Linda's Magic Workshop - Linda Britt Design

My first ever ‘Do Over Challenge’ was such fun!  I signed up to participate in Jeannie K Dukic ’s 6th Do Over Challenge not really knowing anything about how it worked.  I received a necklace that was very sweet with copper wire connections and pinkish pearls.  It sat on my work space for a couple of weeks while I pondered my next move.  One day I opened my polymer bead collection and was drawn to the pinkish and green beads.  They really looked good with the pearls.  I found some green crystal beads and a few other contenders.  But when I tried the small striped beads, I knew my combination!  This is the finished product for most of the pearls in the original necklace. It was the week to finish some of my long term projects.  I kept the wires with the red and green rubber bands from the braces I wore for 3 years.  When they finally came off, I asked the orthodontist if I could have them.  He wanted to know why since almost NO ONE wanted them and I told him I wante

If you are like me, you have boxes of things that you just might need one day.   When I’m making something that looks good but isn’t what I want right then, it goes into one of those boxes.   And yes those boxes are organized with the hope that I will remember to look in them.    We jewelry artists work with tiny parts and I still wonder how to organize, catalog and remember to look.   Maybe part of the creative process is the surprise of finding one of the pieces. I just finished a necklace and did not like any of the clasps I had in my fastener box.   I took out my wire and made one.   I did not think it looked like the necklace either.   So I made another and another and finally made one I really liked.   Into the ‘fastener box’ went the ones that were not perfect for this project.   I realized that I was starting a collection of my handmade fasteners.   I have brass, bronze, copper and silver.   I think I need to make a piece of jewelry starting with the clasp!   Just sharin

I have several pieces and parts of old jewelry and I’m always on the lookout for more.   The thrift shops, second hand stores and interesting boutiques are places I tend to seek out.   I also am very fortunate to have had a mother who loved jewelry and old things.   I’ve had a wonderful time going through her jewelry and remembering the best of times with her.   Going through the jewelry box, I found this beautifully painted porcelain cabochon of two lovers set in a brass triangle.   It had been a brooch at one time and the clasp was broken.   Of course, I used it in a necklace.   Vintage brass and pearl chain combine with pearls and crystals to make quite a charming necklace! Another day, I attended a trunk show at Bead-It in Prescott and purchased a vintage belt buckle with rhinestones.   I used half the buckle; wire wrapped a vintage rhinestone button on the bar and made a sparkling pendant with matching earrings for the holidays!   I found this piece of decorated square silver