Designing with Hopes of Spring

This cold weather has really taken a toll on my cheery disposition....lol...  So, I have been focusing on designing around thoughts of spring and warmer weather....happier days!

Recently I had the opportunity to go antiquing.  I love wandering through the antique shops looking at the old tintype pictures, oil paintings, and glassware.  Of course, the vintage/antique jewelry is always the best part!  This time I was in search of brooches or unusual pieces that I could use as a focal in a necklace.  I do not normally alter vintage as I am a purist in that sense.  However, I am making an attempt to light up a little on that ideology. 

While in one of the antique shops I noticed a small glass case and in it were some beautifully detailed ribbon slides from the late 1800s.  I bought a few of them - but I am not 100% sure what I am going to design with them.  I thought perhaps a bracelet, but I am a little concerned they are too delicate for a bracelet focal.  I am leaning towards an assemblage Opera length necklace.   Of all of my finds that day, these are my favorite.  

  

While venturing through the other antique shops I ran across a few more great finds.  One of several pieces I found was a brooch that had a sort of winged animal look to it (sounds kind of strange....lol) however, I thought it had potential and it came with a glass baroque pearl glued in the center, which drew me to the piece in the first place.

In the necklace I designed with the winged animal brooch, I turned the brooch up-side-down, now it resembles an owl, or at least I think it does, and worked from there.  The brooch was made of pot metal and was fading in color so I painted it and added some silver highlights.  I then made a pearl chain in different types and sizes relating to the center pearl of the focal, added a few faceted glass beads as well, and enough chain to make it Opera length.  The bottom drop is made up of a beautiful flower attached to a filigree drop.  The center of the flower is a vintage West German starburst crystal.  I think this piece is really fun. 

I have also been working with some recycled leather pieces I have.  I cut the leather scraps to the sizes I wanted for the bracelets and then added a mix of vintage and new embellishments and rivets.  I particularly love the double wrap stackable ones. 

All of the pieces are at ursyllabs.etsy.com.

Talk to you soon,

Jen