Dazzling Inspiration

A peek into the haven for my special vintage buttons... the 'heroes' that I place on the spot where I want the emphasis of the piece to be...

I found this old jewelry box at a thrift store and love it's green/blue color. The velvet lining of the eight compartments is a soft nest for these beauties to lie in wait... the satiny sheen of the inside of the lid catches the light in that old romantic way...

Over the years I have developed a system of 'organization' for my embellishments that tends to get reduced to a tangle when creativity is in high gear. This box however has become a sanctuary for the pieces I do not, under any circumstances, want to lose track of. Seems to be working!

My Craft Show Experience, Sept.2008

Here I am at the show. It was a great success in many ways for me even though the weather was less than perfect. On Saturday it was decent with lots of clouds but no real rain. Sunday it pretty well rained all day except for the last two hours. That 'put a damper' on sales for the Sunday. Saturday however was great and I made enough sales to be happy. It was so lovely to see so many people try things on and have them look good in them. So satisfying to know that the designs work! I now have some excellent new contacts with stores in areas I am not represented yet. Positive reactions overall for the uniqueness and artistry of my work...

To the left is a detail of my display that was constructed out of two CD shelves. I kid you not, I found four of these shelves on the curb a couple of months ago and had a feeling I could make something useful from them. They are simply from IKEA but the finish is very clean and neutral so they were a good backdrop. I staggered them one on top of the other and screwed them together. This allowed for a good height on both levels.

This was a lucky find. I was browsing through a housewares shop and saw this pillar candle holder on sale for $10. It is completely hinged and can stretch out to a straight formation (see in background of above photo) or can be pushed together to fit any space. The top area fits my cuffs perfectly and provides that ever important height needed for display. I bought two but perhaps I should pick up some more. My overall plan for my booth came out as I had visualized. The banner I had made at Kinko's was perfect; a subtly prominent branding of my logo. There was an airiness with the flowing gauzy curtains that billowed in the wind. I had made a vintage fabric flag garland that I was unsure how I would use. In the end it made sense to hang it from the outside on the edge of my tent so that people could find me easily amongst the sea of white tents!
The idea of placing a photo montage on the edge of my tent to draw people in worked as planned. They would almost walk by but then their eye would linger on the framed photos and they would often backtrack and come in. Ahhh... the fine art of merchandising!

Craft Show Preparations...

This looks much better in person. It was tricky to photograph this sign I made but you will get the idea... My thought was, in the instant you have to get someone's attention, let them know what you are selling. My work is on the small side so at a distance it is hard to read what it is. By making this approximately 3' x 2' sign and placing it just outside my tent I hope to attract people to come into the tent and have a look. In the center I added a short bit of text describing the essence of the jewelry and what products I am currently selling. When I set up at the show I will take more photos of it in place and of course report if my idea worked!

New Wraparound Cuff/Necklaces for Fall '08

A preview of new textile creations to come...
This photo shows a detail of 2 of my Wraparounds. They are strands of vintage fabric heartily embellished with hand dyed lace fragments, vintage buttons and trims. They wrap around the wrist 3 times for a bangle effect and close with a chunky snap.
They are also suited to draping around the neck as a necklace. There are many ways to make this flexible adornment 'your own'. That is what appeals to me about this design. By wrapping it in your individual style, or pinning something of your own onto it, this unique piece can be further personalized. They are lined with ribbon for comfort, which is the key to effortless style...

Chokers... coming for fall 2008!

My new line of textile art jewelry is
The Bohemian Tapestry Choker. Here is a sample. I have made three so far. They will most likely be up for sale in early September. I am so excited about this new product. ('product' sounds so assembly line which, I assure you, these
are not)!
I create them from 2 parallel strands of fabric which are joined at the ends. This helps in the shaping of the piece and also leaves a bit of 'air flow' in places so they are comfortable. Speaking of comfort... they are lined with silk velvet and satin so they are super soft on the skin!
Any comments on what you see here would be appreciated! It is so helpful to have feedback on new items...