It's occured to me that I've handled so many wonderful, rare old stampings in the last several years that I ought to be making an album of them to share. Many of late have been old European stampings the likes of which we'll never see again. Most of the stampings shown here are things of the past, the photos are, for the most part, just memories of having handled them and some pictures to share. The color of them is also a delicate, rare thing. Known as gingerbread brass, or gingerbrass, this color is a product of time, air pollution, dirt and old machine oil---as unappetizing as that sounds, it has produced over time via oxidization the remarkable color you find here. I do carry some remaining product on my large website at B'sue Boutiques (http://www.bsueboutiques.com) and you will also find a revolving door of antique/vintage product---glass, brass, chain and other findings---in my ETSY store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/bsue1441 If any of these items are still available, you'll find them there or on our website. Most however, have sadly come and gone.
Date(s): December 5, 2005. Album by Brenda Sue Lansdowne. Photos by Shelley. 1 - 24 of 54 Total. 5499 Visits.
I haven't purchased yet,, but i love this shops collections and prices and its so neat i know where everything is with measurements etc. Cannot wait to purchase =] - Amanda | dreamalittledream.etsy.com, Sat, 6 Sep 2008 8:01PM
I have always been a person to appreciate art and beauty. But as you know everyday life gets in the way of that imagination and drive to create. I have thought a lot about what pleases me most about this art of jewelry making, I have decided it's not the finished product, but how it gets there. Starting with the center piece, many of these items include wonderful pieces styled in Antique and European tooled filigrees, stampings, glass cameos, intaglios, unique glass doublet stones and beads styled in the Vintage Era, getting the feeling of what would draw that center piece out in a design. The colors to choose, to get the feeling of what the center piece is trying to express, how to arrange those small pieces of stone, crystal, glass, and pearl. I make my jewelry to Delight the Wearer, to give them that special feeling of what creating this piece gave to me. I have chosen to design my jewelry in the styles of Art Deco, Victorian and the Classic or Vintage style, to me these periods can express how you feel about yourself, and the world around you. I treasure the time of Eras gone by, the elegance and thought that was put into the adornment and beauty of a woman. In my journey of searching for the right pieces I ran across your site, what a pleasure, you will have me as life long customer and admirer of your talent, so many inspirations, to choose from and thoughts to begin. Thank You - SUSAN, Wed, 21 Mar 2007 7:26PM
I came across your site purely by accident and was captivated by the designs. I do have some of these in an antique button collection that I have. You were questioning about the cat in the teapot,and the person who sold the vintage/antique button to me makes yearly trips to France and I was told it is French. Also, I have the deer. These are truly beautiful and having some in my button collection has made me long to use silver clay, as I make jewelry, and cast some of them into jewelry. Thanks for your work to provide this site and I will visit your Ebay store. - Vicki, Mon, 15 Jan 2007 4:16PM
BrendaSue, I just love your site. I go window shopping there often and this is the first I've visited here. I have to say that it's been such a delight. I notice many of the findings from your site here and can recognize some which you've decorated with the paint and finishes from your site. You are a wonderful artisan with really cool designs and inspiring findings and beads. Thanks for the inspiration and the sheer joy of looking at your creations! Smiles,Suellyn - Sue, Fri, 15 Sep 2006 9:44PM
Your designs are absolutely beautiful. - Judy C. Kilroy | IE, Wed, 30 Aug 2006 8:59AM
I have a bid on some old brass molds?on ebay. I also love the older stuff that are hard to find. I love to look at each one and wonder what the finished jewelry looked like. each one is beatuiful. I adore your colection! - sharron, Sun, 12 Feb 2006 12:36AM
Hi, B'Sue! This is the ol' frogg. I LOVE your ideas and have some steel shank buttons of my mother's. I even carry one at all times to see if I can find similar ones. I think hers may from high button shoes. HUGS! - kay, Tue, 6 Dec 2005 12:51PM
1 This merry dancer comes from 1950's tooling and looks like she ought to be a fancy old Coro novelty pin. The stamping was quite petite, only about 1.5 inches tall.
2 This is a European finding, quite possibly from the old French Framex stampings factory.
3 Here is a pic of a full selection of Art Deco design guilding brass. This stuff was/is WONDERFUL, if any of you got some from me, my advice to you is TREASURE IT and use it only in your best projects. Stippled all over with tiny depressions for the addition of glued-ins tones, I kinda like it without just as it is.
4 OHMIGOODNESS.....can you imagine what was involved in developing the tooling for this piece? It was VERY SMALL....about the size of a quarter....but look at the detail in the trees, the leaves, the little Bambi-type deer....just remarkable. "This is truly beautiful. ..." "Simply Stunning!!! I have ..." "I just stumbled upon this ..." View Comments...
5 Actually this item is still made, but the brass isn't quite as thick and the color is yellow...you won't find this rich a gingerbread anyplace except buried in the bottom of boxes in a dark old warehouse (that's how we found this one.)
6 Here's Rita Hayworth dancing like Gilda...well, it sure looks like it.
7 This huge gypsy lady head has BOHO written all over it. The tooling is actually, believe it or not, 60's, and this stamping was used to make some of the most bodacious hippie chick rings you have EVER seen.
8 What an ornate, delicate piece. Probably a domestic US design and I could just BAWL that the tooling for it has been retired.
9 Deeply patina'd kitty with his face in a cup. Actually I gotta wonder about this guy. I got this piece with a bunch of stuff that had been thrown back in the 80's from the Piddiddly Links company, so I don't know if these were stock or custom designs. Probably they were made in France.
10 Another one from the same batch of stuff that had Piddiddly links findings in it. This silly monkey is looking at his face in a mirror and scratching his, um, derriere.
11 A fabulous piece that was probably used on photo items and jewelry boxes as opposed to jewelry.
12 This is another gorgeous European finding, the center was about 20mm and the design extremely delicate.
13 These were used by a business friend of mind extensively in the 60's when he was making trend and novelty jewelry, in particular rings. They are very versatile and malleable and can be delightfully manipulated.
14 Here are some examples of a few European findings of which I only ever had ONE PIECE....sigh. "I have the top left piece ..." View Comments...
15 This is an extremely versatile filigree that I had, at one time, in three sizes, about 50, 64 and 80mm length, respectively. I have actually SEEN old jewelry, earrings in particular, from the 20's-30's era, made from this finding. It is a US-made piece, very malleable and easy to manipulate.
16 Here is an example of something I did with the filigree shown in photo number 15. I took two and faced them inward, bent back the back edges and them wrapped them in the center with another. The result was extremely firm and needing nothing more---no glue or solder. "CAN THESE BE USED TO MAKE ..." View Comments...
17 Here we go with Cinderella's coach and her two fancy footmen. The detail on this one was just unreal.
18 Beautiful European stamping with opposing bird motif, oh how wonderful....I only ever had ONE. "Hello
I want bay this Sta..." View Comments...
19 Darling cat family, at the bottom a series of holes to dangle tchochkalas. Again, these I found in with the older Piddidlylinks stuff.
20 A silly elephant stamping...with such detail! All I ever had was ONE.
21 Typical mysterioso Art Nouveau dapt out lady head motif.
22 Again, Art Nouveau at its best....old European findings with pretty dragonflies incorporated into the floral motif.
23 Sort of Middle-Eastern in feeling, this was probably made from already vintage tooling in the 50's. Looks like something Ali Baba's wife would have worn around her neck.
24 This piece again is actually still made, but the tooling is wonderful old Art Nouveau era. These are not as old as others here in this album, but they weren't made yesterday either and have a lovely, warm patina on them. From time to time I am able to order more of them, but the house does not frequently run this die.
