Sheley Calypso

DIY Tent Weights

2012-09-18T19:41:00.001-04:00

Slightly over a year since the last post... oops. I shall try to jump back on the wagon (once again).

I just recently did the craftiest thing ever, and I want to share with everyone out there. I'll set the stage first.

Last year, when I was doing waaaaaaay to many Fall shows, I decided the buy myself a new and improved pop-up tent, with the works (side walls, banner pole, leg weights) off of eBay. It was amazing, except for the fact that in its most compact state, it was still about 5ft tall, and far too big to fit in the trunk of Chris' car (so it just hung out a few feet for each show).

When I made the decision to move back down south, I decided to ditch (by ditch, I mean sell) the tent and its accessories and go back to my old ghetto tent. Man, oh man, do I wish I had kept those leg weights! Those things are worth 60-80.00 for the set, and some sort of leg weighting is required for most shows.

Here is my craft and brilliant idea! Make my own awesome leg weights that are super-cute and cost about 20.00 total! Let's go step-by-step.

1) Assemble the supplies:
1 50 lb bag of sand
1 package of lawn refuse bags
6 rolls of personalized duct tape
Scissors
shovel (or strong person to pour sand)
tarp or bucket (to keep things tidy)

2) Cut off the lawn bags at the bottom fold (You will have a lot left over; I bet we can find something crafty to do with that).

3) Starting for the bottom of the bag, start wrapping with duct tape. I went across the bottom in strips instead of wrapping. Wrap around the bag to the top of the side fold (the top of the "triangle" on the side, where the bag folds out).

4) Open up your bag and fill it with about 10 lbs of sand. It took me 27 scoops with my shovel to get 10lbs! Your bag will not be full. That's ok.

5)close the bag and fold it against itself, as if it were empty and needed to be put away.

6)wrap around the bag again, covering the remaining space that was left unwrapped from before. Make sure you get the very top too, to seal it off. It should end up looking like a pocket-book!

7) Make a strap by folding a length of duct tape over on itself and then attach that to the bag using more tape (and any method you'd like).

8) Repeat 3 more times!

9) attach these to your tent legs with bungee cords or ribbons or something else awesome.

Tomorrow and Sunday!

2011-09-30T23:19:00.001-04:00

Allston Village Street FAIL!

2011-09-27T20:29:00.000-04:00

Well, now that we are halfway through with or Craft Show Blitz, you'd'av thought we'd'av gotten it down by now! And, maybe we do (or maybe not), but one thing is for sure Chris and I will NOT be doing Allston Village Street Fair again! We didn't even get to see Snap Boogie! What's up with that? Below I will detail the disasters of the day!

1) arrived to check-in at 9 as per instructions, and were told we had to wait till 10, and were subsequently late getting all set up

2)ALL vendors had to park/unload/set-up in one tiny street at the same time (and may I mention that some craft ladies are not quite as kindhearted as they may seem when one is blocking their SUV on a crowded street)

3) organizers double booked may of the spaces, so many crafters had to be relocated

4) 1.5 hrs after we set up, everyone assigned to our side of the street was told they had to move their booths, or the WHOLE FAIR would be shut down by police!

5)packed up booth and re-setup again on the dead end side of the last music stage, after i had moved yet another time! (Chris and I lost about two hours of show time due to this!)

6) We got a whopping one sale each!

7) Upon packing up to (finally!!) go home, we found that Chris' car had been towed, due to being told misinformation about parking by an "organizer"

We are hoping to be reimbursed our entrance fees and towing expenses! Is that too much to ask?

Lessons learned?
1) If your check has been cashed for weeks before you find out you have been accepted, opt out!

2) If a show boasts over 100k people, it's bound to be a zoo!

3) People are mostly interested in cheap crap

4) I need to find a way to get more shows that fit my demographic (awesome ladies who like a bit of bling in their lives)

5) Festival Fete is so amazing!

The First of Many

2011-09-20T22:42:00.002-04:00

Whew! I'm finally getting back into my daily routine! My weekend was such a fun-filled, albeit draining time. Chris and I did our first weekend of our four week show BLITZ!!!

Where? Harvard, Mass (not the university)
When? Saturday and Sunday, September 17& 18

*highlights: I traded a pair of earrings for an awesome autumn scented/pumpkin pie, homemade soy candle, and Chris bartered with our neighboring vendor for a bottle of their extra spicy peach jam! (YUM!)

What's next you may ask? Well without further ado...

1) Amherst Apple Harvest Festival- this Saturday- Amherst, Mass
2) Allston Village Street Fair- this Sunday- Allston, Mass (Harvard Ave.)
3) Downtown crossing Art Fridays - Sept.30 - Boston, MA
4) Harborfest- Oct. 1-2 -Newport, RI
5) Newburyport Fall Harvest Festival- October 9-10 - Newburyport, Ma

After these, I have a break for a few weeks until the Holiday show on BLACK FRIDAY (and Saturday)!!

Now, check my diggs

I hope the Jewelry Will Steal the Show!

2011-09-12T21:51:00.000-04:00

My mission this past weekend was to get shots of my jewelry in action! This means that I decked myself out and posed in the public garden here in Boston for my sweet heart of a boyfriend (Chris Tanner) to take my picture wearing some of my finest! I hope that you will enjoy these pix and seeing with my unique pieces look like on a real person!

