Tank Tops to the Rescue

An essential element in many of my looks includes simple tops as a first layer.

Tank tops come in all shapes and types of fabrics. Knit ones with a bit of spandex are great for the smooth line they allow. If the tank top is made from a soft tee shirt knit, the next layer will almost always drag across it rather than flow smoothly, so they are better worn with heavier fabrics like denim.

 

 

Tank #1 has tiny straps adjusted to allow you to move the neckline lower or higher. This is a great tank to serve as a modesty layer only for cleavage control and a foundation to give you a smooth back under jackets and cardigans. 

Tank #2 has wider straps and ruching detail at the neckline for a bit of softness. It can be used as a relief layer when your top layer becomes too warm. It covers enough to still be attractive when worn alone while your "private summer" passes.

Tank #3 is a lace number that should be made from silk or rayon, or nylon so that it is soft and smooth under dressy jackets and knit cardigans with ornate buttons (think Chanel style knits.) This one has a warm glow of cream white, which looks soft and feminine in candlelight.

Tank #4 is a soft tee shirt material worn under denim shirts or sporty knit jackets.

Tank #5 hugs your shape and gives you a smoother body under thin jackets and sweaters.

Tank #6 is my necessary cream color tank when white is just too bright, as in the photo below. (I now make sure I pack my cream tank when I take this sweater for a weekend get-away.)

 

I'm wearing a thin knit cardigan with fringe detail and a silky smooth tank (which should have been cream colored) underneath.

 

This is an Austin Reed navy blazer that has a low V-front closure. I always wear it with a white tank and either a scarf or a necklace when we go out to dinner.

 

Here's another outfit, including a silky white tank and the navy Austin Reed blazer.

The black and white jacket needs just a bit of modesty at the neckline, so I'm wearing tank #1 here.

 

There is a white silky tank #5 under the thin gray bomber style jacket.

Tank #4 is under a quilted knit casual jacket worn with dark wash denim and comfy luggage tan booties for a recent trip to the mountains.

Thank you for reading! I hope these tips help you expand your wardrobe and have fun creating different layered outfits with the essential white tank top.

Enjoy the Journey

My page 'Fifty, not Frumpy' on Facebook has been a huge hit, with as many as 8,500 views per week. My sets on Polyvore geared to women of a certain age had more than 40,000 views in the first six months of being a member. The feedback and interest shown have inspired me to create a web site and devote my blog to the very popular conversations and pictures we share for those who are having fun with fashion later in life. Let's celebrate who we are now and make the most of our assets and have fun with fashion.

The fastest-growing demographic on Facebook is women over fifty-five, but the style and fashion tips geared toward us are still very few. My goal is to share various outfits with links to similar items if you wish to buy them. I'll provide tips and tricks I've learned to use in making today's looks work for me as a more mature woman.

My look for the Tour of Homes in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, had to be cool and comfortable for the heat of the late July day but also allow me to keep warm when the cool evening air settled onto the mountains. My option included a very soft knit black maxi dress with wider straps, which allowed me to wear a black bra for proper support. I wore a soft knit raspberry-colored cardigan with bronze bead trim as a coverup. When I bought it and the clutch bag I'm wearing as a cross-body bag, I thought I would be using them for evening wear; however, they seemed perfect for this daytime dress.

I kept all my accessories simple since I was wearing a hat and sunglasses; otherwise, my look would have been too cluttered.

The sandals are comfortable and low with embellishments that complement the details on the hat and the bag.

Later in the day, when the heat was high, and everyone was sporting their wet hair and looking wilted in their damp clothes, I still felt comfortable and confident. I was flattered that so many people gave me compliments. One guy even whistled at me! That hasn't happened in many years.

This is my sweet, wonderful gentleman friend and partner in adventure, Mickey.

Thank you for reading! I hope the tips and ideas I share with you give you inspiration for making fashion fun again.

Star Style

Meryl Streep has always had great style and grace. Her feminine yet powerful attire is always appropriate for her and seems so effortless. She is my inspiration for today's post.

