A comment from the mom of the baby whose bracelet is pictured in the below post mentioned that she was considering making a shadowbox to contain the bracelet for display during the years prior to her daughter being able to wear it.
This jogged my memory of creating just such a box when I designed a wedding gift charm bracelet for a friend who I wasn’t sure would be able to wear the chunky bangly thing too often… but might want to display it in her home rather than keeping it in a jewelry box hidden away.
The photos aren’t great, but I hope you get the idea. The raw pine box was purchased inexpensively at Michael’s crafts store and has a glass front door. I stained the box and lined it with pretty craft papers, including a scrap from the actual printed wedding invite, installing two small nails on the back wall for hanging the bracelet.
I then added a few treasures to the bottom floor of the box, a miniature cake and some dried rose petals. I honestly can’t remember if I ever resolved creating a way to hang the box on a wall, or if I just left it as something to display on a shelf or tabletop (probably the latter). I had a moment’s thought to offer these custom boxes for sale along with my charm bracelets, but ultimately decided that the amount of work involved was just beyond what I could probably charge. It isn’t hard, and you CAN do it yourself! If you have any questions or want support with your own shadowbox project, drop me an email any old time! xoxo
Those of you who’ve known me for awhile might remember that my little jewelry business, So Charmed, began in 2001 as a small Web site selling themed charm bracelets with titles like Alien Abduction, Mod Squad, and Tutti Frutti. There were Alice in Wonderland bracelets and darker gothy pieces. Shortly after, I began designing custom charm bracelets for clients the world over… from the US to the UK, from Lebanon to Paris. Lots and lots of charm bracelets, each with a highly personal story to tell. And then… I took a break from charm bracelets.
When Margie’s family got in touch recently to request a gift bracelet, I couldn’t say no. Pictured at the top of the post, with additional detailed shots, the process, result, and exclamations of joy from Margie reminded me fully why I LOVE LOVE LOVE creating these magical little heirlooms.
Margie’s bracelet is sweet-with-a-bite, titled: Smitten, Bitten, and a Kitten. It includes the articulated fangs shown above and loads of vintage beads in dusky candy colors. After doing dozens, possibly hundreds of these, I can tell you, the endless nature of how they turn out never ceases to amaze me. And I’d really like to start offering them again on my site!
Above is Margie’s daughter Abby’s bracelet… a long ago creation. Completely coincidentally, I chose the SAME kitty bead for Mom’s bracelet! Everything is up for grabs on these pieces… thematically, stylistically, color, charm selections. Materials are all sterling… sometimes with pewter charms used to keep costs lower.
Above is the add-a-charm bracelet designed for a one-year-old who is very special to me and my family. I left the bracelet blank enough to receive goodies annually. Please note, the bracelets are NOT appropriate for children or even super-active teens. They do have a certain inherent fragility, and should be handled with some care. Charms can be soldered in place for added security, this adds greatly to cost though. This and other childhood pieces are curated for presentation at a much later date.
One of the most elaborate bracelets I ever created was Wendy’s, pictured above. This one includes many custom resin charms, which are not at this time being offered. Still available though are an endless variety of gorgeous sterling and enameled charms, food charms, vintage charms, even a Tiffany’s gift box charm. The sky really is the limit.
Custom charm bracelets start at $400 + insured priority shipping; this covers my time and the basic supplies with pewter charms. Most of the pieces cost $450-600, with some going much higher. What drives the cost higher?Sterling/enameled and other specialty charms, vintage rare charms, and soldering (+$20 ea charm). The best approach is for YOU to decide your budget or range, and then I will work within that. Intrigued? Get in touch! And stay tuned for a section on the site offering these lovelies once again.
PS: No, I probably can’t get one done by xmas. In the past though, holiday recipients have been gifted with cards telling them that something verrrry special is being custom-designed and made for them. Trust me, no one has been disappointed to date!
Ahhh, Marc Jacobs. I love everything about this collection. The lean silhouettes with long slim-fitted coats and slender cropped cigarette pants work delightfully against the outsized Mad Hatter-meets-Mac Daddy hats. Hats AND chunky but feminine buckled shoes are whimsical, fantastical, while everything in between is infinitely wearable, even by Washington DC’s conservative standards. The staging and music… creepy/cool! Favorite collection for this fall, fashionistas. PS: Shout-out to Pam for sharing! And in case the embedded video doesn’t load for you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydtH4cfOEng
Rehoboth beach was lovely this year. The gray skies kept us from burning our skin, and allowed for loooooong days with feet in the sand and noses in books. These Seussian kites appeared at dusk in the evenings in front of our hotel.
