Jantar Handcrafted Jewelry

Button Post Earring Collection

2011-08-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

The idea to transform little vintage buttons into earrings kept nagging me for quite some time, but taking a crack at it sure took even longer. The logistics of removing and sending down the shanks off of tiny buttons, which when held down between my fingers leave very little space to maneuver the Dremel sanding attachments, took a bit of brain burning. None of the sanding tools in home improvement stores or pliers seemed to be helpful, but I finally figured out the best way to prep the buttons.

To minimize the horrible glass dust cloud, which used to banish me to my back yard, I purchased a Plexiglass grind box. I wish it was a bit bigger since maneuvering the Dremel and the buttons needs some finessing, but I love the fact, that I was able to get rid of the dust mask and goggles. My fingers still get sanded, burned and poked with flying bits of glass, but the final effect is so worth it.

Some of the buttons I found are modern, made using the same old molds used even back in the 19th century. They are truly stunning, especially in the lovely shades of blue with golden yellow aurora borealis finish.

The vintage and antique buttons are my favorite, some near 100 years old. I get a bit nervous, when working with them, since not all of them survive the assault of modern day power tools...

This last pair of buttons is 80-90 years old. I love how the hand painted background makes the raised flower design pop.

To check out more of the button post earrings, visit my flickr page or my Bonanza shop

I'm back!!

2011-08-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

After two-year long hiatus, Jantar Handcrafted Jewelry is resuming a show schedule with first appearance at Broadway Festival on September 4th 20011 in Manhattan. My booth will be located between 10th St. and 11th St.

It has been a long time. Hopefully, difficult times are behind me and I really look forward to what the future holds for me.

My newly acquired Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachusetts sales tax licenses are "burning in my pocket", so I will be participating in street fairs and craft shows there also.

I'm looking forward to reconnecting with my old craft show friends, I miss you guys! I apologize for dropping of the face of the planet, but looking back, I know, it was necessary. As they say, what does not break you, makes you stronger...

Lots of great things happened in my studio over the last few years. New designs came to life and I had to pack up my studio and move it into a new space on a very short notice. My new studio has more natural light and there will be no more risking frost bite during winter time;0)

I will be sharing my new designs little by little, so keep checking my blog for new posts.

Salsa recipe

2009-07-23T17:03:00.000-07:00

Several years ago, we where invited to a barbecue and that's when I first tried homemade salsa on top of my steak. Since then, there is no barbecue without this great side dish for my family and friends, and even our kids love the veggie boost ;O)

Salsa is great all year round on not only steak, but also chicken or even meatloaf.

Ingredients:

half of white onion
2 medium tomatoes
1-2 jalapeno peppers
1-2 lemons (depending on size and amount of juice)
cilantro
salt to taste

1. Chop all the veggies finely and place them in a mixing bowl.

Use 1 or 2 jalapeno peppers depending on how hot the peppers are, and on your personal preference. It's a good idea to use gloves while chopping the peppers; sometimes they are very hot, and the skin burn afterwards is not very pleasant.

2. Roll a lemon on a flat surface applying pressure to release the juice before cutting it in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl.

3. Add salt to taste. (I personally use quite a bit of salt.)

4. Mix the salsa and leave it for a bit to let the flavors mix.

If your salsa is too spicy for your taste, add finely chopped cucumbers, but allow the flavors to mix first as the salsa becomes milder after a while.

I also make a different version of this recipe without the tomatoes, which we use for steak tacos (great way to reuse leftover steak the next day after grilling). All you will need are some corn tortillas, which will be topped with reheated steak cut into pieces and salsa.

Enjoy!

Spring Crocuses

2009-04-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

The weather, unfortunately is not very spring like... The rain, cold and winds are getting on my last nerves this year, at least we don't have to deal with leftover snow showers Northern states have seen this week;O)) While walking our dog, I was able to snap this photo of beautiful crocuses blooming in my neighbour's front yard. I hope to pull super secret mission this upcoming fall, and plant some crocus bulbs in our front lawn, which I was forbidden to do by my husband. Well, he will have to deal with it:O))

Jewels and moss treasury

2009-04-02T06:09:00.001-07:00

I don't gamble, I don't bet on horses and I'm not into extreme sports, but landing an Etsy treasury list can be certainly filed in same adrenaline pumping category:O) There is something very nerve-wrecking and exciting in watching the number of treasury list go under that magic 333 number and number of visitors climb rapidly. Then your eyes are glued to the bottom of the screen waiting for the box to open and you are holding your breath afraid to even blink, because if you do...it might be gone. Your hand is squeezing the mouse ready to paste prepared earlier title of your treasury and click the finish button. Then you watch it load opening empty grid ready to be filled with beautiful, creative items. Believe me, beating hundreds of people to a treasury list feels great!

Here is the newest treasury I landed just yesterday. Its called ...jewels and moss... and features beautiful jewelry created by the {NewNew} members.

