Guest post generously contributed by Audrey, amazingly talented recycle craftswoman and owner of the RetroGrandma and A blast from the past Etsy stores.
Handmade items have a soul and enrich our lives in a way that mass-produced items simply can’t. Even though I have a professional life and career I value, I love my creative side even more. Crafting for me is not only a hobby, but it’s my relaxation time. My mind is never still. I’m always thinking of what I can recycle and create next.
I’ve been crafting since I was very young. My mother was an amazing crafter and I just followed her great talent. I made most of my gifts and sewed most of my children’s clothing. Now I create unique items and sell them online. Enjoy the slideshow below to see some of the items I create.
I’ve had an ebay store since 2003 with all my collectibles. But then I heard about Etsy “All Things Handmade”. So I decided to open up a shop with just a few of my handmade items in 2007. Etsy is such a friendly community of sellers and buyers.
My husband is a collector of records and it so it all started with the abundance of vinyl in our house and I decided to melt a few to make some bowls, which are quite popular. Then I came up with a pattern to make a handbag out of the covers. I didn’t want to use rivets (that so many use) to cover the great artwork, so I created my own pattern of sewing vinyl around the covers. The handbags are very strong and durable, yet very soft and light. My daughter uses hers as a grocery handbag and carries a lot of weight in it and it’s still holding up very well.
From there I found that books can also be made into handbags. They are much more complicated to make than the record purses, but I never get tired of making them. Extra time is taken to choose the right material and accessories to match each book. Each one is so unique and one-of-a kind. I’m addicted to making these handbags. My most popular handbags sold are the Nancy Drew books. Watch heads turn as you walk down the street with one of these whimsical handbags! You’ll be sure to get noticed!
I have expanded in creating variety unique items by recycling books and records. I make record containers, clocks, and earring holders. From books I create hollow security safes, wallets, and desk clocks. Be sure to spark conversation with any one of these items! They all make such unique gifts. Great for the “hard to buy for” person! One feedback I received from a customer who purchased one of my book handbags was “My mother said this was the best gift she has ever received”. Hearing these comments makes me feel so good inside.
I never thought my hobby would turn out to be a business. Sales grew and I do many custom orders also. Favourite books have been mailed to me to create handbags. I had a magazine cover once mailed to me and I made a handbag from it. The customer’s friend was on the front page of the cover and she thought this would make a unique gift for her. I’ve done wholesale orders for some retailers also. I have customers from all over the world.
Good photos are a must when listing an item. This took some time for me to perfect. You need a good camera, good lighting and then a program to edit each photo. I made it to the Front Page of Etsy on 4 different occasions since I opened up shop. It’s an honor to get chosen for the Front Page, so I was extremely thrilled!
I decided to name myself RetroGrandma because I love the retro era and I’m a grandma of 6 beautiful grandchildren. My family means the world to me. I’m a full time Administrative Assistant at an elementary school, which I’ve worked at for 25 years now. I have four online shops where I sell my items. My husband and I love to seek out treasures at flea markets, garage sales and thrift shops. I also have a vintage shop on etsy – A BLAST FROM THE PAST! Here we share our treasures with the world – toys, games, kitchenware, decorative collectibles, lamps, clocks, & clothing.
I’m a busy RetroGrandma! But I wouldn’t have it any other way as I can never sit idle.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment