TEN REASONS to LOVE VINTAGE

On courtesy of:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/310962342273809/

                                                           Image: http://background-kid.com/vintage       

1. It never goes out of style: Fashion is constantly repeating itself, so why waste money on new reproductions of old styles when you can wear the old styles themselves

2. It is one-of-a-kind: While this is not completely true, you’ll still be hard pressed to find someone wearing the exact same piece, albeit, in the same way.

3. It can be inexpensive: I’m no Daddy Warbucks and while I’m waiting on my lottery winnings, I’ll spend my coins on the inexpensive vintage that I love. There is higher-end vintage and when my winnings come I’ll buy those pieces as well

4. It has a unique smell: So I know I’m probably alone on this but I love the way Goodwill and Salvation Army stores smell. It’s intoxicating and gets me amped to go through racks after racks of clothes

5. It’s environmentally friendly: I’m not the biggest eco-champion, but I try to do my part. And wearing vintage recycles clothing and stops wasteful spending

6. It reminds me of my Mom: My mom introduced me to fashion and vintage clothing and while our styles differ greatly, flea markets always remind me of our Saturday trips when I was younger

7. It’s like jumping in a Time Machine: Let’s do the time warp again! Playing dress up with vintage clothing is like stepping back in time and being someone else for a day

8. It’s the Thrill of the Hunt: Finding a gem out of a hundreds of pieces is like a modern day treasure hunt and makes it much more treasured

9. It’s a great Business Model: There are thousands of vintage business stores because there are millions of vintage pieces floating around the world and Read #1 and #2

10. There’s so much Variety: Vintage encompasses so many eras and time periods that there is a style for all types of vintage lovers; 40’s retro, 80’s hipster, 20’s flapper and the list goes on

JET – Real Deal or Something Else????

On courtesy of: https://silverfoxantiques.wordpress.com

Victorian Period Real Jet Watch Fob


Jet has been used used in jewelry in Europe since 10,000 to 17,000 B.C. , though it is more often associated with  Queen Victoria’s mourning dress after the death of Prince Albert.  While many think of Whitby jet, it is found in a variety of places and has even been used by the Anasazi Tribe in America.  There are many substitutions for real jet, the most common being glass, though hard rubber , ebonite or vulcanite, bakelite coal, epoxy resins have all been used in the past.
The Romans used jet in jewelry during much of their 367 year of occupation (43 AD to 410 AD) of  Britain. Roman workshops dotted the landscape where it was found. believing it deflected the evil eye with it’s mystical properties.  As a result it became popular for use in hair pins, bracelets, brooches, rings, pendants, dagger handles and other jewelry.  Most was exported from Eboracum (York) all other Roman Britain and Europe.  After the Romans left Britain the use of jet in jewelry declined.  It is interesting to note that when an excavation of a Eboracum (York) railway station foundations occurred, an entire Roman workshop was discovered for Jet!

1920’s glass flapper necklace ..beads are glass not real jet

Jet shows up in the Medieval Ages mainly for the use in rosaries. It next became fashionable in the Victorian Period after the death of Prince Phillip.  Whitby Jet for carved in many forms and pieces of jewelry then, but they 1920 the craft had declined once again.  Glass was also molded to form a suitable substitute, as well as other materials by then, as it was in such demand.

variety imitation “jet” buttons from different eras

Jet is know by many names.  In French “jais” or “jaiet”; in Spain “azabache” which come from a moorish word “cebeche” meaning “Black stone”.  The moors wore a jet “higa” or phallic hand to protect them from the evil eye, it continues in places to this day.

Jet is not actually a “stone”, or true mineral, but a mineraloid.  It comes in two forms “hard” and “soft” jet.  Hard jet is the result of carbon compression and salt water.  Soft jet is the result of Carbon compression and “fresh” water.  It  is due to the anaerobic fossil  of the tree Araucaria cells which have been flatten by huge pressure (compression) over time and subjected to chemical changes. This process started during the Jurassic Period 150 to 180 Million years ago.

