Natalie Tischler's Blog

How to clean brass jewelry

2010-08-24T04:43:00.004-12:00

I love the look of brass jewelry but let's face it, like sterling silver, the color of brass jewelry can change with age and use. It may take on a lighter or darker look depending on its circumstances.

I recently looked up some advice on cleaning brass jewelry for an old necklace that I made when I first started using brass components. Turns out, you can clean brass jewelry with things you have around your house. Here is what I used:

First I washed the necklace in warm, soapy water. I recommend using a natural dish soap like Seventh Generation. I let it sit for about 2 minutes and brushed over the chain lightly with an old tooth brush. Afterward, I rinsed it thoroughly and dried it with a towel.

Next I put the necklace back in the bowl and covered it with ketchup. The tomato in the ketchup will eat away tarnish. After 2 minutes, I rinsed it thoroughly and dried it with a towel. You can soak it for longer but I recommend checking it every 2 minutes. You don't want it going all the way back to a bright brass color!

Next I dabbed a little olive oil onto my towel and ran it over all of the brass areas. I went back over it with a dry towel to get rid of any excess oil.

I was pretty happy with the result! Check it out...

BEFORE

AFTER

Here are some notes:

Instead of ketchup, you can also use Worcestershire sauce or lemon juice mixed with salt. With any type of cleaner, it never hurts to test in an inconspicuous place first.

Be careful of stones. Soft stones should never be put in chemical or even natural cleaners. If you are dealing with a painted cameo, it's better to keep it dry as water, soap or any cleaning agents can wash away the paint.

And always keep these rules in mind when it comes to jewelry:

1. Keep it dry. Metal is affected by chemicals in soaps, pools and from sweat. Take your jewelry off when you swim, bathe or exercise.

2. Store it in a cloth pouch or little zip lock bag.

3. Clean it when it needs to be cleaned.

Here is a link to an article that I found really helpful! Cleaning Tips

Austin to Chicago Road Trip

2010-07-22T03:55:00.004-12:00

We took a road trip up to Chicago to do the Pitchfork Music Festival. Along the way we stopped in Memphis for a couple of days and saw some great things!

Sun Recording Studios - a lot of amazing things happened here.

The National Ornamental Metal Museum, a really inspirational place.

Graceland was more amazing that I had imagined it would be.

The drive up from Memphis to Chicago was beautiful.

In Chicago we took the Architecture Boat Cruise.

Visited Cloud Gate in Millenium Park.

And spent a day at the Art Institute. We saw so many amazing things but I was really taken with the Thorne Miniature Rooms.

The lobby of our hotel was like an art museum!

Pitchfork was so much fun! I love the energy of a music loving crowd and I was able to hear some great bands from my booth.

More trip photos posted here.

Barton Springs Clouds

2010-06-27T13:27:00.003-12:00

I spent part of Saturday staring up at the clouds over Barton Springs.
So peaceful and relaxing. Barton Springs is a state treasure.

"Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in"

2010-06-14T04:23:00.004-12:00

Here are some pictures I took on my trip up to Brooklyn last week for the Renegade Craft Fair.

I loved this shadow art that I kept seeing around the Williamsburg neighborhood.

My friends had this great old bird cage in their loft apartment.

Also took a little trip into Manhattan.

Here is my booth at the craft fair.

I couldn't stop humming this song by The Avett Brothers...

Monday with Ezra and Josh

2010-05-28T09:16:00.010-12:00

Our friends Ezra and Josh drove down from Brooklyn to stay with us and do the Renegade Craft Fair. The show was fun with some really fresh and creative booths and crafts. My booth was right across from another Natalie.

After the show was over, we had a really fun Monday showing them around Austin. We started out with pancakes at Magnolia Cafe. Then we attempted to walk off our pancakes on S. Congress. It was fun to show off awesome Austin stores like Parts & Labour. We had a margarita at Guerro's and then checked out Uncommon Objects where they found a cool old bird cage. We also stopped into New Bohemia to check out all the vintage goodness. James found a blue striped pearl snap shirt.

