My love for Country Music

This week's edition of Listening, Wearing Making!

My love for country music (and all derivations of it, be it bluegrass, americana, old-timey, etc) runs deep. It's not a love that has ben life long, no. Rather I "found" country music about seven or eight years ago. I felt like I had found home. At least that's how I describe it when I try to describe how the music makes me feel. A new find for me this month has been Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison. They put out the album Cheater's Game just this year and I can't stop listening to it. Below is one of my favorite songs from the album. 

Wearing. . . well, I have been putting a cursory amount of attention towards getting dressed in the morning. This last week I've simply wanted to jaunt off to my studio as quickly as possible because my new designs are simply begging to be realized. I'm actually starting to understand the appeal of simply wearing one's work-out gear (for me it'd be yoga pants, a tank top and a sweatshirt) all day. But, I'm not that gal (usually) so I've been tending towards comfy vintage pieces that can be thrown on with some earrings and I'm good! Like this Mexican embroidered piece I found at Goodwill recently. 

As far as my making goes, I think I've already said it a bajillion times, I'm working like a fiend on the new collection, which I am beyond excited about. I'd love to share some photos of finished pieces here, but until I solidify the line, I'll leave you in suspense. In the meantime I'll tease you all with a photo of some of the components going into the new line. I absolutely love these pale green stones, the color and their irregular shape. 

Alright, I think it's time for a coffee break. I seriously cannot believe how warm it is here in Oakland today. It feels like 70! (Yikes, global warming?!) I feel lucky considering what so much of the rest of the country is dealing with. Stay safe and warm everyone!

New Designs, New Ideas

I have been so pleasantly busy in the studio so far this year! There are literally more ideas for new designs knocking around in my head than I have time to realize. My spring/summer collection is coming along nicely, you can see hints of it in some of the photos below. Certain colors and shape elements. 

The above piece were part of a re-stock at Oak Common in Oakland. If you haven't checked out this great shop on Grand Ave, you should! It'd be a great place to pick up a Valentine's gift for a gal or a guy.

The above two photos are from events from the past weekend. On Friday I was at the 25th Street Collective for First Friday (local folks, keep in mind I'm there EVERY month if you want to know where to come and see me and the designs in person). On Saturday I was at Jack of All Trades. And any time you want more info on where you can find Tangleweeds, simply head on over to the events page.

Above you can see hints of the new collection. A lot of the jewelry above are vintage or antique pieces (I'm a bit of a collector/hoarder when it comes to jewelry). While these pieces won't actually be re-made into new pieces, they sort of act as a "moodboard" for me. I love to lay out a bunch of supplies and pieces of jewelry that I'm vibing with in a strong way and see where my imagination takes me. 

These brass earrings are all classic Tangleweeds designs. Sold quite a few of these at Jack of All Trades. 

Bangles that were shipped out to new homes last week. 

Part of my workspace yesterday. If you saw my work table today you'd laugh. It's a disaster! When I get into full-on designing mode things can get a bit messy in the stuido. It's all part of the process!

I know I've been teasing you guys with the mention of a men's collection too, and it is coming! There's been a bit of a slow down on some areas as I source just the right supplies. I hope to debut a small selection of the men's pieces at March's First Friday. Keep checking back here and you'll be the first to know when the pieces are available.

Alrighty, it's back to the workbench and the work table for me! 

The Classic Edition

I missed my Listening, Wearing, Making post last week, not for lack of music (and more) to share with all of you, but mainly because before I knew it it was Friday and I still had so much work to get to! But I'm back this week with what I think of as some of my "classics" or all-time-favorites. Starting with some Rodney Crowell. I love his music, and love the music of many of the women he's worked with (and had relations with) throughout his long career. Musicians like Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, and more. This video starts out with Crowell giving some background for the story behind the song. It's from his 2006 album The Houston Kid. 

Wearing: This locket. I bought it ages ago from the Etsy seller Rose and Anchor. The photo under the glass cabochon is of a moth, and is original photography by the maker. There's something about the perfect locket that feels decidedly feminine. . . and slightly secretive as you can put whatever photo memory you like inside and then have it always close to you as you go about your day. 

