More, more, more!

I am learning more things every day! Off to the left is a photo of a cuff I made from an old moth eaten cashmere sweater - it's made of coral and faux pearls. So pretty...that cashmere sweater has also turned into a necklace, a "scarflace", and numerous bangle bracelets. I love recycling pretty things!

I am working more with textiles, learning better beading and wire wrapping techniques. Below is a sample of some wire wrapped CD pendants. It is so much fun to make these, the CD's glitter like rocks would, but are so much lighter and great to work with. I hope you like these!

The exhibition in Mission Viejo has gotten a good deal of interest. The exhibition has been extended through December 29 now, which is a fantastic and tough as well since I don't really have a ton of inventory left so have to make do without doing Holiday Boutiques this year. But on the plus side, it has garnered interest from actual gift boutiques and shops, so who knows? Maybe I'll have some big announcements to make coming up!

So, until next time, enjoy your week and don't forget to check out the Pop Culture Princess website for gifts!

Annnnnnddd Exhale...

Whew! What an ending to a few months of fretting, working, planning, etc. The exhibit is UP! I haven't had much feedback on it yet, but everyone seemed excited and while we were getting it ready, people were stopping by and saying how beautiful everything was. Many thanks to Ashley, Claudia and Dru as well as my temporary assistant, my cousin Dan - thank you! Don't forget to go visit my babies - here's the flyer information again :) Oh, and 15% of all sales go to the South County Outreach Food Pantry, so if there's something you like on my Etsy page (http://www.etsy.com/shop/popcultureprincess), now's the time to buy and help people have a good holiday meal!

So, what's next? The holidays!

I'll be bartending a private party tonight for Halloween, and am pounding pavement for more holiday gigs. I am registered with a couple of bartending staffing companies and the Pasadena Convention Center, so hopefully calls will come my way - they are starting to so that's good!

I am looking for Holiday craft fairs, so if you know of any in your neighborhood, school, church, work etc. just let me know - I would appreciate it!

Wishing everyone a fantasmagorical Halloween!

-luv J

How's November sound to you?

I feel badly for my friends and family lately. If I'm not working on the jewelry, I'm working on photos from Fashion Week on the Bite Me! blog. If I'm not working on the blog, I'm trying to find paid jobs as a bartender. And if that's not working, then I'm cataloging for the jewelry show (and putting them to work - thank you Dan!) Crazy!

So it's all set. 15% gross of all Pop Culture Princess' sales from October 26 - November 22 will benefit South County Outreach. To find out more about SCO's programs to benefit South Orange County, you can take a look at their website here. Thanks Claudia for your assistance - I love it when a plan comes together!

One of my kitties (Curry) just jumped into my lap to remind me that she needs love too. Have to give rubs now - hope your week is great!



(Pictured: unisex dogtags - available soon on my Etsy site)

Coming together...

It seems hard to believe, but everything is coming together! This week, I made some seriously groovy rings - the one on the left is made from 2 layers of DVD's and catches the sunlight like crazy! I made two others from recycled goodies like faux pearls, swarovski crystals, and turquoise. After more creativity (and productivity) this upcoming week, I will be ready to edit, get displays together, and polish it all just in time for exhibition set-up on Friday the 26th. I swear I keep learning more and growing every day.

The postcard designs are in and off to the printers! Here they are (front and back):

Looking forward to seeing it all printed out and sent! Thanks go out to Mike @ Jet Set Art & Design for the graphics work.

One last (but not least!) thing going on is that 15% of all sales proceeds during the time of this exhibition will be donated to a local Orange County Food Bank to help out families during the holiday season and in this time of need. More information will be forthcoming...

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your weekend!

October? Already?

There are some weeks you tend to remember for a long time - such was this past week for me. It turned out to be notable for many reasons: 113 degree weather followed with thunderstorms by the end, finishing bartending school (anyone need a bartender? Gotta earn some mortgage cash while getting PCP off the ground!), and being out for events and such almost every night it seems (two more tonight, really?)!

Oh, and the best part, getting my FedEx boxes from a supplier to hopefully finish off my collection (yay!) Still trying to get the hang of chain mail (I'll show that photo another time), but I really like this piece I finished today. Sophisticated yet still minimalist and kind of messy at the same time made with upcycled CD's, vintage pearls, gunmetal and a little moon charm I found. Just a quickie photo from my Blackberry - am hoping to take some good shots this week, assuming it stops doing that whole "occasional downpour" thing so I can take photos outside.

Wishing you all a great weekend!

Life gets in the way sometimes...

Hi there! Remember me, haha? It's been a while since I've had a chance to post. Sometimes life gets in the way, and boy has that been the case lately.

Now it's time to get back to the fun of creating! I can't believe it's only a month left to my exhibit in Mission Viejo, must get cracking. On the business side, I finally sent the specs over to Michael today who is doing the graphics for the postcards that you will be receiving next month announcing the show and giving all the details. The printer is all set up and ready to go with 2-sided recycled postcards. It's somewhat unbelievable how quickly I have gone through business cards as well - have to start thinking about getting those done again!

