sneak peek: crafted booth set-up

the school desk is ready for its close-up

i’m happy to report that all that time spent building, sanding, and painting is starting to pay off. my little booth space is taking shape, through the purchase of a few new-to-me fabulous finds {an old school desk! sewing table legs!} and by getting more mileage out of previous purchases.

oldies but goodies

i’m sanding down an old stool that i’ve had for at least ten years and giving it it’s third paint job. i’ll be using the shelves and shutters that i’ve used at previous shows {like here}, freshening them up with some nice new paint. {and those old wooden crates that i love so much? they don’t need a thing.}

all this table needs is a little spray paint

i’m reusing my color scheme, too, sticking with neutrals to let the jewelry take center stage. my gray cloth backdrop can now be translated into painted walls {sooooo excited–this warm grey is what i’m leaning towards . and though i’ve always used natural elements {like linen and rocks} i’m bringing in even more with wood elements in the checkout area, tables, and some display pieces.

a bird’s-eye view of the space

i’m really pleased with how it’s coming together, and much faster than i thought it would. with any luck, i won’t be running around like headless chicken leading up to the grand opening {eek! june 29th!}. there will be a few surprises that i won’t unveil until then, but i wanted to give you a sneak peak of what’s to come!

evenings in the garage

bamboo inspired ring, coming soon

sounds fancy, doesn’t it? spending the few hours between dinner in bed in the garage? it’s been lovely, though. almost heaven.

new necklace coming soon!

i’ve been delving back into metalsmithing. well soldering and hammering at any rate. i even tried switching up my creative methods {my usual technique is to craft on the fly, but i sat down and drew up some imaginings and then made them. i know, right?*}

hoops inspired by rose petals

i’m looking forward to my classes {this weekend!} so that i can get better. faster at least. and maybe a little less messy.

*sorry lindsey

last minute news

i’m counting down the hours until the sew funky marketplace this weekend. despite taking on additional responsibilities this week, i think i’ll actually be ready, which means i won’t be pulling an all-nighter to prepare like i did for the last sew funky. it helps that i have most of my booth already finished from previous shows, as well as having everything tagged and carded. still, i wanted to add some new goodness to my set-up.

i finally got around to adding the doilies to my tablecloth. they’re currently glued on. maybe by the next show i’ll actually have them sewn on. we’ll see. time always seems to get away from me…

i’m happy to be bringing the first of the jewelry display boards to this show, too. took me long enough, right? {oh the trials and tribulations of the perfectionist.}

lastly, i’m halfway through whipping up a batch of paper fortune cookies to offer as little giveaways.

if you’re in southern california and can make it to the show, please stop by and say hello! it’ll be twice as big as last time, but still located in the riverside marriott ballroom, from 9:30-3 on saturday the 8th. hope to see you there!

hallow’s eve

i should be doing nothing but preparing for the sew funky marketplace {it’s only 9 days from now!}. but while i was doing some legitimate, business-related shopping at joanns, i picked up some cheap costume satin and a few embellishments for the makings of a good halloween costume {all on sale, too!}. i thought i’d share the beginnings of my rather skanky cleopatra costume with you!

i think i'll be needing some double stick tape...

a close-up of the belt {trim + beads}

this necklace is a gift from my mom {it's even from egypt!}

with how cheap and shiny the costume satin is, i thought i should tone down the rest of the outfit. you know, so it doesn’t seem gaudy on top of skanky. i thought about gold trim for the belt, but it was just. too. much. shine. i like the fabric and beads better. and the necklace! my mom didn’t even know i was planning on being cleopatra; this necklace just showed up in my birthday box, freshly nabbed from a clothing swap. sweet! other than making the dress, the only other thing i need to do is make a gold arm cuff.

i plan on taking the hubby as my marc antony.

stay tuned tomorrow for a blurb about me on the sew funky marketplace blog, where i reveal all.

