One Night's Transformation

It all started with a hairstick. 

This hairstick, to be precise.

This is one of the first hairsticks I ever made.  In fact, I glued it on 6/16/2008, according to my photo records.  


It's not too bad, for a starting stick...  But there are so many issues with it.  The topper is too heavy--or, if you prefer, the stick is too slight to support its weight.  I also hadn't found the right glue to use yet, so there is dried glue visible everywhere.  

Don't believe me?  Here's a closer look.

And, not only is it a glue-y mess, but the glue just didn't stick.  The topper popped right out!  So, as a result, I put this stick aside in exasperation...  I love the color combination of purple and brown--foil glass and tiger eye--but this stick just wasn't cutting it!


Forward ahead to last night.  Last night, I took it apart.  I pried the glue off of the stick and the purple focal bead--the latter of which I turned into a pendant.  I poked through my bead stash (considerably larger than it was back in 2008) to find beads that might match.


This is what I came up with:

For the record, I also found some swirly purple foil beads,
not pictured here.

And then I went to work.  Using both the beads that I salvaged, and the beads that I found, I was able to create these:

The transformed hairstick topper--much more suitable as a necklace focal.

The new hairsticks--simpler, more elegant, and definitely not as heavy!

And, why not?  Here are some earrings to match!

The whole set...  That single hairstick has come a
long way!

I am extremely pleased with both the hairsticks and the earrings...  I think I may be pleased with the necklace, as well--although it is a bit bulkier than I usually make.  Still, I think everything is a vast improvement on the glue-caked, top-heavy stick that started it all!  Three years in the making--and I think it turned out for the best!