 

Tone on Tone Dressing

Wearing the same color in different tones from head to toe is lengthening and slimming and projecting elegance and great style. Always wear a tunic over leggings. The hemline should reach mid-thigh (well below your bottom). A bit of heel is better than a totally flat shoe. Wedges rather than thin heels are easier to walk in and also more attractive with leggings. Open your collar and add a silk scarf or an interesting necklace inside the neckline. Turn up your sleeves to just below your elbows to look taller and thinner, as well as being cooler. Fabrics that flow and move easily across your body are more comfortable and attractive. Tight clingy fabrics will never make you feel confident.

Handbags

A handbag or a clutch is usually more attractive since they do not alter the line of your clothes as a shoulder bag does. The proportion of a bag should complement your size. A large woman carrying a tiny handbag looks a little silly, don't you think?

Jewelry

Button earrings with a dangle or a drop are infinitely more attractive on almost all women. If you are wearing a bold statement necklace, the earrings should not compete with it. Either don't wear earrings with it or wear only small studs or hoop earrings.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses should fit your face shape and size. For example, square sunglasses frames will look better on you if you have a round face. The color of the frame and the lens's tint should complement the color of your hair and your skin tone.


Thank you for reading. I hope my tips are helpful to you.

Boutique Earrings

Boutique Earrings

More than two hundred boutiques and galleries, as well as several high-end Department Stores, carried my jewelry line during my career. The biggest selling item ever for me was earrings. I created hundreds of styles, such as those pictured here with clip backs and lots of dangles. The color was a selling point, as well as design. I created styles in denim, animal print, lime green, and every color combination one can think of. Customers still ask the boutiques for earrings in this style, but they are challenging to find because designers create those little wire through the ear styles that look great on most younger women and not so great on most mature women.

If you decide to create these earrings, here are a few tips to remember. Clip backs with cushions are a must. Create an interesting button top with filigree or other looped findings as a base. Add an uneven number of dangles that graduate from the center to the shortest on the outside. (I've added as many as eleven rows of dangles on one earring. They sold to the first person who saw them.) Always use small jump rings to attach dangles so that the strand has motion and will hang straight. Adding a chain as part of a few of the strands keeps the design from becoming too bulky. Use long beads and flatter spacer beads, rondelles, and bi-cones to have variety and interest in the design. Pops of color can come from large seed beads.

Look at the color combinations in the stores you sell to. If there is a trendy jacket that combines silver and gray, make some earrings that would look great with that jacket.

Now that I am in my mid-fifties, I understand perfectly why women my age look for button earrings with or without dangles. We like to hide those earlobes that may be stretched a bit. It's always nice to find a dangling pair of earrings to wear with simple necklines. It draws attention away from a neck that may not be as smooth as it was a few years ago.

I was recently speaking with the owner of one of the boutiques that bought a lot of my work when I was still designing. The owner and staff told me that they have many customers who want this type of earring, but they can rarely find them. The owner said she looks on Etsy for them! She sells the earrings in her shop for $75 and up.

Don't miss out on a great customer because you don't have any of these earrings to offer. Make a few and see what happens. The feedback you get will tell you if you are on the right track. Always watch for body language and what people actually say as they are looking at your work. When someone smiles and picks up a piece to study it, make a mental note. Even though they may not buy the piece, it brought a positive reaction.

Have a great summer!

You Are Not Alone

One of the best things about turning fifty-five was finding the confidence to dress to please me again. My earlier corporate wardrobe was influenced by my peers, meetings, and the fashion industry I worked in until my early forties. 

Later in life, experiences and being self-employed took their toll on my appearance. I gained weight and lost social skills from spending many years working almost around the clock and being alone most of the time. I had become a sloppy dresser who tried to hide all the things I didn't like about my new body. While I knew a great deal about my industry, I had lost touch with fashion trends and even what was right for my now not so great body. 

Many women have a similar experience when their children become adults and go out on their own. You've spent so many years devoted to them, you may have lost your "self" in the process. If you are also newly single during this time, the journey becomes even more confusing and overwhelming. You are not alone! You will survive this, and you will be stronger. 

Getting dressed without added stress might not seem very important at this time in your life, but I know from experience it is. I was someone who stood in her closet in tears and exhausted from trying on clothes for a special event, only to become more frustrated with every discarded piece. I can tell you it makes the difference in showing up and participating in life or staying home and eating ice cream alone.

Today's anything goes fashion trends don't even work for some young toned bodies, so they aren't likely to flatter those of us who have had our fiftieth birthday party either.

