Vintage charms
I enjoy finding quirky, memorable, and soulful treasures that I can transform into something new. For me, one of the passions of incorporating vintage elements into my jewellery designs is that they open a window on the past; the item itself may have belonged to someone dear to me.
At other times, it’s more an association of ideas: buttons from a favourite shirt remind you of your child. However, I don’t want to just copy old jewellery designs. I want to create something with a contemporary edge. The aim of my book is to show you how you can craft unique pieces by revising aged materials and giving them life. I hope that my jewellery will spark off ideas and awaken your creative soul.
Vintage Revised Jewelry by Co-Co Nichole Bush, is published by CICO Books, priced £12.99. The book is available at the special price of £10.99, including p&p. Call 01256-302699 and quote GLR8AU: www.cicobooks.co.uk
HOW TO MAKE A QUOTATIONS KEY NECKLACE
Materials
Flat keys: one for each word of your chosen phrase
Vintage bird brooch
2 x 25cm pearl linked chains
Pearl-and-bead linked necklace
Large lobster clasp
Large jump ring
14 to 20 x 7mm Swarovski crystals – www.scattercrystals.co.uk
Tools
Beading mat
Steel block and hammer
Metal letter stamps
Patina solution
Cotton bud
Heavy-duty scouring pad
Pliers: round, chain, and flat-nose
Wire cutters
Jewellery glue
Toothpick
1 Lay the rst key at on a steel block. Holding each metal stamp vertically, tap the top with the hammer to stamp the rst word of your phrase letter-by-letter.
2 Using a cotton bud, apply patina solution to the key until you get the shade you want (see below). Using a heavy-duty scouring pad, scrub the surface patina from the key until only the letters remain blackened. Rinse with water, then dry the key.
3 Repeat steps 1 to 2 with rest of the keys, using a different key for each word. Lay keys out in order on a beading mat. My phrase read: ‘I feel like a tiny bird with a big song.’
4 If the nding (loop) on the back of your brooch runs horizontally, not vertically, use chain-nose pliers to turn it around. Using wire cutters, cut o the brooch below the central rivet, as close to rivet as possible. Then cut o the brooch above the rivet, with about 1cm protruding.
5 I recycled part of a broken pearl-and-bead linked necklace for my necklace centre and the leftover pearl links to attach the keys. The exact length of the necklace centre will depend on the number of keys in your phrase, as you need one link for each key, plus another one for the vintage brooch. Using jump rings, attach one 25cm length of pearl linked chain to each side of the necklace centre.
6 Attach a large jump ring to the left-hand end of the chain and a large jump ring and a lobster clasp to the right-hand end of the chain.
7 Cut the required number of pearl beads from the leftover section of the pearl-andbead- linked necklace; you need one for each key, plus one for the vintage brooch. Each pearl bead will have a loop on each side. Using jump rings, attach each key to the bottom of a pearl bead, then attach the keys to the necklace centre by opening the top loop of the pearl bead with your round-nose pliers, making sure the stamped words are in the right order.
8 Using a jump ring, attach the vintage-bird brooch to the next chain link after the end of your phrase.
9 Lay the necklace on a beading mat, with all the lying keys at. Using a toothpick, apply tiny dabs of jewellery glue to each key and glue on Swarovski crystals. Leave to dry.
Use embellishments that complement your phrase and make it come alive. If you want your necklace centre to look exactly like this one, but can’t nd the right style of vintage necklace, make connectors using beads and eye pins.
Applying patina solution
Patina solution such as Black Max is used to give an aged look to metals, or to highlight the raised edges of stamped or embossed pieces. There are many different patina solutions. Always test a small area rst, making sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
1 Using a cotton bud, apply patina solution to the piece of jewellery until you get the shade you want; it usually takes around 30 seconds.
2 Rub a scouring pad across raised areas; this removes some patina to create a highlight. Rinse in water, dry. Polish with a polishing cloth.
Trinkets bracelet
Charms are symbols that remind us of where we have been and where we may yet go. Collect your own charms for a unique piece of jewellery that re ects your life – past, present, and future.
HOW TO MAKE A TRINKETS BRACELET
Materials
18cm gold, large-linked chain
22 large chain links
Lobster clasp
7 pearl buttons with shanks
13 charms of your choice: my charms included a tintype, drawer pull, brass tag, pearl buttons, and a crystal drop
Tools
Beading mat
Pliers: chain and flat-nose
1 Place the gold, large-linked chain horizontally in front of you on the beading mat (above). Using chain-nose pliers, attach a large chain link to the last link on the righthand side of the chain and a large chain link and a lobster clasp to the last link on the left-hand side of the chain.
2 Now lay the chain vertically, with the clasp at the top. Using a large chain link and looping it through the shank of a pearl button, attach a button to the rst link of the chain below the clasp. Repeat down the right-hand side of the bracelet, spacing the buttons evenly, until you have used up all seven buttons.
3 Arrange the charms on the beading mat in your order of choice. (Try to alternate large and small to create a balanced design.) Flip the gold chain from right to left, so that the buttons are now on the lefthand side. Using large chain links, attach the charms in your desired order.
Using charms that are similar in colour or from the same era, will make the design look more cohesive.
