Novelty Brooch Friday - June .... 1 YEAR OLD!!

1 year ago this month Novelty Brooch Friday was born! 

It first started out as a little game Erin and I would play on Instagram, discovering we both liked brooches we would post once a week with a similar hashtag. With a little encouragement from other people on Instagram (whom I will write about later in the month, 'cause this being the anniversary) we came up with #NoveltyBroochFriday.  Erin has since left the organising up to me with her busy life it was a little too hard but I am more than happy to organise the giveaways and meet wonderful sellers and makers of brooches and ask them a few questions about their interests and inspirations.

And so this month, because it's a special month, Eric from LuckyPatina Vintage has so generously offered 2 brooches to give away, giving 2 people the chance to win a lovely new addition to their collections.

I have a few pieces from Eric’s shop and love his carefully selected objects, they are so special and his knowledge of jewellery shines through in his descriptions and photography. I have asked Eric 5 questions that I hope give you a bit of an introduction to his shop and wonderful items he has collected over the years.

When did you first discover your interest in vintage jewellery, home wares and objet d'art? 

I grew up surrounded by all things vintage and in a very creative household.  In my childhood kitchen, the walls were covered with kitschy Chalkware fruit and animals; the living room had an eclectic array of MCM to early Canadian furniture.  I also have distinct memories of playing with my Grandmother’s Modernist jewellery as a child.  She traveled the world and bought a piece in every country she visited. 

My taste was really shaped by the strong women in my life. 

Do you have a favourite style, material that you gravitate towards?

I do adore Bakelite, but I also like copper and brass.  I suppose what draws me in the most would be the warm patina on all of these materials.  As for style, I would consider myself a Vintage Modernist but I tend to lean towards an offshoot of Modernism called Brutalism.  Brutalist style has a bit more warmth than the ultra-clean Modernist style. 

I do wear Pins and Brooches (mostly on special occasions), but I like to wear a ring on a daily basis.  If I forget to put a piece of jewellery on in the morning, I feel naked all day. 

Can you tell us a few of your favourite makers/crafts people and what it is about them you admire?

Canada in the 1960-70’s was a major contributor of Modernist Jewellery.  There are several designers from this time period that I admire such as Rafael Alfandary, Guy Vidal and de Passille-Sylvestre. 

The Poison Apple brooch in this month’s draw was produced by de Passille-Sylvestre in the 1970’s.  They really were the leading enamel artists of this period.  Yves Sylvestre tended to do all the metal work and Micheline de Passille worked on the design and the enamelling.  Their work had no boundaries and they explored all sorts of subject matter.  Before they became enamel artists, Micheline was studying to become a Lab Technician and Yves was studying Geology.  I look to them as inspiration that it is never too late to follow your true calling.

Are there any favourite brooch makers you admire?

My favourite brooch maker on Etsy would be Luxulite!  Wonderful vintage inspired pieces and the colour combinations are fantastic. 

Another would be Fire the Laser on Etsy.  His pieces are produced out of acrylic and are wonderfully nerdy yet chic!

Vintage brooch designers would be Lea Stein, de Passille-Sylvestre, Elzac, and Martha Sleeper.  All four of these designers produced some outrageous styles and are pioneers with their materials they used. 

For those looking to start their own jewellery and brooch collections, is there any advice you could give them?

Beginner Bakelite collectors need to be understand that Bakelite is highly addictive!  You really can’t stop at just one.   There is a lot of Faux Bakelite out there so make sure you educate yourself.  Make sure you also buy what you love because many pieces of Bakelite are one of a kind.

For the Modernist collector, collect what you love not just by designer name.  It is nice to have a big ticket piece by a famous designer but there are many wonderful unsigned or “lesser” designers who make just as fabulous items.  

And so this month Eric has so generously donated 2 brooches!!! 1 each for 2 lucky people who post a photo of themselves with one of their favourite novelty brooches with the hashtag #noveltybroochfriday on Instagram any Friday in June!

Entries can be submitted on any Friday in June up to and including Friday 27th June.  I will announce the winner (randomly chosen) on Monday 30th June.

