real vs. fake

I got asked the question recently about if I used reproduction stuff or real stuff, like my singer tag bracelets.  

While I use some reproduction stuff, I usually incorporate it in with vintage materials.  

Since I'm usually going for a certain look, I can't always find what I need in real materials.  Also some of the vintage stuff needs backing or support.  Or I"m afraid it's too fragile to use.  

A good example is my time in a bottle series.. real vintage bottles can be pretty thin.  Also hard to find them -- so I use new bottles.

But I stuff them full of vintage clock and time parts.  

The singer tags are real... off old sewing machines we get at flea markets and such.  They are not working, grungy and dirty... we buy them, strip them and then I clean up the parts I want to use.

I love using vintage parts as much as possible, especially the clock and watch parts.  I love faces and gears!  

I don't think using real and fake mixed together is a bad thing, as long as when I sell them people understand what they are buying.  I try to make sure the vintage stuff is marked on my price tags.  Still I'm human and if you are looking at my jewelry just ask when you are not sure.