New Styles!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79659280/watermelon-vintage-glass-button-earrings

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/79659630/pink-sugar-vintage-bead-earrings-with?ref=v1_other_1

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/78476468/peacock-victorian-antique-button

http://www.etsy.com/listing/79625180/gray-estate-style-necklace-with

New Design-Sea Holly, Antique Steel Cut Button(c.1800's) Earrings

 http://www.etsy.com/listing/76133256/sea-holly-antique-steel-cut-buttonc1800s

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76135298/gryphon-antique-buttonc1800s-earrings?ref=v1_other_1

I was delighted to be able to make a few new designs this week. The steel cut buttons I have had for over a year now and just didn't want to part with them. They  have a concave back and didn't fit into any of my settings but still I hung on to them. Just this week I was sitting at my desk staring at the huge mess that needs to be cleaned and organized when I saw this setting and thought of how it might work with these buttons. Sometimes clutter helps the creative rut:)

I'm of mostly Welsh heritage and the gryphon buttons are just super cool. Need I say more?

Stella, Antique 1800's Glass Button Necklace

http://www.etsy.com/listing/76003376/stella-antique-1800s-glass-button

This is a new design I worked on this week. I tried several different charms and beads below the button and decided I like the cameo best. 

Dandelion, Antique Button(c.1800's) Earrings with Freshwater Pearls

A simply magnificent pair of tinted and etched pewter antique buttons. These buttons are from the late 1800's and are very hard to find in matching sets.

I have set the button in a silver plated filigree and the shank on the button has not been disturbed so that it will retain is value as a collectible. To the bottom of this I have added freshwater pearls with a Czech glass flower and silver filigree. The earring and filigree measure 3/4" across. The total earring measures 2" from top to bottom.

New Design on Etsy

Today I posted a necklace that I have been working on for several days. I really love pearls but the patience it takes to wire wrap them I don't have for one sitting. I work a little while then put it down and work some more later. I'm very happy with how this turned out. It's elegant yet could be casual as well. To see more of my work please click on the link below http://www.etsy.com/shop/TimelessTrinkets

Antique Buttons

Some new styles I posted today. I just love antique buttons:) The necklace above features a pendant that can be detached from the chain and worn as a brooch.

These earrings are mother of pearl twinkle buttons from the late 1800's with freshwater pearls.

The button above is a carved mother of pearl button from the late 1800's. Below are freshwater pearls. My favorite!

To see more please visit my shop, Timeless Trinkets on Etsy.

Trains and Time

This key came from the Estate of a close friend's uncle who lived in Cincinnati. I suspect he may have worked for the railroad there. The back of the key is marked C C. I'm not sure what it means. I have mounted an antique glass button with some sort of metal inlay. This button is very unusual I haven't seen any like it before. The key is very nice and a heavy one at that. To the chain I have added various baubles to give the design some depth and interest.

This beautiful necklace features the insides of an antique ladies watch. I have added part of a 19" vintage rosary chain with glass beads The watch is silver tone, and below dangles a silver owl.

These can be found in my Etsy store, Timeless Trinkets.

Liosliath, Antique Floral Picture Button Necklace

A great name that fits the piece. Liosliath- Scotch Gaelic: "Dweller at the gray fortress". An old castle clothed in vines, flowers and memories.This necklace features an antique button from the late 1800's. I have mounted the button on a very nice brass filigree with complementary flowers. The pendant measures 1 1/8" across and the antique brass chain measures 18". The shank of the button has been left in place.Liosliath- Scoth Gaelic: "Dweller at the gray fortress". An old castle clothed in vines, flowers and memories.This necklace features an antique button from the late 1800's. I have mounted the button on a very nice brass filigree with complementary flowers. The pendant measures 1 1/8" across and the antique brass chain measures 18". The shank of the button has been left in place. This box garden is but a shadow of time. I like to use every possible piece of watch parts that I come across, this necklace being no exception. Inside the shell of a vintage ladies wristwatch you will find a sage colored lily.Below dangle faceted Czech glass beads in shade of metallic they remind me of the rich soil beneath and the life of the garden. Above you will find a dragonfly visiting the garden. This is one of my favorite styles of necklace to make.

Ivy, My favorite theme on buttons.

Picture buttons where at the height of fashion during the 1870's. They continued to be a main fashion statement until around 1915. Picture buttons portrayed images of the culture; birds,flowers,commemorative events,plays,operas,and in general the culture. They are a history lesson in a button. This necklace features a vintage picture button from the late 1800's. I have mounted the button on a very nice antique brass filigree with complementary flowers. The button features a flower as it's focal. The pendant measures 1 1/8" across and the antique brass chain measures 18".

This necklace features a vintage watch face mounted on a antique brass setting. The pendant measures 3/4" across and the chain is 18" long.

I really enjoy making jewelry with vintage components. The buttons and watch faces are my favorites.

The History Behind The Button

The Song of Roland (French: La Chanson de Roland) is the oldest surviving major work of French literature. It exists in various different manuscript versions, which testify to its enormous and enduring popularity in the 12th to 14th centuries-Wiki In this poem the angel Gabriel comes to Charlemagne in a dream.

The main focal for this necklace is a picture button based upon this literary work.Picture buttons where at the height of fashion during the 1870's. They continued to be a main fashion statement until around 1915. Picture buttons portrayed images of the culture; birds,flowers,commemorative events,plays,operas,and in general the culture.This necklace features a vintage picture button from the late 1800's. I have mounted the button on a very nice brass filigree with complementary flowers. The button is brass in color with a picture of Charlemagne and the Warning Angel. Along the chain I have added Czech glass beads nestled in filigree caps.

Some Jewelry I Renewed Yesterday

Since I was gone yesterday I didn't have any time to list new jewelry items so I renewed a couple of my favorites. This brass necklace features two love birds and a skeleton key.

This box garden is but a shadow of time. I like to use every possible piece of watch parts that I come across, this necklace being no exception. Inside the shell of a vintage ladies wristwatch you will find a blue flower, it shows up just a bit bighter than what it is, I couldn't get the camera to take the picture true to color. It's a lighter blue.

Below dangle faceted Czech glass beads in shade of metallic they remind me of the rich soil beneath and the life of the garden. Above you will find a sparrow visiting the garden.


Pastiche- As the Oxford English Dictionary puts it, a pastiche in this sense is "a medley of various ingredients; a hotchpotch, farrago, jumble."

This bracelet is comprised of a medley of vintage items. One is a brass tag from where I don't know, I tried researching the abbreviations without much success. The next item is an antique steel cut button. Cut steel is polished steel faceted studs riveted to a steel backing and where featured in fashion jewelry, ornaments, buttons and chatelaines. Popular from the Georgian through the Victorian eras, cut steel jewelry in the warm glow of candlelight must have been something to behold. Each stud could have up to 15 facets, and in general the finer and older the piece the more facets the studs will have. Made in both England and Europe, this style of jewelry fell out of favor by the turn of the 19th century. This little button does have some rust, one of the many problems with finding these buttons still intact is that they do rust. I have brushed cleaned the button with a little bit of steel wool to rub some of the rust off, I left a little bit for patina(I like it to look old). I have also added a freshwater pearl to the brass tag. To the multi strand brass bracelet I have hand wrapped gray freshwater pearls.