Caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap! (OK, a little more than 50 cents a cap).

Finally, I finished two hats and managed to post them on my etsy site!  Thanks to the blizzard I had some extra time to do a little bit of work.  I've been selling  quite a few of my hats locally, so this is my first time selling the hats online.  I hope people like them.

As for the jewelry, we have much to celebrate because thanks to two of my wonderful friends out in Cali, I made my first etsy sales a few days ago.  It has been amazing to see it all work.  They choose which pieces they want, click, click, click, I get paid, I send it out, it's all good.  Although, I must admit that since the blizzard snowed me in, their packages will be sent early tomorrow morning instead of today.  I think they'll understand.

It actually worked out great because it gave me a chance to include our hilarious holiday cards (see above photo).  It  is not even 9:00 pm yet, so I think I'll be headed to the local packy and buying a bottle of wine to celebrate my etsy sales and hat postings.  Thinking of you and Happy Holidays!

Going Global and My First Employee

Finally, after many months of brainstorming, creating, schmoozing, uploading photos and painstakingly writing descriptions, my etsy site is up.  Phew!  All of those details were really starting to drive me crazy. Months ago, when I first thought about opening up a shop on etsy I thought that it would be fairly easy. I hadn't really thought what a PIA it might be to take a decent photo (they still need work, but are acceptable for now) or how to figure out shipping and handling costs. This past weekend while the kids and hubby were away in Philly I vowed to get the shop online.  I felt like a high school senior that waited until the last minute to write my college essays.  The dread, the task of having to put my thoughts down in a clear sensible way, the details!!!  Argh.  Well, I finally did get the site up. It's not perfect, but will do for now.   I only a few pieces of my jewelry and a quirky pair of awesome moose cuff links are up, but my hats will be up in about a week.  The hats are not posted yet, because I decided that photos of the hats perched on a table looking sad and lonely just wouldn't cut it. I needed a model, be her live or not so live. I really wanted a sassy vintage head, but found it nearly impossible to find a vintage mannequin head with brown eyes and dark hair.  Rob finally pointed out that people of the dark persuasion probably weren't so popular "back in the day".  After scouring the internet, I did  finally find "my girl".  Isn't she cute with black hair, blue eyes, long eyelashes, lots of  eyeliner and a cute painted bob.   Very sassy and asian-esque like me!  Maybe some of you can come up with a nice name of the newest member of the Safi Stitches team!  So, if you haven't already, go ahead, take a peek at the website and maybe even buy something for someone special!  Please remember that the hats will be on their way soon!  And hey, Happy Holidays!

A window shopper no more

Last Friday I went "antiquing" for the first time in my life, real live antiquing.  "Antiquing" to me has always been something older people from Connecticut and New York do.  I remember many a summer when my Grandmother (from CT) and my uncle (from NY) would come to Rhode Island and go antiquing.  My awesome, working class, sheet metal mechanic/commercial fishing dad kind of made fun of it.  He wouldn't be caught near an antique shop;  he did however, religiously pay a visit to the local "Barn Sale" every Sunday.  We would drive down a  long dirt driveway and spend hours poking through what many would call "junk".  A dilapidated barn busting at the seams, full boxes piled high with old postcards, forgotten photos, cracked porcelain dolls, moldy books, dusty lamp shades and centuries worth of mysterious mechanical devices.  My dad would call  me over and hold up something sharp, rusty and definitely dangerous. "Hey Jule, what do you think this was used for?"  I would make my guesses, he would make his and he would inevitably ask the Barn Sale's owner.  My dad was always so friendly and interested in learning about people.  On my first day "antiquing" and schmoozing I believe that I must have been  channeling his energy, chatting up the store owners, asking questions, telling stories, and learning more about antiques, buttons, business building and people.  He would have been so proud.  I loved all the chit chat, but I was also working, no window shopping for me. It was empowering walking into an antique shop and not saying, "Oh, I'm just looking".  Instead, I told the store owner that I was a jewelry maker looking for antique buttons for my pieces. "I focus on Antique Victorian buttons of brass, pewter, gold and oh yeah, I love working with black glass, too." These stores were no Barn Sale, but they'll do.

Below are a few of the pieces I have made from antique buttons.  I'm still perfecting the wire work on the bracelets and rings, but the earrings will be up on my etsy site (safistitches.etsy.com) this weekend.

Bracelet made from Antique brass buttons made extra special because they are pictorial.  Buttons with children on them are rare and are often collected. Late 1800's -early 1900's.

Earrings made from antique Czech twinkle buttons with filigree.  Ornate, beautiful and unusual because they are painted.  You won't find earrings like these anywhere.

Antique Czech brass buttons.  Detailed, shiny and unique.

Large brass button ring, pictorial with cherries. 1880's - early 1900's.

Not antique, but very fun.  Just an experiment for me.  Made to fit my daughter's tiny fingers.

I love this vintage 1950's button ring.  Medium sized bling for a special night out.

Showy and lovely cocktail ring, 1950's rhinestone, just like a movie star.

Antique moose cuff links, anyone?

Hand-crocheted wire wrist corsage with mother of pearl center.  It will have a light, magnetic clasp for easy wear.

As for my hats, they are selling really well.   I've sold them all, have two more on order and have to buy more yarn. Although, right now I'm having difficulty choosing the right yarn.   What a great problem to have.  I was even thinking about buying yarn made from corn.  It's super soft, comes in non-offensive colors, and is vegan-friendly, too.  I am thinking of the vegans because there were quite a few people who loved my hats at the show, but they didn't buy my hats because they were wool.  I promised them that vegan-options were on the way, so this post is for them.  So, back to the hats, would you buy hat made from corn?

First Craft Show!

Only half of the pins I will be selling.  All made from eco-friendly wool.  Pink and yellow are hand-dyed by me!  Carrots, tumeric and beets.

Earrings made from gold plated Czech buttons.  Incredible design and detail.

Funky art deco earrings.  Very cute, very unique.

Wire crocheted flower around 1950's paste button.

Bracelet made from Antique Victorian blue tint and red luster metallic buttons.  One of my favorite pieces.

Rings made from vintage buttons.  1920's-1950's.

Crocheted brimmed cap.  I will be taking custom orders at the show.

Well, it's here!  My first craft show.  I am up way too late, so what's a few more minutes updating my blog going to do?  Thought I'd add some photos of my work.  Anything I don't sell will go up on my Etsy page this week.  Wish me luck!