Our Heroes

 

A Soldier's Charm

Memories...

I love new technology.  Not a techno geek here, but I love technologies that help us do what we love:  preserve memories.  

We invested heavily in this technology, and it is a wonder.  This technology actually takes minerals and creates a print very much like the original.  Yes, minerals.  Isn't that something?  And these minerals are then fired on to the porcelain as has been done for centuries.

Best of all, it will last FOREVER.  It will not fade.  It can take some abuse.  It can be used outdoors or indoors.  Bottom line...I love it. 

Here is my sweet Grandma Fern on a porcelain charm the size of a dime:

I would like to think that my grandma would get a kick out of it.  She was a spirited lady at just 4'11" but she was 6'6" when she needed to be.

I got excited when her pic came out of the kiln and tried my hand at some other photos.  Here are some porcelain charms that I haven't set yet:

 

Left: Dawn kissing baby JD, Jr.

Center:  Gary B.

Right: JD, Jr.

These are my prototypes.  The top charm will probably go to one of my sisters (whoever speaks first!).  Another one like it will be made into a tie tack for my dad.

The ones in the second pic (L & R) are going to my sister Dawn.  Baby Joe Derek, Jr., her grandbaby,  sadly passed away so these will be momentos for her.  

And the center in the second picture will go to my Aunt Pam. It is of her brother who recently passed. She grabbed this photo from the net and I was able to get the quality good enough to make a charm.  I think it came out pretty good.  She doesn't know about it yet.

I can't wait to get them set!

We will have the charms with your own pictures available for purchase soon.  It is the kind of thing that makes people happy.  Memories are great even if they bring a few happy tears.  

You have permission to bug me, dear reader, if you would like us to do one for you!  Just drop me a line at customerservice@roseblossomcottage.com and we will let you know where we are with this!

It all starts here...

Want to see how it all begins in our cottage studio?  Well, it starts with pure and sterling silver.  Here is my latest buy of raw material.  Believe it or not, this is about $900 worth of silver. And that sheet on the bottom is a whopping 6 inches by 6 inches!

 

Choosing China

We get lots of questions from ladies about what china is best for Broken China Jewelry.  Well, it really depends on how you want it finished.  If you have a curved piece, it is really best to get an artist that does the copper foil method.  It's the same as what is used for stained glass windows.  There are lots of kits out there, too, if you want to do it yourself.  Be prepared, though, there is a learning/experimentation curve, but it is well worth it.

My favorite method requires a flat or near flat piece, like from a plate, that can be set in Sterling Silver.  I love this the best because it treats these little pieces of history as fine jewelry.   It just gives it an air of refinement and romance that you just can't beat. 

Since we create ours with a solid sterling back, it also makes the perfect canvas for engraving names, dates, or little messages.  Its really helps a gift stand out and gives it meaning.

Tips to help you find a good piece to have made into a Sterling set Broken China Jewelry charm:

1) The thinner the better.  Bone china is wonderfully thin and we do a lot of work with it (it also breaks easily so we find lots of damaged pieces to use!).  That is not to say that you can't use a thicker china (like semi-vitreous) , but it really can make the charm pretty heavy using a really thick piece. 

2) Take a quarter with you when you hit the antique stores and garage sales.  A quarter is your best friend.  You can use a quarter to see if the design will fit in space.  It can also tell you if the piece is pretty flat. You don't want the design to extend onto the "foot" of the plate (the lip on the backside) either.   Better yet, if you own the piece, lay your quarter on your plate and draw a circle around it with a magic marker.  Remove the quarter and look at the circle.  Is the design inside the circle pretty to your eye?  Trust yourself.  You know what is pretty and what isn't!

It's pretty easy and there are still a few more tips, but this post is getting a little long.  Tune back in for more tips. 

Still not sure if the china will work?  No problem, send us a pic (even one off of your camera phone) and we will be happy to help you out!

Antique Austrian Broken China Jewelry charm custom set in Sterling Silver

It's an Honor...and Thank You very Much

Faces, beautiful faces ... young, full of life, determination, pride.  I opened my email today to see another warm, caring face of a young man. He is handsome, strong, with beautiful eyes and is wearing the obvious military green.  His name is Michael.  Michael.  What a proud name and it really seems to fit him.  Michael's mother  sent me his picture so that we could make a charm of her soldier son for her.

