You Tell Me

Sometimes I'm really lucky and friends send me old charms or lovely metal finds, to see if I can take a mold off them to cast some new pieces in pewter from the old ones. I love it when that happens, I can help out a friend who has a special object they want to save but make it possible for them to use the pretty pattern in their designs, too.

When I have the originals I like to think about how to add to them or enhance them, sometimes with a little place for setting some rhinestone BLING and sometimes by combining two things together, to make a pewter charm collage.

This pretty little basket of flowers charm was sent to me by Deryn Mentock, along with some special buttons saved from Galveston. She's written about them on her blog, and I'm thrilled she is letting me see if I can save and restore their designs.

I wanted to make something special with this basket of flowers charm, so I combined it with a decorative medallion I had already cast and it came out as this three-cornered charm, I think it has a real Victorian look to it. It's surprisingly very lightweight!

Sometimes I take the charms and add loops to make them into connectors, or centerpieces for rosary strands. To add my own touch to them, and help make them useable - and unique.

I also made this little charm that I think of as a gazing ball, like the Victorian gardens have for seeing reflections out in nature, except this one is clear and has a loop at the top to be a charm or dangle.

I made this one in clear and I will make some also that are dark black solid in color, through a glass darkly.

I think the two of them would look good together in a design, very antique!

Thank you, Deryn! I will work hard to save and enhance these little button sculptures ...

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Take the poll to the left on the sidebar, if you have a moment to spare and a preference in how you like to see things offered in the Etsy shop. Sometimes I have things all made up before I list them, and sometimes I list and make them up special order just when you buy.

I'd love to know what you think about both ... THANKS!