If you happened to read my posts, A Mixed-Media Art Piece and Her Sisters, Vintage Jewelry Projects, and Vintage Jewelry Art - A Happy Accident, you have seen that I really love dressing up home decor pieces with vintage jewelry (is it overkill? Haha.)
This hobby of mine all started because I had amassed a collection of sparkly brooches and earrings from tag sales, flea markets, and estate sales. Once in a while I will wear a piece or two, but I'm not a very good fashion accessorizer. Honestly, my style runs pretty simple with an occasional necklace or a few bracelets. I don't even know 2 ways to tie a scarf - someone help me, please!
There is SO much beautiful antique jewelry "out there" that is homeless and really inexpensive. Since no one can wear that much of it, I have taken it upon myself to find different ways to use and appreciate it :) I have covered small Christmas trees with jewelry, embellished picture frames, decorative boxes, and made my daughter's bridal bouquet with it.
Lately, my favorite way to use those beauties is to add them to floral still life art. Here is the most recent project that I completed. 
This one is really special because of the butterfly. I stumbled upon this Fraternal Order of Eagles pin while out thrifting recently. Did any of you have parents who were, or are, members of FOE? I did, although I didn't know much about it back then. In fact, as a child, I thought it was some mystic secret society. Now I realize that it was no more mysterious than any other fraternal organization, much like the sorority I belonged to in college. But this pin is definitely a unique piece, and I was thrilled to have found it!
The art really spoke to me, probably because of the colors (green, black, gold...some of my favorites for decorating.) Also, I think it looks like one of the Old Masters and would blend so well in a collage or would really compliment many styles of decor - modern, traditional, transitional, boho...
The jewelry pieces add sparkle, dimension, and a lot of interest without distracting and overwhelming the art. To give it a little more oomph and to up the fun factor, I also added a kiwi green paint wash over the standard antiqued gold frame. The finished product is now available in my Etsy shop.
And for all of the people (like myself) who just can't pass up a sweet little piece of ballet art, here is a small plaque I picked up at the same estate sale where I found the still life. (It was either a good thrifting day, or I lost my head a bit, haha.) In its original state, it was painted plain gold and was slightly dated-looking, I thought. I opted to paint it rose gold to give a slight nod to ballet pink without going too saccharine.
Then, I added this gorgeous piece of multi-colored jewelry in shades of pink, ivory, and coral at her waist, and a single pink Swarovski crystal at her neckline. I resisted the temptation to embellish the stage curtains and/or the plaque's edge and decided that less is more here. Sometimes, exercising restraint produces the best results, don't you agree?
And, finally, another of my favorite projects has been the Animal Magnetism series. I mean, how can anyone resist all of the cute animal pins that women used to wear on their jacket lapels, coats, and hats? Well, I hit the jackpot recently and scored more fun pins, so I put together more magnets (also in the shop. Sorry this post is so full of self-promoting links! But, I do have lots of fun jewelry projects to share, wink, wink.)
And these - goat, kangaroo with baby, rooster, and greyhound, which aren't for sale because I made them specifically for my daughter for her birthday. Each one has a special little story or private joke connected to it. I definitely put extra effort into the hunt for these pins, because I wanted to find just the right ones for her. But half of the fun in creating is the thrill of the hunt, am I right Thrifting Friends?
Julie
Sharing with: Between Naps on the Porch, Amaze Me Monday, A Stroll Thru Life, Inspire Me Monday, The Scoop, Vintage Charm, French Country Cottage
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