Between us, 7 books were read in 6 days time. Record-breaking and so relaxing. Impressively, Molly made it through Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood in 3 days, and my favorite read was Citrus County by John Brandon, also a crime novel and a very gripping read.
At night the whole town is transformed, the garish lights, the noise of Funland, and the parade of humanity on the boardwalk.
Molly is on this ride, I am not!
We discussed riding this together… until Molly said: Mom, you know it goes backwards.
This made us laugh. A store riffing on the Hot Topic brand, but in such a lame way!
We gambled the nights away, winning tickets and cashing in for a giant stuffed giraffe and many other goodies.
Above, this year’s favorite photo, and one that really sums up the experience for me. Sweet as… well, the sign says it all.
I set up shop on Etsy in 2008, 4 years ago. Prior to that, I had been selling jewelry online at So Charmed for 7 years, opening the first incarnation of the site on my birthday, September 2001. For the first couple of years on Etsy my work made loads of treasuries and the coveted front page regularly. Sales were decent. Courtney Love discovered my work on Etsy, ordering enough jewelry in 2009 for me to consider myself “on the Love payroll” for several months. She was also sharing my work with some of her friends, such as Oliver Stone, and regaling me with stories of wearing her Robert Johnson pin in the recording studio for inspiration (she was working on her latest record at the time.)
All of this was wonderful. So wonderful in fact that I was inspired to open several additional shops, with breakout lines such as LaPatisserie (sweet little rings using cakes and vintage buttons).
And another shop, SewCharmed to sell vintage clothing and sewn items. There were at least 2 additional shops; a veritable Etsy empire, I thought.
For those of you who like numbers, all told, I made 500 sales +/- on Etsy in a 4-year period. Those numbers, however, are kind of meaningless in terms of how much income I realized via Etsy. It’s a much longer story for another time (or not), but suffice to say, that even at peak performance on Etsy–a few hundred sales per year, I was real real real glad I hadn’t quit my dayjob (despite Etsy’s then-constant promotion of just that very dream).
Etsy was brief for me. Around the time of my becoming rather discouraged with the site… decreased sales and an ever-growing presence of jewelry (when I checked this morning, there were 2,965,000+/- pieces listed on the site), with prices for jewelry lowering ridiculously (current average price of an Etsy sale: $15-$20 with 3.5% going to paypal and 3.5% to Etsy), with an insane number of resellers, ie, “handcrafters” selling cheap jewelry manufactured in factories (mostly China)… and a maddening number of copycat “artists” blatantly stealing every new idea that comes along, a site popped up on the internet humor scene to poke fun at all of this alleged glitter-huffing. Enter: Regretsy, where DIY meets WTF.
Somehow, I happened upon Regretsy from its very first post, and after overcoming my jealousy at not creating the site myself, I became one of its biggest fans. It is… hilarious. And mean. And hilarious. I exchanged a few emails with April Winchell, the cool, funnygirl founder of the site and was shortly after invited by her to create the divider page for the jewelry section of her upcoming book. Above is one of the images I created, below is the one she chose to publish. I was never sure if anyone got the little Jew joke I put in. I thought April would love that.
Then, with my increasing Etsy discouragement, I refreshed the design and blog of my site, rethinking what I wanted to make (and sell), and determining that with the limited hours (fulltime job, parenting, family, etc) that I have to pursue personal creativity and art (as opposed to my client-centered professional design work), I just couldn’t bring myself to focus on listing amongst nearly 3 million pieces of cheap jewelry in the closed retail wholesale world of Etsy (you have to have an account to shop there).
And please, don’t get me wrong: there is some real, amazing talent over on Etsy a few people I’ve seen make sales in the thousands or tens of thousands… deservedly. There is fantastic original jewelry, and many other wonderful handmade goods from soap to clothing. For supplies and vintage… Etsy still rocks, bigtime. (BTW, all of Etsy’s top sellers sell jewelry supplies… duh!) I still love the idea of Etsy and I still wish all of the vendors nothing but success in their making and sales.
My Etsy shops are empty(ing), as are so many other sellers’. Because it costs nothing to have a shop on Etsy, I’m not going to officially close them down; it was a lot of work setting them up and they contain online histories of work, sales, purchases, and customers that I wouldn’t want to lose. I reserve my right to change my mind about Etsy, should the admins find ways to truly support the hardworking, orignal artists that are paying their bills. So, no regrets.
PS: So what is the answer to successfully selling handmade goods? Shows? Brick ‘n mortar boutiques? Other sites like Dawanda? A best friend on the Barney’s buyer team? Sorry, haven’t found the answer yet! Will keep ya posted!
