The TAFA Team's Catalog of Shops: Jewelry and Accessories

Freeform hats and bags by Rensfibreart

TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List was launched in February, 2010.  As it has grown, now over 200 members, so have the members who have Etsy shops.  About half of us use Etsy as our retail platform.  We decided to organize as an Etsy Team (a program Etsy has for sellers to organize under themes or locations) and set up a blog where we can talk about what is important to us and where we can show off our shops.  The blog has eight pages of shops, divided into themes and serves as our Team Catalog.  Although many of us sell things that do not fit neatly into those categories, most of us do have a focus.  I am introducing each of those categories here, hoping that this will encourage you to go over there and shop, shop, shop, until you drop!  These eight pages have over 100 shops, filled with wonderful eye candy that will surely delight anyone who appreciates all the many techniques and traditions that are found in the needle and textile arts. 

Today's focus:  Jewelry and Apparel

Vintage Miao textile incorporated into a bag, by dazzlinglanna

Picking images for this post is not an easy task as there are so many beautiful pieces in our Jewelry and Accessories page.  This is one of the places where you can really see how people are exploring techniques and interpreting them into their own designs.  You will find functional items like scarves, bags, purses, hats, cuffs, gloves, necklaces and bracelets.  Our members are felting, dyeing, painting on silk, reclaiming old textiles and fabrics, knitting, beading, weaving and of course, sewing.

Hagar of Gilgulim recycles old ties into beautiful jewelry.

TAFA is an international organization, exemplified by our members on this page.  Hagar is Israeli, Jutamas of Dazzling Lanna lives in Thailand, Rosemary of Plumfish Creations and Renate are both in Australia, Morgen of Inkyspider  is Canadian, Marina hails from Puerto Rico, Inese is in Latvia, Dolapo of Urban Knit is in the United Kingdom, Lilou works with weavers in Cambodia and so on.  Of course, quite a few are based here in the United States.  The diversity of our members, both in the techniques they are exploring and their cultural influences makes for a fascinating collection of colors, textures, and designs.

 Lilou, a fair trade group working with weavers in Cambodia.

The big challenge for all of us is that nobody really "needs" anything we are selling.  And, in this awful economy, buyers have been tightening their belts and holding on to their money.  Yet, is not beauty something that our spirits crave?  An accessory from one of our shops will certainly cost a lot more than a bauble that is sold at Walmart.  But, the right scarf, hat or necklace can not only finish off an outfit and make it complete, but also makes a statement of support for the worldwide handmade community.  It ties us to our historical roots represented by the techniques we promote through our work.  

 

 Wraps by Inese, our TAFA member in Latvia

 

Click here to visit our Jewelry and Accessories Page in our TAFA Team Catalog of Shops.

And, while you are there, click on the other tabs to see our other Team member shops.  We aim to be the best in textiles and fiber art on Etsy!

All TAFA Team members are also members of TAFA: The Textile and Fiber Art List.

Interested in membership?  Click here for more information.

The TAFA Team's Catalog of Shops: Jewelry and Accessories

Afghan Hands: Fashion Meets Economic Development in Kabul

Afghan Hands, and embroidery project, 

works with women in Kabul and Jalalabad, Afghanistan.

A friend of mine sent me an email about a BBC challenge which will award $20.000 plus publicity to a group that shows innovation and economic development at a grass roots level.  One of the groups nominated for these awards is Afghan Hands, an embroidery project that works with women in Afghanistan:

Afghan Hands was started by Matin Maulawizada, native of Kabul who has found great success in the fashion world as a make-up artist and as a cosmetics science expert for Neutrogena.  As I clicked around the website and blog, I was struck that Matin is one of the rare souls who can gracefully breach this immense divide our world suffers between the rich and the poor, the educated and the illiterate, the wasteful and the hungry.  How many of us can truly walk between these two worlds and both retain a sense of dignity while embracing the humanity of such different social situations?  It appears that Matin has this gift.  His writing is humble and honest and his vision for the women in Afghanistan is both realistic and empathetic.  Here is how he describes the mission of Afghan Hands:

Afghan Hands teaches skills to help Afghan widows gain independence, literacy, and a livable wages. At our centers in and around Kabul, women learn to create embroidered shawls and scarves, and the exquisite embroidery they make connects them to a wider world.

