Behind the scenes at Victoria Camp Designs – Fab.com sale wrap up!

Oh my – I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since my sale with Fab.com!

When my sale started, I’d created half of the available inventory up front so that it would be ready-to-ship upon purchase, and the other half was made-to-order.  I was able to send my first big shipment the day after my sale ended, and sent the second shipment less than a week later. As of early last week, all of the merchandise has been received at their warehouse, which means it should be in most customers’ hands by now! Hooray!

It’s sort of funny that no matter how much prep work you do,  once the sale starts, it’s still a (happy) whirlwind! I thought it might be nice to share a few ‘behind the scenes’ photos from my sale event with you..

LOTS of vintage lockets..

 

I took the above photo before I got started. I used almost all of these lockets for my sale. Doesn’t it look so daunting?! I spent a an entire month preparing the inventory for my sale, before it went live.

 

Prepping large heart lockets and tiny constellation lockets for the Fab.com sale!

 

Work in progress photo above, with a collection of large map heart lockets towards the front, and tiny constellation lockets amassing in the back…

 

Orion constellation lockets

 

An army of Orion’s.. I painted each constellation type in groups. There were 14 all together – the 12 zodiac constellations, plus Orion and Ursa Major (Big Dipper.)

 

First shipment ready to go!

 

My sale event was 3 days long, and I could hardly sleep the night before it started; I was so excited! I joked with my mom (who lives 3,000 miles away) that I spent all 3 days just staring at my computer, watching the ‘sold items’ number increase. She would routinely check in with me by email, asking, “What’s the current number?” We both got a kick out of watching the little red “sold out” flag appear on the item styles.

The morning after the sale ended, I had the final item numbers and could begin gathering all of the ready-to-ship pieces for the first warehouse shipment! At this point, I was feeling pretty thankful that I had already packaged and labeled each item individually. It saved a LOT of time later on.. time which I now needed to finish up the made-to-order items! The box for the first shipment was so large, I just had to take a photo of it next to my “floor manager,” Butters, for comparison. I think he was disappointed that the box did not contain any treats for him. Sorry, Butters!

 

Tiny Initial Notebook Locket Necklaces in progress..

 

Once the first shipment was on it’s way to Fab, I resumed work on the items for the second shipment. The first designs I needed to get started on were the Tiny Initial Notebook Locket Necklaces, since the finish on them needed adequate drying time before heading off to the customers.  The above photo is one of my favorites, because you can see all the various letters in the font design – so much fun! (I offer these in two different fonts, and with one or two letters, on my website.)

 

Small heart map locket necklaces in progress..

 

The second item style I needed to complete were the small heart map locket necklaces. I offered 15 different cities for the sale event, and made sure to double and triple check the quantity of each city that sold. The most popular cities were Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New Orleans. (The first two didn’t surprise me – although the third one did!) San Francisco has always been one of the popular locations. Can’t say I blame you guys, as I do live in the Bay Area myself!

 

Another view of the small heart map lockets..

 

An overhead view..I still can’t get over this! I’ve never seen so many map lockets on my table at one time! This photo didn’t even include the lockets that I’d completed earlier. Crazy.

 

Second Fab shipment..

 

Five days later, and the second (and final) shipment is ready to go! *whew!*

I spent the week after the sale trying to relax a little bit, and working on custom orders. This week I am back to what is a little more “normal,” and have finally had some time to work on new designs.

Hope everyone is having a great March!

Victoria Camp Designs on Fab.com! – Constellation Jewelry, Map Jewelry and more

I promised you last weekend that I would come back here and tell you the fun news this weekend..

Well, here it is – I’m having a sale event on Fab.com!

It’s a 3-day sale, and I’m offering my Hand Painted Tiny Constellation Locket Necklaces, my Personalized Initial Notebook Locket Necklaces, and a variety of small and large Antique Map Heart Locket Necklaces. Go check out the sale here: http://fab.com/sale/18016

The sale runs until 8amPST on Wednesday morning, but I expect some styles may sell out before then.

One of my favorites, and a highly popular item – the California Map Heart Locket, is also included in the sale. You can find that one here: http://fab.com/sale/18016/product/339689/

Please keep in mind that I think the links will only be active until the sale ends. I’ll try to remember to update this page after it’s over so no one is confused.

Happy Weekend! :)

The Inner Workings of Wintertime..

