I Just Got Indie Fixxed!

Thanks to the lovely Jen over at Indie Fixx for choosing my Keats & Yeats fabric sculpture necklace to be featured! While you're checking out her great blog, check out my Spring Galleria shop, which will be up through May. Notice anything extra special on the left sidebar?


Visit my Etsy shop today to see all the lovely handmade things I have for sale: www.tefi.etsy.com

Vacation Day 1: Domestic Goddess

Laundry, cooking, vacuuming, grocery shopping, sewing, white wine and BBC Scotland's Monarch on the Glen Season 2. Don't hate.

Put a yo-yo on it.

While countless crafters and designers opt to put a bird on it, I like to add a fabric yo-yo or 3 to just about anything. Some of my latest creations? The classic Moleskine cahier mini-journal! I have tons in stock, but only three listed in my Etsy shop at the moment. Pick one up today for your favorite To Do lists and other notes: http://www.tefi.etsy.com/

Here's a peek inside the journal, inside back has a cute little pocket:

And here's how cute and tiny these little notebooks are:

Each is one-of-a-kind. Get one today! http://www.tefidesigns.com/

My Wreath Debut

Since my name means "garland" or "wreath" it was only a matter of time before I started making some and covering them in fabric yo-yo's. Each is one-of-a-kind and will look so pretty on your wall or door. Right now I've only made 11" wreaths. I'll be making much bigger ones, I promise! (These suckers take a long time to make.) Pretty wreaths this way.

Good-Bye, Hello

In a few days I will be ready to debut a new line of fabric wall art I've been working on for a few weeks now. So far I've made four pieces and I'm in love with each one. Will have to twist my own arm to put them up for sale. (ouch)

Since I debuted my new fabric necklaces this past summer, they've received lots of compliments, oohs and aahs. It's always bittersweet when some of my favorites sell. Sure, it's a swift boost the ol' ego, but at the same time it's hard to let go of something I made with my own two hands. Recently said good-bye to the following:

Come on out to Cliff Fest on Sunday, November 14th and the Jingle Bash on Saturday, November 20th. Or stop by the new handmade micro-boutique in Oak Cliff, Indie Genius, set to open in a few weeks. I'll be selling my beaded and fabric designs at all of those events! Be the next person to boost my ego!

Sold! New Fabric Sculpture Necklaces

I was pleased as punch when three of my new, totally original fabric sculpture necklaces sold last week. Each one is hand-sewn, backed with sturdy fabric, and strung on 100% sterling silver chain. There are still some left in my Etsy shop, and I'll be debuting these in person at the upcoming Urban Street Bazaar in Dallas on October 2nd and 3rd. Come and get 'em!

Tefi Loves: humbleBea

Oh. My. God. These are just about the cutest little twee mushrooms I've ever seen in my life. And she uses handsewn fabric yo-yos to make them! Gotta love that. I also adore her little gnomes and tiny people. This stuff is just so cute it hurts. Check out her Etsy shop: http://www.blogger.com/www.humblebea.etsy.com

My First Custom Yoyo Necklace

I was honored to be chosen by Rebecca to create a custom fabric sculpture necklace for her wedding dress rehearsal and party. She was a pleasure to work with throughout the creative process.

As an artist-person, it is a dream when the client respects my work and provides positive feedback as I work to create something I can only hope she'll love. And she did! *wipes brow* Yay!

Thanks for such a wonderful experience, Rebecca! I hope you love your necklace and new hubs for years to come.

Weekend Projects

Here's a little photo gallery of the tons of things I've been working on these past few weekends, namely fabric sculpture necklaces and brooches - using mainly Echino linen fabric from Japan. Lovely! I've made tons of fabric sculpture necklaces, hair clips and brooches bursting with color and texture. These are a stack ready for the finishing touches. Lots in my Etsy shop; new designs on the way! http://www.tefi.etsy.com/ Here's a stack of fabric from my friend Cheyne of Cut Out and Collect. She's always been kind enough to save me her scraps for my projects. Her shop: http://www.cutoutandcollect.etsy.com/ And here's another view of that beautiful stack of fabric. (Did you catch Ian in the other shot?) My weapon of choice when making fabric tags to go on the backs of my brooches and necklaces - Grandma's pinking shears. I use a custom-made stamp and permanent ink on durable linen for my fabric tags. A bird out of the cage - I love it! Wish they all were cage-free... Cheyne taught me to heat-set the ink, even if it is permanent. Even though I've tested them and the ink does not run, I advise my customers not to get their piece wet if they can help it. And here's the finished product! Stamped, heat set, and cut with pinking shears. Visit my Etsy shop today to see the items I've listed so far. So many more to come!

New Fabric Designs On the Way

I've been furiously hand sewing a ton of new yoyos out of Japanese Echino linen fabric. Soon they will become beautiful brooches, necklaces and other pretty things. I plan to debut them both online in my Etsy shop soon, and in person at upcoming local craft shows (including the 2010 Jingle Bash - the show I organize). Big thanks to my friend, Cheyne of Cut Out and Collect, who gave me some awesome scraps and got me started using Echino fabric!

Yo-Yo Sculpture Necklaces Debut!

Nearly a year ago I began making yo-yo sculpture necklaces, but only recently debuted them at the 2nd Annual Spring Bash and the first ever Renegade Austin. I wanted to be sure that I crafted them just right before unleashing them onto the public. Each yo-yo is handsewn from scraps of designer and vintage fabrics. The finished piece is reinforced on the back and hung from silver chain with a spring clasp. Each sculpture necklace takes a few hours to make (both the design process and the actual crafting). I hope you love them as much as I do. Yesterday I listed a handful of these pieces in my Etsy shop after having a little fun over the weekend on a recent photo shoot in my backyard.

Carnival Town

So it's been yo-yo season here at the Tefi household. After making about 30 small yo-yos to turn into freebie bobbies for the upcoming Jingle Bash goody bags, I began making larger ones and putting them together to create one-of-a-kind necklaces and hair clips. Here is my first necklace attempt, named Carnival Town: I love the way it turned out, so much so that I think I'm going to keep it. I got three compliments on it yesterday at NorthPark, including a jewelry salesperson at Tiffany & Co. Holla!! Be on the lookout for new yo-yo designs in my Etsy shop any second now!

Yo-Yo Frenzy

My compulsive behavior has found a new best friend: the Clover yo-yo maker. Hey, no shame in using a crafty shortcut. So I'm making a slew of yo-yo accessories including hair clips, brooches, and 50 FREE promos for the 2nd Annual Jingle Bash goody bags. These bags are going to be swanky-awesome, chock full of free local handmade goodies! Here's a sneak peek into my new projects. This photo isn't the best quality because I'm working on these at work (on my lunch break!) and used my cell phone: [Pssst. We are still accepting applications for the Bash!]