Things Get Better With Age

I love old things......things with history, things weathered and worn, things with character. I have always enjoyed collecting vintage items, I don't care what an item is worth, it just has to speak to my soul, and it will come home with me. I love the inviting textures of peeling paint, revealing its many colored layers. I love cracked and wrinkled aged leather, an old musty book filled with yellowed pages, the smell of a black, bakelite telephone from the 1940's, the warm, verdigris patina from old brass and copper metal, I love the grayed and yellowed rhinestones in vintage jewellery, and a brand new mirror, doesn't hold a candle to a mirror that has its silver backing peeling away revealing the silvered spots and lines of a mirror that has seen many decades of reflections!

 Here are a few of my favorite old things, that I have photographed over the years, many of them grace special corners in my home.

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Its the weekend...............

It's the weekend...get out and have some fun!

What are your plans for the weekend?

I just finished these new pieces that ! will be taking with me to the Vintage Chicks Sale, in just 2 weeks!

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Full Intentions!

I spent the last few days working on a necklace that I had full intentions of listing in my Etsy shop. I thought it would be a great necklace for New Years Eve.....something to wear with a little  black dress. I finished it  late last night, and was going to photograph it and do the write up this morning. Then I decided to try and model it, for the photo shoot. So I got dressed up and put the necklace on, and that is when I decided that I was keeping this bad boy! I guess I fell in love with it! I make a lot of jewelry, and I keep a few pieces here and there, but not as much as most people think...this is a business after all, and I am supposed to be making some money here! Oh, well....I guess it's an early Christmas gift to myself.  Now its back to work to create some new items for the shop. I hope you like the pictures anyway!

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Simply Charming!

 Here are two of my newest creations, designed with new and vintage beads, as well as upcycled parts and pieces from wonderful old jewelry.

An icy, sparkly creation that was inspired by a cold and frosty morning! Ice crystals on glass form beautiful intricate designs, that I have tried to capture in this Ice Princess bracelet.
 There are some fabulous beads in this bracelet, including vintage 1960's moon glow beads, some very old and unique sequin beaded beads from Japan and  vintage French sequins...ooh la la! This one of a kind creation is still available for purchase in my Etsy shop.

  The second bracelet is very romantic and feminine and is aptly named  Golden Romance. This piece is done all in warm gold and brass tones. Again, I have used several vintage pieces, as well as gorgeous lampwork glass beads by Canadian lampwork artist, Jane Perala. This one sold right away! 

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Fall and Winter Collections 2010

For this upcoming season, I have been inspired by the designs and styles of the 1950's and 1960's era. I am working on two distinctive collections.  The first style, I call Retro Funk, and is everyday casual costume jewelry, with a 1960's Mod  look. I am incorporating  fun and unusual vintage lucite beads, with chunky brass and copper and silver beads and chain. The second one is Vintage Glam....... quite glitzy,  Hollywood inspired  but with a modern edge. Think of your Grandmothers sparkly, rhinestone jewels that have seen better days, and imagine creating a similar  new design that will work with todays fashions!  I have used rhinestones, crystals, and pearls, with some fabulous, rare, vintage findings to create some fabulous contemporary pieces that will look great over the Christmas Holiday season....and even look wonderful when worn casually with jeans. Mix it up!! 

 So once again I hope to post photos for you soon, however I still cannot upload pictures to this blog. I believe that it is due to the MAJOR trouble we are having with our  satellite internet service provider, and our speeds currently being very slow. My husband has spent countless hours talking to these people, and service does not seem to be in their vocabulary!  What happened to the good old days, when someone would come out to your home and fix your problem??? Anyhow...who knows when that will be back to normal, it is a very SLOW process! So keep checking my  Hotrocks Facebook page  for photos, as I seem to have better luck uploading images there. Pin It

An Eclectic Collection

Are you ready for some fun summer pieces? I have taken a combination of metals, ( silver plate, gold plate, and brass) some fantastic vintage beads,  fabulous artisan glass lampwork,  lots of chain for texture and  a sprinkle of Swarovski crystals for sparkle , and come up with some very eclectic pieces.   Make no mistake.......these are statement pieces!

This one is very long, and  reminds me of  warm summer sunsets, or it could be a tequila sunrise! Golds, apricot and coral tones with lots of texture.

This necklace is done in cool  watery colors,  reminiscent of  blue gray ocean waves on a Pacific Northwest, rainy day!

 

The last one is a frivolous, bohemian, gypsy style necklace, with a mix of stone, shell, glass, metal and wooden beads.

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Hollywood Nights-new necklace

Awhile ago, I got my hands in this gorgeous vintage rhinestone pendant, full of sparkle and loads of bling, and I thought that this would be a great piece to design a necklace around for the holidays. Perfect with that little black dress for a Christmas party, or New Years Eve...you are guaranteed to turn heads with this focal piece! I used garnets, A couple of vintage Swarovski crystals as well as lots contemporary ones, Swarovski pearls and quartz crystal. Guess what was playing on the radio as I worked on this creation? Hollywood Nights, by Bob Seger... and so the necklace was named!

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