Folks heading out to Maker Faire this weekend know to expect robots, catapults, art cars, and other manly machines, but you might not be aware that there're also some pretty things to be found at the faire. We scoped out Liza Eyster's recycled line of jewelry, and liked what we saw. With designs ranging from delicate to chunky, each of her pieces is made of at least 30% recycled materials, including beads, chain segments, findings, and clasps. The new materials are handmade polymer clay beads, which are bright, durable, and lightweight. She also uses vintage and new glass, and semiprecious stones.

Eyster has been designing jewelry since she was in the 4th grade, and recounted to us a childhood memory of manning a booth at a flea market in Vermont and overhearing a visitor whisper that her work was "crap." Perhaps ironically, she now makes a conscious decision to create from recycled and found jewelry. She says, "I decided to 'take' less in the equation, thereby making it more balanced and ultimately sustainable (and fun)."

She'll be doing recycled jewelry workshops at her Maker Faire booth, and welcomes you to bring your "junk" jewelry to re-fashion or donate!

Liza Eyster at Maker Faire
This weekend!
Travis Country Expo Center [map]
[tickets]