Bumbershoot Designs and Supplies May 2016 Special for Newsletter Subscribers

Vintage Cloisonné Earring Kit, free with purchase – Our gift to newsletter subscribers during the month of May is a new earring kit featuring wonderful vintage cloisonné beads with our own antiqued brass findings! Celebrate May flowers with these charming floral beads. Make up the kit and give it as a Mother's Day gift, or give your mom the gift of a DIY creation. Or just treat yourself! 

During May we will send all necessary components to make the earrings shown in the photo above. 

Our newsletter subscribers can receive this kit, free with any purchase at Bumbershoot Supplies. See your May 1 and May 15 newsletters for details and the coupon code.

Also, don't forget your 1-time free shipping offer that you received when you signed up for our newsletter.

And YES, you can combine specials. So you can have the earring kit plus the free shipping code you received upon signing up for the newsletter in the same order!

Not yet a newsletter subscriber? You can read past issues and you can sign up right here and get your free shipping and earring kit at your next purchase!
 

Bumbershoot Designs and Supplies August 2015 Special for Newsletter Subscribers

Vintage Swarovski Bead Earring Kit, free with purchase – Our treat for August is a new earring kit featuring wonderful vintage Swarovski peridot beads and antiqued silver findings! These dangling earrings featuring August's birthstone peridot will surely help you celebrate the fabulous month of August. During August, we will send all necessary components to make the earrings shown in the photo above.

Our newsletter subscribers can receive this kit, free with any purchase at Bumbershoot Supplies or Bumbershoot Designs.  See your August 1 and August 15 newsletters for details and the coupon code.

Also, don't forget your 1-time free shipping offer that you received when you signed up for our newsletter.

And YES, you can combine specials. So you can have the earring kit plus the free shipping code you received upon signing up for the newsletter in the same order!

Not yet a newsletter subscriber? You can read past issues and you can sign up right here and get your free shipping and earring kit at your next purchase!

Bumbershoot Designs and Supplies February 2015 Special for Newsletter Subscribers

Vintage Beaded Earring Kit, free with purchase – Our gift to newsletter subscribers during this February is a new earring kit featuring wonderful vintage Czech glass beads in amethyst and our own antiqued brass findings with flower charms! February's birthstone is amethyst and this kit would make a lovely gift for February friends. Use this kit to make up a quick gift, or gift the kit, or create a treat for yourself. During February, we will send all necessary components to make the earrings shown in the photo above.

Our newsletter subscribers can receive this kit, free with any purchase at Bumbershoot Supplies or Bumbershoot Designs.  See your February 1 and February 15 newsletters for details and the coupon code.

Also, don't forget your 1-time free shipping offer that you received when you signed up for our newsletter.

And YES, you can combine specials. So you can have the earring kit plus the free shipping code you received upon signing up for the newsletter in the same order!

Not yet a newsletter subscriber? You can read past issues and you can sign up right here and get your free shipping and earring kit at your next purchase!
 

Unique Vintage Finds at Bumbershoot Supplies: A Brief History of Banana Bob

Years ago, Bumbershoot Supplies purchased a large amount of vintage rhinestone and metal components originally made for the Banana Bob company. We are now making these very limited components available as Unique Vintage Finds on our website and in the unique finds section in our Etsy store. There are different items in both places, so be sure to check both out. 

 It's always fun  to see how vintage jewelry components were originally used. With that in mind, we thought we'd share a few Banana Bob pieces from our collection, plus a bit about Banana Bob in general. You will find some of the components in these pieces available on our websites, if they have not already sold. 

Made in the 1980s and 1990s, designed by former figure skater Annie Venditti, Banana Bob jewelry is famous for the intricate components and detailed layered designs. All of the jewelry was handmade, including gluing and setting rhinestones, hand enamelling and soldering metal layers, and as you can imagine it was very time intensive. The company no longer is in operation, due partly to the enormous amount of time to create the pieces which cut steeply into profits. But the jewelry remains and is still very popular among collectors and fans. If you click on the photos, you will get a larger version in which you will be able to see the components in more detail.

  

 With Banana Bob, jewelry designs are often themed and elaborate. Designs are often asymmetrical as well. Banana Bob jewelry was made from very fine elements such as Swarovski crystal rhinestones and US made brass findings. Banana Bob jewelry is definitely for people who wish to stand out in a crowd! 

Many of the components were created specifically for use in the Banana Bob designs. You can often find layers of filigrees bent and soldered into unique components or set rhinestones soldered onto connectors. We have quite a few Banana Bob components in stock at Bumbershoot Supplies. You can find them in special sections in our Etsy shop as well as on our website. These special items are limited, so get them while you can!

Spanish Pearls: The History of Majorica Pearls

At Bumbershoot Supplies, we were very excited because we recently acquired a limited number of unfinished vintage bracelet strands made from Majorica pearls. But what are Majorica pearls and why are they special?

 

Off the coast of Spain, on the island of Majorca are made some the world's finest imitation pearls. The company, Marjorica, has been making beautiful faux pearls for over 100 years.

