Jewelry Shadow Boxes
“A Labour of Love”. “Fun Work”. This is how I would characterize the birthday presents I completed for my three sisters and mum this year.
For a year I have been collecting jewelry from family members, friends, and purchasing them from any place I can find them where it’s not too too expensive. Because when you add up how much even one set of earrings cost…..
I found shadow boxes at Michael’s Art Supply store that I thought would be a good size for displaying my creations and not too big to mail home.
The first design is for my sister,Paula who loves the symbolism behind dragonflies. I attempted to create a dragonfly with a garden.
Pamela received a basket of flowers with a hummingbird . (Pam thought it was a hot air balloon but …sure!)
My sister,Mary liked her guitar that I not only fashioned out of earrings, brooches, and a bracelet but within the body of the guitar are pins and brooches that have to do with music! It was fun to try and fit those in. There is even a music ‘fan’. ha ha
When our mum saw the jewelry creations she hoped for one too so I created my version of a “crystal vase full of flowers.” I also used some of the earrings and a brooch she had mailed out to me earlier in the year.
I just love how they look when the light catches the jewels and I think the finished designs on the black ‘velvet’ background look so pretty. Do you?
The first thing I would do after finding the jewelry (I looked for a lot of 50’s type earrings and brooches that look like flowers) is to set out the design on a piece of cardboard.
Then I took pliers and pulled and twisted off the backings of each piece if I could. Sometimes I accidentally broke the piece and I might be able to glue it together but a couple of times I had to discard it. Ugh.
Then I painstakingly glued gold tacs onto the backs of each piece with ‘e-6000’ crafter’s glue which dries clear.
I would leave the glued pieces in egg cartons to dry overnight.
The next day I would take each piece of jewelry, put the glue on each tac, and then try and press the tac into the backing of the shadow box without burping out the glue onto the ‘velvet’. This was nerve-wracking for me but by the fourth box I felt pretty confident about my abilities. I would again leave the image to dry overnight and then the next day I was able to reassemble the box and ready it for shipping.
They take a lot of jewelry and a lot of patience but with the positive response from my family I feel it was well worth it. Happy birthday,girls!