Brooch A Week #21 ~ Fisher-Body Badge Pin

I think this one may be my favorites so far.

I found a few of these vintage employee badges from Fisher Body. They were an automobile coach builder founded in 1908 in Detroit. These badges were made by Superior Seal & Stamp Co. This badge is in really great condition and built super strong. Fisher Body (no longer in business) punched a hole in this badge. I have read that after they closed the plant, they punched holes in the badges.  I made a sterling silver grommet for the hole and added a beautiful vintage crystal button set in a handmade sterling silver bezel setting.

Fisher Body has got quite a history. This particular badge is from the Hamilton/Fairfield, Ohio plant which was closed in 1988.

      

Brooch A Week #16 through #20

To catch up on my BAW posts… Here are brooches 16 through 20!

Brooch A Week #11, #12

I’m keeping a good pace on the brooches! BAW52 is so much fun. I look forward to what comes next. I just got in some really magnificent cabochons which will be my inspiration for the next pin!

Finished with 11 and 12. I’m super happy with the way each of them turned out.

#11 is made with sterling silver and faceted clear quartz stone. Still running on my “Shapes” inspiration, I designed it with a heart, ring and a freeform dangle at the bottom for interest:

#12 is one of my classic designs, that I love, featuring a MOP vintage button hand set in oxidized sterling silver.

 

 

Brooches Available on my Website

I will be listing my Brooch-A-Week Flickr challenge entries on my Website exclusively!

The Weebly site is new to me, so if you have any questions, feedback or comments… I’m all ears. I’ve put together a FAQ page to help navigate through the purchase process.

Idea for Brooch #10: I am in the mood to make a brooch with “shapes”….

Brooch A Week #9

Going back to my recent favorite material… Vintage Buttons, here is BAW #9. I am so addicted to these vintage painted porcelain buttons. They have a life of their own with lovely color pained on by hand, back in the day! This button inspired me to make a simple sterling silver setting, just enough to make the colors pop. An oxidized patinae gives an old world appeal to this modern day brooch:

Brooch A Week #8

Entry week #7 is  made with a vintage crystal button. I wanted to set this button without doing a bezel and keeping the button-hole intact. I designed a frame with a prong setting and a little loop to allow the pin wire to go through while attached through the hole in the button. I know, hard to understand my words… Have a look instead:

Brooch A Week ~ Flickr Challenge

OK, It’s official… I have entered the Flickr Challenge Brooch A Week! Along with many other artists from all over the globe, I will make one brooch per week for all of 2013. I have wanted to do this one for weeks and have finally jumped in (with both feet!). Over the last few days I’ve sat down at the bench and completed 6 with a seventh almost finished. I’ll be posting each new brooch on Flicker and adding it to my “BAW52″ Flickr Album. Here are 6 of 52:

         

25% Off on my Vintage Button Jewelry ~ Etsy Shop

Hope everyone had a great holiday season!

Please enjoy a one-week sale of 25% off my Vintage button line on etsy! Sale ends on Sunday January 20, 2013. No need for a coupon.

It was a very busy season for me and now that all is “calm” I will be adding new work in the Etsy Shop.

On the bench now:

Work in progress. An absolutely beautiful Laguna Agate with druzy. This is a really big stone and will be made into a very bold necklace!

A few on sale now: