Sneak Peek

Here is one of many new reversible necklaces I will be launching soon... 

Side one is Yellow

Side two is Red mixed with Purple... 

The necklace is copper sheet that I hand cut and shaped, adding texture

then I melted powered glass in these virbant shades of color in a kiln of 1,400+ degrees to create what you see here... 

Hope you enjoy! More will be posted soon!

But for now... enjoy the sneak peek! :)

All Jewelry in Photos are Handcrafted by: Mano y Metal

Xo!

How do you Measure Up? Video*Love

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

29 WAYS TO STAY CREATIVE from TO-FU on Vimeo.

How I measure up:

1. Check! I am a List queen- I'm the type of person who will ADD things to my to-do list if I did them and they weren't there *just* to scratch them off & feel productive :)
2. Check! I do. I have a notebook in every size so depending on the size of my purse, one can always fit!
3. Check! ahhh guilty- I do this when I hit a creative wall. Also does talking to self while driving count? ha! =
4. BOO to me! ooooh, I usually wait until my eyeballs burn from staring at the screen to do that-- then switch to my phone... =FAIL- will work on it....
5. BOO to me! I am my biggest critic & wait, does the "BOO to me!" count as "beating myself up? :)
6. Check! Good o' netflix escapes are my mental getaway. I treat myself regularly to breaks. :)
7. BOO to me! Um, "sing in the shower" .... no thank you. I get shy singing, even in the shower. I'm getting anxiety now even thinking about singing outloud in the shower!
8. Check!  Mama got this one, caramel flavor is my fav lately too.
9. Check! Thankful for Pandora radion stations for handling this one! And as a personal testimony, new music, lyrics, & sound totally inspire me and keep me creatively blooming.
10. Check! I'm pretty open. Open to failing to meet my deadlines, open to knowing I cannot "do it all" and open to love, inspiration and life teaching me the ropes of this here living.
11. Check! This is soooo true! Surround yourself by cretaive people and BAM! creative juices flow like UV rays outta the sun. Seriously, time is precious, so share it with people who will inspire you, not bring you down.
12. Check! Thank goodness for the cyber friendships I have built, friends & family for helping me in this one.
13. BOO to me! I haven't been able to get a hold of this one yet... waiting for the stars to align.
14. Check! I'm still here aren't I! :)
15. Check! Considering how much I have reduced the amount of times I hit my fingers with a hammer while working on pieces, I'd say practice has paid off :) #keep it humble.
16. Check! I've learned to take each mistake I have made and learn from it.
17. BOO to me! I feel like I can do this more... but don't... so it's on the "boo to me!" list to make me work.for.it.
18. Check! Yes! Everytime I want to smack someone or myself for a crisis, I focus on what is good & a blessing instead of what isn't!  
19. BOO to me! I am a workaholic, a workaholic that needs to cut it out and get some sleep, feed myself breackfast and get some rest. Duly noted.
20. Check! My free-spirit+ faith takes care of this one for me.
21. Check! I love doing this one! Infact, my day isn't complete if I haven't broken some kind of rule, somewhere that day :)
22. Check! My mom taught me this one... it can't be forced.
23. BOO to me! Oh sure, cause' I have leisure time like this! ok, ok, I'll *try. ;p
24. BOO to me! Hmm, considering at first glance I feel like I have to wrap my head around this one a while before generating an answer... means it needs work.
25. Check! I am a fan of so-called "imperfections" & know there is no such thing as perfect.
26. Check! Points to collage of neon colored post-its stuck on wall. :)
27. BOO to me! AHHHHHHHH! I'm running away from this question just to avoid it... {sulks. comes back} but it is so hard to keep it clean! Ugh. major "BOO to me!" :(
28. Check! Humor, love ,laughter! I make it a point to find the fun in it all! :D
29. Check! + BOO to me! Both. because I have a zillion HALF-WAY projects collecting dust.... but also, dangit, I get a lot done and its not like I'm sitting around all day... point is: mama is staying creative! :D

That was fun! Try it! I mean you don't have to write it down or anything, just skim the list and it really helps outline your stregnths and weaknesses but most importantly: provides some great tips on how to STAY CREATIVE! 

 are you a creative master and doing all of the above?

Are they relevant tips to you?

tell me what you think!

xo.

Des, Mano y Metal.

p.s I'm still NOT singing in the shower!

