Ragtags Vintage Rhinestone Treasures: 2011

Friday, August 26, 2011

Finally on my way home

After three weeks in Boston, it is finally time to head home. I will miss this place with all it's wonders just steps from my door. I will return to the internet on Monday, August 29th, unless Irene knocks out the electricity!
In the mean time, are you ready for the 2011 Boston Bazaar Bizarre?

It will take place on December 4th at the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama. The fair will be open to the public from Noon until 6pm, with an Early Bird Shopping Hour from 11am until Noon. Normal entry costs $1, Early Bird entry is $10 and limited to 100 shoppers. Early Bird tickets will be put up for sale on our site at 10am on November 15th.

The Cyclorama is located at 539 Tremont Street in Boston, MA.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Have you ever heard of Michal Negrin?

Holy Crappinoli! GO to Michal Negrin's at Fanueil Hall Marketplace in Boston if you ever have the chance; the website just doesn't do it justice.

Boston Update

70 lbs. of supplies on the road and STILL not enough! I have ideas for things I left at home and it's hard to move away from them and work with what I have... eh.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Inspiration in Boston

In between creating Etsy listings, rhinestone cuffs and wandering around Boston, I've spent some time surfing the net to keep up with the trends and friends.
Here is an artist I found that made me fall in love with enamel work...

Her name is Donna Sturges and I encourage you to visit her Facebook page, if only to peruse her photos. Her ideas are so fresh yet classic and the colorful designs of her work just make me smile!

Monday, August 8, 2011

Working in Small Spaces

In addition to all the technique research I did for a week before leaving for Boston, I should have studied some tips about working in small spaces. It is much harder to get anything done than I thought it would be. I have the urge to stay in to get more work done but the city is calling and I am really torn. Eh...
It doesn't help that it is raining again with two more days of rain ahead.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

I am in Boston until August 26

Lucky me! I get to stay in the North End for 3 whole weeks! I brought 70 lbs. of supplies with me and am ready to unleash some serious creativity and go on some excellent adventures. So far I am finding that if you can't get out for an adventure, they tend to come to you!

Yesterday, while taking the dog for a walk, a marching band came up the street, weaving in and out of traffic, stopped at the end of the street, and played several songs before weaving in and out of a couple of open air restaurants... odd huh?

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Cuff Tutorial, Finished Cuffs & Supplies in my Etsy Shop

I suppose I needed to make this official announcement weeks ago, lol. What I hadn't mentioned that I am also listing some wonderful supplies that I can't even believe I'm parting with. BUT... you can't make those cuffs like I make them without some vintage bling... you just can't. It would be a shame.

In other news, I have orders going out to Australia and the UK, my two dream destinations. And I've not only sold 2 cuffs in the past week or two, I've also dropped off 3 more at a fabulous jewelry store in downtown Portsmouth named "Puttin on the Glitz". I am so lucky to have such a wonderful place to go, visit with the owner Assiah (who is even more wonderful than her store) and I have the honor of selling there. And I've managed to make a few extra cuffs to put in my shop. Life is good :)

Friday, July 29, 2011

Why is it so hard for me to keep up with this blogging stuff?

Oiy! I always intend to post more often but it just doesn't seem to happen! I've been busy with work, but still, it seems to only take a minute to give a hello and an update.
I have stuff to show too! Like the tutorial I've promised? It's been done and posted in my Etsy shop already. And supplies to make cuffs and other fantastically fancy jewelry? Yeah, that's being posted too.

I even posted an entire Gocco small business package on Ebay that I forgot to promote. That is going to sell for much less than it's worth... all because I don't invest enough time on the internet. Grrr... so annoyed with myself!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Statement Cuffs in my Etsy Shop

I am happily working away on some new cuffs to list in my Etsy store! I miss making custom cuffs but the prom rush is over, leaving me plenty of time to stock my shop with more jewelry. Keep an eye out here and I will post a cuff tutorial soon! That way, if you can't afford to buy one of my cuffs, you may decide to take a stab at making your own.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Project Accessory Update

