Interview of Uniqlets Jewelry

Hello Readers,

I'm back again with my weekly artist interview.  Today I will feature Lisa with Uniqlets Jewelry.  I love her stuff - especially her bracelets!  She uses vintage and antique odds and ends (and BUTTONS!) to create truly unique statement pieces.  I think you will enjoy her work and her story :-)

Q.  What is your art/craft and how long have you been doing it?

A.  I make jewelry using vintage/antique materials from the Victorian era through the 1970's I have been doing it on and off for about 15 years and the look of my pieces has evolved over time. It was mainly a hobby for most of that time, I started my web site this year.

Q.  What got you started?

A.  I began by making vintage button bracelets. My grandmother sewed all of her life and saved any interesting buttons. When she died, I wanted to do something with her buttons because they were attached to so many memories. I don't make clothing, but I love jewelry so the solution was obvious.

Q.  What are your favorite materials to use?

A.  I like using a mixture of materials and to try to stick with things that are vintage and re purposed. I still use a lot of buttons in a wide variety of materials including bakelite, carved glass and wood. Now I like to make my designs more interesting by also using old jewelry parts, game pieces, buckles and anything with an interesting form, texture and color.


Q.  What and/or who inspires you? 
A.  I am inspired by the bold vintage jewelry that I have been collecting for many years. The other inspiration comes from the materials. The designs come from what I see when I put them next to each other and play around. I also love to create custom pieces jumping off a customer's favorite look, colors or the look of a single earring or piece of broken jewelry that holds special memories.

Q.  Do you have a Coupon Code for your Etsy Shop and/or website?

A.  I am happy to offer a discount for readers of this blog.

The code BLOG will get the reader 15% off on any piece of my handcrafted jewelry. Shipping is free on anything priced more than $200.00

Website:  http://www.uniqlets.com/
                http://handmadeartistsshop.com/shop/Uniqlets,%20Jewelry%20by%20Lisa
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Uniqlets-Jewelry-by-Lisa/129228897137575


Thank you again,
Lisa

Interview of brandMOJO

Hello Readers,

This is the first of a series of interviews that I'm going to be doing on artists and craftspeople that I find to be exceptionally interesting.  I hope you will feel the same :-)

Today you will read the interview of Marisa of brandMOJO Images:

Q.  What is your art/craft and how long have you been doing it? A.  I started taking pictures when I was a kid with my Polaroid Rainbow SX-70. Fast forward through many years, many various cameras and many excursions to today. I have been shooting professionally for over 13 years, both fine art and commercial photography.   Q.  What got you started?  A.  I took a Photo 101 course in college which led me to start working as a photojournalist at the college paper. I loved the thrill of being in the mix of capturing life as it happened. Being in the right spot at the right time. This continues to be a common thread among all of my photos: being in the moment. I rarely stage my photos, but rather I move myself to get just the right image.  Q.  Are there any other arts and crafts that you would like to try your hand at? If so, why?  A.  I would love to start working with wood. My husband builds fine furniture (brandMOJO Interiors) and has slews of scrap wood for me. My goal for this year is to decoupage my photos onto wood, to build birdhouses, to carve burl bowls, and anything else I can tackle. Nothing is as cathartic as getting immersed in an art project. Q.  What are your favorite materials to use?  A.  I absolutely love using vintage and antique cameras to take black and white photographs. They were used before color film was the norm and they create detail that is so tactile. I do tend to use my Nikon D90 to photograph most things now, as films are getting harder to come by. But my favorite black and white film is Agfa Scala, a gorgeous slide film.   Q.  What and/or who inspires you? A.  I am inspired by so many current photographers and artists, there are too many to name, but those who I admire most are Henri Cartier Bresson, Lewis Hine, and W. Eugene Smith. Q.  Do you have a Coupon Code for your Etsy Shop and/or website?  A.  I tend to run select specials where a certain percentage of the sale of an image will go to a reputable non-profit, such as the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund and also Animal Rescue Kansai.  Etsy Shop: brandMOJOimages (http://www.etsy.com/shop/brandmojoimages Blog: http://brandmojoimages.blogspot.com/ Website:  [my new site is under construction, but here's my first one]  http://brandmojoimages.webs.com/   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/brandMOJO-Images/145821875431245 Thank you so much for this great opportunity, Myria!  The best to you as well.  The warmest of regards, Marisa

Vote for your June Favorite...

