Mano y Metal | Lifestyle Blog: June 2011

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12:30 PM

Behind the Scenes Footage & Helpful Tips! re: Displays!

3:24 PM

Hola! Hi!

So, I was faced with a dilemma: I needed new display racks to showcase the new inventory of earrings I had made from my hand painted series: Love Affair Collection.

So... it was crunch time-- a few days before Do-Division Street Fest and all I had was a vague idea of what I was looking for as I entered HOME DEPOT...

I walked around the aisles DETERMINED to find what I needed-- this of course, was the "artist" in me, waiting for something to "speak to me" .... Well, I thought I was going deaf cause it was about an hour of walking around and puros deadends...

then when I was on the brink of giving up

I stumbled across these:

oh sure, it looks like nothing here... but in my mind... I saw EXACTLY what I needed to make my new displays!

So I gathered the rest of the supplies:

Spray paint

Door hinges

Staple Gun

Wire Mesh

& I was excited to get home and get to workin!

Now, at this point it is ALL TRAIL & ERROR for me, I don't like to read instructions on things or care about being neat, once I have an idea I kinda bulldoze through it to see my vision to the end (usually because of my short attention span too) and then come back and clean up the craziness I leave behind.

So I began my bull-dozing...

First step: SPRAY PAINTING

and more spray painting!

and of course, I was on a roll here with ideas and that combined with my very low "patience" tolerance I decided to head over to the local recycled Bike shop to create a new display for my

Heart of a Biker Collection!

(I mean why not, I was in "building/create displays" mode...;p)

***

Again, I did the whole: "walk around until I find what i am looking for to match the vague idea in my brain"

It worked: I found a Bike wheel of medium size, purchased a teal tire (& thankfully they assemble it all for you there!) and I bought ONE peg (if you grew up in Chicago, you know what I am talking about-- we all rode on these down the street) the guy at the counter tried to convince me to buy two pegs.. you know, "a set"-- but I explained it was for a "project" and he finally left me alone with a confused shrug of the shoulders.

***

So I walk into HOME DEPOT AGAIN, this time equipped with my teal tire bike wheel with one peg.

I tell the guys working there I needed a base and some kind of pole to hold up the bike wheel.

Imagine their expressions. HAHA.

I didn't care because I had this in my mind:

I was tossed from one department to another and after conflicting opinions and confused expressions from Home Depot employees, I walked out with:

A wood base

black pipe

steel base for pipe

screws

And yes, my table got scratched up because the screws were a TINY bit longer than the wood I bought... so they kinda went through the wood..

but dangit, I say the scratches on my kitchen table give it character :)

Besides, I pulled off a new display to hang all my

Heart of a Biker Collection Necklaces & earrings!

Finally, the last part of my creative display vortex came later that week as I cleaned out my 4 year old son's bedroom... he had old toys everywhere and I started to bag them up when I realized I could most definately use his old building blocks!

Yep, he doesn't need them anymore! :D

So mama super glued them together in various heights and spelled out "Mano y Metal" & wha-laa!

New displays to jazz up placement of my hand stamped double finger rings & single band rings!

yep, those are totally children's blocks....

***

Then of course I finalized my earrings stands that begun this:

"I will build my own displays" adventure....

Moral: (oh yes, there is always a moral)

the SKY is the limit to how you can customize your displays.

The key is to be UNconventional.

recycling kids toys helps too.

The End.

xo.

Des, Mano y Metal

artist

Mid-Week Highlights!

3:55 PM

Hola!

I hope everyone is having a good day and for my Chicagoans, hope you are enjoying this HEAT, and if heat isn't your thang, then hope you have an air conditioner cause it is HOT tooo-DAY yo!

So, here are some weekly highlights going on with

Mano y Metal!

Item 1:

Have you been to Elephant Room, Inc. yet? Mano y Metal is one of the MANY artists they carry in their store. All the items are hand crafted orginal works from local artists and even some amazing paintings from a UK artist!

I made some EXCLUSIVE goods for Elephant Room, Inc. too, so if you are in Chicago, check them out!

Elephant Room, Inc. is located in the downtown area right by the Columbia College!

check em' out! check em' out!

*****

Item 2:

Do-DiviSion 2-day Street Fest was GREAT this past weekend! It was my first time vending in an outdoor summer event (as I only began making jewelry in Oct 2010). So I def. got a taste of everything with the weather starting off at 90degrees Saturday, (total sweat mode) then the punctuation in the heat with some THUNDERSTORM action, (thankfully Urban Folk Circuit, the organization coordinators who hosted us crafters were prepared with TARPS so none of our handmade creations got a drop of rain!)

And Sunday mixing in some cool breeze to conclude the 2 day event.

I met TONS of new people and it is always super rewarding to see how people react to my work in person as they are able to touch, pick up and try-on the items I create. I def. recommend participating in craft shows if you make stuff, because the feedback you get is priceless.

Another PLUS was I saw so many friends I hadn't seen in a long time, & that def. made the event even more fun to participate in.

Another highlight is that Mano y Metal started accepting CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS at this event. Yes, I had issues with the wi-fi and AT&T failing me, but overall, it worked out!

I am learning so much and if any of my newbie crafters have questions, please email me and I'd be happy to help, as I learn more and more everyday!

ohh trail and error! :)

I thank Urban Folk Circuit for making it possible for me to participate as a vendor in the Do-Division Street Fest & have hundreds of foot traffic come across
Mano y Metal!

If you are a Chicago Crafter, Urban Folk Circuit is great to meet and work with!

*****

Item 3:

Have you joined the GIVEAWAY action yet?

Mano y Metal is a featured artist on the blog:

NINA ON THE MOON

where in addition to a lovely interview conducted by the lovely Nina, there is also a GIVEAWAY that is open WORLDWIDE that you can join for your chance to win the Mano y Metal: Frida Kahlo hand stamped cuff FO' FREE! :D

click HERE to join in on the fun!

that's all she wrote.

xo.

Des, Mano y Metal.