I am excited about taking a metalworking class early next month! I've been learning so much about how to make jewelry, I suppose I should actually make some more, eh?

On the press side, I have been told that the Hollywood Chamber Magazine had a photo and small profile of Pop Culture Princess in it, am eagerly awaiting receipt so I can share it with you all.

OK, off to go broil in the 105 degree heat!

Whirlwind of activity!

Wow, there has sure been a lot going on around the Pop Culture Princess studio (aka: the downstairs area of my townhouse, haha). And all this during/after I had the flu - hopefully no more sickies around here for the rest of the year!

Right after my last post, I found out one of my dear friends wrote about my jewelry on her blog - so nice!

From Magpie on a Fence, July 27, 2010

"This is so neat! My friend Joan has found a clever way to recycle CDs...make jewelry...SUPER COOL! I love the idea of repurposing items rather than sending them to the landfill."

To see the rest, check out http://magpieonafence.blogspot.com/

And then, another friend was kind enough to say good things as well!

From Worleygig, August 6, 2010

"J’s jewelry is very beautiful, super modern and also very affordably priced. Please check out more of her work and consider purchasing her jewelry for yourself or as a gift..."

To see the rest, check out http://www.worleygig.com/2010/08/rad-website-of-the-day-pop-culture-princess/

I've been trying to get the word out, and it looks like it's working! Hoping to have some interviews in the next couple of weeks all thanks to YOU GUYS for passing the word around about eco-friendly jewelry.

In other PCP news: Pop Culture Princess is now a member of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce (yay!) Next stop: star on the walk of fame (I'll just be standing on one with a cocktail, lol).

Later on this week, I'll be putting my cousin to work on prep so there should be plenty of NEW items for Holiday season and the upcoming exhibition! I have so many new designs in my head and on paper waiting to come out!

Oh, and if you get an email from me, don't delete it - please pass it on! Am starting in on sending emails to y'all every couple of weeks with sale information, discount goodies, upcoming non-profit beneficiaries and all sorts of info. Thanks!!!

Tons of fun in Mission Viejo!

Hi all! We had a GREAT time at the Prelude in the Park event last weekend in Mission Viejo. I've attached a little slide show of our booth and the surroundings. It was a perfect summer day, grass in between my toes, nice breeze and lovely people. Thanks to all who were kind enough to invite me and who made it happen - congrats on a lovely event!

Speaking of Mission Viejo, I am sooooo excited to tell everyone that I will be doing an art exhibition at the NPM Community Center coming up from October 26 - November 22! So glad people are interested in seeing and learning more about upcycled jewelry! So mark your calendars and try to make it out - it is free and the community center is so gorgeous - it's like a resort!

There is a lot going on for Pop Culture Princess right now, it's been very busy. The photo posted is of custom sterling silver earrings that I made this week - they turned out lovely! I will be posting a lot more items available on Etsy this week and next, and I starting to plan the art exhibition as well as arranging for a number of upcoming shows, so keep checking back!

Prelude in the Park event TONIGHT!

Hi all! Tonight I will be at Mission Viejo's Prelude in the Park event. Pop Culture Princess will have a booth there, and I have new items for sale! Great earrings with turquoise and other vintage beads, awesome bracelets that are really "bling" and more!

The festivities start at 4pm, and are being held at the Norman P. Murray Center Community and Senior Center on the Village Green/Oso Viejo Park (which is just in front of the community center), 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo, CA, 92692.

For more information, please see their website http://www.cityofmissionviejo.org/cityinfo.aspx?id=11020.

Hope to see you there!

Inspiration

When does creativity "hit" you?

Creativity always hits me in one of two places: when I'm trying to fall asleep, or in the shower.

Take last night for instance...I was trying to fall asleep but couldn't because I kept getting design ideas in my head. A couple of days ago I tweaked my Etsy shop a little to better reflect "Pop Culture Princess" with new categories like Romance and Red Carpet. Well, for some reason, changing it up a little bit made me think of more ideas that fit the categories. I've been working all day on some Red Carpet bracelets that I think are going to be just gorgeous - all thanks to my not being able to get to sleep last night.

I haven't had any ideas in the shower lately though, hmmmm...need to make that happen!

Here's hoping you have a creative weekend!

Summertime

Finally, summer is here in the Los Angeles area! It's been all "June Gloom" all the time since oh, May or so. Today it is 91 degrees here at my house, am hoping to finally have some warm nights to go frolic in without having to wear a jacket or sweater!

In the meantime, Pop Culture Princess got its first press! Thank you to Nikki - muah! You can check it out at http://www.bitememf.com/2010/07/ecco-friendly-jewelry.html. Tell your friends!

I have been making some super cute earrings - no photos as of yet though. There are new listings on my Etsy store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/popcultureprincess...very fun goodies to wear with your lightweight summer clothes! All the pieces are light as a feather, but give great shine and pizazz to you! And of course, they are made from recycled and upcycled items, so it's good for the environment as well.

