Dearest
Letters from Nippon
Amen
If you have been to the last 2 shows I have done, you probably noticed my new game tile necklaces. I was a little hesitent at first (because of the popularity of Scrabble Tile pendants on Etsy), but decided what the hell! They were welcomed with a warm reception at First Friday (I nearly sold out!) They are really fun to make and very relaxing. And some of them are really like a piece of art you get to wear. There are a few that I am particularly fond of that I have used old letters from the 1920's as the background, as you can see in "Dearest" above. Also, "Letters from Nippon" contains a postage stamp and a page from a Japanese Novel. Amen is a piece from music from an old hymnal. You see, these pieces are one-of-a kind. (Click on any of the photos to go to the item in my Etsy Shop, if you like.)
Here's the story behind "Dearest" (and a couple of others that use the vintage letters):
Clayce had a very mysterious life. In the late 1940's she left Lancaster for a time and came back with a son. There was a lot of speculation regarding his father, but Clayce never told. Her life ended in sorrow.
Upon her son's death a few years after her own, there was a house full of disorganized memories left to no one. I acquired some of her precious memories because I was obsessively trying to learn about this mysterious woman and no one was left to investigate. With some of the memorbilia was a series of letters addressed to Clayce in the 1920's from a gentleman who was obviously smitten with her, although from what I could tell she wasn't as smitten with him....or perhaps she was just playing hard to get.
D E A R E S T is made with a piece of one of these letters. The letter is faded and worn. You can read "Dearest" on the top. There is a lovely photo of a woman layered on top.The pendant is finished off with a hard glaze that looks almost like glass.
Some of my domino pendants have been listed in my shop. (More will be added in the next couple of days) I plan on making more of these, as I really enjoy the process of making them. I also made a collage (for myself). I don't think I am done with it yet, but perhaps I will show it to you all when I am done. It is also made with one of Clayce's letters as well as some vintage photos and pieces of damaged vintage books.
I will also be adding Scrabble Tile Pendants. These aren't your average Scrabble Tile Pendants, as you can tell from this one in my shop.
I have a lot more to tell you about my excellent day today and my show yesterday, so check back in through the week for more blog posts!
Happy Father's Day!
