Falloween crazy

It all started last year when I did a show called Falloween, (also called the American Folk Art Festival) at the Madonna Winery in Sonoma. It was September, hot day, to exhibit was by invitation only by the owner of the winery. Many cool artists were at this show, all the work had to have a Halloween or Fall theme.  Setting up was early and groggy, 7am. I had two 8 foot tables, and packed them full, with not an inch to spare. The show opened at 10a.m. with a flurry of customers rushing in. People's work was snatched up so quickly! One artist was sold out in less than an hour!  I barely had time to chat people up, things were being grabbed and bought up so quickly it was like a flash of retail frenzy! But it was so much fun!! I don't think I stopped til 2:00pm.

When I was invited back for this year (Sept.6) I decided I'd get a bit more geeky about Halloween and Fall and really show some spirit!!! I guess you might say I got super excited!!

vintage halloween images! In brooches! 

First I started collecting a few vintage postcards. They are really expensive. I found the top hat pumpkin man below for $30! For an old postcard??  I got the woman down to $20. I made so many brooches of him! I was hooked. 

This was an old card, looked like from a game? 

Well I bought some bulk collections from the UK, Malayasia, and all around the US. I especially loved the simple graphic ones too! 

Vintage postcards collected from all over the place! 

By the time I found the piggy back pumpkin men I had signed up for Hallowbaloo, a Halloween show in Seattle on September 20. AND a big Halloween show in Petaluma on September 27th. I had over 35 Halloween different designs. 

This one is one of my favorites! It's silly and so cool. 

I was making Halloween stuff on Easter. Really felt like I was sinking too much time into this crazy far off distant halloween holiday, but I couldn't stop! 

Ominous owl! Just made him into a ring and necklace! 

I've really had so much fun! After my enthusiastic postings on Facebook, a store in Canada, Zydeco, ordered a few brooches!  I felt better there was like minded Halloween lovers so early in the year! 

Party over the caldron! 

I put a few into our tiny shop on Sutter Street (FAVOR!!) and yesterday a couple bought three of them!! Again this is May! Feeling better and better about my Halloween addiction!  

Love this one! So vintage! 

So there's still a ton of images I'm not showing you. Here just some of my favorites on this blog.  I am working on photographing them and getting them up on the website in the next ten days! I'm no longer ashamed of my early bird holiday enthusiasm. 

Made earrings of this guy, flipped them, they are tiny, 12mm with lever backs in sterling. Fabulous! I'll out them on site too! 

Here's the four images that started it all! These are so cool and amazing! 

If you love Halloween, come out and see me! If you live no where near the shows, I ship!! Thanks for looking! 

Sept. 6 Falloween at Maddonna Winery. It is their 7th year. Www.americanfolkartfestival.com

Sept 20, Seattle, WA WWW.hallowbaloo.com

Sept 27 Petaluma, CA www.halloweenandvine.com

www.shopatfavor.com

Tourist weekend

Being a tourist this weekend was a lot of fun. I had nieces in town, and they wanted to do the SF tourists stops! 

We started on Grant and Sutter at Chinatown's Gate.  Had a great time, found treasures and Asian candy! 

It was a Friday, so we headed to Fort Mason to the food trucks for snacks and cupcakes.  

Saturday: Dim Sum (which they had never done!), Haight Ashbury, Japantown. 

Last day we did the Mechanical museum (1900 penny arcade). So fun! Pier 39, of course! We had to see the seals! 

and we bought a lot of fudge to eat before going out for burritos! 

Airport on Monday. Great fun! Tourist fun! Felt like a mini vacation! Now back to the Hotcakes Factory!!! Back to Favor!!! Back to work!! 

Lombard. I know it's ridiculous but it is a cool street! Swarming with tourists! 

We're working on new pieces!!

We are working on some new pieces!! First, these victorian earrings in two-tone butterscotch and black! These are ready now! We made 24 pairs! 

butterscotch and black victorian earrings! With an onyx drop! 

Secondly, we are working on these small dog brooches! They come in three colors: black, butterscotch and red! They measure 1.5". And are amazingly cute!! These are our first sample, they will be ready mid-June!! 

Dog brooches! Coming mid-June!! 

