The Craft Show

Wow...I can't believe it's been over two months since my last post. Every time I had plans to sit down and update my blog, life had other plans. I kept hearing this GPS-like voice whispering "recalculating" each time my plans to write went astray. Along with everything else, we've been dealing with a sick pet, Gracie our ten-year old Pomeranian, who lost her sight in a matter of days while battling both diabetes and Cushing's disease. We seem to have things under control, and she's regained a lot of her spark despite her lost sight. Going for walks is still a bit of a struggle, but I'm hoping she'll become familiar with the path we use and get back to enjoying her daily jaunts.

On March 29'th, I participated in my first craft show in London, ON. I was so nervous getting my booth set up, wondering what sort of response I would get at my first show. All sorts of fears and doubts kept creeping in. My husband and daughters were absolutely wonderful and kept assuring me that things would be fine, and as usual they were right.

I had a fantastic time...great sales, terrific feedback, meeting lots of wonderful customers and fellow artists. Everything worked out wonderfully and I was so pleased with how my booth looked, especially for a first show. Here are some pics:

 

 

I was so thrilled with the results and on a high for the balance of the weekend. But, after celebrating Easter with my family I slipped into a bit of a slump-a sort of "post-show" blues. I can't seem to explain why, but think it was likely because I had worked such long hours and dedicated every spare second to preparing for the show; now that everything was over I felt a little bit lost. I'm sure part of it was likely due to being completely exhausted. I realized that having a show on the horizon gives me a purpose, which seems to ignite everything....creativity, energy, ideas. So I decided the best thing to do was to sign up for another show. I started my search and aimed high. I decided I had nothing to lose and applied to one of the city's longest running festivals.

 

I'm so excited to share with you that I've been invited to participate in London's 2013 Home County Music and Art Festival which runs from July 19-21, 2013. This is one of the city's longest running festivals with attendance that runs 125,000-150,000. A huge, fantastic outdoor festival that I'm absolutely thrilled to be a part of. Three days of wonderful music, beautiful art, and delicious food.

 

So with a little less than seven weeks to go, the creativity and energy are soaring. I can hardly keep up with myself. Lots of ideas on how to improve my booth, new design ideas, looking for new fabrics, hunting for new vintage pieces to repurpose.....I love it!!!

 

Over the next few weeks I'd love to share all of my plans and preparations with you, and promise to be back next week with updates on how things are progressing. Until then..........

 

Take care.....Marian  xo    

 

 



The Countdown is ON!

Seven days until showtime...that's right, exactly a week from now I'll be busy setting up my booth for my first craft show. I've been working hard making lots of new items and getting everything I'll need for my booth prepped. Everyone here has been pitching in to keep things in order while I work away in my studio. I'm blessed to have their constant support and encouragement. I'd be lost without them...

The 32'nd Annual London Arts & Crafts Spring Show & Sale will be held on Good Friday, March 29, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and it promises to be an excellent show. Here's a link to their site: http://www.londoncraftshows.com/  As well as the directions, the site has a link to a $1 off admission coupon and a link to their facebook page with a preview of some of the exhibitors.

If you're planning to attend, I hope you'll stop by my booth to say hello. I look forward to meeting everyone.

Take care.....Marian  xo    

Sweet Painted Ladies

Great news! I am thrilled to announce that I will be participating in the London Arts and Crafts Spring Show and Sale in London, ON on Friday March 29, 2013. Yes, that's right...it's only six weeks away. I received confirmation this past week and have gone into hyper creative mode. Excited and terrified at the same time....there should be a word for that. Joyverwhelmed, how's that.

This will be my first show so I've got a booth to put together as well as make product. I spent this weekend planning, making lists, going through long forgotten materials and dreaming of fixtures and booth designs. A few weeks ago I started collecting some items that I knew I would need for my business, regardless of whether or not I would be participating in craft shows. As a creator of hats, having a mannequin is a must. I had a wishlist in a mannequin:  plastic, vintage look, minimal or no facial paint ( so that I could paint it myself), with a portion of upper torso and shoulder, as well as a full neck & head.