My oh my.. I seem to have lost track of not only the entire month of January, but half of February as well!

February in the Bay Area is one of my absolute favorite seasons. I find this amusing, because February used to be the month I absolutely despised back in New England. (Gloomy, dark, dreary, muddy snow, snowstorms and just plain cold weather. Need I go on?!) Ah, but February here in California…quite the different story! We have nights that are cool but not freezing; days that are warm and sunny but not too hot; the occasional rain shower; springtime birds singing morning songs, and least I not forget – spring blooms! The trees in my neighborhood start blooming and it makes my heart happy.

This one is right outside my window..

I also like to pretend that my allergies do not exist during this favorite time of year. I’m living a lie, but what can I say? It’s worth it.

 

In these past 6 weeks of the new year, I haven’t been idle.. far from it, in fact. You see, the “slower” months of my business are used to prep inventory (for upcoming events, stock, and otherwise,) work on new designs, and work on business maintenance – you know, all the ‘boring’ stuff that needs to be done, such as taxes, website updates, and such.

For example, I’ve been working on a big (in terms of my usual scale) project, which I can tell you all about next weekend. It involves lots and lots of product-making. Here’s a glimpse of what my work table looked like at one point in time..

 

I’ve also been taking some..okay, a LOT..of time to completely re-vamp my domain website, http://www.victoriacamp.com. When I started my site a few years back, it was originally intended to be more of a ‘portfolio’ type of site. Since then, I expanded it to include some items for sale. Fast forward to today, and the future, and it really didn’t leave me a lot of room for growth. With that being said, I now have a fancy schmancy new “shopping cart” function on my site, as well as a mobile version. Hooray! I’m excited. It’s not entirely finished – I still have quite a few items to add – but the layout is done and there are some items up. Here’s a peek..

Victoria Camp Designs site preview

It’s absolutely up and running, so feel free to check it out as-is, and keep in mind I’ll be adding more inventory later on.

 

Speaking of adding inventory, I did add one new product last night! I have a fun new design; a working compass necklace, with the constellation of your choice! (All 12 zodiac constellations area available, plus Orion, Ursa Major, and Ursa Major/Ursa Minor.) The graphic on the back was designed by me. The compass is made of brass and really does work! They hang from a long brass chain, so you are free to play around with it while you’re wearing it.

The example above shows the constellation Orion. (One of my personal favorites.)

Here you can see it with the 32″ length. (Recommended.) You can also order it a little longer or shorter if you prefer. This necklace is available to order right here: http://www.victoriacamp.com/Personalized-Zodiac-Constellation-Compass-Necklace-p/constellationcompass.htm

 

Alright, time to get back to work. I’ll be back to update next weekend!

Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows and a Gift Packaging Template

It’s that time of year – peppermint season!

Okay..peppermint can be enjoyed year-round, but I personally associate it with wintertime. I’ve been so busy with work (for which I am grateful!) that I haven’t had much time to enjoy many holiday festivities, baking and candy making included.

The very first thing on my to-make list when I had a spare moment was marshmallows. Not just any marshmallows – peppermint marshmallows!

If you haven’t tried your hand at homemade marshmallows, have no fear; they’re incredibly easy to make. The hardest part is the waiting! Last year I made regular vanilla marshmallows, and thought I would switch it up with peppermint. (Oh – I also made some pumpkin ones in October! Those were equally amazing!) I made a batch of these peppermint ones the other day, and shipped most of them off to various parts of the country as part of my Christmas packages to family and friends, but did keep a few to enjoy here at home.

.. and as expected, they’re absolutely delicious in hot chocolate!

For whatever reason, inspiration struck when I was packaging these for gifts. I made some labels for the packages, and found some adorable red and white striped ribbon in my supply stash.

It’s not too late to whip up a batch of these yourself for some last minute holiday gifts! To save some time, I thought that you might like to use these labels too..

You can right-click and save the above image (a .jpg) and print it as you wish, but I also made a high-res .pdf file that you can download and print (it has 6 labels per page.) Click the link to view and save or print the file: http://victoriacamp.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/peppermintmarshmallows-printout.pdf

And last but not least, here’s the recipe I used:

Homemade Marshmallows

Bon Appétit  | July 2008

by Molly Wizenberg

Ingredients:

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 cup cold water, divided
• 3 1/4-ounce envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (for the peppermint version, I used 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 tsp peppermint extract.)
• * Optional: 2-3 drops red food coloring
• 1/2 cup potato starch**
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar**

** I use cornstarch.. I also use about 1/4 cup cornstarch and 1/4 cup powdered sugar. It’s PLENTY!

Directions:

Line 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with foil.

