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Wearable Art, Part VI -- Charms
By Kathleen Brown, Of My Hands

As excerpted from The Finishing Touch, By Kathleen Brown

My Grandmother gave me a lovely gold plated charm bracelet when I was about 10 years old.  Along with it came several charms that represented the interests I had at that time in my life.  Today , as I touch through the many charms that have been added over the years,  I am reminded of the variety of interests I have enjoyed. 

Now, there are great, inexpensive brass and silver charms on the market that we can easily afford to work into our embellishing.  I often antique the charms by painting them with an acrylic paint and then wiping the excess paint away with a tissue before it dries.  Once dry , the paint is permanent.   This process adds at least a dollar or two to the look of each charm.

Each of us has that drawer or box where pieces of our past are kept, aging , waiting for the perfect spot to be shown off or added to the overall embellished magnificence of an art piece.  Or, they're just sitting there, collecting dust because we have an emotional attachment to them that we simply cannot seem to break.  These pieces of broken jewelry, gems, and charms might be delightful, meaningfilled trinkets of our past or simply things we like.  In any case, add them to your designs and enjoy seeing them out in the light of day.

To attach these gems to fabric, I use thread whenever possible and feasible: match the thread To you trinket and stitch it in place.  Tiny beads or fancy embroidery stitches can also be stitched through holes in the jewelry pieces, acting as anchors.  There are also some great glues on the market these days, especially designed  to adere "stuff" to fabric.  Be sure to check the manufacturer's instructions to get the results you desire. 

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