October's Birthstone: Opal

Vintage Fire Opal Harlequin Round Cabochons. 

October's birthstone is the opal.

The gemstone opal comes in many different hues, including warmly colored "fire opals" as well as striking blues. Vintage glass also displays a rich variety of hues made to mimic the various types of gemstone opal. We have a large collection of faux opal glass at Bumbershoot Supplies and Bumbershoot Designs. Typical among this style of glass are those that have a colored base, speckled with different colors of glass and foil, often with a layer of clear glass on top to provide a magnifying effect.

Vintage Ruby Red Fire Opal Pear Cabochons.

Vintage Blue Green Opal Cabochon.

Common gemstone opals, with their distinctive milky opacity also have inspired glass makers, resulting in a type of glass that is translucent with a golden glowing and sometimes fiery presentation. This type of glass is sometimes referred to as opaline, and the degree of fire varies from subtle to flashing.

Vintage Japanese Cherry Brand Opaline Glass Beads.

Vintage Opaline Leaf Cabochons.

You will also sometimes find these two types of glass worked together, a milky glass layer applied over a foil studded and speckled base.

Vintage Opal Glass Teardrop Rhinestones.

Opals have been the source of much folklore and superstition over the years.  Sometimes said to provide good luck and clarity to the wearers, they also have been associated with bad luck and death. 
 

Vintage Fire Opal Gold Filigree Cocktail Ring.

In 1870 Tiffany & Co. published a birthstone poem in one of their pamphlets. The poem for October goes: 

"October's child is born for woe,
And life's vicissitudes must know,
But lay an opal on her breast,

And hope will lull those woes to rest."

For hopeful inspiration, we invite you to browse our vintage faux opal collections!

Opals at Bumbershoot Supplies

Opals at Bumbershoot Designs

Announcing Bumbershoot Designs Online: New Website

We’re very excited to announce our new website, Bumbershoot Designs, dedicated to offering our  jewelry designs made with uniquely gorgeous vintage components.

We love offering our designs at Bumbershoot Designs on Etsy and our success there has encouraged us to open our own website in addition to our Etsy shop.

Now you will find us in 4 places: Bumbershoot Designs on Etsy, Bumbershoot Designs online, Bumbershoot Supplies on Etsy and Bumbershoot Supplies online.  All of our websites are fully linked to each other so we hope you will be able to navigate our locations with ease. Prices and shipping fees are consistent in all shops and we are always happy to combine shipping fees and purchases from all of our shops, just contact us if that is helpful to you.

We are very grateful to all our customers from both Bumbershoot Designs and Bumbershoot Supplies who have made this step possible. Thank you!

New at Bumbershoot Designs. Sneak Peek at New Vintage Inspired Designs

My muse has been busy the last two weeks, with 32 (yes, I counted) new designs waiting their turn to be listed at Bumbershoot Designs. It has been hard to pull my muse away from the work table, but I was able to convince her to take a few photos on the weekend. If you would like to know more about any of these designs, just let me know and I will prioritize listing the design(s) you are interested in, so you can have more photos and full information.

I've started working in sets, like the costume jewelry designers of decades ago did. So many of the new designs you see here are available as "demi-parures", meaning there are 2 or 3 matching pieces. For example, the earrings shown at the very top and this necklace match, and are a demi-parure.

These earrings feature lovely vintage 1920's Czech nailhead beads with tiny vintage 24K gold charlotte beads and there is a matching necklace on a pretty sparkly antiqued brass chain.

These earrings also have a matching necklace and feature vintage blush pink pearls with really lovely antiqued brass bead caps and a tiny peach moonstone bead, not vintage but genuine :)

This vintage locket is adorned with a 1940's crystal button and black rhinestone of the same era. The chain is also vintage and I have restored and patina'd the chain and locket.

I also made a shorter pair of matching earrings, with just one stone, providing 2 options for this demi-parure.

Another set featuring some lovely coral - peachy vintage Czech beads and lovely Japanese glass pearls. The cabochon is also from 1950's Japan. These move in a charming and eye catching way.

This butterfly necklace also has matching earrings. I'm not sure this one is a completed design. I have some rosaline cabochons enroute that I think I might swap with the rhinestone, but I have to see when they get here. I want this to look light and airy, like butterflies are. This charm is 3 dimensional and I really like that, it adds movement to this simple design.

I love the black diamond stones, so I made this ring to match the black diamond earrings I already offer at Bumbershoot Designs.

I have been fascinated with the character and individuality of these vintage rhinestones ever since I purchased them to offer at Bumbershoot Supplies. I finally decided I could have a few to work with :) I am working on a bracelet to match these earrings.

Oh Marie, Marie... I offer pearl Marie Antoinette earrings at Bumbershoot Designs, this is a new version featuring the most spectacular 1940's crystal rhinestones you could every hope to see. I'd love to make a necklace to match this, but so far the right fleur de lis has not appeared...

These earrings are all sterling, antiqued and polished by me, and feature extraordinary rose colored crystal drops, 1930's Czech. How blessed am I to be able to work with such beauty!

I have been looking for some time for white mother of pearl to make more white cufflinks since my round vintage mother of pearl cabochons ran out. I am extremely pleased with this new lot of vintage mother of pearl, it is flawless, creamy, smooth, iridescent, and I love the oval shape too.

