Time For A Little Creativity!……….

“Creativity is a lot like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope. You look at a set of elements, the same ones everyone else sees, but then reassemble those floating bits and pieces into an enticing new possibility. ~Rosabeth Moss Kanter

I spent last week with family and friends on a mini vacation/buying trip.

So…. I thought I would catch you up on my purchases, experiences and a few of my newly created pieces. Oh, and a little fun fact about my logo!

So many people have asked me about the wonderful photo I have for my logo. I thought I would give you a little history on it and the creation of Nostalgic Summer.

We recently celebrated my mothers 90th birthday. Yes I said NINETY! (going on 50).
We had a big party, complete with a wonderful slide show presentation of her life. My husband and I put the show together and asked family for pictures of Grandma Gertie. We received over 300! The presentation was a great pictorial history of her life from when she was a baby to the present.

I filed the photos on my computer under “GertiePhotos” and had not looked at them since the party.

When I was creating my Etsy shop, I knew I wanted to invoke an image of the past. After many word combinations Nostalgic Summer was born! I wanted a logo that projected a nostalgic feeling, and after many a creative hash session I remembered the photos from my mothers party. This picture was taken when she was a teenager. She was spending the day at Lake Calhoun with friends, and someone shot this wonderful photo of my mother and her friend. Mom is the cute young girl on the left!

Here’s is my incredible mother today…almost 91!


Now for a little catch up. I spent last week at the cabin. My brother and his wife came up to get away from the Texas heat. And while they were here we took a trip to one of my new favorite flea markets in Detroit Lakes. This was only my second trip to the flea market, but each time I have scored big! I was able to purchase lots of great vintage pieces from a vintage collector who is trying to pair down. I also found some great pieces from a garage sale, my favorite antique shop in Vining (see previous post on “My Summer Vacation”) and a couple newly discovered antique shops.
Here’s my bounty:





And a few pieces made from some of it


Stay tuned for more creations….and next weeks post “A Little Jewelry History, Part Three.

Thank you for visiting Nostalgic Summer!

A Little Jewelry History ~ Part Two: Edwardian Era/The Chanel Influence

“Jewelry should be viewed with innocence, with artlessness,
just as we enjoy the sight of an apple tree in blossom
at the side of the road as we speed past in a motor-car.”
~ Coco Chanel

My previous history post left us at the end of the 19th century. We are now in the 20th century and the Edwardian period. There was a passion for the arts and fashion emerged with a new and intense femininity. It was a more slender, sinuous outline, with the new “S” shape that accentuated a woman’s natural curves.
Jewelry had a new lacy delicacy echoing an image of fragility.


A very important element affecting the popularity of costume jewelry was the “femme fatale”. Actresses and musical artists occupied an important position in society and always piled on the jewels for public appearances. Jewelry became a way for the admirers of these stars to imitate them, thus the Edwardian era introduced the start of the costume jewelry phenomenon.

Mass production changed the manufacture of jewelry and many important jewelers of the day used it to unleash their imaginations!

Mass production also introduced imitation pearls to the market.
And we cannot talk about imitation pearls with mentioning Coco Chanel. Chanel opened her first shop in Paris in 1910 and introduced her first luxurious costume jewelry in the early 1920’s. Her simple dress designs and the plain fabrics she used were an ideal foil for jewelry.


Bored by the seriousness of real jewels, Chanel began creating jewelry with artificial pearls. In her younger years pearls had been one of the most precious stones, and the privilege of aristocracy.
Chanel instigated an entirely new and brazen way to wear costume jewelry. Her designs consisted of yards of pearls, and were intended to be worn during the day with casual cloths. Very shocking for the day!

Lately I have been drawn to vintage pearls and rhinestones for my new jewelry creations. I love the old vintage glass pearl beads, the way they have worn to a warm smooth finish.

So with a nod to the master, here is my humble homage to Coco Chanel.

Summer Shop Feature ~ Jade Rose Boutique

“Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.”
Wayne Dyer

This weeks shop feature is Jade Rose Boutique, a wonderful Etsy shop specializing in handmade designs in fabric, fiber and paper. Betti Magison is the owner of this lovely shop.

Betti has been creative all her life, sewing, quilting, crocheting and paper folding since she was a child. While in high school she crocheted flower and lace earrings, she thinks they would be perfect for my vintage theme and I think you’re right Betti, maybe for my jewelry history series? Many of the items in her shop are items she originally made for her daughter.


I am most impressed by Betti’s dedication to her family. She told me, her daughter is “the joy of my life” and is “grateful for my sweet husband who supports my habit.” Betti has a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy and donates a portion of her sales to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Now that Betti’s daughter is grown and she is retired she has “time to play.” And she is busy! She does a bit of everything depending on what she has on hand. She is currently working on a doily from a 1960’s vintage doily book she found. My vintage collector friends would LOVE these!


Thank you Betti for the opportunity to introduce you to my readers. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you!
You can visit Jade Rose Boutique at: http://www.etsy.com/shop/JadeRoseBoutique?ref=pr_shop_more&view_type=gallery