Featured Member: Joliejye

 
1. What is your shop name?

My shop on Etsy is called JolieJye, my brand is Jye.

2. How did you first get started in your craft?

I've started crafting since I was young, I am a self-taught artist and I always enjoyed giving a second life to vintage, or creating with inspiration from the past.

3. What inspires you?

I love the pin-ups and feminine atmosphere, especially vintage fabrics like silk or lace. I am also a big fan of the Japanese vintage fabrics, which were used for kimonos. For the moment I’m in the mood for making origami barrettes, brooches, and earrings with silk.

 

4. What are your favorite color combinations?

My favorite color combination is light pink and ivory white.

5. What is your favorite item from your shop?

It's hard to choose since every creation from my shop is unique and fully hand-made by me. These are like my babies!

I can choose my light pink and white silk headband, because of the knot, because of the silk, and the color combination.

www.etsy.com/listing/75429472/jye-light-pink-and-white-silk-and

6. If you had to use three words to describe yourself, what would it be?

Unique, romantic, dreaming.

7. What superpower would you most like to have?

I've never thought about that. I would love to be very strong to protect people I love.

8. What is the first thing you remember creating?

Some dresses for my dolls.

9. If you could choose any era/decade to live in, when would that be? Why?

I love the technology of our century, but I hate people's selfishness. Maybe the beginning of the 1900's would fit to me but I dislike the way women were handled. It's only now that we can pretend to live as equal as men. It's a shame!

10. Where can we find you? (website, blog, etc.)

My etsy shop is here : www.etsy.com/shop/Joliejye

I have also a shop on a French website : www.alittlemarket.com/boutique/joliejye

My blog (about my two passions : cooking and fashion) is : joliejye.blogspot.com

Featured Member: 3dDoodles

 

1. What is your shop name? 3Ddoodles

2. How did you first get started in your craft?
I started making my own jewelry off and on during the 1980s as a general response to finding things that I liked but that didn't fit.

3. What inspires you?
I draw inspiration from a lot of sources, Art Deco type forms, Celtic lettering,
Natural forms, and to a certain extent the materials themselves. I tell folks that the materials speak to me, and when I find the grouping that feels right, I go ahead and make the piece. Of course, when I'm wrong, I re-work the piece until I'm satisfied.

4. What are your favorite color combinations?
Teal and aqua blues paired with gold or silver
Sky blues paired with white
Reds paired with gold and/or black
Greens paired with gold or black
black paired with gold, greay or silver.

5. What is your favorite item from your shop?
Wow, that 's not easy as i have a lot of favorites. but here's a link to one
www.etsy.com/listing/49285140/necklace-black-grey

6. If you had to use three words to describe yourself, what would it be?
Kind, fair, perfectionist

7. What superpower would you most like to have?
I'd love to be able to change shape into any animal. Flying would be so great.

8. What is the first thing you remember creating?
That would have to be the alligator from a stick found on the playground, when I was in 4th grade. Given that I was doing this during an after-school detention, neither the teacher nor my classmates were too happy with the effort.

9. If you could choose any era/decade to live in, when would that be? Why?
I think the Roaring 20's would be a prime time for me to live in. Art Deco was the rage, there was a lot of flash and it was OK to smoke and drink and dance.

10. Where can we find you? (website, blog, etc.)
I'm here on Etsy and on Artfire and Facebook. I'm not real comfortable with blogging; I'd rather create in my limited time.

Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/3dDoodles
Artfire: www.artfire.com/users/3ddoodles
Facebook: www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/3ddoodlesartfirecom/217433148279871

As I need at least 24 more likes on my Facebook page, I'm giving away a pair of earrings in a drawing when I reach the magic number. 

Featured Member: Craftymamacita

 

1. What is your shop name? Craftymamacita

2. How did you first get started in your craft? 
Early on in our marriage, my dear husband took me to Hancock Fabrics for my birthday, where we saw a demonstration of sewing machines. I bought my first Singer and I still use it to this day. I made a quilt for our bed and then I moved on to girls' dresses when I had our first foster daughter. I picked a pattern that was too complicated, with lots of ruffles and interfacing and quickly gave up. Then I took a sewing class which gave me the confidence and knowledge to keep going and I finished the dress I had started years ago and made several more for my daughter. She is what really motivated me to sew more. First off, she has always been very active so I had to give up my knitting for a more toddler-proof activity. Also, she is Guatemalan-American and I had a hard time finding clothes in the store that fit her unique shape, so I started making my own clothes for her and I love how well they fit her. Right now, I am specializing in retro mother-daughter apron sets and hair accessories such as flower fabrics. I had read in a book about how women in the 1940's used leftover pieces of fabric and fabric from flour bags to make things. That in turn inspired me to use my own leftover fabric to make fabric flower hair clips and headbands. I even made a fabric flower from a tortilla flour bag once.

