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Post by YazBerry Fashion.

YazBerry Jewelry Collection: Leather Lace

The Leather Lace Collection features hand cut leather lace necklace, bracelets and earrings. I might even try a new ring concept soon! My leather lace collection is one of my most detailed and highest skilled techniques. I have written some background on my technique and inspiration before, and recently produced a short "making of" film which is available on youtube.

Bold and eye catching. Delicate like lace but with the strength of leather. Sometimes imitating metal, sometimes paper. Always distinct and free hand cut by me. Some producers use lasers to mass produce leather filigree jewelry. I do not. I pride myself in a steady hand and the ability to visually transfer a drawn design to leather by simply using small knives and piercing tools. I am good, really good. My free hand cut leather jewelry rivals and surpasses designs cut by lasers time and time again!

Most of these designs I can make in any color of leather or reproduce in similar look to what is featured. Many are currently available on my Etsy shop and on my facebook page. Inspired? Have a design you'd like to see in leather? Contact me to discuss custom jewelry options.

YazBerry Jewelry Collection: Ocean Artifacts

The Ocean Artifacts Collection where beach combing is my muse...Addicted to treasure hunting on any beach I can get to. I always leave with pockets full of treasures...I have a rock problem, beach glass, metal bits, bones, driftwood...addicted.

In my personal collection I have many interesting glass bottles, distinct pieces of pottery and glass in interesting hues. I also have perfectly round stones, an ancient tobacco pipe stem, strange metal pieces... In my jewelry collection I often wire wrap sea glass in a simple and fresh spiral motif. I pair pottery chards with semi-precious stones. I mix glass with chain and many other materials.

You can find my ocean artifacts on my Etsy shop and on my facebook page. Most pictured are still available, some have found great homes however. Inspired by something you see? Have a favorite color of glass you would like made into jewelry? Contact me and I can discuss a custom piece with you.

YazBerry Jewelry Collection: Urban Vintage

The Urban Vintage Collection is the modern mash-up of my earth loving, recycling fanatic self and my vintage loving, fashionista self. It features found objects, metal components with yummy patina and verdigris, salvaged vintage elements from discarded clothing and jewelry, carefully paired with new findings and elements. Reduce, reuse, recycle, fashion. Raw, modern, edgy, industrial, yet elegant and sophisticated. Urban vintage may sound like it contradicts itself but it's that contradiction that makes its beauty. Many pieces have sold but some are still available on my facebook page and on my Etsy shop. Loving this look but not seeing quite what you desire? Fear not, you can contact me and share your ideas and I can create a custom piece for you.

YazBerry Jewelry Collection: Magpie for Mother Nature

The Magpie for Mother Nature Collection...I can't tell you weather I am naming myself or a design set of jewelry...I gravitate towards semi-precious stones, corals, polished nuts and seeds. In fact I just invested in quite a few more semi-precious stones to design with in the New Year. My semi-precious stone palate now includes Labradorite, Quartz crystal points, Prehnite, Jade, Garnet, Obsidian, Onyx, Serpentine, Peridot and many many more treasures. I finally have found a system I think I like for organizing my jewelry supplies...a little peek; the tiny drawers are filled with semi-precious stones, the larger drawers contain the rest of the loot and the organizer cases mostly house beads and findings:

So far I have focused my efforts on earrings as I enjoy making tiny sculptures to wear. I plan to expand my stone work into necklaces. Here are some of the earrings I have made in the Magpie collection. Some have found happy homes. Many are available on my facebook page or in my Etsy shop. Do you have a favorite semi-precious stone and you are inspired by something I have made and what a custom piece? Let me know, I would be thrilled to work with you to create something special.

YazBerry Jewelry Collection: The Key to Your Heart

The Key to Your Heart Collection is fueled by my obsession with collecting antique keys. I have a...*ahem...huge stash of keys yet to be designed with. I am constantly buying them.

The first piece in this collection was a simple vintage key whole plate I had stacked a small glass heart on. From there the ideas bubbled forward. Here is what I have made so far...many more to come, I guarantee it ;) Some have sold quickly. Inspired, but the one you see is not quite right? Let me know what you are thinking. I would be happy to customize a Key to Your Heart piece for you. Available for purchase both on my Etsy store and on  my Facebook.

Introducing: YazBerry Jewelry Collections - Meet the Twins!

I have been carefully building up a body of work in jewelry design and construction the past 6 months or so. I am continuing to design daily and wanted to present to you some of the collections I am developing. The next few blog posts will highlight one of my collections.

