Swan Lake Winter Scene

This lovely hand-colored swan print from the 1850's caught my eye while browing through Etsy the other day - and suddenly inspired a whole winter scene of elegant clothing, chilly hues and ruffled finery.

Circa 1850 Bewick's Swan, Black Necked Swan Art Engraving

Slinkymalinkicat Vintage Prints

Norma Sequin Headband

LiveInStyle

Gray Ballerina Series - Part 2

clairelafaye

Dreamscape Fine Art Photograph

Serinissima

She-Shells Giftbox

eveartdesign

Vintage 1970's Gold Fringe Necklace

Thrush

Black and Brown Cloche with Two Vintage Buttons

yellowfield7

Spiral Pleats Dress

emilyryan

I had to include this custom bangle set designed by Kitty - she asked for a mixture of sage and cream shades, and the result was lovely!

Holiday Handmade Jewelry Giveaway

In honour of the holidays (and B&B's birthday on December 3), I've made some extra jewelry pieces to be awarded at random to fans of Bullfinch & Barbury. There are two different giveaways - which means more chances to win some lovely enameled prizes!

So, read the details about both giveaways below and enter. Best of luck!

A Bit of Merry Giveaway

WHAT YOU WIN: Wexford Bangle Set & Cranberry Spice Necklace




WAYS TO ENTER:

• Be a Fan on Facebook - Bullfinch & Barbury
  

• Twitter about this post


• Blog about this contest and link back to this post

No purchase is necessary for the Bit of Merry Giveaway - this contest is open to everyone! Please leave a comment to let me know which one of the above options you've done. You get one entry for each option you complete. This means that you can get up to 3 entries by completing all three. (And pretty please - include a contact e-mail so I can reach you if you are the winner.)

DRAWING: December 18th @ Midnight

* * * * * * * * * * *

Holiday Cache Giveaway

WHAT YOU WIN: Somerset Bangle Set & Somerset Damask Necklace



HOW TO ENTER:

• You are automatically entered when you order from http://www.bullfinchbarbury.etsy.com/ or http://www.bullfinchbarbury.1000markets.com/.

Every item ordered counts towards 1 entry, so orders with multiple items will get an entry for each piece.


DRAWING: December 18th @ Midnight

The winners will be announced here in the very first hours of December 19th - the winners will be contacted personally.

Most Wanted for Thanksgiving

At this point, I know I have well over 30 pages full of "hearted" Etsy favourites. You would think that I would learn to curb the habit - but instead, I've decided to spread it (to you)!

Thanksgiving is coming, and it seems like all of the latest items I've added to the annuls of my Etsy obsession play perfectly into a kind of survival kit for the season.

This handmade casserole dish by Glazed Over is almost to pretty to fill with food - but what a perfect gift for the Thanksgiving host/hostess/head chef. Bringing it filled with whipped sweet potatoes with some caramelized apples on top would score even more points (in fact, I might just invite you to my place for Thanksgiving). Of course, if this lovely dish were mine, it would be coming back home with me - but for you generous souls, it really is a nice way to say "thanks"!



For the drive to visit relatives that live a distance away, a soft, hand-spun skein of yard like this Sand Stone merino and Llama blend by On The Round comes in handy. Rather than staring out the window, you can try your hand at knitting or crochet. Yet, I've found with so many of these yarns that they are too much a work of art just as they are to knit them into anything. The solution: more and more scarves and cowls out there have a multi-strand appearance that you can create just by making some large loops of yarn and securing them all together in several spots.

This cloche is made in Italy by Monjio Creations. I like to envision myself wearing this as I travel to the exotic locale (Delaware) of this year's Thanksgiving dinner - alighting from my 1920's Bentley roadster, with a little Italian greyhound under one arm (etc., etc.). It would be lovely paired with a light tan, trench-styled coat . . . unless, like me, you don't have one. Then it's just a doubly good excuse to get a light tan, trench-styled coat.

I'm not entirely aware of the hidden powers of mint - but this Gentleman Wolf Tea from Bittersweet Apothecary sounds like a perfect sort of teasan for after a big meal. Plus, the packaging is fantastic.

This one needs no explanation. Sister Cat slippers by ing00te . . so cute . . . perfect for sudden bouts of relaxation brought on by tryptophan.