3. What inspires you?
I grew up in San Antonio, TX and used to visit the Rockefeller Museum of Latin American Art a lot. I was very inspired by the folk paintings I found there, and thus grew my love of old-fashioned indigenous outfits. I spent two months in Seville, Spain and was also inspired by Flamenco clothing styles, which often are very similar to 1950's American style with their love of polka dots and ruffles. I also like modest clothing, because I find them so beautiful, elegant and sort of romantic. I really like a lot of clothes from the 1950s and 40s because they are so feminine. I love making things for my daughter, my husband, and my friends. Compliments and purchases inspire me most.

4. What are your favorite color combinations?
I love blue and white, but I can also be found wearing a lot of brown and pink too. I like working with bright colors a lot, because they look great on my daughter.

5. What is your favorite item from your shop? 
I love my blue and white mother-daughter apron set. It has cute frilly pockets, pleats and crisp bias tape. What more could a woman want?

6. If you had to use three words to describe yourself, what would it be? 
Retro, modest, and multi-cultural.

7. What superpower would you most like to have? 
The ability to multi-task. I just don't think it's possible. I can only focus on one thing at a time.

8. What is the first thing you remember creating? 
I made earrings in fifth grade and tried to sell them. I think I sold one pair :).

9. If you could choose any era/decade to live in, when would that be? Why? 
I think I would fit in best in the 1940's. I would grow a victory garden, knit socks for soldiers, can all the surplus vegetables and fruits, make lots of pies and cakes, hang my clothes out on the line, all while raising several children in a small home. Come to think of that, that is my life (well, except for knitting socks for soldiers and we only have one child so far).

10. Where can we find you? www.susiquetzalli.blogspot.com

Featured Member: Ladykonnyaku

1. What is your shop name? Lady Konnyaku Clothing.

2. How did you first get started in your craft?
After graduating college, I was working this lame-o desk job for a huge Taiwanese corporation. At 24, I realized that working 8-5 was not my thing; I decided to become a clothing designer and work for myself instead. Sounds easy, right? The problem was, I didn't have a background in sewing, let alone the knowledge to operate a sewing machine... so I enrolled in a local fashion design school where I studied for 2 years. Those were difficult times, indeed, but now I can sew better than most people's grandmothers.

3. What inspires you?
The craziness found in Japanese street fashion. Mod clothing from the 1960s. Soul Train and Midnight Special. Kung-fu movies. Video games. The colors and textures found in vintage fabrics. Compliments and money deposited into my Paypal account (laughs).

4. What are your favorite color combinations?
I'm really into Navy blue and teal, red, white and blue, mustard and black... actually mustard and ANYTHING!

5. What is your favorite item from your shop?
Malta top--- I haven't seen anything else like it anywhere else and the colors and style are pleasing.

6. If you had to use three words to describe yourself, what would it be?
Humorous, interesting, restless.

7. What superpower would you most like to have?
I am a language nerd and speak English, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish... but being fluent in the top three world languages is not enough! The best superpower I can think of is the ability to speak and understand every language in the world.

8. What is the first thing you remember creating?
When I was little I made a clay island called "Misland" (my + island), complete with canoe, palm tree, shack and fire pit.

9. If you could choose any era/decade to live in, when would that be? Why?
Meet me in the 1970s! Partying, polyester, and disco dancing all night... and sleeping all day.

10. Where can we find you? (website, blog, etc.)
Website: www.ladykonnyaku.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ladykonnyaku
Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/ladykonnyaku

Featured Member: Libunnyfoofoo

1. What is your shop name? My name is libunnyfoofoo but my shop's name is Headstrong Headwear. I named it that because all my designs have very strong personalities, like me.

2. How did you first get started in your craft?
Over the last two years, my father had become very ill and I had become unemployed. We set up some yard sales and one of the things left over was a bag with old jewelry and beads. I wanted to make something beautiful and useful that I could wear, but I'm not really into jewelry. Then I came up with the headband idea. Soon I had 30 headbands, more than I could ever wear and I set up shop.