First up: Meet the Twins!

The Twins! Collection features perfectly mismatched earrings, predominantly made from found and rescued materials. I carefully pair these with new components to create mismatched yet balanced pairs. Tiny little sculptures you can wear. Tending towards the fun and playful side, many are bold and colorful. Also, peppered throughout you can find elegant pairings as well. Most of the twins are available for purchase both on my Etsy store and on my facebook page. You choose :) Some have found homes and some are in some of the stores I sell at in Newfoundland. Inspired by a pair of twins but too big/not your colors? Let me know what you would like and I would be happy to design a custom pair of twins for you!

Place Your Holiday Gift Orders Now for On Time Delivery

YazBerry is available for purchase in the following locations this holiday season:

Online:

Shop for handmade purses & clothing, as well as vintage purses & scarves:

www.yazberryfashion.etsy.com

*Note: purses and clothing ship from Minnesota, USA. Scarves ship from Newfoundland, Canada

Shop for handmade jewelry (and vintage jewelry soon once I take 100's of photos):

www.facebook.com/yazberryfashion

*Note: jewelry ships from Newfoundland, Canada. Contact me on facebook to make a purchase and I will send you a PayPal invoice. 

In Store:

Shop for handmade jewelry, vintage jewelry, as well as vintage scarves and neckties:

My Home Studio

Located near The Village Mall, St. John's, NL

*Note: by appointment only most days and evenings, please contact me for directions/to schedule a shopping visit: www.yazberry.com 

Shop for a selection of handmade jewelry: 

Stitches from the Rock

Located just south of Trinity, NL as you pass Lethbridge on Route 230 

*Note: Open Monday - Saturday 10 am - 6 pm

YazBerry Handmade & Vintage Purse Auction - On Facebook - Ends 10/13/13

I have over 50 handmade and vintage purses in my inventory and need to sell them quick. I am starting the bidding at about 1/3 of the retail price. This is the absolute best price you will ever get on YazBerry! Bid now! You could get a steal of a deal!

Click here for auction

Rules:
+Minimum starting bid is listed in each photo description. All purses sold as is. No returns or refunds - please ask for more info or check out www.yazberryfashion.etsy.com for more photos of most purses.
+Highest bid at the time the auction is closed wins the purse.
+Many purses are also listed on Etsy. If they sell for full price before the auction ends, they will go to the Etsy buyer, who by default is the highest bidder.
+Auction ends Sunday, October 13 at 10 pm CST.
+Watch your inbox for a message from me to arrange payment and delivery.
+Shipping within USA is $5. International shipping, outside of USA is $7.

Rescued materials, travel inspired design, functional fashion

I have a tough time answering the question, so what is your work like? How would you describe it? I can profess about it in writing much better, so here it is: 

YazBerry will leave people asking you where you got it!

I was the kid growing up selling dried wild flower bouquets to the neighbors from my wagon. I've always been most content working on creative projects. Sewing, drawing, painting, coloring, building things...One of my favorite games was "business"; I had a wooden box filled with fax cover sheets and blank receipt books.

While in college I had my first run with clothing design. Working in the costume shop at the Skidmore Theatre, my creativity was put to the test creating costumes from thin air based on an idea from the director. I then produced two collections for student fashion shows.

BA in hand and a day job to boot Etsy crossed my path. *light bulb* the perfect outlet for the creative working person. Of course I dream of quitting my day job like most Etsians, but for now the bills must get paid and Etsy is the perfect forum to run my business while I sleep. I recently have started selling directly on Facebook and in some local stores.

I have been transient the last *ahem* nearly a decade; each space I have lived in I have always made room for a studio. My current studio is a tiny, closet-less bedroom in my rented house with borrowed furniture. My living and creative space are often woven into and on top of one another. I have a hard time keeping projects in the project room...they sneak into the kitchen, the living room...it works. I thrive in organized chaos.

My favorite materials are discarded clothing found in secondhand shops. Textiles inherited from retired friends and family. Found objects from flea markets and the beach. My absolute favorite thing is to determine the limitations of a discarded item, discover its potential and work it into a functional piece of wearable art.

YazBerry is in essence, a grand recycling experiment; manifested in the form of wearable art. I am a first generation "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" student and have found it is one of my guiding mantras in all that I do in life. Always finding ways to reduce my impact on the ecosystem and preserve the beauty around us for those to come after.

At the moment I am mostly flying solo on the YazBerry frontier. At times my generous husband will help with projects; my number one fan and best sales person. My mom also helps at art fairs.