CALL FOR VENDORS!

Hi! Hola!

There is upcoming Craft/Art Show happening in Chicago on November 12th & to let you know that there is a CALL FOR VENDORS! :) 

The Universidad Popular Holiday craft fair will be hosted at the Chicago Urban Art Society space on Cermak & Halsted in the Pilsen neighborhood.

Applications are LIVE!

I hope you can be part of this event with me as the last craft fair Universidad Popular held back in April brought over 500 people in, so we are expecting this one to be double that as the space is huge and it is a joint effort between both organizations! (Chicago Urban Arts Society & Universidad Popular)

The main contact to apply & submit your applications to is:
Abigail Wood-Lizalde 
her email: awood@universidadpopular.us

Applications must be submitted to her by Sept. 15th deadline!

Here is the facebook link: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=127880863974215
 so that you may check out more details and also pass it along to your talented friends that would love to have a table at this Holiday craft show! 

Gracias! :D 

xo. 

Des, Mano y Metal.

Meet: Lola!

This week I was asked...

Where does your inspiration come from?

And My answer was:

A little woman with a loud laugh, messy hair, sassy attitude and imperfections galore, she loves to dance, has a strong objection to household chores and can be caught rolling her eyes in defiance to what she defines as: "haters." Well, this little woman lives in my head, she is my inner voice. She works in alliance with my heart and eyes... whatever I see or feel she projects through a creative lens and keeps me awake late at night making me bring my inspirations to life. I don’t know what I would do without her daily ramblings pressing against my temples, insisting I pay attention to the details...because that is where the magic of what inspires me lays.

then I decided to doodle a little woman on the computer and and wah-la, I present to you my inner voice who goes by the name of: "Lola"

hee-hee :)

_______________________

This all came about when I met: Citlalli from the

SEW BEASTLY blog!

She featured me in her blog and sent me 3 interview questions... the one that prompted "Lola" was her 3rd question to me... please stop by and read the interview and check out the Sew beastly blog! Citlalli is a talented seamstress bringing you adorable & fresh cluthes, wristlets and purses!

I also LOVE her logo! It is so cute! :)

P.S. you should know there is a 25% off Discount code to my Etsy shop lurking in the comment box of Mano y Metal's featured interview on the Sew beastly blog!

Click here to get the code

& check out the interview+ awesome SEW BEASTLY products & blog!

Thank you for featuring me Sew Beastly! 

And for helping me give a name to my inner voice:)

What does your inspiration look like?

What name would you give your inner voice?

:)

Happy Friday Dudes & Dudettes!

xo.

Des y La Lola,
Mano y Metal.

Chicago+Pilsen+Artists+More!

Food, Sunshine, Live Music, Art, Pilsen, Dance, Community, Mano y Metal + more!

______________________

I'll be here on Saturday!

Where is "here" you ask?

At: Unisono!

Pilsen Music Festival

(here is a mini- Spanish language word game, I am sure you can figure out what the words mean based on the info I provide after the ":")

Cuando: August 20th, 2011

Dia: Saturday

Tiempo: 1pm-10pm.

Direccion: 18th St. & Paulina St. (Zocalo Plaza)

El Facebook Link

_________________________________

★☆Come out to the sunshine in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood for a summer festival for peace, education, and diversity sponsored by The Resurrection Project★☆
This event will highlight TRP's La Casa Project: A Living and Learning multi- university dormitory which will be consructed in the heart of Pilsen, and completed in the fall of 2012. Come out and support higher education and unity by having fun in Pilsen.
 Facebook Link

__________________________________________

Local Chicago+Pilsen Artists to Anticipate:

Mano y Metal

Hand Crafted Jewelry

______________________________________

ColorMeVane

	One of a kind cards, gifts and more for you and your lovelies.

Fine Art by

Diana Solis

 

Tinanguis.Biz

Books/Libros

Fine Art by

Heart Adi Adi

 ________________

Band Line-Up!



 Grammy Award Winners Grupo Fantasma

  Los Vicios de Papa

 Quinto Imperio

 Velorio

______________________________

DJ Line-Up

(((SONORAMA)))---------- Vintage Latin Sounds
Unidos Por Son ----------------- Latin Jazz, Soul and Groove
Omar Torres (Aguzate) -------------Bomba, Plena, Salsa, and Caribbean Beats
Fandanguero------------------- Son Jarocho
DJ Nando ------------------- Latin Alternative, Indie, Electro.
Root Rockers ----------------------------- Reggae

@ Pilsen's Zocalo -

18th Street &Paulina Ave.

