Giving Old Jewelry New Life!

I've been having quite the burst of productivity lately.

I designed a tri-fold brochure, played around a bit with the design of my blog (I'll probably continue to tinker with it, but I feel like the current look is a step in the right direction), and...

As promised, I finally got moving on my recycled jewelry idea. I'm currently in the process of photographing and posting the pieces I have already made, and there are 4 on Etsy at the moment (more to come during the next few days!). They got a lot of attention and admiration at a recent craft show, and a pair of earrings I posted on Etsy on Sunday night sold almost immediately.

I've been struggling to find a niche, but I'm starting to think this recycled jewelry thing might be it. I love the idea of combining old and new, and incorporating at least one recycled component into each piece I make would make my jewelry unique, and it could help me establish a brand identity.

I love the beads on this necklace. The original necklace they came from had a ton of them, and I have a lot left over. Can't wait to make more jewelry with them!

The mother-of-pearl coin beads are the recycled component on this necklace, they were originally on earrings!

For the time being I think I'm going to keep the recycled jewelry as a separate line within Mischievous Kitty, since I have a fairly large inventory made from all-new components. Not to mention, I have a sizeable stash of new beads and findings and such and don't think it would be wise to immediately go out and buy a ton of old jewelry to take apart and reuse (although I relish the idea of spending a Saturday afternoon checking out antique and thrift stores or flea markets!).

But perhaps I will gradually transition into using recycled components in each and every piece.

What do you think? Good idea??