 

bringing back the jewelry boards!

it’s been a loooong time since i’ve offered these guys up for sale. remember them? so cute and a great way to see what you’ve got {ensuring that you’ll wear that necklace that’s currently wadded up in a drawer somewhere}.

upcycled jewelry boards of yore

i have one that i keep all my goodies on and it’s super handy! i haven’t had them in the store for a while because i haven’t been able to find any good children’s clothes to upcycle. but then i realized the other day that i have a ton of great fabric in my stash and i can make some more that way. {i’m not always the quickest}

here are some sneak peaks of what i’m working on.

frames to work with {and duck prints to throw out}

pretty fabrics

and then i dig into my stash of brads, ribbon, vintage buttons and trim, and see what comes up.

this one looks preppy and sweet

this one has kind of a thrifted look to it

this one has a handmade, natural vibe

this one is shaping up to be prim and proper

and this one is becoming quite mod!

it’s likely that not all the doodads will make the final cut, but i like to lay everything out first and work from there. i think of them as assemblages, and they can take quite a while to complete. click here to see my tutorial for how to make your own {or just see what’s behind the scenes}. it was featured on cosa verde’s blog ages ago. hopefully i can get these up and in the shop soon!

getting excited!

who doesn't need a turntable pillow? from theleef.

it’s a little too late to worry, as tomorrow is the sew funky marketplace! not that lack of time ever stopped me. do i have too much stuff? have i made enough? will my display get put up in time? will anyone buy anything? what if i don’t have enough bags? what if, what if, what if?!

i wanted to share with you some of my personal faves of people coming to the market. i can’t wait to get my hands on these goodies! there are so many cool vendors coming. if you’re in the area, i hope you’ll stop by! as far as i know, this is the first crafts market of its kind here in riverside, and i’m super excited to be participating in the very first one. i hope there will be many, many more! i love meeting other crafters and seeing their beautiful creations.

just click on the link to get more info on these cuties. better yet, stop by the market and pick on up! we’ll be there from 9:30 am to 3 pm at the Riverside Marriott!

how about this cute marvin the whale softy from JaneeLookerse?!

pretty soaps from ThreeLuckyDucks

i solemnly swear i am up to no good bracelet by foxwise

genius body bib by ayokletjessup {with mushrooms!}

and i may have to go home with some felt from BobbySoxie!

sneak peeks!

i want to share with you some of the new goodies that i’m debuting at the sew funky marketplace. for those of you who can’t make it {july 9th, 9:30 am to 3 pm at the riverside marriott}, these lovelies will show up in the shop soon. i’m especially excited about the addition of sunshine cloths, my go-to polishing cloth!

vintage-y finds

putting together my booth for the sew funky marketplace has been stressful but fun. choosing the colors was easy, but what about the tone? what do i want to say? {i know, i take myself too seriously.} but you know that sensation when you walk into a room or a store and everything goes together and evokes a feeling? that’s what i’m going for.

to that end, i am trying for a nature-inspired, simple-but-not-boring, vintage-but-not-thrift {or worse, antique-and-stuffy}, classic-and-timeless-but-not-dull, open/airy/fresh kind of a thing. yeeeeeaaaaaahhhhh. we’ll see how it goes. but i thought i’d share with you some of my finds from this week’s raid of all the area thrift/vintage/antique stores. maybe it’ll give you a sense of where i’m going.

they had almost all the right letters

i’m super excited about this find: wooden printers’ letters that spell out dogwood & poppy! {i know, i know, these would actually spell bogwoob & poppy, but it looks better this way. trust me}. they were a buck a piece but i had to have them anyway. they were missing another “o” so i’m thinking of making a crepe paper dogwood to stick in its place. and the printers’ drawer?

sweet display items, both a steal

that was only $18. i know, right?! and this after i was kicking myself for not buying the $45 one i was saw last month. and that cute little wooden box with the cute little wooden closure?