1818 S. Paulina

Chicago, IL

This Saturday

August 20th, 2011

1pm-10pm

El Facebook Link

See you there!

xo.

Des, Mano y Metal

Cosas Nuevas!

She is too sassy for her own good...

___________________________

New Hand Stamped Cuff Bracelets

by Mano y Metal

___________________________

From the vortex of my mind mixed with "tired of it" and "keep that yuck-energy away from me" the following phrase possessed me until I stamped it on metal to make it know that:

 I am Allergic to Negative*

Keep reading, I'll explain.

I'm Allergic to Negative*

Negative: people, attitudes, politics, ex-lovers, life-philisophies, ideologies, energy, personas, creditors & micro-managing supervision. "

Hand Stamped Cuff Bracelet

It was how I was feeling & the kind of week I was having, what more can I say?

My hand stamped creations are tunnels into what is making me tick,laugh, love, & groove at the moment...

& hopefully, these moments I have speak to you, relate to you and ring true to you too because it isn't fair for any of the above mentioned to impose their negativity on you.

Just saying :)

View bracelet in more detail and/or purchase click here

__________________________________________

"The Ones that Matter Don't Judge, and the Ones that Judge, Don't Matter."

I mean it doesn't get any simpler than that.

I took the liberty to emphasize the words: "Ones" "Matter" & 'Don't" depending on the rhythm of the phrase... then adorned each side of "Don't Matter" with a star.

Why? because I aim to uplift in the sea of people aiming to bring you down.

Stay focused on your personal journey:

_________________________________________

And Lastly, to end on a humorous note, because humor keeps the heart young, I leave you with this one...

"Lead Me Not Into Temptation, I Can Find the Way Myself!"

Hand Stamped on a Cuff Bracelet to bring a little humor into your day! :)

What can I say? I think it is a funny quote said by Rita Mae Brown, a writer.

Those writers I  tell you! :)

View bracelet in more detail and/or purchase click here

______________________________________________

Thank you for stopping by!

make it a great day.

xo.

Des, Mano y Metal

I have a Chaotic Core. I admit it.

Hi! Hola! 

How can I become more organized? All my efforts seem to result in the same disorganized, overhwhelming chaos. 

And yes, I was that kid who would tell my mom, "I know where everything is in this chaos!" (called my room).. I knew my book for class was under the pile of clothes in the corner and my red heels were behind the pile of magazines stuffed half-way under my bed & my favorite pair of jeans were usually wrapped in my comforter.

So, time has passed and yes: I have matured, grown, lived, loved, learned and purchased so many fancy plastic containers that snap here, close there, collapse this way, stackable ones, labeled ones, and STILL, STILL I remain disorganized. 

Um, what is my problem? I try so hard and over and over, I swear!

I can spend the entire afternoon cleaning my creative work station and take a deep breath with satisfaction and sit to work and I guarantee in about 2 hours I am back to: "where is my hammer?" "I Just put my packing tape right here, why can't I find it?" and so fourth... 

Am I hopeless? 

I mean, I know I have a chaotic core... my essence is wild and flies freely in every direction... (often at the same time)... causing chaos but i credit that to the artist in me. The artist in me blooms wildly from my chaotic core. (dangit, I'm stamping that on a bracelet) but: I need some order and to make sense of it all..

>> I need to tame the beast of disorganization & chaos.<<

I want to so bad too, & for everything of mine just to STAY organized once I organize it... for me to stay organized... for me to stay organizing.... 

Dear Beloved Belongings of Mine, 

Can you just stop being a jerk and getting messy, yea? Can you work with me instead of against me? 

Sincerely, 

Mama Des.

...but alas, I have yet to find the secret to those neat, orangized, seemingly perfect individuals who always know where their hammer and packing tape is because they never allow their work station to peak at chaos as I do. 

Lately, the voice in my head is too sassy for her own good and has been taunting me with: Look woman, you need to learn those organized people's secret & get it together already!

And my inner voice is right, I do. I would save so much time if I was organized.... now, how to discover the counter-chaos potion.

Is there a secret?

I thought the secret to being organized was labeled plastic containers, but I have a bunch of those and the organization charm still hasn't been activated.

