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Gifts That Do Good: Change Wallet & From War to Peace Jewelry

by MissMalaprop on December 14, 2010

At this time of year, it’s important to give back, right? Here are a couple of cool projects that are doing just that.

New York based designer Emily Saunders has teamed up with non-profit organization Comfort the Children International in order to help support their incredible work in Maai Mahiu, Kenya. CTC is working to create sustainable change in that region through a 5 tier approach of environment, education, health, economy and community. Emily’s collaboration with CTC is the Change Wallet, a special edition unisex wallet that is handmade in Kenya with smooth grey leather, a Kenyan shilling sewn onto the front, and the word “Change” branded onto the back.

The coin in the design of the wallet upholds a local tradition (whenever a wallet is given as a gift, a coin is included for good luck and to ensure that the wallet will never be empty) but it also represents the change the purchase of each wallet will make to communities in Kenya. The wallets will ship in early February, but you can purchase one for the holidays, and a complimentary gift announcement will be shipped to the recipient of your choice, letting them know what they’ll be getting and what it will mean to the kids in Kenya. The purchase of each wallet helps to fund CTC’s youth empowerment program, giving kids in Maai Mahiu equal access to education, information and health programs. The Change Wallets are available for purchase here.

From War To Peace is another company doing really amazing work. Paul Ogren and his late wife Sandee founded the company to spread the message of peace. After the nuclear disarmament in the late 1980s, thousands of U.S. and Russian nuke warheads were dismantled, but the United States still maintains nearly 10,000 active warheads. From the missile silos spread across the Midwest that were disarmed, the Ogrens had the idea to remove the copper cabling which connected them and transform the copper into an alloy they call Peace Bronze. The artisans they work with then use it to create pendants, earrings and Christmas ornaments in symbols that represent peace. The company donates 20 percent of profits to deserving peace and social justice organizations worldwide. You can shop the full collection here.

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Knits and Cowls and Scarves and Cozy Things

by MissMalaprop on December 6, 2010

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I woke up this morning, all warm and snuggled in bed, and grabbed my new smartphone to check the weather report. (Yes, I FINALLY just got a smartphone about 2 weeks ago! I was living in the dark ages! It’s a Samsung Continuum thankyouverymuch and I LOVE it so far.) ANYWAY, the little WeatherBug screen told me it was 35 degrees Fahrenheit outside! Now, that may not seem like much to a lot of you who live in colder climates, but for a poor Southern girl like me that feels pretty cold. Plus, it always feels even colder this time of the year because I haven’t gotten used to it yet. The temperature keeps switching back and forth – just Saturday it was in the 70s!

A couple of great knitwear designers have made their way into my inbox in recent weeks, so I thought it was the perfect time to feature them, seeing as all I want to do right now is cuddle up in scarves and blankets and sweaters.

Kyla Leslie of kove handmade is based in Vancouver and she makes the coziest looking scarves, cowls, and wraps. As Kyla told me, “Inspired by the lush rainforests and jagged edges of the Canadian west coast, each piece is designed to be worn throughout the seasons in a variety of different ways. This fall’s collection features big, bold intricate pieces rich in color and texture, woven together with supersoft yarn.” Today is the holiday shipping deadline if you’re in the US, but Kyla also offers gift certificates in her shop if you’re thinking that one of her pieces would be perfect for someone on your gift list.

Chaucee Stillman is another knitwear designer who runs the shop Taylor House (as well as 2 fun blogs: Streets and Stripes is her style blog, and The Searched & Found is where Chaucee features her Etsy faves). Chaucee will be traveling abroad to study in Israel this spring semester and every cowl she sells will help to pay for her travel.

Now I’m off to dig up some scarves and mitts and warm things out of my closet…

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Using Local Events to Promote Your Business!

by MissMalaprop on November 16, 2010

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When I was approached recently by Mayi of Heartmade about participating in a blog series on Brilliant Marketing Tricks I was already formulating an idea for a post when I was only half-way done reading her email. By the time I finished reading, I realized we were totally on the same wavelength – Mayi suggested the same topic for me to post about that I already had in mind – using local events, including my home shopping parties, as a brilliant marketing trick!

Personally, I’ve found that local, in person events are one of the best ways for me to promote my business. They’ve been great for relationship building and developing a real connection with my customers. It’s so nice to be able to recognize the same smiling faces, as many of my repeat customers have found me via the local events that I participate in.

I’ve found that my sales tend to be much stronger at the local events I do than online. Part of this can be attributed to the fact that my online store is less than a year old, but I think a big part of it has to do with the nature of my handmade products. It’s so much nicer to be able to see and touch (and smell!) these types of goods in person first. Plus, how great is it to be able to take your new goodies home with you immediately rather than waiting for the mail to arrive? There’s also something to be said for being able to try on things like clothing and jewelry first before you buy.

