Paper Beads from Vintage Maps

1st attempt! WIP, a photo by cookievf on Flickr.

As a part time jewelry designer, this is a great solution to finding just the RIGHT color!

A "WIP," I will be making a few more sizes and shapes, in a similar color palette, to be paired with a cream-colored dogwood flower pendant. For added sparkle, Swarovski crystal bicone (beads) in teal sound just about right!

Earrings: August 2011

Thanks, Gaby, for the inspiration!! XO

Earrings: June 2011

Before I post a whole new batch of designs, I wanted to catch you up to date on a small sampling of the earrings I made for a local Art Show in early Summer. These eight pairs are currently on display in a retail location, and through a special arrangement with the owner, they are also available for sale in my Etsy shop, where I can create a custom listing if you spot something you like!

Convo me here or in my etsy shop!

Updated Display

Please refer to June 12 post, as a reference. Or, better yet, scroll down past Twitter, to just beneath my photo (tags) and click on "display."

Table one. Found a nice, tall "T Bar" for $5.00 at a store closing, that will hold 24" chains.

Rotating display rack was a Thrift Shop find for $3. Handmade earring cards finally allow me to eliminate those DREADED dangling price tags!! YUCK!

Table two at the very posh

Linda Rich Salon, 32 Church St, New Milford, CT

Turning Vintage Trading Cards Into Jewelry

Repurpose! An upcycled game piece becomes wearable art by taking an image from my ephemera collection and resizing it to fit a creamy, 2" x 1" Crisloid domino (2" x 1").

These days I use Microsoft Office Word 2007 for basic cropping and to bump up the contrast, which saturates colors very nicely. No fancy software required. Another no-cost option is using flickr's Picnik program or my own image editing software from my scanner.

I typically start by cropping out any unnecessary portions such as text, etc. Once printed, I simply cut around the gold, decorative edge, attached it to a domino with acrylic gloss medium, coated it with same for protection and added a tiny bright red swarovski crystal for added sparkle. In the final step, I attached a silver plated bail with jeweler's cement and, voila! ... a pretty necklace with a colorful ad from the 1880's. My kind of "bling" =D

"Wild Iris" Domino Pendant

Partial description from Etsy...

"Iris, most beautiful flower, Symbol of life, love, and light.."

Vintage botanical image enhanced with text from my 1919 copy of Webster's Condensed Dictionary and a tiny, swarovski crystal. It is suspended from a sterling silver bail and comes with a FREE 24" dainty, ball chain.

FLOWER SYMBOLISM: faith, wisdom, friendship and hope. The iris is the emblem of both France and Florence, Italy. The fleur-de-lis, one of the most well-known of all symbols, is derived from the shape of the iris flower.

Custom Pendants: Strong Women To Inspire You

Excerpted from my new Etsy listing:

"Fearless! We are ALL Goddess, Angel, Friend, Heroine, Artist, Dancer and sometimes even Fashion Icon! Choose from 13 gorgeous images of strong women, handpicked from my collection with words to inspire.

✢ VINTAGE COLLAGE PENDANTS ✢ MAGNETS ✢ KEYCHAIN

There are several ways to customize:

IMAGE - Take your pick from my "Dare To Dream" collection by simply selecting number 1-14 (it will be a high resolution version, unlike the version shown here)

ITEM - Decide if you'd like her on a domino pendant, magnet or keychain.

YOUR WORD/MY WORD/NO WORD - Any way you like it! I can use my words, yours or none at all.

Buy with confidence! A paper artist for over 15 years, I have amassed a large collection of vintage ephemera and graphic images spending hundreds of hours carefully scanning, digitally enhancing, printing, cutting, working with ink, adhesives, and embellishments. I am very excited to share these new items with you in my etsy shop.

✢ Pendants have a silver plated bail. Chain is extra
✢ Magnets are Neodymium/Rare Earth and are Super strong!
✢ Keychains use a sturdy ring.

Summer Workspace ~

Here is a SMALL PORTION, approximately 25%, of my "summer" workspace on our screened porch. Showing only one corner.. I am spread out over the entire table!! And it's all packed up in time for dinner =D


A little peek at a WIP: "Moon Goddess"


Here are a few of my latest creations (available on Etsy) and since all are one-of-a-kind, when they're gone... they're GONE!

...thanks for stopping by!!!!

Local shop display

Have another Sneek Peek of what will be filling my etsy shop (currently closed & undergoing maintenance until 6/16/10)!

• Over 40 one-of-a-kind earrings


• Vintage and contemporary artisan necklaces


• Glass pendants


• Upcycled domino pendants in two sizes


• Custom photo items for you or someone you love! I specialize vintage restoration. If you have a treasured memory, I would love to put it into a necklace for you... or create a set of magnets, keychain, charm bracelet, bookmark. Pets are extremely popular!

"Bella" - a custom photo pendant WIP:

web store excitement

The last few months I have been so busy making pendants, altered dominoes, magnets, earrings, necklaces... the list goes on! I have SO many pretty things still to list on vickstress.etsy.com and I hope you will take a moment to click the link on the right.

Any and all feedback is welcome and I do hope you will BOOKMARK it and peek in, now and again! "There's always something fresh, here, in the beauty of the garden!"

Offerings will include:

Photography
Artisan OOAK Jewelry
Altered * Pendants * Magnet Sets * Bookmarks
Rusty Bits <-
Vintage Items
ART!!

... and I have my 2nd country flea market on saturday so I must wait until Sunday to list any more items. Wish me luck!!

In memory of my father

I am thrilled to announce the official re-opening of my etsy shoppe, Beauty Of The Garden. It really is a full-circle moment for me and something that's been in the planning stages for many months! ✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿ The forget-me-not theme is a deliberate "nod" to my father, who passed away five years ago. A few months after that, a lovely little patch of these flowers appeared and I knew in an instant that it was a sign from him. We were so close throughout the many ups and downs that are a part of life and I will always feel his love and support for all of my creative ventures in photography, handmade jewelry and mixed media collage. I count my blessings both to have had such a special relationship for five decades and to know that he continues to watch over me.

"I love you, dad!"