1970s Sweater Vest from New Old Fashion Vintage

I love vintage clothing, but I hate going to look for it! I am hypersensitive to dust, itchy, and easily annoyed when I'm antique shopping. That's the very reason Etsy is awesome! I can still get the cute vintage clothing without doing the dirty work!

My most recent purchase was from one of my favorite shops on Etsy, New Old Fashion Vintage. The shop owner Amelia is super awesome to work with and she really knows her stuff! If you have any questions about shopping vintage, or if you're like me and want to avoid doing the dirty work yourself, I would definitely recommend her. She is always honest about the condition of her goods and is very helpful throughout the process.

Let her know Crystal sent you! And that I give this sweater vest a big thumbs up!

Fall Special for my Fans!

Hello, fans and followers of TreasuredDetails! Thank you for all of your support and your endless scrambling to help us achieve our big number of likes this month. As a big thank you for all of your confidence, I'd like to share a special 40% off coupon code, good for today only! Please, take advantage of this offer, and accept my thanks.

Love and kisses to you all!
Crystal Lynn

My Etsy Wedding

I own a shop geared toward brides. It would hardly be fair for me to have anything less than 50% of my wedding be DIY projects. Even those that were not DIY were almost entirely purchased from Etsy shops! I would like to share with you all of the creative beauty--the Treasured Details, if you will--that made up my wedding. Every little bit of my wedding was a bit of love from me to my guests. Thanks to all the great Etsy shops that contributed to the success of the lovely event!

All of the shops mentioned in this post are highly recommended! Also, if you happen to see anything of my design that inspires or interests you, please let me know, or visit my Etsy shop, TreasuredDetails. I love working on custom projects, and after completing my own wedding, I know the importance of patience and customization for brides. I look forward to working with you!

June 2, 2012
The Ladies

Picture the flurry of bridesmaids getting ready for their big day, arriving at the hair salon at 8am for their fancy hair styles! Each of my bridesmaids wore custom-crafted hair accessories designed specifically for them by me. I designed hair accessories for each of them based on their hair types and on the hair styles they wanted to use for the wedding. This is one of my beautiful bridesmaids, Kelly, sporting a crochet lace and ribbon headband in her long hair. 

When we arrived at the venue, which was an apple orchard, the girls and I went up to our bridal room where they picked up their bouquets, which I also made individually for each of them. Their bouquets were each accented with a charm that I chose and that had significant meaning for each of them. I also designed my own bridal bouquet and added a touch of "something blue" in the bright monarch butterfly. 

In the bridal room, we spent some time getting ready. The girls put on jewelry that was designed by a fantastic team on Etsy, Tracy and Charyl of Rustic Gem Jewelry. I was more than pleased with the beautiful designs made just in the accent colors I wanted for my girls. The necklaces were seed pearls with asymmetrically placed resin flowers, and the earrings matched. My bridesmaids wore white pearls and my maid of honor wore light blue pearls, but each necklace was completely unique so that none of the girls were wearing the same piece as another!

My maid-of-honor, my sister Michelle, purchased these adorable clutch purses for each of us. These were custom designs from another Etsy seller, and I will update with their name and information as soon as I receive it! The girls each had different yellow designs and my clutch was a mostly white with yellow flowers. I accented it with a blue vintage pin given to my by my mother-in-law on the first Christmas after my husband and I started dating!

I wore a tiny charm bracelet with my husband's initial on it. It was purchased from a lovely Etsy shop called Mon Cadeau. I wanted to wear something that signified my love for him, and our connection. I've been wearing it since the wedding almost 3 months ago. When it broke, the gracious shop owner agreed to fix it for me for a small and reasonable fee. I enjoyed doing business with her very much!

My bridesmaids made requests about their additional accessories, and one of mine asked for puffy shoe clips made of tulle. I was really excited to make these for her, though stressed out because I made them the day before the rehearsal! 

