On the Road - SoWa Open Market - Opening Day 2014 - Boston, MA

Since April, I had been excitedly counting down the days to one of my favorite markets in New England - SoWa Open Market. May 4th was the big opening day and my first outdoor show of the spring 2014 season. I dusted off my tent, loaded up my car, and headed up to Boston.

SoWa Open Market - Boston, MA

Twitch and Whiskers at SoWa Opening Day 2014

I readied myself for the big day by creating some spring-inspired necklaces out of vintage pinback buttons, protractors, Vari Vue lenticular cards, vintage figural brooches, and brass drawer pulls.

spring inspired pinback button and protractor necklaces

Vari Vue - lenticular necklaces

Birds of a feather - protractor and brass drawer pull necklaces

I have a soft spot for jewelry designers who incorporate vintage  elements into their work. I think that's why I adore Emrys Handcrafted Fynery. Jillian and Nick Perry create unique jewelry with antiqued filigree stampings, old imagery from vintage books, and classy cameos. Their gorgeous resin cast necklaces and brooches encase woodland creatures, storybook characters, and Victorian ephemera. Comic book heroes and classic video game characters can be found in their schnazzy cufflinks. Emrys Handcrafted Fynery is well known for their finely crafted leather goods. Their leather wrapped flasks and ornate cuffs are real show stoppers. Jillian and Nick's jewelry appeals to lots of folks from Comicon regulars and steampunks to video game enthusiasts and Doctor Who fans. You can find them all summer at SoWa Open Market and Greenway Open Market. To see their entire show schedule and all of their wonderful work, follow them on Facebook and Etsy!

Jillian and Nick Perry of Emrys Handcrafted Fynery

cuff links with character

luscious leather cuffs

It's always nice to get friendly visits at the market. Whimsical  art doll artist Mimi Kirchner and husband Ben swung by with smiles and a hello. We chatted about her most recent creation - a fox with the most adorable handmade field bag and binoculars. I also got a BIG surprise visit from one of my first customers EVER - Allie and her husband Ted. I met Allie at the Connecticut Indie Craft Extravaganza many moons ago and it lead to creating a custom piece for her out of family heirlooms. It was so nice to see her again after all these years!

A visit from Ben and the very crafty Mimi Kirchner

Surprise hellos from Ted and Allie

I enjoyed meeting so many customers at SoWa who shared my affinity for vintage and kitschy items. A fun mix of pieces went home with happy customers, including Hob Knob rings (made out of vintage guitar knobs), Fun 'n' Games rings (made out of pinback buttons), one of a kind upcycled necklaces, and tin compacts.

Turn up the volume in a Hob Knob ring

Cute in a kitschy pinback button ring

How can you not smile in a hot dog necklace?

Lucky Heart - 1930's pomade tin locket

SoWa was the perfect start to my outdoor show season.  Thanks to all the artists, organizers, customers, and visitors who made the first day such a memorable one. I look forward to returning to SoWa again this summer. Here's a listing of my upcoming shows:

June 14 - Arts Fest Beverly - Beverly, MA
June 29 - SoWa Open Market - Boston, MA
July 13 - SoWa Open Market - Boston, MA
July 27 - SoWa Open Market - Boston, MA
More dates are in the works!
 
Follow Twitch and Whiskers on Facebook and Etsy for new creations and updates.

See you in June!

On the Road - Craftopia - Pawtucket, RI

Ahhh, spring. Finally! What better way to welcome in the sun than with a show? Two weeks ago, I was excited to return to the halls of the Hope Artiste Village for the spring edition of Craftopia. It was my fourth time participating in this event and I was excited to see both old friends and new vendors at this Rhody show.

