Featured Artist: Dawna St.Marie of PrairieArtisan on Etsy (30% Off Coupon Code Included!)

Our latest featured artist is the very talented Dawna St.Marie of PrairieArtisan on Etsy! Dawna has a special treat for you, so be sure to scroll down for full information. 

Dawna's work is inspired by vintage rhinestone jewelry, and was kick-started by her admiration of her friend's sparkling vintage jewelry collection. 

With a background in stained glass, Dawna does all of the soldering by hand, making each piece a one of a kind creation. 

Dawna's expertise in vintage jewelry and components can be seen in her designs as she expertly matches and contrasts stones, filigrees and settings. Some of her designs use hundreds of rhinestones (that she solders by hand, just think about that for a moment!). 

Dawna's use of bright colors and brilliant vintage stones bring a freshness and modernity to her creations. These statement pieces would look right at home alongside both vintage and modern jewelry.

Truly incredible works of art, which you get to wear!

Be sure to check out Dawna's shop! There are fabulous rhinestone bracelets galore that are sure to awe and delight you! Dawna has graciously offered our readers a discount coupon code for 30% off your order at PrairieArtisan. To receive your discount simply use the code 

WELCOME30

at checkout. What a great opportunity to save on some very special one of a kind jewelry that would make a wonderful gift this holiday season. 

Also, you can find more of Dawna's handmade bracelets at her second shop PrairieVintageJewels, where you will also find stunning vintage jewelry pieces that reflect Dawna's eye for unique vintage flair.

 

Featured Artist: Mandy Kallal of Jewelry4Reenactors

 

Our latest featured artist is Mandy Kallal of Jewelry4Reenactors!

Mandy's designs are unique because they draw on her years of experience as a Civil War reenactor and have been specially crafted to be period correct.
 

Mandy loves the Victorian era and many of her designs are inspired by pieces from that time. Her extensive research can been seen in each one of her handcrafted pieces and by her attention to detail.  

Mandy uses materials like coral and mother of pearl, as featured in this brooch and earring set, as they were very popular materials during the Victorian era. 

These bracelets are designed around Victorian mourning jewelry. Often incorporating jet black glass or onyx, these pieces would be worn for years after a loved one's death. This design features an old daguerreotype which was a fairly new technology at the time. 
 

Mandy's beautiful designs have delicately detailed filigrees which would surely look lovely to wear whether you are going to a Civil War ball or a modern day event. 
 

We hope you'll enjoy a visit over to Mandy's website (and also check out her Etsy shop too), to be inspired by her designs and their unique histories. Any one of her special pieces would make a great gift for someone who was interested in history, or just beautiful jewelry!

Featured Artist. Janice Swain of Strands on Etsy

These amazing wearable art pieces are by Janice Swain of Strands on Etsy.

Janice left feedback after a purchase at Bumbershoot Supplies and she also attached some photos to her feedback. I was delighted to see what she had done with the vintage cabochons and vintage rhinestones she had purchased, and beyond that, I was amazed.

Janice uses vintage cabochons and rhinestones, as well as gemstones, as focal pieces around which she beads fabulous swirls of color and sparkle, each piece unique, each piece a story.

For example, this bulldog cuff…

And this glacier cuff…

 

And this one inspired by Van Gogh’s sunflower paintings…

If you love beads and sparkly things, you are probably someone who is captivated by light and color and the special magic of how they both come together in glass. I love how Janice has used the characteristics of the vintage glass cabochons and vintage rhinestones so effectively in her designs. I am truly in awe of the vision and skill required to take diverse bits of glass and turns them into gorgeous wearable art. Not to mention the amount of time I imagine must be involved in bringing the vision to tangible form...

It is for these reasons I am delighted to have found Janice and Strands. Plus, she is from Bumbershoot Supplies’ home town of Seattle, and it’s always nice to meet a neighbor.

Janice’s shop is a recent addition to Etsy – Strands opened at the end of 2010. I’m featuring the cuff bracelets here because they are so spectacular, but there are many other lovely jewelry designs available at Strands, so I hope you will head on over for a visit and a dose of inspiration and color, especially if you are in a part of the world that is still awaiting spring :)

Progress Report 2: Ethereal Bangles Online Class with Kristen Robinson

I am still working on the Ethereal Bangles online class offered by Kristen Robinson. I've completed 4/5 bracelets, and I'm still working on the 5th.

