Colorful & Overdue

Its been (way) over two week(s) since the Spring Indie Garage Sale so I figure I've had more than enough time to recuperate and share how it went. I always look forward to the IGS but working a show all weekend (especially alone) really takes it out of you. The layout was a little different compared to the Holiday event in December and helped keep it less congested for the shoppers. I got a chance to walk around a little and I thought it had a decent flow.

I played around with my table layout, but of course it's always a work in progress. Here's how my setup looked if you didn't make it to see in person -

I've been trying to work on having a good mix of items on the table without overcrowding it. One of these days the solution will come to be, but until then I'm having fun with different display ideas.

I tried to keep extra shopping to a minimum, since sales are a little slower outside of the holiday season, but I did leave the show with some new goodies. Of course no Indie Garage Sale experience is complete (for me) without a stop at JCookies table for a cream cheese brownie or (ok, and- I got both) a blueberries & cream cookie. I so look forward to those treats and I generally let myself indulge a little on IGS weekends.

I also picked up some jams from Red Fox Farms. I got a Carrot Cake jam (yum!) and a Pepper Jelly which is A-mazing on eggs.

My favorite score though? Well just see for yourself - 

My neighbor this time around was Denise from Whirled Peas Beads. I am a sucker for glass and she make some amazing beadss. I had a hard time choosing, and in my head I am always replaying that one scene in Cinderella when Gus Gus and Jacques are trying to find supplies for her dress when he notices the string of pearls - OOOOH BEADS. I am looking forward to working with the sets I did get. The lime green pair I just may keep for myself - I've been so drawn to that color this spring.

Not only does she make fantastic beads, she also creates beautiful jewelry. Check out her site for more goodies 

Here

Next time I'll share some of the pieces I've been working on - it has been so fun incorporating new accents into my chainmaille. In the meantime, I'm getting ready to participate in THIS fun event tomorrow. I'm not usually the type of person who likes to get messy, but I can make an exception if I get to wear a rainbow.

Happy Friday!

Useful and Beautiful

So the other day I finished something that was initially inspired by a comment someone left on my page. Here is what I made -

Can you guess what it is?

Give up?

It's a Chainmaille POT SCRUBBER. Why did I not think of this myself? Oh wait, even if I had come up with it, pot scrubbers like this have actually been around for a while - they're like the original steel wool. This is made in a 4 x 4 inch mesh of bright aluminum rings, which dont rust or tarnish so it will take the wear and tear of regular use. I attached it to a key ring for something easy to grab onto. If I plan on marketing these pot scrubbers, I'll be sure to source the bigger rings that will not rust or tarnish as well. It wouldn't suit to have the one part of it I dont make to not stand up to the rest of it, now would it?

This scrubber would be perfect for all your cast iron cookware. Don't tell me you're not using cast iron, or I'll tell you you're cooking it wrong. Since this is the first scrubber I made I decided to test it out on my own pan.

Before:

Scrub, scrub, scrub

After scrubbing:

I'd say it works - and it would look so pretty hanging by your sink when you're done, don't you think? It *almost* makes me want to wash the dishes. Almost.

Fresh Stuff

Welcome to a new year! I hope everyone celebrated in their own satisfactory way. I ushered in 2012 with a quiet night at home with loved ones and I would not have it any other way. I've been trying to get back into the swing of things, and been lucky enough to start off the month with some custom orders.

One of my favorite recently completed commissions is this rainbow cuff that a friend ordered at the house party she held -

The colors vary through the whole spectrum - red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, purple and black. The ends are all bright aluminum.

This piece was a nice challenge for me - I used whats called a "Dragonscale" pattern (it's sometimes also called Mermaid Mesh) which is a little tricky to begin with, but I also altered the it into a sort of fringed, zig-zag wave too. This is my favorite weave and though to be honest I had to put it down a few times because it was making my eyes buggy, I just loved working on it.

I've got plenty of new ideas for SCC this year. I'm hoping to get a few bigger shows in, including one or two outside of NY state. Also in the works are some new designs and one of a kind items, plus some larger scale  projects I've been meaning to get to for a while (chainmaille belts, anyone?).

Keep your eyes pealed, as I'll be updating the Shop and the blog here with lots of shiny. I can also be contacted by email for any custom requests.

Happy New Year!