vintage | Bead Happily Ever After

Throwback Thursday

Posted on October 10, 2013 by crystal

Greetings Kids!

You know how it is when you’re searching for something on the internet . . .

Suddenly, you bump into all kinds of cool things you weren’t even looking for!

Recently, I found a whole bunch of fun vintage items that really had me reminiscing. I decided to save them and will show you a few, every now and then, in a new feature I’m calling: Throwback Thursday. 🙂

Please feel free to send me a photo of something nostalgic from your life experience! I’d love to show it in a future post!

Before the jumpy stimulation of “Angry Birds”, there was the quiet relaxation of Colorforms! These little plastic shapes could be infinitely repositioned for hours of imaginative play.

If your own home didn’t have a bed adorned with a chenille bedspread – chances are that Grandma’s did!

Ladies, everywhere, wanted this rather awkward piece of equipment to dry their hair. You slipped on the “hat”, attached the hose, and voila – a hair salon in your own home! The loud hum made it difficult to take a phone call or watch TV, however.

I can NOT believe I ever wore this handy dandy, easy to fold-up and stash in your purse – rain bonnet! I definitely did, though, and why not!?! Who would want wet hair after all that time and trouble with the hair dryer? 😉

‘Til next time . . .

Hugs,

I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Click the envelope to leave a comment or to read what the other kids are saying! 😀

Make somethin’ Monday

Posted on August 27, 2012 by crystal

New feature beginning today!
It was inspired by a little daydream I had this week . . .

I was remembering how years ago (when I was a new bride and then a new mother), it was very tough to find time to work on a craft project with any regularity. One day, a neighbor suggested I sign up for a Fall class on Floral Décor. She had gone the previous year and was excited to return. The class met one evening a week for 6-weeks. Sir Beads cheerfully offered to baby-sit.

Each week, we completed a project designed to be finished in a couple of hours. When the series ended I had six beautiful decorations. That class was truly a revelation to me. I realized that the secret to being creative in the midst of a very busy life was to “schedule” something – on the calendar!

In the years that followed, my friends (who were also busy mothers) and I came up with the idea of holding a weekly “craft night” in our homes. We would take turns hosting the group and providing the refreshments. Sometimes we all worked on the same project. Other times we did our own thing, which was actually even better. It was amazing how enthused and inspired we became as we shared our designs and ideas.

Lately, I’m feeling the creative time crunch as much as I ever have. Why would that be? I mean the kids are grown and I’m no longer a new bride . . .

Of course, I do have a bead shop to run and then there’s a certain retired husband with whom I like to spend some quality time. The thing is, if I’m not creative – I begin to miss it quite a lot. So, the other day, during a light bulb moment, I remembered the “schedule” method and figured the blog could help me out!

“Yikes, Crystal, that was a pretty long-winded explanation to introduce the new feature: “Make somethin’ Monday”

What can I say? You’re right. 😉

To begin the series, I have a pair of earrings – just finished them!

Now, you’re probably saying,

“Who are you and what have you done with Crystal!?!? Those earrings are more earthy and organic than Crystal usually makes – and they’re not even purple!”

They definitely are a departure… and I love them!

Maybe this scheduling thing is inspiring me already.

(The pear-shaped stones are vintage, made in Czechoslovakia. In order to make the earrings, I found suitable settings and then “set” the stones, myself. Fun! I will soon be carrying the vintage stones, in several colors, in my etsy shop.

Hugs,

And now, a word from our sponsor . . .

Posted on January 27, 2009 by crystal

Here’s a special offer for the readers of our blog!!! 🙂

We’re having a sale on the website with 20% off everything from now until February 28th.

Just type the code snow into the coupon box at checkout, and your discount will be automatically calculated.

Happy shopping!

Giveaway: Vintage Lucite Necklace Set

Posted on December 15, 2008 by crystal

I’m so glad that I’ve been offering these giveaways! It’s a wonderful way to “meet” you, hear your opinions, and learn what topics interest you most. If you’ve enjoyed another post on the blog, besides the weekly giveaway, please leave a comment on it, too!

This week’s giveaway is a Necklace Set!

Vintage moonglow lucite beads are the focal points here. The colors are mouth-watering shades of light violet and soft aqua! Please note that the aqua color is actually a little more blue than it appears in my photo.

This pretty set has a vintage look and a delicate weight. It’s perfect for anytime of the year, but especially nice in warm weather, when heavy fussy jewelry feels just too hot to wear!

The beads are such a sweet size – 9mm, or about the size of a pea! They are baroque-style, which means they are not perfectly round, but have tiny little dimples or indentations here and there – so cute! I have accented the Vintage Lucite Beads with Swarovski Crystals in coordinating shades of violet and aqua.

Measurements:
The Earrings measure 1-1/4″ in length, including the sterling silver earwires.
The Necklace measures 19″ in length, and has a textured toggle clasp.

Perfect for a gift . . . or maybe you’ll keep it for yourself? 😉

Contest Rules and How To Enter

1. Leave a comment naming a book you recommend. It can be one that you read a long time ago or something you are reading currently. That will give you one chance to win.

2. For a second chance to win, leave a second comment describing something you’ve made that you think turned out well. It can be an item you handcrafted – knit, crocheted, greeting card, art work/sketch, etc., or it can be a meal you made, or a letter or poem you wrote, or even the way you decorated a room in your home, or decorated your home for the holidays.

3. For a third chance to win, leave a comment on any OTHER post in the entire blog. Just look in the archives to find one that you like.

You can choose any one or all of the above chances to enter.

A valid email address must be given at time of entry. You must be 18 yrs. old. The name of the winner will be added to this post after the completion of the contest and the winner will be notified by email. The prize will be mailed by USPS First Class Mail. If no valid email address is given at time of entry, or if winner fails to respond to email within 3 days from the time notification email has been sent, the win will be null and void and a new winner will be chosen.
All entries must be received by 10:00 p.m. EST on 12/21/08, and the winner will be selected on or about 12/22/08.

Thanks for participating and Good Luck to all! 🙂

The contest is closed.

The winner is Elsie. Congratulations Elsie! Please check your email. I will be contacting you for your shipping address.

Past Perfect… Refurbishing Grandma’s Bling!

Posted on July 28, 2008 by crystal

Are you the recipient of a piece or two of Grandma’s vintage costume jewelry?

Is it in perfect condition?

If so – lucky you! 🙂

Chances are though; it’s in need of a little makeover, especially if it’s something that Grandma loved to wear. But even a piece with scratched beads, chipped crystals, or a broken clasp can shine again if you salvage the best parts and rework them into a new design.

To begin – remove any badly worn components and replace them with some pretty new choices! You can retain the “vintage look” by selecting coordinating vintage beads. Searching for them will be half the fun!

If you have daughters, consider making more than one item from Grammy’s favorite necklace. Imagine how special it would be to incorporate some of her pearls into a design to be worn on a granddaughter’s wedding day. Or perhaps a selection of her crystal beads could adorn the wrist of your high school graduate as she receives her diploma.

Whatever you decide, it’s a wonderful way to link the generations. You’ll be creating a keepsake that would make Grandma smile. Surely there’s nothing sweeter than to use a bauble from the past, to create an heirloom treasure for the future! 😀