For my wedding day, I personally wore a beautiful rhinestone comb purchased from a wonderful Etsy shop called The Pemberley Collection. My subtle literary theme made it impossible for me to avoid buying something so beautiful from a shop with such a significant name!

I also created a veil and the other hair accessories that my bridesmaids wore from supplies purchased at my very favorite Etsy shop, Mary Not Martha. They are my favorite suppliers to work with! They are so helpful and their products are the absolute highest quality goods. 

The Gentlemen

I custom designed each boutonniere, corsage, and bouquet that was carried at the wedding, creating flowers for all immediate family members, grandmothers, wedding party members, and special guests. Each one was unique for the guests' particular role. The flower creation and design was an extremely detailed process for me, but it was a labor of love (one that took many, many hours of working late into the night) that I thoroughly enjoyed doing for my loved ones and friends. Pictured is one of the custom boutonniere designs for an usher. 

My husband chose custom-designed cufflinks for each of his groomsmen, and purchased them separately from various Etsy shops. Each cufflink spoke of something significant about his relationship with each of them. I did the same for him, choosing cufflinks that were significant to our relationship. And I should add that I purchased 3 different ones before hitting on the perfect one. I choose these little backpack cufflinks for him because backpacking has been a hobby that we've shared since we started dating. These were purchased from an Etsy shop called Mancornas.

The Ceremony and Reception

My mom was the most creative designer of our reception! She created so many wonderful things to make our celebration a success! She has always been my inspiration behind creating Treasured Details, and she was an essential part of making the littlest details so significant that day. One of my mom's earlier projects was a little added detail to the jar candle holders that we placed on all the tables. We also added vintage crystal to the table for additional candle holders. 

Together my bridesmaid Kelly and I created the place cards which were truly based on a library card design. (See? That subtle literary theme I was talking about!) The library card boxes were purchased off the clearance rack at Joann Fabric and my mom did a painting technique on them to make them look like dark wood. I created the labels for the card catalogs. 

A few days before the wedding, my mom put together some creative signage that was strategically placed all around the reception hall. We were married in a large open garden under an ancient oak tree, and our reception was held in a large barn (we use the term loosely, because it was actually incredibly elegant!) Our guests rode trolleys to and from the ceremony site. The signs were meant to deter them from getting lost! 

For our wedding favors, my mom made homemade fudge which we placed in tiny boxes. I purchased these adorable custom labels from a lovely seller called MAUpromos. They were great to work with and they created a wonderful product that looks exactly like I wanted! 

In keeping with the two birds theme from the custom favor box labels, my mom created a giant, hand-painted banner kind of on the fly the last week before the wedding. She wanted to cover the big plain wall at the back of the downstairs portion of our reception hall. She also created the custom finials made of natural brush and added the beautiful Chinese lanterns that I was determined to have all along! 

Activities

When Nick and I first started talking about our wedding, one of our number one requirements was that our guests not be bored! We were thrilled when our reception hall suggested that we have games and even gave us outdoor patio space for bean bags. My dad is a fine carpenter who makes beautiful bean bag games, so we were able to use one of his sets, and my mom sewed together these adorable bean bags in our wedding colors. I was so happy to see our bean bag game provide hours of entertainment to our guests! 

Just in case bean bags and dancing weren't your cup of tea, we provided a few other activities! One was a scrapbooking table for our interactive guest book. This was a great place for people to stop and spend a little creative time between dinner and visiting the bar, donut and cider table, or cupcake table! 

Our night also included some musical entertainment from our friends--they performed some of the slow songs while the DJ provided some massive entertainment for the interactive dancing music. We created table programs so that all the guests would know who was expected to perform (though not which songs they were doing, because I didn't even know that!) The back side of the table programs had a fun photo scavenger hunt game that some of our guests participated in all night long. We enjoyed checking out the photos they uploaded to Facebook for us! 

