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 December 2013 Special for Newsletter Subscribers

Turquoise charm earring kit, free with purchase!

This month's birthstone is turquoise (be sure to check out our blog post on that!) and in honor of this gemstone we are giving away this lovely earring kit to our newsletter subscribers. During the month of December, receive all of the components to make this lovely pair of vintage faux turquoise earrings when you use the coupon at checkout. We don't mind saying that they would make a lovely holiday gift for someone on your list this year!  

Our newsletter subscribers can receive this kit, free with any purchase at Bumbershoot Supplies or Bumbershoot Designs.  See your December 1 and December 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!

New Antiqued Brass Head Pins and Jump Ring Findings at Bumbershoot Supplies

Newly available at Bumbershoot Supplies, jump rings and headpins to match our line of antiqued brass settings, drops, connectors and other findings. Eye pins are being plated as I write this.

Yee haw!

It would seem like it should be a simple task to locate these findings, but I have been working for months to identify the right source to be the perfect complement to our line of high quality antiqued brass findings, so Jim and I are really excited about these new additions. 

Here is what we now have available for your designs (and mine):

Jump rings in 4mm, 6mm and 8mm in standard wire thicknesses.  We’re working on thicker ones and perhaps even some in twisted wire, sound good?

Head pins and (any day now) eye pins in standard thickness of 21 gauge, 2 inches long.  We plan to add thinner 24 gauge soon.

All in the highest quality yellow brass, plated in a rich golden honey antiqued brass shade to match all our other antiqued brass.

Plus, sealed with a jewelry grade non toxic lacquer for gloss and durability.

No lead, no nickel, and for you folks in the European Union, no cadmium either.

Quality shows! 

These beautiful findings are American-made by a family company in business since the 1940s.  They are plated by another American company, in business since the 1950s.  Both companies are such a pleasure to work with, the search for the right fit was worth it!

It’s the small things in life.

Next on our list, American-made chain!

Miriam Haskell Bracelet Update: Russian Gold Plate Flower Filigree Identification

I’m busy sorting through our recent purchase of metal findings from the Miriam Haskell warehouse, see my blog post here.

And guess what? I found some of the same filigrees that are used in a Miriam Haskell pearl bracelet I am fortunate to own. See my bracelet blog post here.

Here are the filigrees together with the bracelet filigree… We have a match! 

In this bracelet, the Haskell oval plaque is soldered to one filigree. There is a second filigree on the back, both held together with jump rings, right before the clasp.

Both my bracelet filigree and the Haskell warehouse filigrees are plated with Russian gold plate, a type of 24K gold plating used in vintage Haskell pieces. The bracelet filigree and the warehouse filigrees are dramatically different in color, showing how this type of plating can age over time.  For more, see my blog post about Russian gold plate here.  

We now offer new antiqued brass tiny flower bead caps just like those in my bracelet…

And we also carry various vintage Miriam Haskell glass pearls, also originally purchased at the Miriam Haskell Company warehouse.

I’ll keep researching our Miriam Haskell findings to see if I can discover examples of how they were used, I’ll keep you posted!

New Vintage Style Antiqued Brass at Bumbershoot Supplies: Connectors and Bead Caps and Drops, Oh My!

I’m delighted to announce we are expanding the antiqued brass findings we offer at Bumbershoot Supplies. Watch us over the next few months as we grow this line of components, and see the new items already in stock here at Bumbershoot Supplies.

I am excited about these antiqued brass findings for so many reasons, and especially because they are made in the USA. Why do I care about that? 

Well, there are 3 main reasons:

These brass pieces are made and plated by family-owned companies that have been around forever. They know their business. They use the same original tooling to make these findings as they have used for decades. The precision and attention to detail, it’s all there.  There is an authenticity to these findings that simply cannot be matched.  There’s a reason these businesses have been the center of the costume jewelry industry for so long.

Second, the quality of the yellow brass starting material is unsurpassed. Consistently using a high quality yellow brass yields a consistently beautiful antiqued brass product. Also important to me is that these findings are substantial. These are not the light weight brass findings that are now commonly available, these are thicker, weightier and quite durable over time. Side by side, the US-made wins, hands down. Whatever you choose to do with them, these findings will impart a luxurious look and feel to your designs.

Finally, we are confident that these findings are indeed nickel and lead free and are manufactured to the highest standards in that regard.  We have them specially coated with a non toxic jewelry grade lacquer, to impart shine and to protect the antiqued brass finish, so you can expect your designs to last.

I’m so happy with these new components, I’m practically jumping up and down! I am loving using them in my designs and I know you will too!

New at Bumbershoot Supplies. Vintage Enamel Flowers are Back

Happy Friday!

New at Bumbershoot Supplies this week, we have been able to obtain a few more lots of vintage enameled metal flowers, just in time for your spring designs.  New in stock are the lilac ones above, and back in stock are the following....

We don't have many of these, so if you want 'em, come and get 'em!
Let me know if I can be of any assistance.

Wishing you a wonderful, wonderful weekend!

