Unique Vintage Pendant Design

Inspired by a collection of gorgeous US Post Office ‘Ringling Brothers Stamps’ – I wondered if combining these images with some tiny gears from the inside of a pocket watch, might create a beautiful Pendant Design. I’m a card-carrying “scared of clowns” member, and clowns were part of the stamp design collection. So the clown stamps were placed on my bill payments and mailed away. But those lovely aerobatic ladies shown in the stamps, were just magical to me! Add a few Victorian steampunk gears, seal it all in a clear resin and you’ve got a unique piece of art that people will notice and comment on. Plus this Pendant Design is super durable to last for generations.

The gears and watch hands are authentic and not purchased at Michael’s. You can find all kinds of fun watch parts a Steampunkjunq, along with some gorgeous jewelry design pieces that the website also offers. Fun fact: I designed the logo and website for Steampunkjunq!

Applying resin to coat the stamp material was a tricky process. I didn’t want any staining, but instead a crystal clear coat that would bring out the beautiful colors of the stamps. Showing the scalloped edges of the stamps was important too, so I had to lay the stamps slanted into the casing. Placing very thin coats of the resin was the only way to maintain the integrity of the stamp material. After several resin coats, I was able to make the resin coats thicker, until the resin was flush with the outside rim of the casing. The result is a whimsical piece that will celebrate the individual that you are.

If you’re interested in more of my jewelry designs, please contact me directly. In future posts, I’ll show some interesting mixed medium jewelry designs, including more pendants, bracelets and rings.