I always carry a small notepad and pen with me. I never know when something will catch my eye, inspire a design and need to be captured before my short term memory allows it to float on the wind. I am particularly inspired by architecture, eye catching color combinations in ethnic textiles and the artisan craft of peoples around the world.

I rarely make the same item twice. It feels like a chore and I want your YazBerry creation to be singular in this world. I stand by the promise that YazBerry will leave people asking you where you got it!

Enjoy!

Virginia E. Berry-Phillips
Designer * Creator * Picker * Maker

Rescued materials, travel inspired design, functional fashion

(Exerpt originally found on my Etsy.com "About" page)


YazBerry will leave people asking you where you got it!

I was the kid growing up selling dried wild flower bouquets to the neighbors from my wagon. I've always been most content working on creative projects. Sewing, drawing, painting, coloring, building things...One of my favorite games was "business"; I had a wooden box filled with fax cover sheets and blank receipt books.

While in college I had my first run with clothing design. Working in the costume shop at the Skidmore Theatre, my creativity was put to the test creating costumes from thin air based on an idea from the director. I then produced two collections for student fashion shows.

BA in hand and a day job to boot Etsy crossed my path. *light bulb* the perfect outlet for the creative working person. Of course I dream of quitting my day job like most Etsians, but for now the bills must get paid and Etsy is the perfect forum to run my business while I sleep.

I have been transient the last *ahem* nearly a decade; each space I have lived in I have always made room for a studio. My current studio is a dark walk out basement filled with yellow lights and borrowed furniture. My living and creative space are woven into and on top of one another. It works. I thrive in organized chaos.

My favorite materials are discarded clothing found in secondhand shops. Textiles inherited from retired friends and family. Found objects from flea markets and the beach. My absolute favorite thing is to determine the limitations of a discarded item, discover its potential and work it into a functional piece of wearable art.

YazBerry is in essence, a grand recycling experiment; manifested in the form of wearable art. I am a first generation "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" student and have found it is one of my guiding mantras in all that I do in life. Always finding ways to reduce my impact on the ecosystem and preserve the beauty around us for those to come after.

At the moment I am mostly flying solo on the YazBerry frontier. At times my generous fiance will help with the online shop. My number one fan and best sales person. My mom also helps at art fairs.

I always carry a small notepad and pen with me. I never know when something will catch my eye, inspire a design and need to be captured before my short term memory allows it to float on the wind. I am particularly inspired by architecture, eye catching color combinations in ethnic textiles and the artisan craft of peoples around the world.

I rarely make the same item twice. It feels like a chore and I want your YazBerry creation to be singular in this world. I stand by the promise that YazBerry will leave people asking you where you got it!

Enjoy!

Virginia Berry

Designer * Creator * Picker * Maker

YazBerry Fashion Studio Tour

Etsy has this great new feature; "About", a section to feature my work space, process and a little about what makes me tick. Here are a few shots of my current studio space. I call it "étude compacte". I am living and working in borrowed space and each room came fully furnished. This room houses my work space, a giant TV, a sofa and my dressers. It is my "livibedudio". I am fortunate I have a second large room for sleeping and working on sorting vintage inventory. (Thank you parents for sponsoring my living & working arrangements for the moment).

YazBerry Vintage - Now Available to Buy in Person

YazBerry Fashion will be one of the collaborators at the new handmade and vintage marketplace in Northfield, MN. The Local Joint boasts to be as awesome as Etsy and I will say, on my first visit I was impressed. So impressed that I immediately inquired about getting involved! This week I will move all of my handmade clothing, table linens, some of my handmade purses, a selection of handmade and vintage jewelry and for the first time ever a selection of my fabulous vintage purses! Be sure to stop by regularly: collaborators are bringing in new vintage and handmade daily and our awesome organizer, Linda Schneewind, Owner of Digs (formerly of Northfield, now in Minneapolis) restyles the store every Monday!

For more info check out the blog: thelocaljointnfld.blogspot.com
Also, here is an article with a great slide show for a taste of what's in store: http://northfield.patch.com/articles/not-another-digs#photo-9072694  

What does this mean for YazBerry's online shoppers? A cleaner, more streamlined, more attractive online store. With the shift a bunch of inventory into a retail space, this allows me time to focus on fine tuning yazberryfashion.etsy.com Expect fresh images, exciting descriptions and an easier to navigate shopping experience!

