Fashioned By Jaye -- a little update

It's been about 4 months since I ended my occupation of 212 S Campbell, and while in some ways Fashioned By Jaye had a good run it's left me somewhat burned out (thus the lack of activity in 4 months). However, it's occurred to me (as I'm sitting here working on my tax return) that there are a lot of loose ends left to deal with and I haven't even posted an update on what's happening with the company.

In short, not a hell of a lot.

I'm not sure where I want to go with my little endeavor at this point, although I am sure I don't want to let it die. The absolute honest truth, though, is that FBJ turned into something that I didn't enjoy by the end of it. I made a lot of compromises to keep things running, and before long the person who ran the company and the person who created stuff under the FBJ label might have shared the same body but were two different people. The Jaye that many people met at the shop was a sanitized, artificial version of the real me, and it's not good when you don't feel able to be yourself in your own store.

It's not a huge leap from Business Owner Jaye to the regular version (sounds like I should be made into collectible dolls), it's just little things. Business Owner Jaye was so worried about paying bills that she was afraid to offend anyone. She didn't play the music that really inspires her in the shop because it wasn't radio friendly. She nodded and smiled when customers talked about controversial opinions with which she didn't agree because she didn't want them to feel uncomfortable about buying something from her. She referred to her girlfriend of almost six years as her roommate. She kept her personal life segregated from the business.

Bleh. Enough of that.

I started FBJ because I wanted to make a living making and selling my art. That's not what it became. At this point I'm not even all that concerned about the money part. I have a job I like, and my art doesn't need to be anything but a hobby. So if I'm going to keep FBJ alive as a means of creating and getting my creations the hell out of my studio where they're just going to collect dust, it needs to be an honest, enjoyable endeavor.

So...

What does that mean for FBJ? It will live on, but it won't necessarily be as warm and fuzzy. No promises about update frequency, amount of work produced, or content thereof. I will probably merge fashionedbyjaye.com, the long-neglected bits-of-paper.com, and my blog into one site. I might do more vlogs. I might do a lot of things. I'm just going to see what happens.

If you want to see what happens, too, stick around. Subscribe. I might send out newsletters. I might not.

I will be lending my magazine weaving abilities to the Black Owl Bread Company, which is the brainchild (ovenchild?) of a good friend of mine. She makes awesome bread, and you should order some. Seriously. It's fucking good.

A windy Monday afternoon

I like to keep a little project going up at the counter at my shop. My workshop area is in the back, and it's visible and all, but when people are shopping I want to be sitting up at the register. That accomplishes two things: First, it avoids giving shoppers the impression that they have to interrupt my work to purchase something. Second, it puts me in a position to keep an eye on little grubby hands that might be itching to shoplift. But I don't really like to just sit there sipping coffee and staring into space, because then that gives the impression that I'm hoping they hurry so I can get away from the cash register and do something more fun. So the nice compromise is for me to always have some little simple jewelry project or whatnot to keep myself busy while still being attentive and conversational at my post.

Today's little project? Finding something useful to do with the end pieces of chain left over from the charm bracelets I made from the chain I salvaged from the handles some purses that I made three years ago but never sold. (Can't let stuff go to waste, now, can we?) The purse bodies became smaller pouches, and the handles are becoming bracelets and earrings:



(That's patent leather accenting on the pouches, and yes, those are pretty large earrings.)

So, I was sitting up at the register making earrings while some girls shopped, and one asked about consigning some things, and in the conversation she mentioned that I looked familiar. Turns out her dad was one of my old architecture professors and she spent quite a bit of time in her childhood running around the architecture building selling Girl Scout cookies and such. She's in college now, and does pottery and sews.

I kind of hope she drags her dad in to the shop at some point, because the last time I saw him it was right after I'd bailed out of architecture as a profession and had come back to Missouri and had just started waiting tables at the OG. Needless to say, I think he was a little disappointed.

The other thing I've been doing today, other than packaging and rearranging merch and hanging out at the cash register, is going on a search for some cool music. I don't know what prompted it, but I decided the other day to start building a playlist of artists who have something to do with NIN -- have opened for them, collaborated with Trent (even just once), involve current or former members of Trent's live band... Kind of a "Six Degrees of Nine Inch Nails" playlist. Yeah, it's a really long list. So I've been going through and giving these bands a listen, and I have to say some of them really super suck.

Evidently, the number one way to make a song completely unlistenable to me is get a singer with an obnoxious voice. Granted, the definition of obnoxious is open for debate.

But I am finding some stuff I really like. Like El-P. Lovin' it.

But Ilan? Thank god you got away from the godawful Lostprophets. You're so much better off with NIN.

Yet more new stuff for sale

Leather jewelry!! Prices range from $4 to $8. As always, the newest additions to the web catalog can be found here.

More new items on the website!!!1!!!!!!!eleventyone!!1

Copper tie chains by Dad's Designs






New items can be found on fashionedbyjaye.com here.

More new merch!

Reversible tote purse made out of old upholstery samples. Find it here.







Tealight holders decorated with poly clay and fun wire, found here.
















Several designs of placemats here, here, here, and here.

More evening bags!

More clutches added to fashionedbyjaye.com!

This time they're gold brocade and gold lame, perfect for special occasions. And they're $10 each. One of a kind and handmade with love!







Find the listings here and here.

New items added to fashionedbyjaye.com!

Evening clutch bags with wrist straps

Find them here and here.

$6.00 each, plus shipping if applicable.

Into new frontiers

Diaperbags.

Yeah. Like I know anything about diaperbags. But my dear family decided that since I make purses and my niece-in-law just had twins, it means I should make a custom diaperbag for her. Not that I mind so much, I guess. I'm thinking there's a killer market out there for handmade diaperbags and such. ::shrugs:: Still feels a bit... odd... for me to be making a baby item when I don't know what I'm doing and will never have the need to carry one myself. I mean, purses I understand. I know what goes in a purse. Different occasions where one might carry a purse. Diaperbags? Nope.

Plus, it's cow print. COW PRINT. Something in the back of my mind tells me my mom and sister hatched this plan to be funny. Next thing they'll be wanting me to mat and frame some gawd-awful Thomas Kinkade print for somebody at church just so they can have a good giggle.