many beads and supplies that I have purchased new over time, but my favorite bits to work with are the secondhand yummies.

Look at this one:

Terra cotta! Edged in a gold glaze. mmmmm.... Slurp.

This necklace makes a sweet  wind-chimey sound when the pieces  clink together.

I  love the back:

Someday, I will finally cut apart this necklace and use the individual pieces. Or maybe I won't. I kind of feel like wearing this one as is right now! 

But this gaudy little number: 

Costumey gold chain festooned with salmon and wine  beads, this one will be  repurposed.
Of course, thanks to blogging, I now find myself compelled to photograph all of my thrifted supplies- so I can show you the origin of a component and then the result of my tinkering with it.

Take this one, for example:

Does that bell look familiar? 

mmmmm.

Must...make....pretty....jewelry....

Jennifer, honey, look away if you want to be surprised.

.............     ................          .................          ................           .........

Remember last week when I pulled out my supplies and made that necklace for my best friend ?
Well, I haven't given it to her yet, but I can't help showing you.

See the detail on the links of chain? I love it. The chain and the bell came from a thrifted piece.

Here, you can see the bell better in this shot:

The stones are  carnelian, sodalite, and turquoise.
This is how it looks when worn:

I have been wearing it to give it some love and make sure it's comfy. I do feel a bit like a puppy with the jingle-jangle.

Woof!

I am so happy that Pushing Daisies and Project Runway are on tonight!