Happy Mother's Day! (And gallery)

Happy Mother's Day Weekend! It's really beautiful in SF today, I hope our tiny shop on Sutter Street is busy!

Our SFMADE promotion of 10% off has been a nice way to introduce people to our website! (Code:sfmade14 discount until tomorrow!)

GALLERY TOUR! Thought I'd show you some of my favorite combos and pieces.  

Apple juice hearts with vintage red beads. Single hearts in red plasma. Lots of pink jade, coral and amber strands. 

Resin rose brooches in bone. 

Green leaf necklace and earrings in seaweed! 

5 scarlet red hearts and onyx baubles.  Single scarlet heart with a love bird pin! Kind of flaming heart?!

large butterscotch swallow with butterscotch victorian earrings 

Butterflies in red and apple juice. The apple juice is paired with amber, the red butterfly is paired with carnelian. 

Cicada on chain with vintage beads. And tri-color flower necklace. 

I really love these! Georgia brown vintage lady with victorian blk/red earrings!!! 

Roses! Big roses!  Paired with black onyx and amber.  Really nice! 

Saint's hand on antique silver chain. Bone rose, beaded. Very vintage. 

Crosses! These were inspired from a cross dated in the  1880's! We really love the little bow and lillies on them. 

The Mexican Flower in verdegris (or mint) this is very fresh looking! Very popular as a brooch.  

Brooches!! We make lots!!! Right now the swallow is my favorite in butterscotch, looks great on black or red. The amber butterfly I like to pin to a bracelet... An elastic bracelet -it looks amazing

Change

Here's our lovely little shop at 500 Sutter street. We said good bye to Beth, one of our best shop girls, last night.  We do feel like family so it is really hard to say good bye. She is heading back to the East Coast, where she lived before coming to SF. We wish her all the best, but we are going to miss her!! 

FAVOR SHOP GIRLS: Marie is in the orange dress, Beth is in the stripes, that's me in the white lace and black jacket, Silvana is in the black tank top. 

I have been so lucky with the great people I've worked with. Beth being one if them! Starting May 2, we will start to train Charlotte. I hope to be just as lucky with her! She seems wonderful!!! 

Favor, 500 Sutter, San Francisco. 

Ornament Magazine

Ornament Magazine, page 12, this month, volume 37, no.2 

Hotcakes design leaf necklace! 

Newest edition! Our leaf necklace pops off the page! Yay! Check it out if you see one of these on newsstands OR buy one    On shopatfavor.com 10% off code: sfmade14 

Or pop into our store! Get 10% off our jewelry plus all the other local designers from the Bay Area!!! 

500 Sutter St (at Powell)  

415-362-6550

Studio day!

Today was a great studio day! Packed and shipped my first FAVOR website orders (yay!) and thank you! 

The best part of the day was that the  Gumps catalog samples went out without a flaw! They asked for rose brooches, a big swallow pin, a cool owl image in a pin, some birds and some onyx necklaces. Then they gave me some fabric swatches and asked me to match them in gemstones! I only had 2-weeks! So on short notice I found some lapis, green onyx and amethyst, then mixed them in with strands of black onyx. 

onyx long strands with gem accents! And clip leaf earrings for Gumps to sample for their Style Holiday catalog.

It was a good studio day. Delivered samples on time. And it was fun! I hope they ask me to more swatch matching! 

Welcome!

Welcome to my first retail website and blog! Exciting! I hope to share the inside scoops on our small SF handmade studio and shop! Let me know your opinions and comments on everything and anything! 

Hotcakes design SF bridges

May 5-11 is SFMADE week in SF. Celebrating all the different businesses that make or manufacture their products in SF.  Really a ton of things are made here: chocolates, clothing, ceramics, handbags and our jewelry! SFMADE has a nice website outlining the events this week too! Tours, sales and events! 

In the shop, we are offering 10% off on all our SFMADE lines, plus including our Bay Area lines as well! AND we are giving away a gift with purchase! Here's a picture of our gift, handmade red Howelite earrings.

Code for website is: sfmade14 This will get you the 10% discount until Mothers Day! Plus a gift! 

red Howelite earring, Favor's gift with purchase!

Favor 500 Sutter, SF www.shopatfavor.com

415-362-6550