I know a few other businesses that are near and dear to my heart who could say the same about using local, in person connections to build a business and increase their long-term online sales. My friends Brian & Gwen Callahan of Sigh Co. Graphics design geeky, gothy t-shirts, and they’ve found a big part of their customer base through their participation in horror, sci-fi and comic conventions around the country. Customers who bought a shirt at one of these events often come back to their website to purchase more in the future. I recently quit my full-time day job and went back to a favorite former employer, Trashy Diva, on a part-time basis. In the time that I had been gone, about two and a half years, the online sales and wholesale business have increased dramatically! Many repeat customers have stumbled upon one of the Trashy Diva French Quarter stores while visiting New Orleans and come back again and again after falling in love with the unique vintage style clothing!

Investing the time, money, and energy into doing in-person events or having a brick & mortar retail store can be a definite gamble, but it can also be a calculated risk worth taking. So get out there, and whether it’s participating in an expo or craft show, or just getting some face-to-face networking done, take a chance on local events!

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504 Stitches – Sewing Classes for New Orleans!

by MissMalaprop on October 21, 2010

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My friend Rebekah is a fellow member of the New Orleans Craft Mafia and an all around talented lady. I’m proud to have some of her handmade accessory designs featured in my shop, and I was so excited when she recently announced that she would be teaching sewing classes here in the Crescent City!

I’ve had a lot of people ask me about learning to sew over the years, especially when the NOCM does our t-shirt recycling events around town. I’m self-taught myself, and still feel pretty weak in many areas: I mostly work backwards, taking apart and reconstructing old garments, but I haven’t used patterns much, and I certainly never learned any pattern making. Rebekah, on the other hand, actually went to school for Fashion Design, so she has all the skills and loves sharing them with others! I recently asked her a couple of questions to learn more about how she got into making things and what’s up with her new sewing classes, aka 504 Stitches.

Tell us a little about your background as an artist & crafter. I grew up with a very crafty mother and grandmother – my grandmother taught me how to sew, how to shop, how to dress – she’s my hero. I don’t remember learning to sew and feel like it’s something that I’ll always do. I am formally trained with a degree in Fashion Design. I love all kinds of art and craft and am always trying new things. Because I have formal and unformal training in a lot of different types of crafting I’m always taking a bit from every genre of craft to create new things.

Tell us about your new sewing classes. I’m really excited about this! I started 504 Stitches because so many people tell me how they want to learn or they wish they knew how to do things better on their machine. I also love to watch someone learn a new skill and become confident in it. On a personal note, this is something that is a marriage of passions for me: sewing, teaching, and making. Sewing has been the best skill to have: it’s relaxing, I go to my “Zen” place when I’m sewing, and it also comes in really handy for making costumes, re-working vintage clothes, and tailoring & mending clothes.

I’ll be offering 2 classes on Sundays through the holiday season at Color Me NOLA, 4815 Magazine Street. Check out my website to enroll in a class. I’m also collaborating with some local crafters, artists and business owners to do fun workshops – keep a look out for them!

Tell me about your fall line of handmade accessories. I’ve only ever made accessories for myself, up until now. I had a lot of fun finding vintage fabrics and creating some unique items. The inspiration to make soft accessories came from plushie makers – I thought it would be interesting to make soft accessories especially since fabric is a medium I am already used to working in.

My Vintage Harvest collection is inspired by grandma’s quilt collection – those cozy familiar prints that you snuggled up with on a crisp cool night. I love the Autumn – it’s a time to put on cozy pieces and you can layer more accessories on too!

For more information about Rebekah and her work, check out her blog or the 504 Stitches website. You can also find her handmade accessory line, She Loves Me Not Clothing Company, in my shop.

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Costume Inspiration: The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert

by MissMalaprop on September 30, 2010

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October is almost here (okay, it’s here as of tomorrow), which means it’s time to start thinking about Halloween costumes. In all honesty, I’ve been thinking about Halloween costumes for months now, because there is one costume in particular that I’ve been wanting to do for ages, but I don’t think I have time this year with everything else going on to create it.

One of my all-time favorite movies is The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert. If you haven’t seen it, GO WATCH IT. This movie won the Academy Award in 1994 for best costume design, and for good reason. The film is about 3 drag queens traveling by bus across the Australian Outback. I’ve always LOVED drag queens, and this movie may be a big reason why. (I first saw it when I was 12 or 13.) It’s so campy and funny, but it’s also a genuinely good movie. The acting is phenomenal, especially when you compare these performances to other stuff the lead actors have done.

I originally thought that I wanted to do the flip-flop dress costume that Hugo Weaving wears. But upon viewing it again and thinking about it, what I REALLY want to do is the costume that Guy Pearce wears in the same scene. Crazy plastic coil wig and all:

I found some lavender plastic craft lace on sale at Joann’s Fabrics a few months ago, but I still need to get some blue. Not to mention I’d need to create the actual outfit. (And the shoes!) A month might be a long time, but with my jam-packed schedule for October, I just don’t think it’s going to happen for Halloween this year. Maybe Mardi Gras? You can actually see a pretty good picture of the whole outfit at 1:20 into this behind the scenes video about the costume production process for the movie:

They’ve adapted the movie into a musical at London’s West End. Apparently it’s scheduled to run through the end of May 2011. This makes me really, really, really wish I had a way to get myself across the pond in the near future…

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