Craftopia - spring 2014

Twitch and Whiskers at Craftopia

Beep beep... tin car necklaces

It was refreshing to come out of winter hibernation with some new pieces. I brought a handful of new kitschy necklaces made out of vintage pinback buttons, and tin toy whistles.

vintage pinback button necklaces

vintage pinback button necklaces

vintage pinback buttons, tin whistles, and a tiny hinged purse

The distinct seasons of New England offer many opportunities to witness the beautiful extremes of climate and nature. Though you may catch New Englanders complaining about mounds of snow or the humid summers, deep down we love and thrive on these seasonal changes. Doug Hockman's careful eye and gorgeous fine art photographs perfectly captures this special corner of the world. Doug Hockman Photography's tranquil beach landscapes, stark trees in snowy fields, and closeups of rusted hardware in old industrial buildings have a beautiful stillness about them. Doug also has a series of abstract prints that are vibrant in color yet dreamy in nature. You can find Doug's prints, wood panels, matted works, and framed pieces in a wide variety of sizes and even grouped together in themed series. His work would be the perfect addition to any home or gift for the nature-lover in your life. Check out Doug Hockman Photography's website, Etsy shop, and Facebook page to see his gorgeous work and to find a listing of his upcoming shows.

Doug Hockman of Doug Hockman Photography

Ocean Waves - abstract seascape panels

A variety of wood panels by Doug Hockman Photography

I love making jewelry that you can interact with. Some playful  pieces went home with special friends. I even got to do a fun trade. I received a jar of amazing Cracker Jack toys and gumball machine prizes for a blinking doll eye necklace. Wink, wink.

game on! - vintage Cracker Jack pinball necklace

Cracker Jack pinball necklaces

An eye for a...jar of trinkets.

Cher - blinking doll eye necklace

Thanks to the wonderful organizers of Craftopia for a fun show! I look forward to seeing you out and about this spring/summer season. Here is where you can catch me:

June 14 - Arts Fest Beverly - Beverly, MA
June 29 - SoWa Open Market - Boston, MA
July 13 - SoWa Open Market - Boston, MA
July 27 - SoWa Open Market - Boston, MA
More dates are in the works!

Follow Twitch and Whiskers on Facebook and Etsy for new creations and updates.
Happy spring!

On the Road - SoWa Winter Market - Boston, MA

During the last weekend in February, I headed to Boston for my third SoWa Winter Market. The space was filled with talented New England designers and vintage vendors. The morning started off with hellos from friends and a unicorn.

SoWa Winter Market - Boston, MA

The lovely ladies of Folk Couture, Nancy Reid Carr Art Photography, and Stonehouse Studio

Zooguu unicorn = pure magic

Being home bound by the snow this winter has given me more time to create. I brought many new pieces to the market, including vintage magnet necklaces, tin lockets with dioramas, lenticular necklaces, and Cracker Jack pinball necklaces.  

Twitch and Whiskers at SoWa Winter Market

new vintage magnet necklaces

There were two very talented sets of hands at SoWa and they belong to Stacey Caplinger and her mom Suellen. This mother/daughter duo have been creating accessories and home decor for Creative Hands Boston since 2012. Suellen uses luxurious yarns in a wide variety of neutral and bold colors to crochet hats, scarves, fingerless gloves, and ear warmers. Her sweet finishing touches like handmade branch buttons and plush pom poms add a special charm to her pieces. Stacey creates one-of-a-kind, decorative wreaths for all seasons using an amazing array of textiles, yarns, dimensional objects, and succulent plants. Each wreath is carefully wrapped in many textured layers and adorned with special items like handmade wool felt flowers, mini pennant banners with sweet messages, and birds' nests hiding vibrant eggs. Stacey is currently working on a new line of baskets made out of t-shirt yarn. Creative Hands Boston's offerings are packed with coziness and handmade love. Visit their Etsy shop and Facebook page to see their entire line and find the perfect treat for yourself or someone else.   

Suellen and Stacey Caplinger of Creative Hands Boston

chunky slouch hat - crocheted with love

yarn wreaths wrapped with whimsy

succulents and bright yellow welcome in the spring

I enjoyed sending some fun pieces home with customers and friends this weekend. Dexterity game necklaces, rouge compact lockets, and a bunch of Fun 'n' Games rings left the market with happy gals. 