 

Established in 1890 and moved to the island in the early 1900s, founder Eduard Heusch set out to create pearls as good as the real ones but more attainable. It would not be until the 1920s and 1930s when cultured pearls would become more generally available on the market, and so there was room for Heusch's excellent alternative.

 

Throughout the twentieth century technological advances made it possible to produce more "Spanish pearls", as they were called, and at a higher quality.

source

Upon Heusch's death in 1937, his son took over the company and changed the name to "Majorica Pearls" in 1950, after the island where the pearls were produced. Majorica was the only company to produce faux pearls throughout World War II, due to Spain's neutrality, and the company exported over one million pearl strand necklaces to the United States during that time.

Majorica pearls have been long associated with beauty and refinement, and internationalization and glamour would continue to be the path for the company into the later half of the twentieth century. Majorica sponsored the Venice Film Festival in the 1960s where they associated their pearls with stars such as Sophia Loren.  Even today the brand continues to be associated with celebrities, as well as high end fashion and jewelry design.

 

If you visit the Majorica website, you can view a fascinating video showing how these pearls are made, from hand forming the crystal nucleus, to hand dipping in the secret "pearl essence" to checking, polishing and hand knotting.

 

If you would like to read more about the history of Majorica check out their timeline. To learn more about the process of making the pearls check out their website and this article Gemological Institute of America about Majorica pearls.

If you, like us, love vintage glass pearls you might also enjoy this post about glass pearls and Leonardo da Vinci's pearl recipe.

December's Birthstone: Turquoise (and a few others)

Turquoise Matrix Scarab Vintage Glass Cabochons.

December's birthstone is turquoise. 

The gemstone turquoise comes in many different shades ranging from white to yellow-green. But when we talk about turquoise in vintage glass it is always about shades of blue and blue-green. We have a large selection of faux turquoise vintage glass at Bumbershoot Supplies and Bumbershoot Designs.

Turquoise Blue Vintage Glass Charm Chandelier Earrings.

Turquoise Sky Blue Vintage Glass Melon Grooved Cabochon. 

Turquoise Cherry Brand Vintage Baroque Glass Beads.

The gemstone turquoise sometimes has flecks of pyrite (commonly known as "Fool's Gold") in it that gives it a metallic variation. Often vintage faux turquoise glass is veined or flecked with metallic gold, brown, white and/or black for an organic appeal.You will often see this type of glass referred to as "turquoise matrix" glass.

Turquoise Matrix Vintage Glass Round Cabochons.

Turquoise Matrix Vintage Glass Cabochon Brass Set Charms.

Turquoise Matrix Cherry Brand Vintage Glass Cabochons.

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

"If cold December gave you birth

The month of snow and ice and mirth

Place on your hand a turquoise blue;

Success will bless whate'er you do."

Turquoise Matrix Vintage Glass Octagon Cabochons.

Turquoise Matrix Vintage Glass Oval Cabochons.

Turquoise Green Matrix Vintage Glass Scarab Cabochons.

Turquoise Matrix Vintage Glass Pear Rhinestones.

We hope this brings you some December inspiration. For more, check out our turquoise collection at Bumbershoot Supplies and Bumbershoot Designs.

And if turquoise isn't for you, you're in luck! December has two other birthstones: tanzanite and zircon. Be sure to check out our tanzanite and zircon supplies and designs at Bumbershoot Designs and Bumbershoot Supplies as well!

Tanzanite Swarovski Vintage Octagon Rhinestones.

New on Pinterest: Keep Calm and Craft On

Pinterest is a really great resource for finding and organizing all of those craft ideas and projects we happen to stumble across on our trips through the internet. We've been pulling together some of our favorite projects onto our new Pinterest board "Keep Calm and Craft On". Whether you are looking to get a jump on the holidays with Christmas in July, or wondering what to do with those vintage beads in your stash, or just looking for creative inspiration, check out some of our favorite projects:

Source: parkandcube.com via Bumbershoot Designs & Supplies on Pinterest

Source: trinketsinbloom.com via Bumbershoot Designs & Supplies on Pinterest

Source: frankie.com.au via Bumbershoot Designs & Supplies on Pinterest

Haskell Pearl Beads: Bumbershoot Designs and Supplies June 2013 Special for Newsletter Subscribers

Vintage Japanese glass pearl beads, free with purchase!

Not yet available at Bumbershoot Supplies, we are first offering these vintage glass pearls to our newsletter subscribers.

We recently acquired these vintage glass teardrop pearls as part of a large lot of beads and findings that were purchased from the Miriam Haskell warehouse decades ago. These lovely dark ivory pearls average 12mm long, and do vary a bit in size and shape, due to their handcrafted nature. 
 

During June, we will send 8 of these vintage treasures free with any purchase from Bumbershoot Supplies or Bumbershoot Designs.  See your June 1 and June 15 newsletters for details and the coupon code.

Also, don't forget your 1-time free shipping offer that you received when you signed up for our newsletter.

And YES, you can combine specials. So in the same order, you can have the pearl beads and the 1-time free shipping you received upon signing up for the newsletter.

Not yet a newsletter subscriber? You can read past issues and you can sign up right here and use your free shipping code and get your free vintage glass pearls at your next purchase!