Additional Details

I purchased a Scrabble letter "LOVE" banner from a cute Etsy shop called Purple Peony Couture, and used this for some fun photos after the reception. One of these fun photos is now rocking out on some of our wedding thank-yous! I have also made plans to hang this banner on the wall of our apartment, but I just haven't bought that stud finder yet...

Our wedding invitations were a huge hit from the beginning, and they were the first installment in the literary theme. Also the large tree was a perfect addition, as my guests discovered when they came to the ceremony, because we were married under a large oak tree! These invitations were custom made by VO handmade, and I absolutely loved working with the designer, Vanessa. She was so patient with me in my pre-wedding freak-out (don't all brides have that?) and she created a product that I was proud to send out to each of my guests. 

Our wedding programs were made and designed entirely by me to save money and time, and then my bridesmaid Kelly had them printed for me! We printed them in a creamy yellow and a nice light blue, placing them alternately in a basket. They were a nice touch, and a beautiful detail for the wedding. Pictured is my beautiful best friend Robin (my was-going-to-be-a-bridesmaid-but-got-pregnant-and-was-due-the-week-of-my-wedding best friend...turns out baby Dash was a little early and she came in that hot little cocktail dress after all! Too bad we couldn't see the future on that.) She is wearing a wrist corsage I made for her. 

Last but definitely not least is the most complicated project of all...one that started the first week of wedding planning and was completed the last day of wedding planning 11 months later. The table centerpieces! These were created with assorted vases and jugs, some hand-painted by my mom and myself to make them match the theme. The flowers are silks that were purchased over the course of those 11 months and arranged by both of us. The lovely table numbers were brainstormed by me and created by my talented mom. 

My wedding was a dream come true! I married the most wonderful man I know, the wedding was beautiful, and my guests all had a wonderful time! 

A Tribute to my Mother

This week I was out for dinner with a friend, meeting to discuss her wedding veil that I am designing. Over sushi and sake, we discussed a lot about life, and it was good. I told her about how I came up with the idea to make hair accessories in the first place, and although I've always known it to be true, it was nice to be able to say it, mull it over, be reminded of my inspiration, be inspired all over again... Because the inspiration is my mother, and because it's almost Mother's Day, it seems like as good a time as any to share that inspiration with her, and with all of you.

When I was a little girl, there was a time when my family was poor. I don't know how long that lasted, or how serious it was; I was very young and the details escaped me. Even now, many details escape me, so it's no wonder that I as a child would not know everything. I remember that there was a holiday coming up, it might have been Christmas, or it might have been Easter. Everyone in the house except my mother was in bed, and I was having trouble sleeping. I remember sneaking, bleary-eyed, downstairs to find her, and I came upon her working intently over a small shirt. I knew it was for me. It had to be. She had a glue gun, and she had her huge box of pretty scraps and supplies. This event is far enough in the past that the specifics have gone blurry for me. Did she see me? Did we speak? I don't remember. I believe, though, that I was a silent observer, that she never saw me standing there, and that I went upstairs again with a combination of smiles and tears. I knew what she was doing. Even at such a young age, I knew that she was making pretty things for my sister and me to make up for what we couldn't afford to buy. She made us hair clips and bows and pretty shirts embellished with fabric hearts, and glitter, and lace. They were beautiful--far more beautiful than if they cost any amount of money--because they were made with love.

When I started thinking about using the creativity that was passed down to me in order to earn a little extra money, I remember browsing Etsy to see what prices people charged for their creations. I was disappointed in the high prices because I remember that my mother had made me lovely things on a budget. I think that people should be able to get beautiful, creative, and unique treasures for a decent price; they shouldn't be paying me to be the over-priced artist but to be the gift-giver, the behind-the-scenes angel like my mother. I want my customers to be happy, to get what they really want, to have beautiful things to treasure forever, but not to have to spend all of their money to get them. My whole mission was passed down to me through something I observed in my own mother.

Happy Mothers' Day, Moma!

New Items in the Shop for Spring!

