Trinket #24 - Arsenic and Old Lace

I'll admit it - I had to scour the house to put together a trinket inspired by today's Motif Monday theme. I'm pretty pleased with what I found, though! While we're on the topic of confessions, I should also note that I have a soft spot for anything eerie or macabre, so this piece was extra-fun to make.

What did I find on my scavenger hunt? First was this creamy vanilla satin ribbon, formerly attached to a gift set of bath products I scored at Christmas. I found a couple of complementary beads in the bottom of the jewelry junk box and set them aside. Next, I spotted the cameo and knew exactly where this trinket was headed!

I bought a pair of these acrylic cameos (they were only sold in pairs) at Etsy back in September. I was putting together a high-stress ensemble for a black tie event at which I was expected to take the stage and make a speech - the Library of Virginia Literary Awards. Being the youngest award recipient was stressful enough, but being the only one covered in spooky tattoos in a room full of old-fashioned Virginians was the real weight to bear. I eventually decided that if I was going to be a sideshow attraction, I might as well go big. I donned a black satin dress, let all the tattoos show (except for when I was freezing and wrapped in a shawl), and topped it off with some elegant but decidedly offbeat and creepy jewelry.

Needless to say, the attendees all remember my name.

Okay, back to the present... I used one of the cameos as the centerpiece of a silver cuff bracelet I wore that evening, while the other sat lonely and abandoned on my dresser - until today. Now it has a place of honor on an antiqued copper mount (more FIMO!) and has a tiny carved bone skull as a companion. The whole shebang is held together with wrapped and bent copper wire and is topped off by a big, faceted jet bead.