Vintage Springs Jewelry

Welcome!

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My love for photography, art, jewelry, and antiques all came together and made a little place called Vintage Springs Jewelry. In this place, I design and handcraft truly unique jewelry pieces that incorporate a large variety of beads, vintage findings, and most importantly, favorite family photos. I welcome you to this place and look forward to creating fun, beautiful, meaningful jewelry pieces just for you...

samples...

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bracelets...
Having treasured memories close at hand is what it's all about! Your bracelet can be a keepsake of one great vacation, or a place to gather all your favorite people, or a collection of those random memories that just always make you smile.

Bracelets always start with the photos. You choose up to approximately 20 of your favorite snapshots, and I will resize & recolor them, print them onto premium presentation paper, place them between glass, and solder them with only lead-free solder.

Then your style comes in! I can connect the charms into a simple black, white & silver strand, or I can add a little color (or a lot!). Chain, vintage buttons, beads, dangling charms, even belly dancing bells, are among the elements that can be added to make your bracelet ultra chunky & fun if you're feeling adventurous!

child size bracelet...
For the sweet little girl in your life! Charm sizes are the same, but fewer are used, to fit around the smallest wrists. Extra charms can always be added later, and in the meantime, I will enclose extra jump rings so that the bracelet can grow with her.
(recommended only for children over age 6)

soldered pendants...
Sometimes that one photo captures it all, and you want to keep it close to your heart. These pendants are made the same way as the bracelet charms, but are slightly bigger and very simply strung onto a 12" length of ballchain. If you prefer to wear your pendant as a bracelet or anklet, I will cut the ballchain to fit.

long soldered and beaded necklace...
Long enough to just slip on over your head, these necklaces will be made according to your style and color preferences. Charms can be embedded, or pendants can hang down. They can even be made into id badge holders or eyeglass chains.

earrings...
Half-inch squares make perfect, fun little dangle earrings! A great gift!!

vintage domino pendant...
Your photo will be resized, recolored, distress inked, mounted on a vintage domino, then strung onto a strap of fun leather lace, which actually becomes as soft as your favorite blanket the more you wear it.

dice pendants...
How fun is this?! While on vacation, I found a pack of little pewter dice (half inch on each side) and thought it would be toooooo much fun making them into pendants! One side will have the jump ring soldered to it, but then you get to choose what to put on the other 5! Your photos will be resized & recolored, and any monograms or dates you choose will be digitally created and mounted onto the sides of the dice and edged with platinum colored embossing powder. You choose what kind of chain you would like, and of course, an extra dangle charm. Please note - I have VERY limited quantity available, so jump on it while you can!! ;)

special requests...
I added some sea glass that we found on the beach to a bracelet. Do you have a special keepsake that's small, lightweight & wearable? Send it along with your photos and I can give your jewelry piece an added bit of sentimentality.

wine bottle charms...
Looking for a great gift? Charms are 1-1/2" square, with a small bit of chain cut to slide right onto your favorite wine bottle. Perfect for anniversaries, birthdays, college graduations, housewarmings, Christmas, any holiday, or just because.

team spirit...

Your winning snapshot on one side, and your child's name/jersey number on the other, this makes a great keepsake for your favorite athlete, or her/his #1 fan! Order enough for the whole team, and get a reduced cost, plus get the coach's free. It's a grand-slam way to remember a fantastic season!!

prices...

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earrings 20.
one or two photos, front and back on both earrings
.5 x .5 or .5 x 1

single pendant 25.
one or two photos, front and back
(one soldered pendant, size 1x1, 1.5 x 1.5, 1x2, 2x1, 1x3, or 3x1, strung on a 24" ballchain or traditional silver-tone chain) - comes with an extra dangle charm
or
(vintage domino pendant, strung on a strap of leather lace with beads)
or
(wine bottle charm size 1.5 x 1.5, connected to a short chain, just the right length to slip onto any wine bottle) - comes with an extra dangle charm

team spirit pendant 25.
6+ team spirit pendants 15 each, plus the coach's free.
(one soldered pendant, size 1x1, strung on a ballchain - length sized as either a necklace or a bag tag) - comes with an extra dangle charm

dice pendant 30.
up to 5 photos, monograms, dates, etc. - strung onto a chain of your choice (ballchain, leather, traditional silver-tone chain, fabric cord, etc.) - comes with an extra dangle charm

pendant cluster necklace 35.
@ three to six photos, front and back
(two or three soldered pendants, varying sizes ranging from .5x.5 to 1x1, strung on a ballchain or traditional silver-tone chain) - comes with an extra dangle charm

chunky bracelet 60.
@ three to eight photos
(three or four large soldered charms, size 1x1 or 1x2, double linked for strength and attached to an adjustable chain) - embellished as little or as much as you desire...

