Where You Can Find Us

 

While we are eagerly filling out vendor applications and researching additional opportunities, we wanted to share with our fans the list of events we are participating in, as well as the shops where you can find some of our merchandise. As we add more shows and shops, we will update and repost this list.

Boutiques and Stores

 

Fresh Heirlooms
887 Fifth Avenue, New Kensington, PA

Some of our found object sculptures will soon be making an appearance at this awesome store. Fresh Heirlooms transforms salvaged and reclaimed pieces into amazing, new, functional furniture and home furnishings.
 
House of the Dead
4110 Butler Street, Pittsburgh, PA
 
You can find some of our zombie merchandise, including custom zombie cars and zombie pins, at this one of a kind zombie store located right in Lawrenceville. You will also want to check out all of their zombie apparel and other zombie collectibles.

Markets and Shows

Rivers of Steel Sunday Heritage Market
880 E. Waterfront Drive, Munhall, PA

This event runs April through September but as
of now we have only signed on for 3 market days:
May 5, June 15, and August 4.
June 15th is a very special day at the market! Market hours for that day only will be from Noon until 10pm! Come hang out with us and all the fun stuff we have to offer.

Trax Farms Summer Wine Festival

528 Trax Road, Finleyville, PA

 

Join us on June 22, from noon to 5pm! Check out over 10 different local wineries, live music, food vendors, and local crafts. Must be 21 to attend festival. There is an admission fee for this event. Once the link is live on the Trax Farms site, we will include it here.

 

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Online

 

You can find our items in our Etsy, SkullSoup and of course on our Facebook page. We are really excited to announce our store on CraftStar, Skull Soup. Our online stores will each carry a varied selection of our items from upcycled vintage jewelry, found object sculptures, and our glass etchings. Don't forget we can do custom items too just let us know what we can make for you.

To Our Beloved Etsy Store

Last week, I received a letter from our Etsy store, gently reminding the two of us that sometimes it is a little hard to successfully manage all the different aspects in our lives. I spent a few days thinking about my response and how to handle the almost dwindling  relationship with our Etsy.



Dear SkullSoup Etsy Store,

I received your letter, and there are so many things I want to say to you. So many explanations I could give you, that I want to give you. I want you to know sometimes I am just busy and I forget to add new merchandise. I want you to know that yes, Facebook has been an additional way for us to market and sell our items. I want you to know that sometimes I feel blocked creatively and I have a hard time writing witty, compelling descriptions. I want you to know...

Oh I could go on and on, but really, it's not you, it's me. I hope we can still be friends.

Let's try to get together next week? We can do whatever you want, ok?

Yours Truly,
Scattered Fairy




Every now and then, relationships just need a little tender loving care and a little acknowledgement. How do you maintain your relationships and find balance?

Hello! Is it me...

Like so many others, we juggle many different roles and responsibilities. We do our best to find balance. Sometimes, with running a small business, managing our personal lives, maintaining additional employment, spending time with our dogs, planning for shows, and the countless other responsibilities, things get lost in the craft shuffle.

Overall, I thought the two of us were doing well. But, I didn’t realize how off balance we were until I opened my inbox and found this completely fictitious letter from our Etsy store.

Dear Skull Soup,

 

I am not sure if you remember me, but it’s your Etsy store. I am wondering where you are, I am wondering what you’re doing. Remember those days when you would check my stats two, no, three times a day? Together, we would rejoice just to see 52 shop views and 3 shop favorites. Now, you log on maybe once a day, you quickly check my stats and move on. It feels so cold, so impersonal.

Remember how excited you would get adding new items? Writing stories about each piece, loading those gorgeous pictures, and promoting me? Well, it’s been awhile since you have added anything. Was it something I did? Was it something I said? Have you...gasp...found someone else?  

I miss the days when we would track my traffic sources together- Pinterest, The Find, and Facebook. Now, do you even notice where the views come from? Are you still on Pinterest? Facebook is still bringing me some traffic, in fact, Facebook is bringing me the most traffic. Wait just a minute, are you cheating on me with Facebook? Oh, that’s silly of me, of course you aren’t.

We once talked about adding etched items- wine glasses, jars, pilsners, and whiskey glasses, but that all seems like a distant memory or maybe it was just a dream.

I now accept PayPal, gift certificates, and credit cards, yet it doesn’t seem like it’s enough to even catch your attention.

I miss selling your beautiful items. Please add some new merchandise, and check the expired listings. I need to be seen. I need people to want me.

Love always,

Your Etsy store 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S.

I’ll be waiting.

Ouch. Sometimes reality checks hurt. Looks like it's time to update our shop, and of course, respond to this letter.