I looked long and hard, but could only find some options in the U.S. Unfortunately shipping charges were more than the mannequin so I continued shopping around. Two weeks ago I found a supplier in Toronto who had the cheapest price I had found yet, and only $10.00 to ship it. Here's a "BEFORE" shot followed by a group of "AFTER" shots. Have a look.... I'm very pleased with the results and think they'll do a great job modelling my hats and jewellery.

 

 

Before...

 

......and After-Meet the dark-haired beauty  Maggie....

 



 

....and the lovely brunette Madeleine.

 

By choosing to keep their clothing simple, it will make it easier to alter their appearance to suit a variety of displays.

 

Hats, scarves and jewellery....

 

...or some bridal pieces.

By wrapping different fabrics around the base, you can create any number of looks.

 

With one project crossed off my list, I'm feeling a little more joyous and a little less overwhelmed. On to my next project....thanks so much for stopping by!

 

Take care.....Marian  xo      

 

 

(Not So) Basic Black

 

When it comes to fashion accessories, I seem to be working in groups of colours. First it was reds and grays, which I think compliment each other quite nicely, and this time I decided to work in blacks. Black is my favourite colour and a staple in my wardrobe. It is such a classic, elegant colour and you can choose to leave it on its own, which always makes a statement, or you can add nearly any other colour.

 

This all black carpet bag was my first effort of the weekend. I finished it off with a vintage Victorian mourning cameo brooch, adding the chain and black faceted drop jewel to complete the look. 



 

I am obsessed with hats lately and decided to add two more to my collection. Rather than add any trimmings to this piece, I decided to use a black floral tapestry as the band section of the hat. I think it turned out nicely. I'm not always sure that designs I visualize will always work out, but this is exactly how I imagined it would look and I'm so pleased with the outcome.

 

 

My second hat was designed for warmth and beauty, and I used a black boucle which always has such a vintage look to it. It reminds me of the long opera coats from the 1920s/30s...so elegant. Well, here's the perfect hat that would match it perfectly. The brim is made using a soft black velveteen.

 

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Yes, I've been busy.....working non-stop for the past two weeks and here are the newest bracelets that I just finished up.



 

 

The first bracelet is a navy velvet band bracelet with a vintage rhinestone buckle. The nautical theme is a big trend this coming spring so I opted for the navy band...it's very similar to black and looks great partnered with nearly every colour. 

 

This next creation is a repurposed vintage French shoe clip that I transformed into a bracelet. Either side of the clip is set off by a vintage art deco buckle and finished off with a strand of crystal beads. So pretty...

 

 

Vintage shoe clips are the perfect piece to design bracelets around, and this repurposed Musi clip makes a gorgeous bracelet. The pretty floral design will make this a perfect piece for spring. I decided to go with velvet ties to make this a one piece fits all item, so you'll need a friend or partner to give you a hand fastening it.



 

 My last creation is this beautiful wrap bracelet. Wrap bracelets are very popular these days and this is my "vintage" take on them. With the help of memory wire they will always retain their coiled shape perfectly. So easy to wear, you simply wrap them around your wrist. This one is entirely made with vintage beads in navy and white pearls along with several types of crystal and silver beads that give it that sparkle. A small vintage art deco pendant completes the look.

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As you can see I've had a very productive two weeks and now I'll need to get busy listing my new creations in my Etsy shop this week. I couldn't wait to give you a sneak peek.

 

I'm so looking forward to this upcoming long weekend. We're celebrating Family Day on February 18'th in Canada and I'm looking forward to some family time. I feel the need to get out and enjoy time outside of my studio-time to"fill the well"....get out and see the world!

 

Take care.....Marian  xo    

Craft Show Applications

Filling out applications for craft shows presented a bit of a challenge for me recently. Some applications request photos of vendor's craft booths so that they can assure a professional appearance. These will be my first shows, and yes I could simply explain this in my application, but I don't want to be at a disadvantage when it comes to the selection process.

I decided to arrange a number of the items that I plan to incorporate into my booth, and take some photos so that the organizers will get a sense of what the booth will look like.

I think the elements that I've decided on are a good fit with my branding....vintage suitcases, wicker chairs, wire birdcages, mannequins and iron gates.