I'll show 2 of the completed designs in this post.

I did not purchase a kit - I worked with my own supplies, and I have not yet got around to making any resin charms, so my bracelets are not exactly like what Kristen taught. I do have all the components for the resin, and one of the things I like about this online learning experience is that I can break the steps down just as small as I need to in order to move forward.  Next step is to identify a spot with a 60 watt lamp for the resin to cure undisturbed for 24 hours.

In the meantime, I used my vintage components to complete the bracelets.

The first one is sterling silver wire, hammered, antiqued, and embellished with silk ribbon and a selection of vintage components from my personal stash and from Bumbershoot Supplies. I haven't worn this one yet, but I can say it looks beautiful on my daughter Emma.

The design for this second bracelet involves a half bangle of antiqued sterling silver, finished with vintage rosary chain and charms.  I had to modify this design.  It turns out that I have really large hands and narrow wrists.  As a teenager, I worked in the local dairy in our town, scooping up ice cream cones in the dairy bar. I can scoop 9 double dip cones in one hand. So I need a large bangle to get over my hand, but then because my wrists are fairly narrow, the bangle sits too low on my hand to be comfortable and for daily function.  So for this design, I incorporated a clasp so I could have the bangle be small enough to sit where I wanted on my wrist, but easily go on and off.  Normally I would antique the clasp and jump rings also, but I decided to try out this design modification first, and so this bracelet is really a prototype. I think I will shorten the length of the silver wire also. This modification works really well for me and I love wearing this bracelet! It feels so light, truly "ethereal".

Autumn in the Pacific Northwest. A Sensory Treat

It's officially still summer, but it already feels like autumn here in the Pacific Northwest. I'm originally from southern Ontario, and fall in Seattle is quite a different experience. I find it starts sooner - I already see lots of yellow and falling leaves in my walks around Discovery Park.

Fall here is a bit softer, visually and in terms of temperatures, not the abundant blazing colors of my Canadian past, but still beautiful, and continuing along its mild path, right through late November's American Thanksgiving. And fall is delicious, with the harvest coming in from both Western and Eastern Wasington and the best apples all year round available right now.

Not to mention the flowers...

On Etsy, MrKittysSoapShop curated this lovely treasury celebrating the magic that is autumn in the Pacific Northwest.

I'm thrilled my "Seattle's Bluest Skies" bracelet from Bumbershoot Designs was included.  This is a truly Seattle-inspired design, for more about this jewelry design, see this blog post. And the sky in Seattle today is just exactly this shade of blue...

Featured Artist. Sarah Elder of MySoCalledJunkyLife on Etsy

I'm happy to share with you the work of Sarah Elder of MySoCalledJunkyLife on Etsy (also called seraart, don't get confused, you are in the right place!). 

Sarah asked me for some of the vintage glass pearl shell pendants available at Bumbershoot Supplies, and I asked if she would please share what she did with them. And she did! I love it when that happens!

I feel drawn to Sarah's work since she repurposes truly beautiful vintage components in interesting ways, either alone or in combination with the highest quality contemporary beads, pearls, and findings. If you visit her design shop, you will see exactly what I mean. Especially as we head into June, the month of pearls, you will find lots of pearly items to inspire you.

Sarah also has a supplies shop on Etsy, you can find it here.  Her shop offers unique vintage items beautifully presented, with wonderful photographs. I have often visited her shop to look at her unique tag kits, and I encourage you to visit for a dose of vintage inspiration.

I Feel Pretty. Mixed Media Monday

This is my entry for this week's challenge at Mixed Media Monday, "I Feel Pretty".  I've been working on this button bracelet for some time, and the color palette seemed to fit the challenge, so I was inspired to finish it!  It features many vintage items, including glass pearls, buttons and beads, plus a touch of contemporary tiny peach moonstone beads interspersed thoughout.  A mix of eras (1940's to contemporary) and a mix of materials (glass, plastic, metal).