At other times, it’s more an association of ideas: buttons from a favourite shirt remind you of your child. However, I don’t want to just copy old jewellery designs. I want to create something with a contemporary edge. The aim of my book is to show you how you can craft unique pieces by revising aged materials and giving them life. I hope that my jewellery will spark off ideas and awaken your creative soul.
Vintage Revised Jewelry by Co-Co Nichole Bush, is published by CICO Books, priced £12.99. The book is available at the special price of £10.99, including p&p. Call 01256-302699 and quote GLR8AU: www.cicobooks.co.uk
Quotations key necklace (pictured above)
Sometimes, we carry a saying or a quotation with us to get us through a particular period in our life. Use a quote that means something special to you in this piece, or spell out the names of your children or loved ones.HOW TO MAKE A QUOTATIONS KEY NECKLACE
Materials
Flat keys: one for each word of your chosen phrase
Vintage bird brooch
2 x 25cm pearl linked chains
Pearl-and-bead linked necklace
Large lobster clasp
Large jump ring
14 to 20 x 7mm Swarovski crystals – www.scattercrystals.co.uk
Tools
Beading mat
Steel block and hammer
Metal letter stamps
Patina solution
Cotton bud
Heavy-duty scouring pad
Pliers: round, chain, and flat-nose
Wire cutters
Jewellery glue
Toothpick
1 Lay the rst key at on a steel block. Holding each metal stamp vertically, tap the top with the hammer to stamp the rst word of your phrase letter-by-letter.
2 Using a cotton bud, apply patina solution to the key until you get the shade you want (see below). Using a heavy-duty scouring pad, scrub the surface patina from the key until only the letters remain blackened. Rinse with water, then dry the key.
3 Repeat steps 1 to 2 with rest of the keys, using a different key for each word. Lay keys out in order on a beading mat. My phrase read: ‘I feel like a tiny bird with a big song.’
4 If the nding (loop) on the back of your brooch runs horizontally, not vertically, use chain-nose pliers to turn it around. Using wire cutters, cut o the brooch below the central rivet, as close to rivet as possible. Then cut o the brooch above the rivet, with about 1cm protruding.
5 I recycled part of a broken pearl-and-bead linked necklace for my necklace centre and the leftover pearl links to attach the keys. The exact length of the necklace centre will depend on the number of keys in your phrase, as you need one link for each key, plus another one for the vintage brooch. Using jump rings, attach one 25cm length of pearl linked chain to each side of the necklace centre.
6 Attach a large jump ring to the left-hand end of the chain and a large jump ring and a lobster clasp to the right-hand end of the chain.
7 Cut the required number of pearl beads from the leftover section of the pearl-andbead- linked necklace; you need one for each key, plus one for the vintage brooch. Each pearl bead will have a loop on each side. Using jump rings, attach each key to the bottom of a pearl bead, then attach the keys to the necklace centre by opening the top loop of the pearl bead with your round-nose pliers, making sure the stamped words are in the right order.
8 Using a jump ring, attach the vintage-bird brooch to the next chain link after the end of your phrase.
9 Lay the necklace on a beading mat, with all the lying keys at. Using a toothpick, apply tiny dabs of jewellery glue to each key and glue on Swarovski crystals. Leave to dry.
Use embellishments that complement your phrase and make it come alive. If you want your necklace centre to look exactly like this one, but can’t nd the right style of vintage necklace, make connectors using beads and eye pins.
Applying patina solution
Patina solution such as Black Max is used to give an aged look to metals, or to highlight the raised edges of stamped or embossed pieces. There are many different patina solutions. Always test a small area rst, making sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
1 Using a cotton bud, apply patina solution to the piece of jewellery until you get the shade you want; it usually takes around 30 seconds.
2 Rub a scouring pad across raised areas; this removes some patina to create a highlight. Rinse in water, dry. Polish with a polishing cloth.
Trinkets bracelet
Charms are symbols that remind us of where we have been and where we may yet go. Collect your own charms for a unique piece of jewellery that re ects your life – past, present, and future. HOW TO MAKE A TRINKETS BRACELET
Materials
18cm gold, large-linked chain
22 large chain links
Lobster clasp
7 pearl buttons with shanks
13 charms of your choice: my charms included a tintype, drawer pull, brass tag, pearl buttons, and a crystal drop
Tools
Beading mat
Pliers: chain and flat-nose
1 Place the gold, large-linked chain horizontally in front of you on the beading mat (above). Using chain-nose pliers, attach a large chain link to the last link on the righthand side of the chain and a large chain link and a lobster clasp to the last link on the left-hand side of the chain.
2 Now lay the chain vertically, with the clasp at the top. Using a large chain link and looping it through the shank of a pearl button, attach a button to the rst link of the chain below the clasp. Repeat down the right-hand side of the bracelet, spacing the buttons evenly, until you have used up all seven buttons.
3 Arrange the charms on the beading mat in your order of choice. (Try to alternate large and small to create a balanced design.) Flip the gold chain from right to left, so that the buttons are now on the lefthand side. Using large chain links, attach the charms in your desired order.
Using charms that are similar in colour or from the same era, will make the design look more cohesive.