A Peek At A Custom Broken China Jewelry Order

I had a lot on my to-do list today...I have soldering to do for an entire new batch of jewelry, and I'm getting ready to shoot a new thrift shop haul video this morning for my YouTube channel...and then of course preparing for that got me in the mood to run to the thrift store hehe...

But before I do that, I realized I had to delete some old photos and videos from my phone to make some room for my new video...you know, lots of photos from Christmas and New Years that I had to quickly organize just to get out of the way, and while I was doing that I came across a few photos of a custom order I did right before the holiday, and I knew I had to share the photos with you before I filed them away! 

So you can see what kind of morning it's been - lots of small tasks to take care of here and there that keep leading me from one thing to the next! But who doesn't love looking at before and after photos, right?! So here they are, before I file them away! 

This was a custom order for a person who found this single shard of china buried in the ground at the old farmhouse where they live (I think I got that right - I don't remember the exact details!) Anyway, she had this one small piece that was about four and a half inches long or so by about two inches deep and she sent me the top "before" image which you'll see below. 

As soon as I saw the photo of the shard I knew right away that it would make a beautiful piece of jewelry! It was a very pretty soft pink color and had a beautiful textured dot pattern and as soon as I saw it I knew just what shape to transform it into! It was very thin porcelain so it was easy to work with, though the reverse side was badly stained with rusty iron stains from being in the earth for a very long time. I managed to scrub out the stains and the two pendants that later emerged from this single shard turned out to be one of the nicest custom orders I've done. 

BEFORE:

AFTER:

What do you think?

Have a great week!

Laura

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Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2020 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link corrections please leave correct info in comment area.

Now Taking Custom Orders From Your Own Family China! Broken China Jewelry

Big news! I am now once again accepting custom orders from your own china! Yay! 

Yes, send me a plate or a piece of your or your mom's or grandma's old china and I will make you and your family beautiful, custom pieces of jewelry from your china plate.

Right now is the best time to get in your orders for Christmas gifts since I will probably have to stop accepting new custom orders as they pile up and as summer fades away and we creep closer to the holidays. 

Check out the photos on this page for a few examples of some past custom orders that I created for customers.

Before:

After:

custom order from a few years ago

When someone requests a custom order from their own china the first thing I ask is that they email me a photo of the china that they would like to send to me so that I can take a quick look at it and determine whether or not I can work with it - I look at the material and the shape and thickness or thinness of the plate or china pieces.  

I won't work with certain types of china, such as super-hard porcelain and thick, heavy stoneware such as restaurant ware. This may seem odd, but it's for good reason. These materials are just too hard on my tools. It's like it using expensive jewelry cutting pliers that are made for cutting precious metal wire and using them to cut a steel fence. Do that and you can say goodbye to those $50 pliers! 

The same goes with my cutting and saw blades. They are tough, but they're also expensive to replace. It's easy to ruin a $100 saw blade just by using it to cut material that is too hard or thick. Yes, saw blades are an item that are routinely replaced when they wear out, but they should normally last months and months before needing to be replaced. I've many times used a saw blade for over a year without having to replace it. 

So some materials are just off-limits and that's why. But sometimes I can make more of a shard-shaped piece of jewelry if the material is not suited for cutting into a specific shape, so it also depends on what you want, so be sure to also give me an idea of what you would like - what shapes or from what part of the plate's design you would like made into jewelry. Then I can take a look at it and let you know if I think I can work with it. It's also helpful to send me a photo of the reverse side of the plate, as that will often tell me the material.

Before:

After: 

custom order from a few years ago 

Custom work can be extremely time consuming and therefore it is sometimes a bit more expensive than my regular jewelry. When an artist does a custom order they are taking time away from their regular work to make something to your personal specifications, so it is very specialized work. You are paying for years of work and expertise when you ask for a custom order! 

Before:

After:

custom order from a few years ago

After I take a look at your plate and you let me know what you would like made, I will then give you an estimate of how much it will cost, and I will let you know about how long it will take for me to make your jewelry. I usually have a pretty quick turnaround time of a few days, but it does depend on my current workload! 

Before: 

After:

custom order from a few years ago

Custom made broken china jewelry makes the most amazing gifts for holidays such as Christmas, for wedding anniversaries, and bridal party gifts! I've created necklaces for large and small groups of bridesmaids (order early!)

My jewelry featured in Country Living magazine - Editor's Fresh Picks section

Before starting out, have an idea of what you want made, but be willing to be flexible. I will tell you what I think would look best but will make as close as I can to whatever you request.

Are you on a tight budget? I also offer shard pendants at a bit lower cost than my heart and oval shaped pieces. The shard-shaped abstract triangles do not require as much cutting and therefore I charge lower for those types of pieces. 

Interested in a custom order? Email me at sales@dishfunctionaldesigns.com with a photo of your china and let me know approximately what you would like made and we can get the ball rolling! 

 https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Have a great week!

 Laura

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs!

Learn how to solder and make unique jewelry!

article, images, and designs copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2018 all rights reserved

Now Taking Custom Orders! Broken China Jewelry From Your Own China!

Have you ever wanted a beautiful and unique heirloom that you can share with your family? Great news: I am now once again taking custom orders for broken china jewelry made from china that you supply to me! 

Send me your mom's or grandma's old plate and I will make you custom jewelry. 

What's the first step? Contact me and send me photos of the plate (front and back sides) along with an idea of what you would like made (for ideas, visit my Etsy shop and check out some the styles I currently make).

Once you send me your photos I will take a look at the china and I will get back to you and let you know whether or not I can work with it, (china must be flat and on the thin side) and then we can discuss in more detail what you would like made and I will give you an estimate of cost. 

I will talk more about it in my next blog post, but to get started, you can email me at sales@dishfunctionaldesigns.com with a photo of your china and give me an idea of what you would like made - (shape? approximate size? how many?) and I will get back to you.

Order now for Christmas! I will only be taking custom orders over the summer!

custom order from a few years ago 

Be sure to check back for my next blog post where I will share more photos of some of my past custom work as well as give you more info on how to proceed with a custom order made from your own china. 

Remember! Quality above all! My broken china jewelry is the best! Don't skimp on quality and place your order with me today. Order for Christmas gifts for your family!

Visit my shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Have a great week!

 Laura

My broken china jewelry is always available for purchase at https://www.etsy.com/shop/dishfunctionldesigns

Check out my new jewelry instruction books and DVDs!

Learn how to solder and make unique jewelry!

article, images, and designs copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2018 all rights reserved