Sun Spot Activity ~ Thing a Day

I had fun creating this etsy treasury of "sunny" items. It has already expired but I discovered several great new (to me) etsy shops. I searched for items using the terms solar power and solar energy.

Mrs. Kwitty's Cottage ~ New ETT SOTW

Karen Witkop is the proprietor of this week's Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the week, misseskwittys. Her shop offers a variety of handmade cottage style items in fabric and paper, which she ships domestically and internationally. Asked about her work, Karen said, "I just love to make things with my hands---pretty, colorful things. I love to get an idea in my head, go down to my studio and pick out some pretty fabrics or papers, and then allow that thought to become something you can actually hold in your hand! It's very gratifying....and FUN!"

Her inspiration is vintage/retro things like embroideries, laces, ribbons, buttons, and rickrack. She says, "I am especially inspired by the linens and fabrics of the 30's and 40's. Don't you think it's wonderful how the housewives of that era, which was a pretty dark era in terms of the war and the economy of the time, did all they could to make their homes beautiful and colorful places--and they did it with their handwork." Her shop also carries some of these vintage items!

Karen is offering a special deal to celebrate her Etsy Twitter Team Shop of the Week status:
With every order this week, she will include a free Gift Tag Sample Pack!

Learn more about Karen and her work by following her on Twitter and Facebook, checking out her Flickr photos and reading her blog.

Devoted to Totes

I really have been trying to downsize. Remember...I live in a typical NYC apartment. I keep trying to carry smaller bags but it just doesn't work. Add to the usual wallet, keys, tissues and day planner an ipod and folding headphones (I hate earbuds), a cellphone, a folding umbrella, hand sanitizer (new this flu season), and you can see why I love tote bags. When I snagged a treasury on etsy I decided to devote it to tote bags...in all their glory...vintage, modern, big, small, shiny, feminine, chic, industrial, funky...let me stop. There must be some New Year's resolution I can keep!

T.G.I.S. ~ Inspiration

Upcycled T-shirt Yarn from bellaflower

I am fond of using materials in my jewelry that are refashioned, recycled, repurposed and renewed. I have been using chain from broken or "unwanted" vintage pieces in my necklaces and earrings but I wanted to try something new. I have been intrigued by etsy sellers who recycle old T-shirts into tote bags, quilts, rugs and scarves and I have found a wonderful Canadian seller of recycled T-shirt yarn, bellaflower. Instead of knitting with it, I am using it as necklace cord. The "yarn" is heavy enough to support my bead arrangements, a bit stretchy, so I can still create necklaces without clasps and it has a modern, edgy look that I think sets off the vintage beads beautifully. Here are the first two necklaces I created...and I just ordered more yarn from bellaflower. The necklaces will be in my shop after Labor Day.

BACK TO SCHOOL SALE Ends Monday!

The Etsy Twitter Team's BACK TO SCHOOL SALE ends Monday, September 7th.

All the items in the Back to School Section of my shop are 25% off the listed price.

Refunds will be sent to buyers' Paypal accounts after purchase.

Going back to school CAN be fun!

Loopiness! My New Spring Line

Since I discovered a supplier of unused vintage plastic hoop beads, my creative juices have been revitalized. I have always been inspired by the materials I use rather than designing something first and then finding what I need to bring the design to life. Often those materials would come from broken or unattractive vintage pieces, but there are some vintage bead dealers that have somehow amassed large amounts (not if I keep buying them!) of unused vintage beads. One such supplier is johnv6 , from whom I have purchased several lots of plastic hoop beads.

They have inspired a series of new necklaces and earrings, which I think of (with undeserved hubris, may I add!) as my SPRING LINE.

Getting Romantic in My Middle Age

I have always been interested in vintage items and have collected many different types of vintage things over the years. One of those "things" was vintage ribbons, buttons and lace. At one time, I added them to T-shirts. I used them to wrap special packages. But mostly they sat in a bag at the back of the closet.....until yesterday. Lately, I have been admiring the way artisans are juxtaposing unlikely materials in their pieces. I purchased felted wool beads from a wonderful etsy artist called Tayny and used them in a necklace. I liked the idea that the necklace was soft and hard at the same time. And I have always wanted my necklaces to be lightweight.

Now I have started adding bits of those vintage ribbons and lace to my work. The first such Item I just listed this morning and called it Mint Romance Necklace. I made it so that the bows can easily be removed.

I'd be interested in hearing what you think...am I getting soft? Have I lost my edge?

Vintage Style on TV and in the Movies

I am a fan of the AMC series, Mad Men, about men and women who work for a big ad agency in the 60s. Unfortunately, I lose the storyline sometimes when I am watching because I am paying more attention to the clothes, jewelry and sets than the dialogue.
I also enjoyed watching Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kathy Bates in Sam Mendes' recent movie, Reservation Road. The production design team did a great job capturing the typical upwardly mobile suburban home of the 50s.