Julie Ames, the artisan behind The Broken Plate Pendant Company, deliberately breaks plates selected from thrift stores, antique shops and department stores in order to turn the shards into jewelry. She uses a hammer and tile snips for the job.
She first got the idea after making a mosaic mailbox for herself and was left with more broken shards that needed to be repurposed. Once she made pendants, the orders started rolling in and her business was launched. Now, she also does custom orders where she turns broken but sentimental pottery like a wedding plate or family dish into wearable heirlooms.
After grinding down the edges to smooth them, she wraps the shards in copper tape and lead-free silver solder - the stained glass construction method pioneered by Louis Comfort Tiffany. The edges are then patinaed which gives a nicely antiqued look about her pieces. Although pendants are her specialty, she also makes earrings, bracelets, cuff links and bracelets. One lovely touch is her friendship necklaces which come in pairs. You can see more of Julie's designs in her Etsy Store. They are just adorable!
Via
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2 comments:
Oh very pretty - great idea!
I have a large picnic basket filled with broken bits - because you know - I'm going to teach myself how to do a tabletop or some such thing. Yeah.
While the technique sounds relatively simple, it takes artistic talent to make such lovely pieces. Good work!
Bev
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