We do soldier charms for those serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.  You can see them at RoseBlossomCottage.com under 
A Soldier's Charm 
It is our small way of paying respect and expressing gratitude.  If you go to the page, you can see some of the ones that we have done through the years there.  It has been such a treasure to do these for wives and mothers of our finest citizens.    Often they generously share stories with me.  One wanted to get her charm for the day of her first anniversary.  She was spending it alone, and she wanted to sleep with it under her pillow.  Another had her three little girls vying to get to wear it around the house after she got home from work. (He has since come home and is surely enjoying those little ones along with his lovely wife.) And yet another lives 40 miles from us.  Her husband was in the next building when the Ft. Hood shooting happened.  These wonderful ladies (and gentlemen, too!) support our heroes.  For that I am forever in awe of them.


I was just telling my husband Sam how sweet  the emails are.  I am so struck how softly, humbly each one comes requesting a charm.  They are so grateful.  And yet, our efforts are such small, insignificant tokens in the scheme of things.  What these soldiers and their families do is immeasurable.  Yet they are grateful that we would do such a thing for them.  Let me tell you, everyone I know is so thankful for our soldiers and their families.  We don't always express it well or know how to let our bravest know, but we do.  So God Bless each and every soldier and military family!

Well, I had better get back to work.  Thank you for letting me share this passion with you.  I have to get going on this next batch of charms as each one is many stepped production.  We try to wait until we have many requests so they can be done at one time due to the process.  But this time it will be a small batch.  It has Janet's daughter, a local soldier, and Michael among them.  Janet has waited long enough and Michael's must be done now.  I don't want his mom to wait at all. You see, Michael is a Fallen Hero.  He was killed in Kandahar at the age of 20.  I am sure that Michael would appreciate  us taking care of her in that respect.  It is the least we can do.  Yes, this is a special batch as they all are.

I will sign off with a hearty thank you to all soldiers, past and present, and their families.  Without you, the 4th of July would be just another day.

And now you know, dear reader, what we mean when we say in our tagline..."Where charming is just half of the story..."

What a find!

I have to confess that I have a large fascination with carved Mother of Pearl buttons. I bet you know the feeling about little obsessions. They inspire us to collect things that we find important. It was not a surprise to anyone here at the RBCottage that I would find a way to share my admiration for these little iridescent orbs.


After a little research, I found that these wonderful little pieces of history have a very interesting history that led me to Iowa. Iowa? (Yes, really!) Did you know that there is a Pearl Button Museum in Muscatine, Iowa? This small town harvested freshwater mollusk shells from the Mississippi after a German button maker, John Frederick Boepple immigrated to the area. The button factory opened in 1891 and by the end of the 19th century, the area produced 1.5 billion (with a B!) buttons. Of course, later the plastic button, depletion of the mussel beds, and environmental pollution of the Industrial Age, led to the decline of production of these beautiful pieces.

Thankfully, many of these buttons have survived for over 100 years. And the carving on some are phenomenal. In the first pic, you will see my finds from The Roseberry Cottage. The other pictures are from antique stores, ebay, and sweet customers that send me little bits and pieces. The next to the last picture has a bracelet we finished not too long ago.


Needless to say, our collection of these beauties is quite extensive and growing. I have been thinking that it is time for me to do a necklace. I actually want to do two different button necklaces: one that has buttons all the way around and another that has chain on a little less that half of it. There is also this really neat button (last picture) that will make a beautiful design for a bracelet. Something with a double strand of freshwater pearls coming from each side. Stay tuned. I can't wait to get them done to share them with you and see what you think.

Oh, I almost forgot one of the most important things about this post...You can win one of our a Sterling Antique Mother of Pearl bracelets at the MakeMinePink.com's Christmas in July. Very easy to sign up and easy to get in to win. Let us know if you sign up!

Decisions, Decisions.

Isn't this divine? We had the honor and pleasure of working with Angie from Tennessee. There was one Broken China Jewelry charm that she just adored and it was sold out. Could we do another? Why, sure we can. Of course, china is one of those things that you can run out of and can't exactly order more of. Fortunately for both of us, we did have enough for Angie's favorite charm.

She was as charming as her bracelet to work with through a phone call and emails. Angie made me laugh when she said that she was wearing RoseBlossomCottage.com out going through all the charms to put together her bracelet. I love the little girl that comes out in all of us when we are inspired. It's so refreshing.

Sometimes I actually think that we want lots of choices, but it may be closer to the truth to have a few good choices than scads of them. It kind of muddies the water, you know. With charm bracelets, there is always the classic base bracelet. The double rowed silver or gold link bracelet. Since Angie loved pearls and would be adding to her bracelet, it made sense to go with the pretty Flirty Pearl bracelet.

