Announcing Bumbershoot Designs Online: New Website

We’re very excited to announce our new website, Bumbershoot Designs, dedicated to offering our  jewelry designs made with uniquely gorgeous vintage components.

We love offering our designs at Bumbershoot Designs on Etsy and our success there has encouraged us to open our own website in addition to our Etsy shop.

Now you will find us in 4 places: Bumbershoot Designs on Etsy, Bumbershoot Designs online, Bumbershoot Supplies on Etsy and Bumbershoot Supplies online.  All of our websites are fully linked to each other so we hope you will be able to navigate our locations with ease. Prices and shipping fees are consistent in all shops and we are always happy to combine shipping fees and purchases from all of our shops, just contact us if that is helpful to you.

We are very grateful to all our customers from both Bumbershoot Designs and Bumbershoot Supplies who have made this step possible. Thank you!

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!

Book Review: Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosphers

I recently read Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets &Philosophers by Leonard Koren, and I recommend this book to those of you who love and work with vintage materials because it articulates so clearly their appeal and beauty.

Because wabi sabi is a core concept of Japanese culture, there is much more in this book than design principles or ideas.  However, when Koren talks about the material characteristics of wabi sabi, it seems as if he could be talking about the vintage materials we source and use at Bumbershoot Designs and Bumbershoot Supplies. Vintage materials often show time-related wear. Wabi sabi recognizes that all things are imperfect, and “tarnish…peeling…signs of attrition are a testament to histories of use”. Further, “Things wabi-sabi have no need for the reassurance of status or the validation of market culture…it is best if the creator is of no distinction, invisible or anonymous.” This reminds me of the deep respect I have for the artisans who created the beautiful vintage glass we enjoy today.  Although not precious gems, these glass pieces are also precious, a result of collaboration between many skilled artisans at each of the several steps in their manufacture, artisans who are unknown to us today, unrecognized for the beautiful items they created.

This is a short and accessible book, with lots of white space throughout the text, and interspersed with black and white photographs that to the author’s mind illustrate the concept of wabi sabi.  Koren explains the genesis of wabi sabi in the tea culture of Japan, the meanings of “wabi” and “sabi”, design principles associated with this aesthetic and the larger philosophical underpinnings of wabi sabi, providing a good overview of this important component of Japanese culture.

Bumbershoot Supplies' Vintage Heart Button Cards Featured on The Daily

Bumbershoot Supplies' beautiful vintage heart button cards were recently featured on The Daily, a news service for the iPad, Android and Facebook. It was very exciting, we send a big thank you to The Daily!  As a result of that promotion, we are running low on our heart button cards, but no worries, we will be restocking these. If you want a button card, check the Bumbershoot Supplies website here, or email me at sjdurfy@bumbershootsupplies.com and I’ll let you know when our next shipment arrives.

These gorgeous buttons are about 1 inch in size and were made in the US Zone of Occupied Germany. For that history, see my blog post here.

Featured Artist. Nancy O'Connell of Black Rabbit on Etsy

I didn’t have to go far to find our featured artist for March. Nancy  O’Connell of Black Rabbit on Etsy is a neighbor of ours, located here in Seattle.

The main component of Nancy’s designs is vintage tin, which she has been working with for more than 15 years.

Nancy creatively refashions vintage tin containers into unique and unusual jewelry items.  Nancy says, “I am attracted to texture, color and pattern - especially in unexpected combinations…

… I am fascinated by wood and metal and the effect of time on their surfaces. I have a passion for fabric and tin containers which I collect with abandon.”

Nancy’s gifted eye for pattern and patina is apparent in each design. 

One of her customers says it best, “stunning – I love the way you capture the beauty in the patina and patterns – and then put it all together in a unique and beautiful way”.

This necklace caught my eye because it is reversible, two different pieces of tin riveted together – two pendants in one! This is one side….

And this is the other.

And I love the story that this necklace tells. Nancy calls it “little village”.

I hope you will enjoy a visit to Black Rabbit to view Nancy’s gorgeous limited edition and one-of-a-kind designs. Be sure to check out the sold section, too – there are many beautiful pieces to see there as well.

