FIVE THINGS I LOVE

I got to thinking... being that this is a blog about collecting...well mostly....whats the the things I love most.
I love lists of things.
But problem !!...there are so many that I think I will have to make, say a monthly post of 5 things at a time.
So here goes post 1


No1} My Cat "Hector" I love my cat he is my little big man, here he is getting ready for Christmas ...lucky it was my Dad's plate he was sitting on.....

No2} Books...I love reading, mostly obscure random autobiography's here is 3 I have been reading this month.

 

No3} Vintage Perfume...Of course I collect vintage perfume why? because I don't like the new synthetic perfumes much.... this is just a small selection of what I own...my favorite is "Coeur Joie" by Nina Ricci it is just sublime... very rare and very expensive, I bought some when I did have money.. it stopped being made in the 1960's although sometimes they bring out special editions.

No4} Australian Pottery...I have been collecting these Vases and pots since I was a teen, I just love the colors and dripping glazes...photo was taken in my Cafe where I use them as decoration not for sale...ever...painting at the back is another of my brother's the artist, it is for sale !

And more

No5} Antique Art Deco and Art Nouveau Rings....I own a hundred or more.. sets in different colors one for each finger, most likely one of the best collections I have ever seen  [she says modestly] this is just a few I could be bothered to find today, stunning I think..

OK now that's done...What are your first 5 favorite things ?

MY CREATIONS

I made a moonstone necklace yesterday and thought it would be a good opportunity to talk a little about moonstone

The moonstone is characterized by an enchanting play of light. Indeed it owes its name to that mysterious shimmer which always looks different when the stone is moved and is known in the trade as 'adularescence'. In earlier times, people believed they could recognize in it the crescent and waning phases of the moon.

In their uncut state moonstones are rather unprepossessing and afford little idea of what it is that actually constitutes their charm: that mysterious shimmer of light. For that shimmer is not really shown to advantage until the art of the cutter has been brought to bear. Classical moonstones are always cut as cabochons, the most important thing being the correct height of the stone. The cutter must also align the axes of the crystal precisely into the zenith of the stone, for that is the only way in which he will bring about the desired light effect.

This gemstone is surrounded by a good deal of mystique and magic. In many cultures, for example in India, it is regarded as a holy, magical gemstone. In India, moonstones are also regarded as 'dream stones' which bring the wearer beautiful visions at night. In Arabic countries, women often wear moonstones sewn out of sight into their garments, for in their cultures the moonstone is a symbol of fertility.

The moonstone symbolizes our being in its entirety. With its soft shimmer, it strengthens our emotional and subconscious aspects. The associations connected with that make it a "lovers' stone", evoking tender feelings and safeguarding the true joys of love. It is also said that wearing a moonstone strengthens our intuition and our capacity to understand.

Thank you to the ICA website for use of information about moonstone.

Stone of "Love"  I like that...

But my favorite era of jewelery is Art Nouveau so if I make myself something, it is usually in that style or at least a style that blends with Nouveau.

I even find with commissions or if I make an item for my shop it ends up looking Art Deco or Art Nouveau....just part of my style I suppose.

Art Nouveau facts state, the word, 'Art Nouveau' was named after an avant-garde Paris shop, 'La Maison de l'Art Nouveau' in 1900, and was known by that name in France, Belgium, Holland, England, and the United States.
Just a quick note about Moonstone jewelry and Art Nouveau jewelry....
Moonstone along with chalcedony, horn and glass were popular materials used in jewelry during the Art Nouveau period.
Non-precious gemstones and materials were chosen for desirability as a motif and Not for their expensiveness.
I can see it now. Coco Chanel in typical Chanelian style, wryly smiling at the above statement, drawing deeply on her cigarette, while fingering those long ropes of pearls.

Art Nouveau Jewelry and Mother-Nature are synonymous

Reference:Pearsall, R., 1999, A Connoisseur's Guide to Antique Jewellery, Todtri Publishers, New York.

