Boulder and the Beautiful

Who is it? Mari Lowery, of New York.

Link: www.etsy.com/shop/frighten. Also check out frankenkitty.etsy.com.

Why is it awesome? Original, one-of-a-kind collages and prints that marry antique photos, animals and all of the joy, beauty and freakishness of Halloween.

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Shop: This Boulder-based shop, fringeouterwear.etsy.com, sells sassy, handmade hats, scarves, “fisticuffs” and other accessories out of alpaca fabric blends. Fringe’s styles are young, edgy and high-quality, sometimes using the rarest yarns available. All designs are original. In fact, the artist says she doesn’t really know how to read patterns and is self-trained. In other words, she crochets “off the hook.”

The face behind the shop: Carrie McWithey, of Boulder, learned crochet in college, about 12 years ago. Immediately after making her first hat, someone asked to buy it from her. A couple of years later, a friend told her about Etsy.

“Etsy felt so good,” she says. “Why would I want to have a site all alone out there in the giant Internet-iverse when I could have a store clustered up next to hundreds, thousands, of others that are connected to mine?  Community.”

Price range: $45 for a sale red plaid scarf to $169 for a custom hat, scarf and arm-warmer set. You pick the colors and the yarn, with a few exceptions.

Favorite items: The “Grass Blades Alpaca Scarflette,” $70. Lime green with four bright knitted flower accents. And the “Hi Ho Berry Oh” hat and set, $139. This is a custom order: hand-crocheted brim hat, wrist warmers and scarf, made out of wool, alpaca and synthetic blend.

Photos by Bryon Parsons, Bright Boy Photo.

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Shop: Benjamin Ballerina, www.benjaminballerina.etsy.com,  “pretty tough clothing for kids” made only out of reclaimed, socially and environmentally responsible materials. The store sells one-of-a-kind, handmade clothing.

“With so many children’s clothing being mass-produced, it all begins to look the same,” the Web site writes.

Benjamin Ballerina’s clothes is made one piece at a time. Each fabric is hand screen-printed with original photo images based on a theme that changes bi-seasonally.

The faces behind the shop: Boulderite Maggie Evans, who has a master’s in art therapy, began designing and sewing bridal gowns, but grew interested in children’s clothes after becoming a mother herself. She partnered with Denver’s  Dylan Scholinski, an artist and founder of Sent(a)Mental Studios, which offers youth a place to explore their emotions through creativity.

Price range: $65 (for a recycled sweater hat) to $225 (for a patchwork recycled sweater vest).

Favorite items: For girls: a thrifted vintage blanket turned into a yellow and striped dress, $165. The dress is embellished with old buttons and printed with green ink. For boys: wool ’70s-style khaki and orange jacket, $155. The jacket is lined with a men’s button down shirt and collar and accented with gold buttons. The line was inspired by the Japanese aesthetic “wabi-sabi,” which honors the beauty in imperfect (and otherwise discarded) objects.

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Shop: Delphinium Design (www.etsy.com/people/delphiniumdesign and www.delphdesign.com) features one-of-a-kind jewelry handmade out of vintage items and various items, such as beads, ribbon, leather and chain. All items are reasonably priced and unique, with a vintage flair. The Delphdesign.com page also sells leather cuffs and western-style leather and turquoise  wrap-around necklaces.

The face behind the shop: Mysti Gulsrud, a wedding florist in Longmont. Gulsrud is a mom of two young boys and lifelong jewelry-maker. She says she loves piecing together old things to make new creations. All of her products as a labor of love, she says.
“Like a beautiful bridal bouquet, I love to see the right elements put together in a visually pleasing way,” Gulsrud says.

Price range: $7 (for vintage-button rings) to $26 (for necklaces).

Favorite items: For sweet and feminine: An heirloom-style brass locket embellished with a vintage button and purple seam-binding ribbon, $24. Or the “filigree birdie,” a delicate, gold bird necklace hanging from a floral piece, accented with pearls, $22.
For a more edgier look, check out the Box Chain and Birds necklace, made out of several layers of chain, carnelian beads and bird charms, $26.

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Local Etsy shop of the month: Street Cred Thread, www.streetcredthread.etsy.com

Shop:  Street Cred Thread features unique vintage shoes, jewelry and accessories. The owner, Hannah Larson, says she grew tired of spending “bookoos of money” on fashion and began scouring flea markets, thrift stores and estate sales for unique yet inexpensive additions to her wardrobe. The hobby turned into an online store.
Street Cred’s inspiration comes from current trends at stores, such as Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie.
“What goes around comes around, and fashion is no exception,” Larson says.

The face behind the shop: Hannah Larson, of Lafayette, moved to Boulder County two years ago to work with seniors at Balfour Senior Living. She also runs RubySueVintage.etsy.com, which features vintage home decor. She runs her two Etsy shops part-time and works part-time at Balfour.
“I love vintage and I love seniors, so being able to do both for a living is perfect,” she says.
I think it makes her vintage style extra legit.

Price range: $7 for gold glittery earrings to $35 a gorgeous gold crocheted bib necklace inlaid with pearls and rhinestones — in excellent condition. Yes, $35 is the highest price here.

More info: The site features more than 100 items and Larson has 100 percent positive feedback from buyers.

