Vintage Lace, Cigars and Dick & Jane…

What a combination! But that’s what I’ve been working on this week and I wanted to let you know about the new soldered charm bracelets I added to my website. First up…. do you remember learning to read with Dick and Jane books? I sure do…..

These fun bracelets have been a popular custom order design for Cupids Charm. I rarely have one for sale on the website but I made one as a custom order last week and decided to make two… one for my customer and one for the website.

They are really popular with teachers and those of us who remember reading from them in school.

I love wearing mine. It’s so much fun to wear and it’s like wearing a happy childhood memory around your wrist. I get so many compliments when I wear this jewelry.

It really does not fit the romantic style jewelry on my website that I try to focus on, which is why I don’t typically list them… but I think it really compliments the vintage and sentimental side of Cupids Charm. I have one in stock and it’s ready to ship, so if you have an interest, please click HERE to see more info.

I also created a darling Cigar Label Vintage Art Charm Bracelet to match the necklaces I listed earlier this week.

This is a really sweet bracelet and I also have one in stock and ready to ship. If you like this one, you can click HERE.

I also created a beautiful Vintage Lace Charm Bracelet. Each charm has a different piece of vintage French lace and there are silver heart charms, crystals and pearls mixed in with the lace. It’s such a romantic bracelet and it’s just gorgeous in person. You can click HERE for more info on this bracelet.

Hope your weekend is filled with beauty and romance! Merci ~ xoxo Joy

Halloween Romance!

Just listed in my shop…. Bewitching Beauties for Halloween Romance!

Soldered Charm Necklaces with ethereal images of romantic beauties that have been altered to create a soft and romantic side for the witching season. Witch hats, capes and brooms bedecked with roses and glitter! Oh My!

They will only cast spells to add a beauty and romance to all your October celebrations.



Come meet the girls…. now in stock and ready to fly to your home!

Halloween Romance Soldered Charms

~ Merci ~ xoxo Joy

New Charms! Vintage Cigar Label Art

Have you ever noticed the beautiful graphics on vintage cigar box labels? On rare occasions, Mr. Cupid will enjoy a cigar and one day while waiting for him to make his selection in a cigar shop, I couldn’t help but become enchanted with some of the romantic images I noticed advertising various cigars.

When I came across vintage cigar advertising art with Marie Antoinette, I knew I had to create a few soldered charms for the website. I never would have guessed that you could find images of Marie Antoinette in a cigar shop!

So here they are…fun glittered charms on chunky silver chains….

I think the backs of the charms are fun too. I came across a box of unused vintage cigar label bands that I thought would be great to add to the back of the charms.

Each charm has an original numbered paper scrap back from a circa 1917 store receipt book with an original vintage cigar band layered on top. Using these original vintage elements makes each charm one-of-a-kind and I hope you’ll find them as much fun as I do.

I’ve listed 6, one-of-a-kind charm necklaces on the website today, so please click HERE if you would like to come visit. Merci ~xo Joy

Posh on Palm

This week I went on a road trip and was very excited to finally visit Posh on Palm in Sarasota, Florida. Posh is owned by Susie and Mark Holt and they have created a charming beachside boutique that is oooozing with timeless charm.

They had me before “Hello” when I saw this to-die-for mannequin peeping through the store window as we walked up. She would be sooo perfect in my studio….sigh…..

She also had several sisters in the store, each in a custom made dress created with only vintage fabric and lace.....so very Marie Antoinette!

As luck would have it, both Susie and Mark were there to give us a warm welcome when we entered their shop. I introduced myself to Susie and as we chatted, we found that we had so many friends in common through blogging and the world of magazine publishing.

But I was finding it hard to communicate with her because my jaw was on the floor and my eyes were darting about like a mad woman while we talked. And I swear…I literally heard her shop calling to me….Joy, over here….no….over here….quick, hurry here…… Just look at the dreamy vintage French sofa and cream satin pillows with rhinestone brooches...and the French metal heart...and the CUPID!!! See what I mean? Everything was shouting "Joy buy ME".