There is also "moonstone glass" again quite beautiful it is made everywhere now, but was once mainly made in Czechoslovakia from the turn of the century until the second world war started.
I love the glass just as much as the real thing probably more if I think about it,... it can be pored into interesting shapes and then carved or made into intaglios, interesting shaped beads and cabs.
I use vintage components, findings, and beads when I can, I also use broken jewelery and sometimes antique brooches so that my creations look "real" or I should say are real just recreated by me.

The long necklace in the front is the one I just made, the moonstone beads are real and as you can see hard to take a photo of.. because of the luminosity...the 2 necklaces behind I made as well with vintage findings....both as well as the drop earrings are made from moonstone glass mixed with etched crystal.

 

Below is a photo of some of my moonstone rings, and yes I wear all of them at once !! as I wear all my necklaces at the one time, and I do own more than the above photo, they are just the ones I made.

Only 2 of these rings are real moonstone ..the one right at the front with small round stone and the criss cross patterned one at the back...the rest are glass and very hard to focus in a photo.

 

MY BROTHERS ART

I have a Brother who is a very good artist......
Although fully trained in all aspects of drawing and painting with a Diploma in Arts, his great love is abstract.
He is gaining a following in Australia with his large colorful thick oils canvas.
His latest works are inspired by Global Warming, I wish I could remember the names he has given the ones below ....but I will add that when I can.
What do you think?
Anyone interested in buying a painting please contact me.

INTERESTING PERSON OF THE WEEK

Natacha Rambova

I love this photo of Natasha Rambova, from the early 1920's ...she was famous for being married to Rudolph Valentino The great movie star matinee idol of early non speaking movies.
But she was much more than that and led a very interesting life:
A BIT ABOUT HER:
Primarily famous as the wife of screen idol Rudolph Valentino, Natacha Rambova was also a talented dancer and an innovative set designer, bringing the Art Deco style to Hollywood for the first time. At the age of 17 she became a protégé and lover of Russian ballet Svengali Theodore Kosloff, a brilliant but manipulative dancer who shot her in the leg when she finally escaped from his dance company. She was engaged as an art director by Alla Nazimova, the exotic, histrionic bisexual actress. Rumours abounded that Rambova herself was sexually involved with Nazimova, but none have ever been proven, and Rambova professed to dislike the lesbian subculture.

Rambova's set designs and costumes were enormously innovative, influenced by Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Legendary French artist Erté professed himself a fan of her work. Her dramatic set and costume designs for Nazimova's Salome (1923/I) were based on Aubrey Beardsley's famous illustrations for Oscar Wilde's play.

She met Rudolph Valentino when he was working with Nazimova on Camille (1921/I). At the time he was relatively unknown, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) (made the same year) being the hit that propelled him into the stratosphere. Soon, the shy Valentino began wooing the exotic former ballerina, and they eloped in May 22nd 1922. This event was to produce a scandal, as it was revealed that Valentino was not legally divorced from his former wife Jean Acker. After being charged and fined for bigamy, the couple quietly re-married the following year.

Valentino's association with Rambova was to prove both his greatest pleasure and his greatest pain. She immediately took over the management of his career, rejecting his usual stereotypical roles as a grunting Italian Stallion in favor of highbrow pictures such as the disastrous Monsieur Beaucaire (1924), a powdered-wig drama which did nothing to allay rumors that theirs was a 'lavender marriage' - a union of convenience between two homosexuals. Despite Natacha's admirable aim to free her husband from the constraints of the studio and eventually begin a production company of their own, his career was in tatters. Anxious to get his career back on track, he signed contracts with producers, who expressly forbad Rambova to come to his film sets.

