Sweeeet Sunday Shop Update

I am looking forward to February.  Here are some new goodies in my shop and some old vintage goodies that have new pictures! 

 

Here are the items from top to bottom, left to right:

1. Vintage 60s Sweet as Candy Secretary Dress

2. Vintage Elegant HEAVILY BEADED Handbag

3. Vintage 50s LITTLE BOW PEEP Heels

4. Vintage IT's A LITTLE NIPPY OUTSIDE Peach Pointelle Cardigan
5. Vintage 30s ELEGANTLY UNDERSTATED full Length Nightgown
6. Vintage 50s Glamorous Night Out on the Town Clutch
7. Vintage 60s MADE FOR BUSINESS Black Straight Skirt
8. Vintage 80s PARTY AT THE ROOSEVELT Velvet and Lace Dress
9. 70s Vintage LADY IN RED Dancing Dress with POCKETS
10. Vintage 50s Grace Kelly Inspired SWEET VALENTINE Heavily Beaded Dress
11. SALE- Vintage PINK POLKA DOT Dress
12. My personal favorite: Vintage 50s/60s FIELD OF DAISIES Pink Wiggle Dress

Enjoy!

Glamorous vs. Casual ~ Shop Update

It seems my new listings have been split into two personalities.  Glamorous vs. Casual.  Of course, you could always combine the 2!  Enjoy.

Glamorous:

Casual

Enjoy!

Tuesday's Treasure~Elements of Saffron

This week's ETSY Shop feature is on Elements of Saffron, an eclectic shop full of "Beautiful Handmade Jewelry, Natural Soaps & More!"

Meet Saffron!

5 interesting facts about myself are...

1. I am a stay at home Mom of two boys, Jeremiah 5 and Avery 3.

2. We live in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley in Montana along with my husband Jeremiah Sr.

3. I have a passion for the environment and everything homemade. I make all of our cleaning supplies, and the majority of our bath and body products.

4. I practice aromatherpy religiously, and incorporate it into every aspect of my family's life.

5. My biggest pet peeve is a lack of manners.
My shop name derives from..
the fact that I consider myself to be very eclectic, and also very in tuned to nature and all of it's elements. I want my shop to reflect the elements of my soul, thus the name....Elements of Saffron.

My inspiration and motivation is from...
one of my dearest friends, who has had an Etsy shop for some time now (Silvernutmegstudio) , and she helped me get my foot in the door. She inspired me to join in on the Etsy experience. I am so happy to have found such a wonderful collection of artistically cool people!

My children inspire me the most though. I love that I can work in an environment surrounded by their laughter. I find inspiration in every fiber of their being!

Too cute!!!

Here is my daily routine...

My days are crazy! Winter is much different than Summer for me. In the Winter, I wake up and make coffee first off. While the coffee is brewing, I make my boys breakfast. After breakfast, I sit down in my chair and whip out the laptop, and turn on Nick Jr. for the boys. I do my rounds on the Interweb, and by then it is time for art and a snack. I set the boys up with their art for the day (a very important part of our day!!), and usually do a round of dishes and clean-up while they do their art. Then we have our lunch.


After lunch is usually outside time for the boys , depending on the weather. I then do my online rounds again. I usually do some work in my studio or my kitchen, depending on my vice of craft for the day.

When the boys come inside, my youngest takes a little nap, and sometimes I do too! My oldest does pre-school lessons, and I help him. He also loves to check out my shop everyday on the computer! I love that so much, it fills me with joy!
Of course there is usually a load of laundry done in between all of the rigamaroo! After dinner, I do my Interweb rounds again before getting the boys ready for bed. After they are in bed, I usually spend a little time promoting and participating in the Etsy forums. I am not sure how all this will fit in once summer comes around, but we will have to see when the time comes, lol.
 
ETSY is my job or hobby?
 I consider it to be both! I like to think of it as my Hob Jobby!
 
My favorite item in the shop right now is..
I don't have one specific favorite item. I love my all natural perfume oils, and I can't wait to get more listed in my shop. I really love my felted jewelry also, and my soaps, lol! I love it all!

Rose Revolution All Natural Goat's Milk Soap 6oz. BIG BAR

by Elements of Saffron

Items from my shop that I use are...

We love Goat's Milk Soap!! I even use the Baby Mild on my boys' hair! I don't make jewelry that I wouldn't wear myself, unless it is a custom order. I don't make soap or perfume oils that I wouldn't use either.