Coat foil lightly with nonstick spray. Pour 1/2 cup cold water into bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until gelatin softens and absorbs water, at least 15 minutes.

Combine 2 cups sugar, corn syrup, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup cold water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over mediumlow heat until sugar dissolves, brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat and bring syrup to boil. Boil, without stirring, until syrup reaches 240°F, about 8 minutes.

With mixer running at low speed, slowly pour hot syrup into gelatin mixture in thin stream down side of bowl (avoid pouring syrup onto whisk, as it may splash). Gradually increase speed to high and beat until mixture is very thick and stiff, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla and beat to blend, about 30 seconds longer.

*Optional: I added a couple of drops of red food coloring and gently stirred it into the marshmallows to create a light pink ‘swirl’ effect.

Scrape marshmallow mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top with wet spatula. Let stand uncovered at room temperature until firm, about 4 hours.

Stir potato starch and powdered sugar in small bowl to blend. Sift generous dusting of starch-sugar mixture onto work surface, forming rectangle slightly larger than 13×9 inches. Turn marshmallow slab out onto starch-sugar mixture; peel off foil. Sift more starch-sugar mixture over marshmallow slab. Coat large sharp knife (or cookie cutters) with nonstick spray. Cut marshmallows into squares or other shapes. Toss each in remaining starch-sugar mixture to coat. Transfer marshmallows to rack, shaking off excess mixture.

 

Enjoy!

A Glimpse into my Product Packaging Process..

One of the perks about shopping handmade is that there is a real person behind the item you’re purchasing. There is thought, love, care, and attention within each carefully crafted item, not to mention a unique product that you wouldn’t find at a mass retailer.

For many of us that sell handmade goods, the fun doesn’t stop as soon as we’ve finished creating the item – there’s still the joy that arrives when the item is purchased and sent to a new home somewhere across the country – or globe!

 

 

As an independent designer and “one woman show,” as its often referred to, I tend to get a little excited packaging my jewelry. I want my customers to be delighted, and think of each package as a gift (even if the customer is buying it for themselves!) My packaging has somewhat morphed from when I first began selling online, and I expect that it will continue to evolve as time goes on.

 

As the real person behind this business, I wanted to share with you a glimpse into my packaging routine.

 

My very first step is to set aside each item that is ready to ship. I keep my inventory well organized, so it’s quick and easy to find the items that need to be mailed. If I am sending out custom orders,  I also move them to the ‘completion table’ here when they are finished.

The next step is really a multiple step process. I put out the “care instruction” cards for each applicable item, and affix a little decoration to the box when available, (in this case, I attach a map cut-out for the map jewelry, and a constellation map cut-out for the constellation jewelry.) Once those materials are prepped, I package up the jewelry and put it into a bubble mailer with the recipient’s name on it; this helps keep everything organized so that the customer does not receive the wrong item! Each box includes a business card with a quick note written on the back, and a satin ribbon tied around it.

This is my Floor Manager, Butters. (Get it? Har har..) His responsibilities include chasing after runaway beads (don’t worry, he’s not interested in eating them,) greeting the mailman, and making sure I remember to take scheduled breaks and pay him some attention. He gets paid in belly rubs and squeaky toys.

Once all of the boxes are tucked safely inside their respective bubble mailer (these ones are biodegradable!,) I print out all of the shipping labels and attach them to the packages. It’s somewhat of a matching game, especially when I have a large shipment. When the labels are printed, each customer receives an email notification that their package has shipped.

And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed a little behind-the-scenes view of what’s involved after you place your order.

 

Cyber Monday Holiday Jewelry Sale at Victoria Camp Designs

Sort of a “drive-by” post today! This image says it best..

That’s right, I’m having a holiday sale! You can purchase items in my shop on Etsy, or through my website. On Etsy, enter the coupon code in the “coupons” box in the checkout screen. On my website, write the coupon code in the “add note to seller” box in the checkout process, and I’ll refund the discount to you. This will be my ONLY sale for the holidays, so if there’s something you wanted, now is the time to purchase with a discount. The sale ends Monday, November 26th at midnight.