How-to: "Something Blue" bridal hair pin

2009-03-28T19:09:00.000-07:00

My little sister will be getting married this summer and she trusted me enough to give me the extremely important task of designing and creating her jewelry. I'm scared already! ;O I'm almost certain, she will turn out to be my most difficult and outspoken client ever, and I'm not fooled by her when she says "Just surprise me, I'm sure I will love it!"I decided to start with hair accessories.
We went over different possibilities: hair combs, tiaras, hair bends and decided that hair pins would be best. My sister has very fine and "slippery" hair and pins will not only help to hold them in place, but also give the master hairdresser, my brother's best friend, lots of flexibility.

Supplies:
~hair pin
~wire (I'm using 26ga silver plated wire)
~beads: glass flowers, glass leaves, pearls, Swarovski crystals, seed beads go wild! use silk flowers, feathers, old jewelry, sequins, buttons, etc
~wire clippers
1. Cut an 18in long piece of wire, place first petal or leaf shaped bead in the middle of your wire and twist wire securing bead in place.

2. Secure additional 2 petal beads on each end of the wire.

3. Make a couple of additional twists below the little branches.

4. Add glass flower bead topped with "something blue" Swarovski crystal bead leaving about 1/2in of wire bellow the flower.

5. Bend the wire tightly over the edge of the flower bead and twist tightly making sure that the blue crystal stays as centered as possible.

6. Thread a little Swarovski crystal butterfly on the longer end of the wire about 1.5in from twister wire, fold it tightly against the bead and wrap around.

7. Position the butterfly above the pearl branches.

8. Add one more flower bead with Swarovski crystal center at the base of this little bridal bouquet.

9. Thread both ends of the wire through the loop of the hair pin and secure it in place by wrapping around the loop of the hair pin and around the base of the bouquet. Clip off the access wire.

Solar Power, going green dilemma

2009-03-24T04:15:00.000-07:00

I always wanted a set of nice and shiny solar power panels on top of my roof, I think as far as going green goes, this it the ultimate thing, means you are serious and committed to cutting pollution. I wanted to do something that will really make a difference, but...is going green in this case really going green? Sadly...no...

While shopping in Selden Home Depot, my son Ben picked up a flyer with information on upcoming solar power seminar, which I decided to attend. Of course going anywhere means taking my two boys with me, which is extremely distracting, but I figured, I will manage it somehow, even if I have to cut the seminar short.

I was expecting a crowd when I got to the store, but turned out to be the only person who showed up. The man from GP Solar Power, explained how the system works, mentioned all requirements and figured out, which system would work best for the size of our house. The regular price of the system came up to whopping $60,000, which made me say "Wow!", but after all the discounts from LIPA, The Home Depot, state and federal government, total cost of the system would be only about $8,000. I figured it's worth considering, even though it's still a big number, but as it turned out, we would have to make some drastic changes to our property in order to go ahead with this project, which are absolutely out of the question. Each individual panel is linked to the system in such way, that if any of them happens to be shaded, the whole system is not working and isn't producing power. We would have to chop down at least four of our beautiful large oak trees growing on the edge of our property before installing solar panel system.

I love my oaks, and can't even imagine making this decision. In our case, if I have to choose between clean solar energy and oak trees, I choose oak trees!!

Spring in pink

2009-03-12T04:52:00.000-07:00

I think, I'm starting to sound like a broken record...and I'm not the only one;O) Winter seems particularly long and stubborn this year and we keep getting this bothersome cold weather blasts.

As we all ache for spring, every piece created in my studio seems to be influenced by this wonderful time of year, which seems to be particularly inspiring when I'm cold and can't stand wearing my winter coat any longer.

The Leaf Bouquet necklace is one of my all time favourites. This pink creation is third in this series and is made of beautifully detailed brass leaf, Swarovski crystal beads, vintage West German lucite flowers and Czech glass beads. Very delicate and feminine.

This pair of earrings was a bit of an experiment, which I think turned out super cute. I can almost hear the honey bee buzzing while collecting pollen from this beautiful vintage lucite flowers topped with antique copper bead caps and Swarovski crystal beads.

The last pair of earrings is made of antique brass finish leaf detail bead caps topping wonderfully detailed vintage inspired beads.

They can all be found in my Etsy shop

Spring Azalea Earrings

2009-03-05T07:07:00.000-08:00

I want spring!!!

We have been lucky with winter weather this season. While areas West and North of Long Island had plenty of "white stuff" covering the ground, warm currents helped in pushing the wintery weather away from the island. Well, at least till last Monday... We got more than 12inches of snow:O))

Well, I'm ignoring all the snow outside my studio's windows and thinking spring while working on lucite azalea earrings, and if I close my eyes, I can see them blooming in my back yard...soon, very soon...

Azalea bush blooming in our backyard in spring of 2008.

Sea Foam Azalea earrings and Tangerine Azalea earrings are already listed in my Etsy shop.

The Lemon Twist earrings as well as earrings in other beautiful spring colors will be coming soon:O)

Craft Show season is already here!

