Vintage Silver Spoon Bracelets Back In Stock!

Pretty jewels to adorn your wrists with romantic beauty. Vintage Silver Spoon Bracelets with Antique Broken China Charms, sparkling Swarovski crystals, pearls and sterling heart charms. I just LOVE these!

Each one is unique and a one-of-a-kind handmade creation. They always go fast, so if you have an interest, please come visit my website by clicking HERE. Merci ~ xo Joy

In The Studio…..

I was playing with spoons in the studio this weekend…

Today, I’ll be putting the finishing touches on a whole new batch of spoon bracelets headed for the website…if they make it…a friend came by Friday and snagged one before it was even finished and I have oodles of email requests to purchase them before they are even listed. They go really fast, so if you have an interest, please be sure to check back here on my blog within the next day or so. I’ll post an announcement when they are ready to purchase. Merci ~ xo Joy

An Easter Ornament Surprise…

I had a productive day in the studio today packing and shipping orders. This sweet little Easter ornament found it's way into a box headed across the country . I don’t make these to sell, but I make them on occasion for friends.

One of my favorite aspects of doing what I love for a living is meeting the most wonderful customers and many of them become sweet friends. I work with this one very dear customer on many custom projects and during our collaborations she has become such a treasured friend. So as a little thank you, I created this Easter Ornament for her using some of my vintage beaded chain, a pretty vintage chandelier crystal and tons of glitter. I have these soldered ornaments all over my home and they look so pretty hanging from knobs or chandeliers. I just love the way the sun sparkles through the crystals!

I hope my special friend likes her ornament. This will be a surprise for her when she opens her box of jewelry…so shhhhhh….please don’t tell! xo ~ Joy

Studio Snaps & Dreams…

I thought I would share a few photos with you of some of my favorite things in the studio…

I snapped these photos this morning after I finished up a few orders…

I’ll try to share more photo’s with you each week. Having a dedicated studio is so enjoyable. It’s my special place to be me.

It’s not my dream studio…but it’s the studio where I make my dreams come true…

I have a beautiful altered art project binder that I keep inspirational photos in that I’ve clipped from my favorite magazines. The dream studio I am creating in my binder will happen one day…but not anytime soon.

I think it is so important to have dreams that we work towards. And when those dreams do come true, it’s all the more sweeter because we have put our heart and soul into creating it. Hope your weekend is filled with sweet dreams of things you desire too. ~ xo Joy

Easter Soldered Charms Now Available!

Just released!! My newest collection of soldered art charms for Easter!

Sweet images collected from vintage postcards of adorable bunnies, chicks, eggs, Victorian & French children and even Marie Antoinette! Darling charms for the Easter Bunny to tuck inside an Easter basket or even start wearing this fun jewelry now for the spring month of renewal. Just click HERE to come visit and select your favorite. ~ xo Joy

The Party Animal

Barkley turns 4 years old today!

Although he doesn’t exactly look like a party animal in today’s photo, I’m sure he’ll be dancing around like a circus dog once he gets a whiff of dinner tonight! He has a new toy too, but it will be hard getting his favorite toy away from him… the scruffy yellow dog seen napping with him above.

Since he enjoys ripping stuffed toys to shreds, I beat him to the punch and pulled out every last bit of stuffing from this toy….now it’s flat as road kill and he has the best time dragging it around the house and even insists on taking it outside with him. Happy Birthday to our little fur-man. You were the best birthday present a girl could receive and you have brought such joy into our home.

Broken China Jewelry Workshop

I had such a fun day yesterday teaching my class on creating Broken China Jewelry!

I brought my favorite vintage basket along that was filled with an assortment of antique plates dating as far back as the late 1800’s. I have to say, that I have the loveliest students and it’s always a joy to spend time with creative women as we craft and learn together.

For those who are unable to take a workshop, my upcoming how-to book should be published by late summer/early fall. I’ve finished all the writing and instructions and I am just about ready to start the step-by-step photography. I’ll update the blog as the release date gets closer.

xo ~ Joy

JULY 2011 UPDATE: For all those reading this post - I no longer teach classes on how to solder or make broken china jewelry. The how to book mentioned in this post was to be a companion book to go along with my teachings. As my business keeps me VERY busy these days I decided not to complete the how-to book project which I was self-publishing. However, I was included in the book - Jewelry Upcycled by Sherri Haab and there are instruction there on how to solder and make broken china jewelry.

Studio Snaps

After I ship a few orders today, I’ll be playing in the studio to finish a number of new items for my website.

I’ll be putting the finishing touches on my new soldered charms Easter collection. I am really excited about the new designs this year since they have such a romantic and French feel.