Some of the hot trends we might not want to try are stacked platform high-heeled shoes with ankle bands. Honestly, I can't think of any reason for anyone to consider these, but here is an extreme example for you. High skinny heels tend to make our calves look even thicker. Walking in high heels isn't easy. If you must wear them, be confident in your stride and wear cushioned insoles to help with the pain. When your feet hurt...everyone can tell at a glance.

Another trend that isn't right for most of us is the tiny top with skinny or no straps. Anything that shows too much of our upper arms and waistline may not be a good look for us. Tops are essential to your total look. Spend most of your clothing budget on nice blouses, jackets, and lightweight cardigans worn open with a great fitting tank top to reveal only part of your body. I love the variety that comes from owning pieces that work together to create many looks rather than dresses. Prints and patterns are very limiting and memorable. Try solids in colors that flatter your skin tone and can be worn together.

Accessories will allow you to dress up or down that great white shirt and black pants for any occasion in life. You really don't need a lot of clothes.

Great for the evening!

Out to Lunch!

Strictly Business

Hear me, Roar!

 

Fashion Tips For Us

If you are on the plus side of fifty, you may feel a little overwhelmed when making new choices for your wardrobe. Many of the fashion articles and store displays seem to be geared to the twenty-somethings. Those styles may not be appropriate or comfortable for our bodies, so we must make adjustments to create a flattering and comfortable style but keeps our look current. It's also a plus to use what we already have in our closet and update it with a few key fashion pieces.

I've named the photo set below "Street Style" because it represents my formula for getting dressed for the daytime. Layers allow you to be prepared for cooler restaurant temps, a sudden spring rain, or a ride in a convertible. Push up the sleeves of a lightweight cardigan in a flattering color for your skin tone and wear a body-skimming tee underneath. This gives you a flattering deep V neck, and pushing up your sleeves to show the forearm always adds height and takes away pounds visually. Layering in lightweight fabrics allows you to feel confident that you aren't showcasing those extra pounds around the middle that we find so very difficult to get rid of.  

I often wear a hat in the summer for several reasons. My hair is not as full and thick as it once was, but I also like covering my hair when it will likely stick to my head with perspiration. (Never a good look!) Some rules will always apply when wearing a hat. Your other accessories need to be less in number and scale when you wear a hat. If the weather becomes too warm later in the day, I can take off the cardigan and drape the scarf across my shoulders. Try on several styles of hats to find the one that is flattering to your face shape. Remember, round plus around is never good when it comes to faces and accessories.

Sunglasses in shapes that flatter your face and protect your eyes are a wise investment for anyone. I have several styles and always make sure I have the correct sunglasses and shade of lip gloss before leaving for the day. Lip gloss or lip color of any type should blend with the color of your top. Image a beautiful red blouse with lip color in the orange tones. (Clash!) I like to wear earrings and bangles in my accent color in hot summer weather. A necklace, earrings, sunglasses, and a hat all at once are way too much going on in a small area.

Platform sandals are much more flattering with cropped pants or walking shorts because they visually add length to your lower leg to balance out the fact that cropped pants shorten the length of your leg.  A nude color leather with accents such as jute, straw, or cork is great summer neutrals with white or khaki pants. 

Happier and Healthier

The person you see in the first photo is very unhealthy and unhappy with her body image on all levels. That's me in the Spring of 2011.

Spring 2011

Fast forward a year to the second photo. After I lost more than forty pounds!

Spring 2012

I was about to outgrow size 12 pants in the first photo. In the second photo, I'm comfortably wearing size 4 pants. 

In 2010, I averaged two migraines per week. I rarely have a headache now, and the inflammation of joints that caused pain with every movement is gone. A backache that kept me from enjoying working in my flower gardens is gone. I no longer take medications of any kind. My lab test results are now perfect. 

