I stumbled across this on the Anthropologie website, where I was momentarily confused by the one of a kind and estate jewelry pieces. And very, very intrigued by this necklace. So intrigued I Googled designer Peg and Awl, found Margaux Kent’s Etsy store, was delighted to find a Black Friday price reduction and blammo. That and a Paypal balance combined forces and this necklace should be on its way to me shortly. But don’t despair – they will make the design for you, too.

What I loved (in addition to the quirky and handmade design) was where the leather for these miniature books came from:

11 books from left to right,
sm – Crimson from a mid-century sofa
sm – Antique postcard from 1905 Brown from olde shoppe display
med – Brown scrap from an Israeli cobbler
lg – Mid-century brown sofa leather from Holland
med – Black from mid-century sofa
lg – Hunting Mocassins from the 1700s, New England tied with brown
med – Dark brown with crackles from an early 1900s wallet
lg – 100 year olde cobbler’s scrap found in an olde box
med – Green crackly leather from chair from Holland 1800s
sm – Mid-century deer skin with lighter deer skin tie
sm – Mid-century brown sofa leather from Holland

She notes that, “My books are made using archival insides and antique outsides. Inside you’ll find lineless strathmore drawing paper – thick, hand-torn, acid-free pages that work perfectly with ink, pens both thick and superfine, pencil, charcoal, and myriad other mediums. the pages are each hand sewn with archival linen binder’s thread. The books’ covers are made using hand-picked scraps and worn leather from wherever I can find them, cut to fit the appropriate size. The books can be carried daily and beat up. They are quite strong creatures.”

Little books. Big love. You can order your own (and there are less expensive single book necklaces, earrings, sketch books and more), from their Etsy shop here.