Only Lauren

Lauren Van Hemert of Only Lauren creates found art jewelry that celebrates the past by taking everyday items often taken for granted and reinventing them into a piece of wearable art for a modern age. Lauren takes old labels, postage stamps, advertisements, posters, and photographs, transfers them to clay, and forms them into beads. The hand-formed image transfer beads are then woven and twined together with crystals, vintage glass beads, Czech glass beads, and found objects to form one-of-a-kind necklaces and bracelets. Lauren’s fascination with the past began over ten years ago with her grandmother. “I was interviewing my grandmother about our family tree,” she says. “During my interview, she went to the closet and took out a pink department store box full of heirloom photographs, letters, newspaper clippings, menus and programs that documented their life together. Though I didn't know the name for it at the time that is when my fascination with Ephemera began. All of these photographs and clippings told a story – a love story – of my grandparents.” Lauren's jewelry ranges in price from $45 to $800 and can be found on her main website.

*GIVEAWAY - Closed - Congrats to FENNOfashion: Enter to win a pair of lightweight luggage label transfer earrings (pictured). Simply visit Only Lauren and leave a comment on this post noting your favorite design. Giveaway ends at Midnight EST, Monday, November 2.