Everyone who sees me for the first time in a few months is amazed at my transformation. Of course, the first question is, "How did you lose so much weight so fast?" My answer is always, "Read the book "Eat To Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman" to learn what to eat and why.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I have continued maintaining my weight since 2011.

~~~~~~~~

While researching the world's healthiest foods, I found many of them in what I have for breakfast every morning. This is a hot cereal breakfast that keeps me from thinking about food until late afternoon. I'm sharing the recipe along with my story in hopes that I can inspire you to be a healthier, happier, more energetic person.

Susan's Power Porridge Breakfast

1 cup of hulled, organic barley (soak overnight and cook for one hour). Use filtered water.

1/4 cup of organic farro (cook for 40 minutes)

1/4 cup of brown organic lentils (add to the farro and cook for another twenty minutes)

1/4 cup of old-fashioned organic rolled oats (cook for about 10 minutes.)

2 Tablespoons brown flax seeds (I grind them in a coffee grinder) Stir as soon as you add these ground seeds.

2 Tablespoons sunflower seeds and sesame seeds

2 Tablespoon of raw organic pepitas (no shell pumpkin seeds)

2 Tablespoons natural raw walnuts

2 Tablespoons raw pecans

1 tablespoon of turmeric

1 tablespoon of Red Star Nutritional Yeast (Not brewer's yeast.) It supplies B vitamins.

Add cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, or ground cloves to taste.

4 Large dates (pits removed) cut in half, then diced

1 sliced banana and 1/4 cup of blueberries or any fresh fruits you like.

Cooking instructions: Cook the barley in a separate pot uncovered. Add as much cooked barley as you want to the cooked farro, lentils, and oatmeal. The other items are added as desired until warmed through. Put in a bowl and add the fruit. You can save any extra to warm up for another breakfast.

 (You may find these items on Amazon.com or BobsRedMill.com if unavailable in your area.)

Packed with high nutrition, this breakfast will help you feel satisfied well into the afternoon.

It's been more than twelve years since I began this journey. I haven't had so much as a cold since I started eating this breakfast, followed by a sizeable vegetable-loaded salad late in the day. I drink water and eat fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables daily.

I still share a dessert with Mr. Mickey occasionally and have a glass of wine with food. But, 90% of the time, I eat whole-natural foods that have not been processed in any way other than perhaps being steamed. So, mostly, I just wash, chop, and enjoy. 

Countless people have asked me, "How do you continue to keep the weight off?" This is my secret!

New Start!

Starting over is always stressful, but later in life, it can be downright overwhelming. You might think that getting a whole new wardrobe would be great fun, but I'm finding that not to be the case. 


During the past year, I lost more than forty pounds. That equates to size 12 pants that were too tight to size 6 pants that are too loose in the rear. None of the old familiar favorites that have carried me through in the past will now work for me. Thus begins the monumental task of rebuilding a wardrobe that took years to acquire.

The pieces I've chosen above can be mixed and matched to get the most out of my investment. The exception would be the light blue jacket. It is more dressy and would only be worn with black pants or a black skirt for evenings.  


My goal is to build a core wardrobe of basic pieces that easily move from day to evening and for any event. These pieces can be updated with accessories and layered over tops with interesting details or pops of color to make them current. 


I look for shapes and details that are appropriate for my body type. My upper body is still too thick as compared to my lower half. Instead of boxy large collar jackets, I look for deep V, single-breasted closures, or no closure at all. Lapels are notched high and upward with smaller or, best of all, no lapels. This draws the eye up to my face, which is roundish. I look for a lower scoop neck or V-necks in a simple style and sleek material to balance the roundness. Showing a bit of skin above the cleavage elongates the face. (At fifty-five, I don't show wrinkly cleavage on purpose.) 


The shape of a jacket or blouse should be nipped in a bit at the waist but loose enough to smooth the back. Boxy jackets or ones that are too long will overwhelm me and make me look older and shapeless. My waist has always been thick but wearing a shapeless high neck jacket with a round collar or a chunky knit cardigan makes me appear to have no neck at all as well as no waist and makes my chin appear to rest right on top of my bust.


I always search for pants and skirts with a plain flat front and ideally a side zipper. Even though I don't have much behind, I don't want to draw attention to it with flap pockets or embellished details. I still want smooth, effortless pockets on my slacks. Skinny jeans are for the very young and very skinny. I put those acid-washed, weirdly faded, embellished jeans in that same pile. I look for dark blue jeans, white jeans, and khaki pants with a slightly flared hem and smooth, simple natural waistline. 

