Tefi Loves: Robots!

Ever since I bought a two robot prints at The Girlie Show a couple months ago for Ian's room, I've been robot crazy. For him, of course. I've purchased robot fabric with plans to make a garland for his room spelling out "Ian's Room" and now I see robots everywhere! Here are a few of my favorites: 1) Wall decals by designfruit, 2) Box block by johnwgolden, 3) Messenger bag by rainbowswirlz, 4) Finger puppet by stayawake, 5) Bifold wallet by ThienThanh, 6) Boys' t-shirt by happyfamily 1) Lunch sack by JulieMeyer, 2) Crayon walllet by GetSassed, 3) Art print by falldowntree, 4) Necklace by BellaSmiles, 5) Notecards by zuckerpix, 6) Art print by artandphilanthropy And let's not forget my very own robot creation that I sold over a year ago. He's made with a vintage charm and sterling silver wire wrapped with a crystal. I give you V.I.N.CENT:

Tefi Loves: Birka Scandinavian

I was heartbroken (and still am) when I couldn't find my beautiful emerald ring with a white gold band that my mom bought for me in Colombia. I wanted to replace it with something equally as beautiful and meaningful, and that's when I found Marie of Birka Scandinavian. She was so patient as we went back and forth creating the perfect custom ring order: 1 garnet band for Ian, one citrine band for Jason, and one emerald band for me - all our birthday stones. I wasn't sure what my ring size was, so for $3 I purchased her ring sizer and came out to the perfect fit - 7-1/4. According to Marie, she buys her gems and silver from very reputable suppliers in the US. The sterling silver is 92.5 % or higher in silver content, but on her thin bands she doesn't stamp "sterling" as this would distort the wire. Any independent certified gemologist and assayer is capable of confirming the composition of a stone and the purity of the metal. In other words, you're guaranteed to get something beautiful, affordable, and authentic when you get a piece of jewelry from Birka Scandinavian. Anyone who knows me knows that I rarely, if ever, where another person's jewelry. I like to be my own walking billboard for my own jewelry. But other than Pam's "Ian" pendant she made for me, and now my Birka rings - I stick strictly to Tefi Designs. The rings arrived a few days ago, and Jason presented them to me as my Christmas gift from him. GORGEOUS. Tack, Marie!

Thank You, Dear Customers!

Love,
Stephanie, Jason, Ian, Oliver and George (R.I.P.)

Fossil Shopping Party

Big thanks to my girl Pam (the artist behind Pamela Michelle) for inviting me to shop at the Fossil employee store last week. The design and retail company, headquartered right here in the Dallas metroplex, opened its doors to guests of employees, and Pam hooked me up something good! Best. Lunch break. Ever. I got loads of stuff - wallets, handbags, shoes, sunglasses, graphic tees - all with a retail value of a million dollars and I paid something like a penny. It was sooooo fun. Thanks Pampers! Have fun at Renegade next week!! Sell a million stuffs! *excitedly waves goodbye*

"Cutie headed your way today."

Christmas Comes Early to the Tefi Household* (say what?) Yes, I bought this: Message from Denny, the artist: "Thank you for the purchase and fast payment...Cutie headed your way today." * Hey HK - I want a Cutie 'View In A Room' under my Christmas tree this year! kthxbye!

Tefi's Wish List: Craft Books

Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule Alabama Stitch Book by Natalie Chanin Simple Sewing for Baby by Lotta Jansdotter

Bash Recap

Holy crikies, what a show! The 2nd Annual Jingle Bash went off without a hitch (okay, one slight parking glitch that was out of our control) and everyone had so much fun! We estimate that about $50,000 poured into the hands of the 51 artists and crafters that were on hand selling their wares. I did better in a 6-hour show than I've ever done in my art/craft show career. It was in a word: INCREDIBLE. There's a reason Dallas loves us so much they voted us Best One-Stop Shop. We've got tons of pics HERE and Cindy Chaffin of KERA's Art+Seek even made a sweet little video of the event. Thanks, Cindy!
Pam and I are already planning the 2010 Spring Bash, so stay tuned! Sign up for our mailing list HERE to get the latest scoop on Bash happenings.

Sleep Deprivation+Pam+Photoshop+Preparing for the Bash =

thank you Pam-face

Get Your Bash Bucks Here!

We Bash artists are getting really excited as the much-anticipated Jingle Bash nears. We're so excited that some of us have to occasionally put down our scissors, paint brushes, pliers, and hooks to do a little happy dance. Lemme tell ya, we love to happy dance. In fact, we're so thrilled about the Jingle Bash that we want to offer you a chance to join us in our collective happy dancing by offering a chance to win some awesome prizes in the form of Bash Bucks. Yep, Bash Bucks are like gift certificates you'll pick up the day of the Jingle Bash - and you can spend them at ANY participating artisit's booth during the Bash. You can't go wrong. You can win by commenting on the Etsy Dallas blog post or tweeting the Jingle Bash. MORE INFO ON THE CONTEST HERE [Reposted from the Etsy Dallas blog.]