After making that decision, Angie was trying to decide what color pearls. It was important to her because she wants to wear this bracelet a lot. I suggested that she look at the clothes in her closet to see what the predominant color. Angie chose Swarovski cream (excellent choice, I think!).

After sending her a picture to approve the bracelet, we added a few Swarovski crystal suprises. I love a little bit of sparkle, don't you? Teardrop crystals and pearls are such wonderful fillers if you are adding charms slowly.

Every girl should have at least one charm bracelet. They are timeless chronicles to remembering wonderful moments in life. I think what she came up with was absolutely worth effort and thought. And she thinks that her daughters will love it, too. Do you have a piece of jewelry that inspires you?

Amanda's $35 Bedroom Furniture Makeover!

Look what Amanda from Colorado did for her daughter's bedroom with $200 (the cost of the bedroom set) and some furniture appliques (about $35) from RoseBlossomCottage.com! We got an email from Amanda this week and think that she says it best:

Thanks again for a wonderful product! The appliques look like they are carved wood and part of the furniture. I bought this entire set for under $200 and it was yellowed, scratched and cracked in many places. You can't see it in the photo, but the nightstand oval was plain and had four large cracks going from the outside to the center. I sealed the cracks, sanded & painted it, then put on your applique, and finished it with new knobs. Thanks again- I will be sure to order from you again for my second daughter's bed also!

Amanda, you are really an inspiration! In this economy, projects like this remind us that we can have pretty things without charging up the credit card or mortgaging the house! We love your project and pictures, Amanda, and look forward to your next project.

What's cookin' at RoseBlossomCottage.com

Introducing pretty Keepsake Recipes you can print yourself. And best of all, they are easy, easy, easy recipes. Perfect recipes to whip up when you have company on short notice. Or when you just don't feel like cooking much (that's me but I love to eat!).

January's recipe is Buffalo Stew. Not really sure why it is called Buffalo Stew because there certainly is no buffalo in it. Call it whatever you want, just call it good! We use this recipe a lot and we leave it on the stove for most of the day. You can't walk by it without filling a bowl. Trust me on this one.

Of course, since this is a keepsake recipe, we had to pretty it up for you. What more fitting way to usher in the New Year than with an angel bearing good wishes. From our extensive Victorian antique collection of ephemera...pretty enough to give. We thought of a few ideas and would love to hear from you for more:

• Gather the ingredients (sans the ground beef) and send it with the college kids.
• Put them in a large basket with some gourmet bread or crackers and give as a housewarming gift
• Arrange them in a large soup bowl and give to a friend that needs a pick-me up.

Just go to www.roseblossomcottage.com and look in our Victorian Romantic Prints category. There you can download a high quality print. You can't beat the price...1 penny.

More to come...next month's keepsake is a sweet from our new gal at the Cottage, Veronica, and is called Cupid's Cherry Delight. (Doesn't that sound wonderful!?)

Madeline has made her Grand Entrance

It was love at first sight and I knew right then that she was meant to be a part of our lives. She floated into the room and just stood there, a splendid beauty with her gorgeous gown and sparkling jewels. A coquette to be sure in her French blue ball gown, billowy vintage tulle, and pink millinery roses. Of course, even though she is sheer perfection, a few pieces of Broken China jewelery will make her the belle of the ball.


Jeannine from Days Gone by Creations has outdone herself with her handiwork. She is currently selling her gorgeous display pieces at an antique store called Collectiques in Pennsylvania. Just drop me a line from our website www.roseblossomcottage.com and I will gladly direct you to her. I know for a fact that Madeline has some beautiful sisters!

I have decided to put her in the cottage so she can inspire me. My sweet little cottage was a Valentine's Day gift from my husband. That little cottage means a lot to me and Madeline's addition will make it all the more special.

Grandma's Simple Jewelry Cleaner

We got a phone call yesterday from a lovely lady in a part of Texas that we didn’t even know existed. She was kind enough to share an old fashioned recipe for cleaning silver jewelry. Now that is a sweetheart!

Her grandmother had a step by step approach that is pretty simple and definitely eco-friendly:

*Get a little bit of salt and a little bit of baking soda.

*Add a little water to make a paste.

*Use an old toothbrush and scrub it on.

*Rinse.

That’s what I love about Grandma. Pretty basic, and a little elbow grease. Don’t know about using with pearls, opals, or other soft stones, but it works just fine with Broken China Jewelry charms and the like.

Of course, wearing it frequently is the best way to keep tarnishing away!

What’s your favorite way of cleaning your jewelry?

It's just that easy.