Open to everyone so get your brooches out (new or vintage) and you could have another fabulous brooch to add to your collection.

*If you are a designer or sell vintage brooches (worldwide) and wish to donate a brooch for an upcoming month and have your shop showcased, please contact me at tunabake@hotmail.com 

Novelty Brooch Friday - May winner

Well May came to an end pretty quickly I think, but this month there was a record number of people using #NoveltyBroochFriday and of course entries to win Luxulite’s fruity brooch.  

Thank you Katy, there is a lot of love for your creations on Instagram and Novelty Brooch Friday, thank you for your generous donation.

So without further ado the winner out of 477 entries is number 283…………

@peregrinationz

Congratulations! If you could email me your postal address, Katy will forward you your fabulous prize (tunabake@hotmail.com).

Next month is a special month for Novelty Brooch Friday as it will be its1 year anniversary! Yippee!! 1 whole year of brooching on a Friday! And because it’s a special celebration there will be 2 brooches and 2 winners!  Look out on Friday for June’s special shop and the brooches you could win.

I was thinking of posting my brooch collection for the anniversary as well, I might not have as many as some but I love them and thought you might be interested in seeing them.

I just also want to say I try to be as fair as possible choosing the winner, I have to sift through and count all of the legitimate entries (there are a lot of shops who like using the # now that it gets so many people using it every Friday) once I know how many entries, I use a random number generator app and then I count back through the entries (minus the shops) and come up with the winner. 

If you're a brooch maker/ designer or vintage seller that would like to donate a beautiful brooch to our giveaway and have your shop featured, please email me with a little info about your designs, shop or otherwise and we'll get you a spot on the calendar. tunabake@hotmail.com

Novelty Brooch Friday - May

This month I'm so pleased to be able to ask a few questions of Katy the creator of Luxulite! Yes Katy has agreed to also offer one of her wonderful brooches to one lucky person who posts a photo of themselves with a novelty brooch and uses #noveltybroochfriday on Instagram on any Friday in May.

I first discovered Luxulite on Instagram last year and quickly snapped up one of her sparkly creations from her Etsy shop.  I have noticed a lot of other people, especially those of you who post to #noveltybroochfriday feel the same way about her work. Its fun, colourful and has that vintage feel and of course 'novelty' about it.

I asked Katy 5 questions about her creations and a little bit about her methods, mediums and inspirations.

How long have you been making jewellery and did you have any formal training

I have always been a maker, ever since I was a little girl. My mum (hi mum!) is a florist and is one of the most creative and generous ladies, so I grew up making things with her (we still like to make things with each other when I visit - she helped me make my fruit salad necklaces at Christmas!)

I studied jewellery design, (among several other arts and design disciplines) when I left school, and then studied Sculpture for my degree at St Martins in London. That's about as far as any formal training goes. The methods that I use now are all self-taught, by trial and error - I've made some terrible messes along the way, and still manage to get my fingers stuck together with superglue every so often, but that's all part of the fun of making things!

Your jewellery is of a 40's/50's style, what is it about this era that inspires you

I'm a HUGE fan of 1940's and 50's lifestyle - everything from the music to the design, fashion and architecture. I'm a self-confessed eternal optimist too, so the sense of fun and optimism that you can see in the design and fashions of the post-war era really appeals to me. It must have been a really exciting time, seeing the fashion, design and musical influences from across the Atlantic coming to Britain after the hardships of the war.

Are there any jewellers you admire

I adore the work of Martha Sleeper, who created some of the most amazing bakelite (often combined with wood, metal or leather) jewellery in the late 1930's and 40's. Her designs are absurdly fun and are sure to put a smile on anyone's face, or start a conversation... 

I love this excerpt from The Washington Post in 1941 about Martha's work (it makes me want to design even giddier 'lapel gadgets')! 

WHEN A MAN is drawn unwittingly into conversation by a giddy lapel gadget on a woman's suit, little does he think it was worn for that express purpose. Yet, according to actress-designer Martha Sleeper, women have discovered that unusual jewelry brings them into the limelight.

