Vintage Bead Jewelry

I am a vintage lover at heart, and I drive my sister crazy when we go to antique shows and flea markets together. One glimpse at a vintage jewelry booth and I'm drawn in like a magnet, having to look at absolutely everything. I am the odd girl who always asks vendors for broken jewelry!  Jewelry from the 1950s and 60s was so well-made, it's a shame to let it end up in a landfill just because the pin broke or a rhinestone fell out.  I spend a lot of time scouring markets and eBay for anything that can be made into something else. It doesn’t have to be perfect- a missing rhinestone or a heavily-aged look only add to the charm for me. Much to my delight, I recently discovered a warehouse that deals in vintage, uncirculated beads and other odd items. I only allow myself an annual trip there because I’d probably spend all my grocery money on beads!

I am heavily influenced by the Victorian and Edwardian eras. It was an age where women wore ruffles and lace on a daily basis, and were expected to be feminine.  I am a die-hard romantic, and that shines through in my designs. Trendy and hip are two words you’ll never hear me use to describe my style!  I design classic pieces that are meant to become heirlooms- pieces that appeal to the romantic in all of us. I love that fact that it’s now acceptable to wear pearls or a glittery necklace with a t-shirt and jeans. We are no longer limited to saving our best jewelry for when we are all dressed up!
 

I love things that sparkle, and I try to include a little bit in most of my pieces. There are so many unique and gorgeous choices in vintage bead designs that simply don’t exist today, and I try to make sure they get center stage when used in a piece. The vintage beads I uses are always of a limited supply, so I will often mix them with new beads to help keep costs down.  Sometimes, I have a little trouble letting go! There have been a few pieces I've completed, then taken one look at the final product and said, ‘No way am I selling this one!’ It doesn’t happen often, thank goodness, but there are times when a piece is just so "me" that I can’t let it go.  Then, of course, there are the times when something looked much better in my mind than in actuality.  Oh, yes, I’ve worked for an hour or two on something and then decided it was just hideous.  But that’s the beauty of handmade;  I can take it apart and make it into something better.  I sometimes have to remind myself that, as an artist, I have the freedom to choose to start over.  It’s okay to make mistakes, it’s okay to not like something you’ve made. More often than not, if you put it down and walk away for awhile, you’ll make something truly fantastic when you try again.

Click on the photos to be taken to Tracy's shop!

Tracy Weed of The Tiny Wren has been crafting all of her life-one of her earliest memories is making mouse Christmas ornaments out of walnut shell halves with her grandmother. Jewelry design is a fairly recent venture for her, but it didn't take long to get hooked! Tracy loves the Victorian era, and is heavily influenced by the romance of the period. She loves to take vintage jewelry that is broken or otherwise unwearable and rework it into new designs that can be loved again. 
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Craft Show 101: Choosing an Event That Is Right For You

The fall and holiday craft fair season is upon us.  With all of the events out there, how do you know which ones are right for you? Here are some suggestions and considerations to hopefully make the selection process a bit easier.

1. Who is coordinating it and how is it being promoted? 
Check with other vendor friends. There are some promoters to be avoided at all costs and others that are top notch.

2. How long has the show been in existence? 
Not always, but often, first time or very new events lack the visibility and promotional reach of more established events, while established shows have a following of loyal visitors.

3. What are the fees? 
While it is difficult to predict what you will make, fees should be 10 percent or less of what your gross sales are for the show. (Don’t forget to include your travel expenses, all of the coffee purchased along the way, lodging costs, time, etc.)

4. How many days is the event?
If more than one, are the premises secure for you to leave your booth set up? Do you have the required set-up materials?  Will you have enough inventory, packaging, business cards, etc.? It is stressful having to come home after a long day and try to crank out more product, so make sure you have enough stock going in.

5. Location, location, location. 
Where is it? Is the venue visible and accessible? What is the commute like? If it is a two day show, will you have to find lodgings? If so, factor this fee into your show cost. Don’t rule out a great show because you’ll have to stay over; see if you can find another vendor friend who will split hotel costs.

6. Is the show indoors or outdoors? 
Are fees refundable if the weather is poor? Is electricity available? Is there adequate lighting? If you will be vending alone, are booth sitters available? If you are at an indoor event, always be prepared by bringing lighting (unless you have seen the venue). You may not need it, but if you are stuck in a dark corner, lighting will help you shine (sorry! I couldn’t resist) and improve your visibility to customers.

7. Did a promoter stalk you and beg you to do the show because they love your items and “others who have sold products like yours have done well”?
Proceed with caution. Remember that another’s definition of “well” may be different than yours. Ask questions, get numbers. The crafter who occasionally sells products may have a different expectation than a maker who crafts for a living.  Plus, promoters often embellish their events just a little.

8. Visit and observe the show in person and on line. 
There is no substitution for firsthand experience. Are the vendors all handcrafters? Are the items high quality? Are the displays professional? Is there ample parking? Is there a variety of vendors and categories? Are there many customers and are they buying/carrying bags with purchases? Talk with vendors for a realistic perspective. Check out the show’s website and social media links if they are available.

