the currency of trade

ok, ok, i know i have been absent from posting for a few weeks - but i'm a grad student now and school has pretty much taken over my life! also, my family and Trevor were in town and i was incredibly busy. ANYWAY...

i recently made a connection via Instagram (only the best social media app out there - photos galore!!) with a sweet chica from California who crochets and makes really awesome things. see, part of the magic of Instagram and other social media outlets is the hashtag. i think i'll have to devote an entire post to hashtags and their capabilities another time. so i found this Neena and mentioned on one of her photos of an item that she made that i would love to trade if she liked any of my own creations. lo and behold, we connected again via Etsy and now the trade is in progress! i make her 2 custom pairs of earrings and she crochets me a super adorable cropped sweater vest.

Neena's custom leather fringe and chain earrings, by bohobetty (me)

now that i've found how easy this can be among artisans, i made a note of it on my etsy page so that if other creative people like my jewelry but are tight on cash, we can both benefit by making a trade for equal value. just like that, we eliminated the need for dollars AND we are supporting one another as artists. this sounds familiar, yet not quite mainstream...more on the co-operative model is to come!

seamstress betty

remember that betty emergency i told you about a few weeks ago? when i couldn't quite fix my beautiful vintage velvet gypsy skirt in time for my friend's wedding? well, i found a solution and with the help of my mom's nice sewing machine, everything is all better now and ready to wear.

original

thrifted for material

as i was perusing the racks at my favorite Twin Cities thrift store (which i could reveal but i'd be giving away my secret), i found another velvet maxi skirt in a similar burgundy color for $2. i immediately bought it, with the brilliant idea of using it as my added material to lengthen the skirt.

when i finally got around to this project the other day, i made sure to take measurements before beginning, so i knew if i would have enough material or not. i measured the hem of the original gypsy skirt (as a bell-shaped skirt the measurement around the bottom is pretty big), and also measured the replacement material skirt. i cut the replacement skirt into 4 sections of even width, attached them to form one long piece, and hemmed it. when it came time to attach it to the original skirt, i was just a hair short but had enough material left over to fill in the gap.

finally came time to attach the long piece to the hem of the original skirt, for which i used a heavy duty zig-zag stitch, since the velvet materials are fairly heavy. et voila! it turned out great. though the colors are just a hair different and the sewing is not perfect, it's perfect for me and will do just fine for me to wear. yet another way to make use of my resources and efforts for an entirely custom piece of clothing.

finished product!! adds about 4 inches to the original length

organizing betty jewels

if you're anything like me, you are constantly digging through multiple piles/containers of jewelry to find the pieces you want to wear at any given moment. my biggest annoyance is untangling the many long necklaces i own (for an idea of my style, check this out) whenever i want to wear one or more of them. the other day i remembered that i had seen something easy to make, with few materials, many of which are probably already lying around your house. i'm talking about a super awesome necklace organizer, made of a tree branch, nails and string.

my materials: found tree branch piece, heavy-duty string,
nails and a hammer

be sure to find a fairly thick tree branch that will be sturdy enough to hold the weight of your jewelry and also hang from the wall. if you have nails lying around somewhere in your house, they can be 1.5-2" long, or head to your local hardware store to buy some. also be sure to use a strong, thick string that can hold some weight.

step 1
decide how many nails you want to use per necklace hanging section. mine has 4 but if you use a slightly longer branch you may be able to add 5. any more than that and you risk putting too much weight on the branch so i recommend you be a little cautious. next, start aligning the nails so they are evenly spaced throughout the length of the branch.

all nails hammered

step 2
start pounding!! hammer each nail in carefully so as not to break the branch. be sure to leave enough room on the ends where the string will be attached and the branch will hang. after you've hammered the necklace hangers, attach one nail on each end (leave about 1 inch).

step 3
wrap one end of the string around the branch and securely tighten a knot around the nail. do the same on the other end so you have a piece to hang on the wall. it should form a triangle shape.

                                                      step 4

hanging on the wall (sans jewels)

hang the piece on the wall, and get to organizing those necklaces!! hang those jewels, girl!

a resourceful betty emergency

yesterday i was set to attend the wedding of a dear friend of mine and her man, in the woods of central Wisconsin. i planned to wear this amazing vintage velvet long gypsy skirt, since i could layer it properly and still be warm during the outdoors ceremony. i had tried the skirt on previously and knew that it was a little short, but figured it would be perfect to wear with flat ankle boots. i was mistaken.

applying the tulle around the hem of skirt

i didn't follow one of my own rules: TRY EVERYTHING ON. i didn't try it on at Savers, and after not wearing it for months i forgot how it actually fit me. when i went to get dressed for the wedding, it was just an inch too short even to wear with ankle boots. i had a backup of these cute high-waisted black plants, but i desperately wanted to wear this skirt with the amazing vintage lace bolero jacket my friend had given me.

getting a little help from our dog Bettie White
(note the amazing vintage lace bolero)

SO, i called my mom and asked her to pick up some materials to add to the hem of the skirt for added length. she came home with a roll of black tulle, black ribbon and an iron-on adhesive material. with very little time to spare, i started to unroll the tulle, figuring i could skip the iron-on stuff and just use simple masking tape. i planned to layer the tulle 3 times over. it took me about 30 minutes to do the whole thing and when i went to put on the skirt, all the material i had painstakingly applied came right off. i went to the backup of black pants, which my mom proclaimed were 'adorable.'

