Meet the MagicianI live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my husband (partner in crime), our beautiful daughter (doing her best impression of a wet noodle in the photo), and our two feline members of the family who never hesitate to grab my seat at the workbench the moment I stand up.
I have been creating as long as I can remember. I have always been that "I could make that" person. In addition to creating, I love collecting. If one is good then 100 must be much better! Those two traits are so firmly rooted in my DNA that I had to find a creative outlet to support them.
Tins come in such a variety of shapes, sizes, and of course, colors! They are a common product that we have little use for after their initial purpose (usually as product packaging). I find the dizzying array of colors and patterns too good to pass up (just ask my husband
Tin to SilverThere is no shortage of "stuff" that comes in a tin these days and like many people, I just hate to throw them away because they seem so...permanent.
This, along with the the thrill of the hunt for finding these pieces, began my journey into recycled jewelry. Now, I prefer to work with sterling silver, which I find at garage sales, local thrift shops, and online. I am eternally grateful for a wonderful network of family and friends (near and far) that are always thinking of me (saving and sending me their tins or silver).
Once Upon A Time...I buy old jewelry because I reuse much of it in my pieces. Old pieces all have a story, some known, some yet to be known. I came across this rather unassuming heart and felt compelled to buy it. The persons name on it, “Emojane,”was unique and piqued my interest. This style of jewelry looks like old WWII “Sweetheart” jewelry that soldiers would give to their significant others when they went off to war. I have a couple of pieces of this type - but not with a first and last name.
I did some research courtesy of the internet and found that Emojane Gugino died in 1976. I also found she has a son, who I reached out to in an effort to return the jewelry, and his wife replied to my message. Happy to say that his mom’s pendant was shipped back to it's family and is safely at home now.
