Majentadesigns's Weblog

Boston Handmade Downtown Gallery!

majentadesigns — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:46:15 +0000

Come shop handmade and support local artists by doing your holiday shopping at Boston Handmade’s own gallery store in Boston’s Downtown Crossing district! Here are the details:

~ NOVEMBER 27 – DECEMBER 24, 2009 ~
“Boston Handmade Downtown Gallery”
Thursdays – Sundays
11am – 7pm
505 Washington St.
Boston, MA
Downtown Crossing

Come find something for everybody! Photography, notecards, pottery, baby clothing, children’s toys, fine jewelry, and more!

MaJenta Designs will also be selling her glass pendants, keychain bottle openers, pocket mirrors, magnets, and portable purse hooks, and more!

MaJenta Designs at Boston’s Bazaar Bizarre

majentadesigns — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:29:09 +0000

MaJenta Designs has the exciting opportunity to sell her wares at the most hyped show of the year, Boston’s Bazaar Bizarre! Here are the details:

~ DECEMBER 6, 2009 (Sunday) ~
BCA Cyclorama
539 Tremont St.
Boston, MA
12 – 7pm
$1 Admission
http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/boston.html

majentadesigns — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:12:53 +0000

Read my interview with Etsy Stalker & Enter to Win a Free keychain bottle opener! Here is the link: http://etsystalker.com/?p=4128

But feel free to read the interview below too!

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

MaJenta Designs is the brainchild of Jennifer whose fascination with Asian papers recently led her to the 1,000 sales milestone on Etsy! She uses Chiyogami (literally “1,000 generation paper”) and Washi (rice paper) – both delicate, traditionally hand-made papers that have intricate and vibrant designs similar to fabric used on kimonos. Her aesthetic complements what she, as a second-generation Chinese American, calls her “hybrid life” by being both traditional and contemporary.

Using these papers for glass pendants? That’s a no brainer. Look how the glass both frames and accentuates the rich colors. Jennifer has an eye for how to place each piece for maximum effect.

Less predictably, Jennifer takes something functional and allows you to add beauty and style. Start with a design that you like. Then decide what you’d like her to add: Bottle opener? Key Chain? Pocket Mirror? Oh yeah, she can do that!

She has a fun line of portable purse hooks. So easy to use: just unfold, set on the table top and hang your bag from the hook…no more purse on the floor or worrying about it being taken from the back of your chair. (You know that person on your holiday list who has everything? I bet she doesn’t have one of these!)

She also makes gift tins in various shapes and sizes. How great would it be to give one of her items in a coordinating tin? Want even more fun? Keep them for yourself! Mints, buttons, coins…Violet is quite sure you’ll make it work.

Despite being a full time graduate student with a thriving Etsy shop, Jennifer found time to sit down and share her story with us. Read on!

Curator V: How long have you been on Etsy? How did you decide to set up shop there?

I started almost 2 years ago, September 2007, to be exact. I’ve always enjoyed making art, but first got interested in selling my handcrafted creations when I visited a town fair and saw all the local craft artists and their booths – it really inspired me to want to sell my own goods too. Oddly enough though, I didnt try to start selling at fairs just yet, but rather wanted to try selling on-line first. I stumbled upon Etsy and thought it’d be an exciting venue to try out, and the rest is history

Curator V: You’re a full time graduate student; what are you studying? How do you find time to keep your shop so well stocked?

I’m working towards a PhD in Counseling Psychology; its really busy lifestyle – I’m taking 5 classes, interning 20 hours a week, and working on a dissertation, so each day is very hectic – but I definitely work to make time for my business as it is nice to have a creative outlet away from my studies – in my profession, we’re always telling our clients the importance of self-care, so I feel it’s good to make time to do other things I enjoy too.

Curator V: I love that your work is symbolic of the hybrid nature of life that so many people can relate to. Did you set out to create in that way or did your designs naturally evolve?

