Upcoming Spring & Summer Markets

I am thrilled to have been accepted to several upcoming vintage and craft markets this spring and summer!


First up is the Vintage Flea and Finds Pop-Up Market in Madison, WI, run by the fabulous Glitter Workshop!

Next is the Urban Folk Circuit's Craft Market in Chicago, IL on May 19th! I'll have my handcrafted jewelry and accessories there.

I'll also be at The Vintage Bazaar market on Sunday, June 10th from 12-5pm at the Aragon Ballroom on Lawrence Avenue in Chicago, IL!

Sunshine Yellow

Did you know that one of the current kitchen trends is bright yellow accents?  I've recently (and quite coincidentally) acquired quite a few yellow vintage items, including a two-level metal breadbox Now pics yet), and was very surprised when I discovered that I was right on top of a current trend!

Vintage Tin 

Lustro Ware coffee and tea canisters

Mid-century swirly pattern glasses

Jewelry Shop News

I've added hair accessories to the Liesl Designs shop, made from repurposed vintage earrings.

Siri earrings

Marla earrings in amethyst

Gemma earrings in peach coral

Riley earrings

Upheaval, Making Changes, and Collies

So, it has been a loooooonnnngggg time since I've posted on this blog, due to a large amount of upheaval in my life. In the past year and a half, I've changed jobs twice, replaced my car, mourned the loss of a loved one, and am currently unemployed(aside from my Etsy shops). Whew! (Or Ugh. Whichever you prefer.)

I'm currently taking a medical billing course to expand my job search options, and working on my jewelry and vintage shops. (Unfortunately, the shops are not currently busy enough to be my sole support...working on it though!) I've also applied for, and will hopefully be vending at, several fairs and markets this year.

Not everything is gloomy, though. In the past year and a half, I have also adopted a darling, lovely, smooth Collie named Mia. Who is not supposed to be on the couch. :)

So, I'm hoping to get back into the swing of posting on this blog at least once a week, which I think is an attainable goal for me. :)

What I'm working on...

I'm currently working on an order for some bridal party jewelry (9 bridesmaids!), this is one of the sample bracelets I've created for her. I really love this particular design, so it will probably be making an appearance in my shop soon.

New in the Shop...

Some new earrings will be making an appearance in my shop this evening:

Sabine earrings

Verity earrings

New in the shop...

I've been pretty busy getting ready for Indie Wed lately (I can hardly believe it's this Saturday... time has really flown by!), and because of that I have been working on some new pieces:

Paisley necklace - I know I posted this one before, but I was ultimately not happy with it, and it has undergone a major transformation. I am soooo much happier with it now, it is much lighter and more fun.

Laura earrings

Luella earrings

Vivian necklace - This one is not in the shop, as it is a custom order. I really enjoyed making this one, and love the graduated vintage chandelier crystals. It may show up in the shop at a later date.

Doctor Who on Etsy

Feeling a little down about David Tennant's departure from Doctor Who, I've been perusing Etsy for something cheer me up. Here are some of my favorite Doctor Who items:

Absolutely fantastic prints from henNchicks (The 10th/4th Doctor one is totally coming to live with me!)

A TARDIS leather bound journal from BindMe.

And one of my favorite DW quotes immortalized on this shirt from PaganChick

New in the shop...

Moira earrings

Gabrielle earrings

I'm back...

Well, after a couple of weeks of being completely obsessed with preparing for my craft fair on the 21st, I am now able to focus on preparing for the holidays. (whoo hoo!)

This weekend I will be participating in the holiday sales on Etsy, as well as offering free shipping to the US and Cananda for all items in the Liesldesigns shop until December 31st.

In the Gypsy Mouse shop, there are sale items and free shipping to the US and Canada on books and supplies until December 31st.

New in the Shop

Gigi earrings

More Owls...

In preparation for Indie Wed in January, I've decided that I need to streamline my sales process for craft fairs, since my meager little "money box" is just not going to cut it anymore. So, I went looking around on Etsy for the perfect craft fair apron.

After paging through quite a few "it's okay, but I'm not in love with it" offerings, I came across this one and absolutely fell in love:

This apron is offered by Etsy seller Boojiboo, and she offers several great retro-style aprons in her store from patterns she has designed herself.

It arrived today, wrapped in a pretty orange ribbon...and I have to say, I love it even more in person! The owls are very retro-looking(a definite plus for me), and it fits perfectly!

Swap-O-Rama

I *love* getting mail. (Who doesn't?) Today in the mail was this absolutely wonderful package from fellow Etsy Wisconsin Street Team member MineFull. I am participating in the WIST ornament swap this year, and she was my ornament "Secret Santa".

This is the adorable snowman ornament I received from her:

For my ornament, I decided to try something new, and created a little tree from a felted wool sweater. I added beads for ornaments, and a vintage rhinestone button for the star:

I have to say, I am definitely hooked on this swap thing now. I may be heading over to Swap-Bot to find some more swaps to participate in!

Owl Love

Lately (and and somewhat inexplicably) I have become obsessed with owls. I think I somehow associate owls and the great autumn weather we've been having here on the IL-WI border. Here are some of my favorite owl items on Etsy:

Retro Owls print by FerntreeStudio

Owl mobile by EvelynX

Adorable upcycled wool felt plush owls by woolcrazy

iPhone case by KapomCrafts

Screech owl necklace by lulubugjewelry

New Pieces

Some new pieces that will be showing up in my Etsy shop this weekend:

Diedre bracelet

Rosalie necklace

Paisley necklace (Remember the bird pendants? I finally decided what to do with them!)

Two New Necklaces

I've been working on some wedding-inspired jewelry in preparation for Indie Wed in January, and have been playing around with incorporating vintage chandelier crystals into my jewelry. Two new necklaces will be debuting in the shop on Monday...

Cassandra necklace

Collette necklace

Little Birdies...

A week or two ago I was at the thrift store looking for some fun vintage items for my gypsymouse shop, and cruised by the "jewelry" rack to see if there was anything there that I could take apart and use in my own jewelry designs. (I've been trying to use more vintage components, as well as components that don't require new energy consumption to produce)

And yes, the quotes around jewelry were intentional... let's just say the thrift store's idea of jewelry is a little tacky and kind of gross. :(

But I was able to find a necklace of cute little dyed mother of pearl birds, which I have turned into whimsical earrings:

Both of these are now listed in my shop here.

My New Favorite Earrings...

New in the shop this evening, Genevieve earrings.

I absolutely love the resemblance to the fleur-de-lis in these brass stampings, and think they go beautifully with the deep blue of the iolite beads.

My Other Etsy Shop...

A while back, I opened a second etsy shop, gypsymouse, to sell my extra supplies stash from my jewelry making, scrapbooking, and various other crafty projects. As some of you may know, I recently started giving this shop more attention and have added vintage items to the shop. Here are some recent additions:

Blue daisy coffee pot

Green juice glasses with blue and green flowers

Strawberry patterned tin with handles

Skate keys

Botswana agate pendants

One hundred hearts...

My Etsy shop is very close to 100 hearts, sooo.....

I'm offering a giveaway to my 100th shop heart. The winner will receive a pair of Jennifer earrings in their choice of color.

(The above pic is me this year at Breyerfest, standing in the special items line for the Breyer store.)