Can you tell us a little bit about the materials you use

My brooches are hand cast in resin, in my little shed, with copious amounts of glitter in all colours and textures! Many, many hours are spent sourcing supplies. I love using vintage beads and objects for my necklaces and earrings, some of my favourite finds have been vintage plastic drink markers, plastic matchsticks (a homage to Martha of course!) and miniature brass horseshoes. I’m ALWAYS on the lookout for new supplies, but again it's all about trial and error - I've had some major supply fails along the way when buying things from overseas - my favourite(!) disasters were some 'miniature' flamingos that turned out to be as big as my head,  and some 'plastic' lobsters that turned out to be made of the wobbliest jelly I have ever felt! (If anyone needs wobbly glittery lobsters please let me know!)

Is there any advice you could give to someone starting their business

I think attention to detail is key, from taking great photos of your products to spending a little extra time on wrapping your packages, or keeping in touch with your customers via Social media - it all adds up to providing not just a great product but a great service too - one that will (hopefully) get customers coming back for more. 

Secondly, if you want it to work, be prepared to work HARD! I'm currently juggling a full-time job plus my Etsy store which means I'm up at 6am and don't stop working until about 10.30-11pm each night. It makes it all worthwhile when you see photos of your fabulous customers wearing your creations. I am sleepy, but very happy!

..............................

And so this month Katy has so generously donated this fruity brooch to one lucky person who posts a photo of themselves with one of their favourite novelty brooches with the hashtag #noveltybroochfriday on Instagram any Friday in May!

Entries can be submitted on any Friday in May up to and including Friday 30th May.  I will announce the winner (randomly chosen) on Monday 2nd June. 

Open to everyone so get your brooches out (new or vintage) and you could have another fabulous brooch to add to your collection.

*If you are a designer or sell vintage brooches (worldwide) and wish to donate a brooch for an upcoming month and have your shop showcased, please contact me at tunabake@hotmail.com 

Novelty Brooch Friday - April winner

For April's Novelty Brooch Friday I was so pleased to have Sarah from Curious Pip agree to donate one of her special brooches.  

All of her creations are made with such care and attention, and am so lucky to own one myself. Thank you Sarah for your donation to Novelty Brooch Friday and to offer someone the chance to own this Louise Brooks brooch.

This month there was 325 entries!! The random number generator chose 8................

Congratulations powderpuffboutique you are the winner of Ms Louise Brooks, if you could email me your postal address tunabake@hotmail.com Sarah can send you your prize.  

Thank you everyone who posts to this hash tag, I really look forward to Fridays and seeing everyone's brooches, there are just so many styles and variations to admire.

Keep an eye out on Instagram on Friday for the announcement and find out more about this fabulous maker.  

Here is a hint for next months creator: she is a familiar maker to many, her work pops up on Novelty Brooch Friday hashtag a lot and they are the cute and shiny!

See you Friday x

Novelty Brooch Friday - April

This month I'm very excited, when I contact a creator or seller to be part of Novelty Brooch Friday I become a little apprehensive, as it's always someone I admire. I discovered Sarah's work through Instagram, I don't know how I found her account, like most people I follow, I forget, but I just fell in love with her work; her paintings, her dolls and her brooches. Lucky for me and for you Sarah said YES!

I hope you find Sarah's work as magical as I do, and fall in love with Curious Pip's world of vintage ladies and creatures, all created with love and care.

I asked Sarah 5 questions about her work and her inspirations.

 I first came across your drawings and subsequently your dolls and brooches recently through Instagram. How long have you been creating these lovely works?

I started my blog and shop in 2011. I've always been a sketcher, I've always made stuff, always been interested in textiles and beautiful vintage fabrics.  Having had an on off career in the theatre prior to having my son and starting Curious Pip, I started to grow  much less ambitious with my acting career and found myself channeling my creativity more and more into drawing and making. It's not easy to hop off and on a theatre tour when you have a baby so starting my business was much needed motivation.

 Your drawings and dolls/brooches have a constant theme, that of glamorous, intriguing women from the past, do you have some favourite eras that you like to draw from?

