Environmental Art - plastic soda bottles for Christmas

Genius! I love when I come across an artist who makes it big with a simple idea.
The new Neiman Marcus Christmas Book is out now, featuring a host of fancy pants things. One that struck me is Michelle Brand's gorgeous Cascade Lancashire Chandelier which retails for only $12,000. It's made with recycled plastic bottle bottoms, precisely cut-out into flower shapes , filed, and strung together (with little plastic tags that look like the ones in which clothing price tags are affixed, you know, with the gun). Genius again!
I've long been fascinated with mobiles and chandeliers made out of quirky things, and tried to make my own before. I thought I would make a business out of it once, buying an antique form to embellish, then realizing that the shipping/tangle issue would be too much for me and gave up. I could've been Michelle Brand.

Her message is to convey that we can be part of the solution to our big mess. Recycling can be beautiful (and lucrative).
Read an article here from naturalhome magazine for more info.

ps- thanks studio marcy for pointing out the neiman marcus catalog!!

New jewelry TAGS I'm so excited!

Oh I'm thrilled today! I just finished a long looong process of making individual jewelry tags for my butterfly line.


It only took so long because I don't think I have the super deluxe program to create these sorts of things. I'm not going to blame my savvy, I'm blaming the computer program, like that?

Anyways, I've always included a description tag with each necklace order I send. It says what it is, origin of the wing (since that's one of the most frequent q's), and how to care for it (this covers me when someone says hey I left it in my swimming pool and now it looks different).
They were little slips I would put into the baggie, and I was never satisfied with the look, because I know there is always a way to make it more professional looking. I always hoped people were reading them and not losing them in the box. But now they are attached!

These new tags have a hole punched into them so I can attach it to each chains clasp. AND now there's a space for me to be able to write what kind of wing you are receiving! I can just hand write that on at the time of clipping it onto the clasp (say that 10x fast).

In the photo above, I had to re-do the wing on the back of the tag, because when I printed it out, It was kind of flying in the middle. I have since made the wing sideways so its coming off the bottom of the tag.

This is great because a lot of people get these as gifts, and I send a lot to boutiques and stores. This will make it reallly easy to slap a price sticker onto the back, and keep all the info attached to the necklace. OH I'M SO HAPPY!
I think the future ones that I make will have a nice color, but Im just printing these on white cardstock on my home printer, nothing fancy. Well, fancy pour moi.

The photo above is how they started out, I had to make a mock up, print it under the template made for vhs video spines (yeah old program), fold, cut and cut and punch a hole. I know, a lot of work, but I like to do this stuff. Its really satisfying and makes everything look great.

If YOU have some fabulous tags, or tricks to share about how to make your jewelry or goods look fabulous with all its accoutrements, please DO TELL! Leave a note in the comment section with a link to your items, or blog post about your tags and I will post it here.

Photographers Assistant!

I had the pleasure to assist and work with one of my best-est girlfriends in September on a wedding shoot! A REAL wedding! The gorgeous wedding was in Bethel NY, at the site of the original Woodstock in 1969. Jamie of Jamie Kaminski Photography takes professional photographs of weddings, showers, family portraits and all kinds of fun photo shoots around New York. Shes also a mother and a teacher. Aaand she just finished a portrait project to raise money for a scholarship fund in her friends honor. She's a busy busy gal! Buzz buzz buzz! I dont know how you do it with such grace. Truely.

I got to see a lot of this** all day (above).
**Thats the grace I must have been talking about.

She invited me to assist her on the shoot, as I had worked with her during our University years together and we also traveled through Europe as a two-woman circus act. (okay so that part is only half true, there was no acting in that circus). I think we're a great team!

I held her cameras, bags, boxes, moved her ladder, beckoned her when there was break dancing, styled the wedding party, I even found myself affixing boutonnieres! I was like a mule that day. It was fabulous! heehaw heehaw
photo above by me, the assistant, overlooking what I thought was the music site, but turns out it was behind me.