My Favorite earrings in elementsofsaffron's shop

The type of music I like to listen to...

depends greatly on my mood. I love classic rock, heavy metal, new age, and the blues more than anything. We actually play alot of Rock Band in our house also, lol. I do like a little folk music once in awhile too. We listen to kid's music more than anything though. Music is a huge part our family! Just like my crafting, I am also very eclectic when it comes to music.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed meeting this wonderful and creative etsian!

SUNDAY SHOP UPDATE

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Enjoy!

SALE! SALE! SALE!-UNDER $15!

Follow my blog with bloglovinI live in a small 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment full of toddler toys and vintage items.  What I really need is bigger space or a studio (we're crossing our fingers and praying for a possible house this April or May), but for now, I will have to just clear out some items.  Here are some items for sale!  Everything is under $15!

 Vintage Black and Silver PAISLEY Scarf~$13

Vintage 80s GOLDEN LEAF Sweater-$15


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Vintage 80s Silver Sexy Shoes- $14

Vintage 80s FLOWERPATCH Shirt~ $11

Vintage 70s Striped DISCO QUEEN Belted Dress- $15

Vintage PINK POLKA DOT Dress ~ $9

 

Enjoy!

Tuesday's Treasure- thegreedyseagull

As a fairly new vintage shop owner, there are several ETSY Vintage shops that inspire me, and thegreedyseagull definitely is one of them.  Her eclectic selection of affordable and beautiful vintage along with her clear and crisp photography create such a beautiful shop!

Meet Giana, aka "thegreedyseagull"

Here's more about the owner:

5 interesting facts about me are...
1. I’m a New York City transplant- grew up in California and moved across the country two and a half years ago.
2. I started out as an Art History major, and wanted to do restoration for a living. I spent a semester abroad in Florence and got to work on several pieces of authentic Renaissance art in a conservation lab. I couldn’t hack the organic chemistry.
3. When I was little, I built a miniature zoo on the side of my house with all kinds of small wild animals that I trapped and took care of.
4. I am inexplicably flexible. I can get my hands flat on the ground in 6 inch heels and my feet behind my head. (That is quite interesting)
5.I can imitate crows so well that they will talk back to me if I caw at them.

The era that inspires me most is...
though very hard to choose,the mid 50’s to early 60’s. Style was feminine, but also playful and bold. I was really into the rockabilly scene in southern California as a teenager; I went to car shows, swing danced and dated boys with pompadours and I am still really nostalgic about that whole era. Also, clothes from this time period tend to look the best on my figure so I think I naturally gravitate towards them.

A gorgeous 50s dress from thegreedyseagull's shop

I began my Etsy shop as...
a hobby to pass the time and make a little extra cash. My guy is in law school and is always studying, and I needed something to do. I tried Ebay with some luck, but eventually got sick of it. When I discovered Etsy, I was really inspired by some of the beautiful vintage shops whose owners had made them all their own and decided to give it a try.

My Daily Routine consists of...
getting up between 8am and 9am, unless I am going to an estate sale in which case it’s usually 5 am. The first thing I do is check Etsy, then I make coffee and answer convos. If the light is right, I will orchestrate a photo shoot, which generally takes a couple hours. If it’s not, I will go out and hunt for new stock and go to the gym. Later in the day, I will package up all my shipments that need to go out and make a mad dash to the post office. I get more strong coffee and cook dinner, and spend time with my boyfriend.


After dinner, I measure, wash, mend, and do my listings. This usually goes on until midnight or so. All throughout the day, I check my Blackberry for new convos; I am OCD about getting back to people fast. I also browse blogs, Etsy, and pay attention to my doggie. Weekends are almost always taken up by estate sales and thrifting. Usually I take a couple days a week off since I work such long hours.

Etsy started out as a hobby, and has become my full time job. Up until September, I had a full time office job (which I hated) and was frantically trying to keep up with increasing business, hauling packages on the subway and running to the post office on lunch breaks. It was exhausting, but rewarding. I was laid off in September and decided that I needed to make my shop work as a full time job.

My vintage collection consists of..

a carefully curated collection (due to limited closet space) heavy on dresses, coats, and jewelry. I’d say about half my wardrobe is vintage; I like to mix it in with current pieces to keep things looking relevant. I have a soft spot for leopard coats, beaded sweaters and weathered USA made leather pieces.

Gorgeous 50s BETTY DRAPER heavily Beaded Cardigan

by thegreedyseagull

My favorite thing in the shop right now is...
this insanely beautiful pair of black crocodile embossed stiletto boots. It’s really hard to believe they are vintage, because they look like a pair of Prada boots. They are a fine example of how vintage can fit seamlessly into a modern wardrobe.

Vintage CROCODILE Sky High Embossed KILLER boots

 
My routine while I'm listing is...

