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!

New at Bumbershoot Supplies. Vintage Pearl Earrings for Newsletter Subscribers, New Vintage Beads, Vintage Pearls, Vintage Rhinestones, and More

During the month of November, while supplies last, one of the free bonuses our newsletter subscribers are receiving is a kit with all the components to make these vintage style pearl earrings. The kit features the biggest, loveliest vintage Japanese glass pearls imaginable. If you would like to become a subscriber to our newsletter, you can sign up here. Past issues of our newsletter are archived on our web site here, so you can see if subscribing is something you might be interested in. Our next newletter will be sent on Nov 15, 2010.

We continue apace to convert www.bumbershootsupplies.com to a site where you will be able to purchase our vintage supplies directly. In the meantime, since November 1: 19 new and 11 restocked items are available at Bumbershoot Supplies on Etsy. 

Here's some of them:

 

Don't you just love vintage?

Until next time, wishing you a great weekend!

Look What I Found. Vintage Beaded Rosary Chain Trim, Turquoise Glass Flowers, Vintage Beads

In the online Ethereal Bangles class by Kristen Robinson that I am taking, the current topic is rosary chain and so I must share another piece of vintage trim, recently acquired for my personal collection, the most amazing rosary chain linked beads I have seen to date.

These are white and turquoise glass flowers and beads, individually wired, capped with aged brass beadcaps.  One of the units broke in transit to me, but the good things about this accident are that 1) I can easily remove the one defective unit and 2) I now feel free to take apart the broken one to see the construction in more detail.

Dating to occupied Germany (1945-1949).  Fabulous.

 

Vintage Design Inspiration Board #7 with Creativity Quote

The Possible's slow fuse is lit

By the Imagination.

~Emily Dickinson

Inspiration Board #7 features:

vintage glittered millinery stamens(West Germany)

vintage lucite tulip beads (West Gemany)

vintage rhinestone star buttons (Austria)

vintage glass beads (Japan)

vintage star cabochons (West Germany)

vintage iridescent bubble like cabochons (West Germany)

vintage frosted glass frame cabochons

vintage "made in Czechoslovakia" paper tag (Czech)

antique sheet music (USA)

vintage silk floral ribbon (Japan)

antique silk embroidery floss

vintage seam binding

vintage linen tea towel

hand dyed, stamped fabric

mounted on 4x4 inch gallery wrapped canvas base
 



Progress Report: Ethereal Bangles Online Class with Kristen Robinson

I am part way through the Ethereal Bangles online class offered by Kristen Robinson.

So far, there are several things I love about this class, here's my current favorites list, no particular order.

The tools. 

Turns out I love having new tools.

Sterling silver.

I've been promising myself the opportunity to work with silver and now I am. What a treat!

Making headpins.

I LOVE it. Love watching that molten metal, it's mesmerizing.

Also, I love spending time on something that is just for me.

Kristen is doing a great job breaking down a lot of material into pieces that I can keep up with and can actually accomplish. I am really grateful that Kristen has offered this class in an online format.  Bumbershoot Designs and Bumbershoot Supplies are full time family retail businesses. With only Jim and I, and considering that we both homeschool Emma and Eric, there is simply no way I can get to in-person classes of this depth.  I am LOVING being able to do this continuing education, in my home, in my own time. It's fabulous!

Thank you Kristen!

Monday in Seattle. Picture and Quote for the Week, Wild Purple Flowers

wild flowers, our garden, Greenlake, Seattle

Flowers... are a proud assertion that a ray of beauty outvalues all the utilities of the world.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

New at Bumbershoot Supplies. Vintage Beads, Vintage Cabochons, Vintage Rhinestones and Some Vintage Chain

Happy Friday! Here's a sneak peak at some of the new items that have arrived and will be available at Bumbershoot Supplies in a day or two.  If you can't wait, feel free to contact me :) 

Wishing you a great, art-filled weekend!

Vintage Design Inspiration Board #6 with Creativity Quote

The world is but a canvas to the imagination.

~Henry David Thoreau

Inspiration Board #6 features:

vintage mirrored eye shaped cabochons (West Germany)

vintage green wreath cabochons (Czech)

vintage mother of pearl starburst discs (USA)

vintage ivory mother of pearl cabochons (USA)

vintage grey glass pearls (Japan)

vintage grey mother of pearl starburst buttons with metal shank (Japan)

vintage millinery leaves (Japan)

vintage "made in Japan" paper tag (Japan)

vintage ad from Seattle's International District newspaper (USA)

vintage striped kimono fabric (Japan)

vintage silk floral ribbon (Japan)

vintage lucite rose flower earring (West Germany)

antique silk embroidery floss

vintage linen tea towel

mounted on 6x6 inch gallery wrapped canvas base

with special thanks to Anne of PlumCreek22 on Etsy
for her generous gift of the vintage kimono fabric

Look What I Found. Vintage Beaded Trim, White Glass Leaves and Rhinestones

I must share another piece of vintage trim, recently acquired for my personal collection. It is white glass leaves and beads, individually wired to rhinestone chain and dates to occupied Germany (1945-1949).  A bit dusty, but just fabulous. It is similar to the turquoise rhinestone trim I showed previously in this blog post. 

Gotta love vintage :)

Monday in Seattle. Picture and Quote for the Week, Rainy Fall Color Inspiration

rainy day fall color inspiration, the alley behind our house at Greenlake, Seattle

The best kind of rain, of course, is a cozy rain.  This is the kind the anonymous medieval poet makes me remember, the rain that falls on a day when you'd just as soon stay in bed a little longer, write letters or read a good book by the fire, take early tea with hot scones and jam and look out the streaked window with complacency.

~Susan Allen Toth