A chronicle of the meanderings, false starts (which in retrospect, while sort of embarrassing turned out to be highly instructive), epiphanies, selective apathy (still evolving), wild mood swings, opinions (subject to frequent change), and life lessons of an inveterate dabbler (and her latest dabblings).

Sunday, June 10, 2012

New Life for Old Coins

I mentioned in my last post that I had just bought some coins from Joel Anderson Interesting World Coins and Paper Money--I got a whole pound of them! They're from pretty much everywhere. I pulled out the ones with the nicest textures to use on my metal, and left the rest in the bag. What to do with them...?

About five of them were very worn down and blackened with oxidation, so I decided to use them for patina experiments. I didn't even know what kind of metal they were! Well, they all took the verdigris to some extent (the coins in this post were treated with traditional verdigris solution from Shannon LeVart (MissFickleMedia), and then sealed with Vintaj/Ranger sealant and Renaissance Wax). I used one of the smaller ones in a pendant (see my last post), and saved out four for use as bracelet clasps (I REALLY need to make some bracelets for the shop). I had an idea for possibly stacking them to make a toggle clasp:

I used my little hole punch from Fire Mountain to make holes in the smaller coins, and my drill to make holes in the larger (they're too big for the punch). Then I turned them into toggle clasps with a rivet and copper sheet and wire.

I decided on a Southwest kind of color palette, because I just can't stay away from that when I have something turquoise! I had just gotten some FABULOUS Czech beads from CraftAnne and BeadsAndBabble on Etsy, and they seemed just perfect.

This was how it came together:
More Hong Kong-Santa Fe Fusion
I also included poppy jasper in an interesting shape, Indonesian glass beads from Happy Mango Beads, and some "cocoon" beads (based on a tutorial by Kharisma Ryantori) I had made from copper and antiqued with Shannon's verdigris solution. I am in LOVE with the multicolor Czech picasso beads (I might have to clean out CraftAnne's shop of these!)--they're the larger ones with the beadcaps on them.

When it was mostly completed I added few tchochkes: a Czech glass wheel bead in turquoise, one of my new round charms (textured on one side with a 1963 Hong Kong fifty-cent piece and on the other side with a Thai coin I can't identify-- I'm guessing it's from the 50s or 60s too), and a couple of textured copper bowls to sort of camouflage where the strands join the toggle loops (this is beaded with SoftFlex beading wire).

Here's a view of the other side of my round charm:

I'm digging these Asian coin textures.

This item is sold, and on its way to the East Coast today!

13 comments:

  1. What a fabulous piece! I love all the beautiful colors and textures! And those coins with the patina really make the piece unique. I'll bet it gets snatched up right away.

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  2. Love the bracelet, so colorfully rich, so much to look at and all so lovely. Thanks too for the link to the coin shop.

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  3. What a special combination of your unique components--no surprise this one got snapped up! The verdigris is richer than many of the experiments with inks I've been seeing lately. I wonder what you think of the Ranger sealant...?

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  4. Very pretty! I'm going to quit hoarding boring coins and turn them into something! My first Gilder's Paste in a turquoise is on it's way. Going to check out MissFickelMedia, now...

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  5. Ohhh this turned out beautifully. I love the color palette used and how it all comes together. *adds that hole punch on her never ending wishlist of tools and supplies to get*

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  6. That is absolutely stunning. The colors together are wonderful.Love it.

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  7. The directions you are heading make me so excited! The patinas on the coins are yummy and the color palettes are beautiful! I think this goes so well with you blog background too! Enjoy the day. Erin

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  8. WOW! That is truly awesome! I love all your old coins - makes you wonder who had them and what they might have purchased. You've given them a gorgeous and totally foreign new life :)

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  9. I love old coins. I'll have to keep an eye out for some. What you've done with them is gorgeous.

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  10. Brilliant solution for the grungy coins. And of course, the entire bracelet is so luscious and rich.

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  11. WOW! Your creativity can’t seem to stop impressing me! I mean, you really did an excellent job transforming these old coins into vintage jewelry pieces! This is just superb! =)

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  12. WOW! These are so beautiful i love old coins because old is gold.

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