New on Pinterest: Millefiore Glass, A Thousand Flowers

Millefiore, Italian for "a thousand flowers" is a glass working technique used to create swirling floral patterns in glass pieces. Often seen in beads, there are also many beautiful larger glass pieces that use this technique. On our Pinterest board, "Thousand Flowers" we've been pulling together some of our favorites. Check out these images:

Source: liveauctioneers.com via Bumbershoot Designs & Supplies on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Bumbershoot Designs & Supplies on Pinterest

Source: amazon.com via Bumbershoot Designs & Supplies on Pinterest

Vintage Design Inspiration Board #15 with Creativity Quote

Life is haphazard and full of beauties which I try to catch as they fly by, for who knows whether any of them will ever return?

~Margot Fonteyn

Inspiration Board #15 features:

vintage millinery glitter stamens (West Germany, wrapped with hand dyed twine)

vintage glass mirror button (US Zone Occupied Germany)

vintage coral glass beads, whole and halves (Japan)

vintage glass pearl drop (Japan)

vintage turquoise glass bead links (Japan)

vintage plastic flower cabochon (Japan)

lace, hand crocheted with antique crochet cotton (USA) and vintage orange lustre glass seed beads (Czech)
kanzashi flower made from Tracie Lynn Huskamp Nature Inspired fabric, embellished with vintage glass pearl button (Japan)

vintage paper  button tag (Austria)

vintage rhinestone earring component

vintage ivory flower buttons

additional scraps of Nature Inspired fabric

antique embroidery floss

vintage linen tea towel

mounted on 4x5 inch gallery wrapped canvas base

Vintage Rhinestones, Vintage Beads, Vintage Buttons and More from the US Zone of Occupied Germany: Date and Location

A lot of the vintage glass at Bumbershoot Supplies, including vintage beads, vintage cabochons, vintage rhinestones and vintage buttons, comes to us labeled “Made in Germany US Zone”. This tells us that the item was made in Germany during the time the country was occupied by Allied Forces immediately post WWII. Here’s the history…

This map is from http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/map.cfm?map_id=525

This map shows the Allied zones of occupation in Germany. The division into these zones was in place by July 1945, after a period of negotiation by the Allies and subsequent troop movement. The Soviet zone is in pink, the French zone is in blue, the American zone is in bright yellow, and the British zone is in the softer yellow. At first, each occupying power had authority in their respective areas. Eventually the three western zones were combined to form the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) in 1949, with the Soviets forming the Germany Democratic Republic (GDR), also in 1949. 

Allied occupation of the Federal Republic of Germany continued until 1955, but the “zones” disappeared with the formation of the FRG in 1949.  “Western Germany” and later “West Germany” were the common English names used for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), which existed from 1949 until the reunification of Germany in 1990. Soviet control of the eastern zone of Germany, commonly referred to as “East Germany”, continued from 1945 to 1990, first as the USSR Zone (1945-1949) then as the GDR.

Who knows how long it took for new packaging materials to be printed for glass baubles and beads, stating their origin as “US Zone”?  And who knows how long it took for packaging material to switch subsequently to “Made in Western Germany” or “Made in West Germany”? In any case, the “Made in Germany US Zone” marking is understood to encompass most of southern Germany as shown by the map and covers the time between the end date of WWII and the formation of the Federal Republic of Germany, i.e. 1945 to 1949.

Christmas in July. Stamped Cards with Vintage and Antique Embellishments

I had a bit of time during the July 4 weekend to play in my studio, and inspired by the "With One Stamp" feature that Stampington publishes in Somerset Studio magazine, I decided to use one stamp and many different vintage embellishments from Bumbershoot Supplies and my personal collection to make a series of Christmas cards.

Each one is unique, but for every card, the stamp, colors, and and basic layout are the same. That made it easier for me - I felt my time was limited and I wanted results and I wanted them quickly!

I like this approach, since each card is as unique as each recipient, and I very much enjoy using the vintage supplies for purposes other than jewelry.

The stamp is Thicket Birds by Memory Box. I love this stamp, it looks just like my favorite place to walk, Discovery Park, Seattle, in the winter.  I purchased the beautiful thick creamy watercolor paper sheets years ago from Impress. For each card I used brown and red markers to ink the stamp, foil highlighting in red, gold or silver, brown striped fabric tape purchased from Stampington, and stitched in red thread with my sewing machine. These components formed the foundation of each card.

And then I added lots of different vintage embellishments.

Because life always seems so full, to make these cards I had to break the process down into very small steps.  Ink and stamp. Pick some orders. Stick on fabric tape. Answer emails. Pull out and audition embellishments. Do some data entry. Stitch each card. Talk with suppliers. Glue embellishments. Wrap up designs for shipping. Add foil highlights.... You get the picture!

There are lots of different vintage embellishments used in these cards, some you may recognize from Bumbershoot Supplies and some are perhaps less familiar. I love to use the original packaging materials whenever possible, so there are paper and strings that are from the 1940's and 1950's and were used to wrap buttons and rhinestones and cabochons.

We like to make as many Christmas gifts as possible, and now I feel great because I have made a good start on my Christmas crafting and I am emergized to continue!