The painful end to their marriage in 1926 came though, because Valentino wanted to have children, while Rambova didn't. His career was back on track, but little more than six months later, he was hospitalized. On his death bed, he asked for Rambova wanting her by his side, but she was in Europe. When she heard of his dire condition, she too reached out to him, and she and Valentino exchanged loving telegrams. She believed that a reconciliation had taken place. But his condition worsened and he soon died of a ruptured stomach ulcer. Rambova was reportedly devastated. Natacha left America for Spain after her marriage to Alvaro de Urzaiz in the 1930s. Reporters remarked that her second husband physically resembled Valentino, suggesting that Rambova never got over her first husband. She lived through the Spanish Civil War with him, but her second marriage ended in divorce, for the same reason that her first marriage ended, because her husbands wanted children, while she didn't. Her interest in mysticism evolved into scholarly study of ancient cultures and Jungian psychology. Her collection of Far Eastern and Egyptian art was of museum quality.
Thank you to IMBb for the write up.


More Photos

Taking long hair to new lengths !!

With Rudi what a beautiful couple !!

What a fabulous women!!

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

RIP ELIZABETH TAYLOR A GRAND DAME

Just a quick thought before I have to go the funeral of another Grand Dame.
She was eccentric she was colorful, she spoke her mind, and her laugh always made my day.
She was not famous but she was like an eccentric old Aunt to me....
She came into our shop sometimes twice a week, she was our greatest supporter, and a wonderful asset to our town.
I will miss you Tess.....

DRAGONS BREATH JEWELERY

Dragon's Breath stone Jewelery is my very favorite stone in Jewelery Making and Collecting, its very rare quite expensive especially items that are Art Nouveau or around 1900 to 1915.
I have quite a big collection, but have been looking and buying for it for over 10 years, it's treated glass, not a gem stone.
First made in Czechoslovakia ....I think although you can get Mexican pieces, not that much is known about it, I do have some stones I intend to make things with, but they are vintage I don't think it is made anymore but if I am wrong please feel free to correct me.
Here is a little blurb from an article written by another collector I hope she wont mind I don't know her name but she goes by the name of wwflygirl on eBay so thank you to that source.


{ Dragon's Breath is the name given to a rare and highly collected man-made glass stone that was used in jewelry making around the early 1900's. Most of the settings you find are 925 sterling, but you will find the stones in other vintage costume settings as many jewelry makers used the stone later in what we know as the vintage jewelry era.
Dragon's Breath is the name given to a rare and highly collected man-made glass stone that was used in jewelry making around the early 1900's. Dragons breath was made by adding metal to the molten glass. This is what gives it the electric blue and purple flashes or ripples inside the stone. The stone is usually seen in an oval or round cabochon shape (rounded and smooth top), but you will see other shapes. The stone is un foiled and transparent. The colors have a mixture of orange, red, yellow, and sometimes even a rose tint. Then depending on the angle that you view it, there is an inner fire of beautiful streaks of electric blues and purples that seem to just levitate inside the glass. At some angles you can see more of the blues and purples. Other angles you may see only small amounts and again at other angles you may see none. This blue and purple "breath" inside the red orange glass is what gave the stone it's name and has captivated many into becoming collectors of this mystical stone.....end of quote }
I have not had time to take photos of my own personal collection, which includes 6 or 7 rings, earrings and necklace's but here are a few examples that I googled until I get my own things photographed.
Last photo's are of me a while ago wearing some of my set, a little hard to see in detail and I had to crop my head because believe me I look terrible face wise, I think I need a nice young model .....

Necklace is Art Nouveau not sure if earrings are of the same era note paper link chain on necklace the stunning color can not be seen well in this photo

Dragon's Breath is so hard to photo because of the reflection of the various colors, another Nouveau Set

A better view of the colors Beautiful

Hard to see but I am wearing several around my neck along with a long drop vintage beads necklace that I made  just to mix it up a bit.

My hand close up not all these rings are Dragon's Breath some are Jelly Opal and Faux Foiled Opal [I own more since this pic was taken]

FAVORITE PIC OF THE WEEK

This is a favorite photo of the iconic Kate Moss, I love everything about this photo including all the jewelery.