Christmas Is Coming...

I just cant believe this month so far! Lots has been done and so much more needs to be done.

Christmas is sneaking its way into the Craft Closet lately. I have been listening to my Pandora Christmas Radio and filling my time making little whimsical Christmas creations. I can't wait until I can unpack the Christmas decorations and can bring it out full swing!! The rest of the family isn't too sure about Christmas sneaking its way in before Thanksgiving,

but hey, only five more days to go!

So far I've got a few things listed. Things are going well. I have had a lot of traffic on Etsy and hearts and favorites are happening all the time. I couldn't be more pleased!

So these first listings are very much inspired by vintage Christmases of the past. For those of you that know me, you are aware of how much I LOVE all things vintage. These may not be true antiques, but I think they evoke the spirit of their inspiration.

I made these guys back in the summer when I was in the mood for a little Christmas in July. I have been waiting to show them off for months now, so I am glad it is finally here. Below are my miniature Glitter Houses. If any of you are familiar with vintage Putz Villages, you will see the correlation. Putz Villages, or “Glitter Villages” as they are now called, have a long history dating back to Europe. (they used to surround the Nativity scene) They became popular in America at the turn of the century and later in the 1950’s. I just think glitter houses are adorable and wanted to try my hand at making some of my own. I will definitely be making more!

So last month I started playing around with needle felting...I am hooked now! I had these visions of little vintage inspired boxes drifting through my head, so I made them. Some with needle felting, some not. I have always enjoyed mixed media, it's the perfect way to combine different interests and materials at once.

 (just the way I like it)

Keeping on the needle felted theme, I made these little guys. I liked the way the penguin and snowman from the boxes so much that I went and made more. I am enjoying having them sitting out in my closet to keep me company. A perfect way to mix crafting AND Christmas!!

So that's basically what has been put up in recent days. I am working like a madwoman to turn out even more in the next few. Hint: more felt pins, felted snowmen, vintage goodness, brooches, mache creatures and more!! I have the excitement of being showcased in the holiday section of Etsy on Saturday, November 27th. (all day)  I am looking forward to the exposure and opportunities it might generate. We'll see how it goes! I will be posting before then to give you all sneak peaks of what will be put up for the big day!!

-Emily

October was a Blur!

I am well aware that we are all in November now, but somehow I am still trying to wrap myself around that idea. This fall has been flying by, and with so much going on, I am trying to stay one step ahead of everything going on!

I have found that in the world of retail, one must be ahead of the season or holiday by about two months to have enough time to sufficiently plan and sell. This is harder than it looks. I have always been a little surprised when Christmas shows up in September or Easter in January, but as an official retail owner, I am beginning to understand.

That being said, I got a late start on this years Halloween and Fall collections. (and I am trying to stay ahead of Christmas very hard) I had a two week selling window for Halloween this year, but for the time I had, I can say that I am proud of what I was able to accomplish.

I have been really into working with felt recently. I just recently purchased a rainbow of sheet felt and for the first time in my life, tried my hand at needle felting. I like this medium very much. It is fairly easy to deal with, you can get many results when working with it, and it is a forgiving material.

Don't ask me how, but this Halloween's collections just popped in my head. I have been having this happen a lot lately. When ideas rain, it pours! (good for me) I am loving how creative I feel! It is a fulfilling experience.

The Monster Mash pin collection was a fun one to do! These guys were needle felted together of sheet felt. Each one came with a  name and had their own mini bio written for them. They are slightly silly and that's why I think they are cute. Meet the boys:

Frank N. Stein, Vladamir the Vampire, Maurice the Mummy, William the Wolf man

I also explored the world of making fabric yo-yos. I have always loved the look of them, but never quite knew how to make them. (silly I know) Some of you may know I am not the most talented seamstress. While shopping at my beloved second home, Michael's Craft Store, I found these really nifty yo-yo maker templates. With their help, I added some hand-felted details and created the bat collection!

Fly Me to the Moon pins (above) Wednesday the Felted Bat Brooch (below)

I also made a couple vintage inspired items for the shop. I have made vintage inspired glitter houses in the past and new I wanted to make some haunted houses for the shop. Glitter houses have been part of holiday traditions for over 100 years. Mine are miniature paper sculptures that are hand cut and assembled from my own patterns and then glittered all over. I think they might be some of the most intricate and impressive things I have made so far. (by the way they are only 3" tall)

So other than a few other odds and ends. That is that I was able to get done for Halloween. Next year I will be beginning in August and will offer SOOO much more. I have big plans with lots of different looks and mediums to work with.

Finally, signing up for an Etsy store was a BIG deal for me! I have never really tried to put my art out into the world before. Mostly, I kept it to myself or just shared it with a select few. Summoning up the courage to show it off was a little daunting. But I really have been pleasantly surprised in the positive reaction to my work. I can't say that in the month I have been in business I have really gotten a lot of sales, because in truth, most of my sales have been through personal acquaintances, but the amount of views for my items have been really impressive! Better yet, many people on Etsy have "favorited" or "hearted" many of my items. (this is Etsy's way of bookmarking buyers top picks in items or sellers) I am truly pleased and humbled knowing that the world has seen what I had to offer and has accepted me with a warm welcome!!!

-Emily

Getting in the Habit

 

So a month later, I realize that in the midst of holiday crafting, I have neglected my blog...Well everyone, here I am! It has been an eventful and exciting ride this past month. In the next few, I will catch everyone up to speed.

Today I will start at the beginning.

Once upon a time,a girl named Emily had a dream and needed a place to make it happen.

For years I have wanted to have an art studio. I have taken over numerous tables, desks and counter tops in the name of creativity, but wanted to have a permanent space.

Believe it or not when living in Cleveland, Ohio, I had the best intentions to use my spare room for an art space, but never got around to it. (in hindsight I really wish I had) So when I moved out here to California, it was on the top of my list to make it happen.

Thanks to Ikea for making AWESOME and affordable furniture and products!!! (insert commercial here)

So here is my space!

 So it may not be the largest space, but I have put every last inch of it to good use. I call it my "Craft Closet". This closet in the spare room was the only place that wasn't really being used, so with a little hard work it was transformed.

So far it is working out really well. Everything had its place and gets great light. I find it easy to spend hours working now that I've settled in.

30 drawers, 14.5 feet of shelf space, 14 cubbies, 17 boxes, 21 jars, 2 desk spaces, interior lighting.

I am in LOVE!!

So now you are all introduced to the home of Reverie & Fancies. I am so excited to continue to share with everyone. I have lots of catching up to do and am trying to get in the habit of blogging. Bare with me and I promise to have some exciting things coming soon!!!

-Emily

Under Construction

Hello All,

Welcome to the future site of Reverie & Fancies Blog!! I am so excited to have the opportunity to get this thing up and running. Bare with me as I get this Blog whipped into shape! Busy elves are working hard to work out all the kinks and make this place spectacular!!

In the meantime, I am still creating my artwork and you can view it at http://www.reverieandfancies.etsy.com/

Keep checking back here because big things will be happening! More art, logos, facebook and more.

Talk to you all soon!
-Emily