Saturday Shop Talk – House of Athena

 "House of Athena"

Personality: The Wise and Just
Places you'll find yourself: Making clear and fair decisions in even the most challenging of situations

I shared in one of my previous Sunday Snags that I started making bracelets for the first time. I hadn't done this previously because I wanted to come up with a way to make them easily adjustable. I have thin wrists and can never seem to find bracelets that fit without falling off. I know others have the opposite problem as well and don't want to be pinched by a tight bracelet. Well I found a solution that I'm happy with, so my bracelet line has been launched! 

This particular bracelet I'm sharing today is such an interesting piece! It is made with an antique button, reference title Greek Temple on the Acropolis, and it's dated from between 1880 and 1899. It shows a depiction, in incredible detail, of the Parthenon, temple to the goddess Athena. The scene is done in a silver/white metal and is surrounded by a brass border. The button is set on a brass charm and connected with a delicate chain that comes in your choice of lengths and a lobster claw at each end for easy adjustability!

"House of Athena"

View my entire shop here.

Last Week's Saturday Shop Talk:

The Divine Sarah

Saturday Shop Talk – The Divine Sarah

"The Divine Sarah"

Personality: The Larger than Life
Places you'll find yourself: Capturing the hearts and captivating the souls of all who see you

 This piece is one of my more unusual I think. Or at least it's more specific anyway. I made this ring from an antique button (which is what my shop is best known for), but typically the buttons are more general in their designs. Things like flowers and birds tend to be the most common designs in antique buttons. However, this button is definitely an exception. This one is of a specific person who actually lived during the time the button would have been made. The cameo is of Sarah Bernhardt, a renowned theater actress in France during the Belle Epoque. It's funny to think of it this way, but I imagine having your face on a button would be somewhat akin to having a celebrity's face on a t-shirt now. She was known the world over and would have been a recognizable figure among theatre lovers at that time (late 1800s). The button itself is beautiful. It was created in the late 1800s/early 1900s with a brass bust atop a deep navy blue tinting. 

View my entire shop here.

Last week's Saturday Shop Talk:

Love Amongst Brambles

Saturday Shop Talk – Song of Spring

"Song of Spring"

Personality: The Sweet and Cheerful
Places you'll find yourself: Humming to your heart's content as a warm ray of sunshine brightens your day

I'm not a cold weather kid. I'm just not. I like warm, sunshiny days that I can have the heat of the sun on my face. We are knee deep into December now and I already need a dose of spring. I figured this little birdie may help. I made this brooch from an antique button titled "Bird on a Wall", circa 1890-1918. I have a number of rather large buttons in my collection and they seem a bit too big for rings and necklaces. However, they are the perfect size for a lapel pin! This one has gorgeously rich detailing of a songbird atop a brick wall, peeking into a rose garden with a lovely view of a neighborhood of homes in the background.

"Song of Spring"

View my entire shop here.


Last Week's Saturday Shop Talk:

The Serpent's Kiss

Saturday Shop Talk – The Serpent's Kiss

 "The Serpent's Kiss"

Personality: The Desperate and Fierce
Places you'll find yourself: Facing crisis and choosing for yourself which path to take

Okay, granted, this isn't very festive for December, but it is so beautiful and I just had to share it. This necklace is made with the most detailed antique button! It depicts Cleopatra laying in her hammock beside a basket. For those that know the old telling by Shakespeare, that basket holds the asp that will take her life. The button was made from between 1890 and 1910 and may actually have been modeled after an adaptation of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra.

"The Serpent's Kiss"

View my entire shop here.

Last Week's Saturday Shop Talk:

Sugar Plum

Saturday Shop Talk – By Any Other Name

 "By Any Other Name"

Personality: The Delicate and Warm Spirited
Places you'll find yourself: Brushing your fingertips along the blooms that cover grandma's garden wall while gently humming an old favorite of hers

This classic floral necklace was made with an antique button (title: Rose, circa 1880-1918) set atop a brass filigree charm. The button depicts the simplest of images, the rose, but does so in a beautifully poetic way. I can easily imagine a lovely Edwardian lady walking through gardens wearing this, her favorite of all the blooms.

"By Any Other Name"

View my entire shop here.

Last Week's Saturday Shop Talk:

Atop the Trees

Saturday Shop Talk – How High the Moon

 "How High the Moon"

Personality: The Enchanting Charmer

Places you'll find yourself: Dancing alone under the moonlight with stars in your eyes

This lovely little charmer of a necklace was made with an antique brass button, titled Man in the Moon, circa 1880-1918, depicting a crescent moon with a detailed face, engraved stars, and a midnight blue tinting. Once again, one of my favorite parts is that the original brass color is coming through after a hundred years of hands rubbing the tint away. 

 "How High the Moon"

View my entire shop here.

