Flights Of Fancy Necklace

Hello my friends!  Today I have a new vintage-inspired necklace and a story to share with you.  Quite a few yeas ago I was at the Philadelphia Beadfest and spent a little time chatting with Suzanne of A Grain Of Sand.  Not only did she have gorgeous vintage beads and clasps, but AGOS is the same town as family, so there was a bit of a 'connection'.  Since then I've kept up with the Facebook page and drooled over new stock posts about the famous Vintage Bead Hoard.

Last year Suzanne and team created a new Facebook group dedicated to jewelry designers who are inspired by the Miriam Haskell design house (1930s-present).  During the past year, I've been inspired by so many incredible pieces posted by designers from all over.  In January I decided to enter the AGOS 2nd Miriam Haskell Design Challenge - how exciting!

The entrants bought a challenge-specific assortment of vintage beads from AGOS and had a few weeks to design.  The top 3 winners received gift certificates to buy more great vintage stuff.  What could be better than that?

I entered... and I won grand prize!  Can you believe it?  I was surprised.  No really.  When you go to the FB page and see all the other entries, you'll be in awe, too.

This necklace was made with a cage work technique, meaning all components (except cabochons) are wired to the filigree base using a fine gauge wire.  This is a fiddly technique but oh-so-satisfying to make.  I feel like I'm carrying on an almost-lost tradition when I make this type of jewelry.

See the wee hummingbird on the flower?  That's Fancy, and this necklace is part of my Flights Of Fancy line.

Thanks for your visit today.

Cheers,
Susan