2009-02-23T09:19:00.000-08:00

Well, not officially, but I already jump-started 2009 season with Park Slope V-day Show and Pop-up Market in Dumbo. It was so nice to see my {NewNew} peeps there!

The hard core {NewNew} grabbed their tables and moved them on 7th ave sidewalk in Park Slope during our first show. It was cold, but as far as cold in New York goes this winter, it turned out to be a wonderful sunny day. I was not prepared for the outdoors, but it was so much fun!

I also sold at the Winter Pop-up Market in Dumbo section of Brooklyn on February 8th and 15th. This is the winter location of the Brooklyn Flea at 81 Front St. I absolutely love the location just 2 blocks from East River! The view of Manhattan Bridge around the corner is breathtaking and I just had to snap some photos.

More photos can be found on my Flickr page:O))

Thing-a-day, project # 4, Vintage Filigree earrings

2009-02-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

Staying away from online supply shops poses a real challenge…yes! I admit…I’m addicted! Last Sunday, friend of mine told me, that she was shocked by amount of supplies in my studio and she did not think I will ever use them all.I will try to use as much of what I already have and try to minimize new purchases. The filigree elements I used for this project, have been purchased probably more than two years ago from a vintage supply shop on the web. I reached for them several times, but did not come-up with anything I really loved to use them and they kept going back into the box. This time I’m happy with the design! The right Czech glass beads arrived just a week ago and with a tiny addition of Swarovski crystal sparkle, they came out perfect!Hmmm…what other goodies my boxes hide? Need to go on a hunt…;O))

Thing-a-day, project # 3

2009-02-05T06:47:00.001-08:00

My goal for 2009 is to organize my work as best as I can. Working from home is very difficult if you have kids, home, cooking, soccer practice, very active dog, craft shows on weekends and a husband who works too many hours to juggle. It seems that I can’t keep set deadlines and finish planed projects due to unexpected problems, lol, and Dominick, my two-year-old, seems to have constant emergencies;O)
To keep track of daily and weekly goals, I came up with this sheet, and hopefully this is the final version. I used pages from an old sketch book, which I cut in half and used red permanent marker to draw a table. Each page reflects a week of new inventory created in my studio. I have plenty of space on the bottom and right hand side for the summary, and revere side for notes.

Thing-a-day, project # 2

2009-02-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

I'm already falling behind in posting, things are crazy as usually...I think, I need to place an order for additional 6 hours per day with Mr Time;O)

Yellow flower earrings are my second craft project. I planned to make them a while ago, and finally did it. They are made of scrapbooking paper flower embellishment. After removing adhesive dot, I sprayed them with several layers of acrylic finish. If I ever make them again, I will use clear furniture finish, it probably will not require as many applications and they will be more stiff. Epoxy might be better also.

I used hole puncher to make top holes and large, unusual earwires to hang the flowers from.

Thing-a-day

2009-02-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

I'm really excited to be part of the Thing-a-day blog for the first time. I will be making one craft project every day this month and I'm hoping to get to all the project piling up in my studio, try new jewelry techniques and spice-up my cooking again.

I will be also posting the project results on my blog. Here is the first one, carrot salad made for Ben's birthday partly and his special request, very yummy side dish.

Day One - Carrot Salad

ingredients:
carrot bunch
leak
salt
pepper
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 table spoon of mayonnaise
1 table spoon of sour cream

I cleaned the carrots ( scraped to be exact with a knife) shredded finely, salted lightly, added pepper and just a bit of finely chopped leak. Next, I have combined the mayo, sour cream and sugar in a cup and mixed it into shredded carrot mix.

Upcycled Book Tote

2009-01-28T07:38:00.000-08:00

There is one New Year's resolution that I'm really looking forward to, and that is to read more books. Motherhood and my home business keeps me so busy, that I rarely reach for a book now. There is nothing more satisfying to do on a frosty January evening than cozying-up on my couch wrapped in warm blanket with a cup of tea and reading a great book.

My kids really enjoy trips to the library, and check out tons of books to take home. To keep them safe and prevent loosing this precious cargo, I decided to make a tote from an old pair of jeans.

For this project you will need:
~ pair of old jean pants
~ machine thread
~ scissors or rotary cutter
~ measuring tape
~ needle
~ embroidery floss
~ buttons
~ fabric pencil or chalk
~ sewing machine
~ cutting mat
~ omnigrid ruler

1. Using side seams of the pants as a guide, make a cut all the way to the bottom.

2. Lay out back of the pants flat and tuck any access fabric under the back seam until flat and pin it in place.

3. Measure 13 inches from the top of the pants and mark it with a fabric pencil or chalk in two places, then connect them drawing a line all the way to the edge of the fabric.

4. Cut with scissors adding 1/2in for seam allowance.

5. Using upper corner of each pocket as a guide, mark vertical seam lines and cut adding 1/2in of allowance. Make sure, that the distance between the pockets and edge of the fabric is the same on both sides.

Please note, if you are using pants in smaller size and would like to make your tote larger, add strips of fabric on each side.