Despite the photograph, the sale is not just on map jewelry, of course! The discount applies to any item, with the exception of Gift Certificates.  I have two coupon codes for you to use:
Buy 1 item: Get 10% off when you enter the coupon code 10OFFONE in the checkout screen.

Buy 2 or more items: Get 20% off when you enter the coupon code 20OFFTWO in the checkout screen.

 

Yes, this sale applies to bridal/special occasion jewelry as well!

One more piece of news – I hadn’t gotten a chance to post this earlier, but my hand painted tiny constellation locket necklaces are in Etsy’s holiday gift guide: Editor’s Picks: Personalized Gifts. I took a screen capture from the website:

Pretty awesome, right?

You can order your own constellation locket through my website: http://www.victoriacamp.com/jewelry-necklaces.html I currently (as of Nov. 25th) have at least one of each constellation made and ready to ship, so the turnaround time isn’t quite as long as stated at this moment.

Time to get back to work .. enjoy the rest of the weekend!

Butters in his Professor Chaos dog costume

I’ve never been good at coming up with names for pets. My first cat’s name was Shadow. She was all black. (Really original, no?) Most other animals in my life have been named by friends or other family members.

When we adopted our dog, we were told that his name was Butters, and he’d had brothers (already adopted) named Kyle and Stan. Having watched many episodes of South Park since it’s inception, we knew that we had to keep the name! Well, come to find out, the name really is quite fitting for this dog. Akin to South Park’s Butters, he really is the sweetest dog, albeit sort of naive, but goodhearted and always eager to please.

Anyway, one day Butters (from the show) grew tired of being a people-pleaser, always doing the right thing, helping everybody.. thus one night, his alter ego was born: Professor Chaos. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Professor_Chaos and/or http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/153471/professor-chaos-is-born) Complete with a tin-foil hat and gloves, and a green cape made from an old t-shirt, he vowed to rein chaos on every path he crossed!

I decided that our Butters needed a new Halloween costume, and Professor Chaos was the obvious choice.

 

 

Yup, he knows he’s adorable.

This outfit has really been a work in progress for the past few weeks. I made the helmet in September. It’s formed out of paperboard, covered in masking tape (scrunched up to look wrinkled) and then spray painted silver. There’s a thin clear elastic underneath to help hold it in place on his head, but it is still pretty loose.

I draped fabric over him and marked it to make a general template (a dog bodice pattern, if you will..) He’s kind of an awkwardly shaped dog.. large rib cage, short stubby legs! The armholes are actually a bit too big on the shirt, but you don’t notice when the outfit is all together. His blue top is jersey knit fabric. I sewed his cape out of dark green flannel, and it closes with a large piece of velcro along the side of the neck.  I sewed his booties out of plain gray cotton woven fabric, added more masking tape to the front, and then spray painted the front. I didn’t want to make it too thick or all the way around the foot, otherwise he couldn’t bend them to walk!

The button/chain detail was pretty fun to make.  I made the large gray buttons out of polymer clay, and affixed a pin back to each one. I also included a hole/connecting piece on the back of each one, to attach the silver chain. This piece actually came in handy, because I was able to pin the top edge of the shirt and the bottom edge of the cape together, so they would stay in place!

When all is said and done, I suppose I could have used aluminum foil for the helmet, but I was worried about it being too heavy – and quite frankly, I just didn’t want it that shiny!

Here’s a comparison of the two. What do you think?

Butters got some treats during the photoshoot for his excellent behavior, and a rawhide chew as a reward when we were through. He’s such a good dog!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Pecan Streusel

I love pumpkin! (Unless it’s in pie, that is.) Pumpkin whoopie pies, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheesecake, and even pumpkin marshmallows, but pumpkin pie? Blech. No thanks. You can keep it!

 

Once July rolls around, I start thinking about fall, and pumpkin recipes. I saved this one on Pinterest a while ago, and have already made it twice this season. Actually, the first time was probably in July. Or maybe August. Either way, Fall was not on most people’s minds, but I needed a pumpkin fix. The recipe was amazing, and we ate the entire thing before I had time to take a few photos.

 

Naturally, I wanted this recipe documented here, so what better excuse to make it yet again?

 

I have a tendency to make slight modifications to my baked goods. The first time I made this, I used half whole wheat flour, and half white flour. The second time, I was out of whole wheat flour so I just used all white flour, and used pecans in the streusel topping instead of walnuts. I also used vegetable oil instead of butter for the cake part, both times. (Butter for the topping, of course!)