New at Bumbershoot Supplies and Holiday Shipping Schedule

HOLIDAY SHIPPING SCHEDULE:

Bumbershoot Supplies and Bumbershoot Designs are open every day through the holiday season, and shipping almost every day.

Thurs Nov 25, 2010	No shipping, US Thanksgiving Holiday
Fri Nov 26 and Sat Nov 27, 2010	Yes, we are shipping
Dec 1-23, 2010	Shipping every day, Monday through Saturday, including Dec 23, 2010
Dec 24, 25, 26, 2010	No shipping
Mon, Dec 27, 2010	Regular shipping schedule resumes.

Our standard shipping policy will apply during the holiday season:  If payment is received by 10am Pacific time, items ship the same day.  Otherwise it is the next business day.  We email a shipping confirmation with tracking number (US destinations) or scanned customs form number (international destinations) for every purchase on the day your package ships.  If you want a faster shipping option than first class mail, please contact Sharon for a quote.

Since Nov 1, we have added 28 new items and restocked 14 at Bumbershoot Supplies.  Here are some of our new items...

We have just received the third shipment of settings for our vintage cabochons and rhinestones and they are now in stock in the settings, bezels, chain section of Bumbershoot Supplies.  We continue to expand our growing collection of vintage rhinestones to fit our settings… We’ve added some truly spectacular and uncommon vintage glass pearls, all from Japan. Did you know that the Niki Company, from which the Miriam Haskell Company purchased many glass pearls in the 1950’s and 1960’s, strung their handmade beads on wire, dipped them 7 times, and then polished them by tumbling them, on the wires, in sawdust? I learned this in Cathy Gordon’s book, Miriam Haskell Jewelry. And guess what? The 2 vintage Japanese teardrop pearls shown below came to me strung on the original wires… Here’s just a few other vintage treasures that I couldn’t resist and I hope you will enjoy too… As we approach the Christmas holidays, there are some holiday themed items at Bumbershoot Supplies that you may be interested in.  You can locate all of the items below, and more, by searching Bumbershoot Supplies with the key word “Christmas”, or just click on this link…. And finally, these are some of the vintage buttons we are delighted to be able to restock.  Why mention the restocked items?  Vintage items are limited by definition since they aren’t being made any more.  Therefore, we are always excited to be able to restock our items, especially items as special as these buttons…

I invite you to come on over to Bumbershoot Supplies and have a look at all these new vintage treasures. 

Until next time, wishing you a great weekend!

New at Bumbershoot Supplies. 38 New Vintage Beads, Cabochons, Rhinestones, and More Since October 15

Since October 1, we have added 38 new items and restocked 5 at Bumbershoot Supplies. Here are some of our new items...

We are still awaiting our pronged and glue in settings and bezels for our vintage cabochons and rhinestones. They are at the plater now, being antiqued and sealed, so it won't be long. In anticipation, we've added some more lovely vintage glass rhinestones to go into the pronged settings. The crystal ones in the center are from 1940's occupied Germany, and I was so taken with these stones that I immediately made a pair of earrings using our antiqued brass settings. I've included a photo of my earrings in the listing... We have some new vintage glass cabochons in all shapes and sizes.  If you like the beauty and usefulness of the tiny glass cabochons (they are so wonderful for jewelry and mixed media layering and collage), the green baguettes are very petite and are also available in ruby red.  Plus we've found some of the loveliest tiny white glass pearl cabochons (not shown), these gorgeous aqua leaves, and the incredible salmon matrix cabs shown to the right.  Even if matrix glass is not your thing, these glass cabs came with an incredible history and story that you may find interesting.  We are able to date these to between 1936 to 1941.  Intrigued? The history of these cabochons is written into the listing, I invite you to visit Bumbershoot Supplies to learn more about these cabochons... More really lovely vintage glass beads have been added to our collection, including these wonderful large garnet ruby nailheads, very old Czech.  I think these could be used as cabochons too.  The light coming through these beads is incredible.  We have been able to restock the wonderful vintage Japanese coral swirl beads, but only in a limited amount.  And I find there is just something so vintage about the color montana sapphire.  It's really pretty in the beads on the right, mixed with crystal glass, giving the beads a sense of movement, kind of like the stormy fall skies we are starting to see... Finally, a few more items that I hope you find interesting and inspiring.  I was sold these vintage ivory piano keys as "woodwind reeds".  When I opened the package I knew exactly what they were since we are fortunate enough to own Jim's mom's vintage Steinway.  These antique piano keys would make wonderful pendants and found objects for incorporating into jewelry and mixed media designs.  I have both heads and tails, just the heads are shown below.  These can only be shipped within the US, due to customs laws. The buttons, however, can be shipped anywhere :) These were a surprise I didn't know I had.  I was looking for more of our vintage glass mirrored heart buttons, opened up a box and found these beauties from 1940's occupied Germany.  They had been sent by mistake several months ago.  I usually don't open all the button boxes right away when we receive them. I like to prolong the thrill of being the first person to open boxes that were last sealed in the 1940's. What a wonderful surprise! These are available loose in lots of 2, or as full cards.

I invite you to come on over to Bumbershoot Supplies and have a look at all these new vintage treasures. 

Until next time, wishing you a great weekend!