6. Lay out leg part of the pants flat on your work table, pin down piece of the tote with packets on top and cut out with scissors using edge of the ready piece as a guide adding 1inch of seam allowance on top.

7. Measure bottom and the side of the tote piece without the pockets, and cut out one 5inch wide strip of fabric for the bottom of the tote, and 2 strips for the sides.

8. Cut out also two, 4in wide strips of fabric for the handles, I would like them to measure 30in and will add another 3in to the length to secure them in place.

9. Using fabric pencil or chalk, write the word "BOOKS" on the larger piece without the pockets, and hand stitch the outline using any type of stitch you'd like.

10. Time for sewing! Remember that axcess fabric we tucked under the "butt" seam? Using your machine, make a stitch on the edge of factory seam securing access fabric.

11. Pin down two side strips of fabric to front and back of the tote, and sew all the pieces together. Your extra seam allowance will be sticking out on top of the tote. Make sure also, that the inside of fabric is facing out.

12. Using zigzag stitch finish edges of the seams.

13. Pin together and sew front and back pieces to the bottom strip of fabric between side seams. The bottom piece should have a seam allowance on both ends. Sew the short ends of the bottom piece and side pieces together and finish seams with zigzag stitch.

14. To finish the top edge of the tote, use zigzag stitch or double fold bias tape ( I had some leftover from another project). Fold the edge to the inside and stitch 1/2 in from the top edge.

15. To make straps, sew edges of previously cut fabric, iron the seams, turn them inside out and iron again.

16. Secure the straps to the bag and finish embellishing it with buttons.

Embellishing part is so much fun, so go wild! Let your kids make drawings of their favourite book characters with permanent fabric markers, use buttons to spell out "BOOKS" or "READ". Use ribbons, patches, beads or scraps of colorful fabric.

Have fun reading!!

Winter Berry earrings

2009-01-23T05:55:00.000-08:00

I'm slowly getting back into my studio to work on new jewelry. Signing up for Dumbo Indoor Market, where the Brooklyn Flea is moving for the winter, is a great motivation.

I finally made some winter berry earrings, which are on my business cards. They are quite time consuming, but customer's order forced me to dig up the design and improve ways to execute them. I made 2 brand new pairs of earrings yesterday, this time in antique silver finish. They will be listed in my Etsy shop soon.

Hope you will like them:O))

Don't forget to check out the {NewNew} at the Dumbo Indoor Market on February 7th and 8th.

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-19T05:29:00.000-08:00

The weather channel keeps getting their predictions wrong lately, and the big one last week turned out to be nothing at all, and this weekend surprised us with quite a bit of snow. This is the beautiful winter wonderland we woke up to the day before inauguration...

Mountain Ash

2009-01-15T10:46:00.001-08:00

Czerwona Jarzębina, originally uploaded by ulotnie.

My jewelry making started in childhood with this lovely red berry. I remember making countless amounts of mountain ash bracelets and necklaces with fava bean and green pea accents. I can still remember the scent... In US, I have seen the mountain ash only ones, in front of someones house in Hagerstown, MD, where we lived for 3 years. Hopefully, I will plant an ash on our property this year. My husband is not crazy about the idea of ruining his vision of our landscape, but I will put my foot down;O)) and I will also plant crocuses in the front lawn in fall when he is not looking;O)))))

Why parents drink;O)

2009-01-13T10:57:00.000-08:00

I just got it from a friend by mail, lol, nightmare! but really funny...

Why Parents Drink

The boss wondered why one of his most valued employees was absent one day but had not phoned in sick. Needing to have an urgent problem with one of the main computers resolved, he dialled the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whisper.

' Hello ? '

'Is your daddy home?' he asked.

' Yes ,'

whispered the small voice. May I talk with him?' The child whispered,

' No .'

Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, 'Is your Mummy there?'

' Yes '

'May I talk with her?' Again the small voice whispered,

' No '

Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, 'Is anybody else there?'

' Yes ,' whispered the child,' a policeman . '

Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, 'May I speak with the policeman?'

' No, he's busy , 'whispered the child.

'Busy doing what?'

' Talking to Daddy and Mummy and the Fireman , ' came the whispered answer.

Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise in the background through the ear piece on the phone, the boss asked, 'What is that noise?'

' A helicopter ' answered the whispering voice.

'What is going on there?' demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive. Again, whispering, the child answered,

' The search team just landed a helicopter'

Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, 'What are they searching for?' Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle...

' ME . '

It actually reminds me of the time when I was hiding with my younger cousin in my grandparents attic. We sat on the window seal, watching our moms frantically looking for us all over the neighborhood. I finally had to go to the bathroom and could not hold any longer;O))) My mom was really mad and I'm sure it was my idea. He was probably too yang to even remember...