9. Is the show juried?  (Meaning, do they choose from applicants, or is everyone allowed in)
How are artists selected? Are there multiple jury dates? A carefully curated show is worth the time spent gathering pictures and writing an artist statement. Juried shows usually (but not always!) mean better quality items, and customers who are serious about buying handmade. However, this does not mean that shows that are small or not juried are without merit.

10. Are all of the items handcrafted? 
Does the show require that the artisan who made the item be present? Shows where new, direct sales items are permitted (think Tupperware, Lia Sophia, 31 Bags) tend to be less profitable for crafters/artists. Check the show’s definition of handcrafted; must all items be made by the vendor? (For example, if you make glass beads and the show permits others who purchase and string cheaper, imported glass beads, it may be difficult to compete. Don’t rely on the customer to know the difference.)

11. Is your craft a good fit for the show?
What is the price range of the items? Are your items and your price points a match for the show? Your items may not sell if you have the high-ticket item in a lower price point show. Likewise, if you are not a fine artist, you may be bypassed at shows dedicated to fine art.

12. Are there limits in each category?
Ask the promoter how many vendors in each category they will accept. While competition is a good thing, it is to no one’s advantage if there are too many vendors in one (your) particular category.

Hopefully this is a helpful guide to those of you looking into new craft shows.  Stay tuned for Part 2: How to apply to a Craft Show (so you will get in).

No stranger to dirt and getting dirty, Nancy Butler is a farmer, mother of three, and a Master Gardener. The owner of Lyric Hill Farm, Nancy creates all natural, eco-friendly luxuries for bath, body and home which are designed to pamper and clean. Her goat milk soaps and detergents are made from her own fresh, raw goat milk (from her herd of French Alpine dairy goats) and organically grown herbs and botanicals, and a carefully curated blend of 100 % natural, sustainably grown, fair trade ingredients. When she is not chasing escaped livestock or doing farm chores, you'll often find her knitting linen washcloths to go with her soap. Her farm and farm store are open year round to visitors.
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Happy Labor Day!

Treasurypalooza Friday

Each month, the members of the Nutmeg Collective have the option to create a curated collections of items found in our Etsy-based shops in an effort to get to know each others' items and to help show off out beautiful work to others. So much thought and consideration goes into putting these collections together that we decided to show off some of the top groupings from the past month.

Glitter and Gold by Tracy from The Tiny Wren

Featuring members Persimmon Pearl, That Retro Girl, DiGiJewels, Cinder + Salt, and and Morgan

 Kitchen Whites by Katherine from Rhymes With Smile

Featuring members Designer Dwellings, RiverDog Prints, That Retro Girl, Poor and Pretty, New Antiquity, and Pure Naked Soap

 Moods by Jeanine of Solstice Handcrafted

Featuring members Cottage Wicks, Jenny Fields Fiber, InDee Designs, The Felt Haus, Lilypad Prints, and Kingfisher Lane

 Table for a Pear by Diane of DigiJewels

Featuring members Rhymes With Smile, Start Talking Vintage, and tinymack

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Click the photos to go directly to the treasury on Etsy, where there are clickable links to each item.
Which grouping is your favorite?

Kristen Skelton of Milo and Molly is a self-taught sewist, Kristen who runs her business while staying at home with her two small children.  Fueled by an endless supply of tea, she sews late into the night when the house is quiet, most often accompanied by her faithful poodle, Casey.  Stop by and see her collection of bold modern accessories and home goods.

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Local Love: The Vintage Hi-Fi Museum

The recently opened Vintage Hi-Fi Museum is the work of Nutmeg Collective member Suzanne Urban of Smirking Goddess and her husband Mike:

"We were approved by the federal government in 2014 to run a non-profit, found a location for our vintage hi-fi museum in West Hartford, CT in November of 2014, and moved into the space in the new year.  The museum founder, Mike Urban, applied for the non-profit status in 2013; he literally had to fill out a 28-page application!  He and his friend/partner Bob Pienkowski and third partner Lewis Frisch share a passion and enthusiasm for early stereo sound equipment and MUSIC! Since the museum's been open they've been pleasantly surprised to see how many of the younger generation are just as enthused about early stereos, vintage record players, and vinyl records as they are.

The idea of opening a vintage hi-fi museum stemmed from the fact that Mike's for-profit business as an antique radio, vintage hi-fi, and car radio restoration expert for the past 14 years inspired him to share his knowledge and interest with others.  Bob is an avid collector and also repairs vintage hi-fi's. The mission of their Vintage Hi-Fi museum is to educate audio enthusiasts and future generations about high fidelity music, vinyl records, and analog audio systems with components made in the USA from the very beginning, to the Golden Age of vacuum tube audio (1950’s to 1960’s), and finally solid state transistor designs (1970’s), thereby promoting its preservation, operation, restoration, and history.