I like to listen to Pandora usually on The Decemberists station. Iron and Wine, Edith Piaf, and Patsy Cline are also favorites. When I take photos, I like to play dancy music to keep up my energy; Nine Inch Nails, David Bowie, and (please don’t tell) Lady Gaga.

I hope you enjoyed the interview with this delightful shop owner.  Here are just 2 of my favorites from her shop (believe me, I have many)

Vintage AUTUMNAL Cropped Jacket     &       50s Little Black LACE Wiggle Fit Cocktail Dress

Enjoy!

Tuesday's Treasure~ Ittybittylove

This week's feature is on one of my favorite shops on etsy called IttyBittyLove.  To all the moms out there, you will ADORE this upcycled, handmade shop that bursts with creativity and fine handmade goodies!

The creator of "IttyBittyLove"- Christy, with her family.

I chose my shop name because...

since my shop was focused on children's items, I wanted something sweet and cute. I had several names picked out and did quick sketches of the logo I would use with them and simply had my daughter pick out her favorite! Thus itty bitty love was born...

Here is a little on my background...

• Ever since Iwas a little girl, I LOVED crafting and everything about clothing. My mom was very crafty -always creating things for our home as well as for my sister and me, which naturally helped me to love crafting.
• When I was in my teens, I loved tweaking and altering existing clothes to either fit me better (I am very petite) or to create something new. I remember one time I went into my mom's closet and cut up a couple of her skirts to make them into minis and getting in BIG trouble... I can laugh about it now, but boy was I in trouble!
• I discovered the Fashion Institue of Design and Merchendising during my junior year in college at UCSB as i was driving by their campus in downtown Los Angeles. I went in JUST to take a look, sat with an advisor, went through what they had to offer, took a tour and I ended up enrolling the next day taking a leave of absence from UCSB.
• I graduated with a Fashion Design degree in 1998 and went on to work in the fashion industry as a fashion designer for the past 8 years. I loved every minute of working in the fashion industry but decided to stay home when I had my kids who are now 4 and 1.
•  I became a stay at home mom with the pregnancy of my son 2 years ago which led me to open my etsy shop! There is nothing that I love to do more than spend time with my kids...

My inspiration and my motivation for my Etsy shop is...
my daughter, who by the way is my BIGGEST FAN!!! Audrey, who is 4, loves everything I make for her and tells me how much she loves wearing the things I create for her. She tells everyone at school and at church that her mommy made them for her and she is SO PROUD to wear anything I make. That just melts my heart and wish I could make her whole wardrobe!

When she heard that I would be opening up a shop & would use her as my little model, she came up to me and said "Mommy, I love everything you make and can't wait to be your model wearing these!" For every item I create for the shop, she asks me to make another one just for her! (I wish I could grant hetr this wish, but it's just not possible... she is my biggest fan, my biggest motivation and inspiration... =)

Tools I utilize for my shop are..
1) My 2 sewing machines-a huqvarna viking huskystar which was a trade in from a sewing machine my sister bought for me back in high school as a birthday present using up her whole paycheck, and my brother serger, which was a recent valentines day present from my loving husband.
2) Our dining table which turned into my work area. My crafting supplies have taken over our dining table completely, which forced my family to have our meals on our kitchen counter everyday... =)
3) Repurposed materials to create something new. For example, I will use an old skirt that someone no longer wants to create a whimsical scarflette or some vintage pearls and add ribbons and chains to create a new necklace for that special little girl...

(I love the box of chocolates next to the laptop, Christy! Ha!)

My favorite items in the shop are...

the black and white tweed scarflette accented with fuschia pink rose flower with these cute pink flower buttons, and the punk inspired fuschia bead necklace accented with black and white stripe fabric flower. There is something about a fuschia and black color combination for little girls which I love.

Etsy is my...

hobby for now, with the hopes of it becoming a job one day, perhaps. Being a stay at home mom is my full time job, and when I say full time, I mean 24 hour shifts 7 days a week. But I love every minute of it...

My Goals for 2010 are...

• 
  
  to list more items then I was able to this past month. 
• 
  
   to have consistent sales everyday with a positive feedback on every sale. i make and pack my items with lots of love and care with hopes that the little girl receiving the gift will love it as much as i enjoyed and loved making them.
• 
  
  to be known and available to everyone who has a little girl around them. I would love for "itty bitty love" to be a part of every little girl's wardrobe...

Let's support this extremely talented stay at home mother by visiting her shop!  Everyone has a niece, daughter, granddaughter, or sister that may love Christy's items.  Thanks Christy and I hope everyone enjoyed reading this feature.

I will be having a fabulous giveaway tomorrow, so come back to find out what it is!