Bangles, Cuffs, Baubles...BRACELETS!

Find these bracelets on Etsy, here

Going along with this weeks Art Deco theme, I thought I would talk about my favorite kinds of bracelets: vintage bakelite and lucite bangles. Bakelite was introduced in the early 1900's and used extensively for jewelry through World War II because of its low price point and popularity. It sets under high heat, is not recyclable, and is a little heavier than lucite, making it perfect for bracelets but not earrings. Bakelite remains very popular with collectors today and can be found pretty much anywhere that sells vintage jewelry.

Lucite was invented by DuPont in 1937 and was the next best thing to Bakelite in jewelry. Its popularity ran from 1940 to 1953, although it is still widely used today. It is lighter than Bakelite and is recyclable! It can be dyed any color, transparent or opaque, and can be carved or inlaid just like Bakelite.

So why am I telling you all of this? I have decided to try my hand at making resin bangles. I ordered the supplies I need and they should be here sometime early next week. Epoxy resin is twice as strong as concrete, seamless, waterproof, and can be dyed any color just like the vintage versions. Now, obviously, vintage bakelite and lucite are second to none...you all know what a huge fan I am of vintage jewelry...but this is something I want to experiment with and am really excited about. You wanted more bracelets, and they are coming soon! In the meantime check out this awesome shop I found on Etsy: Bangin Bangles- they have some amazing stuff!

Also from Bangin Bangles

Don't forget you have less than a week left to enter the

FREE GIVEAWAY for this month!

(Click the button on the sidebar to go straight to that post)

Spotlight: Love Haight Bracelet ($22)

Haight-Ashbury is an intersection in San Francisco in an area famous for the hippie movement of the 60's. I love the colors of this bracelet and they feel very "hippie chic" to me so that's why the name. The bracelet wraps around as one piece and is very comfortable and sturdy.

This bracelet is made with gold plated memory wire, glass, aventurine, quartz and red marble beads.

I have had a few questions about how to order things, and at this point, all you have to do is click on the "Email Me" button, and call or send me an email with the items you want. I take payment through PayPal and am working on getting the process streamlined a little better so that it's easier to purchase. I am still debating over whether or not I want to set up shop with Etsy, but I will keep everyone posted on that. Don't forget to keep entering the giveaway for the week! You have today and tomorrow left!

Lost & Found: Cheery Cherry Bracelet ($48)

So today would have been the day I announced the winner of the weekly giveaway, but since I haven't posted any new jewelry this week, I thought I'd add my new favorite Lost & Found piece, the "Cheery Cherry Bracelet" ($48). The flower is a vintage brooch (obviously with some wear, which is one of the reasons why I love it!) with red glass beads and a gold plated clasp to finish it off. I used beading thread instead of wire to wrap the brooch around the beads for comfort and to avoid scratching the piece any more than it already is. It is going to be very hard for me to part with this one, because I absolutely love the way it turned out. If you are interested, let me know, because this is truly one of a kind and probably won't last long!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I will be back Monday to start off the week with our first FREE giveaway! Make sure to tell your friends!