Mori Girl: NEW Ofelia Ljuv SS2012 pieces!

New Ofelia Ljuv Collection SS 2012 pieces!

One of the things I always like to ask my stockists (boutiques I sell at) is for feedback. If you strive to improve upon product, services, and yourself - feedback is essential unless you want to be stuck in a habit of simply doing everything the same. I do not care if it’s hurtful, blunt, or even minor. Anything helps because if I am going to change AND succeed I will take the hits early and get over my ego. 

One of my stockists, Nathalie, had told me months ago certain things I should look into for my Ofelia Ljuv Collection. My Ofelia Ljuv Collection is all about Mori Girl aesthetics - bringing in the natural world, upcycling scrap fabrics and laces, and using bits and pieces of found objects. She had told me that I should consider silk and linens for backings of my pendant necklaces and brooches because some people are allergic to wool. That, wool was also a material limited to seasonality. She said that I should explore other color options since my palette was limited to beiges, creams, and browns. There was also positive feedback received on the versatility of certain pieces - combinations where a headpiece could be a brooch and necklace.  At the same time she said my aesthetic was very romantic and feminine which means I should attempt to test the bridal market. 

Busy Busy! New jewelry: Mori Girl Pendant Necklaces and Bird Skull Jewelry

I have been immensely busy. A large quantity of my older Ofelia Ljuv Collection (the Mori Girl line) under Quaintrella is now available at Nathalie-Roze & Co.  boutique in Toronto's Leslieville. It was an exciting experience and Nathalie is really awesome and I found her to be one of the most wonderful boutique shopkeepers I have ever met since starting this whole consignment business after leaving my business partner. She gave me so much advice and support. I will be eternally grateful for that openness and inspirational stuff she told me. :) I wish there were more people like her - or at least I started out with her as my first consignment shop (though, technically - I did wholesale with her). And, I just found out I have known of her back in my high school days through her Frugal Fashionista columns in the newspapers. Small world. 

I have been contacted by another boutique. The funny thing is I actually talked to the boutique owner a few weeks back about my taxidermy jewelry and then she randomly found me on Etsy and was interested in my Mori Girl items. Since, I sold a significant quantity to Nathalie I began working on more. It was sweatshop-mode...I was able to make 9 pieces in one day. See below. That is the greatest input I have done in a day for these things. Usually I average around 3 a day if I can put my mind to it. But, seeing that people like my stuff and continuously tell me they have never seen anything like it - I feel pumped!

See my most recent work below. I began making bird skull rings. I personally HATE costume jewelry ring bases so I will only make them with sterling silver or gold. It ups the price by a lot but at the same time you will never have a green finger. :) I also ordered my brand label tags and more vintage doilies. I just need my business cards and then I should be good. :)

Tell me your thoughts and which pendant necklace is your favourite! I would't mind feedback.

9 Mori Girl Pendant Necklace pieces done in one day.

Began sterling silver base bird skull rings.

This is a necklace I will be selling to a boutique - TNK Vintage on Saturday.

New Products: Wood Pins + Necklaces, Taxidermy jewelry, and fiber-ceramic jewelry!

Today, was a bit of an unproductive day. Being a night owl (not by choice) usually means I get the most workta done in the dead hours of the night - I live in downtown Toronto which means that there are no sirens, crazy people yelling, or traffic to interrupt my thoughts at 2 AM - 5 AM in the mornings.

I mentioned in my previous post I worked on a lot of product for consignments. Here, are more pieces which are mostly going into consignments. Ransack the Universe carries most of the wooden pins and a unique wooden necklace! Don't be afraid to check out their rather awesome store!

Wooden pins - waterproofed with an matte acrylic glaze.

Sparrow skulls casted in plastic - these are the pieces I worked on with a taxidermist in the US for months. :)

More recent wooden pins. If I don't drop off the rest of these to Ransack the Universe then they will be going to ETSY by the end of this week. I have more wood-based jewelry on my new ETSY: http://TheQuaintrella.etsy.com

My newest piece to date. Bird skull rings. I have a huuuuge pet peeve regarding costume jewelry rings (necklaces are a-okay in my book). I hate how they always turn my fingers green. So, I decided to only use sterling silver ring bases. Unfortunately, they only come in size 6 and I have yet to find gold bases. :( Also, I used gold chains on all my necklaces which means there'll be a switch over to half of the stock to silver chains.

While these pieces aren't particularly reflective of all my latest fiber-based pendent necklaces. They represent a new foray into using ceramic beads and charms. I'm not sure if I should put these into consignment so I believe they will be on ETSY soon enough!

I'm the biggest supply hoarder - I always think there's a use for everything. You guys, have no ideas how happy I am to find a use for my ceramic bead charms!!! All my Mori Girl and fiber-based pieces are stuffed with the exterior cut-outs and left overs. No waste. I also recycle shoulder pads for forms. Sometimes, I like to think of Mori Girl fashion as earth-loving since there is such a close affinity to nature when I think about it.

Another project I am going to start is the dismantling of all my super-long upcycled and vintage fox tails. I have waited for the listings to expire on my Marionette Atelier ETSY so now the surgery can begin! They will be half in length and price! :) I know many people have asked me for shorter ones. Well, now - there will be shorter ones!

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