A few loose coins...

Happy New Year! My first AJE post of 2015 - and I have a few more thoughts on coins. Spare change so to speak, from my Boxing Day post. (And a shout out to the Canadian readers I may have neglected on the 26th...). 

Greco- Roman coins, Medieval coins... 

I wanted to take the coin idea into the studio - and show you a few pictures, a few ways that your local art jewelry designers have integrated coins... 

Lindsay sent me this - WOW! Tooled leather cab by her spouse, her beadwork, and coins! As fringe, as elements incorporated into the chain...

Lindsay again - she claims this is the limits of her metal skills. Coins drilled and domed as buttons. 

Earrings from Sue  - she is addicted to these beaded beads and I love them! What better way to use coins than as a personal, inexpensive, yet meaningful souvenir?! 

Barbara Bechtel of Second Surf makes these cheeky Penny charms. I love that Gandhi's quote ("Be the change you wish to see in the world.") meets Lincoln's visage. And I am a fan of word play as well. She recently posted a great video documenting her process - you can find it here. 

This one is mine - a relic from another life, its at least 20 years old. I enameled a British penny (unadulterated penny shown at right). It was a reminder of my college time spend living in London, and yes, it includes a sixpence as well. The myth/symbolist in me loves the sixpence: it bears the 4 plants representing the 4 nations in the UK. ( Tudor rose - England. Leek - Wales. Thistle - Scotland. Shamrock - N. Ireland) 

Since Boxing day - I have amassed a pile of coins on my work table. One made it into a finished piece - seen below. Its a franc, stamped for my friend Betsy. She lived in France, and had chosen "Balance" as her word for 2015! ( She hasn't seen it yet, so please don't tell her...LOL)

Do YOU have any spare change on your work table? How are you planning on incorporating coins into your work? Inquiring minds...