My Upcycled Vintage Tin Heart

I wanted to create something for Valentine's. I've never made a Valentine collection, and I've never been one to make things in bright red or rosy pink and sometimes Valentine's pieces don't translate well into everyday wear after Valentine's has come and gone.

 

So, a month or so ago when I stumbled upon this vintage tin tray in one of my Etsy-search sessions, my eye was immediately drawn to the tiny hearts hidden among the pattern. I also spotted the blooms and crawling leaves and knew I had to have it.

 

It worked out to be the sweetest little mini-Valentine collection and each piece a tiny reflection of the soul.

The first is a pendant and I was thinking of family when I made this, three hearts riveted to tiny leaves that mimic feathers. The hearts reminded me of a mother, father and child, or maybe they represent three children for a mother to wear lovingly around her neck.

 

Each little element was carefully sawed out of the tin and then riveted to a copper plate and strung on a beaded cord in anything but lipstick red or rosy pink.

 

The colors are bright and so is the message and the little dings and scratches on the tin remind me that that little french tray was well-worn, just like a mother's love.

The second design element that I pulled from the tray was this bright bloom. This almost growing floral motif that seems to put out arms stretching up and away.

I wanted it to have a little nest of leaves and the little shield was the final addition adding shape and depth to the piece.

 

 

The idea of a bloom and blooming just wouldn't go away and so it seemed appropriate to add a little message from the heart stamped into the copper backplate.

 

The back of this pendant sports the same little dings and dents as the front (the hammer occasionally falls where we least intend it) and I soldered two tubes of copper to the top to suspend the pendant without interfering with the blooms from the front.

 

I've added both pieces to the shop, Blooming Love, here and of course, Flying Hearts.

 

Oh, and here's the shrapnel....

I think I see a bitty ring in there somewhere!