Breaking into the Retail Market: Putting My Felted Goodies into the Customers' Hands

I've been so busy felting and juggling all the other aspects of my life that I've been neglecting my blog.  And, as usual, I have a backlog of felted goodies that I have yet to list in my Etsy shop.  The truth is I've been a bit disillusioned with Etsy.  I think people need to see and touch my felted wares in person.  Ideally, I'd like to do craft shows, but the lead times are long.  I have an application in to do the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival this May, but I'm getting antsy to get "out there" now.

Zazzy Peacock needle felted cell phone and camera cases soon to be available at Leila Jewels in Potomac.  These are a unique one-piece seamless construction with a magnetic snap, created through an elaborate process of needle felting and wet felting the wool fibers until they are very strong and durable.  And each one is truly one-of-a-kind. 

Zazzy Peacock Abstract Felted Rings

So, I've decided to explore retail options.  I'm excited to say that I just left 25 items at a beautiful local shop that really shares my modern sense of color and design.  They sell gorgeous jewelry and gift items!  Seriously.  The store is Leila Jewels in the Cabin John Shopping Center in Potomac, Maryland.  They will be selling several of my one-of-a-kind felted gadget cozies, some colorful rings, a few intricately felted and beaded bracelets, and some of my fun purse hooks.  

It feels really good to open new doors and explore new opportunities.  I appreciate Deb Shalom of Leila Jewels giving me this chance.  Wish me luck!  If you're local, please stop by and check it out. 

Time for me to start cooking now. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Zazzy Peacock felted purse hooks with my signature animal print swirls

An example of my intricately felted and beaded bracelets with matching rings.
The sparkle of the crystals balances the earthiness of the felted wool.
The silver-plated lace edge settings add a vintage touch to the modern designs.

  

A New Hook for My Colorful Animal Print Swirls

Felted leopard handbag hook holding
a leather bag I hand-painted with a
leopard print after accidentally
splattering it with nail polish.

One of my pet peeves is restaurants that have rounded back chairs.  You can't hang your handbag on the back of those chairs! Where am I supposed to put my purse?  I'm not putting it on a dirty restaurant floor, if I can help it.  If possible I use an extra chair; otherwise, I end up keeping my bag on my lap, which is not comfortable.  Then I discovered these great little purse hooks or hangers that you can carry around in case of such an "emergency."  It has a magnet that keeps in flat in your handbag, and then it opens up into a hook.  You place the flat round part on the table, and voila -- you can hang your bag.  


The problem was, I couldn't really find one I liked.  The solution:  I decided to make some, of course.  So here are my latest felted purse hangers.  My  favorite designs are the ones that look like the swirled branches of the animal print trees I'm so fond of painting.  It's really fun to take a design from one medium and translate it into another. I love combining bold beautiful colors with leopard, giraffe, tiger, and ocelot patterns.  It's a lot of work to needle-felt these intricate little animal prints and swirls, but I think they're worth it.  I also made some purse hooks with yin yang and peacock motifs that I'll be adding to my shop soon.  Next, I think I'll try making some of these designs into rings and pendants too.

Zazzy Peacock purse hooks with colorful swirls and animal prints, available in my Etsy shop

Thanks for looking at my latest creations!


Related posts:  Loving the Swirl of Life  (to learn more about my swirl tree paintings and the universal meaning of swirls).
So I Have a Thing for Peacocks

View of the handbag hooks in the closed position
Visit my Zazzy Peacock Etsy shop to see these and lots more!

My painting, "Peacock Ocelot Tree," shows the origins of my animal print swirl designs