Still here

 Sometimes I am surprised by the things that don't sell. I mean, I fully expect that my most expensive items will take a while to move -- everyone loves them but no one can afford them. I make beadwoven jewelry because I enjoy making it and it's nice to have some WOW pieces to draw people into my shop. But when I have something that is awesome and affordable and then no one buys it, it confuses me.

Waiting for a Key is a good example of this... It's a nice, simple necklace. Adjustable length, pretty chain, art bead focal. Only $25. What's not to love?

 Gossiping Pixies are pretty much the cutest thing I've ever made, so I'm especially surprised that I still have them. Of course, people don't seem to really search for faerie jewelry very often, so I guess it may take a while for the right person to find them.

Disembodied Zombie Heads are only ten dollars. They feature bright green skulls. They are perfectly delightful in a punk-horror sort of way. I am honestly shocked that they did not sell within a week of being listed. If I was out shopping, and I saw these for only $10, I would totally buy them.

I guess this just goes to show that I am much better at making things than at predicting what people will like!

Gray Days

Gray is all over the place right now. It's in the weather, it's in the stores, it's on the front page of Etsy. I have some really nice gray jewelry that I've made, but most of it wasn't in my Etsy shop. Today I decided to take a much-needed break from earrings and photograph some pretty gray things. I haven't listed any yet, but I was able to update Misty Isle with some yummy new pictures.

I plan to list more tonight and tomorrow before class, so keep an eye on Handmade Jewelry by Erthe Fae Designs for gray necklaces and bracelets!

Trends I just don't get.

I've put this post off for a while, because I didn't want to sound snarky or curmudgeonly... But I just don't "get" a lot of current accessory trends. Maybe it's a symptom of my Goth-Hippie-Geek-Faerie ways. Perhaps if I were more mainstream, I would be in love with the same things everyone else was. For instance, when I was about 14, I went through a brief stage where I wanted to be like the other teenagers, so I convinced myself that I loved ringer tees with smiley face daisies on them. Now, of course, I don't own a single smiley. I don't even have a smiley button on my messenger bag (Heavens know I have every other sort of button!).

The big trend that I don't understand is flip-flops. Not the shoes themselves, I wore my fair share as a kid and a teen and the only reason I don't wear them anymore is that they don't last long when gravel is involved, so I prefer sturdy leather sandals these days. What boggles my mind is how they've gone from being a cheap Summer shoe to some sort of bizarre cultural icon. I've seen flip-flop jewelry, beads, cell phone dangles, cell phone cozies, party invitations (made on actual flip-flops for some unfathomable reason. Who uses a shoe as a part invite?), and heaven only knows what else. What is it about those simple little shoes that makes people say "Not only do I want to wear that on my feet, I want to surround myself with it!"?

I mean no offense to those of you who are currently enamored of flip-flops, but I'm pretty sure that within a few years, the culture as a whole will ask "Why were we so into that?" Kind of like how I look back at the 90s and wonder why I thought that suede lace and pony bead necklaces were so cool.

Another thing that I don't understand is cupcakes. I've seen a lot of cupcake stuff lately. Don't get me wrong, I love cupcakes. As a food. They're delicious, just the right size, and yes, they're even cute. But cute enough that I would want to wear them? Not really. Food is for my belly, not the outside of my body. Maybe I'd be more into it if I was part of the culture of cute, but I tend more towards the Gothy "These skull beads are the coolest thing ever" mold of fashion. The Lady of the Manners may have adopted the term Cupcake Goth, but I'm afraid it really doesn't apply to me.

And the last thing that I don't quite get is the connection between indie designers and cute forest animals. I mean, I like it. A lot of the jewelry and other things I see with sparrows, owls, deer and such really appeals to the nature-lover in me. I just don't understand why it's so prevalent. Sometimes I feel out of place when I look at other peoples' sites and they've got trees with birds, and little loopy vines, and I have... a really Gothed-out faerie. I guess that's the same part of me that felt like I had to buy ringer-tees as a 14 year old to fit in (for the record, it didn't help). My main thing is that I'm curious as to how it started. Did one or two people make products with cute woodlands creatures, and then a bunch of others decided to follow suit? Or was it one of those spontaneous inspiration things? Or are the sort of people who like to run indie businesses also the sort of people who love the adorable wild animals?

I guess that's enough about me feeling out of touch. Now allow me to make up for it with some Cool Things! The first is this awesome Raven pendant. Ravens are something that I "get!" The second is Tea Forte. I'd love to try their teas, just to see those cool bags in action! And the third is this really wicked Skeleton Angel t-shirt. Wings and skeletons! Two of my favorite things together in one awesome shirt!