A question I try to occasionally ask myself: Must everything always be so complicated?
This morning I thought I’d answer that with a resounding nope.
I made the things pictured here and love them for their seemingly happy simplicity. The necklaces feature big wooden beads that are probably about 60 years old, there’s a geometric brass bead (40+ years old) with amazing patina, glass trade beads, ancient toys, copper chain, wire. Oops, wait, not sounding quite that simple!
Have had these ancient clicker toys around the studio for a long time; love how these turned out. You can still see the bug’s eyeballs through decades of rust. Well, at least they look simple.
So… mostly, yeah, simple. Right?
Uh, well, I don’t actually think so. Here’s the thing: One should never confuse simple with easy. Simple, it turns out, is actually effing complicated. Yep. Nope. I don’t know! And… whatever!
Biggie photos here: flickr. Hoping to post these for sale at so charmed early next week, holler if you have an urge before they hit the site.
Here’s another give-away guys, and please feel free to sing along with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ song while you review the rules, regulations, and photos herein.
If you hurry, you can be the 9 MILLIONTH person to view this video! I like Mr. Keidis’ sparkly lipgloss, don’t you?
So, this is a sweet romantic necklace from the personal collection of the artist (ie, my ENDLESS jewelry box), but it is time to find it a new home. Features a darling vintage love-knot charm (and I can’t find any more of these anywhere), creamy Czech glass pearl rosary beads, vintage cherry red Czech glass star bead, and tiniest brass skeleton key. The chain used is vintage and so delicate I frankly can’t figure out how I was able to work with it at all!
I’m going to leave the narrative for this one up to the new owner’s sense of poetry, memory, and meaning. How to enter? Leave a comment here answering the following question: If you could invite anyone living or dead to dinner, who would it be and why?
Entries will not be judged for content, anything goes. Deadline is Friday, May 18th, 6pm at which time my lovely daughter Molly will randomly draw a name from a hat. Have fun, good luck, and thanks for playing! Winner will be contacted and necklace will ship out next week.
My exhibit entitled Curiouser & Curiouser, sponsored by Takoma Park Arts & Humanities, runs through June 15.
There are four large glass cases filled with everything from jewelry, to textile work, to clothing explorations. Hard to photograph through the glass… but I hope you get the idea.
7500 Maple Avenue, Takoma Park, MD, 20912. Also please visit the senior show of the Einstein High School arts magnet program in the Atrium Gallery.
Some of the work is for sale at So Charmed, other pieces are from my personal collection. If you visit, send an email inquiry regarding purchase.
We forgot to get photos of the petite artiste herself (resplendent in a PUT A BIRD ON IT taxidermy-festooned vintage 1930’s hat that Isabella Blow is coveting from fashionista heaven), but never fear. Yours truly was interviewed by a nice young man from Takoma Cable Television! Not sure when that will be available for local viewing. And available, and available… I’m sure this will be at least partially, if not fully mortifying.
Big loving thanks to friends and family who came by for the opening and a special huge hug to Molly for her amazing skills at setting up the cases while Mom was just pretty much freaking out.
I’ve been making a lot of dresses based on the Piece of Cake frock pattern by Jody Pearl of Sew Outside the Lines and when the above pictured African wax print textile (lower fabric) arrived at my attelier (purchased here) , I decided to make something in a queenly maxi length. I also became utterly obsessed with this gorgeous fabric, searching high and low for info about it. Is it genuine wax print or fake? Most importantly, what ARE those strange objects and why do I find them so impossibly alluring?
My research deadended and I sort of gave up, and then, while searching for more textiles on Etsy, I came upon the above (purchased here). Uhhhh, wait a minute! That’s MY textile. And I like it even better in this crazy colorway! I immediately contacted the lovely seller, Angela, who came forth with loads of info about the The Gallery of Poems textile collection from Vlisco, renowned Dutch (not African) textile manufacturer.
Here is Vlisco’s description of their 2011 Collection: GALLERY OF POEMS: DRAMATIC ROMANTICISM
Once upon a time, Vlisco created a mysterious new fabric collection called ‘Gallery of Poems’. Dreams wander, floating into your own fairyland. Step into a new world and view the designs as objects of inspiration. Some designs will magically transform into a piece of art, adding a romantic touch to the poetic drama, while others illustrate a surrealistic passing of time. The decorative collection is intensified by a flamboyant colour palette. ‘Gallery of Poems’ makes you feel like a fairytale beauty.
This is where I about fell on the floor. Surrealism? Although this is another story for another time, suffice to say that at age 14 I came under the influence of members of the American Surrealist Movement (one of whom remains one of my oldest friends), and my life at that point was forever changed. Thus, it seemed that my locating this textile, and the subsequent journey into the world of high-fashion African wax prints, was deeply connected to other aspects of my life as an artist.
