Vintage Wednesday: What is it?

This is a silver box. The main body is about six inches tall, but the swan on top stick up beyond that. It's oval shaped and has no handles. It stands on four little feet like a pedestal. The top is hinged and it opens up to reveal a smooth interior. It's from England. What is it?

It's called a biscuit box. It's a silver box to hold cookies - a biscuit is a cookie in England. My mother had a biscuit box when I was growing up that she'd use for teas or special dinners to hold a flower arrangement. When I was little, I always wondered why she called it a biscuit box when we never put "biscuits" in it. I'm from a Southern family, we always had biscuits. Of course, when I got a little older I figured it out... or she explained it all. I just don't remember when the revelation came, but I do know I always loved my mother's box and when we spotted this in a London shop in Portobello, we knew it had to come home for me. It reminded us both of the swans at Kensington. And so it came home where I've used it for teas and flowers just like Mama did as I was growing up. And it did a lovely job holding scones when pressed into service.

So there you have it: an old-fashioned cookie jar. Fancy dancy.

DIY Monday: Polishing Silver

A couple weeks ago I posted about finding this lovely silver pin for 25 cents at a local community yard sale. I like the "patina" (darker, aged look) of the piece, but wanted to polish it up a bit. The only problem is that the many nooks and crannies make it difficult to effectively polish. So I turned to the aluminum foil method to get into all the tight spaces!

First, find a container in which you can completely cover your object with water. Cover the bottom of the container with aluminum foil, shiny side up. Pour in 1 Tbsp. of baking soda and 1 Tbsp. of salt and then cover the item with boiling water. The boiling water is important because it speeds up the molecules that help remove the tarnish quickly (someone really smart figured that out, not me). You should smell a bit of a sulfuric smell and see the foil start to turn a darker color.

I don't leave the silver in for a long time as I worry about the salt pitting the silver, but it works wonders in a pretty short period of time. Don't forget to use tongs to take the item out of the water - both will be hot! Next week, I'll show you a non-chemical way to finish polishing up your pieces if there's any tarnish left!

Working Tuesday: Precious Metal Clay

I've been intrigued lately with the possibility of working with Precious Metal Clay (PMC). I've always loved the work of silversmiths. There's something about the intricacy of design that pulls me in every time. I've always wanted to know how to make what I love and this is no exception.

PMC allows even the most amateur of artists to make completed silver pieces. It combines microscopic particles of precious metals (silver, gold, bronze, copper) with a moist binder that makes it work like modeling clay. Once the clay has dried, you fire it at a temperature that allows the particles to melt together while the binder burns away - leaving you with a beautiful 99% pure finished piece.

Since I grew up watching my Mom sculpt, and did some myself, the thought of sculpting isn't daunting. I've picked up some Fimo clay recently to being playing around with sculpting ideas. You can even mold the PMC, so any finished pieces I make with FIMO can be made into a mold for future metal charms or rings or whatever I can think up. You can even make molds of antique buttons and create silver buttons if you so choose. So many possibilities!

** Photos are property of the artists. Click on the photo to see the source along with more examples of PMC artwork!

Working Tuesday: Bird's Nest Pendant

I've been playing around with this bird's nest pendant idea - changing the variables a bit. Some have blue pearls, some black, some white. Some are using smaller gauge wire, some silver plate wire. Some are messier than others, some more symmetrical. As I continue to play, I enjoy the thought that just like nature, no two of these nests will ever be alike no matter how hard I try!

Vintage Wednesday: Treasure hunting

I'm generally an estate sale girl. You see the ad, they describe what they have and often there are pictures that help me decide whether I want to go or not. I don't often do yard sales, but Community yard sales sometimes catch my eye.

My MIL has a standard, "Stick with the older neighborhoods. Those people just want to get rid of stuff." I tend to agree. Younger neighborhoods usually have younger couples, and I'm not yet in the market for toys, DVDs and baby clothes. Community yard sales, however, have a concentrated number of people in a small space, which means more opportunity for treasure!

Last weekend I struck gold - well, really silver, but you get the idea. I found a sale with an older woman who was getting rid of antiques for super cheap! My find? Digging in the jewelry box, I found a very detailed sterling silver pin. The "patina" was deep - it probably hadn't been cleaned in a while. I knew, however, it was sterling because of the stamp on the back.

And wanna know the best part? It was a QUARTER!!

Happy treasure hunting!