And just look at this sweet lampshade made with a slip of lace. Thank goodness Mr. Cupid and Mark struck up a conversation about historic preservation and planning. I was very grateful that Mark kept him distracted, uughhmm, I mean busy, while I shopped.

Of course, everything I fell in love with was over 10 feet tall or 7 feet wide and since we were in my Miata on the way down the coast, shopping had it limitations. But not to worry, I did manage to squeeze in a bag.

Posh is filled to the brim with elegant repurposed and recycled treasures all found within the whitewashed walls and original tin ceilings dripping with antique French chandeliers.

I have followed Susie and Mark for years through the pages of Romantic Homes and Victoria magazines, just to name a few and it was such an honor to finally meet these two creative and kind souls. They were both so charming and really made our visit feel extra special.

If you ever are in the area, you must stop by for a visit because I know you will be as charmed by Posh and also with Susie and Mark as we were.

Posh on Palm
33 S. Palm Avenue
Sarasota, Florida
(941) 954-7674

Jeweled Ornaments

I’m always looking for creative things to do with leftover broken jewelry pieces. I’ve used pieces on everything from plain boxes, picture frames and notebook covers, just to name a few. This week I experimented with adding a touch of sparkle to soldered ornaments.

…and what better subject matter to embellish with sparkle than images of Marie Antoinette!

I layered a portrait image over French script and then layered on the roses and added extra touches of sparkle with German glass glitter.

Then I added broken rhinestone jewelry pieces, vintage chandelier crystals, vintage pearls and Swarovski crystals. I think they turned out really sweet and these two are decorating my studio. While I was at it, I made a couple of extra ones and mailed two as a surprise gifts for two dear blogging friends (you know who you are!!!)

I don’t think I will be adding these to my line, but it was fun to create something just for the sake of creating something and not just for selling. Creating for yourself seems to recharge your batteries. I hope you like the ornaments and are inspired to create something just for you too. ~ xo Joy

Headin’ to Texas!!!

We just made final plans this week to attend Texas Antique Weekend!

Love this vintage pic of the cowgirl in front of the Jones store… must be a sign that I need to go to Texas! I know I feel a kinship with the girls in Texas. I sell more jewelry and ship more orders to Texas than any other state, by far.


We are looking forward to catching the shows in Round Top, Warrenton and several other small towns. And I can’t wait to stop by Zapp Hall and here…

It will also be fun to catch up with the girls from Magnolia Pearl…





…and the Gypsyville girls at Junk Gypsy

I am excited to shop these shows for small treasures that can be incorporated into my jewelry. It’s funny as I travel around the country and visit different flea markets and antique shops, the differences you find between different areas of the country. I am hoping for good antique hunting Ju-Ju when I try the shows in Texas and at the very least, it sure looks like a lot of fun to me! ~ xo Joy

Sparkling New Earring Collection!

I’ve had soooo much fun this week playing with gorgeous vintage and Swarovski crystals! And here is the result…my new jewelry collection – Chateau Bijoux – all inspired by my love for all things French….

Photo Credit: Sony Pictures, Marie Antoinette

This is going to be a growing collection and I will be adding more pieces as I go along. Right now I am loving these pretty gold findings…very Versailles to me!

Photo Credit: Versailles, Jean-Marie Perouse de Montelos

The earrings above are photographed against a photo of Marie Antoinette’s bathroom wall at Versailles. Don’t they look right at home?

Here are just a few of the earrings I created using these French inspired elements…..

Don’t you think any one of these pretty cotton-candy colored earrings would be right at home at one of Marie’s fancy balls?

I am a girl who does not feel cute and dressed until I have a pair of sparkly earrings on. These beauties are just as sweet with a favorite pair of blue jeans as they are with a pretty holiday party dress. I wear them everywhere and I say “who says you can’t be sparkly when you grocery shop or wash dishes”? If you would like to see more of my newest collection, please click HERE to come visit! Merci ~ xo Joy