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Monday, January 31, 2011

Interview with Gloria of Lolailo

Lolailo is a shop who believes in the importance of reducing and reusing. Lolailo is based out of Fairfield, California and is owned and operated by my Etsy Recyclers Guild team member, Gloria.



Q. Tell me a little about yourself:

When I am not unemployed, I am a winemaker. I grew up in Spain. I live near the Napa Valley, I am married to a winemaker, and I must say we drink quite well at our house. In my newly found spare time I have reconnected with my crafts, which is something that had been falling by the wayside little by little. I also take classes at the community college by my house and practice kickboxing.

Q. When did you first start crafting?

My mom is a very creative person, and I’ve been crafting since I was able to hold a pair of scissors, pretty much.

Q. Please describe your work in detail. What's your favorite type of crafting/art?

I primarily make bulletin/message boards using wine corks and old frames. My love for corks came through my job. I was fascinated by the typography and design that each producer used. I was dismayed at these very interesting and diverse corks ending up in the garbage after a tasting, so I started hoarding them. I investigated what to do with them, and of all the many crafts you can use corks for, the bulletin board was my favorite. I am a pragmatic person, so I like things that have a function. I go to thrift stores and garage sales and look for frames suited to become cork boards.
















Q. How has your work evolved from your earlier work?

I have become more flexible, in that I can see more possibilities on frames that perhaps I would have dismissed earlier on. I decorate the frames, paint them, nail beer caps onto them... Anything to rescue unloved frames from the landfill.

Q. Where do you get your inspiration?

I get a lot of inspiration from the frames themselves. There is nothing standard about creating something out of a “found object”, so when I’m ready to tackle a new project, I just throw some corks into the frame and start playing with them, forming a design, changing it, and eventually I come up with a plan.

Q. Where are your products sold (online/stores)?

Online at Lolailo.

Q. What advice can you give other crafters when selling their items?

I am trying to figure out so many things myself! I find Etsy to be full of very experienced and talented artisans, who tackle crafting as a business. I read the forums and the blogs as much as I can, and try to heed their advice.

















Q. Describe yourself in three words:

Recently Etsy had a similar exercise, but we had six words! This exercise was based on Ernest Hemingway's claim that he could write a good story in six words.
I wrote:
“Spanish winemaker hates throwing corks away”

Q. Is there is anything else you'd like to share with us?

Treasuries are a wonderful way to connect with other Etsians, promote your items and develop an aesthetic eye. The fairest treasury team I know is the Pay It Forward Team. We follow the Golden Rule and try to be as helpful as possible. Please look us up! Everybody is welcome to join!

You can find Gloria online at the following places:

Lolailo on Etsy
Facebook
Twitter
Kaboodle



Thursday, January 27, 2011

Meet Retreauxgirl

Sharon- Repurposed Jade Moonstone Necklace $50
Retreauxgirl is owned an operated by my friend Leslie. Leslie and I have never met, but we are both from Texas. I live in Houston and she lives in Nederland.









Leslie makes really amazing jewelry pieces from vintage jewelry, old door hinges, keys and whatever else inspires her. She typically incorporates faux pearls, rhinestones and ribbons into many of her pieces.

Charmed I'm Sure Repurposed Charm Necklace with Pearl Strands $60



There's something so feminine about this piece. The multi-strand vintage faux pearls with charms. Who doesn't love charms? They're so special and beautiful in this piece!



Leslie and I have gotten to know each other pretty well over the past few months. She and I are team leaders for the Etsy Recyclers Guild team. The Recyclers Guild is a team consisting of vintage shops and shops that sell upcycled/recycled goods.

Big Bertha-Antique Hardware Statement Necklace $75

You can find Leslie online at the following places:

Etsy shop
Facebook
Twitter
Blog

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Newspaper Mannequin head & porcelain glove mold by Ira Mency


If you haven't heard of Ira Mency aka Retro Chalet, you're going to hear about her now.

She's an amazingly talented artist, blogger, writer and vintage dealer. She's also the team captain for the Etsy Recyclers Guild.

She makes these really cool mannequin styrofoam heads and repurposes them with newspaper. She then glazes the top of the newspaper. I have some of these styrofoam mannequin heads and hers looks much better than my plain white mannequin heads. The newspaper adds a little drama and makes them look pretty cool!

She also does the same thing with some porcelain glove molds that she has in her stock. She and I did a gift exchange at Christmas and she sent me one of these porcelain glove molds. They are actually really cool. I've never had one in my possession before. I do have to admit, I like the newspaper added to the glove mold. You can find out more information about glove molds here.

You can find Ira Mency by visiting the following links:

Retro Chalet on Etsy
Retro Chalet Studio on Etsy
Blog
Facebook and
Twitter

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Buttery soft soft leather scraps = cuff bracelet heaven!

I went to an estate sale yesterday and the woman who used to live in this house was a major crafter. Her back room was full of fabric bolts, trims and scraps. I found this fairly large buttery soft leather scrap:



I pulled out my scissors last night and started cutting into the leather. I made one small cuff bracelet for myself. I also cut some other scraps that I was going to try and sew into rings. Here's the bracelet I made for myself:



I cut some slits in the leather to create separation:



I'm going to go back today and see if there are any other leather scraps.