Eliza and Axel's gorgeous Beatrice Tee also finds its way into my Thanksgiving revelry as well - though maybe just too nice to chance spilling gravy on. This needs to be saved for seeing a movie or going out the Friday night after Thanksgiving. Top it with a wrap sweater - or maybe just a light, long sleeved shirt underneath.

Just a Glimpse - New for Winter

Here's a first look at some of the new, frost-inspired jewelry pieces I'm working on for winter. Hopefully, these will be in my Etsy shop by Nov. 1 (which is coming up fast)!

Retirement of Some Old Favourites

In order to make room for fresh colors and designs, some older bangle sets and necklaces will be having their final hurrah! That means that once they are gone . . . they are gone! I wanted to make sure that there was one last chance to snag these pieces before the holidays.

Here are the latest cuts:

Turkish Delight Bangles

Candied Fig Bangles

East Indies - Calcutta Bangles

East Indies - Sumatra Bangles

East Indies - Tibet Bangles

Rust Fleurette

Sugar Fleurette

Saffron Fleurette

I'm making sure that there is at least one of each of these items on both my Etsy and 1000 Markets shops - but don't miss out! If you've had your eye on some enameled goodies that happen to be on this list . . . my only advice to you is carpe diem!

Some new pieces of arm candy will be taking the place of the past favourites - not to mention a few more necklaces and earring sets. An entire collection of pieces inspired by frost will be offered in my Etsy shop starting Nov. 1st! All of this new line of work is enameled in trendy palette of greys, nudes and white - with lots and lots of creamy, luminous pearl accents.

(I think a few sneak peaks are in order, since I am very excited about these new lovelies.) More to come!

Artist Collaboration with Unabashed Apparel!

Witching Hour Wrap / Ribbon Candy & Steel City Bangle Sets

Poor, neglected blog! Here's a post that should reflect how I've been spending my time (because it's probably too clear that those extra hours haven't been devoted to writing on here)! Just in time for Autumn, I was invited to create some new bangles to pair with a line of Fall fashions from Unabashed Apparel.

Circe Crossover Top shown in Quill paired with Nimbus Skirt shown in Heron / Citron Spice Bangle Set

Sarahbeth Larrimore is the creative, color addict responsible for designing a collection of clothing that is saturated with rich tones and sumptious details. Her designs are certainly inventive - and not without a bit of bohemian flare - but still give a nod to the classic lines and forms that make each piece feel timeless.

Circe Crossover Top shown in Smoke / Ribbon Candy Bangle Set

The images of this Autumn line are laced with a gilded type of Gothic beauty - and a haunting touch of mystery. So perfectly suited for the time of year and my personal favorite of all the holidays: Hallowe'en! When described to me, Sarahbeth summed up her vision as:

"The general theme is a very magical - rich, saturated colored affair. I'm thinking some deep ink bottle green, midnight blue, orchid, raspberry, pumpkin - and some steel blue/grey with a bit of gilt for golden measure."

Lyra Top shown in Ink

Steel City Bangle Set




Cobblestone Pullover shown in Quill / Emerald Bangle Set

I met this marvelous artisan through Etsy, where I got my first sampling of her work: a lovely raspberry colored layering top with lacey accents. That top has such a supple, delicious feel against the skin - it has made it's way into some of the photos of my other jewelry.

Making these bracelet sets to pair with Unabashed Apparel's Fall clothing has been such an enjoyable and inspiring project. Please take a look at our hard work - and share your thoughts here!

http://www.unabashedapparel.etsy.com/
http://www.bullfinchbarbury.etsy.com/

Trunkt and 1000 Markets

I am slowly (but surely) setting up shop on 1000markets.com and trunkt.org. Both are packed with beautiful finds - perhaps it is taking me longer than usual to get all the details hammered out because I am too busy perusing all the other listings! Take a look:

From quejimenez




From delightworthyn

From dye diana dye

(Who could resist?!)

1000 Markets is as the name suggests - a series of well-curated collections of goods; each market has it's own unique and overarching theme or style. One of my favorites is Bohemia Espirt. Pardon my graphics fixation - but isn't the banner pretty???