Wear Your Memories-Why Hide Them in a Drawer!

We all have them...those bits and pieces  from the past...keepsakes hidden away in a drawer somewhere. We love them and can't seem to part with them but we keep them concealed from our view.  Those trinkets bring fond memories and need to be used...worn to help keep that little touch of nostalgia present.

My jewelry is a reflection of my love of romance, family history, bits of vintage treasures with a little added bling. With this in mind I sometimes dig through those treasures to create a piece of jewelry for myself that can become a family heirloom. Wearing them gives me comfort and brings back pleasant times.

These are a few of the necklaces...

I collect pressed pennies from my trips.  A small souvenir that takes up a small space but but that return my mind to a special trip or fun adventure. I love the thought of having it close as a reminder of fun times. This was a very easy necklace to make...a bit of chain, a few jump rings  and a hole punch.

This necklace has a brass metal back plate and was made using vintage earrings and pins that belonged to my mother and grandmother.  Much better that hiding them in a drawer.

Another memory necklace using an earring and pin from my mother, my grandmother's watch, a crystal because my mother collected them, a pressed penny from my collection, my favorite word "Joy" and other bits and pieces...treasures to me.

And finally, the piece that started my jewelry making.  A bracelet with my grandchildren's pictures.

Do you have collage jewelry, memory jewelry?

I would love to see it!

How to Make a Suitcase Display

Have you looked at your display props and thought...they sure do need an upgrade?  That is what happened to me.  All of a sudden my suitcase displays with their black interior did nothing to enhance my jewelry. They seemed dark and my jewelry did not stand out.

This is what I did to upgrade them...

Materials:

Old suitcase
Foam core board
Fabric
Doilies, optional
Spray adhesive
Box cutter
Old Styrofoam sheets
Brick, optional

Start with your old suitcase...

Measure the length, width and depth of your suitcase bottom.  Cut Styrofoam to fit the bottom of the suitcase. This will allow your foam core to be even with  the top of the suitcase. Place a brick in the suitcase bottom, if needed to give it some weight and keep it from turning over when you are using it. 

Measure the inside top and bottom of your suitcase and cut foam core board to fit (cut just a little smaller to allow room for fabric to fold over board).

Cut you fabric a little bigger than the foam core so you have enough to turn over to the back side of board.

Spray the board with spray adhesive and quickly lay your fabric on the board and spread out to get rid of wrinkles. Spray the outside perimeter of the back of the board and smooth fabric over the edges to the back so that no frayed edges show.

My jewelry has a vintage, heirloom aesthetic so,  after applying the fabric to the board, I also sprayed the back side of doilies and adhered them to the fabric covered board.

When finished, spray the back side of the foam core and quickly place in the suitcase and apply pressure to glue the foam core to the inside of the suitcase. 

This is my finished suitcase.

I also did a train case. 

Can't wait to use my displays at my next show!

Dream Class with Rosy Revolver

I recently had the privilege of taking  a great class taught by Jessica Jordan a.k.a. Rosy Revolver.  I have admired her work for quite a while now and have wanted to take one of her classes but they have always been too far away.

I started following Jessica on social media was surprised to find that she lives only 2 1/1 hours away and has started teaching classes in her studio in Fuquay Varina.  Wonderful for me!  She has both studio time and scheduled classes available.  I signed up for her "Stone on Stone" class which involved creating a bezel ring from silver. Working with silver is new to me but am very excited to start learning.

The class was suppose to have four students but lucky for me there were only two of us.  Her studio is wonderful-everything beautifully organized in just the right spot with lots of "eye-candy inspiration" everywhere.

Just one view-plenty of light-space and tools

Jessica was very patient, knowledgeable and so willing to share not only her skill but her supply sources.  I  know I seemed a little over the top with my note pad and jotting down everything for later review.

Jessica demonstrating torch use

Demonstrating how to ball silver for our rings

The class was packed with technique and demonstrations-sawing, bezel making, drilling stones and soldering just to name a few.  I learned a lot of new skills that I hope to put to use soon and came home ready to place an order for silver and few new tools.

My bezels before setting stones and making the ring

Finished ring

I love my new ring and will return I'm sure in the near future for another class!