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I just got in a shipment of gorgeous blue zircon glass beads (or jewels) – pretty teardrops and faceted ovals. Take a peek: Blue zircon’s a classic year-round jewel color. It feels rich somehow, it’s flattering to most skin tones, and it’s one of the most popular colors this spring. Try it – you’ll like it! I’ve been having a lot of requests lately for antique black brass settings – smoky, brown-black, inky midnight… people are really loving the punk, boho look! And I’m lucky, I’m able to find some good supplies of these black brass settings, so most of my jewels can now be outfitted with your choice of golden raw brass, or antique patina brass, and now blackened brass. Like these:  and  Puts me in mind of the Orient Express, and Irene Adler for some reason 🙂 And remember, you can ask for any jewels in the blackened brass settings now… I don’t have all the listings updated yet, but the option is definitely available! Crystal AB is the name given in the jewelry trade to crystal – clear, colorless, sparkling – glass gems that have an “AB” coating. In this instance, “AB” stands for “aurora borealis”. To us, that means there are little glints of color on the crystal glass. Like this:  They’re pretty, they have a little extra sparkle, and they’re absolutely lovely for spring, for bridal and bridesmaid jewelry, and… hmm… for Prom. You know, in case you need some prom earrings that don’t cost a fortune… Just sayin’ 🙂 I’ve been hearing about this trend lately – we’ll see if it’s really true! Minimalistic clear glass jewels are fresh and new for 2016. Like these:  These particular jewels are vintage glass (from the 1950s I think) that I’ve just restocked. They have well defined faceting, so that even with totally clear glass, they have a sparkle and catch the light beautifully. And of course, they’ll go with anything you wear! That makes for a good “go to” earring – or one to pack when you travel. No matter what you buy, you’ve got some jewelry to go with. Of course the clear glass is also great with other colors – I’m going to do a few examples and post later. Stay tuned! And you can stop laughing any time now. Or hey, go ahead. I know I’m jumping the gun a little. But I’m looking outside at ice and snow, and it’s not going to get anywhere near as warm as FREEZING today, I’m serious. And Christmas was lovely, and New Year’s is right around the corner, and Happy New Year. So that’s enough winter stuff, right? Here’s some sheer, Spring color jewels to get you thinking in the right direction. Just because.  Aren’t they lovely? Making you think, just a tiny bit, of warm skies and soft breezes and lightweight summer dresses? There, I’ve done my job. I don’t know if thinking about spring helps bring it closer, but hey, it can’t hurt. Happy New Year 🙂 Just for fun, I pulled out some of the pretty glass jewels I have right now – in Christmas colors 🙂  So if you should happen to want to make some sparkly jewelry with Christmas colors – ruby red, emerald green (and of course, you could choose crystal, or golden topaz, or pretty amethyst, or many more) – why we still have time to do that. And if you’ve already made your holiday jewelry, wasn’t it fun? and money-saving? And kind of satisfying to know that you could do that? A pretty gift, from you to your loved one. That’s the best part of all 😉 This minidress is so much fun! Very mod, very 60s – very red. And it totally works 🙂  You could wear this just as shown – casual sandals, red lipstick, and out the door. Or take tease that hair into a beehive (I’m absolutely seeing a 60s do with this). Or pair it with black tights and it’ll be warm for winter as well as cool 🙂 This is what vintage ought to be – wearable and smart but also fun and sassy. I found this fab dress at Psychedelic Pinup on Etsy. Even the name is funky and fun! Esther, the curator / owner, has clear, informative pics and you know how important that is when you’re buying online. And she’s got some terrific finds – vintage lingerie, party dresses, and even a Sale section! And her items are separated by size – so you can find things that will fit YOU. Go check her shop – you’re going to thank me! I just wanted to show you a few examples of what you can do with these sweet little blackened brass heart charms that I mentioned a few days ago. Showing is always better than telling, don’t you think?  And I use these examples only to say hey, there are lots of things you can use to turn these little hearts into something really special. Look around your craft room. Try those few leftover beads you had. Wire them to hang with the hearts, or add a cluster to a necklace focal. I have the hearts in golden raw brass, too – I think they were originally intended as stamping blanks. They’re fairly thin so it’s best to stamp on a very smooth hard surface like a jewelry anvil – but it works terrifically when you do that. So: add pearls or charms. Or stamp your own message. Or just use the hearts “as is”. They’re fun, they’re inexpensive, they’re a little boho. What’s not to love? I recently found some smallish, adorable brass heart charms, both golden raw brass ones and deeply blackened hearts. I think the possibilities with these are endless!  Well, okay, maybe not endless. But varied, and interesting. I was thinking how cool these would look, paired with a vivid glass charm in red, or maybe a hand-wired white pearl dangle. I’m going to try a few ideas and will post them here later. Heart charms are always in style, you know? They’re feminine and seasonless – and for easy, fun earrings? A win 🙂 Just one more little post and then I’ll shut up, really. About the emerald green, I mean. But that darling dress (see post here) just reminded me – again – how wonderful emerald green is. So, a few more colors and shapes of sheer, sparkling emerald green jewels 🙂  With the classic silk dress, you could wear tiny oval earrings – or chandeliers down to *there*. Or a simple teardrop necklace. Or an armful of bracelets (right now, I think that’d be the most fun – ask me again next week!) But you see what I mean? Gorgeous color. Easy to use. Inexpensive (really). This is a win! |
Jewelry and Accessories
Vintage, Recycled, Upcycled!
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