My brooch collection

Today I took down my brooches from my felt covered cork board, the sheer weight of them all (all 82 of them!!!) I didn't realise I had that many.  So to get a good look at them I put them on a large A1 sheet of paper and in my typical organisational style proceeded to group them together by subject, and then by materials, and then by handmade, and then by well I could have gone on and on grouping them, it really made me appreciate each one again.  I hope you enjoy looking at my collection and you might have some of the same in your collections.

I find a lot of my brooches on Etsy, eBay and local Op Shops and Markets.  Some of my favourite Etsy shops to buy from and brows are: Broesj, Lucky Patina, Luxulite, Demure Couture, A Little Vintage Store, Each to Own and Curious Pip

Below I have grouped them together so you can see them a little clearer.

This is the group of animals L to R: Cockerel, poodle, frog, cat, bear, dragonfly, starfish, cat, cat in dress, wooden cat, fur cat, snail, penguin, bird, hummingbird, owl gold, owl purple, boy and girl bunnies, ladybird flat, ladybird tortoiseshell, sheep, skunk, cockatoo, scotty dog, sloth, deer, fox, lion.

This Avon duo are a couple of my favourites.  When I got them I decanted the solid perfume, 'cause it was really funky smelling.

 



















You must have your initial in brooch form: Left is a Sarah Coventry 'C',  Middle is a Pierre Bex 'C' and well the end one isn't technically a 'C' but I thought I'd include it in this set 'cause it's pretty.

I have a few women's heads (and 1 man for measure) L to R: Clara Bow by Curious Pip, Inuit, Enid Coleslaw from Ghost World by Kate Rowland, Frida Kahlo by A Little Vintage Store, 1920s swimmer, fruit carrying lady, ceramic brooch by Min Lee (shop Minini), Ice Follies skater, Beci Orpin face, My Perfect Beau by Sophie McPike, Lady with flower.

Lately i've been collecting flowers, leaves and plants

Lots of fruit and a little veg L to R: banana (Broesj), strawberry by Sarah Coventry, apple, carrots by Demure Couture, sparkly cherries by Luxulite, pineapple (Lucky Patina), cherries by Sarah Coventry, Watermelon by Pixels and Picas, a Heinz pickle, cherries & apple & strawberry and biscuit brooch by Synergy Glass Art, ginger bread man by Avon.

The below brooches are bought direct from the maker and quite a few have been contributors to Novelty Brooch Friday L to R: Clara Bow by Curious Pip, Beci Orpin face, carrots by Demure Couture, cherries by Luxulite, biscuit by Synergy Glass Art, Rainbow by Curly Pops, Freddo Frog (can't remember the stall holder), 3x fruit by Synergy Glass Art, girl's head by Minini, My Perfect Beau by Sophie McPike, Frida Kahlo by A Little Vintage Store, Love by Gemma Jones, Bear and blue bird by Each to Own, Watermelon by Pixels and Picas.

As you might have noticed I have a weakness for certain makers of brooches, I love so many of Sarah Coventry's brooches, they are not expensive either which is a bonus, simple design and some of my favourite themes.

Lea Stein is a sought after brooch but these are expensive, I been lucky enough to receive these 2 as gifts from Ed.

For a cheaper but similar theme as Lea Stein you can't go past Erstwilder, a Melbourne company that makes stylised animals, fruit, people etc.

Its not just the subject that I look out for in the brooches I collect but the materials, I love wooden brooches from the 1940's, Bakelite and celuloide (which on the whole are a little out of my budget).

So there you go, my brooch collection which is always growing, always on the look out for something different, substantial and in a colour I don't already have. 

Do you collect brooches as well? If you have posted about your collection leave a link below as I'd love to see.

Don't forget #NoveltyBroochFriday, the hashtag that is my excuse for continuing to collection...my enabler ;)

xxx

Novelty Brooch Friday - July

Welcome July! 

My favourite time of the year because there are a lot of birthdays in my family, and who doesn't love a bit of cake and Hoo Haar!