This is Onyx, a natural flower coated in enamel, and Swarovski Crystal. Can be yours for $90.00

This one is pearl, agate, and swarovski!

Earrings are Citrine and swarovski, necklace is pearl and green crystal. In my Etsy shop

I posted this one last week! Here it is again!

This is pearl and pink swarovski crystals!

Here we have two shades of Chalcedony, Labradorite, and Pearl!

New Beads on the Way!!!

2011-09-10T22:34:00.000-04:00

I made a small bead purchase today from Etsy! I love these colorful, large, chunky beads! So excited! Top pic is 20 mm druzy agate!! Bottom is chevron Amethyst! Woot!

Funky and Fresh!

2011-09-07T22:24:00.000-04:00

Here is one of my treasures!
Materials:
lava rock beads
baroque freshwater pearls
sterling silver closure

Available here: my etsy shop

Getting Back into the Swing of things

2011-09-06T20:49:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess you could say that I've fallen off the wagon! Looking at my past posts in a blast from my past, but they remind me of my roots, and that those roots are still buy babes and growing stronger.

I went to Indonesia in the day to experience the world and spread some love that'd been spread over me. I found out a lot about myself out there, most of which should go on my other blog... too deep for a Jewlery Blog!
One thing that I will share that I found was my love for representing feeling and emotions in a tangible way. When I was younger I felt words in my soul, and they welled up into stories and poems. These days my experiences are representing themselves in physical form through jewelry.

So, this blog is rededicated to telling you guys about what's going on in the world of Sheley Calypso, how those sirens of Indonesia still call to me, and how I'm spreading that as far as I can.

Some Feedback!

2009-07-21T15:41:00.000-04:00

I recently sold my first batch of handmade jewelry to an old friend of mine! I was so excited to send her the items and to see what she thought!

here is a photo rundown of the items she bought

So first, we have some wooden beaded hoops

Blue acrylic beaded hoops

Pink beaded necklace and matching hoops!

So, here is what Courtney had to say!

"Well, I have to say the pictures of Sheley's jewelry don't do the products justice. Each piece is better than expected. The earrings I bought look as though they might be heavy however, they are so light I forget I'm wearing anything. I love everything I have got and have worn everything at least 3 times. Sheley is very fair on pricing and the quality of her product will not disappoint! I can't wait to see what new things she has in store. I will be buying from Sheley in the future for sure! Thanks so much!! "

Thanks so much Courtney, and I hope you continue to enjoy your jewelry!

Back to Beads

2009-05-14T14:03:00.000-04:00

As my latest venture, I have taken to the streets...

Well, maybe not the streets, but to Mangga Dua wholesale center in Jakarta! Its just as crowded inside as it is outside on the streets, but luckily not as hot. Anyway- In my attempt to explore my creative juices, I have taken up jewelry making. So, my trip to Mangga Dua was for the porpose of buying the beads, stones, and all other parts for creating my very own exquisite masterpieces.

My first purchases included:
various green and blue beads
white and blue glass seed beads
White quarts
Garnate
Chinese made crystal beads (think swarovski on a budget)
silver findings (parts for connections, glasps, and hooks)
Nickle-free ear hooks
Pliers and wire cutters
and perhaps a bit more.

First is a pair of garnate + crystal bead chandalier earrings.

Second is a pair of quartz + glass bead necklace (These are for my mom!) plus a matching necklace.

Third is a pair of garnate + crystal earrings that resemble grapes! These are the American Idol earrings, because that's what I was watching while I worked on them!

Sheley Calypso: The First Items

2009-05-08T00:16:00.000-04:00

The first items I would like to show you come from Jogjakarta, Central Java and from Celuk, Bali. The pictures are not perfect, ad the products have a beauty that can only be seen when they shimmer in the light, but please take a look and use your imagination!

First, we have some ribbon handbags, which were hand-sewn in Jogja accompanied by fans made from fragrant sandal wood. The handbags are fully lined and have a dark wooden handle. The fans are cut and carved from sandal wood and still carry the strong aromatic scent that the wood carries. They are stamped with a flower motif.

What we have next is a collection of silver and shell pendants from Bali, Indonesia. Descriptions from top left, clockwise. First we have an oval shell pendant which is dyed teal blue. It is very irredesent and has an 'ocean wave' look. Next is another shell pendant in a circular shape. It is dyed red and has silver accents on the top of the pendant. The third pendant is one of my favorites, made from Mother of Pearl, in the shape of a tear drop. The surface is very smooth and glossy. Next is one of my Paua/Abalone shell pendants! This peice is very beautiful and of the best quality. It is reinforced from behind and has silver accents on the top. The next pendant is actually made of Coral and silver. It is circular and has silver accents in the shape of a butterfly and flowers. Finally, in the center is the largest pendant of the lot; it is made of Mother of Pear (MOP) and has a center-cut which is embelished with a silver trim.

Now, let me introduce you to a sample of my earrings. Again, all of these products are handmade in Bali and are constructed with 92.5 sterling silver. Left: Dangles using freshwater pearls (FWP). Top: Dangles using real turquoise. Right: Dangles using FWP, same design as in top. Bottom: Large hoops accented with ting silver balls.