Loving Lockets...

A collecting passion of mine over the last several years has been antique lockets. I love the old ones because they are exquisitely crafted and can be used to store more than just pictures. They are also great for keeping locks of hair, old remnants of special fabric, or an important piece of paper from days gone by. And with scanners and computers it is easy to take an old momento or photograph and make it wee small to display or store in a locket that can be worn and carried along with you on your every day journey. I find it to be incredibly comforting to have an object or a momento from a loved one worn on me and kept close to my heart as I go about my day. Take a look at my collection....

 My favorite has to be the black enamel and rhinestone cross locket. It is absolutely breathtaking and will make a stunning container for something special along with a nice picture.

Another really special locket is the piece below that I just brought back from my recent trip to Paris. I just love it because I found it myself, it reminds me of my wonderful and special trip, and it has the beautiful Notre Dame on the outside of it. (of course, it also says 'Paris' just above it and that makes another reason it is so cool)...

Another thing I just LOVE about old lockets is the turn of the century monogramming and engraving that you can sometimes find on them. There just isn't any engraving as ornate as the type they used to achieve back in their day! It definitely is a lost art form, and I long to find an engraver in this day and age that could even come close to the skill of these old artisans from long ago....

 See a locket that would make a special momento holder for you??????

I just finished the piece below for my mom for her birthday. I incorporated a locket on the bottom so she could put a lock of my grandmother's hair and a picture inside. Her birthstone is amethyst, so I incorporated purple rhinestones and mauve pearls and used a monogram initial for the centerpiece

...I think she liked it.

 This locket necklace is cool in the fact that you can wear it doubled or long. It is a real attention-getter long with it's crystal link chain, old Victorian rhinestone centerpiece, and really exquisitely detailed floral and leaf half-locket on the bottom...

This piece may just make a detour to my jewelry box if It doesn't sell before the weeks out. I'm thinking of keeping it for myself and adding a lock of my grandmother's hair to the backside of the locket. For now, I have put an old prayer card portrait on the back of the locket and it is really pretty...

 I was out antiquing yesterday, and found the most beautiful and unusual piece that I have ever seen....

...It's an old hand carved monogrammed mother of pearl game chip. Not sure if it was used to gamble with or if it was used for some type of Victorian game played at home, but it is EXQUISITE!  It will make a fine necklace with all of it's elegant details and irridescent glow.

Look at the reverse of the piece, I don't know which side is prettier....

I'll post pictures when I get this piece together! Can't wait to get started with it!!!

Au Revoir for now and thank you for stopping to look.

Spring is Near...

After a long and unusually cold winter for us Florida folks I looked up in the sky yesterday and got a touch of Spring Fever! Yes, spring is in the air down here in the panhandle of Florida, and there is nothing like a little bit of that 'fever' to get the creative ideas flowing.

My backyard japanese cherry blossom tree is in the beginning stages of it's budding...

...Pierre, my little fountain angel has thawed out and has a smile from ear to ear...

...and my Spring designs are in full force. A style of earrings that I will be posting this evening on Etsy and that everyone is seeming to LOVE these days, are my vintage chain earrings. I love taking bits of old vintage chains and swinging them from old antique earring pieces, like the vintage filagree cannetille ones below...

These earrings epitomize vintage elegance with their multiple layers of chains and rhinestones. They are not too over-the-top because of their muted gunmetal shades and really feminine chain.

 Below is another really fun piece that spilled out of my creations this week...

The "French Lourdes and Rhinestone Tassel Necklace"turned out just gorgeous and is a hard one not to keep for myself. I was lucky enough to find a beautiful old rhinestone tassel with a matching vintage rhinestone clasp. Now that is LUCKY! (thank you jewelry gods!) And I fell in love with the pretty little fleur de lis Lourdes pin from France that I fastened to an old art deco rhinestone buckle....

I hope Spring is near where you live, and that it inspires you too in all of the marvelous ways that it has me...

Au Revoir until next post!

Bracelet Madness...

As of late, I have been deep into bracelet designing! I have made more feminine, dainty designs incorporating old rosary beads, beautiful Victorian paste, rosary centers, old chains, vintage French medals, along with garnets, bone, and mother of pearl beads. I love making these scaled down versions of my larger bracelets because they look awesome layered and they just scream Victorian elegance. Here are the pics of my current labor of love...

Not all of the bracelets will be placed in my Etsy shop, so contact me through my email if any

of them interest you.

Another reminder to all of you blogfriends out there, I will be giving these beauties away coming up in the second week of March! All you have to do is leave me a comment anywhere on my blog to be put in the drawing! They are really stunning in person with their sparkling vintage deco rhinestones and faceted chunks of rubies...Good luck to all of you!

Busy Being Busy....

To me, there is nothing more fulfilling than creating and designing vintage inspired jewelry. My heart, faith, and passion pour into my designs every second I sit down to create. It is my life's dream and I am so happy every day that I get to express myself through this wonderful and beautiful medium. Designs just seem to pour out and here is what has been flowing lately...

The "Mated" earrings featuring 3-dimensional little swans with rhinestone eyes are probably my most favorite pair of earrings I've made yet. I just love the vintage and romantic edge these sweet little swans represent and they are just perfect dropped from their vintage scrolled panels.

The earrings below are the "Sacred Heart Earrings" and are really gorgeous old cross medallions suspended from beautiful Victorian blister pearls set in sterling silver. These earrings are real statement makers!

The necklace below was just finished last night. It is so new I haven't even named it yet but will have one soon because it will be seen in my Etsy store tonight. The most cool, old French Imacculate Conception Mary Medal  takes center stage in this necklace.

I loved the reverse side of this French medal also. It portrays Our Lady of LaSalette wheeping for the sin of mankind. Isn't the detail on this medal, both front and back, just breathtaking????

Lots of gorgeous goodies in this necklace!

I just really love this necklace. I call this piece European Treasures because it is full of yummy European goodies. A locket from Belgium, an old tassel and a Victorian snake watch chain with 2 slide charms from my recent trip to Paris, a beautiful old Art Deco dress clip...

...and a gorgeous old red crystal and sterling clasp from Czecholslavakia....

I just had to make another Paris inspired bangle. My first bangle, "In Love With Paris" was so well-received that I designed "Return to Paris" (shown below) to be it successor. I dangled my signed heart and key,old chain and a little compass charm off of the side to help guide through the fabulous 'City of Lights'...

And Voila`... a gorgeous rosary style necklace for Judson...

He resides in Nashville, so I tied a little harmonica in to the design and made this piece ultra masculine!

And up next for my EXCITING JEWELRY GIVEAWAY....These beautiful Jeanne D'Arc earrings...

I accented these Jeanne medallions with faceted rubies and old art deco rhinestones.

Look at the reverse side of these bronzed medals, they are just as pretty with their list of old French cities, don't ya think???

Just leave me a comment anywhere on my blog about anything you like and I will put you in the drawing (coming up in March) to win these one of a kind earrings.Good Luck to all of my sweet and kind blog friends out there and

 Au Revoir, for now!!!