Will someone help a mama out with any info, tips, and secrets to their organized success? 

from the bottom of my chaotic core, 

I thank you. 

xo.

Des, Mano y Metal. 

Stop Stressn'

A customer requested this phrase to be stamped on a bracelet for her this week...

and you know, it has just been ONE of those weeks for me... you know what I mean by ONE of those weeks? The kind that is just testing your patience, character, attitude, and I admit it, I have been worrying about a dozen things and then I received this custom-order request.

And this happens often, where the request I receive speaks to me. Speaks to me in the sense of: completely relevant to my current circumstances, state of mind, heart-- and as I stamp it I can't help but smile because signs are everywhere and I love how someone in another state requested something that: 

                    I needed to see & read,

                                         because they needed to see & read it too,

            and I thought,

                        more people might need to see & read this.... so here it is:

Stop Worrying So Goddamn Much

Have I mentioned I love sass & honesty rolled into one? 

Love that this request has both.

Thank you Melissa in Missouri for requesting this, I needed to hear it.

:)

Have a great day everyone!

thanks for reading.

xo.

Des, Mano y Metal

Credit Card Machine Dilema? SOLVED!

ATTENTION: my fellow artists, entrepreneurs, crafters, artisans and small business owners!

Advice of the week:  session1

How to accept Credit Cards starting NOW--the easiest way on the planet, I promise.

Mini Intro: 

Hi! Hola!

So everything has been trail and error sprinkled with moments of anxiety and panic when it comes to my discoveries on how to remedy issues I am SUDDENLY (imagine driving down a road at 70miles an hour then slamming into the brakes because a freakin' deer decides to walk in the road just as you round the corner! ~that kind of "suddenly") faced with. 

Like: wanting to apply for a major (popular, well known, well-promoted, seasonal) craft show and being told you must have an IBT# to apply. 

a what? why? ugh!

Don't worry, I'll cover how I got a hold of that one by the horns too in my next post!

But for now I want to talk about: Being able to accept CREDIT CARDS at shows-festivals-events & more!  

Why? 

Um,...

• don't you want to double your sales?
• Not turn away customers because you only "can" accept cash?
• Be out-dated? (I mean you really want to be that guy with the "cash only" taped on their table?)

Oh. and this info is for you even if you don't "do" shows (don't get snooty) because what I am about to tell you can work for YOU even if you are a: 

• cafe owner
• boutique owner
• independent artist
• contractor
• non-profit organization
• small storefront, etc-you get the drift= if you deal with collecting money, then this info is fo' you.

Ok, let's cut the chit-chat and get down to the bizzness. 

 ______________________

After HOURS upon HOURS of researching, googling and panicking I stumbled across: Squareup.com

(cue: that "ahhhhh" church type music) 

SquareUp is a small credit card reader that grants you the authority to accept all major credit cards instantly (like as soon as you start an account) booya! 

• The credit card reader is easy to use, compact & gets delivered to your house for free.
• The reader attaches to your smartphone (earphone jack) or Ipad and you can begin swiping away.

• Customers sign with their fingers (um, brilliant, no need for a pen-plus you save some trees without depending on scribbles on paper).
• Customers will get an INSTANT receipt via: email or text (if you are green, this keeps getting better and better for you). 
• No yearly or monthly fees! (you only pay small % per use, so if you don't use, no fees!) 
• It organizes all your credit card transactions in your acct by date, time, amount, etc.
• Your money gets deposited directly into your banking account. 
•  Best of all: you can key in credit cards as well, should some freak accident prevent you from using the "swiper" aka credit card reader.  
• It is commitment free. no contracts. (for all my non-commital peeps- I feel ya :)

Need I say more?

Check it out HERE if you want to do some research on your own.

Or youtube it, (I did) There are tons of "how to use your square up reader" videos on there.

Hope this helps to enable you to cross over to accepting credit cards if you were still on the

 "cash only" boat!

or stuck paying yearly fees and signing contracts with other c.c companies! 

boo!

So if anyone out there is in panic mode the way I was a few months ago about being able to accept credit cards... stop the stressing and instead just go check out the squareup site!

I was so stressed. 

Which is why I wrote this: to save you the stress :)

Feel free to pass this on to anyone you think could benefit from this as I mentioned above its not only for traveling craft shows, its for anyone who needs to get paid :)

xoxo.

Des, Mano y Metal