3. What inspires you?
The jewelry is the inspiration; I love all the old crazy designs. Back then everyone wore brooches and big clip earrings, so it's easy to get some wonderful pieces that just aren’t appreciated anymore. It's so much fun hunting around yard sales and thrift stores for things that I can use and inspire me. I love working with anything with sparkle and flair, silly and cute things too. I also love that I'm giving some really cool, old pieces new life and keep them out of the landfills. Almost all my supplies are used, given, recycled, old, broken or are in some way unwanted. I try to do my part and keep everything eco-friendly and upbeat.

4. What are your favorite color combinations?
I love doing my wedding headbands that have lots of ivory, gold and ecru but I also love contrasting strong colors with black and white.

5. What is your favorite item from your shop?
My favorite item in my shop is the one I haven't made yet

6. If you had to use three words to describe yourself, what would it be?
Intense, caring and funny

7. What superpower would you most like to have?
I would like to be able to grow taller when I need to so I could reach things on the high shelf at the supermarket.

8. What is the first thing you remember creating?
I have been creating things as long as I can remember. Some mediums I've worked in are: oil, watercolor, and acrylic painting, batiking, printing, drawing, pen and ink, color pencil, charcoal, architectural drawing and oil pastel, mixed media sculpture, and pottery. For crafts, I've tried: sewing, quilting, paper making, jewelry making, collage, cross stitching and mosaic. Basically anything I can get my hands on.

9. If you could choose any era/decade to live in, when would that be? Why?
I'd like to live in a small town in a time before plastic. Somewhere where I would know the butcher and the baker and candle stick maker and knoe where everything I owned came from.

10. Where can we find you? (website, blog, etc.)
Right now I'm just on etsy and I love it.
www.etsy.com/shop/Libunnyfoofoo

Featured Member: Anyasgreenbaby

1. What is your shop name? Anya's Green Baby

2. How did you first get started in your craft? I taught myself how to sew in high school because I hated the fashion choices of the day. My grandmother gave me a ton of her vintage circa 1950-60s dresses and skirts so I learned how to alter them for school dances or just looking pretty! That sewing habit evolved into embroidery when I wanted to add to my sweaters and that eventually lead to my baby clothing line and hankies.

3. What inspires you? I LOVE tattoos and retro tattoo art. Many of my designs are based on vintage tattoos. I am also inspired by an organic and eco-friendly lifestyle, I try to live as close to nature as possible.

4. What are your favorite color combinations? I love the combination of orange, aqua, green and brown. Those are the colors repeated through my house and many of my designs.

5. What is your favorite item from your shop? I love my retro owl design so my favorite item is my retro owl hankie.

6. If you had to use three words to describe yourself, what would it be? Over-achiever, teacher, and hippie (but in a good way!)

7. What superpower would you most like to have? The power to divide myself at will into several different me's so I could have one cleaning my house, one teaching my classes, one sewing, one cooking and one sleeping! 

8. What is the first thing you remember creating? I took apart a dress and repurposed it for a winter formal my freshmen year of high school. It turned out beautiful and everyone could not believe it had been an ugly dress before!

9. If you could choose any era/decade to live in, when would that be? Why? I love the fashion and era of the 1930s but I would never want to live through two World Wars so I would pick the 1960s so I could see the Civil Rights Movement, go be a hippie somewhere and my color choices would be totally hip!

10. Where can we find you? (website, blog, etc.) My Etsy store is Anyasgreenbaby.etsy.com. My blog is anyasgreenbaby.blogspot.com/ 

Aqua and yellow gift guide treasury

Aqua and Yellow Gift Guide Treasury by Medusa1307

Featured Member: designedbyDiana

1. What is your shop name?
My shop name is designedbyDiana

2. How did you first get started in your craft?
Well I’ve been crafting forever it seems like. But I really got into sewing a few years back when my parents got me a sewing machine for my birthday. I was never really taught to sew (my grandmother is a seamstress, so I say that sewing is in my genes), but I just picked it up and started making things. I made a purse and took it to work and sold it that same day. That’s when designed by Diana really began.