Big after New Year pre spring cleaning

2009-01-05T19:36:00.001-08:00

My mom always turns the entire house upside down before Christmas:O)) Every cabinet is cleaned, every single crystal wine glass washed, basement dusted, walls repainted and even the car washed despite frost and snow;o) I had no time to do that before holidays, but since organization is on my resolution list, I jumped right to it. The kitchen is almost spotless, really spotless. I had finally time to reorganize my cabinets and rearrange things so they work better for us. I even gave the overgrown bamboo plant by the window a trim...hope it will not kill it.
I promised myself, that every room in the house will get a special attention before I will allow myself to enter my studio again. I'm afraid, that if I cheat and make even one pair of earrings, reorganizing will end-up on the bottom of the list again.
I miss my boxes filled with beads and findings sooooo much... How I love my pliers... and the newly ordered supplies arriving today did not help the situation ether...

Well, I'm off to clean out the under sink cabinet;O))

New Year resolutions

2008-12-30T15:04:00.000-08:00

Here it goes:O))
1. Loose weight
2. Read more
3. Take Dominick to the park and playground more often
4. Take advantage of the beach this summer
5. Try new cooking recipes, my cooking got too boring without the constant experiments
6. Get organized
7. Take the time to enjoy life
8. Be happy

I can't remember starting a new year with more optimistic outlook on things to come. It has a lot to do with coming close to finding a balance between work, without which I can not function at all, and my family. I love what I do and I am my own boss. I AM THE BOSS! and as long as the boss is happy everyone else will be happy also:O))))

Happy New Year's everyone!!

End of the year reflections...

2008-12-22T09:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, craft show season officially ended for me and I'm left with catching up to do on all my household chores:O) The pile of laundry is more than scary and toys are stuffed in every corner of every room...my boys made sure I will be busy the last few days before Christmas. My studio, strangely enough, seems to be the only organized room, and it is usually the other way around.

My last show, the craft fair at the Brooklyn Lyceum, was a great success despite the snow on Saturday and pouring rain on Sunday. It was so nice to see my previous customers at my table and hear all the priceless feedback. Thank you everyone for all the wonderful words and suggestions, I'm ending this year with so many ideas and plans for the future. Your wonderful words made me believe that this crazy path of jewelry making was a right choice, and I'm ecstatic, that I have the opportunity to do what I love and am completely addicted to.

Thank you {NewNew}! I love you everyone:O)) Thank you for putting up with my constant chatting, thank you for steering my craftiness in whole different direction and your wonderful company. Joining the {NewNew} was a life saving experience for me and I can't wait for what the future will bring. It has been a wonderful ride and I'm not getting of this train anytime soon:O) Well, it seems more like this train is faster than the speed of light but I will catch-up soon;O)

I hope, everyone will have the best Holidays ever, and the New Year will bring all the happiness and joy you are wishing for.

{NewNew} at the Brooklyn Lyceum

2008-12-19T09:22:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, crazy busy or just hate spending countless hours at the mall searching for the perfect gift for all the loved ones, and still have some shopping to do, check out the Holiday Craft Fair at the Brooklyn Lyceum this weekend. This will be a two day shopping event featuring local artists and crafters, and their beautiful handmade creations. I guarantee you, you will be able to find the perfect gift for that one person, you have trouble shopping for, and it will be a wonderful gift everyone will be convinced you spend countless hours hunting for:O)) I will do the same! Shop, shop, shop for handmade:O)

So stop by, and check out my creations, and of my fellow {NewNew} members:
KnitKnit, Better Than Jam, Collective Elements, Glass is My Name, Journalistic Tendencies, Lingua Nigra, Nordea's Soperie, Blue Stitch Books, The Original Beadscarf, Kimm Chi, Red Bridge Studio, Adornments NYC, Vyphuis Designs, Allene La Spina, Metal Sugar, Dew on a Petal, Beacon Bookmarks, Yania Creations, Molly Shoelace, The Hand of Fatima, Jantar Handcrafted Jewelry and more

crouching

2008-12-15T05:59:00.001-08:00

crouching, originally uploaded by wrrroah.

This is my Flickr find of the day! Isn't she/he cute? The bushy tail, big ears and the wonderful orange color makes you want to go nuts for the European squirrels. They are also very shy and stay away in the woods and parks, unlike their gray cousins who rummage through our backyards:O)

The {NewNew} York Etsy Street Team weekend sale!

2008-12-12T15:08:00.000-08:00

Some of the {NewNew} Etsy shops will be having a sale going on this weekend. Take advantage of this great offer, and give the gift of handmade this holiday season:O)
For more info visit the {NewNew} blog: http://thenewnew.blogspot.com/2008/12/weekend-sales-10-off-these-shops.html

I will have a sale also, 10% off regular price in addition to free US shipping.

Intense Search for a hiding spot:O)

2008-12-12T05:58:00.001-08:00

Our adopted miniature pincher Buddy, is still looking for the perfect hiding spot from our little bundle of joy, Dominick:O) He already tried the bath tub, every closet in the house, the cabinet under the sink right behind trash bin, pile of leaves in the backyard and the tight space under my bed. We hope that the running incident last month was just his adventurous nature and not "The Big Escape!" From now on I must make sure to double check washer and dryer before turning them on :O)

The Lyceum Holiday Craft Fair

2008-12-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

In case you have missed our Holiday Handmade Cavalcade, you can still check the {NewNew} before Christmas at the Brooklyn Lyceum, where many of us will be selling our creations on Saturday December 20 and Sunday December 21.