My items definitely have evolved over time, as I have so many creative interests and enjoy so many mediums, such as beadwork and stained glass, but the items I enjoy creating the most are have symbolic meaning- like the cranes that symbolize eternal devotion and the koi’s symbolism of perseverance and good fortune, because I love things that tell a story behind them. Sometimes I learn things from my customers too – like one person wanted to send one of my plum blossom pendants to a friend who was undergoing major surgery, and she requested I send a note with it, and I thought it was a beautiful, so i’ve added it to the listing
“even as winter tries to hold it’s grip,
the plum tree bursts forth with
the earliest blossoms of spring”

Curator V: Where do you find the beautiful papers that you use in your designs?

I find the papers from all over, various paper stores locally and internationally – i actually first got started collecting the paper when I visited Japan and found a beautiful assorted set, and at that time I thought it was just fancy origami paper!

Curator V: Can you describe your work space to us? (If you have a picture, feel free to include it!)

Haha, alas, I live in a small apartment in Boston so there isnt that much workspace that is solely devoted to my craft-making. I generally work in my living room, on a table that triples as my dining table as well as my study space too! Here is a photo that someone took of me crafting amongst my textbooks.

Curator V: Congrats on reaching 1,000 sales! What are your next goals?

Thanks! I definitely want to keep building my business, so I’m always trying to think up new products to carry, new designs to use, and new venues to sell my work. I’m looking forwards to the holiday shows coming up this season, plus I’ll be helping to create a handmade gift boutique for the holiday season in downtown Boston with some other talented Boston-area artisans of the group Boston Handmade this will be my first time I’ll have so much involvement in an art gallery/boutique so I’m looking forward to getting involved in this venture and hoping it will be successful!

All righty, Stalkers, time to put on your thinking caps! Jennifer is giving away one of her funky keychain bottle openers! These are one of her most popular items – they are practical, fun and stylish too! To enter, visit Majenta Designs, then come back here and let her know what other items you’d like to see added to or sold in her shop! One winner to be chosen at random on November 8th.

Make sure you leave your comments on the blog article directly: http://etsystalker.com/?p=4128

A few hours in Rockport

majentadesigns — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 17:07:31 +0000

“A Few Hours in Rockport”

by Jennifer Tang of MaJenta Designs

On a sunny autumn Friday, my fiancee and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather and go on a mini-trip. Having only heard great things about the North Shore, we decided to go explore Rockport for a few hours.

Its such a cute little town, similar to other New England coastal towns, with plenty of art boutiques to explore and peruse. I love checking out all the unique creations and the local scenery-inspired paintings too!

OCTOBER craft shows

majentadesigns — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:59:43 +0000

OCTOBER 18, 2009 (Sunday)
“South End Open Market”
10am – 5pm
540 Harrison Ave.
Boston, MA

I’ll be at Boston’s outdoor handmade market in the South End with my lovely fellow Boston Handmade artisans!

***And in case you’re planning ahead, here are some of my other upcoming shows for the remainder of 2009 ***

NOVEMBER 1, 2009 (Sunday)
“Design Hive Market”
10am – 5pm
Maria Baldwin School
28 Sacramento St. (off Mass Ave.)
Cambridge, MA

DECEMBER 6, 2009 (Sunday)
“Bizarre Bazaar”
12-7pm
BCA Cyclorama
539 Tremont St.
Boston, MA
$1 admission

Seasonal Items

majentadesigns — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:45:44 +0000

keychain bottle opener - $6

Those who’ve seen my Etsy shop or my booths at craft shows will likely know that I have a crazy eclectic mix of designs for all my jewelry and housewares – I just love to offer my potential shoppers a large range of fun possibilities!

However, I have recently noticed that its also good to have seasonal items too, as often those surfing the net or shopping around will want to find something that may make the perfect accessory to their Fall wardrobe, or perhaps a great display to use for a holiday party, for examples.

portable purse hook - $20

Therefore, for the oncoming Autumn season, I tried to find paper patterns that were rich in Harvest colors – crimson reds, burnt oranges, golden yellows, etc. much like the colors of the gorgeous New England autumn foliage!

