Friday Feature - RoseLaMer

Happy Halloween! Friday!

Okay, it might seem early, but Halloween, for lots of people, is one of those holidays that creeps up so fast, they don't plan for it. Folks find themselves on Friday night trying to pull together a black dress and broom, white sheet with eye holes cut out, or a roll of toilet paper and tape (fingers crossed it doesn't rain!) Now, I know we're all crafty people, but there are only so many hours in a day that your fingers can handle! Luckily, there's shop RoseLaMer. Her handmade hats, headpieces, and combs are so ornate, they'll make your costume speak for itself. You've got some time to decide, but hurry up before you see that 1920s gal at the party wearing the amazing bird brooch comb you were going to buy!  

The Suzanne - Vintage Bird Brooch

Enjoy the interview. Kelsey's story is just as interesting as her creations.

1. What is your shop name and URL? 

RoseLaMer roselamer.etsy.com

2. To which Etsy Teams do you belong?

Milliners of Etsy, Its a Madcap Life, Business Topics, Etsy Contest, Vintage Lovers, SF Etsy

The Alexandra - Purple Fabric Daisy

3. Please tell us about the items in your Etsy shop. What do you make? How did you learn your craft? What is involved in your creative process?

I make hats and headpieces using vintage and reclaimed materials, all made by hand. I've never been officially taught hat-making, but I've learned my way through a stack of vintage millinery books and fashion texts. Much of what I do is pieced together through experiences I've had in my life; having learned sewing from my amazing mother, working in a costume shop, being an antique rug restoration specialist, and just making art and crafts all the time. I have also met some amazing milliners through etsy, and all of these women have given tips. Usually I go into my studio, pull out my fashion books and a stack of fabrics, feathers, netting, and gems and just shuffle around until items click together. But, most of the time I'll be laying wide awake in the middle of the night and be seeing crazy ideas floating around.

Arachne - Black Velvet Hat

4. Tell us two (or more) other interesting things about you. 

I run my hat business on the side. I have a full time job working at a jewelry manufacturer and wholesaler called Nina Designs. I work with a group of ten amazing women to run the day-to-day of the business. We do everything from customer service to website troubleshooting. And we do get to play with some amazing jewelry components! I live in a tiny town called Crockett, out on the edge of the San Pablo Bay, with my partner and our dog and cat. We bought an amazing fixer-up house and have been totally immersed in the joys of tiling, roofing, decking, and painting. As well as going thrifting and antiquing for fun household items! I used to be an art teacher at a K-5th program where I had some great excuses for working on my other loves of painting, muraling, and crafting.

5. What inspires your creations?

I am inspired by eras past. I adore scanning fashion frames from the 1870s-1950s. There are so many variations of styles and ideas through those decades that the possibilities of inspiration are endless. I also have the 'Fashion' book from the Kyoto Fashion institute. That book is what my mom and a few of my fashion friends call our Bible. It has an amazing amazing wealth of fashion knowledge, and I would never want to be without it.

Sailor Boy Bow

6. What is the craziest gift you have ever received?

I don't know that its weird crazy, but it was totally a wild time. It was Valentine's Day, and my beau called me up and asked if I had gotten home yet. I said yes, and he said he was just pulling up into the driveway but I couldn't look out the window. He pulled up, got me outside blindfolded, and then revealed his gift: he had done some installation work at a theatre in Marin and was asked to take some items out to the dump. One item was a Victorian couch, fully restored with red velvet cushions and perfect wood work. they didn't want it, he snuck it into his truck, and brought it home to me for V-Day. It was totally unexpected and perfect!

7. Where else can we find out more about you and/or your creations?

You can find me and friend me on facebook! facebook.com/roselamer

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Katy or Steph about joining SFEtsy!

Friday Feature -- Vintage Fusion Jewelry

Posting on a Sunday due to technical difficulties, this week's Friday Feature is SF Etsy member Elizabeth, the creative force behind Vintage Fusion Jewelry. I had such fun browsing through her shop! It's full of pretty shiny things, each lovely piece crafted from rescued and repurposed vintage jewelry to create something new and beautiful. I especially loved this Light Blue Cocktail Ring, which reminds me of some of the vintage beaded jewelry I inherited from my grandmother. Gorgeous!
Enjoy the interview!

1. Please tell us about the items in your Etsy shop. What do you make? How did you learn your craft? What is involved in your creative process?