 

 

Honestly, this recipe is super easy. I make a half batch, which fills up a single 8 or 9-inch cake pan. Plenty for two people. Or more, if you like sharing.

 

 

I had to include my favorite Pumpkin Jar in this shot. Isn’t it adorable? I never put anything inside of it, because I can’t decide on what. It’s handmade by Bauman Stoneware. (Their Etsy shop looks pretty much sold out at the moment, but you can click on their sold items page to see more of their amazing designs. I want one of their fabulous teapots!)

 

 

Onto the recipe! I originally found it posted on the blog Not So Humble Pie, who made theirs with a icing glaze.

 

Pumpkin Coffee Cake
From Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms
1/2 cup butter, softened (*I substituted equal amounts vegetable oil.)
1 1/2 cups sugar
15 oz can pumpkin
3 large eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Streusel Topping:
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (*I used pecans this time.)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the inside of a tube or bundt pan with nonstick spray; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended. Add the pumpkin and eggs and mix thoroughly. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture. Mix on medium speed until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Prepare the streusel topping: In a small bowl combine the flour, sugars, cinnamon, melted butter and walnuts. Sprinkle the streusel over the cake batter. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes. Slide a knife around the pan so the cake doesn’t stick when removing it. Invert the cake onto a plate. Then invert the cake onto another plate, so that the streusel is on the top. Cool completely. Cover and store at room temperature.

(For two round cakes: coat two 8-inch rounds with non-stick spray and place a circle of parchment in the bottom. Divide the batter between the two pans, top with the streusel (x3) and bake for approximately 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.)

 

*As also mentioned, I made half of this recipe, in an 8-inch cake pan. (Or maybe it was 9-inches? I can’t remember offhand.) I baked it for 30 minutes.

 

Enjoy!

Banana Oat Dog Cupcakes – Butters on the KOFY TV Dog Election Campaign Trail!

I’m not entirely sure how I’ve managed to maintain this blog for over a year and never mention our pup, Butters, given that he’s a constant source of entertainment around our home! Butters was a foster dog that we adopted in the summer of 2008; to our best guess, a Jack Russell Terrier/Dachshund mix…and quite possibly the sweetest dog I’ve ever known.

Butters loves nothing more than laying in the sunshine, and accompanying us wherever possible – hiking, in particular. (Although he’s just as happy being a beach bum, laying on a blanket with us by the ocean…or on the couch watching tv!)

Butters – whether he is aware or not – is entered into a “Dog Mayor Election” hosted by our local tv station, KOFY TV. KOFY considers themselves a dog-friendly station; they have “Dog IDs” that they air during commercial breaks.. short clips of dogs sitting in a studio set that looks like a living room..with a blurb at the bottom displaying the name of the dog, and what city they live in.

When I saw that they were having a dog election, obviously I had to enter Butters! Each dog at the audition had their Dog ID filmed for television as well, so regardless of who wins, we can still see Butters on tv at some point!

Butters and I on the KOFY TV Election set!

In the spirit of the dog election, I made some “campaign” photos!

The way the competition works is that each dog is a contestant for the county they live in. Everyone votes for their favorite dog until the end of the month. The top 3 dogs from each county move on to the next round of voting, and stop by the studio for an interview. Voting for that round is in October. The final winners from each county are featured in the KOFY TV Dog Calendar.  Pretty adorable, right? If you want to vote for Butters (you can vote once per day) please go here to register and vote: http://kofyclub.upickem.net/r/33U6b53NmY7?r=274427

Since Butters has been such a good sport, I decided to make him some dog-friendly cupcakes just for him!

Campaign themed, naturally.

“Can I eat this?”

.. it was inevitable.. he crashed my photo shoot! Post-photo, I took out the decoration and removed the wrapper for him, so he could dig in.

Here’s some photos of the process…

Mixing the batter.

Ready to go into the oven.

Ready for frosting!

Here’s the recipes I used, with slight modifications:

Three Dog Bakery Banana Honey Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups water
2 bananas
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 egg
2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 350°F In a bowl combine water, bananas, vanilla, egg and honey. Then add whole wheat flour and baking powder. Mix well.
2 Pour mixture into a 8-inch cake pan sprayed with a nonstick spray.
3 Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out dry.