I am off to go take some photos - have a great day!

Hump day week in review!

What a week this has been so far! My 3 month old Dell laptop's C: drive crashed, so I've been relying on a backup laptop that I had to add new programs onto. It's been an experience. After so many years of using Dell computers, imagine my surprise! At least it was still under warranty...anyway...

The sample show on Friday went ok. I sold enough to cover my registration, then promptly spent some of it on a bag and dress. Damn sample sales! I don't know how anyone could pass up a $5 bag and a $10 dress though. I have no willpower! Some lessons learned 1) having a booth at a sample sale implies that you are selling samples, clothes in particular (which I also had brought, phew!) and 2) nobody will buy jewelry at full price, just stuff at cut rate prices. Not from you, not from anyone.

So I am thinking of other "real world" venues to show at where my one of a kind upcycled jewelry would be appreciated - any ideas?? There is a great Farmer's Market by me, would anyone be interested in hanging out on a Friday afternoon/evening in Monrovia? I could use the help! I'm serious, let me know!

So, other that all of that, I am very sad to see the US lose in the World Cup. Vuvuzelas be damned, I'm still watching. Love it! I get hooked every four years, it's like sports crack to me. And it sure doesn't hurt that the guys are eye candy!

Lastly, I just wanted to say thanks for your support! It's been a kinda rough last few days, so it has been really great to be able to go to my Facebook and see the nice sentiments there. Thank you!!

Show tomorrow!

So much to do, gotta get ready for my first Pop Culture Princess show tomorrow, Friday June 24! Oh my gosh, I haven't been this excited and nervous in a while. What will people I don't know think of my "stuff" in person? I guess I'll find out. Letting my baby loose in the wild, haha.

Here is a photo the hang tags I made. Am deconstructing a bunch of silk scarves for the "hang" part. Should be beautiful. Seems like everything around here is hand made these days!

What will I be showing? Well, the jewelry line, designer clothes that are new with tags, along with gorgeous pre-owned premium denim I have picked up. Have been out thrifting for my display, it is so fun!! Photos coming in the next couple of days...

The show is at FBI in the California Market Center. Addy is 110 E. 9th St, rm C786, Los Angeles, CA. It is running from 9a - 3p. It is the monthly California Market Center sample sale, and there will be lots of vendors - some very cool stuff. Come join me!

Father's Day Dress-up photo shoot!

We had the best time yesterday for Father's Day with mia famiglia! I had made arrangements for Nikki to model some of the jewelry, but was hoping that others would join in as well. Did they ever! Rosanna and Linda were also great models, and others went through the collection, oohing and aahing and giving ideas for where to show, and some lovely quotes that I will be using to update my Etsy page (Thanks Graye)!

Afterwards, we wished Grandpa and Ray a very happy Father's Day and ate. The meatballs, Italian sausage and amazing sauce were great, but the best was the Chile Relleno concoction Linda made. MMMMmmmmmmmmmm...

Then onto the second half - "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert"! I love that movie - the costumes are outrageous! Ro recently came home from a wonderful vacation to Australia, so we kept quizzing her "So, did you see that? How about that?" I can only hope someday to be able to make a giant high heeled sandal out of recycled CD's - think of how it would glitter!! Of course, cocktails were involved, as it should be for such a fun flick. Thank you Nikki for hosting!

Below are unretouched photos from the shoot. Hope you enjoy the pretty!

Meet Pop Culture Princess...and how it came about

In keeping with the Stars theme on the blog, this is one of the first bracelets I made, Stars and Circles. I love stars -- maybe because I think I am one! Delusional? An absolute possibility...

Hi. I'm Joan, my closest friends call me J, and I started Pop Culture Princess because of a ton of bad CD's. Seriously. My sister Nikki and I are partners in a music and fashion website (http:/www.bitememf.com) and we get so many CD's to review that we didn't know what to do with them when the used CD market dried up! So one night, lying awake sleepless, I had the idea that they could be upcycled somehow into jewelry.

The strange thing about this was that I had never made jewelry before. Sure, friendship bracelets in summer camp maybe, but not with metals, clasps, findings, etc. I have always looooved bright shiny things (and more than often, been distracted by them), but make them? No way. I can't even draw a circle! Martha Stewart I ain't.

After talking with Nikki about the idea, I decided to just go for it. I studied how to make jewelry, discovered all the issues there are working within the limitations of CD's and DVD's, hunted down beads to recycle, burned my hands, learned just how to use an electric drill, tried to set my house on fire, and now am navigating the wonders of Etsy (you can see my shop on my website: http://www.pop-culture-princess.com) and social networking. All because of a couple hundred CD's I couldn't bear to see in a landfill not decomposing.

Even stranger than never making jewelry before is this: I'm actually pretty good at it. Who knew??

I am constantly making and designing new items, whether for gifts, sale, or custom made. I do take custom orders, and am also looking for craft shows to display at. If you have any suggestions at all, I would appreciate any help I can get!

Cheers! -J