I prefer blouses with the same waist tailoring and a crisp collar that can be turned up for an extra lift. I like three quarter length sleeves and always look for those in blouses, summer weight knit cardigans, and crossover detailed tops. Showing a bit of skin at the neck and forearm gives you a visual lift and makes you look taller and thinner. 


Wish me luck as I continue my search! I hope sharing this with you has helped you in your search for updates as well. Try writing down what you are looking for and why. It helps narrow the overwhelming choices when it comes to choosing what is right for you. 

Grand Petite Possibilities

She is five feet, two inches tall and carries a few extra pounds. Her bottom half is a bit rounder and fuller than her top half. This is the silhouette of many women. If this description fits you, you already know that those runway models who look like twelve-year-old boys in a growth spurt have little in common with you.

The styles are shown as the example we should emulate for this season often will make you look even more round and short.

This image shows you some of the styles that might not be the best choice for your body type.

Shapeless cardigan sweaters in a dull color really don't flatter anyone. This one appears to stop at the widest part of your hips. That's something you should always avoid.

Bulky sweaters in bold color combinations with horizontal patterns or strips will break your body into even smaller, wider portions.  The same rule applies to bulky stiff jackets and fluffy faux fur, and quilted parka type jackets. You should look for sleek, supple textures in colors that complement your skin tone and blend with the other colors in your closet. One-color in different hues will literally add the illusion of height and less volume to your shape.

A dress with too many patterns, layers, or details can add pounds and make you look shorter. Look instead for a simple, sleek line of one color in a fit that flatters your shape, and wear it with accessories that lift the eyes to your face. The hem should be at the smallest part of your leg. In most cases, the most flattering hemline will be just below your knee.

Your shoes and boots should also be sleek and simple with a low heel. Chunky shoes and boots will always add pounds. On the other end of the mistake scale is the too slender high heel worn with thick calves. Always consider proportion and fit when investing in new footwear. If they only look good when you are sitting down with your legs crossed, they might not be a good investment.

Wearing socks with a dress and heels is not flattering on anyone.

Shown below are some selections that will more likely flatter your petite frame. The lines are simple and classic. The accessories are scaled in proportion to your body. The pieces can be mixed and matched to get more from your wardrobe. Good things do come in small packages!

Thanks for reading!

Never Give Up!

At a time when my personal life was starting to fall apart, making jewelry became my passion. At first, it was a hobby. My mind overflowed with ideas and techniques I just couldn't wait to try. After a few months, people would stop me in the mall, wanting to know where I got my earrings, so I started to do small craft shows. Within a year, I was selling to several boutiques in my area, creating styles geared to that particular shop's clients. I did trunk shows at Nordstrom and in beautiful galleries on the grounds of world-famous resorts.

Creating even simple designs still brings me joy.

For several years I produced collections that included more than one hundred items. Seven sales reps carried storyboards of product and a framed color board with examples of the colors the products available. The line was shown in major apparel markets and sold in more than two hundred boutiques and galleries, but success came at a price. 

There were times I drove three hundred miles to do a presentation to a boutique owner, who didn't even show up for the appointment. I've sold thousands of dollars worth of inventory to boutiques only for their check to bounce. It wasn't an easy path to keep trying to follow.



My health and creativity suffered from the grueling schedule and the mundane act of repeatedly recreating the same products, so I switched gears.

Ten years into my career, I hired a well-known sales rep who specialized in the high end one of a kind fashion items in her beautifully appointed showrooms. I was thrilled to be making wearable works of one of a kind art once again. A significant market date was approaching, so I worked day and night to ensure the showroom was well stocked with a vast selection of products for my potential clients. Past show history suggested this would be a very successful show. Days after the show, no payment had arrived. Phone calls were not answered in the showroom or the home of my sales rep. Other artists who exhibited with her also started to call me. We discovered that this woman had taken all of our remaining products and all of our revenue from the show and left the country. The showroom was cleared out overnight. The devastation from this loss was a massive blow to my business and my spirit.

Time passed, and I continued to create. I slowly rebuilt my business, but my faith in humankind was forever changed.

I share these stories from my past with you in hopes that you will be inspired to keep following your dreams, even when the path you've chosen threatens to swallow you up into a black hole. Each of the negative things you experience along your journey will teach you to prepare for the next event in your life. Perhaps someday you will share your story, and it will, in turn, help others.