Handmade Cavalcade

2008-12-09T06:54:00.001-08:00

Handmade Cavalcade, originally uploaded by kimmchi_kimm.

It was insane! What a wonderful event!
I wanted to visit everyone and take lots of photos and ...there was no time. My camera did not even make it out of the bag. I run out of jewelry boxes, change and my big stack of business cards disappeared also.

I'm really proud to be a part of such wonderful and motivated group of crafters and artists. We all put so much work into this event, and proved that with determination and under great leadership, we can accomplish a great success even on limited budget.

Big thanks to Kimm for being our fearless leader, and to Kristen for coordinating this event. Thank you "Knitting Factory" for letting us use your venue. Big, big thank you to everyone who stopped by and supported our very first holiday event.

To see more photos of the Holiday Handmade Cavalcade visit out Flickr pool: http://www.flickr.com/groups/newnewny/pool/

The Cavalcade is tomorrow!!!

2008-12-05T13:47:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited, that I already can't sleep:O)))) I kept making new jewelry till 3 am last night, and if it wasn't for my really tired eyes, I would not go to sleep at all. I'm setting up my tables and display right now and trying out battery operated lights.

Go {NewNew}!!!

Enamel Flower earrings

2008-11-24T15:27:00.000-08:00

I have been working on new jewelry for the Handmade Cavalcade and reached for the remaining vintage enamel flowers left in my stash. They are so cute, that I'm having a hard time letting them go... Here are the newest 3 pairs I made on Saturday.

{NewNew} princess treasury

2008-11-21T12:26:00.000-08:00

I got really lucky and got a treasury earlier this week which is inspired by {NewNew} gifts for every princess post. The color combination is a bit unusual, but I really like it.

Countdown to Holiday Handmade Cavalcade

2008-11-19T20:12:00.000-08:00

Only 2 weeks and 2 days left to the biggest event organized by the {NewNew} ever!
Holiday Handmade Cavalcade will take a place in legendary Knitting Factory.
You can find me Uptown, ground level, right next to Nordea's Soaperie:O)

For more info, visit http://www.handmadecavalcade.com/

{NewNew} gifts for little girls

2008-11-15T17:27:00.000-08:00

Holidays are just around the corner, and before we'll realize, all the crazy shopping and chasing for gifts will start. For many years I watched "black Friday" craziness from behind the counter, ones I even run into the stockroom when things got crazy hopeing that I can hide there, and promised myself to NEVER end-up on the other side! So you'll never see me standing in line outside department or discount store in my pj's and slippers, with crazy hair and coffee mug in my hand, keeping an eye on people who try to get in line in front of me:O))))

How about making your holiday purchases from {NewNew} sellers? Here is what you can buy for the little, or not so little anymore, princess in your family.

She will love this adorable pair of Pretty Kitty Earrings can be found in ScribbleNation's Etsy shop.

This beautiful Francine Table Lamp from YoursTrulyxoxo will add warm, cozy light to her bedroom.

Pretty Pink Wrist Warmers from Shutterkate will not only keep her hands warm on a buss stop, but make her look super cool.

This friendly Barry, Bini Monster Plush Toy from Karen's Monsters will scare all the monsters away. She might need this a cute Pink Dahlia Dot Blank Scrapbook Album by collectiveelements to keep all her precious memories.

Don't forget an iPod Cozy from KnitStorm to keep her iPod warm and cozy;O))

She will definitely need this lovely Catherine Bag from thirdfloor to keep all her thing organized on-the-go.

Hope that you enjoyed this selection of wonderful handmade goodies from The {NewNew}!

Wine Glass Charm Promos

2008-11-15T08:57:00.001-08:00

My goodie bag wine glass charms are ready also:O) Got a blister from bending ends of the stubborn memory wire rings. Some of the designs are brand new and I will be working on full size sets next week.

Ruffle bag earrings

2008-11-14T14:34:00.001-08:00

My earrings, which will be added to Holiday Handmade Cavalcade raffle bags are ready! They will be packaged tomorrow and accompanied by a discount coupon for my Etsy shop:O)

Cavalcade snowflakes

2008-11-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

Today, my son Benjamin, is really busy cutting out white snowflakes for wall and ceiling decoration of the Knitting Factory for Holiday Handmade Cavalcade. The little one is cutting too...thank goodness for safety scissors...

Helen's Farm, LI New York

2008-11-10T04:16:00.001-08:00

Helen's Farm, LI New York, originally uploaded by Mirela Jazdzewska.

Visiting Helen's farm in Aquebogue is our fall family tradition, which we picked up again after moving back to Long Island. Dominick was old enough to enjoy it this year as well. He looks so cute with all the little bits of corn attached to his face:O) ...and yes, the corn is absolutely delicious!

