Roobie Soup - purses recycled from cigar boxes

One of the merchants at the Reclaimed to Fame market is Roobie Soup of Orlando, Florida, who fashions fabulous purses from recycled cigar boxes. Here's her story:


"I have been creative my whole life... in fact I have been surrounded by creativity as well. I grew up in the south and in a college drama department. My dad was a drama professor and I spent many an after school night in the costume designer's (my mom) or set designer's company.




















"I created jewelry and scrapbooked my little heart out. Then I came up with a way to put them together and show it off sort of subtly!




















"Anyway, I am not one to do mass production. I sort of get bored recreating the same old thing. I love to alter the use of an item and create something completely different and artistic with it. I live an "altered" life... hee hee!






"I think life should be fun and you should have ample opportunity to laugh, whether it is at yourself or the situation."

Now carrying wedding jewelry for the entire wedding party!

I found a beautiful bone china cup and saucer from England that I thought would make lovely wedding jewelry. The china is called "Silver Lace Queen Anne" and the cup says "Wedding Anniversary" inside. The china is white with a very shiny silver design. I would think it must have been for a silver wedding anniversary. Perfect for the bride and groom just starting off their marriage with the hopes of a future silver wedding anniversary together! And a perfect gift to give to the members of the wedding party.




The wedding set includes the bride's pendant, three bridesmaids' pendants, the groom's cuff links and three pairs of groomsmen's cuff links. I designed the bride's pendant to be slightly larger than the bridesmaids' pendants and with a more elaborate wire wrapping. The groom's cuff links have wire wrapping and a bit more of the solid silver decoration while the groomsmen's cuff links are plain.





The bride's pendant measures 1-1/2" x 2-1/4" and the bridesmaids' pendants measure 1" x 1-3/4". Each pendant comes with a 20" sterling silver snake chain which is stamped "925" on the clasp. All of the cuff links measure 3/4" round.






This wedding jewelry is now available on my website. If you're interested in only certain pieces, please contact me for pricing.





















I also create custom wedding jewelry. I have a vast amount of china to choose from and can match color or theme. Or if you have special china that has sentimental



value to you and you would like your wedding jewelry created from your own china, you can send your china to me and I'll create jewelry that is unique and of meaning just for you.

A Second Chance - Unique Fiber Art

Introducing another of our fabulous merchants in the Reclaimed to Fame Market on 1000 Markets, Jess of A Second Chance, who has shared her story with us:

"Just to let you know who I am... I’m an internationally touring teaching artist. What? One who travels 250+ days out of the year to perform (theatre, dance, music), teach those skills to others (pre K - professional), and produce/write music (3 cds to date, hear them at http://www.jesspillmore.com).

"I’m co-founder of an educational physical theatre company, Creatively Independent, as well as co-founder of an Americana Indie music label, RoadWorm Music.

"A Second Chance is an extension of all that inspires me.  I find expressive, abandoned/discarded sweaters and imagine their lives.  I imagine what they can now become and who might be drawn to it.  My different arts have common threads: improvise, enjoy the moment, listen, see the big picture and soak in the details.

"Recycling, re-crafting and supporting charity stores like Goodwill and Salvation Army is how I try and make a difference.  While on the road so much, I come across some great vintage pieces that don't fit me... so why not spread the love?  Plus, 10% of all sales are donated to KIVA.org.  See who's benefited already!



"I spend most of my time teaching others how to find and express their personal voice.  Now, I’m helping these pieces do the same for you."

Jess

A Second Chance

Rebecca's graduation from Boston U

My daughter Rebecca will be graduating from Boston University tomorrow and I couldn't be more proud of her. She's graduating at the top of her class - summa cum laude - which is the highest honor the college awards. Financially it's been a long haul and Rebecca's worked two jobs to get through. But she never wavered in her determination to finish college. She went to several colleges, including Fairleigh Dickinson and College of New Jersey - and finally, due to work restraints, she ended up finishing her degree by taking online courses from Boston University. Here's an article she just finished writing about the advantages of online universities:

Advantages of Online Universities

She's thinking of continuing on to law school but will have to do some serious thinking about it because it will take her another four years going part time and continuing tuition payments. But with her background as a paralegal and her top ranking at Boston U, she may be able to get enough scholarships to see her way through.

But whatever she finally ends up doing with her degree, I'm sure she'll make good use of it. I couldn't be more proud! Here are a couple of photos of Rebecca with her boyfriend Justin.

Limoge pendant

Some time ago, my cousin Freddi gave me a piece of her Theodore Haviland Limoge china that had cracked. I made several pieces of jewelry from it and most have sold. Since it isn't every day that I come across Limoge china for my jewelry, I want to use it all. So I decided to go back into my box of china pieces and found this piece. I wrapped it last evening. The pendant is 1-1/4" x 1-1/2" and is wrapped with silver artist wire. It comes with an 18" black velvet cord and is available on my website.



Although most of the pieces I've already designed from this china have been sold, I still have a matching bracelet















and matching earrings, too!

Waldron Weavings

Our Reclaimed to Fame Market is very fortunate to have as one of its merchants Waldron Weavings. Margaret recycles old sheets into beautifully woven rugs. This is an art that you don't often see anymore and it's wonderful that Margaret carries on this type of craft. As she says on her shop profile "Beautiful old fabrics are given another chance to shine." She's agreed to share her story with us.



"I learned to weave at the University of Washington in the late 60’s. I was taking a general art course and signed up for the weaving class taught by the Home Ec. Department. One touch of those big floor looms and I was hooked.



"When I moved to Waldron Island in the San Juan Islands of Washington State in 1972, I brought with me a handmade loom made by a friend. I wove presents for friends and various household items for years, but it wasn't until I married Joel Thorson in 1984 and moved to what is now Thousand Flower Farm on the island that I started production weaving.

"A friend gave us three bummer lambs, lambs whose mothers wouldn't take care of them. Joel wanted to learn to spin, to use our wool and to find a way to sell it that would bring in a reasonable income. So I dragged the loom out of storage where it had been put to make room for children and started making rugs from his hand spun wool using a cotton warp material. They were an immediate success and we were off on the fiber arts part of our venture.



"Recently I have added bright colored rag rugs woven in an old Swedish pattern from recycled sheets. I especially love the idea of giving old fabric a second chance to shine. I also weave fancy boas woven from a variety of glitzy novelty knitting yarns. I continue to grow as a weaver adding new ideas and techniques to my repertoire.

"I have two 1000 Markets shops, Waldron Weavings, which features my rag rugs made from recycled materials and which shop is in the Reclaimed to Fame Market, and Thousand Flower Farm, which features my other weavings, my wool rugs and boas."

Bavaria Schumann Arzberg broken china jewelry

Here are my latest designs. These are from a lovely Bavaria Schumann Arzberg piece of china that I found some time ago but have just started working with.

The wire crochet necklace is 18" long. It was crocheted with very thin artist wire and is light and lacy. The pendant measures 1" x 1-1/4".


























This pendant measures 1-1/4" x 2" counting the bail. The gold decoration on this plate is so lovely. All of these pendants come with an 18" black velvet cord. The bails are large enough to accommodate almost any of your own favorite chains or cords.

















I had to design a piece from the beautiful lattice work around the border of this plate. This piece just shimmers with gold. It measures 1" x 2" counting the bail.















And here's a tiny piece again from the lattice border. It measures 3/4" x 1-1/2"



All of these are available on my website.