Thursday, March 10, 2011

Spotlight on WickedDarling


I first became aware of Pam, the”Wicked” behind WickedDarling on etsy through her beautiful treasuries.  I love taking a peek into her shop on a regular basis to see what new treasure she has unearthed! Pam is a collector, specifically; she collects vintage and antique jewelry.
                                             Edwardian amethyst glass and pearls C1910
Pam’s passion for collecting and her love of jewelry began at a very young age; in fact, she was forced to give up piano lessons as a kid because she refused to part with her 60’s “mod” rings. I’m assuming her piano teacher was not yet familiar with Liberace…



At age 5, her goal in life was to work at a jewelry store and as fate would have it; her first job was to work in the same jewelry store she had dreamt about so many years earlier. A part time after school job led to full time work and Pam was able to acquire a wealth of knowledge about jewelry and how it’s made.




Her foray into the antique jewelry world began about 30 years ago when she found a Victorian locket in a box filled with costume jewelry. From that moment on she was “hooked”. She began a quest after information on the subject and became familiar with “every antique store and flea market from Miami to Baltimore” (a girl after my own heart!)


Her hobby led to an obsession and became her passion. Pam explains “There is something magical about holding or wearing a piece of jewelry that someone wore and loved over 100 years before you were born! It makes my soul sing!”

                                          Interested in tiny portraits?


    
 Pam has an eye out for vintage beauty in whatever form it presents itself!


When she’s not on the prowl for “new” old stuff, she enjoys spending time with her husband and cats watching old movies in their 100 year old cabin in the Georgia woods. When I asked Pam how she came up with her shop name, she told me it came from the title of a 1919 silent film with Lon Chaney called “The Wicked Darling” Her family agreed it was the perfect name for her. “Somehow it appeals to the southern belle in me. A little bit Scarlet and a little bit Melanie”


What would she be doing if she couldn’t be sleuthing jewels? She would spend more time sketching cartoons of her cats. “My husband at one time would make jewelry using my drawings and I would love to see that happen again!” Sounds like a second etsy shop to me…

You can visit pam at wickeddarling.etsy.com.






12 comments:

  1. It is always so nice to know the people behind the shops! Great story, Betsy! Thank you for sharing, Pam! xoxo!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's fun getting to know you a little better, Pam! And I love the story behind your shop name.

    Martha Marshall
    brushwithimagination

    ReplyDelete
  3. Wow, I love that Pam has had this passion since 5 years old, her knowledge and great taste really shows through her shop too.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love where you live and nosing round your shop, too

    ReplyDelete
  5. Betsy, thank you so much!! Thank you all for your kind words! I am not so sure that I deserve such grand treatment, but the wicked in me loves it! :) xoxo Pam

    ReplyDelete
  6. nice to know more about the woman with all the personality :) good post!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Fab post, ladies !
    Pam, must say your avatar is priceless, and the shop name, now I know where it came from, even more so.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great interview Betsy. I find it fascinating that Pam had this passion from an early age. It took me a very long time to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up :-) Its good to hear where the shop name came from too - and of course I love the name Wicked Darling.

    ReplyDelete
  9. so even your family thinks you wicked! i wonder what the story behind that is! ha! so nice to meet you pam! great interview betsy!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Such a fascinating story. I love that your home has a past too.

    ReplyDelete