(I used half of the recipe, which made 8 cupcakes using silicon molds. I also replaced 1/4 C of the flour with oats. I then baked them for 20 minutes, which seemed just right. I think they would have been fine at 17 mins. as well.)

—-

Banana Dog Friendly Frosting

Ingredients:

2 cups mashed banana
1 tablespoons softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons flour

Directions: Mix until combined. (I substituted 2TB of peanut butter, instead of the butter, and omitted the vanilla extract.)

The Upcycled Collection – Wedding and Special Occasion Statement Necklaces

One of my latest collections has been brewing in my mind for quite some time.

 

I’m sure most of us are at least vaguely aware of the wastefulness that occurs in today’s society, but it’s probably not something that is given too much thought on a daily basis. As a jewelry designer, I see “wasted” product every day that I work. Paper scraps from map cut-outs. Wire clippings from metalwork. Short segments of chain from a previously broken strand. It happens. I recycle as much of it as I possibly can, but in the back of my mind I knew that there is so much jewelry that’s tossed out, destined for the landfill without a second chance.

 

This got me thinking. Instead of continuously buying new materials, what else could I do?

 

Well, for starters,  I use vintage materials whenever I can. If I can re-purpose something that’s already been in existence for decades rather than buying brand new, then I do it. I’ve actually been doing that for a long time, but I felt like I needed to do something more.. challenging.

 

And thus, the Upcycled Collection was born!

 

Multi Strand Statement Wedding Necklace, Vintage Flower Brooch

 

To design this collection, I’ve spent many hours sourcing the perfect components: vintage brooches, beads and baubles; broken necklaces and bracelets destined for the landfill; strands of vintage pearls, chains and beads that need a little TLC..

 

Layered Chain and Pearl Wedding Necklace, Vintage Green Flower Brooch

 

The purpose of this collection was to utilize as many old/vintage components as possible without buying anything new. Now, I do have to use some newer pieces – such as jump-rings, beading wire, and other small (but essential) pieces to hold everything together – but the bulk of the designs are composed of vintage and re-purposed parts. Many of the parts I had were broken necklaces, half-length strands of chain that had broken in the middle, vintage pearl strands that weren’t all pretty. (Of course, I didn’t use any of the ones that couldn’t be made presentable with a good cleaning.)

 

In the necklace below, for example, I had four jumbo metal chain links that had been removed from an old broken necklace. These links were still in good usable condition, and were a great accent to this statement piece!

 

Multi Strand Statement Wedding Necklace, Vintage Flower Brooch

 

The next design also contains of my FAVORITE vintage brooches! This color orange is so unusual.. not quite orange, not quite salmon.. but something inbetween. You’ll notice the center of the daisy is composed of teeny tiny orange and yellow flowers, with orange rhinestone centers. Beautiful!

 

Multi Strand Statement Wedding Necklace, Vintage Orange Flower Brooch

 

Multi Strand Statement Wedding Necklace, Vintage Orange Flower Brooch

 

The vintage brooches in the majority of these designs are removable. I think they look fantastic on the necklace and really add the “oomph” factor, but they’re too pretty to remain static.. they are pinned in place, and can be taken off if you want to wear just the brooch and make a more subtle statement.

 

I’ll admit.. it’s been a little difficult to let some of these go. (Such as the PHENOMENAL vintage brooch in the first photo – gold filigree flowers with white enamel, blue and clear rhinestones.. that piece still had its original tags on it when I found it!) Not to mention this Coro brooch; I have a weakness for Coro brooches. Perhaps it’s the rhinestones. This brooch isn’t in perfect condition, but really adds a delicate femininity to the pearl necklace (all vintage pearl strands.) It needed a little TLC first, including a replacement of the center rhinestone. Still one of my favorite pieces, regardless.

Layered Pearl Wedding Necklace, Vintage Rhinestone Flower Brooch

 

 

I also made a couple of longer statement pieces that could be worn on everyday occasions, such as a day at the office or a day out with your friends. If you’re a more dramatic bride, you could wear them on your wedding day! The brooches are not removable on these two designs.

 

Long Layered Gold Chain Necklace, Gold Flower, Dramatic, Multi Layer

 

Long Layered Silver Chain Pearl Necklace, Vintage Aqua Flower Brooch

 

I may add a couple more pieces to the collection later on, but these are the designs currently available. Each necklace is absolutely one of a kind. If you click on any picture, it will take you to the item listing.

 

Feel free to share your thoughts!