Significance of the Name


My Blog’s name is a tribute to my Dad & my Husband. My Dad because he used to sing the song to me, "How 'd You Like to Swing on a Star?" It's about reaching for your dreams, you can stay where you are & be safe OR YOU CAN SWING ON STAR. Stars also refer to a difficult night just after my husband died. I was talking to him (I often do.) & said how I missed his "I Love You's". That night he gave me a dream... a gorgeous, bright blue night sky filled with thousands of stars, in the middle the stars formed an "I LOVE YOU"....such a gift on so many levels.

So "follow your own path, & don't worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest”

Saturday, October 1, 2011

If you can't afford the Latest Trends, maybe we can make them ourselves

The week before last I was checking out the fall fashions at a J. Crew Store.
 On my way out I grabbed a catalog and saw these bangles....LOVED THEM. 
So sorry for the condition of the picture, it was in my purse for a few days!! 
OK...they ranged in price from $45.00 to $118.00. My budget screamed no way Shari, just sigh and move on. However my creative side said I bet I can make my own version myself!
I had a pile of bangles I had been buying at flea markets, 
thinking I would use them some day.
Before:
I painted and added vintage flea market jewelry finds that I collect.
This is my after:

I spray-painted them various metallic shades of shiny silver, black, satin silver and bronze. Do several coats and then polyurethane making sure each coat is dry. You can alway sand out a drip and repaint if needed.
It was so fun matching up all the flea market vintage jewelry pieces I've been collecting over the years, taking some apart to suit my needs. I used E 6000 glue to adhere them.

The first one is one of my favs. I loved the old vintage pin I used. I added a portion of a vintage dangle earring that I put in the center because I wanted movement.
Here are some of the others.....

 This is from a rejected piece of jewelry, not vintage, but so spectacular. Wore this just to see the responses the other night when my daughter and I went to see "Wicked".....received great reviews!
 This is from to silver colored earrings and is my other favorite.
 Still deciding if I want to part with it!

 This leaf was from a pin that had several layers of leaves. Love this antique silver look.
I believe since this one is so simple it will look good layered with other bracelets!


One of my favorite blogs, A Gift Wrapped Life discusses the trendy use of layered bracelets this season
on this, one of several posts on the subject:
A Gift Wrapped Live

So sometimes when things seem not to be in your budget you can be creative and make your own version.


THESE ARE AVAILABLE FOR SALE ON MY ETSY SITE. KEEP CHECKING BACK BECAUSE I AM MAKING MORE:  Etsy Shop, My Transformations

If you like my post I would so appreciate if you would join my followers at the top of the right column! Thanks so much!

I would really appreciate your thoughts on this idea, thanks, Shari

Please Enjoy These Links:
The Brambleberry Cottage
Romantic Home
Craftomaniac
Crafts Keep Me Sane
Polish the Stars
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Remodelaholic
Thrifty Decor Chick
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16 comments:

  1. jwbaerOctober 1, 2011 at 6:24 PM

    Shari these are fabulous...I like them better than the JCrew ones. You are so damn creative...sigh and double sigh.... :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousOctober 3, 2011 at 11:38 PM

    these are GORGEOUS. I want one! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Andrea @Oasis AccentsOctober 4, 2011 at 8:24 AM

    I LOVE that you have recycled (or upcycled) into something very beautiful. =)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Elena @ La Petite VieOctober 4, 2011 at 5:46 PM

    Love these! What a fabulous ideas!!! Thanks for the great idea!

    ReplyDelete
  5. micheleOctober 4, 2011 at 9:45 PM

    love it! found you via craftomaniac!

    hope you'll enter my giveaway:

    http://hellolovelyinc.blogspot.com/2011/10/more-stencil-splendor-giveaway.html

    michele

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousOctober 5, 2011 at 1:47 AM

    beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  7. A Gift Wrapped LifeOctober 5, 2011 at 4:26 PM

    Wow...............you did a fabulous job and look at all the bangles you have now. I am totally impressed! XO

    ReplyDelete
  8. LeahOctober 9, 2011 at 11:54 AM

    I love these, the colors are perfect for Halloween parties but you could wear them year round too. So pretty!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Shannon MangoldOctober 9, 2011 at 11:09 PM

    ahh I love these! They are so trendy and cute!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Beth McDonaldOctober 20, 2011 at 9:03 AM

    Fabulous!! I found your blog thru Pinterest and love the bracelets you created much more than the JCrew ones :)
    Beth

    ReplyDelete
  11. UnknownMarch 30, 2012 at 9:44 AM

    Love these, how creative!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jennifer @ Town and Country LivingApril 21, 2012 at 10:13 AM

    What I love about blogging is ... you never know who you'll meet or where you'll find them. I actually found you through an Italian blog where one of your jewelry photos is featured and I'm now a follwer. You can find your picture on the Italian blog at http://boiseriec.blogspot.com/2012/04/mobili-ri-dipinti-idee-stupende-dal.html (but maybe you already know).

    ReplyDelete
  13. AlexiMay 2, 2012 at 10:41 PM

    Wow I love these, I would buy the leaf one and the one made from the silver earrings in a heartbeat! Better than the J Crew ones :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shari ValicentiMay 3, 2012 at 5:24 AM

      Thanks so much Alexi. They were all sold in like 24 hours after I listed them. That was a first for me. Thanks so much for stopping by, Shari

      Delete
  14. shari carterFebruary 24, 2021 at 4:50 PM

    Hey, Shari! Loved your idea so much I've made them several times -- before I even saw yours! However, since I'm not a woman of the 21st century but am going at breakneck speed in the opposite direction, "trendy" isn't in my vocabulary. But I found here a double treat - see my signature... SHARI Carter

    ReplyDelete
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