So, I am back from NYC, sitting in my livingroom. I didn't make the cut. But I did find a lot of encouragement from the experience. First off, there is no reason to be intimidated by being judged. I learned so much about my work, how to present to an audience, and learned what I need to do to make it next season. No really, they told me that! I found the judges to be friendly, generous in their suggestions, and best of all, I could totally see where they were coming from.
This just wasn't my time. I wasn't ready and the universe knew it. Next year I will go back and give them exactly what they want. In the next 11 months and 29 days I will learn how to make a handbag... not just A handbag, but many variations. I will learn the concepts and work my way up. I will also know how to design and make shoes... shoes like no one has ever seen before, because they will come from inside me, which no one else can do but me :o)
And last but not least, I will not be afraid to go BIGGER with my work. I will still do the meticulous, futzy things I've always done, with lots of details and wonderfully finished edges, but I will also let myself explode with big pieces, without fear... and I will document it ALL... every single piece. After all, if you want a killer portfolio, you have to choose the best of the best of your work and build your book so it has flow, crisp photos, and an occassional model photo with a little sense of humor.
Surprisingly, they were impressed with my portfolio, given that I put it together from photoshoot, to layout, to printing, in just three days! I think they thought it was "quaint" but the photos had enough quality to get a feel for what I do.
All in all, I would say it was an exceptional experience, and fun, and there is nothing like the confidence boost of seeing other's portfolios and knowing that your work is pretty damned good. It confirms that you belong doing what you love to do.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Project Accessory open casting call in NYC

My goodness I've been busy! I found out about 9 days ago that Project Accessory, a spinoff of Project Runway, is holding an open casting call this weekend in NYC, so I'm going for it!

I am required to fill out a 29 page questionaire, provide my passport (which is in the process of being processed), provide a portfolio (which I did not have but am currently creating) and a couple of photos of myself.

I have been working like a chicken with my head cut off all week, trying to make things to fill a portfolio and today is a photo shoot day. Sadly, other than the photos I post on here and a few product photos from last year, I really don't have anything to show my range of skills! I have vowed to never sell or give away anything without taking a studio shot of it first!

Lesson learned!

Monday, June 6, 2011

New Work - Cuffs, iPod cases and Fascinators

Keeping up with orders and the internet is turning out to be more intimidating than I'd realized. I have not posted in a while but I certainly have been busy! I am not only making jewelry, but iPod cases (because I made one for myself and now everyone I know wants one), and feather fascinators (because they are fascinating!), and I have done all the research on feathers to the point of saturation and am writing a much needed tutorial. It includes washing, bleaching, dyeing and every kind of manipulation techniques that I find. Making the screen shots seems to be what is taking so long. AND I finally found some of those Swarovski circle findings... and plenty of 'um!
So, here are some pics of some of my latest projects. They are not the good quality photos but they atleast will give you a glimps of what I've been up to.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Time for Magazine Submissions Again

This time I am submitting to Belle Armoire Jewelry and Jewelry Affaire again. Here are the pieces I am submitting. The first one should look familiar from a previous post. It's one of my favorites! I hope I have a chance to get it back from the store before someone buys it!

Wish me luck!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Dinner of Champions

I am taking a breakie-break for a late dinner and an episode of Cupcake Wars. Yes, that is a shot glass of pure NH maple syrup, a mini 3 Musketeers and a cup of coffee. It keeps me going...

Sunday, April 17, 2011

The Ever-Elusive Rhinestone Circle/Flower/Charm/Finding

As promised, here are the special Swarovski pieces that are so hard to find, that even I can't find them... and I am like a pig seeking truffles with these kinds of things! They don't have an official name, as far as I can tell. And even if they did, no seller knows it so they are really hard to search for! Some correctly call the stones Swarovski, but some just call them rhinestones, crystals, or super-sparkling circles. Some call them findings and some call them charms. Some even call them flowers! A person can go nuts trying to find these things!

I managed to find a really nice lot on eBay this week but they are all the same size. I am looking for the kind that stack to form an gorgeous, sparkling flower that adds so much color and texture that it makes me drool. I am convinced that it is impossible to make an ugly piece of jewelry if you use these things. Atleast that is what I think when I don't have any. I sit and I sew and I think to myself, "This bracelet wouldn't be so damned ugly if just had some of those Swarovski circle things!" Of course, when I am done making the piece, it always looks fine... but would be so much better if I just had a few of those circle thingies! LOL

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Puttin' on the Glitz Spring Trunk Show

Assiah Russell and Stephanie Robb

I just got home from the Stephanie Robb trunk show at Puttin' on the Glitz. It was an awesome evening filled with beautiful jewelry, wine, snacks and the ever-amazing Assiah Russell! I was treated to a make-up consultation with Joanne McDonough of Joya Beauty. What a lovely woman, and so insightful, I will have to treat my daughters to some pampering at her studio. Assiah displayed 10 or 12 of my cuffs and I received many compliments... which always makes me blush, and feel kind of awkward. I learned that I need to have a background story ready to tell when people ask me questions. It's funny but it never occurred to me that I would be asked how I learned to do what I do. There were many basic questions that took me off guard... artisan 101 kind of stuff that I have read about a million times and somehow took for granted that when it was my turn to answer, it would just come to me. I didn't anticipate feeling like a deer in the headlights. I'm sure it was perfectly clear, by the look on my face, that my mind was racing as I tried to find a way to sound like I knew what I was saying. I will be better prepared next time.

