upcycled necklaces

hi there! i just got done making a ton of new necklaces out of faux leather from old purses, some new and some old chain and silver studs. i am loving the outcome! i made a bunch of different shapes with long chains and short chains. i probably won't have these in my shop until december. but i will be doing a giveaway very soon with one of these necklaces. hope you like!

transforming little bits

so my friend gave me some random pieces of faux leather that were hanging from the zipper of her new purse. i decided they were perfect for some sort of craft. the "leather" is really cool. it has this bronze crackled finish and it's brown underneath. i recently bought some studs and i used the flat circle ones for this project....i turned them into earrings! i also made another black and silver pair of earrings today. i used black leather from an old purse, pyramid studs and vintage chains. i have listed the black pair in my etsy shop. and the bronze ones will come later... whatever ones her and i don't keep!

new necklaces

hi! happy friday :)
just added some new necklaces to my shop that i'm pretty excited about. they both are mixed metal. here are some pics.... or better yet, check em out in the shop!

TRA'shion Fashion Show

my very first fashion show was a blast! i could not have found a better group of models. everyone was such a joy to work with. my makeup artist, ashley cantero, did such a wonderful job and she was such a sweetie. a trendy salon in town was generous enough to offer their talents. all i had to do was ask! i'm so grateful to have the opportunity to collaborate with such creative and giving people. it was such a great experience. the woman who put on the fashion show, marina williams, was also the sweetest most supportive, open, friendly soul. the show was at her art gallery/vintage boutique, ArtPool. the theme is found objects, recycled/upcycled "trash" wearable art. i used thrifted necklace chains from old jewelry. i styled the models outfits with thrifted clothing and a few pieces from the models wardrobe.

makeup artist: ashley cantero; hair: bentley salon, tampa.

so i'm a blogger now eh?

welcome to my blog! here i will be sharing my designs, thoughts and experiences as i journey further and further into my independent creative career. i have always wanted to be an artist since i was a child. i even have a school project from age 5 filled with questions and answers, one being "what do you want to be when you grow up"? and my answer was "artist" and always has been. however, it's been hard to figure out how to make a living as such. coming from an upbringing of conventional sorts, i was raised to believe in school, degree, resume, job, ladder climbing, overtime, salary, raises, 401k.... ETC! and as i was in college as a fine arts major, i was conflicted with the belief that i would never have a "job" as an artist. so i went into graphic design, because that was a "job" within the creative field. i grew to like graphic design but after college i was very disillusioned about graphic design and design JOBS. they weren't anywhere near as fun as design projects in school, that were much more personal. after about 6 years working full time, climbing the ladder and hating every minute of it, i quit my full time job and went freelance. i wanted my own schedule so i could make time for ME and my life instead of my job being my life. it has been an extraordinary journey since then....so much has happened. so much has changed and keeps evolving and i love it! as scary as it is to be independent, not having a set salary, benefits, etc... i have never regretted it. it's a challenge but in the end it is so much more rewarding because it is "me".... i am doing my work, expressing my ideas... not someone elses just to make a paycheck.
so i have started up my own jewelry line and currently sell it on etsy:
http://myownlittleuniverse.etsy.com
i also sell vintage, which is also one of my interests, at:
http://backtothevintage.etsy.com
thank you for being here!