It really made me appreciate her skills. She scoped out the place ahead of time and planned out some good places to take photos of the bride and groom and wedding party. Once the couple arrived on-site we got straight to work, taking photos of the dress sans bride (I would hang it where she directed and she would take the photos) . I took some photos for myself and realized that shes in the right profession. The whole time I was there I just wanted to write a Martha Stewart article about the handmade details (of which there were a million). I also realized that it's really hard to take a great photo with a point and shoot snappy camera of my own. Her camera is really the bees knees. It makes everything bigger and brighter. She even taught me a few things about composing a picture. I liked watching her work.

Here's the sneek peek that she posted in her blog for the newlyweds to glimpse:

above photo by jamie kaminski photography

above photo by jamie kaminski photography

Yes, they actually had a rainbow! They were rushing and running for the perfect shot before the faint rainbow vanished, and turned out that a great one was of them actually running.

I asked the groom if I could take a picture of his bout for my own use (and so that he wouldn't think his pro photos were being taken by my little ol digital snapper. The brides family made them and also made the bouquest and all the flowers for the tables. I HAD to share them with you, in case you loved wedding details as much as I do. The bride said they picked all the flowers themselves! WOW!


photos here by moi, the wedding lover and assistant. I couldnt help but share this cake with you its insane and fabulous! Below are the beautiful hand picked flowers that were sprinkled all over the glass room.


Thanks Jamie!

NEW in the SHOP! Butterfly Wing Necklaces and a BLOG SPECIAL!

Hey folks! Ive got a slightly new design in the shop! I say slightly only because the new part is the bail. Its small. The part that has the little link that holds the chain..that's the bail. My other design has a large bail, its got a different feeling to it, maybe a little formal I would say. This new style I would call versatile. A little more casual even? I don't know how to call it exactly, but its my new favorite. The ones in the shop are the SMALL size, 20mm. I also have a LARGE 25mm, but just haven't photographed it quite yet.
I'll put the two styles together so you can see for yourself.
NEW DESIGN SPECIAL!!!
The first three peeps to purchase one of these (or all three!) get $5 OFF! Mention this ad in the message to seller during checkout and I will refund you immediately. NEW DESIGN (above)
TRADITIONAL DESIGN (below)

Mushroom Picking!

You wouldnt believe how MANY photos i take with the intention of showing what I do (work, play).
Heres what I did last week. Mushroom picking in Cape Cod YAY! My father is Polish, and as any good Euopean knows, mushrooms are a treasure to be found and eaten. He LOVES to go mushroom picking (see photo above of unprovoked kissing of the mushroom).
Heres a few pics from the outing with one of my sissies and my dad.
Im in there too (with the blue shirt). Note socks pulled up over pants for easier tick spotting.

We headed out onto the sides of the roads looking for anything popping out of the scruffy brush. You have to find the ones without the ribbing, but sometimes you cant see the underside until you pick it. The photo above and left looks like Leanne Marshall dress, with all the pleating and layering.

This is the mushroom you want.

We sliced them up and layed them on a brown paper bag, resting in the sun for a few days. We had to keep moving them so that they didnt sit and rot, and get lots of air around them. They dried in about 3 humid days.

Featured on Cuteable!

Thanks Cuteable for sharing my new fused glass rings with your readers!
I made these little glossies this past month, while gearing up for the Holidays. They are all about $10 and have an adjustable band. The band is wider than my old rings and they are SUPER comfy. I wont go back to the old style band anymore!

Look! You can see my taking the photo in the rings' reflection! Hi everyone!

start on the street 2009

start on the street 2009
Originally uploaded by PoPkO!

Quick update! I finished my show last weekend and it was SUPER! This was the first time I did the StART on the Street in Worcester. Its a big street fair with musicians, restaurants, performances galore and 240 artist booths. WOW!

I think I had my best display yet. I had a whole 10x10' tent to use, but decided to just do a straight across 8' table. This is so that people wouldn't have to take ANY extra steps to get to my work, it would be all RIGHT THERE to see. It was a success. It was cohesive and attractive. Usually I would say my display is sort of messy, though others have denied it (I'm sure many would agree), it was messy in the past. This was very organized (for me) and it seemed to pay off. People were drawn to items that they hadn't been in the past, because they were more easy to see. Also, i had bigger signs and that really helped, since I could hear people reading them aloud from the street as they approached. That's good! I spray painted a bunch of branches aqua, which gave the table some life and movement and fun. I used a lot of wood this time, so it was a little darker than my usual white and clear plastic displays, but I think that gave a good impression.
Anyways, I'm still cleaning up my big mess of boxes from last week. I had to scurry off to the Cape for the week (again) and tidy up some things here. I think this is the last last time until November that I will be in Cape Cod, so I will FINALLY be able to hunker down in the studio non-stop. I was in the studio back home for the entire week before the show, but that was the most time I had spent in my real studio since July. I cant wait, cant wait, cant wait to be back on a schedule of making, photographing and shipping every day. Summer was fantastic, selling on the pier was a blast, the show was good and now Im ready for the Holiday Show Season! HELLO AUTUMN!