The centers are places to gather, study, and work. We pay the women to attend classes in the morning and embroider in the afternoon. Without this project, they could not educate themselves. Through Afghan Hands, they leave the walls of their compounds and attend seminars on basic human, legal, and religious rights. They prepare for work as free women do elsewhere in the world. This way, no one will ever imprison them in the name of law, honor, or religion.

We are a nonprofit organization. We are also linked to the Mirmon Orphanage. Our mutual efforts keep expenses as low as possible so that the funds we raise go to women and children.

In the future, we hope to establish small parks and playgrounds for children who now live in areas devastated by wars, drought, and environmental damage. We envision green havens where words of encouragement and hope are shared.

For now, Afghan women, by their own hands, are transforming their lives. This is our mission. Thank you for your interest in them and in their one-of-a-kind handmade pieces.

The main product lines produced by these women are stunning embroidered shawls, both cotton and pashmina wool, many of which find inspiration in the Suzani motifs traditional in Uzbekistan.  The embroidery is impeccable.  The shawls range from around $150-$1000.  One of the things I really appreciate about the project is this choice to produce quality pieces instead of churning out chotchkies that might be more easily accessible to the general public, but which would not showcase the expertise these women have with their embroidery skills.  Projects like this do a great service to preserving traditional skills while providing the technical assistance to reach an audience that can support quality, handmade embroidery.  Here are a couple of samples that can be found on their website:

 

Pashmina embroidered shawls, available at Afghan Hands.

 Crinkled cotton shawl by Afghan Hands

Of course, what delighted me the most, was that the women are paid to both study in the morning and embroider in the afternoon.  I am a firm believer that education is the way out of poverty.  Women who can educate themselves have a much greater access to finding their voice in all areas of their life: socially, politically, and as full members of their family and social units.

 Women studying, Afghan Hands.

I often struggle with justifying my years of work in the handicraft field.  With so much hunger in the world, ecological disasters looming, and critical need on so many levels, I sometimes wonder why I spend my time and energy in marketing things that nobody really needs.  Yet, I find redemption over and over again when projects like Afghan Hands give testimony to the healing power these crafts have in the communities where they are made.  I believe that we need the physical beauty these crafts bring into our lives, the connection we can have with the people who made them.  But, the actual process of making things also serves as a therapy which can help rebuild the broken lives in war torn areas like Kabul.  People like Matin are the best peace ambassadors we can ask for.  They open the paths of communication between people who would never have had a connection otherwise.  The women purchasing the shawls learn about the women who made them, and the women who made them likewise expand their world views in learning about markets, design, and value.  Self-esteem grows.  We are no longer strangers to each other.

Visit Afghan Hands, support them in whatever way you can (they also accept donations), and vote for them in the BBC challenge.

All of the photos in this post belong to Afghan Hands and are on their website.

Afghan Hands: Fashion Meets Economic Development in Kabul

Dead Muses: Tombstone Rubbing Silk Scarves by Alissa Sorenson

"Infant Mortality" Silk Gravestone Rubbing
by Alissa Sorenson

“Over here!”

I heard her voice – excited and breathless – and saw her waving her hands to catch my attention: all in my head, of course. Leaves crunched under my boots as I walked, stopping at each grave stone, waiting to sense a presence, and then moving on to the next. It was a large white obelisk marked “Olive,” the only word still legible after 170 years of erosion.

"Olive" and her tombstone

“Quick! Take it!” she cried, as if I were photographing her, or sketching her portrait. Take her likeness, I thought. I felt her anxiety, as if once her name were completely worn away, she knew she would be utterly forgotten.

I traced the remnant of a word with my finger. “Wife.”

“Yes, wife.”

“Buried by a loving husband,” I thought.

“Yes.” She seemed very still.

“Age 27 years,” I read. “Young.”

She seemed to be sitting under the nearby, ancient tree, dressed in a white gown with the full skirt and petticoats of her era, waiting for someone, perhaps the husband who had buried her.
My mind was flooded with stories as I draped the silk over her monument and began moving my fabric crayon over the raised letters. Did he remarry and move on? Did he die somewhere else? Away at war? Are they forever separated? I'll never know. I can only imagine these things. Perhaps I am imagining all of it.

"Olive" Detail of Tombstone Silk Scarf
by Alissa Sorenson

But I see Olive in my mind's eye: dark hair, fair skin, pretty, young, and patiently waiting under the tree by her tombstone at Greenlawn Cemetery in Columbus, Ohio.

