Wednesday, January 28, 2009

My Favorite Necklace



About six or so years I found a little antique locket at a mall antique store. Not my usual haunt for unique jewelry, but it was too beautiful to resist. It was a glass locket that twisted open, so I could add a photo or two and they would be visible when I was wearing it. It didn't look much like a locket - more like a pendant where the image was trapped inside glass. My boyfriend bought the necklace for me, and I added a rose from the rose incense on one side, and a picture of my kitty on the other side. I strung it on a multi-strand sterling chain that had been sitting in my jewelry chest for years, but I rarely wore. They were the perfect combination. I wore the necklace every day.




I have recently been thinking about trying my hand in jewelry - I am really interested by the prospect of combining silver and leather. My friend Andes sent some catalogs to me so I could find some silver pieces to inlay leather into. What I found I couldn't have been more pleased with - little glass lockets, just like the one that I still have (and love). They also had a multi-strand sterling chain, similar to the one that I put my locket on. I immediately knew what to do - I had to make some leather pieces for the lockets. Thinking of Valentines day, I started with a sacred heart, and three others. Here is the Charger pattern piece:




This is another one - in the Jasmine pattern with a tiny hummingbird:




I will have more listed in my Etsy shop this week -- there is a round sugar skull necklace and a round one with an owl. I'm presently working on the square lockets, but need to give my eyes a break from all of the tiny work! There are a few other inlay pieces coming, including rings and a bracelet, that I'm quite excited to share!
Best,
Caitlin