 

The iron gates make a perfect display for my necklaces and I can hang quite a few of them on each panel. The wire birdcages will make excellent earring displays.

I plan to attach hooks to the lids of the suitcases to display more necklaces and make a cushion for the bottoms to display my bracelets on. The big suitcase will be used for my carpet bags and hats. I'm having trouble finding mannequin heads that I can use, but will continue the hunt. I would prefer something that has a vintage look...nothing to modern.

 



The mirror will be perfect for customers when trying things on, and compliments the iron gate perfectly.

 

And of course, you can't sell vintage jewellery without a mannequin to display your necklaces. I covered and decorated this one myself. The other, a black wire dress form mannequin, was purchased from a home decor store.

 

 

I have a second folding screen that I plan to upholster with a vintage Paris dress shop motif fabric. With a foam backing it will make another excellent display for my jewellery items with the use of long jewellery pins. There are hundreds of ideas swimming through my head, but I think I'll start by making a diagram of how I'd like to set the booth up before I get carried away. I've got lots of work ahead of me....a table cover, a banner, some more jewellery, carpet bags and hats to sew, along with all of the other paraphernalia (lighting, bags, price tags, business cards). Oh and I didn't mention the ecourse I start tomorrow : Building a Better Creative Business http://buildabettercreativebusiness.com/ . It's a fantastic course created by Tim Adam (Handmadeology) http ://www.handmadeology.com/  and Lisa Jacobs (Market Your Creativity and The Energy Shop) http://www.marketyourcreativity.com/.  I'm sure I'll be raving about it in future blogs.

 

Applications go in the mail this week and I can't wait to hear back from the organizers with (hopefully) good news. I've already recruited my daughters for the tentative dates so my sales team will be a family affair.....to be continued!! 

Take care.....Marian  xo   

 

 

 

romance&ruin Fashion Accessories

When I started romance & ruin my goal had always been to add a line of fashion accessories to the repurposed  jewellery that I started with. I even listed it on my business card so I needed to introduce it sooner rather than later. I was a little apprehensive because it has probably been at least 

4-5 years since I have done any serious sewing. My wish list includes handbags, hats, ties, scarves, belts and maybe even some one-of-a-kind altered pieces of vintage clothing.

 

After Christmas I decided to get started. I discovered the most gorgeous jacquard velvet at my favourite fabric store and my mind raced with all sorts of things that I could use it for. Well, the most obvious of course was a carpet bag so that's where I planned to start. When I took the bolt to have the fabric cut, the lovely ladies were wonderful enough to share with me that everything in the store would be 50-75% off the following week (this is one of the many reasons it's my favourite fabric store). So I lugged the bolt back, scoped out all of the other colours I couldn't wait to get my hands on and left.

 

When I went back the following week I was stunned to see the parking lot was filled. And here I thought that no one sewed anymore. What a wonderful surprise.

I love fabric stores and it's as much a tactile experience as a visual one. I love running my fingers across all of the rich, beautiful fabrics. I could spend hours burrowing through the shelves filled with "ends" looking for treasures.

 

So after having all of my treasures cut I took my place in line where many of us shared plans for our fabrics, and oohed and aahed over each others finds. An expectant mom with plans to outfit a nursery, a mom and daughter planning to make bridesmaid dresses, and another woman thrilled with the fabric she found to recover her dining room chairs. I was so inspired when I left, it felt great to be surrounded by so many other creative women.

 

Last weekend I shut myself away for three days, literally. It wasn't too hard since it was a bone chilling -15 C. A perfect weekend to sew and I managed to finish four projects--a carpet bag, 2 hats and a pretty plaid tie. Check out the results:

 

 

 

I added some antique style buttons and vintage chain for a unique look....

 

...and a red floral toile lining.

 

I think the black lace on the underside of the brim adds a pretty accent when the brim is flipped up.

The rose is handmade from a black chiffon.

 

 

I love plaid and thought these colours would be the perfect compliment on this dark gray velvet cloche. I added the vintage rhinestone buckle to finish it off.

 

I absolutely love men's-wear inspired fashions and decided to make some ties that would look great with jackets or vests. I plan to add some vintage pins to give them a softer feminine touch.