Button Rings

2008-11-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

Introducing my newest addiction...Czech glass button rings! The first batch of 11 rings is ready and they look fantastic. I tested the very first one, and it even survived tent packing at my last craft show. Very large order of blank base rings will be arriving next week as well as some wonderful, beautifully detailed, new buttons I found on eBay.

The Secret Garden

2008-10-18T17:14:00.000-07:00

My newest addition to jewelry selection available on my Etsy page, remind me of the magical "Secret Garden", directed by Agnieszka Holland, with beautiful music composed by Zbigniew Preisner. O) The wonderfully detailed handmade lampwork rose beads are adorn by lovely selection of vintage and contemporary beadcaps and a touch of swarovski sparkle.

The newest addition to our family:O)

2008-10-07T07:36:00.001-07:00

The newest addition to our family:O), originally uploaded by Mirela Jazdzewska.

His name is Buddy, and he was found by someone, who was unable to find his original owner. The phone number on his tag was disconnected! and even newspaper add did not help in reuniting Buddy with his owners.
Buddy was given to my Mother-in-law, who gave him to us:O) It has been 13 years since I had a dog, a very long time, but we are very excited to give him his permanent home.
The kids love him already, and he seems to settle down immediately. He is a bit annoyed with Dominick's ideas during play and his loudness, but still is very gentle with him.

Atlantic Antic:O)

2008-09-30T06:05:00.001-07:00

Power Cord, originally uploaded by nguyen le.

This Sunday, The {NewNew} will be taking over the Atlantic Antic in Brooklyn:O) We will be scattered along the Atlantic Avenue, thirteen tents filled with fabulous handmade goodness. My booth will be located on the South side of the street, between Bond and Hoyt, and will be sharing my space with Nguyen of KnitKnit.

Gdansk - my hometown :)

2008-09-29T08:07:00.001-07:00

Gdansk - my hometown :), originally uploaded by KASIACZEK.

Thanks to Utube, I've been listening to a lot of Polish music lately, the old stuff I grew up on, and the music I listened to as a tanager. It all makes me miss my incredibly beautiful city more than ever...
This beautiful photo I found on flicker by KASIACZEK, shows my favourite place of all, Motlawa River with barely visible in the dark, leaning over the water medieval crane - the Krahntor - majestic, gentle giant...

My first craft show ever!

2008-09-20T09:17:00.001-07:00

GDAŃSK 2, originally uploaded by rycerzbiegi.

This is a wonderful shot of Mariacka Street, my most favourite street in the world. Eighteen years ago I spent there almost 2 weeks selling jewelry made by my dad at the centuries old St Dominick's Fair. The fair was started by papal decree in 1260, it lasts 2 weeks every summer and draws around 150 000 people per day!

Our spot was located on the right side of the street, couple of artists before the tree. The atmosphere was wonderful, it was very, very cold and I looooved every minute of it:O)

Resident Swan Family, Pine Lake

2008-08-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

Awww...they grow sooo quickly:O)

The baby swan is as big as his or her parents now, but still as cute as a button...well, very large button;O)

Handmade Cavalcade Newsletter

2008-08-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

The Handmade Cavalcade is coming to town!

Saturday, September 13, 2008 1pm-8pm Corner of Main St. & North Cedar, Beacon, NY

Bust out your shopping carts because on September 13, The Handmade Cavalcade coming to town! The {NewNew}—a group of sellers from Etsy.com—is setting up shop in Beacon, New York for a one-day shopping event.
The craft fair will take place from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and will coincide with Beacon's Second Saturday Art Walk .The Handmade Cavalcade fair will be located at the corner of Main Street and North Cedar, right in the middle of it all!

Here's a sneak peek at some of the great items you'll find for sale:

Love Gun Necklace by pulpsushi: This necklaces features a thick lightweight metal knuckle duster pendant powder coated in hot pink. Measures approximately 2.5cm (1") in size. Length of necklace is 17 inches with a brass lobster claw clasp. Chain is gunmetal. ($16)

Wooden Scull Bookmark by Beacon Bookmarks: Handcrafted bookmark made from cherry wood with a clear water-based satin finish. Measures approximately 1 3/4 inches wide by 7 inches long and weighs less than 1 oz. ($6)

Hazelnut Earrings by Jantar Handcrafted Jewelry: Made of 15x20mm oval rosewood beads, beautiful large antique brass finish bead caps, vintage brass flower caps and 25mm oxidized brass earwires. They measure just over 1.75 inches (including earwires). ($17)

Foxy Cloth Napkins by Cakehouse: Made with repurposed fabrics and silkscreened with water-based inks. Machine washable. ($40 set of four)

For more information on this one day shopping event, please visit www.handmadecavalcade.com
The Handmade Cavalcade is presented by the {NewNew} http://www.thenewnew.blogspot.com/

The {NewNew} Supply sale at the flea

2008-08-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

This Sunday, August 24th, The {NewNew} York Etsy Street Team, in addition, to the two tents, will also offer destash supplies right on the steps of the High School building. We will offer paper supplies, jewelry supplies and much more!