Jet has a:

• refractive index of 1.64 – 1.68
• specific gravity 1.3 -1.4
• Mohs scale 2.5 – 4 .0
• Carbon 75.2 %
• Hydrogen 7.0%
• Nitrogen 0.7%
• Sulphur 4.6 %
• Oxygen 12.5 %

Whitbey Jet also contains other proportions of aluminium, though Spanish jet has a higher percentage of sulpher.

detail of 1950’s “jet” glass beads

To tell if Jet is REAL;

• jet is warm to touch, glass is cold
• jet is light
• jet leaves a brownish color streak on unglazed porcelain
• jet will smell like coal when burnt with a red hot needle..be very careful as jet does burn
• jet can exhibit a static electricity charge if polished.
• jet may contain imperfection such as tiny cracks or inclusions.
• Jet is black.
• Jet will look hand carved, NOT CAST or MOLDED!

mark on unglazed porcelain.. note some other materials will also do this, but the hot pin test emits a “coal” smell, but must be done carefully as jet will burn.

For jet and other vintage and antiques:

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/shop/SilverFoxAntiques

What is St. Patrick’s Day About?

On courtesy of:
http://earthlites.blogspot.co.il/

Much of what is known about St Patrick comes from Testimony, (which was allegedly written by Patrick himself). It is believed that he was born in Roman Britain in the fourth century, into a wealthy Romano-British family.

At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland.   It says that he spent six years there working as a shepherd and that during this time he "found God". After making his way home, Patrick went on to become a priest.

• According to History.com, St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated by the Irish for over one thousand years. Wearing green became popular between the late 1840's and 1850's as many Irish people immigrated to America.
  
  According to popular legend, St. Patrick was originally celebrated because he drove all of the snakes from Ireland (there were no snakes there). 

St. Patrick performed many miracles during his lifetime.  While most holidays celebrate the birth of a famous figure, March 17th is the day that St. Patrick died in the 5th century.

One of the symbols associated with St. Patrick is the three-leaf clover or shamrock. According to popular legend, St. Patrick used the shamrock while ministering to the people of Ireland to illustrate the Christian Trinity.

St. Patrick's Day incorporates everything Irish and those pesky leprechauns. Leprechauns are mythical creatures who stem from Irish fables.

 They are commonly associated with St. Patrick's Day, not only due to the Irish connection, but they are also talked about whenever there is a rainbow, you will find their gold at the end.

It is is a day of Celebration with a huge Parade, Wearing of the Green, 
Corned Beef and Cabbage, and best of all... Green Beer!

Did you know???

Saint Patrick's color was blue, not green, say historians. It can still be seen on ancient Irish flags. Blue was used on armbands and flags by members of the Irish Citizen Army who attempted to end British rule in 1016.

The use of green began during the 1798 Irish Rebellion when the clover became a symbol of nationalism.  The "wearing of the green" (clovers) on lapels combined withIreland's lush green fields made blue a thing of the past.

What’s Up with Alice?

On courtesy of:https://vintageatoz.wordpress.com/?s=oz+love+alice

PJ from seasidecollectibles loves Alice. It might be due to the nonsense of it. As an adult, it seems that every aspect of life needs to be organized. Alice releases PJ from this obligation with its whimsical fun.
PJ was born to a family of collectors. Five generations in her family collected and cared for items from all around the world. A picker at heart ,she is fascinated mostly by books,stories and related collectibles.

Her unique shop on Etsy, has great items of "Alice in wonderland":

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/listing/209536939/alice-with-piglet

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/listing/211396600/alice-and-the-caterpillar


PJ has a wonderful job (inflight purser) that  takes her around the world and she search the local markets and fairs for interesting treasures.

On top of that, she loves salvage. More than that she loves people and loves to travel. 
Sometimes while driving around PJ  get so excited when seeing something that she forgets to set the emergency brake...This has only happen to her once. Cars roll backwards when on a hill. Slowly at first....

One such salvage you can find in her shop:

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/listing/221550493/vintage-r-lighted-letter-green-white

You are invited to pop in PJ's shop on:

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/shop/seasidecollectibles

Fête de la Chandeleur

on courtesy of:http://teamvintagevertigo.blogspot.co.il/                                                                           

  Written and Created by Veronique of Etsy shop VintageFindsFrance                      

On February 2 crêpes are offered in France on the holiday known as Fête de la Chandeleur, Fête de la Lumière, or “jour des crêpes”. 

