Sunday, January 9, 2011

Hair Goodies

Lately I've had this urge to create some new hair sticks. I haven't made hair sticks in a long time. For me, there are three basic types of hair sticks:

1. The structural hair stick.

These are the kind you see women with really long hair wearing. This style requires a bit of skill and some serious artistry to pull off. There are several nice youtube videos on the subject. Usually, they are of simple construction with perhaps a bit of carving or a painted design on the ends. I rather like the way this girl does it:

2. The decorative hair stick.

These are usually worn as an accent to an up do. These will usually be constructed of a thinner material like metal or plastic or bone with a larger, more intricate design on the end.

3. The Tribal hair stick.

No holds barred, all-out decorated hair sticks! Worn as an accent for the Tribal dancer hairstyles loved by dancers all over the world. Some are simple with a few cowries or beads dangling from the end. Others are more elaborate with longer falls comprised of macrame or braided fibers.

I tend toward the latter creating hair sticks with unique designs and Tribal flair. I use coins, shells, beads, yarn, fabric, more shells, etc. Anything that will thread onto the strands or sew securely to the falls is fair game.

I have made many different colors and styles over the years and I usually make them in pairs. Lately, I'm starting to think of unique, individual hair sticks more often. When I make them, I really enjoy making the first one. But then I really trudge through the second one trying to make it 'match.'

I think I'll stop worrying about that so much and just enjoy making the hair sticks.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year!

It's that time of year again. Time to reassess our lives and determine the new directions we want to take in the coming year.

I sat down last night and did that very thing.

For the last few months, I've been on a hiatus from dance. For many reasons, getting together with my dance friends has not been feasible for me. I miss them and I miss dancing.

But that hasn't stopped me from creating more things for dancers to wear. After all, half the fun of dancing is the costumes. Face it, ladies. It's the clothes. I can't seem to stop making them. It's an obssession.

For personal reasons, I've decided to make some changes in my Etsy shop. That shop will be exclusively for custom items. You will still be able to get the new choli you've been wanting or the skirt you'd like to have. You'll just have to tell me what you want. Talk to me and let me know.








My one-of-a-kind creations will now be showcased in my Artfire studio. There you will find the accessories that I love to make. You can also get the custom stuff there, if you are so inclined.

I am pleased with the Artfire process. You don't need an account to buy something so there is one less site with your financial information saved. I've also expanded my payment options to include Amazon Payments and Google Checkout for those of you who prefer not to use PayPal.

The new year is a time for change and planning for the future. Let us begin.