For more info, visit Brooklyn Flea web page:O)

2008-08-14T09:56:00.000-07:00

Bust out your shopping carts because on September 13, 2008, Handmade Cavalcade is coming to town!

The {NewNew} York Etsy Street team — a group of sellers from Etsy.com, the online marketplace for handmade goods — is leaving the city for a day and heading up to Dutchess County to to set up shop in Beacon, New York. The craft fair will take place from 1:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and will coincide with Beacon's Second Saturday Art Walk. The Handmade Cavalcade fair will be located at the corner of Main Street and North Cedar, right in the middle of it all!

Shop through 20 booths for one-of-a-kind items, all handmade by the hippest DIYers around. You’ll find smashing jewelry, paper goods, hand-screened clothing and accessories, unique artwork and items for the home, yummy soaps and body butters, and much much more!

For more info and a complete list of participating Etsy artists, please visit: http://www.handmadecavalcade.com/

Daylily obsession:O)

2008-08-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

My mom's daylily obsession has rubbed of on her oldest child... and I have some cuties to share with you. They are very popular but still absolutely beautiful. I'm planing on purchasing more daylilies next year and I hope to get the multicolor varieties.

Lovely shade of yellow and I love the ruffled edges...

This daylily is my favourite. We took her with us when we moved to Maryland and brought her back to Long Island 2 years ago.

The rain drops look just like little jewels!

Brooklyn Flea

2008-08-11T08:47:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday, six members of The NewNew York Etsy Street Team, which I joined a couple of months ago, meets under two tents at the Brooklyn Flea for a fun day of craft selling from 10am to 5pm—rain or shine—at Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, on Lafayette Ave. between Clermont and Vanderbilt Ave. Our flea group rotates, this way each member of the team has a chance to present their handmade goodness and there is always something new and exciting to see and purchase.

Here are some pictures from August 10th:O)

Wai She - waisze.etsy.com - makes beautiful handmade cards and scrapbooks. I especially love the absolutely adorable little scrapbook, which fits inside of a mini tin container.

Nguyen from knitknit.etsy.com offers the cutest knitted and felted jewelry with addition of stones and wooden beads. Very creative! Check out also the little felt bags and spooooky eyeball earrings:O)

If you are looking for deliciously scented natural soap, visit nordeasoaperie.etsy.com It's not only good for your skin and free of harmful chemicals, it has great names also! The "oh! what a man!" is my favourite!

Felicity from wishbyfelicity.etsy.com creates really delicate sterling silver and brass jewelry with tiny gemstone and glass beads. I really like her new, windproof necklace display:O)

Yania - yaniamor.etsy.com - creates colorful and sparkly gem and crystal jewelry. Her display is absolutely yummy and the new "rock candy" necklaces are lovely.

And here is my "baby"! My 11 year old son, Benjamin, and my jewelry table at the flea. Ben is absolutely addicted to craft shows and is such a great helper. He made me pinky swear the day before the flea, that I will wake him up the next morning and take him with me. Of course, he was up and ready in minutes and did not need the wake-up call:O). My jewelry can be found at jantar.etsy.com and I will be at the flea again on August 24th.

So if you are from the New York area or just visiting, stop by the Brooklyn Flea. There is so much to see and purchase: handmade items, vintage clothing, old vinyl records, antique furniture, and absolutely insane food. We are all hooked on the watermelon juice, I had 4 of them yesterday, and will probably need to work out some type of volume discount and start buying by the jug -they are huuuuge. The steak sandwiches with avocado are Nordea's favourite, I love them too. The pupusas are delicious, my son's best pick, and the casadias are simply addictive.

For more info on the Brooklyn Flea and latest news, go to: http://www.brownstoner.com/brooklynflea/

Trumpet Flowers

2008-06-17T03:44:00.000-07:00

Couple of weeks ago I came across beautiful carved flower beads online, and just could not resist the temptation to purchase them. They come in variety of colors and materials, and in two different sizes, perfect for necklaces and earrings. First couple of pair of earrings are all finished, photographed and looking fabulous complemented by antique finish brass elements and a touch of Swarovski sparkle:o) The first pair is made of beautiful green aventurine stone with filigree beads, leafy bead caps and tiny vintage bell caps. The second pair is in beautiful, deep shade of amethyst

and this time the beads are made of glass. The centers of the flowers are sparkling beautifully with genuine faceted Swarovski crystals.

There will be more of the trumpet flower earrings and necklaces coming soon:o)

June 25Th

The coral trumpet necklace is ready! The bead is larger than the earring beads, it measures around 30mm and it's made of man-made material. I also used antique finish brass filigree beads, antique brass finish alloy ring, beautifully detailed brass filigree bead cap, brass leaf element and little sponge coral bead. I looove the end result! The leaf and coral dangles were added later and they complete this piece very nicely.