Twist and Holiday Season Sneak Peek

This weekend I say hello and a very sad goodbye to one of my favorite shows, Twist. The curtain is closing on this long running, much loved show. This Northampton event is known for amazing artists, great food, a dj spinning tunes under a disco ball, and an overall fun vibe. All week I've been home from school because of Hurricane Sandy and camped out on my kitchen table making pieces for the show. This has resulted in a oodles of new necklaces (and a big sparkling mess in the kitchen). Here is a sneak peak.

You asked for them! Here are more blinking doll eye necklaces.

 Vintage pinback button necklaces.

 

 Rouge compact and tin lockets.

And for good measure...a big, dazzling Ice Capades necklace!

Come out and show your love for Twist. Let's make this last one the best one yet! I hope to see you in Northampton on Friday and Saturday.

Here are my upcoming fall/winter shows. Visit my Etsy shop for a small sampling of my pieces. Feel free to contact me if you would like a custom piece.

November 10 - The Park School - Brookline Marketplace -  Brookline, MA
November 11 - Craftopia - Providence, RI
December 8 & 9 - SoWa Holiday Market - Boston, MA

You can find Twitch and Whiskers baubles at the following stores:

Craftland (Nov. and Dec. holiday show) - Providence, RI
Peter Lawrence Gallery (Nov. to early Jan show) - Gaylordsville, CT
Vudu Micia - New Milford, CT
English Apothecary - Bethel, CT
Aquvii - Tokyo, Japan (if you're in the area!)

Follow Twitch and Whiskers on Facebook for updates.

On the Road - The Greenway Open Market

After school on Friday, I loaded up the car, and headed off to Boston with my partner in crime. It's been a long time since Thom has gone to a show with me, and it was great to have my favorite person in tow. On Saturday morning, we were greeted at the Greenway Open Market by a dog playing in the sprays of the Rings Fountain and brisk fall weather.

my gent in the tent

goings on at the Greenway

I had recently acquired a batch of gorgeous rouge compacts from the 1920's and 1930's and turned them into new colorful lockets. I couldn't wait to display my new pieces with figural and floral accents.

Painted Lady, Night Owl, and Filly Folly

insides

About a year ago, I went to the World Maker Faire in NYC to watch my husband's band perform. When I got to the grand event, I made a beeline for the BUST Craftacular tent village to check out the handmade wares. My favorite jewelry designer by far at the show had to be Hannah Wood of Black Black Moon. Since then, I have bumped into Hannah over and over again at shows in the Northeast. I adore her vintage-inspired jewelry with touches of steam punk design. Antiqued and filigree finishes, brassy creatures, and mysterious ephemera adorn her unique pieces.  Hannah is the proud two time recipient of an Editor's Choice Award at the World Maker Faire and she won first prize last year for best vendor costume at SoWa's Market of the Living Dead. The next time you're at the Greenway or SoWa, enter Hannah's curiosity shop of fabulous accessories.

Hannah Wood of Black Black Moon

vintage crane scissor necklaces = gorgeous

butterfly beauties

While dashing through the Greenway, something amazing made me slam on the brakes. It was a vibrant skirt with a hand cut, kaleidoscopic design in pink, green, blue, and purple. I just had to meet the genius behind the skirt and was pleasantly surprised to find a designer as radiant as her clothes. Rachel Sherman's Malagueta clothing line is named after a tiny red pepper that grows in Brazil and pays homage to her Brazilian born mother. Rachel uses a mix of applique and sewing techniques to create her nature and industrial inspired pieces. You can see a clever hand behind each stitch and snip. Visit her website to see a wide variety of her dresses, tops, and skirts and treat yourself to a piece of wearable art.

Rachel Sherman of Malagueta

WANT!

stunning one of a kind touches

Lockets were the big seller this week for me at the Greenway. I always love watching customers open each one to discover hidden treasures inside. For the upcoming holiday season, I will have a whole bevy of new lockets, pinback button necklaces, brooch necklaces, and other OOAK creations.

Violets Are Blue, Port of Call (sold), and Garden Jewel

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Evening Glances (3rd from left) and Plucking My Heartstrings (far right) both sold

Twitch and Whiskers Holiday Schedule:

November 2 & 3 - Twist - Northampton, MA
November 10 - The Park School - Brookline Marketplace -  Brookline, MA
November 11 - Craftopia - Providence, RI

December 8 & 9 - SoWa Holiday Market - Boston, MA

*more shows may be added soon

You can find Twitch and Whiskers baubles at the following stores:

Craftland (Nov. and Dec. holiday show) - Providence, RI
Peter Lawrence Gallery (Nov. to early Jan show) - Gaylordsville, CT
Vudu Micia - New Milford, CT
English Apothecary - Bethel, CT
Aquvii - Tokyo, Japan (if you're in the area!)

Follow Twitch and Whiskers on Facebook for updates.
Visit my Etsy shop or let me custom make a piece for you!

Rouge, Itching Powder, Salve, and a Litttle Elbow Grease - The Making of a Locket

It takes a lot of thought, effort, and sometimes even goo to get materials from Point A to a completed necklace. Making lockets out of vintage tins and rouge compacts is a real labor of love.

Light Hearted

insides

Open Upon Arrival

insides

It starts with sourcing carefully chosen materials from every place you can imagine. Finding old tins and compacts in great condition can be a challenge. Once I have a nice-sized batch of supplies, it's time to get messy.

a beautiful mess

The old containers come from the early 1900's to the 1950's. Along with them comes a bevy of intriguing contents including: old salves, rouges, balms, powders, cosmetics, antique ointments, mysterious smells, and goop of all sorts. Step one: remove contents. This is by far the messiest part. It involves carefully scooping, shaking, wiping, washing, scrubbing, rinsing, and repeating many times. Some materials even require extra polishing and a bit of repair before they are ready for the next step.

yucky bear

soaking

one of many washings

Miette is in charge of quality control.

Once all the pieces are squeaky clean, it's time to create!

lockets to be

Some tins get bails attached while others are mounted atop of vintage findings. Chains are carefully selected to match the locket.  And then, the magic happens. Tiny treasures like brooches, brass stampings, old toys, buttons, vintage ephemera, and cameos are carefully assembled to create miniature pieces of art inside each locket.

locket ingredients

What will become of these tins and compacts? You will have to visit me at The Brewery during Jamaica Plain Open Studios to see! Enjoy a lovely fall stroll while visiting studios during this family-friendly event. Click here for a map and more info.

Here are a few of my upcoming fall/winter shows. More dates will be added soon.

September 22 & 23 - Jamaica Plain Open Studios

October 6 & 13 - Greenway Open Market

December 8 & 9 - SoWa Holiday Market