A few years ago, my hands became so weak from all those years of overuse; I can barely hold a bead cap to thread it onto a headpin. That's just part of the reason I'm so grateful for a chance to share what I've learned with others.  


Never give up!

The Fantastic Czech Jewelry

In 1922 Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, and his team were the first to open King Tut's Tomb. They searched for it for more than seven long years in the blazing heat of the desert. The final resting place of the "boy king" was unknown for more than 3,000 years. The Valley of the Kings has many tombs where kings of ancient Egypt were buried. Almost all of these were discovered and plundered, but King Tutankhamen's tomb continued to elude the treasure-seekers.

King Tut was embalmed in a coffin of pure gold, with one of the world's most famous images on top. The coffin was in the fourth chamber hidden by a sealed door, and Carter's crew took months to break through it. Eventually, all of the treasures in King Tut's tomb would be removed. Many are in the hands of the Egyptian government. Many have been part of traveling exhibits that make their way to museums around the world. Many are in the hands of private collectors. I was privileged to see the display while in Cairo in the 1980s.

The influence of this discovery changed fashion, architecture, and the morals of all civilization. The prim and proper Victorian age had come to an end. The layers of clothes and painted lady mansions suddenly seemed so out of style as women bobbed their hair and bound their chests to fit the style of the roaring '20s.

Czechoslovakian artisans became very popular during this time. They were using techniques developed in the 13th century for glass-making. Gem cutters adapted the practice of gem engraving with copper and bronze wheels to their glass technique.

Bohemia was a part of former Czechoslovakia, now part of the Czech Republic, and was famous for its beautiful and colorful glass. The history of Bohemian glass started with the abundant natural resources found in the countryside.

Bohemian glass-workers discovered potash combined with chalk created a clear, colorless glass that was more stable than glass from Italy. At that time, the term Bohemian crystal emerged for the first time in history to distinguish its qualities from the glass coming from other places. As opposed to the usual perception, this was non-lead. This Czech glass could be cut with a wheel. Also, resources such as wood for firing the kilns and burning down to ashes were used to create potash. There were also copious amounts of limestone and silica.

During World War II, the production of fabulous works of art ceased. We may never experience this freedom of design and quality of old-world workmanship again in human history.

More information about this jewelry can be found in the book "Baubles, Buttons, and Beads The Heritage of Bohemia." It is my hope that seeing these beautiful pieces will inspire you and make you smile.

A Sweet Summer Day

One sunny day many summers before Alzheimer's ultimately took away her memories, my sister and I visited with our beloved paternal grandmother.

She showed us countless pictures, cards, and letters from family members we had not seen in many years. It seemed to me on that day that she already had a premonition of what was to come. She was holding on so tightly to anything that would preserve her precious memories of the family she treasured above all else.

She seemed to know long before she was diagnosed with this illness, what her destiny would be. Her life was entirely devoted to giving her all to her husband and nine children. Her pride and joy were her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. An inner voice told her to enjoy those memories and share them with those she loved so that they would not be lost forever.

I've often thought back to that day. It was just the three of us, so our visit was quiet and unhurried. We listened as she talked about ironing stacks of blue jeans for her boys. She told us about getting up early in the morning and starting the fire in the stove in the kitchen so that when everyone got up, the kitchen would be warm for them and breakfast would almost be ready.

I'm so glad I thought to ask her where we came from. She looked at me as if no one had ever asked that of her before. "Where did our people come from? Do you know which country?" She smiled and shared the story of how her grandfather stowed away on a ship with only a few coins in his pocket and no knowledge of English. He was only fourteen years old when he and a sixteen-year-old uncle set off on the greatest adventure of their lives aboard a ship bound for the new world. They left behind their whole family in Norway, knowing they might never see them again, to find a better life in America.

Many years have passed since that day and our sweet visit with our grandmother. She just turned ninety-six years old a few days ago. She no longer knows who we are or even who she is. My sister and I are getting older too. I wanted to share this story with all those who descended from this wonderful lady so that you may share it with your children someday.

Rest in peace, dear sweet lady.

Pendant Lesson Using Raw Brass