Book Review: The New Kimono. From Vintage Style to Everyday Chic

I’m including this book, The New Kimono. From Vintage Style to Everyday Chic, in the list of design inspiration resources on the Bumbershoot Supplies webpage “On Our Bookshelf”, even though it does not specifically refer to jewelry or vintage costume jewelry materials because I LOVE this book!

This book is about wearing vintage kimonos with a modern sensibility and it is one of the most inspiring, creative and fun books I’ve enjoyed in a long time. It is a collection of magazine articles from Nanao Magazine, one of Japan's leading contemporary kimono publications. Translated into English and beautifully photographed, I find myself drooling over the gorgeous vintage kimono fabrics and inspired by how vintage patterns, fabrics and accessories are combined for a fresh contemporary look. Many jewelry designers who work with vintage materials share this goal of creating fresh pieces using vintage materials, and for this reason alone may find this book of interest.  Book details can be found on Amazon.com, here. For other books that may be of interest, see On Our Bookshelf on the Bumbershoot Supplies website.

Skeleton Key Pendant Tutorial Available at Beading Arts

A while ago, Bumbershoot Supplies hosted a vintage bead giveaway with Cyndi Lavin over at Beading Arts.  In addition to the giveaway, Cyndi used some of the vintage glass pearl leaves, shown above as part of the original giveaway, to create unique skeleton key pendants.  She has generously posted a tutorial describing how she made her pendants, see the pendants and tutorial here.

Bumbershoot Designs on the Etsy Blog. Handmade Weddings: A Rustic Beach Affair

I'm so excited to have 2 of my designs from Bumbershoot Designs shown on the Etsy blog today! Handmade Weddings: A Rustic Beach Affair shares the story and photos from Lorena and Dustyn's wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Lorena wore the Wagner earrings and necklace set.  I am so excited to actually see Lorena wearing these pieces, she and Dustyn both look so beautiful!

I'm sure you will enjoy a visit to the Etsy blog post to see their beautiful wedding photos and to enjoy all the inspiring and special handmade touches included in their wedding!

Estate Sale Vintage Glass Cabochons From Bumbershoot Supplies

I have previously blogged about our recent estate sale purchase of vintage Venetian glass flowers, you can read that post here.  I am still working to photograph and list these flowers on Bumbershoot Supplies.

However, I wanted to let you know that we were also able to purchase many rare and unusual vintage glass cabochons and a few lovely vintage rhinestones from this same estate, and some of these are now listed at Bumbershoot Supplies.  Check ‘em out! Many of these lovely vintage glass cabochons and rhinestones are available in limited quantities.

We use natural light for photographing all our supplies and designs because we have found it best reflects the colors and character of the vintage materials we offer. And natural light is somewhat limited at this time of year in Seattle. For this reason and because and we did purchase quite a large lot of vintage glass from  this estate, we expect to be listing new items for several weeks. You can always visit the “new arrivals” section at Bumbershoot Supplies to see what is most recently available.  Or send me an email – maybe we have what you are looking for.

On Our Bookshelf: New Vintage History Resource On Bumbershoot Supplies Website

We are often asked about this history of the supplies at Bumbershoot Supplies and as time permits, I’ve been sharing tidbits about specific vintage supplies in the History and Provenance section of this blog.  For a long time, I have also wanted to share various text resources we find useful and inspiring so I am very happy to announce that Jim has created a new web page on the Bumbershoot Supplies website called “On OurBookshelf”. 

On this web page you will find links to books about the history of beads, books about vintage costume jewelry and books of vintage beading inspiration.  All of these books are in my personal library.  As time permits, I will continue to increase the number of books on the shelf, and I also hope to expand the basic information to share how I use these books and why I like them.

For now, we are providing a link to each book on Amazon.  We are not affiliated with Amazon and do not benefit from this link, we provide it as a convenience for you, so you can easily locate the publication date, ISBN, reviews, and other pertinent information you may find useful.

This is just a start. Our bookshelf is continually growing and evolving. I hope you will find this to be a helpful resource.  Feel free to share any of your own recommendations, too!