Upcycled Vintage Jewelry: Environmentally & Socially Conscious Bling for Your Ears

Turquoise Vintage Cameo Drop Earrings

Why not lessen your environmental footprint by purchasing jewelry that incorporates vintage pieces? 

Earrings with vintage cameos or rhinestones add a uniquely vintage touch to your jewelry that ensures you won't find a friend or stranger wearing the exact same pair!

As I try to do with the majority of my designs, most pieces have at least one vintage component or in some, the only new addition is the actually earring hook, wire or leverback. 

Using a vintage teardrop for example in a beautiful white milk glass is the perfect accent to a turquoise patina finished piece. 

Finished with new red copper leverbacks, these earrings are not something you would find at any other shop than FrameBoutique.

Turquoise & White Teardrop Earrings

 

Something old, something new,

Something borrowed, something blue,

And a silver sixpence in her shoe.

Need that "something blue", "something old" & "something new", look no further because with some of our earrings you can fulfill all three of this good-luck bridal rhyme with one pair of FrameBoutique earrings. This good luck saying actually dates back to the Victorian era.

Something Old: symbolic of continuity, oftentimes a link to the bride's own family & mother's past.

Something New: represents good luck & hopes for a bright future. Wearing a new item also symbolizes the bride & bride-groom are creating a new union that will last.

Something Borrowed: symbolizes the support of friends & family by lending something that represents 'happiness', but must be returned after the wedding. 

Something Blue: symbolizes faithfulness, loyalty & is sometimes a blue garter. In the past, couples actually wore blue bands on the border of their wedding suit & dress to show their love, modesty & fidelity to each other. 

 (http://www.somethingoldsomethingnew.co.uk/)

When using vintage rhinestones, I always embrace the minimalist aesthetic. A long, elegant kidney wire won't outshine these incredibly vibrant {Tiffany blue moonstones} & will bring an {Art Deco}-inspired touch to any outfit. 

Tiffany Blue Diamond Drop Earrings, Kidney Wire

New pieces are added daily to FrameBoutique.Etsy.com (Click on the names of the earrings to be directed to each listing)

White Milk Glass Teardrop Earrings

Lapis Lazuli Teardrop Earrings

Teal Mosaic Studs

Azure Blue Drop Earrings

Opalescent Diamond Brass Drops, Kidney Wire

Fire Opal Studs

New Fall Fashion Designs!

The design for this miniature necktie necklace started when one of my partner's ties ripped and he was going to throw it out. I decided to create my own "party tie" as a quirky, whimsical piece for my birthday party. Now, I have four different colour combinations that have been crafted and upcycled out of vintage silk ties and they seem to be a great hit with customers.

I also have a new line of pocket watch necklaces coming out soon in three different designs. One of the designs which I have yet to take photographs of is more of the steampunk style since you can see all the internal gears and mechanisms working.

In addition to these pieces, I have a plethora of new earring designs which I seem to be creating faster than I can list them on Etsy.

Some of my favourite from these new additions are the vintage cabochons which are mostly of German and Japanese designs. They have been upcycled to create these stunning earring studs.



Here's a sneak peek at some of the other designs I've been working on. Some of these pieces have not yet been listed, but can be reserved. Contact me if you are interested in reserving any designs you see on my blog or in my Etsy store. Check to see which listings are available at frameboutique.etsy.com!

This earring stud gift set is a collection of Japanese vintage cabochons. Each are speckled Millefiori glass.

A beautiful lavender purple vintage cabochon that has been upcycled to create this great ring.

I love the teardrop shape of the bronze filigree earring stud post that these vivid aqua blue cabochons are set against. Very unique design.

These red checkered earring studs are actually upcycled vintage buttons that I found in a button boutique.

This melon ribbed cabochon comes in a variety of colours and I've used them for rings and earring studs.

I especially love these vintage white Japanese cabochons which give the appearance of confetti or flakes of various colours set inside the glass. I've set aside so many of these for myself! :)

My Crafty Spaces

Finding the space to organize my business has proven to be quite an arduous task. After almost eleven years with my partner Sean including one year of marital, cluttered bliss and at least five years living together in a one bedroom apartment, our collective undergrad and graduate degrees have accumulated mass clutter, hundreds of books and little space left for a new business.

For several months we've been scouring vintage boutiques, upcycling found pieces, repurposing antique printer trays, sanding, painting - a far cry from a feng shui home, but we've created a manageable space and at least our kittens seem content.

We repurposed two antique printer trays which holds most of my finished pieces. Plus, we've now found new loves and are constantly accumulating more printer trays to restore. Using simple eye hooks in each crevice holds a fantastic amount of earrings and rings.

We use the blue Hamilton printer tray to bring to shows or sidewalk sales. It's great for easy transportation and is definitely an eye catcher.

Using acrylics, I love hand painting some of my pieces to diversify my products. Black is such a classic colour to start with and some of these items have produced some great complete pieces. Plus, who doesn't love to paint?

As an early, very early birthday present to my partner (we often buy random gifts throughout the month leading up to one another's birthdays), I bought him this great little owl pincusion from strawberriesandcream on Etsy: strawberriesandcream.etsy.com . Their designs are adorable!. Sean's a closet needle threader.

A few more images of my crafty spaces! I love making my own business card designs and using these elegant paper cutters. It can be labor-intensive but the end result is so aesthetically beautiful. I just received some custom made stamps from modernartstamps.etsy.com

and I'm so excited to start applying them to cardstock for earring studs!

Now, I'm finally putting my wedding china to good use! Actually, the dishes are the perfect shade for pictures and add a touch of elegance that my Ikea dishes couldn't touch. lol!

Right now, as the summer is coming to a close and we're gearing up for autumn trends, I've been acquirng various pieces in vivid shades of red that I cannot wait to use. Some of the hand blown glass I've already made into earrings. They're so elegant and the translucent glass reflects sunlight in such a pretty way. I really like these pieces!

My necklaces are strung everywhere in our apartment. I'm in the process of finding antique door knobs or cabinet knobs (if you know of where I can find some, please share!) and I'm going to adhere them to some sort of wood board which I'll frame. It's an idea I found on everythingetsy.com and it really showcases each piece instead of trying to figure out where one necklace ends and another begins.

And lastly, a piece I'm very excited to work with. I'll be making this piece into a necklace. Anyone that knows me or recalls my last birthday bash, knows my quirky sense of taste. Plus, if these don't sell, I'll wear them! :) Thanks for taking the time to read my post! I've been asked by so many friends about how I've coped in such a small space, but alas, it's the Toronto life.

In future posts, I will include some DIY tutorials on how to make some of my pieces so everyone can join in on the fun. I think for the first DIY tutorial, I'll focus on the Shabby Chic Pomander! Check out my shop to see some of my pieces: frameboutique.etsy.com
Cheers!