Hi ladies,
One of my necklaces was nominated again! :-)  (see below for the contest link)

I didn't win last time but maybe this time...
Please share with your friends/family.

Thank you!
Myria Mandell
Beloved Bijou Adornments & Accessories
http://www.facebook.com/belovedbijou
http://belovedbijou.blogspot.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/myriamandell
http://www.belovedbijou.com
http://heartsy.me/users/39245/referral
beloved.bijou@yahoo.com
505-417-5437

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: New Mexy Etsy Team Blog <no-reply@wordpress.com>
Subject: [New post] Vote for your June Favorite...

Vote for your June Favorite... Charlie | July 6, 2011 at 8:40 pm | Tags: june, monthly design challenge, New Mexy Etsy, sunset | Categories: Monthly Challenge | URL: http://wp.me/p1bwOJ-ax

Our New Mexy team members hit the studios hard to capture the beautiful New Mexican Sunsets in their craft. Here is what they produced:

[1] Upcycled Clay Necklace; [2]New Mexico Sunset Necklace; [3] Extreme Sunset Ripples Peyote Cuff; [4] Rising Urban Sun Vase
View Poll

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DIY Tie Die

Back in the day...which would be the late 1980's & early 1990's, when I was obsessed with bleach dying the life out of my jeans (hey - it was cool...) I didn't really have a technique that I used.  Nope, just some good ole Clorox and a washing machine.  Sometimes I would tie the fabric in knots.

Recently I came across this awesome and easy technique for fashionable Tie Dye.

You’ll need:
- a 100% cotton black shirt (a Free People tee was used in the photos)
- a few cups of bleach
- a bucket
- a pair of gloves
- a few rubber bands
- 2 flat shaped objects used for binding

To make a grid-like pattern, fold the shirt like an accordion and bind it between two pieces of wood or other flat shaped objects. Hold the shirt in place by wrapping a series of rubber bands around the bind. Anything used to bind the clothing will prevent the bleach from penetrating, and the rest of the exposed fabric will bleach and turn color. Click here for more binding alternatives.

Before you start bleaching, make sure you are wearing gloves and working outdoors or in a well ventilated area. Dilute approximately 4 cups of bleach with 1 cup of water. Submerge the shirt into the bleach for only a couple of seconds. Watch it very carefully because depending on the thread count of the clothing, the color can turn very quickly and the bleach may start to erode the fabric. As soon as the black transforms into a rusty brown color, immediately remove it from the bleach. Give it a quick rinse, unbind it, and then hang it. (Click images to enlarge)

The rusty brown color will slowly fade into a beautiful lighter shade as it begins to set. Once its dry, wash the shirt in a washing machine.

Your reverse bleach tie dye shirt is ready to wear!

images by HonestlyWTF

I found this DIY HERE

Here are some more awesome images for inspiration

Things I Love Series - Craft Spaces

So, I'm currently working on my craft space.  It used to be my front porch but in early 2007 I had it converted to a cute little sun room.  I used to have my craft room in the basement but 1.  I rented out my basement and 2.  I wanted some more sunlight!

I love this space, in spite of it's space constraints, and I am really enjoying getting decorating ideas.
Here are some of my inspirations.

Source: countryliving.com via Myria on Pinterest

This is an ADORABLE craft armoire thingie - love it!

Source: allwomenstalk.com via Myria on Pinterest

Here's another one...so cute!!!

Check out the rest of my craft space inspirations on Pintrest
And stay tuned for photos of my sun room.  I'm almost done!  :-)
Love, Myria

June Beloved Bijou Giveaway

I am very excited to announce that Your Golden Ticket Blog is hosting a $15 Beloved Bijou Gift Certificate giveaway!  In addition to the giveaway they are reviewing one of my pieces of jewelry so you will be able to read what they have to say about it.

Click HERE to enter the drawing.  Act fast because the drawing is on June 15th!!!