I Love Happy Customers!

My Etsy shop offers a feature called "Customer Feedback" which has a sub-feature called "Appreciation Photos." Once a customer buys something, she can click on the Feedback button in the left sidebar of her profile and leave me comments on how much she loves her new Tefi piece! Some customers take it a step further and upload a pic wearing their new jewelry. This makes my heart smile. Big thanks go to Ginger for posting a photo wearing her new pottery shard piece. Ginger happens to be a local crafter who makes beautiful and stylish hats for gals under the shop name Millinerium. Pictured below is Ginger modeling her new necklace, along with two of her hats: Ginger's hats and my pottery shards can be purchased locally at Move Studio in north Dallas at Preston & Campbell near UTDallas.

Heading for OKC This Weekend

Jason, Ian, Oliver and I will pack up the car and head for The Girlie Show this weekend in OKC. The plants have been watered, the housesitter is on the way, and I'm psyched to witness my first GS! I will be there en force supporting my Dallas crafty gals and I plan to buy my weight in handmade goods. And so should you!

Clockwise from top left: Cut Out and Collect, Texas Tarts, Superchica, Tara to the T, Enju, Pamela Michelle

Jingle Bash Treasury

My gal Cheyne is kicking off the viral online promotion extravaganza for the upcoming 2nd Annual Jingle Bash put on by yours truly, Pamela Michelle, and the Etsy Dallas leadership team with a fun team treasury! Click here, visit each listing, leave a comment and come get your holiday shopping done on November 21st! My listing in this treasury is for one of my Scotland Is for Me plaid rings. One of these rings is featured in the November issue of Country Living. Exciting!

Sweet Little Baby Feet

Ian's first Christmas and birthday are fast-approaching and I've been drooling over these adorable baby shoes I came across while browsing Etsy. He's already wearing size 5 shoes, so I imagine by January he'll be in a size 6. Um, by the way, my boy is enormous. Hellloooo NBA scholarship!

Clockwise from top left: Organic baby boots $34 by Infusion; Felted wool knit baby shoes $25 by coffeelady; Bluebird leather baby shoes $15 by Bugaloo; Houndstooth baby loafers $24 by ivoryandmoss

Make It: Tissue Paper Poms

In gearing up for this season of shows (Cliff Fest on November 15; Jingle Bash on November 21; some other shows in December TBA), I am working on making my displays as pretty and simple as possible. Cue: tissue paper poms. Here's a simple tutorial I found from CasaSugar. I will try my hand at these this week. Wish me luck!

You will need:

• Tissue paper (20 inches x 30 inches)


• Scissors


• Fishing line (for hanging)


• Floral wire (white works best)
  
  Pretty paper poms by PartyPoms (say that 10 times fast)

Now make it:

1. Stack four to eight the sheets of paper on top of one another, depending on you puffy you want them to be.


2. Fold the sheets into 1.5-inch accordion folds, all the way across.


3. Prune the ends of the tissue into round shapes, to give them a petal-like look.


4. Cut about a foot and a half length of floral wire.


5. Wrap the wire around the center of the folded tissue and secure it by twisting.


6. Pull apart each layer, separating it from the center, one piece at a time.


7. Measure the length you'd like to hang your pom from and cut a piece of fishing line.


8. Knot the fishing line to the floral wire and hang. Fun!

Don't feel like making your own? You can find them on Etsy from PomLove, Orange Kisses, and PartyPoms.

Fix-My-Back Sale

Went to the chiropractor today, to fix my stiff and tingly shoulder. Ian is one heavy baby to lug around and something tells me humans were not meant to sit at a computer for 9 hours straight. She had me in traction then cracked me to kingdom come. Oh dear chiropractor, I love you.

Scotland Is for Me ring $9.50, Gumballs necklace $28, Peapod necklace with 2 peas $22.50, Matryoska necklace $10

What I don't love is how my HMO refuses to acknowledge your magic hands. This means I will be broke getting the ol' back fixed up. SO! I'm having a Fix-My-Back Sale. From now until the end of the year, get a 10% refund when you purchase something in my shop and mention the word "chiropractor" in the Message to Seller portion at check-out. Or mention "chiropractor" to me in person at Cliff Fest on November 15th or the Jingle Bash on November 21st, and get 10% off your purchase in person!

Juicy Fruit necklace $28, BINGO bobbies pair $, Brooch $15, That Smile necklace $28

I've got all sorts of goodies in my shop, and even more in person so get all your holiday shopping done NOW and save 10% with Tefi! My back will thank you.

