Featured Artist: Debbie Lynch of ChicMaddiesBoutique on Etsy

Our latest featured artist is the very talented Debbie Lynch of ChicMaddiesBoutique! Debbie's work draws on her childhood memories and her love of color and vintage to inspire her designs. 

Debbie's designs incorporate vintage jewelry components as focal elements. She often mixes design elements to create new and stunning jewelry. 

Debbie is very skilled in her use of color to enrich her designs. Her work doesn't shy away from bright colors, and this often heightens the emotion of her designs, like this cheerful sunny yellow bracelet. 

Debbie is also a master at contrasting and complimenting textures, as she demonstrates in this necklace with its contrasting faceted labradorite chain. 

Be sure to check out Debbie's shop! It's simply overflowing with unique pieces that bring together old and new and tell the most colorful stories.

Featured Artist: Jamie Lee of ChatterBlossom on Etsy

Our latest featured artist is the lovely Jamie Lee of ChatterBlossom on Etsy!

Jamie creates her designs with reclaimed vintage and antique items so that they may continue to be used and integrated into their new owner's lives.

Jamie uses a lot of vintage and antique buttons as one of her design elements, and these are what first caught my attention. Her elegant and refined designs draw your eye towards the vintage element. In this way, the story of the piece becomes the focus of her designs.

Jamie says: "Each piece I make has a name and a small story of its own and I love thinking about the person that will see or read and connect with it in some way and anticipate some small adventure in which it will play a part."

Along with making jewelry and accessories, Jamie has a fabulous blog about her adventures in vintage and fashion.

Be sure to check out ChatterBlossom! Maybe you'll find something there with a story for you.

Featured Artist: Gesine of GesineArt - The Purple Bumblebee on Artfire

 

Our latest featured artist is the multi-talented Gesine of GesineArt-The Purple Bumblebee!

 

Gesine's designs caught my eye because of their interesting use of layers of filigrees, rhinestones, cabochons and beads.

A lot of Gesine's jewelry is inspired by Victorian motifs and old European royalty. Gesine says she creates "Unique pieces reminiscent of the Renaissance and Victorian times, with a playful twist of fairytales, fables, heraldry and nature themes".

This demi-parure is inspired by a necklace worn by Queen Anne of Austria.

This necklace is inspired by Victorian poet Lord Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott". Just look at the layers!

 

"Four gray walls, and four gray towers,

Overlook a space of flowers,

And the silent isle imbowers

The Lady of Shalott."

 

Not only is Gesine a talented jewelry maker, she also creates gorgeous hand painted ornaments.

This ornament has beautiful bleeding hearts, a favorite flower of ours that is currently blooming here in the Pacific Northwest.

 

We hope you'll enjoy a visit over to Gesine's Artfire Store, to be inspired by Gesine's designs and their unique stories. Gesine only makes 2 of each of her designs, so perhaps you may find a unique holiday gift or a treasure for yourself!

 

 

 

 

New on Pinterest: Vintage Palette, Lilac and Mint

Two wonderful very vintage colors come together in this Pinterest board, Lilac and Mint. So refreshing, it's a perfect palette for Spring.

Here are a few of our favorite images from "Lilac and Mint".

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

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

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

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

Using Vintage Flower Cabochons: DIY Embellished Sun (flower) glasses

 

We've been long enamored of Dolce & Gabbana's Autumn/Winter 2012-13 collection. Big accessories with even bigger jewelry makes this collection remarkable.  

With spring vacation just around the corner, and the promise of warm sandy beaches in the near future, we got to thinking about some pairs of stand out sunglasses.

Inspired by Dolce & Gabanna and this and this, we whipped up a couple pairs of our own beflowered sunnies.

 

We pulled out a large box of flower cabochons and used glue dots to temporarily adhere the cabs to the glasses to plan out a design. 

All of the vintage Japanese and vintage West Geman flower cabochons used are available at Bumbershoot Supplies.

 

 

When we were pleased with the arrangement of flowers, we used E6000 glue to permanently adhere the cabochons to the glasses. (Our pointers for working with E6000 glue here!)

Definitely wait a while for each piece to become firm before gluing the next piece on. 

With these bright sunnies everyone at the pool will know that you're no shrinking violet! 

May Flowers at Bumbershoot Supplies. Petite Brass and Enamel Flowers Back in Stock

Great news! We are thrilled to be able to once again offer several versions of the beloved tiny brass and enamel flowers we have carried in the past.

Truly we did not think we would see these again, but our supplier has made the last of their stock available to us so we can once again provide them to you.

All you see here, back in stock at Bumbershoot Supplies and Bumbershoot Supplies on Etsy.

Have you been over to Bumbershoot Supplies for a visit lately?

We've been busy - more than 90 new and 32 restocked items in the last 2 weeks (we stopped counting...)!

Come on over and see all the new vintage lovelies!

Featured Artist: Andrea Cocco Rodriguez of Cocco Jewelry on Etsy

For April, we are delighted to feature the designs of Andrea Cocco Rodriguez  of Cocco Jewelry on Etsy.

When someone shows repeated interest in a particular Bumbershoot supply, I just have to know what they are doing with it, so that is how I found myself at CoccoJewelry.

I love seeing all the ways Andrea is using our vintage copper flowers in her designs.

They look great with the teal patina she has applied for a verdigris effect.

They also look beautiful in their natural state.

Andrea’s designs have a strong industrial chic flair, and the flower motifs and rich colors add an overlay of softness to her metal pieces.

In Andrea’s words, “…I have developed a love for natural jewelry. From stones to metal to fabric and leather I enjoy creating and wearing something different and unique. I love earthy and rustic added with just the right amount of girly…”

I’ve focused on Andrea’s designs using the copper flowers, but Andrea also has several other beautiful designs, including this popular oak leaf ring…

As well as this cuff bracelet.

 I hope you will enjoy a visit to Cocco Jewelry for some industrial chic inspiration!

Featured Artist: Tracy Guillaume of Tied up Memories on Etsy

  August seems like exactly the right month to share with you the designs of Tracy Guillaume of Tied up Memories on Etsy.

That is because Tracy is a member of Etsy’s Cottage Style Street Team, and her designs are inspired by and reflect the cottage style. 

You often hear “cottage style” referred to in terms of interior decorating, where it is characterized by old, timeworn pieces, often painted and weathered, definitely with a vintage appeal. 

Colors are light, such as whites and tans, as well as soft yellows, pinks, blues, greens.  

Overall, there is a sense of warmth and comfort that comes from frequently used and well loved pieces and spaces.

Just imagine a special cottage on the water, one that is returned to year after year, a place to rejuvenate and revitalize, a place where special memories are created.

I'm sure you can see how Tracy’s jewelry designs capture this aesthetic. Her pieces repurpose unique vintage components, the colors are soft, the pieces are comfortable and pretty.

And there are lots of flowers.

Tracy’s work has been featured in Jewelry Affaire (Autumn 2010, page 38-39) , and you can also learn more about her work at her blog.

As summer here in the Northern Hemisphere winds down, you can enjoy holding onto its warmth just a bit longer with a visit to Tied up Memories. Plus, if you are interested in cottage style accents for your space, you may find the perfect piece at her second Etsy shop, Tied Up Memories Market. Enjoy!