Vintage Fusion Jewelry uses old pieces and transforms them into fashionable wears for today. My main focus is cocktail and statement rings. I learned to bead around age 12 and I expanded upon my knowledge through self teaching and also through taking classes. I combined these skills with my love for hunting for treasures at garage sales, estate sales and flea markets. I love to find the beauty in objects that might otherwise go unworn or get thrown away.

2. Tell us two (or more) other interesting things about you.

I worked for several different baseball teams selling tickets. Most recently the Oakland A's. I am now working in sales in the Restoration Business. My company CRDN restores textiles after fires, floods or exposure to mold and asbestos. It is a very interesting niche market. I dream of being able to devote my full time attention to Vintage Fusion Jewelry but that time has not presented itself yet.

3. What inspires your creations?

I am inspired by color and the beauty in forgotten things. I love the process of hunting for treasures and then transforming them into one of a kind unique jewelry. A sense of calm and relaxation takes over when I am in creative mood.


4. How did you get involved with Etsy?

A friend told me about Etsy and I had no idea it even existed. It has been such a great way to set up my own shop and network with other artists. I love to support handmade so it has been an awesome place to shop, too!


5. What advice do you have for other folks selling or buying on Etsy?

It is important to be patient and realize that it will take time to make sales. With time and effort the sales will come. It has taken me hard work through participating in teams, networking at shows and producing a quality unique product. Also, having great pictures is important. I am extremely fortunate that my dad is a photographer. We will make a date and he rents a special lense for our shoots. We always try new backgrounds and colors to keep the posts unique and fun.

6. What crafting skill(s) do you wish you had or hope to learn someday?

I would love to experiment more with soldering. I have taken a class but I would like to take another one.


7. What has been your biggest success and/or proudest moment since opening your Etsy shop?

Making my first sale to a complete stranger. I have loved watching the positive feedback build up. There is nothing better than having people you have never met rave about your creations!

Friday Feature -- Shophana

This week's featured SF Etsy artist is Laurel of Shophana. "Giving old items new purpose" is the catchphrase for her shop, and that's a sentiment that I can definitely support! I love seeing how creatively folks can repurpose items to give them a renewed life. Her skeleton key necklaces are especially neat!



Enjoy the interview!

1. Please tell us about the items in your Etsy shop. What do you make? How did you learn your craft? What is involved in your creative process?




All of the items in my shop are repurposed or upcycled. I do not make anything out something new from a store. I love to make items out of antiques and vintage items the most. I also love to knit and I make all of the items in my store out of either vintage yarn from my collection of my great grandmother’s yarn. Or I make my knitwares out of yarn I have found in skeins at yard sales, estate sales, and thrift stores. I learned to knit with my mother but she soon got frustrated and quit while I kept learning.

I learned the rest of my crafts from trial and error as I have been crafting and decorating since I was a child. My sister even nicknamed me HG because I love HGTV and I am always thinking about how I can make a room better by doing it my self. My creative process is all about seeing something and wondering what I could do with it to give it new life and new purpose. I don’t really stick to any one craft or style I do whatever feels right.

2. Tell us two (or more) other interesting things about you.

I am currently a grad school student earning my multiple subject teaching credential and hope to be an elementary school teacher. I also teach group exercise classes and in my spare time I love to dance. I love to go “garage saleing” with my boyfriend and family and bake for loved ones (and myself).

3. How did you get involved with Etsy?

I got involved it Etsy because a coworker of mine told me about it. It was just around Christmas time and I had wanted to be involved in the Christmas Craft show at work but I could not make enough stuff in time. I found Etsy and fell in love. I started my store right away.





4. What is your biggest challenge related to your Etsy shop?


My biggest challenge with my etsy shop is sales because I haven’t made one yet, iwould love to make more items and have many different ideas but it is hard to justify spending more on my store when it is not paying me back at all.





5. What is your favorite item in your shop? Why is it your favorite?


This vintage glass candle holder is my favorite item because it uses two vintage items in a totally new way. An old bedspring becomes the base and an antique glass telephone line insulator gets turned upside down to hold a candle. The antique glass glows with the light of the candle.

Note from Jen: it's even on sale!

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If you're an Etsy seller in the San Francisco Bay Area, contact Jen from Mama's Magic Studio about joining SFEtsy!