However, it is not only important to have items that are rich harvest colors..but it is also good to be mindful of each month’s birthstone colors too. I learned this last month, as in August, I saw several of the Etsy.com homepages treasuries that said “shades of Peridot” which is August’s birthstone…and most items were NOT just jewelry using the actual birthstone, but various clothing, paintings, toys, etc. that were just that shade of green. So for September, for example, it is important to keep in mind items that are shades of Sapphire blue too. They even have a Etsy Gift Guide devoted to “Shades of Sapphire“

glass pendant necklace - $15

September Shows

majentadesigns — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:22:25 +0000

September 3, 2009 (Thursday)

“JP First Thursdays”
6-8pm
Loring-Greenough House
12 South St,
JamaicaPlain, MA

This event is free, and a great time to peruse all the handmade art, listen to live music, have some refreshments, and just get yourself out to enjoy one of the last few days of summer! Come find MaJenta Designs among some other fantastic “Boston Handmade” artisans too!

September 13, 2009 (Sunday)

“Design Hive Market”
10am – 5pm
Maria Baldwin School
28 Sacramento St. (off Mass Ave.)
Cambridge, MA

A great indoor venue of all local handmade goodies! There will be a variety of vendors – such as jewelry, housewares, photography, baby clothing, etc.

Summer Sales!

majentadesigns — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:44:49 +0000

The summer months are great because of the warmer weather, no school, etc. but it is also known in the retail world to be some of the slowest months of the year in terms of sales … however what I’ve noticed is that some shops will offer great discounts and promotions in order to help stir up the lazy hazy days of summer and try to generate more sales, which definitely drew me in to take advantage of some of these great offers!

Here are some of my latest finds! I cant wait for them to arrive in the mail soon!

One way to offer a sale is to “Discount” your items. . . For those who’ve visited Boston’s Quincy Market, you’re likely to find one of those outdoor vendors selling these cool pieces of fabric that can be worn in a bunch of different ways! I’ve been wanting one for a long time, and then I found this fun dress by MyBaju that can be worn in 4 different ways! These were originally $50, but now are $38!

Another way to have a sale is to have a “Clearance” section in your shop. . . I’ve been looking for a handy simple bag to store all my knickknacks that I always need to transfer from purse to purse. This little pouch by OregonMaid seems like the perfect item to hold my mints, pens, keys, eye drops, pocket mirror, purse hook, etc. as I switch from using last night’s evening purse to my work purse the next morning!

Another great promotion I like to offer is to have “Free Shipping” for your items! I’d love to offer a special deal just for my blog followers! After shopping at MaJenta Designs, during Checkout, simply type “Blog special – Free shipping” in the “message to seller”, then complete your payment as normal. Afterwards, I will contact you directly to refund the shipping charges. Offer is good through Labor Day (September 7, 2009)

* ONE DAY SALE (August 18, 2009) *

majentadesigns — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:42:48 +0000

Wow its hot here in New England! For those who are unlucky and have to work on this hot day, sitting in front of a computer rather than the beach, here is something to lift your spirits!

"portable purse hook"

FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING at MaJenta Designs Etsy Shop! I sell handcrafted pendants, magnets, housewares, wedding favors, portable purse hooks, pocket mirrors, keychain bottle openers and more! These items all make great birthday or anniversary gifts, party favors, bridal shower and bachelorette party favors, bridesmaids gifts, and more!

Just type “Beat the Heat” in “message to seller” during “CHECKOUT” and continue with payment. After you finish payment, I will contact you directly, and refund your shipping charges. Feel free to convo me if you have any questions!

Somerville’s Rock N Roll Yard Sale!

majentadesigns — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:46:46 +0000

I’ll be doing one of my favorite shows from last year again this year, the exciting “Somerville Rock & Roll Yard Sale“! Its fun, rocking good time! Its a great time to enjoy independent art, handcrafted items by local artists, and of course awesome live bands & other performances. There will be alot of awesome music-related items for sale, as well as music being swapped (CDs, records, etc.), and just fun handmade goodies such as my MaJenta Designs items will be there too! Should be a blast, hope to see you there! I’ll be the booth with the fun Asian-inspired jewelry, purse hooks, mirrors, and other gifts!

DETAILS

August 1, 2009 (Saturday)

3 – 7pm

Union Square (intersection of Somerville Ave, Washington St., & Prospect St)

Somerville, MA

FREE admissions