Easy Wire Wrapping for "The Undrillables."

Hiya!  A new tutorial for you guys!  Take a look at this big silver pendant, made from a vintage steel leaf.

I lucked into a fabulous stash of these old metal pieces, circa 1960 or thereabouts.

They're from the estate of a metal sculptor - I'm thinking he used them for making wrought iron grapevines.  Cool, eh?  But these things are  2mm thick and hardened steel.  No way was I going to be able to drill a hole!

So how to use them in an upcycled pendant?  Well - here's how!

The Mystery Thing Revealed: The Statement Necklace Wins.

So!  For several days, my readers and I have been battling it out in another exciting round of Guess The Mystery Thing.  The challenge: identify the swoopy silver element in this upcycled statement necklace:

Cute, right?  Long and bold, with big vintage faux Bakelite beads.

This carved jade version is more of a princess length:

Did anyone guess the answer?  Or is this one a little bit tricky?  Let's find out...

Guess the Mystery Thing: A Swoopy Silver Statement.

Hi!  Time to play another round of Guess The Mystery Thing!  A game of wits, street smarts and crafty intuition.  Be first to identify the mysterious secret ingredient in my latest upcycled necklace and win a fabulous prize.  Take a look...

What is that swoopy silver wire?  It came from something quite specific.  Something not usually associated with jewelry!

First prize will be this necklace, or - if it's not quite your style - I'll give you a choice of some other fun jewels from recent posts.  I realize it's kind of big and wild, but it's very fun to wear, and a bit of a dashing statement.

How it works: leave your guess in the comments.  There'll be two winners: first correct guess, and a random winner.  That's right, I said random winner - so even if you don't know (or think someone else already got it), enter anyway, you could still win.  And if your guess is funny, it might make my Most Creative Honor Roll.

This giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere.  C'mon and join in!  There is only one rule.

THE ONE AND ONLY RULE

1. UNLESS YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IS ONE CLICK AWAY IN AN ONLINE PROFILE, PLEASE INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS WITH YOUR GUESS.  (Fun fact: if you only THINK your email is visible in your profile, it probably isn't.  Go in and make sure, okay?  Nothing's sadder than a winner disqualified for no contact info.)

Ready to give this a whirl?  Okay, people...here we go!  Guess The Mystery Thing!

UPDATE: THIS CHALLENGE IS NOW CLOSED.  THANKS FOR PLAYING EVERYBODY!  COME BACK FOR THE REVEAL IN MY NEXT POST.

Stylish Beaded Ornaments, Upcycled In A Flash!.

Here's a nifty upcycle I wanted to share.  How do you like these fancy beaded ornaments?

They are actually glass beaded drink coasters.  I found mine at a thrift store, but if you Google 'beaded coasters' you can buy these online for just a couple of bucks apiece.  Considering the intricacy of the work, that's super cheap!

I suppose I should mention, you could also DIY.  Not me, though!  I'm excited that this is a quickie upcycle.  Finicky eye-straining beading project?  When I'm busy like a hundred bees?  Boo!  Hiss!

To ornamentify, just add a wire hanger.  Slip one through the little loop all waiting and ready.  See?

Whee!  Ready to hang.  My favorite part is the translucent effect - light shines through them and they shimmer.

I like them plain, but you could tie on a ribbon bow, sew a button to the front or customize any way you like.  After the holidays, remove the embellishments to use them as coasters for the rest of the year.

But wait, there's more.  Look what else I went and did...

Yes, yes.  Tut, tut.  I realize that might be too much for some people.  But I think it looks kinda tribal, bold and - dare I say it - stylish.

What do you guys think?  I'd love to know how you might style this, if you were going to rock a beaded coaster.

Let's hear your thoughts, boys and girls...and come back next time for more strangely upcycled fun.