reduce, reuse, recycle, drink whiskey

it’s made of old whiskey boxes. awesome. it was a bit of a splurge at $10, given that no one other than us will get to see this important detail. i’m still on the prowl for old wood crates {i wouldn’t pay $25 for them at the shi-shi antique store} to add some height to my display, and some tiered wire baskets to hold my handmade boxes, but i’m well on my way.

i'm all set for mirrors

don’t you hate it when you go to a booth or store and there’s nowhere to check out how fabulous you look in something? me too. i got these three lovely mirrors for a song {$20 for the standing/swiveling one, made out of brass/bronze and working on a nice patina; $8 for the hand mirror, which is silver plate; and $5 for the mirrored tray, which will probably get a spray paint face lift to make it look a little older.}

more doilies!

i think i almost have enough doilies now to do something like this lovely table runner for my booth. these are all painstakingly made by human hands, old enough to be stained and a little worn, and all less than $3 a piece. most were only $1.

oh yes it is

and–i’m sorry–is that a dogwood blossom?! i didn’t really need this pressed aluminum bowl, but it does kinda go with the theme. $4. maybe i’ll put a few rings in it.

oh my heavenly goodness

and while i wasn’t looking for anything for myself, i found it of course. i’ve been wanting a seth thomas wind-up clock from the 20s/30s but don’t have the spare $500 lying around. today i found this electric guy for $12. i’ll re-wire it, get a piece of glass cut for the front, clean it up a bit, and put it on our mantel, where someone thoughtfully installed an outlet howevermany years ago. and that book? polyanna from 1913. i paid $2.75, which ought to be illegal, but i’m not telling. it’ll go with my small but growing collection of old hardback children’s books that were my faves growing up.

phew, that was long! that’s a lot of stuff, huh? do you have a favorite thrift/vintage/antique find of late? do share!

the booth, the booth!

i've chosen the booth colors in natural fabrics like cotton and velveteen

as you undoubtedly know {just kidding for those of you who aren’t as enamored with my life as i am} i’m heading to my first ever craft show {the sew funky marketplace on july 9th here in lovely southern california}. i’d like to take a moment and brag a bit: i was invited to apply. okay, bragging over, now comes the hard work. i have to set up a free-standing booth complete with backdrop for hanging signs and merchandise. i’m searching for used tables, thinking about how i’ll display everything, and what kind of packaging i’ll need. so much to think about!

i’m still in search of quite a few things–and will no doubt be down to the wire on a lot of things–but i *have* picked my color scheme. so that the jewelry will stand out, i’m choosing muted tones: cream, mushroom, and grey. i’m going for natural fabrics with lots of texture. i’ll punch it up with a few brightly colored accents, like these lime green artificial hops. i think i’ll take viola, too.

meet the princess necklaces

just in time for mother’s day…and graduation…and weddings…and even going to the grocery store in style…let me introduce another new collection: the princess necklaces!

for those times when a tiara is just too much

you may not be walking down the aisle on the arm of a prince anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean you can’t sparkle and shine with the best of ‘em. available in three different gemstones–rock crystal, labradorite, and smoky quartz–each necklace is a little different.

rock crystal princess necklace

i made the princess necklace in rock quartz (goes with everything! doesn’t compete with embellish ed necklines!) with pear briolettes and rondelles for a very lady-like necklace. it measures 19 inches in length. just click on the picture for a direct link.

labradorite princess necklace

the labradorite princess necklace has a little spunk because i used rough cut briolettes to give it a more casual feel. this necklace measures 18 inches in length. if you’ve never seen labradorite before, get ready to meet your new best friend: it’s grey with a peacock blue luster (called labradorescence) that glows when light hits the reflective surfaces inside each gemstone. gorgeous!

smoky quartz princess necklace

for the smoky quartz princess necklace, i used briolettes and rondelles in this rich color. oh it just smoulders. sure, you could wear it to the office, but it really wants to go salsa dancing! it measures 18 inches in length.

did i mention that they ship free in the US?! each necklace is designed to last a lifetime, with a sterling silver lobster clasp for a secure finish. store these necklaces with your other crown jewels!