Last Week's Saturday Shop Talk:

Upon the Wings of Night

Saturday Shop Talk – Upon the Wings of Night

"Upon the Wings of Night"

Personality: The Dark and Dangerous Beauty
Places you'll find yourself: Sipping bourbon in the dying light of day 

This piece has such a fierce despair that I truly can't help but love. I made this necklace from a one hundred year old remnant of mourning lace. It has a delicate roped floral design with tiny black glass beading throughout. The lace remnant has a nearly identical sister piece which means I have the chance to make two of these darkly beautiful necklaces. I'm offering two options on the chain for people to choose which they prefer. The first is a 1940s black silk tie back cording and the second is an antiqued brass chain, both of which are adjustable in length (you can see both options on me in the photos below).

"Upon the Wings of Night"

View my entire shop here.

Last Week's Saturday Shop Talk:

Dot

Saturday Shop Talk – Dot

"Dot"

Personality: The Fluttery and Dainty
Places you'll find yourself: Gently settling into the porch swing for a quick afternoon nap in the sunshine

Isn't she cute?! This darling ring was made with an antique stamped brass button, circa 1880 to 1918, and pictures an itty bitty ladybug perched atop a leaf. I named her Dot for obvious reasons, but also because I've always loved that very vintage name (usually short for Dorothy or Dorothea). I'm actually pretty tempted to keep this for myself as I've always loved ladybugs, but alas, I'm in love with most of these wee buttons and I can't keep them all. I'm sure she will make someone else very happy too!

 "Dot"

 View my entire shop here.

Last Week's Saturday Shop Talk:

Earthen Elements

Saturday Shop Talk – The Enlightened One

"The Enlightened One"
Personality: The Peaceful and Wise

Places you'll find yourself: Contemplating life's meaning while helping others to find peace 

Can you even believe this ring?! I couldn't quite comprehend that this piece of art was once on a garment a hundred years ago. This ring was made with a gorgeous antique button from the late 1800s (probably made in China or Japan, as most Asian inspired buttons were at the time). It is a beautiful golden brass with a gray patina background. Lovely bamboo leaves sway behind a tiny framed scene of the Buddha meditating in a pagoda. This is so detailed that you can even see the tiny smile of peace upon the Buddha's face. 

"The Enlightened One"

View my entire shop here.

Last Week's Saturday Shop Talk:

Daisies From Dawn til Dusk

Saturday Shop Talk – Daisies From Dawn til Dusk

"Daisy at Dawn"

Personality: The Old Soul
Places you'll find yourself: Watching the first morning rays alight upon the flowers

"Daisy at Dusk"

Personality: The Old Soul
Places you'll find yourself: Watching the last of the summer sun fall upon the flowers

In keeping with the theme of sisters that we started in yesterday's Friday Photo Swoon, I'm introducing you to two sisters who've journeyed many long years apart. These necklaces were made with two antique buttons (title: Daisies, circa 1880-1900). The buttons have the same floral pictorial, but each has a unique color tint. The golden tint of the first reminded me of the rising sun and the navy tint of the second was just as fitting for the dying light of day, hence their two names. I really love that these would have had different owners, been on different garments, and each made their way to me to share a few brief moments of sisterly love and gab of memories spanning 100 years. Recently, "Daisy at Dusk" sold to a lovely customer in Australia. "Daisy at Dawn" is in my shop, currently awaiting her future owner. How lovely to think that as the sun rises here on her, the sun will be fast asleep upon her sister on the other side of the world.

View my entire shop here.

Last Week's Saturday Shop Talk:

Awake in Dreams

Saturday Shop Talk – Awake in Dreams

 "Awake in Dreams"

Personality: The Whimsical Dreamer
Places you'll find yourself: Gazing into clouds, dreaming of magic, love, and a life of beauty 

Propriety be damned, I found a freakin' UNICORN, people!! Usually, I try to keep my tone on these posts pretty soft and just quietly (but still excitedly) introduce you to one of my new creations. But! It's a UNICORN! How can you expect me to not be embarrassingly giddy?! This tiny magical wonder is an antique button. "Really?", you ask. Yes, really. I couldn't believe it either. It is nearly as rare to see one in an antique button as it is to see one in real life! Usually, the only unicorns on buttons are when they are part of a family or royal crest. One of my big reference books (2 volumes with thousands of listed buttons), only has ONE unicorn and it's this one.

Okay, I'll settle down now and tell you about it calmly...

This necklace, made with an antique button titled "A Unicorn", was made between 1880 and 1899 in stamped, pierced brass, and depicts a unicorn bursting through a scroll. There are remnants of the button's navy blue tint throughout, but it's mainly seen on the flat portion of the scroll. Attached to a delicate brass chain, this mythical creature can now share its magic with you every day!

"Awake in Dreams"

View my entire shop here.

Last Week's Saturday Shop Talk:

Night Atop the Stars