Since they only had one day before heading back, we gave them a quick car tour of downtown and the campus area, giving them way more information about Austin than they probably wanted to hear. We stopped into Spiderhouse and sat on the porch and had iced coffees.

On the drive home we spontaneously stopped and walked around the Zilker Botanical Garden. I think the Japanese garden is my favorite there.

In the evening the weather turned stormy so we picked up stuff to make primavera and vodka drinks and played Beatles Rock Band until late. It was a really fun day spent with friends.

Ezra and Josh make awesome t-shirts under the name Gnome Enterprises. Check them out at GnomeEnterprises.net. James is amassing quite a collection - here he wearing one of them in Vegas last Fall.

Here's a close up of that beautiful gate at Zilker Botanical. It is so inspiring.

6th Anniversary Sale

2010-05-20T03:32:00.004-12:00

Hooray! Ornamental Things has been around for 6 years now and I'm having my annual sale to celebrate. Just use discount code SIXYEARS at checkout to recieve 35% off your purchase. The sale ends on June 2.

Another way to shop the sale is at the studio this weekend:

Ornamental Things Studio Sale
Saturday, May 22, 11 am to 5 pm
2900 S. Congress Ave, No. 207
Austin, Texas

Tell all your friends!

Thank you for 6 inspiring years. I could not do this without you.

In love with a coffee cup

2010-05-05T04:45:00.006-12:00

I just found these amazing coffee cups from Mie Kongo Studio and I really want a set! She designs and forms the cup part and uses a vintage mold for the handle. I love the mix of new and old along with the fineness of the white porcelain. This is my favorite style.

These are really sweet with flowers and little forest animals as handles.

Her work can be purchased here: www.miekongo.com or on etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/miekongo

Shows...

2010-04-26T04:02:00.009-12:00

I love doing shows! I love meeting my customers and selling my jewelry directly. It's cool to see people's reactions to new work and to see how my jewelry looks on different folks. I have been doing a bunch of shows recently and I have some fun shows coming up.

The above picture is from last Fall's Urban Street Bazaar in Dallas. At the beginning of March I did their Spring show and it was lovely! The Bishop Arts District is such a neat place.

Here is a picture of my booth at the Lone Star Ladies show a couple of weeks ago. They held the show at this really kitchsy old German dance hall in downtown Austin. The show is the brainchild of my friend Anne Marie Beard and her sister, Allison. This was their second event and it seems to be growing in popularity! They are planning a show in October called Shop Crafty which promises to be a lot of fun. To keep up with them, check out their website: http://www.thelonestarladies.com/ In addition to the show, Anne Marie also makes super cute purses, www.annemariebeard.com and co-writes a blog with Allison called Handmade Happenings, www.handmadehappenings.com. I have been doing shows alongside Anne Marie since the beginning of my business, 6 years ago and it's been really fun to watch her grow with her own business and with her other endeavors.

This past Saturday I did the King William Fair in San Antonio which was fun as always since it starts with a fun parade and everyone who comes to the Fair is celebrating Fiesta with colorful wreaths and clothing. It's one of my favorite shows of the year.

I am proud to be a part of the upcoming Renegade Craft Fairs in Austin and Brooklyn! If you have never been to a Renegade Fair, you really must check it out. I am always amazed at the sheer volume, 250 booths, of super cute and original crafts. You can find out more info at their website: www.renegadecraft.com The above picture was my booth at their San Francisco show last summer.

I have also got some music festivals coming up! First will be Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago in July and then Bumbershoot in Seattle in September. I thrive on the energy of a music-loving crowd, having done ACL the past two years so I am super excited at the prospect of doing more!

