Miscellaneous Mondays: Inspiration from a Thrift Store

Inspiration from a Thrift Store with Angela from Heartleafdesign

I'll admit, when I go shopping in places like Salvation Army, Winners or Value Village, I'm not always shopping for "things." I'm kick-starting my brain with new ideas from the many items on the shelves or racks. Carrying a notebook and pen/pencil with me at all times now helps solidify these ideas. Otherwise I would have to remember them all! My notebook is a great reference to go back to again and again when I need it--until I can go "shopping" again!

I found this sweet necklace last time I went. I am pretty stoked about this find. How cool is it?

Now is the fun part: brainstorming ideas around it. Do I take it apart and incorporate the bits into my own design? Do I add my own embellishments and pieces to enhance it? Should I repurpose it for something other than jewelry? Like adding it to a plain top or hat or purse? Oh, the options are endless!

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

Miscellaneous Mondays: Inspiration from a Thrift Store Find

Inspiration from a Thrift Store Find with Angela from Heartleafdesign

Wandering through a favourite thrift store, I found this amazing top. 

I couldn't believe my luck. It’s perfect for the summer. Well, summer being so far away, I couldn't wait. I’ve worn it to work several times now and….it’s just so me. I just love it!

Last week, while wearing this top, I had an idea pop into my head about the ruffles. I wondered if I could replicate those lovely ruffles with my wire crochet. And so the creative process begins. It took a couple of different attempts at crocheting in double and treble stitch, and playing with the stitch lengths, to finally come up with a design. I think I’ve got it!

Add a few extras and lo and behold…..a new earring design is born.

I now have a new original design. I think I will keep it! I love this process. I love creating something unique. Sharing these designs with my customers lets them feel the excitement of wearing an original too. 

W.E.S.T. June Design Challenge Canada Day

Summer is here in Winnipeg... finally!

And I'm looking forward to Canada Day! Fireworks, BBQ, freak prairie thunderstorms, maple leafs and beer. Yay!

This month's design challenge is all about Canada Day.

The topic is wide open to interpretation. What does Canada mean to you? Will you take inspiration from the maple leaf? Or the Canada Goose? Will you think about our favourite pastime.... beer drinking! Haha I bet you thought I was gonna say hockey?

Maybe you'll think ahead to Canada's favourite season and design something for winter. Maybe you'll design something out of recycled materials thinking about how beautiful you want to keep our country's environment. Maybe you'll go out into this wonderful land of ours and snap a photo or find a Canadian made treasure in our vintage shops.

I'm excited to see the results!

Here's some inspiration already in existence in our WEST members' shops:

Laney's Emergency Hat - O'Canada - Tawny Bee

Vintage Canada Map Coasters - Jonathon Wayne Designs

Here's how it works. Check the ning and blog at the start of the month to get the inspiration topic. As you mull over what that particular idea means to you, jot down some notes in the discussion thread or leave a comment on the blog. Take pictures of your process and finished item and post them in the thread or in the Flickr group (with the tag W.E.S.T._dc). We would love to hear the story behind how you arrived at your finished object! I will blog the results of each month's challenge.

A few notes: Create something especially for the challenge. Entries for each month should be finished by the last day of the month. Vintage and supply sellers are welcome to participate, too, with a focus on artful photography and careful choice of item.

Happy Creating!

For Ruth

Ruth is the WEST Team's fearless leader. She likes to reuse bits of what many would consider junk, or even trash, to make new things, in particular jewelry. This is for her:

Several weeks ago I started to watch a show called "The Lazy Environmentalist" and I was enjoying watching the host find easy ways for many people to be a bit more enviromentally friendly in their day to day lives (to be honest I was kind revelling in it, going yeah you suck, I recycle, I walk to work etc..) then they did a show about jewelry and I was oh! This was followed a few week later "Eco-trip" doing an episode on gold mining - I was oh yeah you really need to get on this!

Since I have been searching for more enviromental friendly options for my modern jewelry designs. I have found out my silver is ethically mined (good) & I am slowly switching to vintage beads, tagua nut beads, and recycled paper beads. In my search for inspiration I found on Treehugger a post about a jewelry label called Spacefruit by Becky Crawford.

She makes jewellery from plastic bottles she finds "on the beaches as well as from a recycling center where they'd otherwise be turned into things like carpets! Each shape is cut out individually by hand so no two necklaces turn out the same, so colours will vary! Almost every colour combination is possible but please be aware that purple is very rare!"

medium disc plastic necklace & bracelet

cluster petals brooch & earrings

very wiggly necklace

So I was inspired! I have been collecting out of my recycling the plastic lids from different containers.  Cutting them into organicly shaped cirlces (I did ponder getting a circle punch but thought that  it defeated the purpose and was a bit boring) .  I have only finished one pair of earrings so far but I think I may keep it  up as it was fun cutting up the lids (I have saved all the scraps to use maybe to use in a clearplastic ring made of biobased epoxy resin with plastic sprinkles???)

 Vox earring with yellow plastic discs on Argenitum Sterling Silver - coming soon