I was working on cleaning up some files and getting a little more organized for the upcoming holiday season when I came across this wonderful file. I had been hoarding some pictures of my favorite pieces designed by lovely, thoughtful women. Hearing their wonderful and touching stories was such an honor. It continually reminds me so much of the beauty of family and friends, and the love that binds. These inspiring pieces are just a little glimpses of what others have designed. Many of these were gifts so we hope that we aren't spoiling anyone's surprise!

I had also collected them not only because they are so very special but because we were working on making an order form that would make it easier for you to design your own unique engraved pieces for gifts. Then it occurred to me that several of the core pieces of the engraved charms related well to coins: dimes and pennies. And as to the font, it's usually script or block. And finally, the months of birth. Now how easy is that?

So we just need to know three things:
a) dime or penny
b) script or block
c) birth month(s)

So go get your coin purse out, a pencil and paper, and start your own design. It's easy and just in time for the gift giving season. Now who doesn't love getting something with their name one it and made just for them?!

Ideas & How to's for DIY Jewelry

We thought that we would share our little informal how-to that will be posted later on our website. Send us your ideas of how we could improve this little article or some more ideas on what can be put in these frames or any other ideas that you might have. We would love to hear from you!

Photos, Postcards, a child's refrigerator art, holiday themes, a photo of your favorite pet, a love letter...all become jewelry ready to grace the beholder in this versatile frame necklace. A longtime customer favorite at RoseBlossomCottage.com for making showing off things that mean something to you. A gift for grandma, a remembrance of a treasured summer vacation, or a lovely project for young ladies to adorn, the ideas are endless. These are so easy to do:

You will need:

A frame necklace (click here for choices)
Your favorite photo, postcard art, letters, scrapbooking art, cards, etc. We recommend that you copy and/or shrink them if needed on your printer.
Scissors
German Glass Glitter (opt.)
Glue (opt.)
Jewelry findings/flatback crystals/charms... You can even use parts of old jewelry. (opt.)

1) Purchase your favorite pendant shape (we even have the new copper toned that would look fabulous for Halloween and Thanksgiving). All come with black cording.

2) Assemble some pieces of ephemera, scrapbook materials, postcards, photos, greeting cards or whatever you would like. Open up the frame and lay it down to get an idea of what you think would look best. Don't be afraid to cut on the angle. Not everything needs to be straight up and down.

3) Use a pencil to outline one side of your frame and then trim it to fit in the frame. Consider putting another choice on the other side. Embellish with glitter (we love German Glass Glitter- Fine or Very Fine.) also available on our site. Don't get carried away or it won't close!

4) Embellish your cord and frame with crystals, bells, charms, or old jewelry parts.

5) Give as a gift or show it off yourself. It is a masterpiece and needs to be bragged about and you can tell everyone that you did it yourself!

It's a Matter of Shopping

Despite the heat, Charlene and I were able to get out and shop the countryside looking for new treasures. It is such a pleasure to meet shop owners. You can tell that they love their shops as much as we love RBC. When we first got into the antiques business back in 1992, we were under the impression that shop owners are competitive and don't share with other owners. That couldn't be farther from the truth! Many we met have long since become wonderful friends and we are thankful for their insight and wisdom.

We wandered into one delightful shoppe courtesy of Miss Charlene's great eye was Keeping Up with the Jones' in Odem, Texas. What a precious shop with treasures of every kind (the owner, Sandra, was gracious enough to let us take her picture. The ladies there were just treasures!). This shoppe is a home that has been lovingly made into a customers dream. Packed with everything that you can imagine for the well appointed home. I picked up some lovely dishes for Broken China Jewelry that you will see soon. We spent almost an hour and a half just going through it several times and we still probably missed seeing some things. You know that kind of shop, don't you? Would love to hear your favorite brick and mortar store!

Patty & Belle

Just a short post today, but I had to introduce you to two new bracelets. One is custom designed Broken China Jewelry Bracelet for Patty from Pinkhugssweetshoppe.com. She picked some wonderful antique pieces while we were at Cape Cod so it has been a couple of weeks since she's seen her little piece of confection. I so like showing what people design with our pieces and will try to make a habit of sharing. She did a great job didn't she?

The second bracelet is made of carved antique mother of pearl buttons and we named her Belle. She was definitely a labor of love and I wish that you could see her in person. Each sweet iridescent button was handpicked, set in silver and joined one at a time to create what you see. One thing about using antique mother of pearl is that the luster is so intense and pretty. Miss Belle has a bigger sister (I won't tell you who got her...but it is someone you know...ahem...ahem...) and she will have another sister soon. Look for Belle on the website soon.

Our next post: How to make a bracelet into a necklace. Come back for a great idea!

Oh Horsefeathers!