My desire to take the likenesses, as it were, of the long dead may seem strange to some. My father died when I was young, but I have sensed his comforting presence as long as I can remember. Perhaps this closeness with one spirit helps to develop the ability to sense the presence of others. I am no medium, and I never see the dead with my eyes, but I sometimes hear their voices and see their faces in my mind when they are present.

"Nouveau Decay", full length of the silk scarf and detail below.

As I enter a cemetery, I proceed slowly. It feels like most of the dead are slumbering, and I wait to be called by someone. I've noticed whenever there is a persona involved with a piece, the work will go more smoothly, and the finished silk will have a strange and unique beauty.

As I meander through the old sections of cemeteries, I watch for tombstones with optimum potential: raised letters, large graphics, and less erosion. Once I have developed a sense for who wishes to be remembered, I will usually complete the work using imagery from other grave stones, asking permission first of anyone who might linger. For example, with Olive, I used simple, floral designs to complement her sweet, endearing personality.

Floral details of "Olive", tombstone rubbing on silk.

Respect is my ultimate goal, along with remembrance. This is why I choose the oldest sections of cemeteries, making sure all markers were placed prior to WWII. What a horrible thing it would be to find a tombstone rubbing scarf for sale on Etsy of your beloved family member's head stone.

I am often asked how I came up with this idea. I had wanted to create my own textiles, and purchased Habotai silk, fabric crayons and rubbing plates. The plates did not interest me, however, and my supplies sat unused. This autumn, I went on the annual leaf gathering walk with my children. We bring the fallen neighborhood leaves of maple, elm, and oak home, and make leaf rubbings with crayons on paper, just like I remember doing in primary school. I realized I could do this with my silks and fabric crayons, and enjoyed the process of imprinting something real – contact with nature, more than just design.

When I began trying to think of something for Halloween, I realized I could use the same technique with tombstones, as I had done with chalk and paper in my youth. On my first cemetery outing, I wasn't sure what to expect. The call of the dead surprised me, but it felt comfortable. I enjoyed spending time with them and flexing my 6th sense, or imagination, whichever it happens to be.

"John Grim"
Details of tombstone rubbings on silk.

Sometimes I worry I might bring someone, or something, unfriendly home. After returning from my first visit, I felt a little uneasy, but decided to ignore it. I reasoned that any spirit so closely attached to a location wouldn't be able to stay with me for long. When my children came home from school, my oldest son, who has always been sensitive, walked into my studio and asked, “Who is in here?”

“Just me,” I replied.

“Oh. I heard someone say hello to me, and it wasn't you.”

“Was it a woman's voice, or a man's voice?”

“A woman's.” He looked around as if he might find someone else, sure of his senses, but then shrugged and walked away.

"Hannah Died"

I never told him where I had been or what I had been doing.
I had been to Hannah's grave that day, and I wondered if she might have followed me home, curious about my activity at her grave site. I feel she didn't stay long, though. Once the oil from the crayon has dried, the spirits seem to rest again, perhaps more content to be remembered a little longer.

"Olive" by Alissa Sorenson

You can read more stories and see more tombstone rubbing scarves on my blog: creatrixjane.blogspot.com.
Scarves are available at my Etsy shop: creatrixjane.etsy.com.

Note: Alissa is a member of our Fiber Focus group on Ning. Visit her page for more photos of her work. She also started the knitting group on Fiber Focus. Fiber Focus is a gathering place for people who are passionate about fiber art and its place in the world. Many of us are artists with stores on Etsy, but we also have interior designers, collectors and just people who want to be around fiber art discussions. We welcome new members!

The slide show below is of more of Alissa's work:

Find more photos like this on Fiber Focus

Dead Muses: Tombstone Rubbing Silk Scarves by Alissa Sorenson

Artists and Crafters Guide to Preparing for the Holiday Shopping Season: Handmade Sellers Getting Ready for a Rush of Buyers! It's about that time!

Shalana, the Funky Felter, offered to share this article with us here at Fiber Focus. It is also running in her blog, The Funky Felters News and Tips. Shalana is a seller on Etsy and a member of our Fiber Focus ning group where many of us are sellers on Etsy, eBay or through other venues. The photos in the article are her felt products, most of which are available in her Etsy store. Click on the image and it will take you to the listing. Thank you for sharing these great tips with us, Shalana!

"Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the . . ." Wait a minute! Does it seem a little too early to be singing a Holiday song. Considering that the weather where I live is still frightfully hot, I'd say "YES!" - but if you're the owner of a small arts and crafts business, you know that it is prime time to start preparing for the Holiday selling season. If you haven't already been hurriedly creating new things and getting ready for those Holiday shoppers, then you should be. It is not too late though! Below you'll find a few of my personal tips on how to get ready for a (hopefully) big Holiday rush of shoppers.


Ready, Get Set, GO!

1. Spiffy up Your Etsy Shop and Other Online Venues
Make sure that your overall shop is looking its very best! If you need to, invest in a new banner and avatar for your Etsy shop. Check out my previous article post to find some free banners or buy one from an Etsy seller. You might even get festive and have a special Holiday banner and avatar. And, let your product photos speak for themselves and be at their absolute best because that is going to be your potential buyer's first impression. Also, be sure to have clearly defined shop policies and a nice, friendly profile. It is all those little details that add up to make your shop be as professional and welcoming as possible.


2. Stock Your Shop! And have more inventory on hand . . .
Because you just never know! Not only do you not know how many potential sales you might make, but you also don't know what kind of Holiday busyness will get in the way so that you don't have time to create new things. Stocking your shop and preparing item photos and descriptions early will make it easy to list new items when you're busy with other things this Fall/Winter. Now is the time to stock your online shop as well as stash some inventory away. Personally, I like to have 100+ items listed in my Etsy shop and some waiting in the wings to replace those that sell. It may seem like a lot to some, but the more items that you have, the more chances there are for you to be found in the pile of listings that are added each day on Etsy.


3. Organize Your Shipping and Packaging
This is perhaps what caught me by surprise last year, but this year, I'm going to be prepared! If you print your labels via PayPal and use Priority Mail boxes and envelopes provided by the US Post Office, that can make things a bit easier when it comes to mailing. Also, if you are a large volume seller (or a small one who doesn't like hassle), you might consider paying for a mail service like Endicia or Stamps, but I've heard mixed reviews about both of them so do a little research before you invest in such a service. Personally, I'm an old-fashioned girl when it comes to mailing. I like to print my own return address labels and write or print my shipping labels too. I also trek down to the local post office (yes, in person) and mail off my orders. Since I am so hands on about it all, I try to keep my packing/shipping area organized. I print several return labels at once to have on hand as well as keep my mailing envelopes and boxes in open face plastic bins for easy access. I also have my jewelry boxes, organza bags, and pretty gift wrapping supplies in similar easy access bins. I just finished ordering some mailers from my current favorite place to buy, Upaknship. You can also find good packaging supply deals on Ebay - yep, you heard me right - Ebay! And, don't forget to recycle! I always recycle whatever packing supplies that I can. It is an all-around good thing when you recycle! By the way, here's a great little article by The Worsted Witch on eco-friendly mailers so check it out for ideas.


4. Advertise, Market, and Publicize! Get the word out people!
Buy some online and print advertising on blogs/sites and in magazines that pertain to your target market. Also indie shopping guides are a great thing to take part in to boost your exposure. You can find good advertising space in all price ranges. Read more about all of this in my Online Advertising post. Also, tell your friends, family, and coworkers about your shop, and tell them to tell others! If you don't already, post in forums regularly as well as keep up with your social networking sites because there will be a lot more people trolling the internet for presents this Fall/Winter. There are many, many ways to promote so take advantage of every avenue that is available to you!


5. Pursue off-line selling too! Craft fairs and local events!
I must admit that I'm so much more comfortable sitting in my pj's and selling online from the luxuries of my own home, but it does pay to get out and do some fairs, festivals, and events. Often times, I have seen sellers make more at one show than they would make in a month or more selling online - especially during Holiday shopping season. It is not too late to seek out local venues in your area. Try checking these sites to see what's going on in your area: Indie Craft Fair Guide, Festival Network, Indie Craft Shows, Craft Lister, and Luna Craft. And, even if you aren't planning on selling at a local event, visit a few to buy your own Holiday gifts and support local area artists and crafters.


Finally, I just want to remind you to continue to create and do things as usual - don't get lost in all the hubbub of the Holiday selling season. After all, hopefully you have a shop and sell your creations because you love what you make first, then the sales and money that come along with it.

Original article by Shalana, the funky felter. Please take a minute to visit her blog and Etsy shop. Shalana is a fiber artist specializing in traditional feltmaking who also writes about her endeavors as an independent craft business owner.

Artists and Crafters Guide to Preparing for the Holiday Shopping Season: Handmade Sellers Getting Ready for a Rush of Buyers! It's about that time!