Trashion Trunk Show - check it out!

our flyer made by the gracious folks at etsylabs. hope to see you at the trunk show july 27! spread the word!

Trashion is...

What is this thing called Trashion?
It's pretty broad, actually. It is a group of crafters who take old, discarded, used, or found objects and make them into something new. It's repurposing, recycling, upcycling, reconstructing, reusing, rethinking.
It is everything from enthral, http://enthral.etsy.com, who makes jewelry out of unique materials, to groovyvinyl - http://groovyvinyl.com, who molds vinyl records and LPs into unique pendants and jewelry.
It's also folks like disCARDs (http://disCARDS.etsy.com) and reneedesigns (http://reneedesigns.etsy.com) who take junk mail and old papers and transform them into new paper products.
Drew at http://fairytalefibers.etsy.com makes beautiful pieces out of selvedge. And Mallory at http://dismantled.etsy.com takes all sorts of unusual fabrics and transforms them into new dresses, skirts and barrettes such as this: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6123834
For my shop, http://sweetyprize.etsy.com, I have a couple different ways of expressing my trashion. One is through crocheting with used materials, such as cassette tape. I also cut things into long, yarn like strips, and then crochet with them, such as this scarf: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=5180316
Another way I create with trashion is by taking odd items and making jewelry out of them, such as the classic button bracelet. I also find things that have holes or drill holes into things to use them as beads.
Finally, I take second things and crochet with them, such as a scarf I made with old flower appliques. Sometimes the yarn is second hand, or even unraveled from an old sweater.

Search trashion on etsy.com as a tag or title and you can see some of the great variety involved with this style of art and craft.

Trashion is gaining speed. The street team has new members and has a trunk show slated for July 27, 6 -8 p.m. at EtsyLabs in Brooklyn. Please come, you'll have a great time and get to see what this is all about. For directions to EtsyLabs please click: http://www.etsy.com/labs/visit.html

A beautiful idea

This was really ingenious. A way to give a beautiful gift, and direct the recipient back to your and other shops with a special gift certificate.
Here is more information!

It's the brainchild of Lucid Dream Designs, at http://www.luciddreamdesigns.etsy.com. She made these beautiful gift card purses, that are a lovely greeting card with a gift certificate inside. The gift certificate can be used in a variety of etsy shops, all of who agreed to accept the buyers and will be reimbursed the value they spend. It was such a simple idea! I loved it! Here is one of the listings : http://www.etsy.com/view_transaction.php?transaction_id=5461737

Lucid Dream Designs's shop is great - beautiful cards, notebooks and other paper products. I particularly love the argyle designs.

There are so many other shops participating. You can use your gift certificate in more than 30 shops. Mine is a member, of course, but so are some shops I love!
check out auntie di's candles, or shineyourhiney's great soaps. BellaStyle has great aprons, skirts and headbands! A real variety of goodies when you have these gift certificates.

I wanted to bring your attention to a great shop with a great idea - thank you Lucid Dream Designs!

Be sure to check out http://luciddreamdesigns.etsy.com :-)

Buy My Supplies

Boy, Sweetyprize.etsy.com is getting cluttered. So I created another etsy shop. This one is just for supplies and vintage. It's called buymysupplies. Catchy, eh?

So far I've listed lots of buttons and patches. More, like beads, yarn, fabric, papers, to come. Not soon enough if you ask me.

Please check out http://buymysupplies.etsy.com and scoop up some great deals :-)

Going Old World

There's people who are doing innovative thing with new materials, modern designs and post-post-post whathaveyou.
But then there are folks who insist on doing it the old fashioned way. They are woodworkers. They are carvers. They weave. On etsy.com - your place to buy all things handmade - these crafters are united in Old World Shoppes.
Check out all the members at http://team.etsy.com/profilest/ow.shtml
I am a member, and have listed some more Old World Shoppe items - mainly decoupage and rag rugs.
Decoupage is the art of applying decorative papers to an object and then sealing them so it appears to be part of the object. On my esty site, http://sweetyprize.etsy.com, you can find my decoupaged eggs. I selected a variety of papers to create unique patterns on the eggs, such as silverfish, bear jars of honey, totems, as well as creeping phlox. Check them out, but dont try and scramble them.
DUring the Great Depression, fabric was at a premium. Well, everything was. In the spirit of taking scraps and making things out of them, came the necessity of rag rugs. Strips of worn fabric were woven, braided or crocheted into rugs and blankets. This Depression Era craft has a new installment in some crochet rugs in my shop.
Check out all the other Old World Shoppes, and take in the beautiful diversity and craftsmanship of these artists and artisans! You can search the etsy site for OWS or Old World Shoppes to take it all in. Contact etsy seller Wildwood to join or for more information!

Today is showcase day

I forked over some dollar bills and got myself into two showcases on Etsy this month. Its a special feature on the front page, look for me today under Showcase. I was also very very very busy redoing my avatar and banner. I think they look great! Much thanks to MSArt.etsy.com, without her and her hubby I never would have figured out my massive banner problem. I swear, if she sends her address I'll send cookies.

I also wanted to give some inches to Susarto.etsy.com.
I bought a bookmark from her shop and it arrived quickly and beautifully. What a big help she was, and her product made a wonderful gift. Never will forget that one!

RightAsRainCreation.etsy.com is the place to go for chocolate orange. I don't want to smell like an orange, and I'd probably get very hungry if I smelled like chocolate. Her chocolate orange lotion is not a combination of scents, but more like that chocolate orange candy they make. And in that way, its not too citrus, not too dessert. What's more, it's a lotion. And that makes me and my dry legs very happy. Please check out her shop and other scents.

Silly origins to my items

It's April Fool's Day!
I thought to offer a peak into how some of my sillier items were created. All are or were available for sale at http://sweetyprize.etsy.com. Check them out!

1. Helmet Hat

I had this super thick yarn, and wondered what would happen if I made a hat out of it. Hats can be so silly, like anything, if you just take it and exaggerate an element of it. Crazy brim, oversized pompom. This one is an exaggeration of thickness. It came out looking like a crazy helmet. Something a vintage footballer or a character out of a video game would wear.

2. Leafy nymph scarf thing

Well, this yarn looked kinda like the color of a tree branch. And then I had all these silk flower leaves. I crocheted them together, voila, it's a thin scarf. Or maybe its a belt. But either way, you are definitely a spritely creature if you're wearing this thing

3. VHS tape place mat

There is no doubt about it, cassette tape looks like

yarn. So I use it like yarn. And here it is as a

placemat. Add some shiney crinkilyness to

your meal.

4.chalkboard mug
Gosh, they have mugs that say anything on them don't they? Well this one can say anything you want it to. Go ahead! You just write it on in chalk. I liked the idea of being able to write anything you want on it. So I gave it a try!

Now go be silly.