71 Pop Recap and a Lady Craft

A super big thank you with a cherry on top to everyone who braved the snowpocalypse and attended my launch party at 71 Pop last Friday. Despite the terrible weather, it was a great turnout (thanks in part to the MOCAD having a huge event across the street. Holla!) and much fun was had.

Here are some photos of the shop & launch party event. Somehow I failed to get a photo of myself and my lovely cohost Regina, which is a huge bummer mainly because I was wearing a very cute top. Crapfingers!

For my pop up shop, I decided to show a variety of photographs that I had taken in Detroit, NYC and Italy, along with some original polaroids and prints. To decorate the shop I just brought in some old items from my house like my yellow desk chair, an old step ladder, some books, vintage cameras, and suitcases. I made my banner by attaching vinyl sticky letters to some old test polaroids and hanging them from hemp twine with little silver clips.

And then the party started.

My shop before the party.

My shop after the party.

BOOYEAH!

I sold all but two of my photographs at the launch party (one of which sold the next day)!

I am so grateful for the opportunity to show my work alongside such an amazing artist community. Thanks 71 Pop!

Now on to some fun lady crafting…

A while back, a friend of mine gave me a bunch of pretty old leather & suede furniture samples that her work was getting rid of. People like to give me free stuff sometimes, and I think it’s because I get all excited like this.

I’ve actually had the leather samples for quite some time now and have since been re-purposing them into earrings which I sell at GOODS in Detroit and occasionally in my etsy shop.

I thought I’d share with you a quick and simple way to make some 70‘s/boho inspired earrings and necklaces from re-purposed leather. That sounds like a good time, right? Assuming you like crafting and wearing jewelry that is, which I like to think you do.

I realize you may not have a pile of leather furniture samples laying around like I do, but maybe you have an old leather jacket, skirt, gloves, or purse that you don’t use anymore?

Or maybe in high school you borrowed a white suede outfit from your mom and accidentally spilled red wine all over it and had to pretend to date a nerd in exchange for one thousand dollars to replace it? And then maybe you fell in love with him while he was talking about astrology and washing your car? And then maybe you let him read your special poem? And then maybe he dumped you in front of all your friends which caused you to develop a drinking problem? And then maybe you chose to forgive him after he gave a very beautiful speech about cliques? And then maybe you rode off into the sunset on the back of his lawnmower?

Whatever. I don’t judge.

Supplies needed:

Leather, suede, or faux leather scraps
Scissors
Fishhook earrings (inexpensive at a craft store like Michael’s)
A 15-18” necklace chain (I used one I already had, but also available at craft stores)
Small pliers
Hole-punch (a thick sewing needle will work also)

Cut your leather into pairs of whatever shapes & sizes tickle your fancy (Mine were about 1.5 to 3 inches tall). I just free-handed them, but you could always cut out patterns on paper first and trace them onto your leather if preferred.

Punch a hole at the top of each piece (if you don’t have a hole punch, you can use a thick sewing needle to pierce a hole).

Cut small slices into the leather to create the fringy edge.

With your pliers, pry open the little hook on the bottom of your fishhook earring.

Hook your leather piece(s) onto the loop and then bend it closed again with your pliers. If desired, you can layer more than one piece of leather like this.

Place them into your earlobes like so.

Easy peasy!

Now for the necklace.

Remove 7 links from the end of your necklace chain by gently prying them open with your pliers.

Cut out 7 pieces from your leather in whatever shapes and sizes you like (mine were about 2-3 inches tall). Once you have 7 cutouts (you can always do more or less depending on your preference), punch holes into the tops and add fringe cuts like you did for the earrings.

Grab one of the loose chain links you removed, insert it through the hole in one of the leather pieces, then link it through the center link in your necklace. Bend the link closed again with your pliers. Follow this step for each leather shape, inserting each shape several links down from the last (you can choose your own spacing depending on what you think looks good.). I chose to place my leather pieces asymmetrically along the chain, but you could always center yours if preferred.