Making: many travel stone necklaces. These guys are insanely popular at most of the craft fairs I sell at, and since I'm gearing back up for fair season, there's been a lot of making of these delicate pieces. I love wearing a bunch of them all layered together at once.

Lastly, don't forget I'm having my Valentine's Day sale in my Etsy shop until Valentine's day. Simply use the coupon code "valentine" and you'll receive 25% off your entire order. Perfect for snagging some of these travel stone necklaces! 

Have a beautiful Thursday!

Not all Fun and Games

You know, this year has really started out on a great note for Tangleweeds. Lots of great energy in the studio, growing and maintaining healthy relationships with local and out-of-state shops, and starting the beginning processes on some new lines of products. But sometimes when you run a business there are hard decisions to make, and sometimes they're not the decisions you want to make at all. The learning curve can be steep when you are the "wear-er of many hats" so to speak, and I may have tried to best that learning curve. . . Why do I share this with you? Simply to say that it's not always fun and creative but sometimes it's simple business practicalities that must be dealt with. I don't say all of this to complain, but rather to keep other's perspectives realistic. Sometimes in this era of over-information saturation I think us creative folks can look at what others are doing (and by look at I mean mostly browsing around on the web) and think "I want to do that but I don't think I could ever get there." Things can get pretty glossed over on Facebook, blogs, twitter and the like, making running one's own business look like an un-attainable dream. I don't have some magic key that has opened up the door to having a small handmade business possible. It's mostly come from working my fanny off. If you want it you can have it with enough hard work and perseverance. And ask for help when and where you can. To all my tireless friends and compatriots striving towards your dreams: don't give up, it ain't always easy but it's almost always worth it. 

(And when things get completely over-whelming and I just need a break, I always have this guy to cuddle up with at home.) 

Let's Dance

It's Thursday. That means it's time for Listening, Wearing, Making! 

I've been loving this track by Jessie Ware: Wildest Moments. This has been cranked up in my studio a few times in the last week for sure. Then some dancing ensues between the hammering, the drilling, the sanding. 

Wearing. . . .Well, I wish I had a better outfit photo this week. . . I've been falling into a bit of a "grab whatever is most comfortable and easiest to get to" rut this week. I've been training my new employee, prepping Tangleweeds for a vintage collection, and time just feels short this week. I've discovered that I'm happy as a clam if I just wear a good pair of boots and some awesome legwear. . . . So, here, my fav combo of the week. . . The tights are Hue and the boots were found at Goodwill. (Yes, one of the luckiest thrift shop finds EVER). 

And making. . . Lots and lots! I've been busy at my spring/summer collection and the men's line. . . But that's best saved as a surprise for later! There have been many many moons being made as I pretty much sold out of all moon pieces over the holidays. Here's some of the crescent moons before they get made into earrings. I cut these shapes out of sheet metal and hand-texture them myself. No pre-made findings here. (Maybe that should have been the title of this blog post =)

Well, I'm off to my home town of Livermore today for a thrifting excursion and lunch with a friend. I hope everyone's week is chugging along nicely. And, hey, cause I know this is a new blog and people can be shy, maybe leave a comment (even just a short "hi!") if you read this and liked. I'm also totally open to suggestions for blog posts in the future. Just, ya know, sayin'. Thanks!!!

The Days Fly By

The last week went by in a blur! Things are really picking up quickly this year with Tangleweeds. To balance out the busy-ness of the work week, I spent a lovely, relaxing weekend with Jeff, spending time in the "great outdoors" of Oakland. We hiked on Sunday and on Saturday we took a walk around the lake, did some window shopping (window-shopping only! I'm working on a budget this year) and had a lazy evening in cooking and watching Boardwalk Empire (we're only on season 1). 

Photos (from top to bottom)

1. From our hike at the Huckleberry Botanic Preserve
2. Otis chilling out at home with us on Sunday afternoon
3. This one's from one of my many ocean-side mid-day walks near my Jack London Square studio
4. Evening tea. It's become a bit of a ritual for me. Helps me slow down and get ready for sleep!
5. Some in-progress work. These bits will be turning into finished earrings today.
6. From Jeff's and my walk around the lake on Saturday. This giant eucalyptus tree fell over in that really bad windstorm we had back in December (I think it was December at least.) It's crazy big and birds are loving perching in the tree roots that have become more like tree branches now. 

I hope everyone is having a great start to this new(ish) week!

A Busy Week

A busy week edition of Listening, Wearing, Making!

This week I can't stop listening to. . . .Rosanne Cash's newest album The River and the Thread. This song is the first track on the album.

And I can't stop wearing long, flowy dresses. This one is one of my favorites. . . 

Most exciting, I am starting work on the prototypes for my spring/summer collection, as well as my first men's collection! I don't want to give it all away now, but here's a quick little sneak peek: 

I can't believe it's Friday already! I've got a bunch of things to finish up in the studio and then I have a cocktails date with a trio of fabulous women. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Finding Balance

A little bit of good, a little bit of not so good. While this year has been off to a great start, there has been the constant reminder to slow down and take care of myself in the form of chronic lower back pain. I know that back pain is something a lot of people (maybe most people?) will eventually deal with in their life, but man, I didn't realize how debilitating it can be. So, there were a couple of days spent taking it easy with my cats and a stack of good books last week. Not too bad, right? Oh, and the season premier of Downton Abbey made it a bit easier too. 

This week I'm feeling a lot better. I'm stretching and walking daily and just trying to not fall into the trap of babying my back and then it stiffening up and the pain ultimately becoming worse. Yesterday I took myself to Marquee Salon in Oakland and got my hair trimmed and some blond ("painterly") highlights added mainly to the top (my hair tends toward blond naturally, except my roots are always much darker). Up until yesterday I had not had a professional hair cut/dye in over 6 years! I have to say, it felt good to splurge on myself and I left feeling kind of rad (k, blushing a bit when I admit that!) 

I feel like this week is when the gears are really cranking with Tangleweeds. I'm starting the very beginning prototypes for the men's collection and I'm prepping for the Treasure Island Flea (one of two events I'll be vending at this month). AND, you can bet I'm thinking lots about my spring/summer collection. It's all too easy for me to just wanna go full steam ahead and worry about the business of taking care of myself when the work is all done (and when is that exactly anyways?). I guess, in a round-about way, I'm saying that this week is an exercise in balance for me: steady goes it, take care of myself, work on the new ideas I'm passionate about, time is one my side. 

Here's to finding your own balance!

Listening, Wearing, Making in the New Year

It's been back to the studio this week, back to making jewelry, and LOADS of paperwork. I swear this year I'm not gonna fall behind on my paperwork. (I think I say that every year tho!) As I plough through inventory updates, receipts, and spreadsheets, I've been listening to a lot of. . . 

Over the holidays I indulged a bit and bought several new handmade pieces from other jewelry artists. I love to collect other jewelers' work, especially because I make my own. Makes me appreciate the process and talent of these fellow artisans! In the photo collage below I'm wearing a necklace made by a friend (who wants to start her own jewelry line), Tangleweeds earrings, and stacking rings by Siri Hansdotter. It's a lovely, intentional way of adornment in the morning when I get to comb through my collection of handmade treasures. 

Besides all of that paper work I already mentioned, it's been time to get the Tangleweeds coffers fully stocked for some January events. These quartz crystals will get strung on delicate chain for more of my Travel necklaces. These particular ones were wrapped by my lovely assistant, Zoe. I think she did a pretty great job!

I hope 2014 is starting out wonderfully for all of you! There's good energy brewing over here with Tangleweeds. Lots more new stuff to come!

Winter Vacation

Just a few snapshots from the winter break I took after the crazy-ness of the holidays had subsided. Jeff and I had some quality time together hanging out at Lake Merritt, hiking along the Hayward shoreline and cooking yummy dinners together. I'm brimming over with new ideas for Tangleweeds now and can't wait to bring them all to fruition this year, all with a healthy dose of mindfulness along the way.