Magpie Tendencies Anyone?

I have come to the conclusion that I must have been a magpie in a previous life ~ I would have been happily flying around with a tiara on my head, rings on my toes and maybe even a little sparkly number flung around my neck too...

It wouldn't have been the real thing of course ~ I probably would have been a poor magpie as I am in human life, but you see this doesn't matter to a magpie (or me) as a bit of fake bling ~ as long as it is vintage, is perfectly fine. More than fine. My absolute joy in life is to have a box full of lots of broken bits of old paste jewellery, that just need to be reinvented in some way. Odd earrings, brooches without pins, necklaces without clasps and even pieces with missing stones, I see past their little misfortunes and want to love them again and take them home with me.

I know that there are others out there just like me; blogging has enlightened me of this fact! I used to think I was a bit strange. Very strange. Now that I have got a bit older, I relish the fact that perhaps I am a bit strange, as I don't want to be just like everyone else. That's where vintage bling comes into it's own. I have the most fabulous 1950's glass necklace in a smoky grey colour that every time I wear it generates compliments and whispers of 'where did you buy it?' followed by a gasp of surprise when they ask 'how much was it?' The gasp is for how little I paid for it! Perhaps I should just say 'Tiffany's' and keep 'em guessing!

my favourite vintage glass necklace from the 1950's...a bargain at less than £10!

This week I have painstakingly removed hundreds and hundreds of teeny glass seed beads from a fragment of a 1920's/30's dress. I just had to salvage those tiny little silvery sparkles just a bit bigger than a speck of dust. You see, I told you I was strange! They are worth it, new beads are lovely, but a bit too perfect. I like mishapen, I like a scratch here and there but most of all I like the colour of old bling ~ it sparkles but is not too shiny. I hardly need to mention this as I know that I'm speaking to the converted...

teeny tiny silvery pink glass seed beads...

Edwardian large brass & paste dress ornament...

1930's square faceted glass dress ornaments

an unusually organised bead box... (before gorgeous girl opens the lid!)

Art Deco glass buckle...

1930's beaded dress decoration

Victorian paste buttons...

one of my handmade miniature pillows...
fine dress silk in grey stripe c.1910, decorated with a 1920's diamante panel

There are a few exceptions to the vintage rule however, especially when it comes to handmade. Last year I met a talented jewellery maker who creates entirely by hand, wonderful sparkling rings using Swarovski crystals. Each one can take hours to make and they are so unique. I met Anne last year whilst participating in the same craft fair (I always see so many lovely things, I end up spending more than I make!) Her website Cristaline is well worth a look and you may be lucky enough to meet her yourself at a craft fair...

my growing collection of handmade crystal rings from Cristaline

I could go on and on about my magpie tendencies; the way candlelight bounces on the facets of little paste stones, chandelier lustres hanging on a Christmas tree, but most of all it's my eyes that light up when I spy a little sparkling treasure that all the other magpies out there have missed...

Is anyone else a bit superstitious about magpies? I have this thing about one for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl etc. If I see a lone magpie I have to do a little salute ~ yes, as if I were in the army standing in front of an officer ~ that kind of salute! I was told a few years ago that by doing this I would avoid any sorrow. And now I just can't stop myself! Lord knows what people think of me if they see me driving my car saluting them as they go by. So, if you ever happen to witness this ~ it was the magpie I was saluting, honestly! Strange, strange, strange...

Until next time...