Meet Retreauxgirl

Sharon- Repurposed Jade Moonstone Necklace $50


Shop name: Retreauxgirl

Name: Leslie Kibodeaux Venable

Location: Nederland, Texas

Retreauxgirl was created by Leslie Kibodeaux Venable. She's a stay at home mom who recently left retail after 25 years. She currently works on "re purposed" jewelry and also sells vintage items in her Etsy shop.

Bow-Mont Repurposed Bow with Charm Necklace $55


Her Facebook page says, "I make repurposed jewelry from treasures found at Garage Sales, Estate Sales, Flea Markets and Trade Days." Leslie joined the Etsy Recyclers Guild Team in December 2010.

Lisa Repurposed Key Charm Necklace $40


You can find Retreauxgirl at the following places:
Etsy
Facebook
Twitter
Retreauxgirl blog

This blog post was contributed by Heather of Texas Vintage Things.

Meet Mattie Reid Chicago

Lovely rhinestone ring used to be an earring!

Shop Name: Mattie Reid Chicago

Location: Houston, TX

Owner: Heather

Heather says, "Mattie Reid Chicago came about back in 1999 when I was living in Chicago and attending school for fashion design. We had a project where we had to create a design name for ourselves. I could not think of anything, but my great grandmother. Her name was Mattie Reed. I changed the spelling of her last name to Reid and added Chicago to the end. Wa la! Mattie Reid Chicago was created. I design and develop accessories, often made of vintage fabrics and trims as well as clothing that is inspired by designs from the past."

Feather Headband is lovely.

Heather sold a lot on Ebay for the past few years, but has recently been stocking up her Etsy stores, both this, and Texas Vintage, which offers eclectic vintage clothing, housewares, and decor.

"Summer is Beautiful" onesies.

Heather's known for her onesies. They are unisex, and have playful embroidered designs and appliques on them. explains, "Right now, I mostly focus on baby apparel however, I am going to branch out soon and possibly add in toddler designs as well. With regard to the onesies, I can make anything requested. If you don't see it, send me an email and I can make it! I love special orders!!"
 

Heather's Mission?  "Made with love!, and to incorporate onesies, accessories made from vintage trims, paper goods-a little bit of everything!"

Adorable Hair Barettes with Vintage Adornments!

Connect with Heather:
On Twitter
On Facebook for Mattie Reid
In her Etsy Shop for Mattie Reid Chicago
On her Website
Or...in her Texas Vintage Shop

Spotlight on House of Mirth: Etsy's Best Kept Secret - Make this your home for holiday shopping!

November 2010 Spotlight Award:

This 1920's Bookmark, $14, under PaperArts section of the studio 
makes a great gift for the book lover!

As an fellow artist and vintage junkie, I am totally captivated the "House of Mirth" shop on Etsy.  If you haven't visited it yet, you should indeed.  From the brainchild of Recycled Wares, and Paper Picker, you will find  by Nerrissa's  handmade goods lurking here. 

Doubled sided pendant, only $18.99 FREE SHIPPING as of now at House of Mirth.

I think what enthralls me most, is her eye for detail and functionality of her artwork.  Her love of all things yesteryear mixed with the care and concern of using post consumer products like fiber, wood and paper show in her work.  You see it in the transformation...from trash...to functional treasure. 

The Upcycled Lung pendant / brooch is one of many "medical styles" 
available in this shop and makes a unique fashion statement. 

Yet again I find myself admiring her work and drawn back to the bookmarks. I admit, I have no time to read anymore....

...yet this lady calls to me to find a place for her inside the pages of my favorite book.  Her store makes me want to wear brooches and pins again, because her love for all things vintage show in the wonderful jewelry offerings. 

Most brooches range around $23.99, this one free shipping in the Jewelry section.

They say you learn something new every day.  I heard of woodburning, but actually did not realize what the term Pyrography was until I visited her shop.  According to Wikipedia, "pyrography means 'writing with fire' and is the traditional art of using a heated tip or wire to burn or scorch designs onto natural materials such as wood or leather."

Set of clothespins, hold recipes, money, scrap-booking papers and more! , set $8.99 in the Pyrography section.

There's something eclectic here, charming and inviting all in one. Sit back with a cup of your favorite coffee or tea and admire her work. 

Team members, I urge you to favorite her items, blog about this store, add one of her offerings as a link to your Facebook page, and help this very talented artist's work get out there.  It's way too wonderful to be Etsy's Best Kept Secret. 

In the Spotlight: LizzieCaye

It only seemed appropriate to spotlight Elizabeth Patel, for October, who is wonderful in more ways than one.  Not only  has she been such a wonderful addition to our team, and helping grow this site--but even more so, her handmade Lizzie Caye designer bags are amazing.

The "Classic Lizzie" in blues and pinks

Without her the blog as it is today would not be possible.  I often wonder, as I look at her pretty creations  how does she do it?  Where does it all happens?  Originally from North Dakota, now transplanted in Dallas, Texas, Liz is happy creating what she loves--and this love shows in her craftsmanship and quality original designs. 

This recycled purse was a quick seller.

Ruffles add flair to her sophisticated designs. This one comes in many colors like pink.

Careful detailing means everything.

Here is where the magic happens.  Her sewing machine is often covered with remnants of a work-in-progress.