3. What inspires you?
So many things: bright fun fabrics, great mod looking patterns, the 50s and 60s aesthetic, mid-century mod, the show Mad Men, old school pinup girls

4. What are your favorite color combinations?
I love teal and red. And I’m really loving grey and yellow together too.

5. What is your favorite item from your shop?
My favorite items are the Retro D Aprons. They are the hardest item in my shop to make, but are so cute. I love that they look like a dress when you wear them.

6. If you had to use three words to describe yourself, what would it be?
Creative, friendly and fun

7. What superpower would you most like to have?
The ability to stop or slow down time. That way I would have more time to make stuff for my shop!

8. What is the first thing you remember creating?
The first thing I remember making was a blanket with gonzo on it for my little brother before he was born. I painted it with some old school paint tubes. I must have been about 5 or 6.

9. If you could choose any era/decade to live in, when would that be? Why?
I would love to live in the early 60s. The fashion, the hair, the style, the british invasion… so cool!

10. Where can we find you? (website, blog, etc.)
You can find me at my website: designedbyDiana.com
On my blog: designedbyDiana.blogspot.com
On facebook: www.facebook.com/designedbyDiana
And twitter: twitter.com/#!/designedbyD
And of course Etsy!: www.etsy.com/shop/designedbyDiana

Hot Colors treasury by Meaicp

Hot colors treasury by meaicp

A Modern Soul treasury by Lady Konnyaku

A Modern Soul by Lady Konnyaku

A Retro Spring Treasury by Kovale

Retro Spring treasury by Kovale

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

St. Patrick's Day Treasury Challenge by Retro Handmade.

Featured Member: HappyHeartbreaker

1. What is your shop name?
My shop name is Happy Heartbreaker Boutique (it is technically a division of my main shop, Sweet-E Pie & Babycakes).

2. How did you first get started in your craft?
How did I get started in my craft? Hmmm, my mom tells me that I've been making stuff out of anything I could find ever since I was a little kid. As far as sewing goes, I've been sewing acessories such as purses and baby gifts/clothing for a while, but this is my first real foray into sewing adult clothing.

3. What inspires you?
EVERYTHING inspires me! Stores I go to, songs I hear on the radio, even something as random as what I've read in a book! I'm constantly looking for inspiration in the little things - you never know what might hit you in the most random of situations.

4. What are your favorite color combinations?
Color combinations depend on what I'm making, to be honest. I like the look of white, green, and brown. I tend to use that combination a lot in my children's items.

5. What is your favorite item from your shop?  
My favorite item from my shop actually still exists only in my imagination! It is a really cute fitted 1950s style dress - you'll have to stay tuned to see it! (My whole line is still technically stuck in my brain, except for a few accessories. I hope to have it out by the end of April.)

6. If you had to use three words to describe yourself, what would it be?  
Silly, Creative, and Hard-working :D

7. What superpower would you most like to have? 
Oh my goodness, I SO wish I could fly! That would be the absolute COOLEST thing EVER! Even if I am afraid of heights :P

8. What is the first thing you remember creating?
The first thing I remember "creating" was a fort out of a cardboard box with a bookrest so I could sit in there and read without my arms getting tired. I was quite the little nerd...

9. If you could choose any era/decade to live in, when would that be? Why?  
I enjoy many different eras of history, like the Victorian or Napoleonic eras. But if I absolutely HAD to choose, I would pick my grandmother's generation. She was born in 1912 - saw the Roaring 20s, the Great Depression, the 40s War Era, Big Band/Swing Music, the 50s and 60s - such an amazing time in history, full of culture and personality.

10. Where can we find you? (website, blog, etc.) 

My etsy shops are: 
HappyHeartbreaker.etsy.com
SweetEPieBabycakes.etsy.com

Facebook:
www.facebook.com/SweetEPieBabycakes
www.facebook.com/pages/Happy-Heartbreaker-Boutique/187929847904618

Treasury by Evelyn Pelati

It's not all black and white treasury by Evelyn Pelati

Treasury by Lamarmota - In the forest...

Treasury by Medusa1307 - Lovely Powder Blue

Featured Member: UmbrellaAve

1. What is your shop name?
Umbrella Ave. 

2. How did you first get started in your craft?
When I was young and still played with dolls, I would bug my mom to sew clothes for them. But I had 3 younger sisters and my mom was spread pretty thin trying to keep up with the large wardrobe that we wanted. So one day I decided to sew something myself, my mom helped me out a bit and I just took off from there. Pretty soon I was sewing for my Himstedt doll and selling clothing to collectors through ebay. My mom and I eventually started our own website where we sold our handmade doll clothes. But I'm a restless crafter and have to continually change up my routine and focus if I want to enjoy what I'm doing. My friend Sasha, from the Gildedbee, introduced me to Etsy about the same time that I decided to make things for people rather than dolls, and the rest is history.