Lots and lots of pretty...

Update May 1, 2020: Now available at Bumbershoot Designs, you will find this bracelet here.

New at Bumbershoot Designs. Jeweled Feathers. A Vintage Button, Bead and Charm Bracelet

If you are familiar with Bumbershoot Designs, you will know that one of my favourite things to make are these button, bead and charm bracelets, pulling together vintage and antique components from my collection.

It takes some time to make each bracelet.  I audition beads, make charms, go looking in my collection and elsewhere for the perfect buttons to complement the other glass and metal components.  Each bracelet remains laid out on my work table so I can see it all the time. 

This particular bracelet features 5 vintage sparkly rhinestone buttons in different sizes and styles. Also featured are 2 individually made lampwork flowers from 1950's Japan in cobalt blue, plus 6 periwinkle teardrop beads, also vintage Japanese. The rivoli faceted glass buttons in cobalt are from 1940's West Germany. There are many charms made with vintage glass cabochons from Japan, West Germany and Czechoslovakia. The bracelet is named after the 3 very old Czech glass feather beads in turquoise with gold detailing (my only 3).

I love these bracelets, since they allow me the freedom to include all the vintage components I adore, in one place.
This one of a kind design is currently available here, at Bumbershoot Designs.

And on my worktable currently is the next button charm bracelet, a flower theme in shades of antique ivory, peach and coral. Stay tuned...

Discovery Park Wildflower Bracelet Featured in this Lovely Collection

Buried in Betsy's Closet, a blog featuring fashion accessories, has included my Discovery Park Wildflower Bracelet , offered at Bumbershoot Designs, in this collection, Wild Flowers. Check it out!  Many thanks to Marianna!

This pretty charm bracelet combines mint green and frosted white vintage 1960's West German lucite leaves, rose pink vintage lucite flowers and vintage clear round glass bead “dewdrops” as accents. The leaves and flowers are wonderfully detailed, with delicate veining and serrated edges on the leaves. Everything is attached to a 1960's vintage 8 inch sterling silver double link bracelet chain. All findings and the clasp are sterling silver. Vintage lucite is a lovely material to wear - is light in weight, and makes a soft jingle that is quite pleasing.

Discovery Park, one of Seattle’s natural jewels, is home to many wildflowers, including the tiny pink ones that inspired this design.

Featured Artist: Olivia Suero Velasco

It is my pleasure to share with you the work of Olivia Suero Velasco.  I learned of Olivia's work after she purchased vintage glass cabochons and vintage ivory roses from Bumbershoot Supplies, then sent me a link to her blog where she is posting and selling her creations.

Given my mixed media perspective, I find the mix of metal, glass and fiber really appealing.

Olivia is Spanish, and so is her shop blog, but don't let that stop you from heading over for a look.  Her presentation is creative and artistic - many of her designs are photographed on backgrounds of beautifully sketched female nudes, drawn by Olivia. 

Her photography is beautiful and her designs highlight the vintage glass cabochons, and they just glow.  Enjoy!

I do believe in fairies, I do, I do

Do you believe in fairies?

We do! We do!

Our big news last Friday was that Eric has been cast as Michael in Seattle Children's Theatre's holiday musical production of Peter Pan, running November 2009 through January 2010. We spent the weekend celebrating and being happy about this great good fortune for Eric.

Be sure to join us at the theatre this fall! But before then...

Both Emma and Eric are performing in Seattle Children's Theatre's Summer Season, opening in July. This is a wonderful opportunity to see affordable and great theatre featuring talented youth performers. Eric will be performing in Alice in Wonderland, and Emma will be performing in Romeo and Juliet (coming in August). Emma and Eric have been students at Seattle Children's Theatre for many, many years now and we can't say enough good things about this organization and the people that work there. SCT has a piece of our hearts...

The excitement made work on Bumbershoot Designs and Bumbershoot Supplies take a second seat this weekend, but a few things did occur. I'm expecting more shipments of the vintage 1940's - 1950's hand painted Japanese flowers this week, more occupied Japan glass flower cabochons, and look for the following on Bumbershoot Designs over the coming week...