Making a Spectacle of Myself

Bonjour, mes amis! Do you remember the adorable pair of Victorian spectacles I found at the flea market last weekend? Well, I couldn't wait to turn them into a necklace, so - voila! - here is the finished piece. I added an early 1900s gold-plated bow pin and vintage watch face to some sterling filigree chain, and threw in a few tiny pearls and rubies for good measure. Now available in my Etsy shoppe, this piece is perfect for your favourite Steampunk-loving friend. Please stay tuned next time for a custom Marie Antoinette necklace... ooh, la, la! Merci. :)

Press: Works on Paper

Last night, my family and I attended the grand opening of Press: Works on Paper, a boutique devoted entirely to the love of paper in all its artforms. Our good friends Paulina Nassar (of Coco the mannequin fame) and her husband Nick Sarno (I like to refer to them as the Nassarnos) are the proprietors of this unique shoppe located in the heart of San Francisco's Mission District.


In their own words, 'Press: Works on Paper loves paper. Books, with an emphasis on works published by small presses, vintage books and out of print and hard to find fashion and photography titles. Notebooks, pencils and pens, vintage office supplies, typewriters, bookbinding supplies, unique papers and pieces by artists working primarily with paper: woodblock, letterpress and collage artists. Our focus is design, beauty, use and uselessness. We can’t hope to save an art form that is quickly becoming irrelevant. Rather, we hope to celebrate its irrelevance and the creative freedom it brings.'


Check out the cool installation of rolled papers above the stained glass window.


Mid-century office supplies including a green Smith-Corona typewriter.






Lovely artisan papers and vintage greeting cards.



Retro bookbinding supplies and instructional manuals.



Rare and out of print books.



Classic foods like meatballs and chocolate-covered twinkies were served. (Yes, this is what summer in San Francisco looks like!)



Poor Nick was stuck behind the counter all night ringing up sales, which were carefully wrapped in brown paper packages tied up with string.


My mom and dad bought a cardboard camera!


Oh, yeah, and c'est moi.


Press: Works on Paper is located at 3492 22nd Street / San Francisco, CA 94110 / 415.913.7156 / info@pressworksonpaper.com.

Curiosities

Yesterday I attended the Alemeny Flea Market for the first time with my newfound friend, Danette (which, curiously enough, also happens to be my sister's uncommon name). Danette sells high-quality, French-influenced vintage jewelry supplies at her Etsy shoppe, Embellissez La Reine, and has begun her own line of assemblage jewelry as well. We began e-mailing several months ago when I purchased some rhinestone beads from her, and since we discovered that we live very nearby one another, decided to meet for a day of bargain hunting. This market is a lot 'grungier' than the ones I usually visit, but it was so much fun digging through tables and boxes of broken, tangled chains and dirty auto parts to find the gems in the rough, and I wanted to share my 'curious' finds with you here.

A girl can never have too many old rosaries. I especially love the black one with end caps on all the beads.





Rhinestone dress clips that I plan to use as a necklace clasp.


LOVE this Spanish enamel and brass fan that really opens and closes. I found a blue one once before that I used in a necklace and sold almost immediately to a woman in Australia. Where will this one end up, I wonder?


This bracelet is made entirely of Mexican coins from 1959, and was still perfectly intact (until I got a hold of it)!


Eighteenth century steel-cut shoe buckles made in France!


And a silver bullet-shaped lighter!


An old watch face and marquesite pins.



I'm imagining this pair of Victorian spectacles suspended from a delicate sterling chain. The dealer I bought these from insisted she find the 'cute' leather case that went with them. How sweet is that?


I also think this circa 1940s postal scale will make a great conversation piece hung around the neck.


I was exhausted after the day of flea marketing, but can't wait to get busy in my studio creating new designs with these pieces later this week. Until then, what has you curious?

English Tea

Because of conflicting work schedules, my family decided to celebrate Mother's Day today so we could all be together. My sister Danette made a lovely diet-friendly English-style tea, complete with low cal versions of classic recipes like berry scones and quiche. She also served salmon and cucumber sandwiches, fresh fruit, juice and any kind of tea our hearts desired. For dessert, we enjoyed scoops of butter pecan ice cream and pirouette cookies. As you will see, her decorating style is more mid-century than mine, with bright happy colours perfect for a warm spring afternoon. What is everyone else doing to celebrate Mother's Day?

Fit for Royalty

After seeing Prince William looking so handsome at his wedding this week, I was inspired to gather some of my own royal / military jewels to see what I might create with them. Please tell me what you would like to see next! :)

This bottle opener has Napoleon Bonaparte's image one one side and a scene of Paris on the other.


Here is a very tarnished crown-shaped perfume bottle, its top rusted shut.


A large brass lion and crown shield.


How fancy is this goldtone cameo-style brooch, also from Paris?


I just created this next necklace, called 'crown de france', with a 1950s-era goldtone crown brooch as the centerpiece and added ruby zircon, freshwater pearls, blue gemstones and vintage rhinestone bracelet links to complete the piece. An Eiffel Tower charm dangles at the back.




Now for a sterling silver and charm bracelet I designed this weekend. I call this one, 'hypocrisy' because of its conflicting messages: crosses, an NRA medal, presidency pin, and pink crystal heart. I hope everyone will 'get' the irony! Both of these pieces are now available in my Etsy shoppe.



Finally, an 18 karat gold pocket knife. Surely every royal king must have one!


Thank you for looking! Have a lovely week! :)