Monday, February 9, 2015

the secret joy of vintage postage stamp jewelry

vintage 1973 magyar posta bird stamp, handmade upcycled jewelry by Starzyia on etsy.

Ever since I created my first postage stamp necklace as a custom order for an etsy friend, I have grown more and more in love with creating upcycled vintage postage stamp jewelry.

It took a friend wanting a unique gift for her grandmother to get me to realize that I had a way of using the thousands of stamps I received from my own grandmother and aunt and absorbing and reveling in all the love the stamps represent.

First of all, the stamps that I create with are used stamps, they carried personal news to my family all the way from Eastern Europe to Australia, year after year, decade after decade, a steady stream of love. I call it an Epic Love, a love that traveled a vast distance but brought families closer together, and the stamps have also survived 50-60 years after their initial use, so they have a history, and are indeed survivors.

When I look at the stamps, I don't know which ones brought which news, they have so much mystery, and this is really exciting for me.

butterflypendant created with 1966 vintage postage stamp from Hungary

I feel so much love when I work with the stamps, from choosing them to completing their design, even just thinking and talking about them, I feel so close to my late grandmother and aunt that I glow.

Even more joyfully, the stamps can make such unique and exciting gifts for people, they can be chosen by their year of origin - a great birth year gift, or anniversary gift, especially for those big milestones like 25th, 40th, and 50th birthday and golden anniversary (what if the couple sent out their wedding invites with the very stamp you have chosen as their gift?)

Choosing a stamp by nation of origin and theme are also great ways to give a beautiful, heart felt gift, every image on a stamp is symbolic of something, and I'm here to help you if need information about what different symbols mean, or need help finding the right stamp for a gift occasion.

You can view my current postage stamp jewelry designs any time, in my postage stamp jewelry store sections and if you want help I can locate the right stamp out of my vast supplies for a custom order (just make sure you allow plenty of time for creating and sending the gift)

vintage postage stamp jewelry at Starzyia on etsy
vintage postage stamp jewelry at Starzyia on madeit

*** and if you did read this article, thank you, it has been a very long time since I've blogged here, I was having so much difficulty with being locked out of my account until I made the magical decision to join google + and that has given me access again (don't ask me how) but I'm glad to be here, and I hope this also means I return to commenting easily on your own blogs again. I am a social girl!