Lisa

The Pendant Necklaces with Special Teacher Messages was a unique project requested by a client who had two exceptional teachers she wanted to thank in a meaningful way. 

My client knew what she wanted and requested specific symbols and charms to be used on each necklace. The first one I made is the Teacher Necklace with Sterling Silver Heart, Bronze Wing and Custom Quote, which includes a custom message charm, a brass wing and a sterling silver heart. My client knew she wanted a circle pendant with the quote "Teachers Touch A Life Forever" embedded on it, but she wanted the piece to have depth, and didn't want the ring to feel flimsy or thin like the typical stamped jewelry you see out there. I chose copper metal clay to work with, which in it's initial state is perfect to stamp into and texturize, but after kiln firing is a hard copper metal. I created the custom message by first mapping out the precise position of each letter and then used small hand held stamps to embed the letters into the clay. The piece is then kiln fired and blackened to bring out the letters. 

As all of us know a dedicated teacher can influence us through our lifetime, and for that reason my client requested a wing, because "she gave her child the wings he needed to be a successful student".  The wing is hand sculpted in bronze metal clay, kiln fired and darkened to bring out the detail.

Lastly,  we added a sterling silver heart as a symbol of the passion that this teacher has for her profession and for educating her young students.  All these beautiful symbols where strung onto an 18" sterling silver cable necklace.  The copper ring is straddled between the silver chains, and the charms are attached with sterling silver jumprings.

The second necklace I made is the Heart Pendant Teacher Necklace with Custom Message, which includes 3 sterling silver message charms and a large copper cut out heart. My client wanted the same sentimental custom message "Teachers Touch A Life Forever", but for this necklace she wanted the words to be the focal point of the design. I used sterling silver for the charms and embedded the words right into the silver using hand stamps. After smoothing and filing the silver charms, I blackened the letters so they really stand out against the polished silver.

 The large copper cut out heart was chosen to symbolize the love and heart this teacher has for her profession. I used copper metal clay for the heart and shaped and texturized it using hand tools. After kiln firing the piece I blackened it the same way I did with the ring charm, to bring out the unique texture. We love the way the charms cascade from the heart and create a beautiful message of appreciation.

Both necklaces are unique to each teacher and I hope they hold them close to their hearts for years to come.  It takes a special person to teach our children and a special parent to acknowledge their work. Thank you to my client for thinking of me for your special project.

Check out LPDstudios Custom Work page for more unique projects and LPDstudios to see my entire collection of handmade leather handbags, jewelry and even pet collars!