You can always find a list of my shows on the Upcoming Events page of my website: www.ornamentalthings.com/UpcomingFestivalsShow.htm

Amazing Beaded Neck Pieces by Sherry Serafini

2010-04-16T04:17:00.003-12:00

I just stumbled across a bead artist named Sherry Serafini who makes the most amazing beaded neck pieces. See for yourself!

She also teaches classes. You can find more information about her work at www.serafinibeadedjewelry.com

Resin Necklaces

2010-04-14T07:28:00.008-12:00

I've come up with some new resin necklaces. The above are tiny images from old postcards, wallpaper and game pieces. The pendants measure 7/8 of an inch across.

These are 1.25 inches in diameter, a bit smaller than the round resin pendants I've done in the past. The red stripe design comes from a game piece that I found at a flea market.

These last two new designs are oval shaped and measure 1.25 x 1.75 inches. The happy little elephant is also from a game piece.

The floral image behind the cameo is an antique wallpaper pattern.

You can find all the resin necklaces here.

so fresh and so clean

2010-04-06T04:06:00.005-12:00

I finally got around to re-painting my kitchen cabinets over the weekend. They were a sort of sea foam green before. It's such a joy to do something new in your house. I also painted the doors and trim in the hallway. 9 years ago when we bought the house I painted them glossy black and I have regretted it ever since! That hallway is so much brighter now. It's the little things, for sure.

Camping Trip

2010-03-20T04:16:00.003-12:00

We took a little 24 hour camping trip out to Pedernales Falls State Park and saw some really beautiful things. They have amazing hiking trails out there and the dogs were in heaven!

Molly will drink the water but she is not that interested in swimming. Zaphod was a champ, playing fetch in the river.

on the subject of taxidermy

2010-03-10T05:53:00.000-12:00

Amazing art and jewelry by New Zealand artist Julie deVille
From her artist statement: "I incorporate the symbols of death through out my work because I think it is important to identify with the concept that we are in fact, mortal creatures. The nature of our culture is to obsess over planning the future, however in doing so we forget to enjoy the present."
She uses only animals that have died of natural causes.
You can view her work here: www.discemori.com

And then there is Walter Potter who did things like this in the late 1800's:

Learn more about Walter Potter Here: www.acaseofcuriosities.com

Kingman, AZ

2010-02-22T10:34:00.008-12:00

On the drive back from the Pool Tradeshow in Las Vegas last week, I stopped in Kingman, Arizona to look around in the antique stores. I discovered that they have an amazing clock store, The Clock Man. I love to collect old clocks so I was kind of in heaven. They had the most amazing collection of restored cuckoo clocks.

The sound of the store was lovely, lots of soft ticking and occasionally a bell or a cuckoo sound.

The little granny rocked in this one.

The little preacher inside pulls the bell in this one.

Love!

A few more clock pictures on flickr!

old pictures in lockets

2010-02-04T06:01:00.007-12:00

I am slowly getting all the new work up on the website. It's a crazy mess around the studio. I clean off a table and within an hour, it's all piled up again. I had a dream last night that I came in to work and my landlord was moving me out because I was too messy.

I have some new locket styles. I love lockets because they are so classic. This year I am putting old photos in lockets.

I get a special thrill when I open an old locket at a flea market and find the original pictures in them. So, I wanted to give these new lockets a bit of that magic. I doubt these people knew each other but it's fun to imagine a little love story for them.

You can always update the lockets with your own pictures. It's pretty easy to cut out the oval and then just dab a little glue over the old picture and slide your picture in.

And don't forget about these lockets which I am carrying over from last year due to popular demand!

New collection...

2010-01-21T08:20:00.003-12:00

Here in the studio, the new collection is coming together.
Look for it up on the website in early February! Yay!

Two neat stores in San Francisco

2010-01-20T05:32:00.004-12:00

When we were in San Francisco, our friend told us about a "pirate" store called 826 Valencia (also its address). What a neat place! They had all manner of cool pirate stuff like striped stockings, Blackbeard's beard dye and this whistle necklace that I had to have.

