Jewelry Making Day!

I've been slowly working on some jewelry over the last couple days, off and on.

First up is my girdle that I've had for a couple years now, but needed some revamping. I noticed at Pennsic that it was getting a bit saggy, so I decided to just restring the whole thing. I also changed out the bead caps for something more sparkly.

Second is the new, fabulous girdle I started this summer, with help from the always amazing Holly! It's made of swarovski pearls, beads, and focal settings. I wanted something more substantial than my old belt (see above). I chose amethysts after I found this great pendant at an antiques sale. Today I applied some gold leaf paint with this nifty pen, and it makes such a difference. It was dark and brassy before (left side), now it's bright and shiny (right side)!

Next is another girdle (I think I have a thing for gold belts!), but this one is for my earlier period dresses. I simply jump-ringed together some focal settings, then glued on some mother-of-pearl cabochons for an extra pop. If I knew a better method to connect the bits, I'd do it.

Lastly is my new AoA brooch. I got my award Sept 2009, but hadn't come up with an idea for how to wear it until recently. There was no way I was going to just hang it on a string! I bought this nifty brooch at the same sale as the above one. I liked that it was made in "West Germany". Now I can wear my AoA with some bling, too!