Carrie of SepiaLepus looking adorable in a panda dexterity game necklace

rouge compact lockets

Only Stacey can look that cute saying "NO!"

Fun 'n' Games rings

I have one more SoWa Winter Market to go and then I jump into my spring schedule. I hope to see you out and about soon!

SoWa Winter Market

April 12 - SoWa Winter Market - Boston, MA
April 27 - Craftopia - Pawtucket, RI
May 4 - Opening Day of SoWa Open Market - Boston, MA
June 14 - Arts Fest Beverly - Beverly, MA
June 29 - SoWa Open Market - Boston, MA
July 13 - SoWa Open Market - Boston, MA
July 27 - SoWa Open Market - Boston, MA
More dates in the works!

Visit Twitch and Whiskers on Facebook and Etsy for new pieces and updates.

Lala's Fleamas Necklaces - A Very Special Custom Order

Custom orders give me a unique opportunity to connect with family artifacts and histories. Earlier this winter my friend Dorna, the Library Media Specialist at my school, asked for my help with a special project. Her family has a much-loved holiday tradition that was started about 30 years ago by Thor Persson, Dorna's father-in-law. This talented man of Swedish descent was known for his fine woodwork and pieces created out of repurposed wooden crates. His handcrafted furniture was always the most coveted gift of the holiday season by the Persson clan. In the spirit of repurposing and Thor's love of flea markets, the holiday of "Fleamas" was born. 

This annual Persson family tradition pulls together Thor's passion for turning the old into new and traditional Swedish food and song. Though Thor passed several years back, his tradition continues strong with the Perssons. Each year, family members bring a handmade gift for an assigned family member. Gifts range from silly songs, poems, and stories to beautifully made gifts with meaningful family connections. When a gorgeous bag of costume jewelry from Thor's sister Lala was recently handed down to her, Dorna thought that Fleamas would be the perfect opportunity to turn Lala's gems into new necklaces for her family members. When Dorna shared with me two large bags of colorful beaded necklaces and vintage brooches, I knew this was going to be an exciting project!

Lala's lovely brooches

Lala's beaded necklaces

My eyes were first drawn to three beaded glass necklaces made in different shades of blue. I removed the beads from their strings and rewired them to make a triple strand bead chain necklace. To complete the gift, I mounted the necklace atop a collage with a children's picture book image and Swedish stamps. The stamps came from my college semester abroad in Sweden (over 15 years ago!). I picked them up at a flea market in Stockholm so I knew they just had to be used with this Fleamas gift. I called the final piece, "Scandinavian Blue."

Scandinavian Blue

custom made collage for Scandinavian Blue - including Swedish stamps

Scandinavian Blue by Twitch and Whiskers

The second necklace was made out of three gold-tone brooches. I carefully removed their pins, sanded down rough spots, and fixed them together in a bib-style necklace. This piece was also mounted on a collage. The faded pink letters came from a vintage board game. I named this piece "Lala's Laurel" because of it's garland-like shape.

Lala's Laurel

custom made collage for Lala's Laurel

Lala's Laurel by Twitch and Whiskers

I presented the final necklaces to Dorna and she wrapped them in the Sunday comics (the traditional Flea wrapping paper, of course!). According to Dorna, the necklaces and presentation cards were a big hit with the family. I was proud to be a part of Dorna's Fleamas this year and adored every moment of creating a new family heirloom out of Lala's old treasures.

I am always up for designing custom pieces out of family keepsakes. Contact me if you're interested. Want to see a few more Twitch and Whiskers custom designs? Check out these past blog posts.

There are two more chances to catch Twitch and Whiskers in person this winter. You can find me at the SoWa Winter Market in Boston on March 1st and April 12th. There's always a great line up of designers and vintage vendors.

As always, you can pop by my Etsy shop and Facebook page to check out new creations. My spring and summer show schedule show will be coming soon!