i learned my lesson, and even though i was hoping that the vision of velvet gypsy skirt and lace bolero would become a reality, i'll have to go back to the crafting table. i'll look for a fabric that can add about 4 inches to the hem and i will sew it on next time, making sure to have enough time to try it on again before i wear it out.

crafting is art

in the past year, my love for my own art and creativity has grown immensely. through my creativity i find an inner calm (also found through my yoga practice) and i feel accomplished for making something new.

a taste of my workspace

though i do use some new materials like chain and leather that is harder to find in large quantities recycled, i prefer to use recycled beads, pendants, pieces and parts for my jewelry. this has become popular in the past few years as we try to be more resourceful, and it's called 'upcycling.' i've posted about upcycling before, and lately i've only collected more and more pieces to use and make new again.

100% upcycled earrings made with
hoops, glass beads and chain

i'm still listing pieces on my etsy and hope to soon show my work to a larger audience through a trunk show and networking. if i can reach even a few people and share my art, that is based on making old things new again, i will be happy. check it out and spread the word! my pieces are for anyone and everyone, but mostly for us betties everywhere.

Betty etsy

currently i'm in the midst of setting up and promoting my very own Etsy shop, Boho Betty - KS (BohoBetty was taken already, hence the initials at the end of shop name). since i've been crafting so much and feeling proud of all the merchandise i've made, i decided to open my own Etsy shop to sell my pretty things. for those of you who don't know about Etsy, you should probably get to know about it. check my page out here and feel free to share with others. i've listed only a few things so far but i am very excited to create more jewelry next week and gain even more feedback!

have fun shopping and exploring the magic of Etsy!!

upcycling

lately this term 'upcycling' has become more and more popular, as artists, designers and consumers alike are recognizing the importance of recycling and reusing, even when it comes to our clothes and jewelry. i have been crafting a lot of earrings, headchains and hair pieces almost entirely from old jewelry pieces. long necklaces make a great base for a head chain, secured using either wrapped wire or jump rings. a few weeks ago i salvaged about 50 raw turquoise beads from a dismembered rosary at Trevor's old house. here's a pic of my recycled beads box:

my trips to the thrift stores have been great for collecting materials to be re-worked, re-designed and upcycled. this is a headchain i made the other day from an old necklace chain and a necklace pendant:

the Etsy marketplace is a great place to find crafted jewelry and art from recycled materials. if you don't know Etsy, i highly recommend you check it out!! for more photos and ideas of recycled material crafts, follow me on Instagram @sakioto.

bargains

ever since i was a kid, my mom has taught me to be on the lookout for bargains. this could mean a number of things but today, it meant a trip to my local thrift store for half-priced day. on the last 2 days of each month the Truckee Hospice thrift store sells EVERYTHING for half-price. i walked out with: 4 necklace chains (for crafting purposes), 1 pair black J.Crew boots ($5), 1 James Perse lightweight cotton cardigan, black denim bustier top (to be altered to fit me properly), and a utility belt for Trevor. this was a pretty resourceful trip for me, and i didn't even drive! the thrift store is a short walk from my house. happy bargain hunting!!

musings on sustainability and self-reliance

this past Memorial Day weekend i spent in southern California with about 15,000 other people for a music, yoga and art festival. the experience was fantastic and a great way to open the summer festival season. every festival requires a certain amount of preparation and self-reliance, and Lightning in a Bottle was no different. in 2008 i attended my first Burning Man, a festival based on two main principles: radical self-expression and radical self-reliance. since that first time i have learned what to bring and how to enjoy my time at the festival without being burdened to worry about anyone else.

here's a photo from Burning Man that shows the harsh desert environment and a little bit of the art that can be seen out there. for more information and thoughts about the Burn and Black Rock City, check out www.burningman.org. maybe it is a lot for me to expect that everybody be self-sufficient, however i believe that any adult who is willing and able to attend a festival should be able to fend for themselves. this past weekend i learned that this is not the case and there are many festival attendees who cannot function like this. thankfully, i have been able to learn from every festival i go to, both about myself and about what is necessary to have a good experience. having been able to do this, i am able to draw on my own knowledge and resources to have a good time and be fully prepared. i believe in self-sustainability and resourcefulness, in all matters of my life. if someone is unable to do the same for themselves at a festival, i will not be that generous. we all have to learn to take care of ourselves and sometimes we have to learn that the hard way. onward to preparation for the Bounce Festival in less than 3 weeks!!

the importance of sanctuary

this is my summer to enjoy in Tahoe before heading back to grad school in August in Minnesota. that said, i am working as little as possible and doing as many fun and interesting things as i can. besides the cute bedroom i share with Trev, our new house has given me the space for another sanctuary: the Creation Station. a place to take apart things, re-design and re-assemble anything from jewelry to headdresses to tops and belts. here's what i'm talkin about:

not only do i have all my crafting and costume materials in one place (and semi-organized) but i've set up some small speakers for my iPod. this way, i get to hang out away from the world and dive completely into the task at hand and my artistic endeavors. i know how important this is to my sanity while not working, and to the encouragement of my creativity. if you can make a spot for yourself, whether an entire room or a small tabletop, i can pretty much guarantee you will see benefits, both in your creative and emotional selves (which are ultimately related). for more on the importance of creativity, sanctuary and family, check out my sister's website, chaiwolfman.com