I'm thrilled with the results and look forward to adding some more to my collection. 

Seems like the perfect way to pass the time on cold wintery weekends.

Can't wait to work on some more in the next few weeks.

 

Stop by my Etsy shop to see the complete listings along with more photos. I've had a great response so far...they've been "favourited" every day!

 

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DON'T miss the fantastic Valentine's Day Sale in my Etsy shop with everything

 currently 15% off.

The perfect time to treat yourself!

Just use Coupon Code "VALENTINE 2013" when checking out to get the discount.

 

Take care.....Marian  xo    

Farewell 2012.....Salutations 2013!

I am inspired by one of my favourite bloggers, Kelly Rae Roberts, who wraps up each year with a review of the past twelve months and wraps up with hopes and dreams for 2013. I absolutely love this idea. A great way to count my blessings, celebrate my achievements, acknowledge my courage and strength, and move beyond some low points to look ahead to the journey that awaits me in 2013.

Here we go...

• In February I decided to leave a full-time position with a company that I had been with for 17 years. Accepted a part-time position with a new employer....best decision I've made career wise in my entire life. Yes, there are still some fantastic places to work!
• In April I celebrated a milestone birthday...okay not a big secret...50!!!! Yes, 50. It bothered me at the time, but I've gotten over it and totally love my life (most days!) My daughter's arranged a beautiful garden party for me with my Mom, sisters, and nieces all there to help me celebrate. Everyone brought me gifts gor my gardens-roses, flowering bushes, annuals and perennials. So much love and great memories.
• Started taking weekly hikes at a local conservation area my sis every Wednesday. Love our weekly chats and time together.
• Participated in Beth Nicholls' "Do What You Love" e-course. Discovered a lot about myself and jump-started my creativity. Took part in her "Great Postcard Swap".

• Took long summer weekend road trips with my hubby discovering lots of new places-great fun and I love our alone time.
• I bought my first vintage piece of jewellery, a gorgeous Art Deco dress clip which led me to my biggest AHA moment, my passion, my bliss....creating repurposed vintage jewellery.
• Designed and started my very own blog! (This is a H U G E accomplishment for this non-techie....extremely proud!)

• Purchased a brand new camera and slowly learning to take pictures, some that are actually pretty good.

• Discovered Etsy and eBay.....hours of my life that I'll never get back and I'm quite okay with that!
• After 5 years of avoiding the doctor, I got a complete physical and all of those other lovely tests that we need at my age (...yes 50!) Clean bill of health for which I am very thankful. Oh yeah, got my first pair of glasses-funky red & gold reading glasses. And yes, I've forgotten where I've left them only to find them perched on my head-it does happen!
• In September I made my very first piece of jewellery."Lady Madonna"... a repurposed vintage necklace with an antique reliquary locket attached. I was so thrilled with how well it turned out and knew immediately that this is exactly what I'm meant to be doing (and have never doubted it since.)

• Decided on the name "romance&ruin" for my business and launched my Etsy shop on Nov. 22, 2012 with 47 items listed.

• Joined the world of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Flickr.
• Went head over heels (great pun!) over the most gorgeous pair of Steampunk boots.

• Discovered "Mrs. Brown's Boys", an Irish comedy shown on the BBC. The funniest show I've seen in my entire life. Laugh out loud hillarious, Agnes Brown and her family are absolutely hysterical.

It took me a while to stop feeling guilty about only working part-time but by the summer I started settling into my new life, and loving all of the time at home....time in the gardens, time with my daughters and husband. It's been wonderful enjoying the slow, lazy mornings on days off; snuggling with the pups and having a second cup of coffee....bliss! Taking time to do the things I love has been the greatest blessing and I can't wait to see what 2013 brings.

So far....

• Celebrated my first Etsy shop sale! Rah Rah ! Siss Boom Bah! I did it!
• Filled out applications for my first Craft Show.
• Did something completely impulsive ( I never do this! ever!) Decided to pack and go to the States for the rest of the weekend on a Saturday afternoon. We had a great time and I will definitely do it again.

There are so many things I hope to accomplish and experience in 2013, and I look forward to sharing them all with you right here.

Take care.....Marian  xo