3. What inspires you?
Books and magazines, vintage and retro fashions, unique fabric and trims, flea markets and antique stores, as well as store displays, good graphic design work and other people's art. I like to see what the artists on Etsy are up to and use that as a platform for my own imagination to take off from. I also frequent online clothing stores such as Anthropologie and Modcloth to get ideas. Many times I'll see something there that I like, and will incorporate part of the design or idea into jewelry or accessories that give the same feel when worn.

4. What are your favorite color combinations?
I love golden yellow paired with red. Also pink + brown and grey with almost anything. Greenish blues are another favorite to work with. 

5. What is your favorite item from your shop? 
Currently? Clownie the Elephant! I love tiny things, elephants and circus themes........something that's very evident from looking at him. :)

6. If you had to use three words to describe yourself, what would it be? 
Imaginative, eccentric, creative

7. What superpower would you most like to have?
I think it would be fun to be invisible or have the ability to fly.

8. What is the first thing you remember creating?
I remember creating things for my dolls when I was little.....blankets, miniature dolls, walkie-talkies from clay, and anything else that I wanted but didn't have the money for. The first thing I remember getting paid for, was an ugly little purse made from horrible, striped, stretch knit with a piece of rickrack for a strap. I sold it to my little sister..........poor thing. ;-)

9. If you could choose any era/decade to live in, when would that be? Why? 
I think the 50's would be fun. I love the clothing and decor from that time period. But if given the choice, I would stay where I am.....I couldn't do without modern conveniences!

10. Where can we find you? (website, blog, etc.) 
I have a website in the works, and when it's finished you can find me here: www.umbrellaave.com

For now I'm here: 
www.umbrellaave.etsy.com
www.facebook.com/umbrellaave
www.2sewretro.blogspot.com

Treasury by Medusa1307 - Green Day

Medusa1307 brings us a Spring treasury...

Featured Member: Evelynpelati

1. What is your shop name?
My shop is Evelyn Pelati Jewelry. Previously my business was called La Bella Luna Jewelry, but last year I decided to rename it.

2. How did you first get started in your craft?
A friend encouraged me to join her in taking a class in metal clay with Lis-el Crowley, a well-known metal clay instructor. I had never heard of or touched metal clay before that. I was "bitten" right away–and have been working with it ever since.

3. What inspires you?
I've always been so drawn to the era of the early 20th century, especially Art Deco. I'm what you'd call an "old soul"–I just seem to gravitate old vintage, retro and antique things. But then I love to mix it up with the contemporary.

4. What are your favorite color combinations?
My favorite color of all is green, and my favorite green is that apple/peridot shade of green. For a combination, I'd have to say I love black paired with just about anything–but black with rich, vibrant shades is really the best.

5. What is your favorite item from your shop? 
Right at the moment I'm very proud of my Art Deco Circular Design Black Onyx pendant. It has a unique hinged bail that I engineered and I like how it looks.

6. If you had to use three words to describe yourself, what would it be? 
That's hard! I'll say designer, earnest, busy.

7. What superpower would you most like to have?
To stretch time!

8. What is the first thing you remember creating?
As a toddler I used to "draw" with crayons on the pages of my mother's books. For years later whenever you'd pick up one of her books you'd randomly come across some of my "art".

9. If you could choose any era/decade to live in, when would that be? Why? 
The 1920's. It seems like it would have been an interesting time–the roaring twenties.

10. Where can we find you? (website, blog, etc.)
www.evelynpelati.com
www.evelynpelati.etsy.com
www.facebook.com/evelynpelati
If you are from Connecticut or thereabouts–I'll be selling my work at the Sugarloaf Crafts Festival in Hartford on March 25-27.

Treasury by Oh Faro - Flow / White - Black - Purple

A stunning treasury from Oh Faro created on February 10 featuring some members of Retro Handmade Team.

NB: Treasuries are now snapshots created using the widget from Craft Cult so if the treasury is changed, deleted, an item is sold etc, the treasury seen here will remain the same.

Don't forget to list your treasuries on the Retro Handmade Team discussion board so they can be listed here for all to enjoy!