 Part 1 : HISTORY

The word crêpe is French for pancake and is derived from the Latin crispus meaning “curled”. Crêpes originated in Brittany , in the northwest region of France,. Crêpes were originally called galettes, meaning flat cakes. 

Around the 12th century buckwheat was introduced in Brittany from the east. Buckwheat thrived on the desolate and rocky Breton moors and is called “sarrasin” or “blé noir” (black wheat) due to the dark specs that are often found in it. It is high in fiber and is an excellent plant source of easily digestive protein and contains all eight essential amino acids. Another benefit is that it is gluten free.

white flour « sweet » crêpes appeared early 20th century when white wheat flour which formerly had been as expensive as sugar, honey or meat, became affordable. White flour crêpes are more thin than buckwheat crêpes made of flour, eggs, sugar, milk, and butter of course ! :)

Crêpe making were cooked on large cast-iron hot plates heated over a wood fire in a fireplace to hot plates.

The butter is spread with a tool known as a rozel and flipped with a spatula. In Brittany, crêpes and galettes are traditionally served with cider.

To hold that cider, here's a lovely Carved Wood Breton Folk Shoe Bottle Holder

Not only do the French eat a lot of crêpes on this day, but they also do a bit of fortune telling while making them It is traditional to hold a coin in your writing hand and a crêpe pan in the other, and flip the crêpe into the air. If you manage to catch the crêpe in the pan, your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year.

Part 2 : RECIPE

Ingredients :

• 5 cups cold water (1.25 liter - 1 cup equals 250 ml)

• 30 g salt

• 1 kg buckwheat flour

• 50 g melted salted butter

• butter, extra

• eggs (1 per galette)

• ham (1–2 slices per galette)

• 3 tbsp grated Swiss cheese (per galette)

Instructions :
Place most of the cold water and the salt in a large bowl and mix well. Add buckwheat flour and whisk until the texture of the batter is like a ribbon when you lift the whisk. If necessary, add a little extra water ( please note extra butter is essential ingedient for delicious flavor).

Mix in melted butter until well incorporated. Cover batter and rest in the fridge for about 4 hours.
Spread enough of the batter in a hot frying pan to cover the base very thinly. When the base is dry, lower heat and rub the top with a piece of extra butter.
Bread an egg in the centre and spread the white all over the pancake, keeping the yolk intact. Sprinkle the crêpe with grated cheese and top with a slice or two of ham.

Using a spatula, carefully fold the sides of the crêpe towards the yolk to form a square. Cook for an extra 1–2 minutes and serve.

Régalez vous et bonne fortune en 2015 ! :)

Baby it's Cold Outside!

On courtesy of :https://www.etsy.com/il-en/people/EarthLites

It’s been awhile since the New Year began and we are back into the Ice Age!

I've had Cabin Fever since the first of January and now I can’t get the front door open, let alone the car door.  I’d also like to keep my fingers and toes for a few more years.

What do you do?  I have plenty to do.  (Too much, actually.)  I’d like less, but I want to go OUT!  I don’t care where… the pharmacy will do.  If I make it that far, then I can make it across the street to one of those cheap department stores.  That will keep me busy a little longer.

I know what will happen next, it’s automatic when I’m out… hunger!  That’s when I’d better get out of the store… FAST!  I will purchase things I will regret.  I want real food.

Off I go… must drive a bit since there isn't much nearby and even if there were, I’d be tired of eating whatever it was.  So what do I want? 

Ohhh noooo… all I want is to get warm.  I’m going home, watch TV and snuggle under 10 blankets to try and stop shivering.

I hope you are all staying safe and warm.  Please take all precautions, and remember any neighbors who may need you… anyone with health problems, the elderly, or even a lost pet.

Lana Leuschen from ravished HEART

On courtesy of :https://www.etsy.com/il-en/people/ravished

I met Lana through "Vintage Vogue Team" on Etsy. Etsy these days is an enormous site with about one million small shops. Being in a team gives you the sense of togetherness that is sometimes missing when you work from home.

People who choose to make a living from vintage or handmade ,do so because they are passionate about it..