Country Living Magazine Loves Tefi

I've been sitting on this big news all week long, waiting for the excitement to wear off long enough to write about it. So here we go.........HOLY COW I'M IN COUNTRY LIVING MAGAZINE. A few months back they contacted me about my Scotland Is for Me plaid ring. They were doing a spread on plaid things and the editor liked my ring. From the looks of the magazine in general, they do a lot of showcasing of indie, Etsy-shop items. I like this. I like this a lot and wish more national media would do this. Needless to say, I filled out a subscription card to Country Living, and so should you! My ring is featured on page 117 in the November issue of Country Living, on the hand of a beautiful redhead. You can also see it online here (scroll to slide 13), but the photograph in the magazine is full-spread, thus a lot larger. Get your very own Tefi plaid ring today! I have a lot in stock and they come in four colorways: green (pictured), red, navy, and white. Buy one in my Etsy shop before they are sold out! Photo Credit: John Kernick Model: Sarah Richardson for Ford Models

Tefi Loves: Nuts II

Clockwise from top left: Acorn gift tags by BuncoBettys, Acorn necklace by Crave, Aw, Nuts necklace by Tefi, Acorn rubber stamp by Corrabelle, Oh Nuts gift tags by SunshineandRavioli, Bustin' a Nut vinyl sticker by vinylville, Beginning VI watercolor painting by GollyBard, Golden Peanut pocket knife necklace by contrary, Acorns stationery by TheBeehivePress. Clockwise from top left: Nut-Busting Squirrel magnet by CrowBiz, Porcelain mixed nuts by kgrandey, Nutter earrings by urbanlegend, Nuts for Acorns necklace by secretjewellz, Coconut Pom-Poms by PomLove, Timothy Peanut plushie by MadeByMarta

Meet Me at Cliff Fest

I live in the coolest part of Dallas, a small arts community called Oak Cliff. I love the Cliff, and where I live there is an eclectic mix of classes and races, artists and foodies, and big dreamers. Meet me at the first annual Cliff Fest on Sunday, November 15. I'll be sharing a tent with Larry, a.k.a. the Kessler Craftsman, and we will be unveiling a collaboration of his fused glass and my fabric crafts. He'll be making special fused glass buttons that I will then use to create one-of-a-kind fabric brooches, much like the ones pictured below. The weekend after Cliff Fest, come on by the 2nd Annual Jingle Bash, which I am lead organizing with my pal Pamela Michelle and the rest of the awesome Etsy Dallas leadership team. The first 50 shoppers get a FREE goody bag chock full of handmade goodies. See you soon!

CityCraft Opens in Dallas

So excited! Been waiting for weeks for CityCraft to open. From their web site: The first of its kind in Dallas, CityCraft is a modern fabric boutique and sewing lounge featuring sought-after fabrics and sewing patterns by Amy Butler, Kaffe Fassett, Heather Bailey, Anna Maria Horner, Joel Dewberry, and Alexander Henry among others, in addition to sewing classes for all skill levels. If Ian allows, we're headed that way after work. He may even wave Hello to all the pretty, pretty fabric.

I've Been Stalked!

Whoo-hoo! I woke up this morning to the glorious honor of being stalked, and I'm not talking in a "boil your bunny" kind of way. The always-entertaining blog Etsy Stalker picked my This Little Piggy fabric necklace (only $10!), and even gave a shout out to my gal Cut Out & Collect (a.k.a. my fabric scrap dealer). Holla! The best part about the write-up is Etsy Stalker's appreciation for my product description: "He cried wee-wee-wee all the way home. Man, what a wuss." The blog post also features some other great pig-tastic handmade items. I am in good company! My favorite is A Cagey Bee's A Tiny Pig original painting. Wish it were in my budget b/c this guy needs to be in my studio. Etsy Stalker's reason for posting this amazing group of piggies is because her little one is sick at home with the swine flu. Bless her heart! Here's wishing her a speedy recovery.

Tefi Loves: These People Here

So what if it's raining, Dallas? Shopping in the rain can be fun. It can be exciting. It can be so very Seattle (where it rains a whole dang bunch). Don't let this rainy season stop you from heading to the Urban Street Bazaar in my little hamlet of Oak Cliff. Local artists and crafters will be selling their lovingly handmade items this Saturday and Sunday in the Bishop Arts neighborhood of the Cliff. And when you're done at the Bazaar, head over to Tyler Street for a fun block party featuring local designers Tara to the T and House of Dang! It's on Saturday from 6pm-11pm. Don't miss it! To give you a little preview of the Bazaar, here are some of my friends who will be there: Dowdy Studio silk-screened men's tees Three Yellow Starfish children and baby's clothing Pamela Michelle art jewelry and prints Miamaria Design aprons, bags and other fabric goodies Wrap Couture stylish gift wrap Maggie May I domino pendant jewelry Cut Out and Collect bags, purses, clutches made with unique designer fabric Texas Tarts vinyl record jewelry Karmacrochet knit and crochet accessories MandiBeads beaded pens and handbound journals One-Up Designs vinyl wall art Kessler Craftsman glass and metal jewelry LolaFalk Designs bags and clutches Superchica ceramic jewelry And of course Tara to the T, who will be at the Tyler Street Block Party!