It's natural for me to make and paint the things that I love and inspire me, I grew up on old movies and am fascinated and intrigued by old Hollywood.  I aim to evoke bygone eras with my work but I think the 1930s is my favourite era. All those witty, screwball comedies and Busby Berkeley musicals are just magical. Back then it seemed all women were stylish, they sizzled with glamour - they wore beautiful clothes and had gorgeous curls, hats and makeup. I also draw from and am inspired by actresses like Myrna Loy, Jean Harlow and Claudette Colbert and I love classic old showgirls, circus performers and theatricality.

Your females have a unique look, is it a style you had in mind from the very beginning or was it a style you have developed over the years? (I’m asking as a lot of people become disillusioned very early on when they can’t find a style they are comfortable with)

When I was little all my drawings of girls had big eyes and wavy hair. In fact when I first started making dolls I wanted to pull away from big eyes but it seemed to be what came naturally so I stuck with it. From a very young age I loved old picture books and vintage movie annuals. My grandma had old film annuals I'd flick through as a child but I also remember being bought old books from jumble sales and fetes that had sweet and cute illustrations in them (Illustrations by Mable LucieAttwell and Beatrix Potter). I later discovered artists such as Arthur Rackham and Margaret Tarrant - to name a few - so I guess those beautiful bygone illustration styles seeped subconsciously into my work from the very start.  I wouldn't say I went out looking for a style it was just a 'look' that developed quite naturally.

What materials do you like working with both in your drawings and dolls/brooches?

With my dolls I just adore working with vintage fabrics. They have history. I don't much mind if there are a few stains on the fabric – in fact I like it more! And I love raw edges and tiny holes in things. If something doesn't look quite shabby enough I age-it-up with a bit of black tea or wash it, screw it up in a ball and let it dry naturally - creases and all! I love imperfect perfection. I could never work from a pattern and don't use templates. Merino wools work beautifully for hair, and you can purchase such a rich array of colours. My shelves are full of Sequins, buttons and bits of old haberdashery which are perfect as finishing touches.

When I make drawings and illustrations I like to use both watercolour and gouache but I do sometimes use acrylics. I get frustrated with the amount of paint I waste though when I use acrylics as they dry super-fast! Recently I have been enjoying just simple pen and ink for my latest Jean Harlow inspired illustrations.  I like Khadi paper which is handmade in South India using recycled rag. I sometimes like to coffee stain my canvas as it gives a slightly older feel. I also regularly use water colour paper as well as pastel paper.

Are there any artists/craft people you admire either contemporary or past?

Oh hundreds! We're so lucky with the internet these days, we can seek out other inspiring artists that you might not have otherwise discovered if it wasn't for social media and being able to make a tiny corner of the net your own. I adore doll makers - artists such as Sarah Strachan or Sara Sherriff of Wildwood Maker (lots of Sarahs in doll making!)  I also love the work of Mister Finch and the paintings and ramblings of EmilyWinfield Martin  who created Inside a Black Apple.

Artists from the past whom I'll forever be in love with and who inspire my work on a daily basis have to be (again to name a few) Nell Brinkley who was a comic artist and illustrator famous for her comic strips such as Prudence Prim and The Fortunes of Hossie.  I also adore the works of Anne Harriet Fish an artist of the 20's and 30's who always drew fabulous flappers and dapper gentlemen. Norah Wellings dolls (famous for the little sailor doll) and old boudoir dolls from the early thirties are inspiration overload! There's so much out there to be inspired by and enjoy it's just fabulous.

And so this month you could win this oh so adorable Louise Brooks brooch (one just like this, Sarah is going to make a special one just for the winner).

For your chance to win just post a picture of yourself on Instagram with your favourite brooch, with the hash tag #noveltybroochfriday (entries can be submitted on any Friday in April up to and including Friday 25th April).  I will announce the winner (randomly chosen) on Monday 28th April. Open to everyone, you can enter as many times as you like on a Friday, either new or vintage brooches. 

*If you are a designer or sell vintage brooches (worldwide) and wish to donate a brooch for an upcoming month and have your shop showcased, please contact me at tunabake@hotmail.com