the accidental jeweler

I visited a great store in Jacksonville's Riverside neighborhood this week. Southern Crossing Antique Mall is one of those rare finds these days, a place whose prices are affordable and appropriate. I was in a bit of a rush so I didn't get to explore the way I wanted to, but I did score a gorgeous mother-of-pearl disk necklace for $5!

I was so excited by my find that I pulled it out of the bag immediately when I got home to put it on -- and the cord promptly snapped, sending disks flying all over the bathroom (note to self: vacuum soon.)

Luckily I had also spent some time in 5 Points' Bead Here Now on my Jax trip, so I already had jewelry making/fixing on my mind. Instead of just stringing the disks back on new thread, I decided to double-knot between each to provide a small space between the disks. This provided the little something extra the necklace had been missing before. Patience was paramount to this process -- I forgot how hard knotting thin thread can be!

The subtle change completely altered the feel of the necklace, making it a bit fancier than I'd normally like. But it also made it just a bit longer so it's now the perfect length for the V-neck shirts I tend to favor.

I was so happy with the result that I spent the rest of the afternoon making and altering other pieces in my collection. More pics to come soon!

fun with beads, part two

My entire point for stopping into Bead Here Now in Jax's 5 Points was to try to find some beads to match this carnelian bracelet I adore.

I've been wanting a necklace to wear with it forever, and finally found the right-shaped beads to make it work. It strung up quickly and is now the perfect match!

The only thing I didn't like about the necklace is its shape -- the wire cord the shopkeeper recommended made the necklace too stiff when I put it on (even leaving room for movement didn't help). I'm going to try to live with it for a little while. If I don't like it, I'll restring it on actual string.

The clear block necklace was a 30th birthday gift from my mom. I love it, but find it's a little short to wear with those V-neck shirts I favor. When contemplating how to lengthen it just a little, I noticed the silver beads between the blocks were chipping so I bought enough sterling silver beads at Bead Here Now to replace them. After the stiffness issue with the carnelian necklace, I opted to restring it with actual string. Since the silver beads are a bit larger than the ones they replaced, I also got about the added length I wanted.

The last fix was the easiest, but the one I worried about the most. The wooden bead earrings match a necklace I bought in Peru that I wear often. I could never wear the earrings because my ears are uber-sensitive and require me to only use hypoallergenic posts. I thought it would be difficult to replace the wire, but it popped off and on rather quickly. I like them so much better now and can't wait to wear them.

Now that I've finished these pieces, I find myself eyeing a few more pieces of jewelry I could change. But since I'm in project mode and there are so many things I'd love to accomplish, I think I'll head for the sewing pile instead.