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.

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

Featured Artist: Maud Traon

It's not very often that we have a customer invite us to view her work on exhibition in Paris. However, that is exactly what happened with our newest featured artist, Maud Traon. 

Maud creates pieces of wearable art, abundant with color and texture. 

 

Her jewelry combines many different materials into fantastical creations.  Look closely and you will see our vintage rhinestones in some of these fabulous pieces. 

Maud's work is currently being shown at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, just across the street from the Louvre.

 

Maud's designs are being exhibited as part of a larger jewelry event called Circuits Bijoux, featuring the work of many contemporary artists housed all around Paris. Completing the tour would be an unusual and exciting way to experience Paris. 

 

If you're in Paris between now and March 2, 2014, go and check out Maud's amazing creations! And if you can't go to Paris, head on over to Maud's website.

 

New at Bumbershoot Designs. Rings, Necklaces, Earrings With Vintage Beads, Vintage Rhinestones, Vintage Cabochons

It has been a long time since I have published a post on what is new at Bumbershoot Designs. This is because we are building a retail web site at www.bumbershootsupplies.com. This task is not for the faint of heart. I have just come out of weeks spent doing inventory for Bumbershoot Supplies. Yes, weeks, where every spare moment is spent counting beads, cabochons, stampings... So new designs have sat in my studio, some unfinished, some unphotographed, some just glimmers in my mind.  But inventory is now complete and a few new items have made their way onto the virtual shelves of Bumbershoot Designs. All featuring beautiful vintage beads, vintage cabochons, vintage rhinestones, of course. 

More to come, as web site construction allows :) 

Until then, wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Featured Artist. Amy Griffith of ThirtySixTen on Etsy

I hope someone out there is paying attention :) because this ring is on my Christmas wish list...

I adore this ring by Amy Griffith of ThirtySixTen on Etsy. It is made of sterling silver, with a vintage mother of pearl button from Bumbershoot Supplies.  Multiple buttons are available, but this flower button is my favorite.  Hint, hint...

If the ring is not available, I've also put this necklace on my wish list too...

I love my vintage mother of pearl buttons :)

Hand worked sterling silver is so special because even if the design is the same, you can see the hand of the artist in each piece, so each and every piece is truly unique. That final touch, the sterling thread, really speaks to me.

In fact, there are any number of gorgeous items in Amy's shop that I could be very happy with. This ring features one of Bumbershoot Supplies' rose quartz vintage glass scarabs, it just glows.

And doesn't this necklace make you feel happy just to look at it?

Many of Amy's designs feature vintage components, but Amy also offers many charming designs featuring gorgeous, non vintage gemstones and ceramics as well as designs that are all sterling.  This sterling necklace is beautiful and feminine, I could see wearing it all the time. 

And these dainty earrings look beautiful on - Amy shows photos of these in the ear so you can judge their size.

It's not too soon to start talking with Amy about your holiday shopping. 

Rings are sized to fit, so it can take a week or two to complete your order. And then you will have a piece made just for you or someone special.

I encourage you to visit ThirtySixTen.  You may also like to have a look at Amy's blog.  I subscribe to the RSS feed to her blog, and I enjoy reading about her designs from the initial ideas to the final product.  If you do visit ThirtySixTen, you will friendly service, beautifully photographed, fabulous designs, and much inspiration.

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!

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.