This non-profit will be acquiring a large vinyl record collection soon and thus the gift shop will also house a record store in the near future, with proceeds of sales benefiting the museum.  At the museum's grand opening we had a vinyl dealer from New Hampshire set up and again, the younger generation were buying up records as well as the older generation!  We'd also like to offer a record cleaning service to the public where for a fee they can bring in their records and we will clean the vinyls to improve the sound.  Such a service was offered before CD's took over.  Currently we're researching record cleaning devices to purchase for the museum.

Mike's wife Suzanne is the buyer for non-vintage electronic items in the museum gift shop.  A graphic designer and illustrator/writer in her own right, she's created a line of magnets and pinbacks for vintage hi-fi fans that are for sale in the shop.  She also sells guitar picks from recycled credit cards and gift cards that she makes from a small die punch.  Plus she purchased on Etsy some upcycled vinyl records that were melted into snack/serving dishes, many of which sold on grand opening day.  She's interested in expanding what the gift shop offers for sale to the public and hopes to hire some Nutmeg Collective members to add to the inventory in the future!

The biggest challenge right now is space for donations and making time to arrange a pick up for donations; most are dropped off at the museum.  We're receiving a lot of donations to our museum, some, if rare or unique, will go into the permanent collection.  The other donations are for sale to the public in our museum gift shop.  There seems to be a story behind every donation, and every visitor who's come by. So far we've had quite a few out-of-state visitors and recently a former roadie for the Rolling Stones paid a visit.  Also: seeking volunteers!  When the colleges are back in session we'd like to connect with their offices to see if any audio engineering and music students would be interested in an internship as our museum grows - we could sure use the help!


We've been pleasantly surprised how the other vintage and eclectic shops at our West Hartford location have integrated well with our museum. Before opening, we purchased a beautiful, mid-century vintage stereo from the wonderfully talented owners of Blaze and Bloom, a retail shop featuring mid-century and inspired up-cycled industrial designed house furnishing and home accents. Down the hall from us we purchased a beautiful Elvis pillow made by the owner of Hello Dahle!, another retail showroom with vintage home accents and beautiful designer pillows made by the owner Patti Dahle.  For our opening we commissioned our resident bakery owner, Beth, of A Little Something Bakery, who baked a huge batch of delicious cookies for our visitors and staff.  Suzanne and Mike would like to use Custom Framing Depot in the future for some of our vintage ephemera and memorabilia for their own collection. So the "Shop Local" theme really applies in this building!

We will be sponsoring workshops in the near future and they will be posted on our website. Our first workshop will probably be on building your own speakers! We will post all workshop information on our museum website and on our Facebook page."

The Vintage Hi-Fi Museum is located at: 

485 New Park Avenue 

West Hartford, CT

Museum Hours: Wednesday 10-2 and Saturday 10-4pm or by appt. 

203-877-2409

Or email at: vintagehifimuseum@gmail.com 

Visit them on Etsy!

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Know a shop that deserves a feature? Contact us at thenutmegcollective@gmail.com.

Refrigerator Pickles

As summer gardens start to ripen and you find yourself with an overabundance of cucumbers, this is one of my absolute favorite and easiest summer recipes.  You will need:

1. Pickling cucumbers, farm fresh preferably
2. Fresh dill
3. Green onions
4. Onions
5. Salt, real sea salt 
6. Apple cider vinegar
7. Jalapeños if desired 

Simply chop the white onions, green onions, and dill.  Cut the cucumbers into slices or spears, as desired.

Layer cucumbers with dill and onion mixture in large container that has a lid. Coat top with layer of sea salt. Pour a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water over top.  I use about 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and 3/4 cup of water for 3 cups of sliced cucumbers.  

Cover and place in refrigerator for several hours.  They taste great the next day (but I still ate a few after a few hours).

Enjoy!

Erin Egan of Pure Naked Soap is a mom to three girls and social worker by day, but at night she is a creator of body nourishing foods and skincare products. Diagnosed with multiple allergies, Erin makes most of her foods and all of her soaps and skincare products from scratch. Using whole ingredients that meet the needs of her body, she found that many other people were interested in simpler, truly natural soaps. Check out her selection of body friendly products! 

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September Photo Challenge: Back to School Edition

Welcome to the September Photo Challenge! This month inspiration is taken from the always exciting "Back to School" theme! There's nothing quite like a new collection of school supplies, is there?

If you're new to participating in a daily photo challenge, our rules are fairly simple:

1. Check the theme list (posted below) every day
2. Take a photo of that day's theme/subject
3. Post your photo daily on Instagram and Twitter
4. Use #NutmegDailyPic when tagging your photo
5. Have Fun!

If you miss a day or two, it's okay. This daily challenge is meant to inspire you to look at the world around you a little differently, with a bit more creativity! We're looking forward to seeing your daily photos. If you want to reblog this photo challenge, feel free to do so. Please link back to this post and credit the Nutmeg Collective. Thanks so much.

Happy Snapping!

Patti Wunder of Easton Place Design Studio is the designer for this sweet studio. After her kids head to school, Patti creates logos, packaging, sell sheets, web elements and anything else her clients need for their businesses! Along with designing, Patti makes time for a pot of Irish Breakfast tea (one sugar & splash of cold milk), dark chocolate and music!

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