So, vogue team is a group of mostly vintage lovers.Working with Lana on the team I know that her  fascination and fervor is to take things that have been other wise discarded, lonely, broken or old and combine them with other materials or objects to create something new.

Repurposing and giving new life to those old and lonely things ,is also very important for conserving earth limited resources.

Lana tells that her passion for creating came from her mother,who has the creation passion as well.

From a very young age ,Lana was creating things together with her mother.

As expected from someone creating such romantic jewelry,Lana's studio is so romantic..

In order to create a new item, Lana needs to see all old and broken parts in front of her.

So, she says her working place is not so tidy ...

I am sure the cats are a great help in that respect...

Some beautiful vintage jewelry parts:

And what Lana created :

A cute dog modeling Lana's upcycled cat collar:

Lana creates not only jewelry (for people and animals..) but also lovely vintage collages:

I conclude in Lana's own words:

Ceramics, pottery, china and porcelain

Ceramics mean  objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects.They may be made by one individual or in a factory where a group of people design, make and decorate the ware. Decorative ceramics are sometimes called "art pottery".
Most traditional ceramic products were made from clay (or clay mixed with other materials), shaped and subjected to heat, and tableware and decorative ceramics are generally still made this way.

Pottery is the ceramic act of making pottery wares, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of a potter or the manufacture of pottery.
Earthware and stoneware are defined by type of clay used and temprature of kiln used.

Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between 1,200 and 1,400 °C (2,200 and 2,600 °F). The toughness, strength, and translucence of porcelain arises mainly from the formation of glass and the mineral mullite within the fired body at these high temperatures.
Porcelain derives its present name from the old Italian porcellana (cowrie shell) because of its resemblance to the translucent surface of the shell. Porcelain can informally be referred to as "china" or "fine china" in some English-speaking countries, as China was the birthplace of porcelain making

Chinese porcelain

The chinese were the first to produce porcelain. The main raw material for porcelain production is Kaolinite.The name is derived from Chinese Kao-Ling vilage.

Exported Chinese porcelains were held in such great esteem in Europe that in the English language china became a commonly–used synonym for the Franco-Italian term porcelain.

 Bone china Although originally developed in England since 1748 to compete with imported porcelain, bone china is now made worldwide.

Bone china uses bone ash as a raw material. Developed by English potter Josiah Spode, bone china is known for its high levels of whiteness and translucency and very high mechanical strength and chip resistance

From its initial development and up to the later part of the twentieth century, bone china was almost exclusively an English product, with production being effectively localised in Stoke-on-Trent

Most major English firms made it, including Mintons,Coalport, Davenport, Royal Crown Derby, Royal Doulton, Wedgwood and Worcester.

In the UK, references to "china" or "porcelain" can refer to bone china, and "English porcelain" has been used as a term for it, both in the UK and around the world.

https://www.etsy.com/treasury/MzExNzY5MTJ8MjcyNzIwMzMxNA/bone-china-voguet

For more porcelain:

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/search?q=vogueteam%20porcelain

Retro style

Retro style refers to new things that display characteristics of the past. It is mostly the recent past that retro seeks to recapitulate, focusing on the products, fashions and artistic styles produced since the Industrial Revolution, of Modernity. The word "retro" derives from the Latin prefix retro, meaning "backwards, or in past times"

Up until the 1960s, interiors were decorated with antiques. During the 1960s in London shops started selling pieces of second hand furniture. These shops were different from the previous antique shops because they sold daily life objects from the recent past. These objects used to be seen as junk: Victorian enamel signs, stuffed bears, old furniture painted with union jacks, bowler hats etc. A new way of producing and consuming the past emerged and a broader range of objects from the recent past was used for new designs.

Before the word ‘retro’ came into use in the 1970s, the practise of adopting old styles for new designs was already common. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, designers borrowed from the past, for example classicistic style.The difference is that since the 1960s people started to refer to the recent past.

In the 1980s design history emerged as a discipline and several histories of design were published. The access to these overviews and the ability to experiment with computer design programs has caused an increase of retro designed objects in the last decades.

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/listing/183647808/pleated-clutch-black-evening-clutch

https://www.etsy.com/il-en/listing/217155928/on-sale-1-yd-retro-flowers-floral-cotton