HandmadeMN Giveaway - Sea Glass Necklace & Earrings Set

Now is your chance to win some of my handmade sea glass jewelry. HandmadeMN, a collective of MN based artist's and crafters I am a member, is hosting a giveaway of a necklace & earring set made from handpicked Salem, MA sea glass.

Enter now through May 21! www.handmademn.com
Choker Necklace and Earring Set - Emerald sea glass and beach pottery hand picked by Virgina on the beaches surrounding Salem, MA. Wire wrapped in her signature spiral style with silver plated wire. Recycled silver beads as spacers and sterling silver ear wires. One of a kind transferware beach pottery shard.

Vintage Beaded Purses for that "Something Old" for Brides

"Something old, something new
Something borrowed, something blue
And a silver sixpence in her shoe."

This week one of my beautiful vintage purses was featured in an Etsy Treasury Collection (top right corner) of vintage, white, beaded purses. I thought, what a great way to incorporate something old into your wedding outfit.

While I was reciting the poem in my head, I of course had to look up the origin and meaning of it. Here is what I found:

"A sixpence is a coin that was minted in Britain from 1551 to 1967. It was made of silver and worth six pennies. So this wedding tradition is definitely English, and many sources say that it began in the Victorian era.
Each item in this poem represents a good-luck token for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be happy. "Something old" symbolizes continuity with the bride's family and the past. "Something new" means optimism and hope for the bride's new life ahead. "Something borrowed" is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride. The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family.

As for the colorful item, blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, "Marry in blue, lover be true."

And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe represents wealth and financial security. It may date back to a Scottish custom of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence should be in the left shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for weddings."

Found on http://ask.yahoo.com/20031027.html 2.20.11

I've been considering wearing light blue instead of a white color for my wedding dress and am intrigued to see that this was common before the trend of white wedding dresses came to be. Maybe I'm on to something. More trivia for the inquiring minds: the tradition of white as the choice for a brides gown "was popularized through the wedding of Queen Victoria. Some say Victoria's choice of a white gown may have simply been a sign of extravagance, but may have also been influenced by the values she held which emphasized sexual purity." Found on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding 2.20.11

Exclusive Interview: Fink aka iheartfink

I am a self proclaimed (diagnosed) print junkie. My closet is filled with bold, graphic, subtle and classic prints spanning the decades. I hunt them out. I am drawn to them like a moth. A quick peek at the Fink collection found on iheartfink.etsy.com you can see why I dig their work.

Here are a few of my favorite Fink designs. Someday my closet will be filled with them! Fink is the collaborative effort of textile artists Karen and Kristen. Both artists design the prints on their textiles, hand print them, make each garment from scratch without patterns, model and photograph their own work. Even more amazing is that they work out of studios in two different states, NY and NM!

I was so intrigued by this business set up, my first question was how they worked out the details of their independent design business with so many miles (and some time zones too) between them. Here is what they had to say:

karen - "we met in the boston area where we were both working on the comedy central animated series dr. katz professional therapist...we became fast friends, kept in touch & after many years of not working together anymore we realized that we really missed it- that we had a particular energy that worked well creatively and that we needed to find a way to make it happen, we did and off we went...."

kristen - "yes, our Boston times were great and it became obvious over time that even though we were miles apart we could make something happen...and here it is"

I asked the ladies how they would describe Fink to someone who has never seen their collection before:

karen - "our tagline says it best for the style---nouveaux flowerchild chic . but more importantly handprinted & handmade from scratch. one of a kind- each item has an incredible amount of work put into it. we can't stress that enough. that enough"

kristen - "yes, everything Karen said. I tell people about our clothes...show them in person when I can and still they say "so, where do you get your fabrics?" even after I told them we print them...then I show them the screens and how we do it and then get the "WOW!!!" "OMG" and "AMAZING!!" stuff. we do our best to explain our work in written words on Etsy and other sites but when our customers receive the the clothes they really get it...and then they come back for more!"

Something that always intrigues me about designers (and bands) is how they come up with their name. Here is what Karen and Kristen have to say about the origin of Fink:

karen - "the usual...just chit chatting & laughing really. it doesn't really mean anything but what it means. it's funny. fink is a funny word and we love people who are finks."

kristen - "well, though we found it by giggling and conversing over cocktails...it makes so much sense. Fashion + Ink...Fink."

When asked about their muse, where they find inspiration for their textiles and silhouettes, they shared the following:

karen - "wow that is a tough one because inspiration is all over the place but a simple answer would be vintage of course- we both love love love vintage, and imagination & of course mother nature for colors & prints- she is a big influence."

kristen - "yes, I agree w/ Karen...vintage is number one. movies, books, music, memories, cocktails, conversations, love...they all inspire!"