busy bee/ busy butterfly

Ive been away working and playing. Im in Cape Cod! I packed for an 8 day trip and its turning into a 20 day trip. Good thing I brought half my studio with me.

Its been fun and BUSY! Im still trying to perfectly balance keeping up my business, selling jewelry on the pier, making new things (or collecting supplies with the intention to make new things) and spending time with my enormous family (four sisters from out of town, four neices and nephews, friends), and this week....building a carnival parade float to ride on for Thursdays parade! It never ends in the summer. There is only balance, and my daily nap (neither of which I am getting as much as I want) . I hadnt taken naps for years (though I have always always been a big fan and advocate of the nap), I find myself napping everyday at 2pm, or trying to at least. The days I cant, due to something fun happening or packing/shipping etsy things, I am in bed by 9:30pm.

These are the newest butterfly wing necklaces. It was a special custom order that is just so gorgoues when together. This is a side-by-side photo of the reverse of each pendant. There are two different wings in almost all of them, Can you find the ones that are singles wings? Its tricky because some do not look the same front to back.

SO, that is my update for now. I know Ive been neglecting the blog and updates- but its just the way summer goes. Im even considering when to close the shop for two weeks so that I can just sit down and create completely new items like earrings and etched glass works, resin castings and molds. I find that even when I put a shipping delay I still ship because I know it will be too huge of a pile of work at the end if I dotn slowly get it out the door.
It all takes time, but i think if I temporarily close the shop I might be able to hunker down and work work work. Which is actually what I love to do. See you soon!

first day on the pier!

first day on the pier!
Originally uploaded by PoPkO!

This is my little tester set-up. I'm watching pattees booth (painter) and able to sell my stuff while Im at it! Soon three of my sisters will be setting up with me (monique aka gurlygirl.etsy.com, annmarie aka superduper.etsy.com and april bohemianpulse on etsy! This was an easy day, simple set up with one table and dishes from my moms house, filled with sand. It was the least effort I have put into a display and think it came out pretty good! I was taking notes this day on how to best set up in the future, see what foot traffic was like etc. It was GREAT day!

Bubbles the Whale gets a fresh coat!

This humpback whale hangs out on the pier of Provincetown, Ma. My dad , Julian Popko, coordinated the re-vamp of this cement whale last year. It was originally created by an artist for the public, then spent the last several years hiding out in someones yard in Wellfleet, elements chipping away at the paint and structure. He managed to get it back out into the public eye and onto the pier for all of the world to sit atop and take photos.

Above: john paints the lettering on one side

Heres a few photos of the retouch! Were considering doing a full body re-paint in August, when all the sisters get back into town. For now, he gets some soap and water, and some touch-up paint on his body, tail fin, and white paint on the sides and new lettering . I did the lettering, what do you think?

Its been a happy little (big) addition to the pier, where people head to their whalewatch tour, hop to the ferry and stroll to admire the fishing fleet. Bubbles is always there! When we (my dad, my sisters and I) put it out, the words CAPE COD were on the bottom, but wore off over the winter. We added PROVINCETOWN to the other side, for all the photo opps. We touched up his side fin that got quite dirty form all the climbing and also added "dont climb/hang on the tail" because all you want to do is hang off that tail. Its just a natural instinct, ever for 60 year old men. Theyve been caught hanging too! But bubbles is old, and we dont need anyone getting hurt (including the humpback)!

<----Read the original newspaper article from 2008 in the left column <-------

above: dad and john workin' hard! the planks of the pier were scorching! but it was a gorgeous day.



ps- you can see the artist sheds behind him, where they sell paintings, pottery, jewelry and other handmade goodies. Its really great! The pier if full of life!