Creations kept in eco-friendly totes aka cardboard boxes! A bag holds recycled scrap paper for packaging materials.

 Liz explains, "A normal day with me involves a ton of running up and down the stairs. Let me regress for a moment to explain how I got my very own giant studio in my home.  About 2 1/2 years ago my father-in-law passed away.  My mother-in-law does not drive, or make any form of decision without her husband.  It became obvious that she would need to live with us.  She didn't live incredibly far from where we did, but long enough that it would have been harder to take care of her from a distance, even if the distance was only 15 miles. We looked for existing homes, and couldn't find anything that wouldn't have needed a major overhaul.  So we decided to build in a planned community (meaning we had a set of home plans we could choose from).  We picked this community because the specifically had a plan that had a bedroom with its own en suite bathroom.  While we were making all these plans we decided to add the 1/2 story option of a game room upstairs, so that my hubby wouldn't ever have to look at my mess again....."

This wire mannequin proves to be a good note board for Liz. 

Thanks to the addition of her mother-in-law, Liz was able to have her very own space and a built in computer niche in which she explains, " I can create as I desire."  She says, "I have a nifty entry to the attic where I store all my boxes for shipping and LOADS of other stuff.  This really has helped me keep my room a bit neater.  Beyond that I use a ton of paper grocery bags to sort out my fabric and felt. "

Sometimes the best organizational system, is a simple one.  

So, amidst the cardboard boxes and paper bags of fabric and felt,  add some of  Liz  keen eye for design and out comes unique and eclectic designs like this Knock 'em Dead Purse!!

Liz prides herself on using upcycled and reclaimed fabrics in her LizzieCaye Etsy shop 

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For more information on Liz, please visit her personal website HERE.

Vintage Ephemera Galore at the Paper Picker

I have an extreme love for all things vintage, especially paper.  Today I spent some time getting lost in one of our member's shops, PaperPicker. 

 

Vintage 1950's Fawn Greeting Card, $3

This shop is full of fantastic finds in paper. (One of three very cool shops from the lovely Nerrissa, straight out of Fort Worth Texas.)   In an effort to separate her handmade clay treasures, and growing vintage finds, this third store contains all things paper!

Flower Power Wrapping Paper, $6

From vintage greeting cards to retro wrapping paper, this is a paper lover's dream come true.  Collage artists, scrapbooking lovers, artists, vintage junkies, and paper recyclers will love this shop.

 Vintage 1946 Book Page, $2

One could certainly spend a lot of time in this shop, browsing the advertisements, book pages, wrapping paper, vintage playing cards, books and zines, vintage greeting cards, and so much more.  Affordable pricing and great selections make this shop a must see!

Check this shop out!
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http://www.etsy.com/shop/paperpicker
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All images and funky link courtesy of Nerrissa, Recycled Wares.

Recycled Wares : Keeping Vintage Alive

I'm a vintage junkie, and I was thrilled to learn of Nerrissa from RecycledWares joining our group.  She is from Fort Worth, Texas and does her part to rescue and re-offer these way cool vintage items. 

Check out this great 60's can for only $16 in her shop .

When I first joined Etsy, vintage was something they weren't 100% sold on.  Vintage sellers had to unite and fight for the same "type" search results as the other categories.  There was a time we were in fear that vintage would go away.  Etsy did love vintage items, however, their aim was a handmade (and supply) marketplace.  It's no wonder that because repurposing and reusing vintage items is a way to reduce the carbon footprint - that it was bound to stay.  (Maybe in part by modern day divas like Rachel Ray  with her retro kitschy items and Martha Stewart who show that vintage can be functional as well as decorative and go hand in hand with crafting and other daily activities...) 

Imagine Rachel Ray whipping up something in this mod enamelware casserole at $30.

Nerrissa says, "With so many items being discarded, our mission is to rescue as many items as we can (within reason) and present them to the arts & crafts and collector's world. We work with local businesses and families to find items that are no longer of use to them. All the treasures we find are in good condition, but just need a second home. The space in our home and our budget will only allow for so many rescues, but you can be certain, that if you find it within our marketplace, it was a rescued ware."

  Martha Stewart could transform these 93 vintage swatches, $10 into a masterpiece !

Nerrissa keeps busy promoting her shop, and has opened two new shops on Etsy. House of Mirth offers the best in Clay, Wood and Paper Arts and Paper Picker which offers the best in vintage paper.  

Find our more about her here:

FLICKR:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/recycledwares/

BLOG:
http://recycledwares.blogspot.com/

Or go visit her Etsy shop now!

LBJonriver/Riverside Studios

Name: LaVerne

Shop: LBJonRiver (Riverside Studios)

Location: New Braunfels, Texas

Etsy Shop Link: http://www.lbjonriver.etsy.com/

LaVerne lives on the banks of the beautiful Guadalupe River in the small town of New Braunfels, Texas. She says it's a town with a "real downtown" that features the oldest bakery in Texas, not to mention, one of the state's oldest hardware stores...(you know the kind, wooden floors and tin ceilings.) LaVerne describes it as the perfect setting for vintage treasures and the perfect setting for a recycler like herself.

LaVerne's store is filled with wonderful upcycled and recycled items like golf club wind chimes, story book birdhouses, or fun wine charms. Check it out HERE.