Of course, me being me, it doesn’t end there. The above video from Vlisco is absolutely fascinating, explaining the wax print process (pattern ends up on BOTH sides of the cloth) and a lot about the history of the company. These fabrics are so incredible, words can not express. Vibrant color, a slightly stiff substantial hand, and beyond gorgeously weird concepts that combine traditional African imagery with modern Western icons in a global village collision that makes my head spin. Pricing aligns with the incredibleness… yardage is sold only x6 yards and at $15 per, + shipping from the UK… OMG. Here’s your source; Vogue Fabrics UK.
I’m obsessing over the four textiles shown here.
Know someone who might want to share yardage? Put them in touch, ASAP!
Because I….
…want to make more dresses!
PS: Added bonus video; How to tie tradtional African Gele (head wrap):
Jodi: Cathy, it’s so lovely to sit down to tea with you! And, you have SO many cool objéts; I want them all! Can you tell me about your collections?
Cathy: It’s kind of like I have been in this deep acquiring coma for the last 30 years, and I am starting to wake up! I have gathered things that I love, or feel they need love, and just made room for them. I find, when I really look at stuff, they have alot in common…color, texture, scale, etc. Now I am at a phase where I am thinning out the herd and only keeping what I really really love, and only letting something in that is “worthy!” That doesn’t apply to textiles or stuff that I use in my art, it is still wide open. And bowls. And circus stuff. And donkey stuff. But, still, it’s the colors that draw me, whether it’s mid-century, kitsch, Monterey, Santa Fe or industrial. And you know we love sharing our treasures with each other, don’t we?????
Jodi: Yes we sure do!! And, I completely know what you mean. It’s so incredible to be at a point in life where you trust your instincts for art and design. My collections are eclectic too, yet somehow these things look cool together and there are indefinable threads that connect it all. I think this happens in our professional lives as designers too, right? Our ways of organizing information, using colors and fonts and such? You and I share the schizo life of artist/designer, among other things. Are we lucky or cursed?! And… who is Trixie?!
Cathy: You know, when I first went freelance about 7 years ago, I had this notion that I could actually meld the two together, and found some artists like Kitten Chops and Lauri Rosenwald who actually seemed to be able to do that. But then I just fell into the normal routine of grinding out my graphic design, and trying to paint on weekends. I continued to feel very frustrated and honestly wanted to give up both. But something happened when I got a job recently that allowed me to use both my talents in one piece and I was totally excited about. Kinda like falling in love with your husband again, you know what I mean? So, my goal is to do that. Oh, and Trixie is my alter-ego. I was a cowgirl in a past life.
Jodi: I can see you as a cowgirl, for sure. You know it is so tempting to want to always combine the art and design sides, but personally, I also feel ok with these things being separate in my life. That said, I can think of several projects I’ve been involved in that really tapped into both, and those were truly very satisfying indeed. What types of design clients do you have for Trixie Design Studios and does your work for them influence your art? Alternately, does your work as an artist influence your client-based design work?
Cathy: I am very fortunate to have some great clients, almost all non-profits, who give me lots of leeway and trust me, as I trust them. So, now it is just a matter of trusting myself and not editing, which I often do, both in art and design. It is amazing to me that finally, at 54, I’m thinking that I do pretty good stuff and have something to offer.
Jodi: Well, I’ve always known you have lots to offer. You know, we have such similar clients, non-profits etc.. and I too love that feeling of making a solid contribution to the people I work for (who are, in turn, doing such great work for the world). It’s interesting… people like us seem to have active/developed right and left brain functions. We can handle ourselves in business but are wildly creative too. Do you have any insights on how this may have occurred for you?
Cathy: Ahem, I am not sure I got the whole money/savings /billings/plan for retirement thing going so well…but, I am a good business woman! I think I am good at spotting trends and also working with people and really understanding humans. I also have worked with the best and I just copy them. When I worked at the agency I was at in San Diego, my office was across from the owner’s, and I would listen to the way she spoke to the clients, with strength and respect, and I just learned to copy it. Other than that, I just go with my Mission Statement of “do good work for good people” so if something doesn’t fit both of those categories, I won’t do the work.
Jodi: Designfarm’s tagline is “uncommon solutions for the common good.” May the force be with us! With regard to our fine arts, people might notice that although our work is very different, we have some common subject matter. Tell us about the roots of your circus obsession.