This locket is a long necklace, 26 inches, and is a tribute to all the birds and especially the swallows I see on my walks around Discovery Park in Seattle. This floral locket is adorned with a blue and white vintage West Geman flower button bead and another of those wonderful vintage Japanese glass pearls.

If you've made it to the end of this long post, thank you for viewing my designs! I hope you have found some ideas or inspiration with them. All of these designs and more will make their way into Bumbershoot Designs over the coming days. If you have any questions or would like more information, please let me know!

New at Bumbershoot Designs. Vintage Rhinestone Cocktail Rings

Introducing vintage rhinestone cocktail rings to Bumbershoot Designs.

Big, juicy, rich, splashes of saturated, sparkling vintage color.

For jeans, for weddings, even for cocktails...

More colors en route, like montana sapphire and emerald green, stay tuned...

Wishing you a great big, sparkling, color filled weekend!

Featured Artist. Joanne Depape of Jaded Seas Designs on Etsy

I'm very happy to share with you the work of Joanne Depape of Jaded Seas Designs on Etsy. 

OK, wrap your mind around that shop name, Jaded Seas...  Doesn't that evoke images of deep green water, tropical flowers, hot sun and cool drinks....  If you are not there yet, head on over to Jo's shop and check out her splendid banner, it will get you there. 

Jo is in New Zealand.  One of the gifts of Bumbershoot Supplies is that it connects us, however briefly, to people all over the world, and also to diverse locales within our own country.  We all intersect at our love of art and craft and in our desire to work with beautiful materials to make fine and beautiful things.  I'm grateful to all my customers for showing me this connection on a daily basis, and for transporting me to exotic and varied locales, as least in my imagination :)

Jo's work will transport you to exotic locales through the components and images she uses. Jo uses sterling silver, beautiful Japanese paper, clear glass domes, and vintage glass cabochons, some also Japanese in origin, like the ones from Bumbershoot Supplies featured in this post. With these components, she creates unique rings, pendants, earrings and necklaces, including her innovative cluster style pendants.

I hope you will enjoy a trip to Jaded Seas Designs.  You will find the experience customer friendly and accomodating. Jo can make rings adjustable, or with a solid band in your ring size. She can set rings in your preference of portrait or landscape orientation. Necklace chain lengths can be adjusted.

Plus I'm sure you will be inspired. 

And don't forget to check out the banner :)

New at Bumbershoot Designs. Reduced Shipping, New Categories, New Items

I've been busy with some behind-the-scenes administrative tasks at Bumbershoot Designs for a few weeks now.  These activities have kept the listing of new jewelry designs to a minimum, but hopefully they will provide you with an improved shopping experience.

First bit of good news: shipping fees have been reduced for ALL customers, both US and international.  And you will still receive the same quick shipping.  If items are purchased by 10 am Pacific time, Monday through Saturday, they ship the same day. Otherwise, it is the next business day.

Second: I've revised and updated every one of the jewelry titles and URLs to make it easier to find the type of item in which you may be interested.

Third: I've streamlined the categories of designs so you can view multiple types of the same design, for example, earrings, in one place.

Fourth: I've placed additional designs that I am retiring on Sale, you can find them in the Sale category.

Between long hours spent in these various adminstrative activities, I've rewarded myself with a bit of time to design and list a few new items, pictured throughout this post.  You will find these items in Bumbershoot Designs now, with more designs just waiting for photography to be completed. 

I invite you to visit Bumbershoot Designs and see the changes.  Stay tuned, as I begin to load up new designs over the coming week.

Wishing you a great weekend!

Featured Artist: Lori Morse of BeJeweledNH on Etsy

I'm very happy to share with you the work of Lori Morse of BeJeweledNH on Etsy.  Just look at this ring! I love how Lori has layered the tiny light sapphire moonstone-like glass leaves in this design, and how her photograph captures the light that is in this glass.  

As you may know, my roots are in mixed media, and therefore Bumbershoot Supplies stocks a lot of really small vintage glass cabochons and rhinestones that can be used for all kinds of art applications.  The wee bits, like these vintage jade glass leaves, are some of my favorites and I am always interested in seeing the diverse uses to which they are put.

Lori often uses filigree, lucite or metal, to beautifully enhance and complement these tiny vintage glass treasures.  Lori's pieces are one-of-a-kind, so you have the thrill of knowing you are wearing a unique work of art. 

Lori's work is diverse, she also enjoys working with larger vintage glass, such as the incredible vitrail rainbow starburst vintage glass cabochon featured in this cuff bracelet.

I know from my conversations with Lori that she is committed to quality in her pieces and also to providing her customers with a great shopping experience.  I hope you will consider a visit to BeJeweledNH, for inspiration and more.  Tell Lori that Sharon at Bumbershoot sent you :)

Greenlake Daisies Adjustable Ring Featured in Spring Collection

A big thank you to the folks at ShinyGoLucky, an Etsy shop selling vintage items, for featuring my Greenlake Daisies ring in their first: We Want It Wednesday! - Collection 1, Spring Cheer!

Head on over for some Spring Cheer!

My Greenlake Daisies ring is available here, at Bumbershoot Designs.