Originally posted in May 2010:
Something that started out as a whim has turned into a well-received item in our inventory. I'd purchased a couple of Capricorn cameos from Wire-Sculpture.com when I saw them, not entirely sure what I would do with them. I often buy things that appeal to me for one reason or another or are on sale when purchasing materials needed for certain projects. These were not on sale, but being that I'm a Capricorn, they appealed to me. I've always liked cameos, but usually with pictures of flowers more than of women's profiles. I also prefer blue ones to the traditional peach background. I thought the Zodiac ones were interesting and clever. When I got them, though, I wasn't that choked up with them. It's hard to tell what something will look like in real life from the internet sometimes. Maybe I just expected them to be more clear than in the photo? I'm not sure. Anyway, one fit in a filigree setting I had purchased for a special order bracelet. The settings came in a 10-pack, so I had extras on hand. I put the cameo in the setting, but the prongs took away from the look of the cameo. So, I did the only logical thing...I broke the prongs off the setting, then glued the cameo in place. Never let it be said I am not resourceful. ;)
So, I had this cameo in a filigree setting. Now, what? I had purchased some metal bookmarks on a lark from Beadaholique.com a few weeks earlier. I had copper, silver plate, gold plate and gunmetal. I decided the gunmetal complemented the "antique" look of the filigree, so I took some links from a vintage chain and attached them to the cameo and the bookmark. Voilà! I had an impressive-looking bookmark! The only problem? The cameo was not cheap, so the bookmark costs a lot more than someone would ordinarily pay for a bookmark. I may end up keeping it for myself. :| [P.S. I still have it nearly two years later! :p]
When I posted the photo on the Something Tangible Facebook Fan Page, one of my friends noticed it and asked if it was available in other signs. I checked the vendor's website and there happened to be a 40% off sale on cameos! Sometimes, luck smiles upon us, doesn't it? Needless to say, I stocked up on the ones I could find in the correct size. Unfortunately, all signs were not available, so I ended up buying a larger one for my friend after she decided she needed three bookmarks for birthday gifts for friends (I stocked up on a few of those, too, but I'm not sure I have the full Zodiac between the two sizes). It took some research to find an appropriate setting for the larger cameo -- see the Gemini bookmark in the above photo. In the end, I decided on an oval filigree piece that wasn't as ornate as the original one. It also wasn't a traditional setting, so there was no bezel (a grooved rim that holds a gem -- or in this case, a cameo -- in a setting). I didn't want the prongs of a setting anyway, so I didn't think that was a major obstacle. I just hoped I could glue the cameo to a piece of filigree and have it stay in place! You never know until you try, right? Well, I did and it worked fine. So, my friend got three bookmarks for her friends' birthdays...and at a better deal than the original bookmark costs! In addition to the size issue, the cameos do vary in color, based on availability. My personal preference is the white shell background with a peach/brownish Zodiac sign on it. My friend preferred the reverse, as you can see from the photo, so I ordered her two Taurus and one Gemini with peach backgrounds and a white Zodiac sign. To each her own! :)
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