This month I am so pleased to introduce to you something sweet, not just the brooches but the wonderful Hayley of Synergy Glass Art.  In that special kind of way you organically come across people on Instagram, I came across Hayley's work.  Bright colours and novelty subjects, I was naturally drawn to her work and was so happy Hayley agreed to answer a few questions about her work and offer one of her brooches to be given away this month (I have one similar).

Thank you Hayley and I loved reading your answers, to me personally your answer to the last question really resinated with me.

When did you start working with glass and start your glass art business 'Synergy Glass Art'?

In 2009 I returned from a yearlong backpacking adventure and found the transition back to normality really difficult to adjust too. I discovered a certain therapy in throwing myself into short course, classes and well, pretty much anything creative. I learnt mosaic, pottery, jewellery making, and Leadlight. And in Leadlight I found this incredibly magical world of colours I didn’t know existed. It ignited in me the desire to become consumed by glass. I wanted to know more about it. I enrolled in a course to learn fusing and slumping (melting glass in a kiln to form shapes such as bowls, plates etc). This was completely different to Leadlight. One thing leads to another and I then completed a weekend workshop in bead making on the flame torch.

It was only then that I finally realised this fascination wasn’t going away. I needed to do something with it. It was no longer just a hobby but something I could turn into a business. Ta-da! Synergy Glass Art was born!

What attracted you to working with glass?

In one word it would be… colour! The way a single piece of glass could change colour depending on the light behind it was something that gave me tingles inside. A blue could be moody one day and then vibrant the next.

I was also fascinated in the science behind it, which in turn, made me want to learn more. I have since had the honour of learning in world-renowned glass institutes such as Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, New York, and Canberra Glassworks.

When creating a new design do you start with a colour, design or something else?

Usually I start with the colour rods when it comes to making my necklaces and bracelets. But with my brooches I let my creativity run wild and am quite often inspired to create when I’m not even searching for inspiration. I look at everyday objects and think “hmm, I wonder if I could make that using glass.” A perfect example of this is with my Iced Biscuit Brooches. Farm animals, food, fish, flowers, you name it, I’ve probably attempted to make it in glass!

Is there a technique you haven't tried with glass that you would like to explore?

Yes, definitely glassblowing. I’ve dabbled in glassblowing whilst under the instruction of a much more experienced artist but I really am very far away from mastering it. It is so much harder than I expected. I’m happy though because it’s an excuse to enrol in another workshop!

Is there any advice you can give to people wanting to start their own business?

Be patient. Success doesn’t happen over night (if it does then woohoo! Congratulations to you!) but through hard work, patience, determination, lots of ups and downs I am now seeing rewards that I never even dreamed of. I honestly can’t believe it’s been over 4 years since I was first introduced to glass. There were tough times were I thought I would hang up my apron and call it a day but to be honest I don’t think my life is complete with out glass!

So what is the cute brooch you could win this month? This cute biscuit brooch could be yours if you take a photo of yourself with one of your favourite novelty brooches on Instagram using the hashtag #noveltybroochfriday on any Friday in July (up to and including 25th).  The winner will be announced on the following Monday, 28th July. 

So what are you waiting for? Get those brooches on, it doesn't matter if you wear the same brooch 2 weeks in a row, just get them out.

*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 - June Winners

June is at its end and that means there have been some pretty spectacular brooches throughout the month that everyone has been sharing on Instagram under  #noveltybroochfriday, and so fun to see some people wearing the same brooches as someone else on the other side of the world, coincidence or just a lot of stylish ladies?

I hope you had a chance to check out Eric's Etsy shop LuckyPatina, There are so many carefully chosen treasures to be found and Eric has so generous donating 2 brooches this month to give away, 'cause.......it was Novelty Brooch Friday's 1 year anniversary!

So who are the lucky 2 winners this month?

The lucky person to win the Wicked Queen brooch is Shorlockmutters, CONGRATULATIONS!

And the second winner, is TOMATOJANE, winning the Poison Apple brooch, CONGRATULATIONS!

If you could email me your postal addresses to tunabake@hotmail.com I will have Eric forward you your prizes. Such lucky ladies, damn it's a shame I don't get to win one myself ;)

On Friday I will be announcing July's brooch maker and the cute brooch you could add to your collection. Until then keep brooching xxx

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 - 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