Betsy & Iya Jewelry

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Random Pop: color I could eat.

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Sunday was spontaneity at its finest.

Coffee.  Lady Bug.  Salvaged wood.  Record store.  Astral Weeks.  Rega Turntable.  Surprise-a-friend Sunday.  Saint Cupcake.

Dakota and the Humane Society.  Swedish meatballs.  New sheets, high thread count, mm.  Pictures in toy bins.  Colanders.  Frozen yogurt.  TJs and free coffee.  Good talks and reading.  Scrabble.

Silence.

I feel like I could live in these perfect creations by the inimitable Betsy Walton.   The colors and their combinations astound me.  I own a favorite shirt by the artist which was a gift from W (I think he purchased it at Crafty Wonderland…I’ll be there again for the spring show).  I didn’t put it all together until I started seeing her work more and more around town… and finally I realized she is in some of the sweet stores I also sell in.  It’s official:

I am smitten.  (Plus, she has a great first name…)

so, like me,  take this color and get through your Mondays!   ~betsy

***Song of the Moment:  Sweet Thing, by Van Morrison***

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Posted in Handmade Revolution, Random Pop | 1 Comment »

GIVEAWAY: The Handmade Marketplace

Saturday, February 20th, 2010

(Betsy is in a best selling book!!  Leave a comment after this post to enter in the GIVEAWAY of the book + an awesome discount to the betsy & iya store!  Winner will be announced on 2.27.10)

I’m a lucky guy.  I’m married to an amazing woman.  I probably don’t have to tell you how amazing Betsy is, but just in case you’re new here:

She’s built a business from nothing in 2 years.  She’s got this incredible knack for following her gut to beauty, humor, truth, and the more than occasional perfect pair of earrings.  I don’t think I’ve met anyone else who’s more well liked by more people in less time.  She’s magnetic.

Well, my good fortune doesn’t stop with Betsy; my friends are pretty excellent as well.  I met Kari Chapin in quaint Montpelier, VT during the summer of 2004.  In fact, she was my boss for a whirlwind 3 months of creemees, mint juleps, Grimm fairy tales, late nights, and early mornings of yard sale hopping.  Yeah, she was a real slave driver.

Czar Chapin lays down the law

I introduced Betsy and Kari right before Betsy and I won $75 in nickels in the loose slots of Atlantic City.  Since then, Betsy’s begun making her living in the handmade marketplace and Kari’s written a book about it (not just about Betsy).  The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and Online is the current top seller at Powell’s, and in three categories on Amazon.  Kari basically walks you through how to be Betsy (and many others like her) in 218 pages.  It feels good in the hand; it’s got Kari’s joy, optimism, and hard-(and fun)-work-will-pay-off ethos on every page in addition to thoughts, tips, and inside advice from heavy hitters in the handmade world (Betsy is on pgs 50-51).  I’m so proud of Kari.  This book is fantastic.  But you don’t have to take my word for it…

Well, Betsy wants to brighten your day and de-blight-en your bookshelf (I know, I have a way with words) by giving you your very own copy of this gem!  We’ll mail the book out to one lucky commenter (haikus about Vermont summer days are encouraged.) Be sure your email address is valid so we can find you if you win.  We’ll pick a winner at random on Saturday, 2.27.10, so comment away until then!

Thanks for sharing your blog with me, Betsy.  xoxox

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Posted in Guest Posts, Handmade Revolution, betsy & iya jewelry: The Biz | 36 Comments »

Today and Me = a boxing match.

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

This is a fierce one: the calm, grounded, happy me on one side battling it out with the tear-through-the-studio-leave-everything-in-my-wake-turned-upside-down terror on the other.   It’s amazing.

Found these items on Etsy to help express how I’m feeling:

These Vintage Boxers from Xander Graphics

The Fighter, by Tony A Engel

Cat Fight Buckle by Alaska Gadgetry

Toilet Fighting = funny

Bears Fighting, by Dan Bob Thompson

With that, I better get on with this battle, so I might actually get some work done today.  yikes!

***Song of the Moment: Fighting on the Stairs, by The Frames***

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Posted in Handmade Revolution, Today and Me | 1 Comment »

When Things Blow Up: the men come running.

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

After the awesome Adrienne So from Cool Hunting did such a great post on betsy & iya, my little world here has blown up.  In a time when things in the retail world usually come to a screeching halt…it’s almost like I’ve been launched into an alternate holiday universe with flashing purple lights and never ending sparklers.  You guys, this is fun!

I’ve received a fair amount of new inquiries from (rad) places I didn’t even know existed:  wholesale, international blogs, magazines in Greece (one of my favorite places in all the world)…but my most treasured correspondences are with the individual people who come to me with orders, questions, praise, etc.    Something different:

This last press post has inched the men closer in my direction; and not just for their women, but for themselves. I LOVE this.  Not just because they’re men and I love men, but I’ve always wanted a man to want my jewelry for himself—-this time around I’ve been asked by several to create a men’s line.  COOL, right!?!!  Let’s just say—it’s in the works.  and I’m SO excited.

One of them went so far as to send me links to things that accurately represent his style.  And I really like his style.  I was introduced to Mr. Jones Watches.  In fact, I think I want one for myself and I’m not even in to wearing watches.

Maybe W will see this post and run off to Mr. Jones for the next holiday!?  Oh wait… aren’t we still in one?  W??

I am so very grateful for the ever increasing interest in my work and the call to push me even further.  I plan to meet you there and then keep on running.  Thank you, everyone.

***Song of the Moment: Sealed With a Kiss, by Deerhoof***

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Posted in Handmade Revolution, Sweet Sweet Press | 2 Comments »

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