‘Pennies From Heaven’

Published 6:00 am Monday, January 9, 2017

Everything old is new again in the hands of Lelia Schexnider.

Schexnider, 66, calls her artwork “Pennies From Heaven,” and she uses discarded, broken or unwanted materials for parts of her jewelry and furniture creations.

“It’s distressing to me to see so many things being thrown away that still have purpose,” she said.  

Schexnider, a native of Lafayette and resident of St. Martinville, repurposes everything from guitar picks and keys to old card catalog drawers.

“I feel like it’s kind of my way of recycling,” she explained.

Schexnider’s skills come partly from observing jewelry being made while she worked at a jewelry store in Lafayette.

“I kind of dabbled in it for myself,” she said.

She started her jewelry making in earnest after she set up a booth with her creations in the Breaux Bridge City Wide Garage Sale in 2012.

“I did OK, but it was enough for me to realize that maybe it was something I can do,” she said.

Schexnider now sells her work at craft shows with her husband, Ray Schexnider.

He helps her make displays and drill holes in things that are destined to become part of a piece of jewelry.

“When I need something done for that, he does that,” she said.

Schexnider said sales vary from day to day.

“Sometimes I go to a show and bracelets sell well. Sometimes I go to a show and necklaces sell well,” she said. “I think most people do like the vintage-looking stuff, and they buy the fleur-de-lis. Anything I make with a fleur-de-lis generally sells well.”

Revamping an old piece of furniture can be a time-consuming project, but Schexnider said she can finish jewelry pieces relatively quickly.

“I really enjoy working on my jewelry,” she said.  “It’s kind of instant gratification. If I come up with an idea, I can generally finish it in an hour or two.”

Schexnider’s work area is filled with jars of buttons and sea glass as well as groups of little odds and ends waiting to discover their own untapped potential.

“I have a tendency to keep everything, because you never know when you’re going to need a little piece of chain,” she said

She also does not know when she can find inspiration for her work.

“Inspiration is one of those things you can’t predict. I just put it aside until I’m more motivated,” she said.

Schexnider’s real motivation to find something to lose herself in came after her son, Heath Schexnider, died four years ago.

“He’s been my biggest inspiration for why I do this. It’s kind of been my therapy. It’s really helped me stay sane,” she said. “It’s kind of helped me to come out of my fog a little.”