TeePearls

I have a suitcase full of old shoes under my bed. I have a bag full of recyclables in my kitchen that need to be taken to a special facility rather than the curbside bins. I go out and buy thrift store tees to make my jewelry while my closet is brimming with my personal stash of torn and shrunken tees in boring colors. A lot of clothes can be donated to second hand stores once they’re outgrown with age (whether it’s vertically or horizontally), but what about the jeans that are unfashionably ripped in indiscreet places?

Blue Jeans Go Green is a denim recycling program and helps insulate communities in need across the U.S. They turn your old jeans into housing insulation! I found out about the program through a vague tweet from Madewell about an incentive for $20 off for an in store donation through December 31.

Visit Blue Jeans Go Green for more information on the program and to find out how to donate and also how to apply to receive insulation.

Buttongrams are now up in the etsy shop! I had a lot of fun putting these guys together. Each one includes a pouch, 15 assorted heart shaped buttons, and a little notecard to address the Buttongram.

I've been using extra pouches to keep needles and notions from getting tangled up in project bags I take with me in my travels. People have wanted to buy the pouches on their own for awhile, but I needed to jazz them up a little with packaging details. As usual, I overdid it!

Button Up / Bundle Up / Take Care / Be Careful

Button Up Spa Facial Kit

We have a lot of ways to tell people "please don't die because I'd miss you." That was one of the thoughts behind the TeePearls button inspired items such as button pins and this new spa facial kit I developed with my aunts. The other major thought was "i love buttons." A related-to-things-i-like thought is that if I had more time and resources, you would currently be watching a commercial with a small dog delivering this to someone with dry skin ala a St. Bernard delivering a first aid kit.

I designed some fun stickers and an insert describing the contents of the kit. When it came to the outside, I was a little stumped. I sketched out a ton of modified TeePearls logos including buttons, tag lines, and all sorts of convoluted things before returning to this idea I had a long time ago for gift wrap. The cardstock button, doubling as a personalize-able gift tag, hints at the "Button Up" idea without revealing what's inside.

This pillow box and tag are now available as a gift wrap add on to be included with any order in the shop.

The long-delayed listing of button pins in the shop has finally begun.  I opted out of holiday craft fairs this year to focus on making extra special gifts for my family. Honestly, it's a huge relief that's making the holidays so much more enjoyable. I spent a nice time over Thanksgiving hanging out with my brother when I would've been pulling out my hair trying to cook and mumbling "inventory, inventory, invent..." the whole time.

I'll say in lieu of a happy dance, I'm offering free shipping on all orders today only with code FREESHIP. So, instead of picking something up from me in person, place an order and shipping is on me.

Currently, my button printed headbands are a made to order item in the shop. I spent Sunday working on some smaller, patchwork headbands for a possible retail opportunity. I think I was able to come up with a nice image for the label that gets across "the smaller the head, the bigger the bow."

I might add some hair to the baby so the placement doesn't make it look like an eye patch...

Besides the possibility of a couple short events, this past Sunday at SOWA marked the last scheduled fair event for TeePearls this year. I'll hopefully have a special holiday offering up in the shop by November and more items delivered to local stores.

I came across a set of photos from December 2011 at Snow Mall. This was one of my first markets and a great introduction to local fairs. They've really helped me to hone in on what products I should focus on and what should be phased out. Speaking of discontinued pieces, there are only two lace necklaces still available (I sold the other two at SOWA this weekend).

It feels strange to already be planning for December, but a lot of people were holiday shopping this weekend. I do custom orders as well, so check out the shop and let me know if there's a color and style you have in mind for someone on your list.

Everyone wanted headbands and smaller necklaces! I listened to my customers and I'm excited to share the results.

New for Fall 2013: Button Up by TeePearls

Hand stenciled button motif Head Wrap Headbands, Small String of Mini TeePearls, TeePearls Cluster Necklace (adjustable), & Button Pins!

After a lot of consideration, the TeePearls Lace necklace will still be available as a custom order, but I've decided to discontinue it otherwise. All remaining stock has been discounted from $35 to $20 in the shop. Get them before they're gone.

I've replaced that piece in a way with the Cluster Necklace. This more versatile statement necklace was inspired by actual pearl cluster jewelry. Mimicking the look was a fun engineering exercise. Despite my expression (due to a reluctance to smile in photographs), I'm extremely pleased with the result.

I'll be listing the button pins this weekend after SOWA. I'm optimistically believing that they'll be a hit.

I'm also working on a special TeePearls Spa Gift Bag for the holidays with two of my aunts. Their craftiness has always inspired me. I'm not sure why I haven't worked on something with them sooner.

Buttons are on my mind lately as I am building some upcoming pieces around them and their association with the cooler months. I made it back to the Os Gemos mural in Dewey Square while passing through. I planned on trying to see it one more time before it's painted over and it was nice to find myself near there by chance.

I've been hunting for tie dye shirts for a couple of months. I wanted to make some more bracelets for summer before I go into fall production mode. This batch came from two pretty tiny shirts. The colors look so great together that I decided to list them in sets.

I like illustration and move a lot between various digital and physical mediums. My illustrated definitions series is a way of tying together the different pieces I do that end up in some sort of public display. When asked about why you created something at an art show, just saying "because I felt like it" doesn't inspire further conversation. This way, I'm at least able to say I wanted to try a new medium and decided to add a piece to the series I often return to.