There was also this wall of drawers with lables like "rope." You could open them and see the contents. The drawers labeled "luck" and "worry" wouldn't open. Heh. The cool thing is that 826 Valencia is not just a pirate supply store, its a tutoring program for kids! They have these organizations in other cities as well. You can get more information on their website: 826valencia.org

Next door was another interesting shop called Paxton Gate. The store's tag line is "natural oddities inspired by the garden and the natural sciences." The had some really lovely jewelry that was made from castings of natural objects like shells. The also had plants and taxidermy. Just a really fun shopping experience! For more info: paxtongate.com

Bridal Show Weekend

2010-01-11T04:48:00.004-12:00

I did the bridal show this weekend. What a fun experience. Some of the businesses really go over-the-top with their displays. All the vendors were able to vote for the best booth. My money's on Brenda Abbott. She created a little forest wonderland.

At the end of the show one of my neighbors, LisaLyn Designs, gave me one of their bridal bouquets. So beautiful! It's nice to have bright flowers around during this cold Texas weather.

December Recap

2010-01-03T09:24:00.001-12:00

Wow, the holidays were super busy as usual. Here's a little recap in pictures - just some highlights...

I went up to NYC for the Bust Craftacular.

I did 5 shows during the month. Here is a picture of my booth at the Blue Genie Art Bazaar:

Once the shows were over and all the orders were mailed out we spent a little time with family in Texas and California. Here is a picture of me and James with our son, Forest. He is serving in the US Army. We are so proud of him.

It's so lovely around my parent's house. One morning I woke up to the most amazing sky.

It snowed on Christmas day at my parent's house! So beautiful!

We went out to Los Angeles to see James' family for a few days and then we drove up the coast toward San Francisco.

Along the way we stopped and saw the Hearst Castle. It's pretty impressive.

This is the study:

We spent a couple of days in San Francisco. While we were there we visited one of James' friends and spent a fun day trekking around Golden Gate Park.

Now I am ready for the new year!

Jewelry Advice from Tim Gunn

2009-11-17T04:36:00.004-12:00

I love Project Runway, not only for the amazing talent and design but also for aquainting the world with Tim Gunn. I wish I had a Tim Gunn-style mentor who would come to my studio and give me advice on my jewelry designs! I am sure this is the fondest wish of every designer everywhere.

Anyway, I was flipping through my lastest issue of Marie Claire (quickly becoming one of my favorite magazines) and I saw that his column this month is all about accessorizing with jewelry. I think he has some great advice. Check it out!

Here's a link: Tim Gunn's Jewelry Tips

OKC Trip for The Girlie Show

2009-11-10T05:32:00.004-12:00

Here are some pictures from my trip up to Oklahoma City for The Girlie Show. The Friday night party was fun and packed! The dj was playing some awesome dance music.

I am so in love with the old Farmer's Market building where they hold the show. It really excites my imagination!

On the drive home, I stopped into some antique malls along the way and saw some really lovely things.

I came seriously close to buying this little Enid Collins purse but I don't think my big mom wallet will fit in it.

Inspiration in unlikely places

2009-10-22T09:58:00.003-12:00

Last week I took my husband to Vegas to celebrate his 40th birthday properly.

One day while we were there we walked over to the Wynn Hotel which is one of the most beautiful hotels anywhere in my opinion! We also checked out their new hotel, The Encore and it was just as lovely. Here are some pictures from the Wynn and the Encore:

They have a great jewelry store in the Wynn and I get really inspired going in and looking at all the dazzling jewelry. It's fine jewelry but more interesting than what you usually see. I wish I could have photographed some of the jewelry to post here.

