Eddy taught middle school for 21 years before retiring on disability. Prior to jewelry-making, she and her mother were avid quilters, traveling to quilt shows, taking classes and teaching them. She married her husband David and joined the Cunningham United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Women, where she helped make a mission quilt every year and did crafts for their fall bazaar. It was at that time she started making “spoon angels” from silverware handles, beaded spiders, beaded icicle ornaments and bracelets.
“I learned by taking apart old jewelry to recycle into new items,” she said. “Everywhere I went I was looking for parts to recycle. One thing I was always on the lookout for was a pair of earrings that looked like angel wings. Each year I have tried to add something new. I started making small angels from mother of pearl or other stones in the shape of hearts or teardrops. These have been very popular.”
Eddy has been collecting old jewelry and silverware for the last 15 years.
“I knew I’d use it one of these days,” she smiled. She has many sources for materials, including craft stores, thrift shops, antique stores, and friends. After she learned to use the computer she discovered the wonderful world of eBay, where she found a variety of beads, charms, and many other items at reasonable prices, as well as items that she could not find locally.
It was on eBay that she bought a large portion of silver-plate which she uses in her spoon rings to create a distinctive design reminiscent of the 1970s. Eddy wears one she made from an antique spoon from the 1890s.
“I always wanted to bend silverware to make pieces of jewelry like bracelets,” she said. “I found the right tools and with help I can now bend handles for bracelets, rings, and pendants. I use every part of the silverware to make jewelry.”
Eddy also uses knives to create her art. “I pondered for years about to make the hollow handles into angels, but I couldn’t master it,” she said. With the help of friends, she cuts off the knife handles, drills a hole in the top, and turns them into one-of-a-kind pendants on a chain, with a tassel of beads and charms hanging from them.
Eddy began making the pendant collages in spoons – a project she decided to do to make money for the church building fund. “I had a lot of old jewelry pieces and asked the congregation to donate old jewelry. I went on faith making these,” she said. “I took an ‘inspiration piece’ and put similar color around that piece. I gradually found little pieces that fit into the puzzle. I like to combine color, texture and whimsy into the pendants.”
Eddy said she enjoys having fun making jewelry and keeping herself busy. She has what she calls her “faithful friends,” such as Peggy Shanklin and her daughter, Emily, who have a weekly date with Eddy for an hour. They help Eddy put supplies together and get organized and in return they have gained skills in jewelry making. Her friend and helper Rosetta also enjoys bending silverware.
“We call ourselves ‘Jewelry by Carol and Friends,’” Eddy said. She also gave credit to husband, David, who remains enthusiastic about her hobbies and gives her support every day.
“I have to stress the importance of having a hobby or something that can keep you busy,” she said. “I see those who retire and find themselves with no interest to stay occupied. I find that my life is filled with fun and adventure every day.”
To find out more about Eddy’s jewelry, contact her at davidncarol5047@aol.com or call 434-987-0878.