Rejection: Let's Talk About It

Rejection feels weird, it is uncomfortable, and it can challenge you.

 

Whether it’s artists markets, crafts shows, or boutiques, we are fortunate to live in a community where there are quite a few opportunities for artists and crafters. Becoming a vendor is as varied as the venues.  

Often, acceptance into shows is juried. In a jury selection, you fill out an application, send pictures of your work, as well as links to where your work can be viewed, and a biography. Next, a panel of judges review all applications and make their selections based on a predetermined criteria. As most venues only accept a limited number of applicants, you can imagine how tough the competition is especially when there are so many talented makers.

Recently, we applied for a few juried shows. While we were accepted into a few of the shows, we were not accepted into all of the shows. And well, no one likes rejection. NO ONE.

What do you do when you are rejected? How do you handle someone telling you that while your work is amazing, it is just not what they are looking for? How do you find a way to pick up the glue gun and glitter again?

Scott handled the rejection well, not even pausing for a moment, and then he moved on. I would like to say that one day I will be so lucky, but for now, I handled things a bit differently. First I swore I would never craft again. I whined. I childishly pushed my craft supplies around the table, and I even packed up my stash of glitter. Then a few minutes later, I laughed at myself, and maybe, I whined a little more.

Then I decided to do something with this ugliness, this rejection. I had, in some way, to accept the rejection. In doing so, I decided to look at the reasons why I craft or, really, do anything that I love.



Drawing is not my strength, but here I am trying something new.


I realize I craft because I love to make things. Whether it is matching random colors and prints or challenging myself to learn a new technique, I love the creative process. I love the invention of creating new pieces out of broken, discarded items. I love the excitement of finding vintage pieces at thrift stores or even at my grandma's house, knowing that I will find a way to repurpose these leftovers into something magical.

A customer showing off her bracelet 

I also craft to make others happy. It’s such an amazing feeling when a customer takes the time to message me on Facebook or etsy to tell me how much he/she loves their purchase. When someone chooses to buy one of my handmade items, I am amazed and humbled. When I am out running errands or even grocery shopping, I am always a little caught off guard when someone compliments my jewelry or handbag, but I am also thrilled.

 

 All of these reasons, in their simplicity, will keep me crafting and ready to take on new opportunities. Rejection, I'm not sweating it anymore.

Jump Ring Tutorial

Did you know recycling and repurposing items can be pretty easy? Well, it can be! Just check out our quick tutorial on how to create your own jump rings. We would love to see what you make with the jump rings.

A Visit to Fresh Heirlooms

A few weeks ago, we decided to visit Fresh Heirlooms, located in New Kensington. Fresh Heirlooms moved to the neighborhood a little over a year ago, and is located at 887 5th Avenue. We are so glad to see new businesses in our neighborhood!

Fresh Heirlooms is a shop after our own hearts as they sell re-purposed items and etched glass. We spent our time investigating the nooks and crannies of the shop while chatting with one of the owners. Of course, we shared secrets and talked shop.

We picked up a couple of items including an etched humming bird vase. At one time, the vase was a wine bottle, but the amazing folks at Fresh Heirlooms cut, sanded, and etched the bottle to create a vase. It's just lovely, and will make a great gift.

We picked up a few other items including these fair trade pencils from India. Every now and then I just love using pencils to scribble ideas or quickly create a design. We purchased a hummingbird statue photo holder. This unique piece will also be a gift. Our purchases were nicely packaged in a handmade tote!

 




If you are in New Kensington, please stop by Fresh Heirlooms and check them out! We look forward to shopping there again soon. And we would love to work with them on some future projects!

Skull Soup and Scattered Fairy: An Introduction

In this first post, I thought I would take a minute and introduce us, after all if you are going to follow our adventures, you should get to know us a little better.

Skull Soup enjoys working with a variety of mediums and will try just about any artistic adventure. While he is a graphic designer by day, in his spare time, he enjoys creating custom pieces, making found-object sculptures, and creating one-of-a-kind zombie pieces.

I, Scattered Fairy, enjoy turning broken, discarded vintage jewelry into fun, beautiful pieces. I also dabble into a little bit of sewing. Even with sewing, I try to re-purpose discarded items into something new. I've always believed things are never truly broken.


We love to explore thrift stores, antiques shops, and places that are off the beaten path. In the summer time, we also enjoy rummaging at yard sales and the local flea-tiques.  

We run a store on etsy, SkullSoup, which is where you can see some of our fantastic finds and fabulous creations. Check out our Facebook page to see some additional pieces, including our custom work.

Our blog is a way for us to share our adventures while promoting re-purposing and recycling as well as local events and businesses. You may even see a tutorial every now and then.

Stay tuned for more of our adventures!