ReWearables

The Soroptomist jewelry show over the weekend at Object Found was an unqualified success for me.
Item 3# on my 40 While I'm 40 list is to create a line of recycled jewelry. To determine the number of pieces necessary to define "a line" i did a lot of sciencey stuff - namely, guessing. I gave myself the following goals:
-20 necklaces
-20 bracelets
-20 rings
-40 pairs of earrings
which seemed easy several months ago when i picked the numbers, but seemed more and more ridiculous as the date approached. I was allowed to use new hardware and findings and new seed beads (often they don't survive through the decades), but everything else on the jewelry -beads, baubles, accents, chains, etc- had to be recycled from vintage or broken pieces. Plus, there could be similar pieces, but no duplicates.
(and this would be why one of my new year's resolutions is to set reasonable goals for myself)
The show opened Saturday at 11am and i had the following stock:
-20 necklaces
-23 bracelets
-17 rings
-53 pairs of earrings
YIPPEE! I made the goals. Yes, i was 3 rings short, but i ran out of ring blanks having experimented with several different adhesives. Plus, since i went over on bracelets and earrings i figured it was okay.
The six jewelry vendors were set up in the antique store amongst everything; it was a tight fit to say the least.
The pictures don't really capture the cuteness of my table (bad lighting), but here you go:

It was important to me to only use repurposed items for display; if the line is about recapturing the beauty of old and broken things it seems silly to have fancy new display pieces.

A pair of candlesticks was saved from my neighbor's spring cleaning and flipped over to hang necklaces.

This lighting fixture was taken out of the upstairs apartment a few months ago and salvaged from the trash. After ripping out the ancient electrical bits, scrubbing it, dremeling holes and applying several layers of glitter spray (cause who can't use a bit of glitter spray now and again?) it made a fabulous earring tree.

Glasses were flipped over to showcase bracelets

and bracelet/earring sets.
 (with my own amethyst chunk)

A vintage mirrored kaleidoscope reflected these bracelets while many pieces ended up just draped on the table, which worked out nicely because every time something sold i rearranged.
For some reason there is no picture of the ring bowl with which i was quite pleased; i took a vintage relish dish from my collection (yes, i have a collection of relish dishes; i love them for some reason) and filled it with flat pebbles and clear beads so that the rings could be stuck down in and they would stand upright.
I sold over 20 pieces which may not seem like a lot, but astounded me. Even after contributing 20% to charity, i made enough to pay for all of the supplies i've purchased in the last months leading up to the show. Breaking even on your first try seems like a win to me; selling any of my stock now is pure profit.
I am reconfiguring my Etsy store to include the jewelry. I called the line ReWearables. Someone already owns the website for a used clothing line, so i need to check if the different spelling means that i can trademark it.
I've been asked to participated in the community Spring Fling in May and Reggie -the owner of Objects Found- has already asked me to reserve the first weekend of February for the jewelry show next year.
ahhhhhh... let's call #3 done!