Finished and Mailed Pocketwatch Pendants

* Finished Pendants

* Mid-process

These were so much fun! I'm glad I had the chance to revive them and relieved they are on their way to their new owners. Now, back to my regularly scheduled program....

A Fairy Pocketwatch Commission

Did you know you can take an old pocketwatch casing and turn it into a miniature little world to wear as a pendant?

I've been making these for about 5 years but stopped last fall because, as you can imagine, I got distracted by other ideas and projects. I do offer a tutorial on Etsy, but last week I received an Alchamy request for two pendants, so I brought out my supplies and got to work!

First I had to purchase two casings on Etsy. I bought these from Kimagure. They have to have an open front that is removable. I'd prefer to find some with the bezel still intact, but those are rare. Not to worry, I will create a custom fit faux bezel when I am finished creating the diorama inside the case.

The casings must be thuroughly cleaned with rubbing alcohol before adding anything to the surface of the metal. Adding a patina of faux wear spots that expose the copper base and then a layer of faux verdigris really brings a lot of charm to the casings, contributing to the illusion that they are really old and forgotten.

As those dried, I went through my collection of vintage images and chose some little girls and wings to print out. These two spoke to me so I carefully trimmed them out with precision. Then I chose background pieces and embellishments from my stash....

There is so much more to do, but I'll be sure to post the finished pieces when they are done in a day or two. In the mean time, if you'd like to learn how to make your own, I still offer the tutorial in my Etsy store along with a page or two of vintage images to work with!

Statement Necklaces have Lead to Learning about Organza Flowers

Along my journey in discovering how to make bib necklaces, I stumbled upon a hot new trend that captured my imagination and work space. Organza flowers.... so I have been perfecting my technique by practicing, experimenting and purchasing tutorials here and there. What a fantastic edition to all the other embellishments used to make jewelry! I've seen them used as brooches, hair clips and combs, even on little rings. They're also beautiful on sweaters, scarves and shoe clips.