My favorite day there was the last day because we really did it Vegas style! We started the day sipping sangria poolside at the MGM Grand, where we stayed, then we caught a taxi downtown to play Black Jack all afternoon at the Golden Nugget. After that we went to the Mirage to see the Cirque Du Soleil show Love which was amazing and inspiring! It's all done to this remixed Beatles music and there are dancers and acrobats on the stage and coming down from the ceiling. The stages keep falling away and they project images on the walls and sheer curtains. It's a visual feast. Oh yeah and they have speakers in the seats so you can hear the music really well! After the show we had drinks at the Revolution Lounge and then dinner at Battista's. Battista's has been in Vegas forever, they have old pictures on the walls of the Rat Pack eating there back in the day. The food was yummy. Such a fun day!

A few more pictures on Flickr!

Fun in Dallas

2009-10-13T09:22:00.005-12:00

Had a nice trip up to Dallas for the Urban Street Bazaar. All the folks who came out to the Bazaar were just so nice! It was really cold, much colder than the forecast had predicted. I suffered through the weekend with inadequate footwear!

I met a long time customer who came into my booth wearing one of my old charm bracelets from a few years back. Remember those?

It was so fun to see it again, like visiting an old friend.

My friend and fellow designer, Liz Potter of Bolsa Bonita was going up for the show too so we followed each other up I35 and shared a hotel. She had a great idea that we should go to a yoga class on Friday night. She went off to her Ashtanga class and I took a Restorative class. What an interesting experience! We only did four poses in the class. It wasn't a typical yoga class but I am sure it helped me. Here's Liz, all blissed out after her class! Yeah, that's her foot behind her head.

We had a fun dinner across the street at Whole Foods and then we went back to the hotel and had a slumber party, complete with masks.

Saturday night we were way too tired to do anything we had a burger at Hunky's, near the show and fell asleep early. It was fun to hang out with a friend out of town!

Urban Street Bazaar in Dallas

2009-10-09T03:37:00.006-12:00

I will be in Dallas this weekend for the Urban Street Bazaar. Please come out and see me! I will have new one-of-a-kinds, rings, men's jewelry and tons of one-of-a-kind Indie Girl necklaces priced between $18 and $32. Super fun.

It's in the Bishop Art's District (Oak Cliff Area, near Bishop and 8th) and you can check out their website for more info: www.urbanstreetbazaar.com

I am excited to be right next to my good friend Liz Potter of Bolsa Bonita with her lovely and fun purses. www.BolsaBonita.com

See you there!

ACL 2009

2009-10-06T05:37:00.004-12:00

Well, another year of Austin City Limits Music Festival is over and done with. We had some crazy weather this year! The first day was beautiful but it rained the second day and the third day it was kind of a big mud pit. I was inspired by people's excitement to get out there and deal with the mud to see the bands they were really looking forward to like Ghostland Observatory and Pearl Jam. James and I made a stop into the sporting goods store on the way there to pick up some mud boots for ourselves! These were a life saver!

This past year C3, the event planners, donated all this lovely grass to Zilker Park. In fact, C3 has put a lot of money into upgrading our parks and public areas around Austin. After the show, they will continue working on Zilker park to repair all the damage left behind by the rain and mud. I really appreciate that they give back to our city like that. So, we started out with this. It was so nice the first day!

Despite the mud we still managed to send a lot of happy customers home with Ornamental Things jewelry. It was fun to see returning customers from last year and previous shows. And, to meet people who had been website customers. I am always thrilled to see someone walk into the booth wearing one of my designs! I hope that all of my customers know how much they inspire me.

ACL has such great food! All of the food is from local vendors. I ate the famous Crispy Chicken Cone from Hudson's for lunch every day and I tried something new this year. It was a Steak Frites sandwich from Aquarelle. So freaking good! I had it for dinner two nights in a row. Check it out:

So... this is what my booth ended up looking like on the last day. I had to remove some table cloths but fortunately, with a lot of soaking, bleach and Oxyclean, I was able to get the mud out of my darling vintage table cloths. Hallelujah!

Sigh, well good bye magical ACL, hope to see you next year!

Now it's time to get ready for Urban Bazaar in Dallas next weekend!

More ACL and customer pictures can be found on flickr.