I’ll also be getting prepared for my next workshop on Monday. I’ll be teaching a class on how to make broken china jewelry. I’ll also be cutting, shaping and soldering a number of broken china charms to finish off these bracelets…..

My latest batch of spoon bracelets is almost done!!! Just a few more steps and they will be ready for the website. Stay tuned to my blog for upcoming announcements on when these latest jewels are ready to find a new home. xo ~ Joy

Weekend Adventures

What fabulous fun I had with my sister this weekend! Our all-girl weekend included lots of shopping, girly movies, playing with jewelry and driving waterside along Tampa Bay with the top down on my convertible. It felt so good to finally have warmer weather here in Florida and to have the sun on our faces.

We were two women on a marathon shopping adventure… in a little Miata….. and that can be rather comical.

At one point, the trunk was packed full of vintage dishes and books and my sister was riding with a 5-foot vintage silver metal Christmas tree between her legs. Although the Miata is really small, with the top down, there is no limit as to how “tall” something can be. I am sure we were an interesting sight as we zipped around town…LOL….

The crown on our weekend was a visit to this exhibit…."Cut – Costume and the Cinema" … which included gorgeous period costumes that were worn in movies by Nicole Kidman, Keira Knightley, Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet and more. Click the Play Button to see a clip about the exhibit.

The workmanship on these costumes is simply amazing and if you have the opportunity to see this exhibit I am sure you will be impressed too.

It was hard leaving my sister at the airport yesterday and our visits always go by so fast. But I have some wonderful memories of our time together and I am looking forward to being back in the studio this week creating beautiful jewelry from the treasures we found together. xo ~ Joy

A Special Weekend….

Happy Friday! I hope you are looking forward to your weekend as much as I am! Today a dear sister is flying in from Chicago to spend a long girls weekend with me. We are looking forward to antique shopping, heading to the beach and a fun patio party with Lemon Drop martini’s and some Marie Antoinette crafting!

Isn’t this flower arrangement sweet? These are pretty grocery store roses that I placed in a favorite vintage blue Mason jar that I embellished with pieces of vintage lace and ribbon that came directly from a brocante in France. I also added a sparkling vintage earring for a little extra bling. A girl can never have too much bling don’t you think?

This welcoming arrangement is waiting in my guest room for my sister to enjoy while she is here with us. I hope your weekend plans include time with loved ones and a little something that adds a touch of beauty to your day. ~ xoxo ~ Joy

Broken China Shopping

Mr. Cupid and I just returned from a quick trip out to Kansas City to enjoy a visit with his family. While there, I always plan a few outings to antique stores to look for vintage china. I seem to have the best luck finding beautiful antique and vintage china pieces in the mid-west rather than here in Florida and I thought I would share some of my latest finds....

I recently came across these beautiful but damaged Wedgwood Flow Blue plates. I’ve had this pattern before but came across another stash just as my first stash ran dry…perfect timing….finding these was almost like winning the lotto! The flow blue on these plates is just beautiful and I love the pattern because of the rose detail and touches of original gold gilt. This pattern is circa late 1890’s

All the plates are damaged with chips around the edges and a couple are literally cracked in half. With this type of damage, you don’t want to eat off the plates due to the ruptured glazes and exposed pottery. And although I don’t mind displaying damaged dishes, true collectors generally reject these types of plates….which is good for me! This is where I get the thrill of taking damaged goods and making something new with them. If you don’t know about flow blue plates, just visit any antique store and you are sure to find at least a few.

A majority of flow blue china was made between the early 1800’s to just after the turn of the century. In the late 1700’s, Chinese porcelain was very popular but was a luxury item that only the very wealthy could afford. Soon English potters found a way to duplicate the look of Chinese porcelain at more reasonable prices.

Using newly developed transfer printing methods, they were able to engrave a design into a master plate which was painted, then using damp tissue paper which was pressed onto the design, they were able to “lift” the painted design and by pressing it onto a new plate, they could transfer or duplicate the design. The term “flow blue” refers to the pigments or glazes that were used to create the patterns. When fired, these pigments “flowed” into the porous earthenware and blurred during the glazing process. The most popular pieces were created using a dark shade of blue pigment.

The photo above is of the stash of antique and vintage plates I came home with on this trip. All of this was carefully packed in my carry-on bags and guarded with my life as we went through security and were jostled around as we boarded the plane. Talk about precious cargo! I did not want to let these sweet babies out of my sight! I can’t wait to start creating broken china jewelry using these treasures, so please stay tuned to this blog and I’ll post photos of my newest pieces when these beauties are ready to find a new home…. xo ~ Joy