New spring designs are in! There are a few cute items on sale in my shop now. Stop by and take a look. Leave a heart if you love them! I'll be adding some more pretty soon so keep your eyes open!

Whimsical cocktail hat: a giant purple mum

I've been brainstorming these earrings for weeks! They are little delicate silk flowers with nickel free posts. I've positioned the posts so that the earrings hang down on the lobe instead of sticking in the ear (which is always uncomfortable!)

I purchased the sweet little green silk flowers with a springtime bobby pin design in mind. I sewed some crystal beads into the center to add a little sparkle when wearing them in the sunlight!

This spring I have decided to go with some Indie style designs, including these delightful handmade felt rosettes. The item I'm most excited about right now is my wool felt rosette bobbies in olive and tan, and my plum colored rosette earrings. These were inspired by a great listing from the delightful Indie shop, ShopRuche. But THESE are handmade!

Merriweather Council

Another one of my favorite shops on Etsy is MerriweatherCouncil. The shop owner, Danielle, featured me in my second-ever treasury! I was honored as I began to see how honored SHE was with all kinds of front pages and treasury wins with Team Discovery. I fell in love with her shop once I checked it out, and I couldn't help but make a purchase.

MerriweatherCouncil features all kinds of unique fabric designs, from embroidery to quilted art. Danielle herself is an extremely talented artist with a degree in the fine arts with a concentration in fibers. (It's no wonder she knows what she is doing!) Check out her profile and learn more about her! After I purchased a beautiful little holiday piece from her, I can also attest to the fact that her work is meticulously well-done, and there isn't a stitch out of place! I would definitely buy from MerriweatherCouncil again, and I would encourage others to do the same.

The variety of items in this shop range from quilted and embroidered hoops to pendants and buntings, and even to embroidered charms for necklaces. Each item is unique, one of a kind, and

wonderfully made. Please, check out MerriweatherCouncil and tell Danielle that Crystal sent you :)

Oh, and here is a picture of the apartment decor (sorry the candlelight of the dinner table is a little dim!) so you can see how cute the little Christmas bunting looks on the narrow window. Thanks, Danielle, for adding to my awesome Christmas decor! :)

Lots of Etsy Love,

Crystal Lynn

About Your Artist

I have been thinking about how my followers, buyers and fans know very little about me and yet I've been showcasing fellow sellers on my blog. I think it's time to do a little self-introduction (and perhaps some shameless promotion, if you will.) I just want to give a few random facts about myself, my artistic inspirations, my life, my day job, my interests and hobbies, and maybe even give my readers an opportunity to ask me some questions back! Hope you enjoy.

First of all, I am the artist behind the Etsy shop TreasuredDetails. I create whimsical hair designs for brides, women, and artistic or fashionable individuals in general. I am a fan of creative details like silk flowers and leaves, delicate floral details, rhinestones and vintage buttons and beads, and feathers. I have recently become more interested in expanding my creations in the direction of millinery after being approached by my friend Laura with a crazy Mrs. Peacock hat request for Halloween. Since then, she has become my official customer of hats and I feel like I should start sharing those creative designs with the public. In my shop, I like to create things with the best possible materials (I will literally spend hours in a craft store in search of the most realistic looking flowers with the fewest blemishes) and I spend a long time designing the creation, assembling it, modeling and photographing it, and editing the listing. Admittedly, the photography and editing are not my strong points, which is a shame because my items are really so carefully created and wonderfully made. I vow only to give the best to my customers.

So, a little bit about me. I live in the Chicagoland area where I grew up. It's blazing hot here in summer and bitterly cold here in winter. Fall is my favorite season, but I didn't have time to enjoy it very much this year. I am a graduate student, just about finished up with my Master's thesis project (it is on two favorite authors of mine, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Edith Wharton) and will soon be an official M.A. holder. I am a college instructor at two colleges and I am a part time gardener. My boyfriend Nick and I like to go on hiking and backpacking trips together, and we love trying new outdoor sports of all kinds. I think my love of nature and gardening contributes to my inspiration for creating my floral hair designs within my shop.