Cathy: It’s strange, because I have this love for circus stuff and rodeo stuff, but I can’t come to terms with how animals are treated in either one! So, I will just stick with the visuals and, again, colors and textures. I have no idea why it appeals to me so much, but my eyes are like lasers when I latch on to something with circus imagery. Maybe it’s the red and white striped awnings? What is it for you?
Jodi: I went to the circus a lot as a kid and it literally scared the crap out of me and made me cry! There’s something about that attraction/repulsion aspect that draws me to these things that are supposed to be oodles of fun, but that also feel uncontrolled and crazy and weird, with a darkness underlying. Your work has an edge but I also love your sun-drenched color palettes. Is there a regional / cultural (ie, Left Coast) influence? Along with carnivals, what else inspires you?
Cathy: When I was little, there was a show on TV called “Wanderlust” about a husband and wife traveling the southwest in their camper. I was blown away with the images of the desert. I felt that is was home for me. I have sinced traveled alot through Arizona, Utah and New Mexico, and that is where I find peace. (Funny, I know, for a girl who has lived at the beach her whole life!) I also LOVE anything “Old Mexico” like in old movies, paintings, textiles, etc. I have a friend from Mexico City who says my paintings remind her of home, so I consider that a real compliment.
Jodi: I’ve only visited the southwest once on holiday and I remember when I first got there how incredibly different the entire landscape looked. I was sort of blown away by all the… endless brown. And the seguaros in Arizona, and how dry the heat felt compared to our swampy summers in DC. So, how do you get your paintings out there into the world? Tell us about shows or online venues. Where can charming readers see more of your work? And I heard something about you doing smaller pieces that can… ahem… be more easily mailed to the other coast…?
Cathy: I have done a miserable job of selling my own work. My website & blog has not be updated in a year, as are the other artists’ sites I subscribe to. We are doing our Cinco de Wino again, where myself, two other artist friends and a couple who have their own wine label get together on Cinco de Mayo, have food, wine tasting and show my work. I did a small show in Santa Fe, and have had pieces in shows at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art. It’s hard to find venues for my art here in San Clemente, since everyone looks for beachy, palm tree, plein air stuff, and my stuff is so different.
Jodi: Wow, OCCA looks really cool! Selling seems to be the most challenging aspect for artists. I know it is for me too; pricing things is so challenging, and half the time I want to just keep what I make! When we first met, it seemed that every time we chatted, we learned about more similarities in our lives. We each have a 14 year old daughter… how does being a mom fit into your creative and working life?
Cathy: No way would I ever feel the strength and security to pursue what I want in life if it wasn’t for my daughter and my husband. And my sister. I feel like I have a responsibility to show my daughter what it is to set and achieve your goals and dreams. And she teaches me everyday how to look at life from many different sides. I am always blown away by the things she says. Of course there is that “working mom” guilt thing, but it comes in waves. As I am yelling at her to get outside and play and not end up on the computer all day in your pjs without a shower, she turns to me and says, uh, mom…that is YOU not me. I was standing there, in my pjs, no shower, no makeup, having worked all day on my computer. So there.
Jodi: Oh, I hear that! Shower? Who needs it?! And, it’s interesting to see my daughter growing up with such creative parents… artists, designers, craftistas, and musicians. My kid is lots more math/science than I ever was, but there are still times that she gets a creativity bug and just HAS to knit a scarf or make a skirt or draw. I know what you mean about family support too… it’s truly been important to me. Do you have any advice for designers who want to pursue their fine arts muse? Anything that has worked in allowing you to do both?
Cathy: Yeah, don’t wait as long as I did to get this going! Seriously, trust yourself, work hard, pay your dues and stick by your guns. Everyone knows it has to be a labor of love. One of my artist friends once said, when I asked him if his fine art business was going to work… “Well, what else could I do?” Lastly, like my husband always tells me, “Paint for yourself.”
Jodi: I completely agree… no waiting! Life is short; make art; follow your dream… NOW! What’s on the soundtrack at Trixie Design? Is it different for painting?
Cathy: Complete and utter silence! Except when I open my windows to let in the birdsong, which I love. I cannot be distracted by sounds of any kind, it’s weird. One of my OCD things. But, when I paint, I can have some music going. I tend towards old hillbilly country, bluegrass, folky, but also like 70’s funk and soul, 80’s punk and some of the new music my daughter listens to. Old Joni Mitchell is good for painting.
Jodi: I have to have silence when I’m working on professional stuff, graphic design. I’m so affected by music that I literally can’t think when I’m listening. But I love it when I’m doing more repetitive tasks like putting together designed jewelry or sewing. Thank you Cathy, for being such a dear friend and such an incredibly talented artist! And for sharing your thoughts with me and my charming readers today!