Well, it has been three weeks since I came home and am still not caught up! Small wonder with the sweet little goodies I found hither and yon. There was so much to see and too little time. One absolutely wonderful side trip I got to make was with Susie and Patty to the town of Sandwich on the Cape. It was really neat for personal reasons: my first American ancestors had began their adventure there in Sandwich circa 1650. How beautiful it is!

Joyce had recommended that we go to a shop that happened to be located there and I had seen in magazines. Oh my, it was absolute confection. A quaint and lovely beyond measure little shop called Horsefeathers. When we initially got there, the shop was closed but we got to ooh and aah at the sweet garden. You just knew from the garden that there were treasures to be had in that shop. Patty had hopped out and peeked in the window to confirm our suspicions. Needless to say, it was like sugar to a sweet tooth...we had to go back...absolutely had to go back. Luck was with us because about an hour later, it was open! It was well worth the wait. More about that in another post where I will have another picture.

So...I have been working on one of my little confections purchased there. The large mother of pearl button is from Horsefeathers. I painted some little roses and then sealed it against the test of time. You are among the first to see it and I would love to honestly know what you think!

My Precious Dad

Dad, the words elude me but the feeling does not. How lucky I am, very lucky I am to have you as a father. You have instilled in me a deep love of history, family, loyalty, love of country, and quiet strength. You are such a powerful undercurrent in who I am and I am so very grateful.

I have already won the lottery of life, the spin of the genetic wheel, the jackpot in the casino. I got you for a dad. I am so proud of you and I love you dearly.

PS I am taking my vitamins, dear, dear "Silver Dad." Fret not.
Happy Father's Day!

Cape Cod

What a blessing to have had the past two weeks! Fine people, beautiful scenery, and kindred spirits to nourish the artistic soul. Met some lovely, lovely business women from Make Mine Pink and we stayed in a beautiful beach house in Dennis. Great mix of business and pleasure to say the least. The women at the business retreat were phenomenal each in their own right. And the shops on the Cape are as noteworthy as the owners. You are going to get to see some new Broken China Jewelry pieces and spoon bracelets from our shopping forays.

It started with a road trip from Baltimore to Massachusetts with Roxie from Candylights.net (check her out darling lights out). We went through several beautiful states. She is a wonderful driver and I can't say enough good things about GPS. If you don't have one and you do road travel...run, don't walk, to get one. I had gotten one at Amazon for Mom on her 70th and she loaned it to us. I got back to Texas and ordered mine right away from WalMart (they had a great bundle deal). Mom's took us through New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts so easily with some side trips along the way. However, it did not warn us about all the tolls. I think that Roxie and I were both shocked at the number of toll roads. Wow! I wouldn't mind even a miniscule piece of that pie.

As much fun as I had despite the cold and sinus problems and computer crashes, I am happy to be home. I think that travel makes you appreciate home more...I may have to do this more often!

Marie Antoinette Charms

Aren't these gorgeous? I never get tired of her story, tragic though it may be. I saw these images of the lovely Marie Antionette and just new that they would be perfect for charms. We immortalized her again under liquid crystal, each with its own custom made Sterling Silver setting done right here in the USA in our cottage studio.

Of course, no queen would be without her pearls, so we put a little pearl dangle. Wouldn't these look great all together on a bracelet along with some Broken China Jewelry and Swarovski Crystals? For now, I think I will wear Marie as a pendant. That does create a problem. I have to choose just one...decisions, decisions...

Look for these at RBC later today.

Cowgirl Up!

Aren't these cheeky little vintage image charms the bomb? Charlene and I had a good time working on these this weekend (Charlene is precious and we are so lucky to have her!). Vintage Cowgirl images that we set in Sterling silver and then covered with a liquid crystal. Of all the steps that it takes to do these, you would think that making the settings would be the most difficult. Actually, that liquid crystal is tricky, tricky, tricky. One wrong move and all of them would be ruined. But the angels were with us. These came out perfect and will make many a Cowgirl happy. Happy trails!

Antique & Vintage Spoon Bracelets

Aren't these such a pretty way to recycle and re-use? We never seem to have enough of them so this week will be one of amply restocking the shelves. I had run across a very old ad of some spoon rings and toying with offering those, but for now, we will "settle" for the bracelets. Of course dressing them up even further is fun, say with some Broken China Jewelry Petites or some of our new glass hearts. Or maybe just leave them as they are. The possibilitites, oh the possiblities.

Don't you just wonder who used these pretty pieces? Was it in some very fine home? Did it belong to a famous one or their relative? Oh, if these pieces could talk...