I love to watch movies and hope to eventually write films that are produced. Writing is my true passion and the one area in which I hope to succeed eventually. I am an avid reader and I am a particular fan of Victorian and World War II era literature, but I guess I mainly like good writers. (That sounds pretty subjective, and really, there are no absolutes, but I can tell a "good" writer when I read one. My favorite movie is It's a Wonderful Life, I have a wide variety of favorite musicians from Bon Iver to Bullet for my Valentine, I love to eat and to try or cook different foods, and I have a wonderful little dog who makes me very happy. I wish I were alive in the 1940s and I think part of me has always been disappointed that being grown up isn't more like living in the old movies.

What else do you guys want to know? Ask me anything :)

New Listings in My Shop

I have listed some new hair accessories today after weeks of designing, creating, photographing and editing! I am looking forward to sharing these festive accessories and hope that they are suited to some of my wonderful followers' hair decorating needs!

The first is a scarlet lily comb that I made a while ago. I think it would be a beautiful piece to slip into a French twist up-do for a wedding or formal event. It would also look lovely behind the

ear. This piece could be worn

with a fancy dress, or even with casual jeans and heels for a night out with friends. This is a really versatile piece that shows off different details from each angle.

The second piece that I listed today was the bright gold-detailed poppy clips. This is a festive take on some traditional, casual pieces previously listed in my shop. I

added some gold berries and a little length of some beautiful, sparkly gold French net. I thought these details added a little bright festivity to a simple look. I have been looking forward to listing some more of these sweet cream clips and I am really excited about these pretty ones.

A third piece that I listed is one that was inspired by a brilliant piece of literature! I am an

English literature major and love to be inspired by lovely, poetic pieces. I have been inspired by

many of the scenic descriptions in L. M. Montgomery novels, and many of the beautifully written pieces by my idols, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edith Wharton, Oscar Wilde, and the Bronte sisters.Currently I am rereading an old Bronte favorite, Wuthering Heights. This hair piece is inspired by the romantic images of Cathy and Heathcliff's romance on the moors, wandering over Penistone Crag among the heather. I have designed this piece in dark tones to match the

dimness of the English novel, the dark sadness of Heathcliff, and the wintry grey of Cathy's hauntings. I have included sprigs of heather and soft dark feathers among the leaves. I hope that I have captured the beauty of the darkly romantic tragedy of Wuthering Heights.

Arm Candy for You

Meet Priti, of the awesome little Etsy shop, ArmCandyforYou. This shop is only a few months on the Etsy scene and still fairly undiscovered, and yet the artist behind the amazing handmade purses deserves some special attention. She experiments with all kinds of unique materials in order to appeal to all kinds of different purse-carriers, working with materials like pure leather,vegan leather,exquisite Indian silks & brocades. She is from India, and her rich cultural heritage can be seen in some of her exceptional designs. Please check out her profile to get to know a little more about her and what she has to say about her artistry and design.

All of Priti's purses are unique and original, and as she proudly tells her shoppers, they are one of a kind! Her careful attention to detail make these pieces special for each buyer. And she even takes custom orders! This shop is definitely one to consider when shopping for holidays, birthdays, or just because gifts for your fashion-conscious--or originality conscious!--friends.

Then again, I look at this shop as a place where I can go to consider gifts for myself... :)

Follow Priti on Twitter and check out her Facebook page for more updates on what she is doin

g in her shop. Visit her shop and check out her merchandise! You won't be disappointed.

Glue Gun Extravaganza

Today I made a business investment: I purchased a hot glue gun. It is wonderful, with varying temperatures for different materials and with an unplugged option. I am in love! I took it home and made seven new items. Oops.

I will list the new items soon. I have a showcase spot reserved for October 9th in "Accessories" and "Weddings" so I need to have those items ready for purchase pretty soon.

Sometimes this is just too exciting :)