Kitchen Sink Jewelry Making

Kitchen Sink Style is a unique form of assemblage that does not involve glue....but chain, wire, and lots! of jump rings. It is repurposing/mixed media at its best. One of its most unique interpreters is my friend Wendy Baker, of Bendy Who...you'll find her shop at Etsy.

While many of the pieces in Wendy's pieces appear to be repurposed, some are, some aren't. She paints some of her brass and assembles it to great effect. Many of the pieces made in the old 'flower power' style brooches we remember Mom and Gramma wearing in back in the 60's, are still made. Some are going up in value, so it's not always a good idea to tear them up. Some you can make from components that are still made, or are vintage.

Truth be told....most ALL of these components are still made, most of 'em, anyway.

With Kitchen Sink Style jewelry, you don't really need to tear up *anything* if you're repurposing. The materials are assembled and collaged to wire 'armatures', if you will...or chain....with more wire. So it's a very responsible way to repurpose materials and old jewelry.

There's really no right, no wrong with this art form. When folks ask me about doing it, I say go after the design until you are satisfied. Make sure it feels good when you wear it, and make sure that nothing is kinked up or uneven. (Assymetric is fine, but kinked up and uneven, isn't.) Think flow, color; be sure you have used substantial enough chain and clasp to support the piece.

I find it restful, rather like working a puzzle. It usually begins with a mess:

Oh yes! I guess we've all seen worse messes than this. But in my case, anyway, Kitchen Sink Jewelry is usually the result of cleaning up workspace. This mess above, came to be this:

Well, yeah, I did use a bit of glue to attach the Geisha Lady to the filigree background. The rest was stuff I made using embossing folders, wire, patina, stuff I had lying about.

This is a piece I did back in 2005 for Fabulous Jewelry from Found Items, published by Lark Books:

I was so thrilled to be part of that project, as it was the first book that really addressed free-form collage style, or found item jewelry, in depth. Since then, there have been many such books. This piece was called "Lost Earrings Bib". It's a bunch of single enameled earrings I got from a warehouse bulk lot buy of off-season jewelry, and then, some things from the B'sue Boutiques website. They were all pierced earrings, with long posts. That worked out well; I simply took my round-nose pliers and turned the posts into connections, and hooked them up. Ever do that?

My friend,Linzi Alford of Magpie in the Sky, also makes wonderful assemblage in the 'Kitchen Sink" style. This piece, called Time Traveler,was recently published in a beading magazine in the UK:

Wowzer! There are A LOT of cool components on Linzi's composition from B'sue Boutiques on that one. The rusty black propeller in the pendant is set in resin, with the propellers out, so they still spin.

Beanzie of TheVintageHeart, is famous for her trash and flash Kitchen Sink bracelets and necklaces:

Really there is nothing all that random about what Beanz does. She makes a 'collection' first. It may take her a year or two to gather JUST the right things for something she has in mind. It might be in a certain color family, or a type of antique/vintage component that she searches out, or even a theme. It also might be a series of charms that she herself hand-paints. She selects the chain she uses very carefully, and is very fussy about the type of jump rings she uses.

So while upon first glance her Kitchen Sink Style looks seem to be the contents of someone's old jewelry chest, they are really very well-thought-out.

At B'sue Boutiques, we carry everything you need to make excellent Kitchen Sink Style looks. You will find many flower findings here:

http://www.bsueboutiques.com/brass_flower_petals_layer.shtml

You will find clustered flowers here:

http://www.bsueboutiques.com/brass_roses.shtml

And LOTS of resin roses:

http://www.bsueboutiques.com/resin_plastic_flowers.shtml

As well as vintage beads that are PERFECT! for the task:

http://www.bsueboutiques.com/resin_plastic_flowers.shtml

I like to use vintage chain, new or old bookchain, and/or rolo (belcher) chain for these compositions. We have lots of chain at Bsue Boutiques

AND TONS of heart charms!

http://www.bsueboutiques.com/just_hearts.shtml

See what you've got in your stash....and get started with a brand-new look. Something old...something new....something borrowed....and hey, sure, blue if you want blue! Or altered. or Steampunk. Go Spring, Summer, Fall....Winter drama. Or completely handmade! Who says you can't do this with a fistful of gemstone beads and handmade ceramic? Or old glass? New charms, old charms. For sure, whatever you DON'T have to do the job....WE DO, at B'sue Boutiques

The website is chock-a-block full of IMAGINATION! Add *yours* to some cool new bits from our place, and the creative world belongs to YOU.