For inquiring minds who want to know way too much... the highlight of the night for me was when Assiah took me aside and said I am magic. I haven't had anyone tell me that in years! I was also invited to sell my work at Wild Things Gallery in New York. AND when I mentioned to Stephanie Robb that I also make beaded Christmas ornaments, she seemed very excited with the idea. I will have to remember to mention those to Assiah sometime soon.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

10 Pounds of Vintage Swarovski

What does 10 pounds of Swarovski rhinestones look like? Well, if I could take a worthy photo of them, I sure would be happy, but try as I might, my photos can't even come close to doing them justice. Last Saturday I received my Swarovski shipment in the mail. It was a steal at $550 and I was so excited, I was literally jumping up and down and clapping my hands as the Postman fetched my box from the truck.

So instead of trying to take photos of the sea of little packages of rhinestones, I've chosen to post photos of some of the new work that has come from them. I am already seeing a significant improvement in the design and color combinations. And the SPARKLE... Oh there is nothing like the sparkle of genuine Swarovski!

Everything I received is already set in brass and there are shapes I've never even seen before! There are some examples of every color Swarovski makes, and there is a good amount of chain, although you can never have enough rhinestone chain, IMHO.

There are still some components I am always looking for that were not included in this package. They are extremely rare and, had I known that, I wouldn't have used the supply I had so generously on my first few pieces. I'll post some photos in the future just in case someone has a pile of them in their stash and would be willing to sell them!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Photo Improvements & Mailbox Candy

It's been a productive day and a day full of joy as I received wonderful vintage goodies in my mailbox... much more than I'm showing in the single photo. I will be working until 2 a.m. and dream about what I'll be creating when I wake up in the morning! The photos are looking better, don't cha think? Now if the cloudy days would just melt into some sunshine, I'm hoping to see an even greater improvement.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

My First Photos

These first test shots show promise. I have to experiment with the lighting, but the details are clearer than I've been able to get without the photo box and there is minimal flaring. Without the box, I might get one crisp photo out of every 30 shots, and sometimes the clear one wasn't the one with the best composition. Now it seems almost every shot is clear, but somewhat dull. I'm done for the night but tomorrow I will figure out how to capture some of the sparkle and a little more color depth.

My Portable Studio

I am happy to say my efforts were successful and I've had a chance to try a few shots in my new photo box. But I have to admit that it doesn't look as polished as I thought it would. It does seem that it will do the job, once I experiment with it. What I did, in a nutshell, was remove the netting from a collapsible laundry bag, making sure to leave the seams on the frame. Then I glued nylon lining fabric to the seems on the frame with Beacon Fabri-Tac. After it dried I cut the excess fabric around the edges. I set up two small lamps with 100 watt bulbs and placed my Ott-Lite above. Ta-Da! All done! And it easily stores in the corner of my closet when I'm done with my photo shoot.

Portable Photo Studio

www.instructables.com with tutorial... too ugly for me

Etsy.com : affordable until you add the shipping... it's cheaper to make my own

The reason I don't have photos of my latest work is because they don't lend themselves well to photography. They are encrusted with Swarovski rhinestones, fire polished beading, cut glass buttons and you just can't capture that with the old "natural light on an overcast day" trick. Or at least I can't. So today, I am forced to finally take the plunge and build my own portable photo studio setup. I'd seen a tutorial on instructables.com years ago and I've marked many a commercial set on Etsy and Ebay. I've collected the supplies to make them, but I could always get by with natural light and a white background, so that's what I did until now. I will hopefully be posting some awesome photos of my work by tomorrow, along with a photo of my little studio setup.

Jewelry Affaire - Spring 2011

Hello from Ragtags studio! I have been away from my blog for a while but have been inspired to return having realized it was included in the tagline of my article. Please feel free to read through my previous posts. Rest assured I will begin posting amazingness to help you learn how to make fabulous jewelry on your own, where to find great supplies, some eye candy to enjoy, and little interesting stories that happen regularly in my creative life. Please join the Ragtags Facebook page for regular updates and promotions.