Favorite items: Other than the gold necklace, which is a clear fave? The metallic bronze pumps for only $26. Bronze is the perfect fall accent — an almost-neutral, with shine. I don’t know how an item like this can be in such excellent condition, because if I owned these shoes, I would never take them off my feet. And I’ll be darned, they’re in my size. It’s not my fault if it’s destiny, right?

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Local Etsy shop of the month: The Secret Boutique

Shop:  The Secret Boutique is inspired by Gothic, neo-Victorian and steam-punk. Features one-of-a-kind designs and deconstructed pieces, as well as custom corsets, burlesque outfits and historical-inspired bridal gowns.

The face behind the shop: Miss Jade, based in Boulder. If we told you any more, it wouldn’t be a secret shop, now would it?

Why we love it: This shop screams October. The deep reds and blacks and tulle and plaid, rich fabrics and bustles and corsets — this is what fall is all about.

Price range: $70-$1,000 — but we’re talking for a custom-made elaborate bridal dress or a custom black Victorian bustle gown.

More info: Five percent of each sale goes to wolf and wolf dog rescue sanctuaries throughout the midwest and Colorado.  Plus: Free shipping in October for Halloween.

Favorite items:  Knee-length plaid Gothic cocktail skirt, with sweetheart corset, $250. The red and black plaid organza is over black taffeta. Pair with black organza collar. Perfect for fall.

Or for a more formal look, check out this gorgeous custom corset and ballroom skirt for $425.

Colors available: two-tone iridescent red/black(shown); dark purple/black; blue/black; green/black; silver/black; or solid black or white.

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Local Etsy shop of the month: JLRYDesigns.etsy.com

Shop: Jen Ragan designs beautiful fabric flower accessories, inspired in part by the tulips on the Pearl Street Mall. Recently featured on NBC’s  “The Today Show.”

The face behind the shop: Ragan is a Colorado native who did her undergrad at the University of Colorado in Boulder. She now lives in Boston, but she says she misses Boulder every day. Ragan started JLRY Designs after a rough patch in her life.  She was laid off from her marketing job, and decided to focus on her creative side for healing.

Why we love it: The flowers are elegant, soft and feminine, yet distinct.  The fabrics are lush and the beading details have us drooling.  We love the diversity in products, from small hairpins to a bright purple floral bib necklace. However you wear these, they will transform any outfit into something stunning. Oh, and even though the flowers are hand-sewn, the price point is low.

Price range: $8-$40.

More info: Check out the blog, www.jlrydesigns.wordpress.com. Ragan also makes custom orders.

Favorite items: The teal and purple Double Bloom Headband, $14. What a rich color combo, perfect for fall. The petals are made from teal satin and purple organza, accented with glass beads. I also am entranced by the dark pink Crush Bloom Bib Necklace. Only $35? I’m sold. I can imagine this with a white wedding gown, or with a plain white tee and jeans.

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Local Etsy shop of the month: AngelaRomany.etsy.com

Shop: Angela Romany makes tree-of-life jewelry out of wire and gemstones.

The face behind the shop: Angela Romany, a Boulder artist, considers her jewelry a “true expression of my deepest being.” She handcrafts her art with a focus on positivity, health and expansiveness, “a gift from my soul to yours.” Romany lives and works at a transitional home for girls aging out of the foster care system. She is also a singer-songwriter, writer, dancer and performer, a little Buddhist and a lot pagan.

Why we love it: The tree design is simple, clean and sweet. Each pendant is made out of about 10 feet of wire wrapped tight; nothing is prefabricated, making each piece unique. Romany says the trees are a symbol of how we are all a part of Earth, using the planet’s gifts (the gemstones) in the design.

Price range: $30-$70.

More info: Romany also makes custom pieces.

Favorite items: I like the amber and Argentium silver wire pendant, $50, because I like how the colors pop. It’s about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and comes with a silver chain. The making of Argentium wire is more environmentally friendly than making regular silver, and doesn’t fade as easily.

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Nothing epitomizes Boulder fashion more than the words “moonchild” and “vintage” in one sentence. Surprisingly, our Etsy shop of the month, Moonchild Vintage, began in Northern California and only recently moved to Boulder.

Even if you don’t have a child/middle name/dog named “Rainbow” or “Starshine,” don’t let the name of this shop deter you. If this shop were a physical destination, I would move in there, and my dog is a prancing poodle named Giselle. Owner Toni Oswald has a sharp eye for the exquisite, the funky and the fun. She sees clothing as an opportunity for creating magic.

“What character do I feel today? What am I going to make and give to the world? An outfit in itself can be a work of art,” she says. “I guess that is what is meant by style: how we collage together clothes out of how we feel emotionally and physically.”

And today, I feel like vintage 1970s bell-bottom Levis ($155) and gray beatnik cowboy boots ($48) accented by a peacock-pattern Zardozi Indian evening bag ($60) and an antique silver Queen of Arabia moon necklace ($150).

Or maybe I’m feeling French and should buy the red, white and blue Bastille-stripe knit dress ($34). No, it’s got to be the Palm Beach Story strapless 1970s sundress ($38). Or maybe, just maybe, it’s all of the above. Oh yes, I’m feeling multidimensional (read through justification: shopaholicy).

As Oswald says on her Etsy Web site, www.moonchildvintage.etsy.com, “I hope my shop can inspire others the way vintage clothes have inspired me. They tell stories and we create more stories in wearing them ourselves. So here is to our stories.” And here’s to my favorite Etsy shop of the month, if not eternity.

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