***CONGRATULATIONS, AUDRA MARIE!!!***
In a recent fit of nostalgia, I checked out Shrinky Dinks online and the templates still look about the same as the mushrooms and unicorns I remember tracing. Way back in my 20s (yes, they are long gone, thanks for asking), I amassed a pretty decent collection of vintage plastic and bakelite jewelry but my interest has kind of dwindled. I figured that the raw material of shrink thermoplastic is so cool, in this era of desktop publishing, someone must be doing something interesting with it.
Impressively, i love blocks has taken a cheeseball craft material out of the '70s and gussied it up for the 21st Century girl. Here's proof that thermoplastics really can be made into non-lame contemporary jewelry:
The power bracelet is my personal favorite. Irina, the designer behind i love blocks, prints graphic power lines in black and white on squares of shrink plastic and connects them with sterling silver rings and a modern toggle clasp. It is lightweight compared to most vintage plastic jewelry (aside from catalin) but it packs a punch. I am showing a stock photo because the ones I took of it on my wrist don't show off its gorgeous fine detail.
Of course, using thermoplastic for fine jewelry requires a certain sense of humor. Bloggers will appreciate the wit evident in pieces like the click necklace, featuring a familiar cursor as an iconic pendant on a leather cord:
Also dripping with not-so-subtle irony is the wishlist series, in which pendants are emblazoned with generic text descriptions of necklaces that cost a bit more than the $25 their subtitle version will set you back. My favorite is this simple solitaire:
Or perhaps mod Brady Bunch-esque flowers are more your speed? Here are a couple of options for you, too, groovy friend:
I also love (ha, ha) the what do you love? series of pendants, which pair the i love blocks signature lowercase "i" and hot pink heart with whatever you want…bugs, fire, poison, men, women, you name it. (Literally– you fill in the blanks yourself with a sharpie.) This being primarily a mommy blog, I am showing you the "i love babies" model:
Enter to win an i love blocks necklace of your choice. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and let me know which is your favorite i love blocks item and why.
Entries will be accepted through January 6th. US readers only, please, unless you want to pay for international shipping. Make sure you leave an email address or that you have one accessible on your blog so you can be contacted if you win! If I can't find your email, I will pick a new winner. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR BLOG PROFILE IS SET TO PUBLIC AND THAT THERE IS AN EMAIL AVAILABLE ON YOUR BLOG OR LEAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS ALONG WITH YOUR COMMENT!!! Only one entry/comment per person, please.
