WOW!!, Kelly - thanks for the great information and the luscious photos. I bet the jewelry could be used to mosaic, the same way most mocaicers (is that a word??) use tiles. I love mosaic, but don't trust myself to make all those suitably shaped and sized pieces. I would end up with lots of gravel. lol

I am blown away about the man with the plate flowers. I would have loved to see them. Just for fun I went on ebay this weekend and looked at some of the vintage and estate pieces, that could be used for plate flowers. Some were affordable but the shipping costs put them out of range. Fun looking, though and imagining how I would use each piece. Testing my creativity.

Lots of people have antiques and what do we do with them? Store them in a closet - maybe take them out once a year and plan to leave them to kids and grandkids who probably don't care about the supposed value. Another poster said that her pieces got more appreciation in the garden than in the house (or closet). I think I am going to re-think the design elements of plate flower. Thanks for posting - very interesting info and photos.
-Sprout

Just getting back to gardening - a health issue put my garden on hiatus for a few years...so plate flowers are a new thing for me.

I have recently began to rethink my "princess house" crystal and thought of selling it or packing it away. I went to a local "paris market" and was told the market it too saturated with it right now, to save it for a few decades and try again...

Well - I don't think I am going to do that. I think I might mix some of my crystal with some thrift, yard sale, estate sale, junkin' pickin' and discover this new found love of plate flowers and glass totems.

Feel like Rip Van Winkle - just waking up to all of these "new to me" garden creations that everyone is making now. I think my garden rejuvenation will need some glass art to make it complete.

And - HOLY COW - love the trees! I have a HUGE box of jewelry pieces that I have been saving for a project...I think I might have to get that box out when the heat of the summer gets here and I am hiding in the air conditioning during the day.

Way too much money I think. I have seen folks here fashion leaves out of various things as well. I hate when people inflate prices to extremes just to make a quick buck. Those jewelry trees are no where near worth that much either. All you have to do is empty out your moms or grandmas junk jewelry drawer and you have all the materials ...free. Same with the plates...cheap at garage sales and thrift shops.

kelly-oh...sounds like this person who makes the flowers is quite artistic in his method...they sound beautiful! Like our "Robert" on here, some people can make fantastic art from found items! Thanks for sharing this artist...I wish you had the extra $200 also...when you love something alot & can spend the money, it is definitely worth it...to one's own eyes & feelings!

The jewelry trees are wonderful also ...I posted the one I made from my Mom's costume jewelry & some of mine & my G'ma's pic necklace...& it was alot of work & very time-consuming. The tree base is a pic of my Mom/Dad when they first married...I used lots of family momentos on this tree. Also made my sister one & my brother's with lights. Took me a long time!

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TFS your pics...great jewelry trees! Jeanne S.

Jeannie, that looks spectacular...see one can do it...just got lay it all out and plan it...then get the glue gun...lol!

Kelly_oh, I sure wish I could have seen those plate flowers. They sound wonderful! You did a great job of describing them. The jewelry trees are gorgeous!

I wanted to make a memory jug using some of my mother's costume jewelry so I'll have to take a few pointers from these trees.

Jeanne, your jewelry tree is so precious! What a great way to use up mom and grandma's jewelry! And yours looks just as lovely as the ones in Kelly_oh's pictures.

TFS!

luna...a memory jug sounds wonderful also! The hardest part was "cutting" the jewelry to fit...like "rings" in half...backs of earrings, etc. etc. It took a lo-o-ng time & I used hand snips & wire cutter tools to do it.

Glue guns do not work on metal jewelry for this project ...the backing is velvet & I used superglue...so you also have to kind of hold each pc until it sets up.

I hope you make your memory jar... I have a cream colored pitcher that I want to do with white buttons & some fish gravel rock that I saw a pic of in a lib bk.

anyway, kelly oh, shared some great pics here! Jeanne S.

Wow Kelly! Those plate flowers sound amazing, but the jewelry tree pictures are really beautiful! What a great idea. Jeanne....I particularly love yours...what a beautiful way to remember your mom, grandmother, etc. Just a great idea! I'll be it was very time consuming, but turned out beautifully! Thanks for sharing with us Kelly!

Oh wow, Jeanne! That is wonderful and you made 3??? I love it. I made a shadowbox for my mom awhile ago with some of her mom's things, watches, favorite necklace, handkerchief, pictures, and a crocheted slipper (Mamaw made them like crazy for everyone! I loved them). It was fun and bittersweet, but its a nice memory piece for my mom. Mamaw didn't have a lot of jewelry or I would be tempted to make a tree like yours :)
I haven't seen a memory jug, what's that?
Glad you all liked the pictures!

Oh, i searched memory jugs, sooooo gonna make some now!!!

there was a lady who used to be on this site a number of years ago...she made Christmas trees just like your photos..
that was the first time I had seen them, too.
it's it wonderful, what can be done, with something that could sit for such a long time, unappreciated?
get them out and have a ball~

garage sales have that kind of jewelry all the time..
old frames, black velvet and there ya go!

Strawberry, here's one of those jewelry trees like you mentioned. Tho this gal sprayed her's all one color when done.
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hugs, Karen

OMG.. these are spectacular.. what a way to show of retro jewels, my GG had so many like this that got put into dress up boxes.. they would have made a gorgeous tree.. but maybe i can collect some :-)

Last summer I saw some plate flowers similar to the ones described here. They were HUGE!! I have used some vintage plates and dishes in my garden art when they didn't sell on ebay. Figured I might as well put them where they would sell.
Those trees are gorgeous!! I have one I made on burgundy velvet.

Wow! Glad to see this as I think I missed it the first time around. Love love Jeannes tree with the photo trunk.
I don't have a problem with artists making a nice profit. His plate flowers sound quite spectacular.

My dfosterd says that she thinks I should do something with my plate flower stems, maybe paint them dif. colors rather than solid. I'm thinking of that as I look at them peeping out of the snow!
Kathy