I wanted to really find out about what goes on behind the computer screen at Fink. I asked Kristen and Karen to share about some of the hardest aspects of their designing and business. Some of the challenges included space. The solution: improvise, that's what the kitchen table is for. And every creative person's challenge: not enough time. Kristen's thoughts on solutions for shortage of time?

"I don't have the space problem here in Santa Fe and I feel most fortunate about that...for me it's time. that is really a positive thing though...like they say "time flies when you are having fun"...it does. and I am not willing to have less fun so time will keep flying!"

Both Kristen and Karen have been able to dedicate themselves to Fink 110% of the time. They are grateful for the freedom and spontaneity their independent design business has given them and welcome conversations from you!

Hand Cut Leather Bracelets & Necklaces

YazBerry Hand Cut Copper Leather Bubbles Necklace, available here.

As seen in September's Issue of Vogue, and noted by my friend Stacy Prince, leather jewelry is a fall fashion look. I realize we are well into fall, however leather is timeless, can transition into winter easily and is such lightweight, comfortable jewelry to sport.

Amongst the leather jewelry featured in Vogue this September, were some necklaces & cuffs by Ports 1961 that have a strong resemblance to my hand cut, leather lace jewelry. My gut response was, I bet their designers search Etsy for ideas and then make versions that cost 6x that of meticulously hand crafted cut leather work. Needless to say, cut leather is lovely and compliments and adds to so many looks. With metallic finishes, leather offers a lightweight metal alternative.

My friend, Juli Lederhaus, General Manager of the lovely Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA, shared this article published November 3rd on AOL with me, as she is familiar with my cut leather work. "Daily Dose of Style: Leather Bracelets" by Genevieve Cruz. Cruz highlights many styles of leather bracelets, mostly studded, however the top left bracelet bears a striking resemblance to a style I've been making for several years. YazBerry Stacked Bracelet Illusion Hand Cut Silver Leather Cuff available here. My design is nearly half the price of the Linea Pelle Collection bracelet, and is carefully hand "sliced" by me, in my studio in the USA. I've done a few variations on the multi-bracelet illusion cuffs. Here is an example: available here.

Coming up next: insight into the hand cut leather lace process. I've developed this highly technical, specialized leather working technique on my own, based on skills I've applied from Chinese & Japanese paper cutting. Many hours of freehand, surgeon level cutting goes into each leather YazBerry piece of jewelry.

For more of my leather work, check out my bracelets & necklaces on my Etsy store front, yazberryfashion.etsy.com

Happy 5th Birthday YazBerry & Happy 28th to Virginia!!

What a great birthday gift from Etsy, my reversible obi belt made the front page!! I'm extending a 10% discount this week only to my Facebook friends and my blog readers. Please send me a message to me on Etsy regarding "YazBerry Birthday" before you place your order letting me know which item you would like and I will take 10% off your total order from now until Friday, May 7! Visit: yazberryfashion.etsy.com

YazBerry Obi Belt Makes Front Line Treasury

Thank you euphorbiadesigns for including my handmade obi belt in your lovely Etsy treasury, the Front Line. Please check it out so we can try to make the front page. Here's the link.

My obi belt is available in my Etsy Store: yazberryfashion.etsy.com

I Call it: Military Romantic

I've finished #2 in The Trench Coat Project Series.

Here is before (and if you click on the above link, you can see the two garments I used to create the after look):

And after:
It's available now in my yazberryfashion.etsy.com store.

The classic military lines and sentiments of this recycled vintage trench coat are softened with hand embroidered floral appliques. Each applique was carefully shaped by me and the large applique that wraps from the lower front, around the hip was painstakingly hand sewn in place so it lays perfectly when worn. 3/4 length sleeves, falls about mid thigh.

I've also lined each of the belts on the wrists, the waist and the epaulets with a matching pink diamond pattern from my Grandma's Legacy Fabric stash, making each completely reversible. On the beige side of the epaulets, I've placed floral bars looking like military rankings. I've also shortened the hemline and have pinch pleated [a 3-D diamond pattern to emulate the diamond fabric on the belts. Coat is lined with Etienne Aigner signature fabric as in it's former life it was that brand. I've replaced the peeling leather belt buckles with shiny brass to match the hardware.

Here's a little hint about #3 in The Trench Coat Project: it involves hand painting and fur.