Functional elements such as bails and clasps are required in every project to make the piece wearable. Consider a pendant without a bail, for example. The pendant would not face forward if you simply threaded a ribbon or chain through its loop. Standard loops are attached to the top of the setting with the hole facing the same way as the setting, so a bail is needed to join the chain to the pendant loop. A bail is often the least attractive component in an otherwise fabulous design. A pretty pendant is missing something if only a simple large, rather ugly jump ring is used as a bail.

Failing to consider these elements' style can ruin the balance of an otherwise beautiful piece of jewelry. I believe that every part should complement the main focal point. As in architecture and interior design, some periods blend well and those which simply do not.

In this lesson, I've included some of the new raw brass pieces which just arrived. Raw brass is a great base metal that allows you to experiment with design elements, patinas, and even soldering if you wish.

The items pictured above were joined to form the base for a dramatic pendant. The long narrow embossed piece was formed into the shape of a bail and joined to the triangle with a loop and the openwork oval. I trimmed away some of the wide flat end so that it wouldn't interfere with the lie of the next piece.

I added a smaller oval filigree to the back to both cover the glue and reinforce the point where the pieces were joined. Remember to make the back of your piece as pretty as the front.

When you are happy with the basic shape of the pendant you have created, let the glue set for a full 24 hours. If you add stones to your pendant, you should add settings or bezels to hold the stones. Proper mounts or settings not only protect the stones but also add a finished, more professional look to your work.

Ensure the settings have a level place to rest. You may have to add a few more elements to the base for stability. The openwork square was the right shape to give the setting a more solid fit.

The next step will include adding patina, so the glue must have enough time to completely cure. I used E6000 glue, so I allowed the project to air dry for a full day before proceeding.

In this case, the aged patina is achieved by using flat black craft paint. You can experiment with numerous colors of paint, but I like the look of aged gilt. I applied paint to the whole piece and right away used an old cloth to wipe away most of the paint. The next step is to use a soft toothbrush to remove even more of the paint.

When you have achieved the level of antiquing you desire, you must seal the brass to preserve the finish. You can use several products for this, but our Renaissance wax polish is among the best for this purpose. Raw brass is great for manipulating and adding your own patinas, but if you fail to seal the piece, it will eventually turn to colors you may not like.

Now that you have assembled antiqued and sealed your pendant, you may add the beading, stones, and chain. Your work of art is ready to enjoy.

(List of materials by item number used in this project from http://www.vintagejewelrysupplies.com/)

R126A



Click on the image to enlarge.

T134A

T138A

A349R

G32R

M17R

S141R

W82R

R559

R257

T105A

L26

S27

T23

T105A

T208A
A04

WX65

What Villa?

My classmates and I were in a social science class in seventh grade. We were having a discussion about what our lives might be like at the turn of the century. That fateful day was about thirty years away. My little girl dreams came from the only small-town life I had ever known. I envisioned a life with a loving husband in a white two-story house in the suburbs of a large city far away. Our children, a boy and a girl played with a golden retriever underneath the oak trees at the edge of our lawn. Simple, sweet, secure was how I saw my destiny.

When the waning years of the last century finally arrived, they found me not in a happy home but in the middle of an agonizing divorce from the man I loved so much; my heartfelt as if it would implode. Even after more than thirteen years of emotional abuse, I still loved him. As he drove off into the sunset with his young girlfriend, I stood at the jagged edge of the end of my world.

I had invested everything I could borrow and every ounce of energy I possessed into our home and my jewelry design business. When our marriage ended, I had no reliable income to speak of yet. I had just begun to show at the Fashion Markets, and the boutiques were finally starting to buy my work. I had no savings, insurmountable debt, and no place to go. When we sold our home and almost everything we owned, there still wasn't enough to pay for all we owed.

At forty-five years old, I was deeply in debt, homeless, and emotionally destroyed. When an old friend offered me a place to live in exchange for caring for him during his last years of life, I felt as if an angel had offered me his hand.

 Many years have passed since that ultimate sadness.

My villa in the snow.

At last, I have a home of my own. It's only a few miles away from that classroom where I dreamed of a happy life so long ago. There are no children, and there is no dog. There isn't even an oak tree. Those dreams of a family of my own never came true, but I do own two businesses, and I am happy spending time with my dear Mr. Mickey. 

I am very grateful for this part of my life, but it is different from the one I imagined in my youth's restless dreams. 

C'est la vie.