delicate bracelet 60.
@ six to twelve photos
(up to six small soldered charms, size .5x.5, .5x1, or 1x.5, or a variety of these, double linked for strength and attached to an adjustable chain) - embellished as little or as much as you desire...

long soldered & beaded necklace 60.
please indicate color and style preferences, i.e., necklace, id badge holder, eyeglass chain...

cigar box full of various pieces 150.
Can't decide? This option will give you a little bit of everything at a great price - submit up to 40 photos, and receive back one long beaded necklace, two bracelets, two pendants, and a couple surprises. Total value exceeds 200. Actual contents and the cigar box itself varies from order to order, making your order truly unique.
GIFT CERTIFICATES ALSO AVAILABLE!!

Selecting Your Photos...

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There's just one simple rule here - choose what you love! Don't worry about whether a picture is horizontal or vertical, or if you have several pictures that are different sizes, or if there are miscellaneous distractions in the background. I will take care of all the resizing and recoloring. Here's an example. This is a digi photo of my daughter's first at-bat of the season. I love the look of focus on her face, even though there are lots of other things going on in the picture - the on-deck girl's practice swing, the back of our pitcher warming up, and cars in the parking lot...

So I used just the best part of the photo, and turned it into this...

It's bigger here so that you can see the detail better on your screen, but the actual size is 1x.5 and you can see the completed bracelet in the samples up above. (Oh, and by the way, she got a GREAT hit!!)

placing an order...

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1. Select your photos, determine which piece(s) you would like to order, and think about what colors you like to wear, along with birthstones or other elements you may like to have included. Remember, when selecting your photos, just choose what you love, and I'll take care of the rest!!

2. Contact me at sixbigsmiles@yahoo.com with your order, color/style preferences, and any questions you may have.

3. I will promptly reply with your total cost, my mailing address, and answers to your questions.

4. Mail your photo cd or original photos (**please do not send any professional photos unless you also enclose a written release from the photographer**), payment (check or money order), and any special items you may want to have included in your piece(s). If you live in southeast Wisconsin, we can skip the post office and make arrangements to meet in person, if you prefer.

5. I will contact you when I receive your package, and I will do all the resizing, recoloring, designing, and assembling.

6. Within 2 weeks of receiving your package, I will send you your completed piece(s) along with a care tips sheet and your photo cd. If you send original photos, those will be returned to you completely intact and unharmed.

Care Tips

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As these are handcrafted items, and may incorporate the use of vintage materials, small imperfections are intentional, and meant to add to the unique nature of all custom made pieces.

for soldered jewelry pieces...
I recommend that you do not submerge your soldered pieces into any liquid, but don't worry about splatter from normal handwashing or getting caught in the rain. Use a soft cloth to shine up your charms ~ alcohol wipes and used dryer sheets work well. Over time, your solder will season into a wonderful, deep gun metal color which will continue to frame & enhance your photos beautifully.

Feel free to wear your jewelry pieces every day, even when it's hot & sunny, but please remember to store them flat, and away from direct sunlight.

for vintage domino pendants...
I recommend that you keep your pendant dry at all times. If it comes in contact with moisture, you may notice the adhesive turning white. If this happens, just set the domino upright and leave in a cool, dry location until the adhesive rehardens and resumes its transparency.

a special note about children's and youth pieces...
Having four kids myself, I completely expect that your child's soldered piece may at some point become damaged or lost... any repair, from a broken clasp, to a mangled jump ring, to cracked glass, to a lost charm, will be provided at absolutely no charge to you! All soldered pieces (adult pieces as well) are made with lead-free solder. Still, it is recommended that the pieces be kept away from your child's mouth. All pieces are recommended only for children over the age of 6 years.