Holiday 2012 Pre-Sale Happening Now!

TDD is having a Holiday Pre-Sale on select eco-chic clutches and wristlets! Sale ends on October 25, 2012 and quantities are limited! You won't find this sale on the website or the Etsy shop. Message TDD on Facebook to take advantage of this great offer.

First up, we have The Plum Blossom and The Courtesan Fused Eco Clutches. These clutches were originally designed for Mayim Bialik and Cat Deeley, respectively. The fusing looks like distressed leather with gorgeous cotton fabric and a snap closure. They are envelope-style and are a fantastic eco upcycled accessory!

Measure approx. 4.5" tall and 12" long (11.4cmx30.5cm)

Next up, we have hand crocheted, upcycled wristlets! These wristlets were originally designed for the 2011 GBK Emmy Awards Gift Lounge and are in the hands of celebs like Nia Peeples, Penny Marshall, Tina Fey and more.

They come two ways.
1. Upcycled Plastic (plarn) only - available in pewter gray, red, pink, forest green, purple, lime, orange, white, black and natural tan brown with red accents

and

2. Black plarn w/VHS tape - lining choices include black, zebra or cheetah.

Measure approx. 3.5" tall and 6" long (8.9cmx15.2cm)

Message TDD on Facebook to order yours now! They are great holiday gifts, make an eco statement, and are the perfect accessories for parties or an evening out!

Celebrating Eco{uture}

I had the opportunity to design a bag for Cari Cucksey from HGTV’s Cash & Cari. After messaging with Cari, I found out that she’s a “tote” girl. It was wonderful when she named her bag “The Cash & Cari Tote: A place to stash your cash while treasure hunting”.

It’s a great bag with lots of texture and a zippered pocket. Her initials are embroidered on the pocket as a special touch that she enjoyed.

I hope that she’s getting tons of use out of this special tote.

This tote will be available soon on the website.

Celebrating Eco{uture}

Having the opportunity to design something and send it to a celebrity is a great experience. I’ve been fortunate in having my designs go to a number of celebrities. This is the first in a series where I’ll take you on that journey.

It all started in 2011, when I had a display at the GBK Emmy Awards Gift Lounge. The actress, Catherine O’Hara (known for Beetlejuice and the Home Alone movies) asked if she could have my display purse because she loved it so much. Of course, I said yes!!

Catherine O'Hara

I had also made evening wristlets with vhs tape as press gifts. Nia Peeples saw them and was fascinated. She is the owner of one of the wristlets now. She was also kind enough to pose with my display purse. Penny Marshall’s eye caught the vhs wristlets as well. Turns out she also asked to keep one. I hope they are enjoying them!

Nia Peeples

Nia Peeples showing her VHS tape evening wristlet

And the late Kathryn Joosten who was known for her roles on The West Wing and Desperate Housewives. I was so sad to hear of her passing earlier this year.

Kathryn Joosten

And so it began!

Eco-Monday: Amber Bryce Luxe Bohemian Jewelry

Mondays are Eco on TDD's blog! I'll be introducing you to eco/upcycled/repurposed fabulousness, and I'm so excited!

It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to my friend, Amber Bryce, an up-and-coming jewelry designer who is about to blow the socks off Hollywood!

How about these pieces? I'm so in love!

Mi Alma, Para Necklace (My Soul, to You)

Bleu Earrings

Amber's designs are absolutely delicious. She recycles silver into gorgeous wearable art. Her intricate design and use of materials makes her a true creative soul and artiste. She is the exclusive jewelry designer for the housewives of the next season of both The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills AND The Real Housewives of Orange County. Lauren Conrad and Zooey Deschanel also own part of the Amber Bryce collection.

Here are some designs that will be on Real Housewives:

Verde Earrings

Serene Earrings

Vivid Necklace

Find Amber here:
Amber Bryce on the Web
Amber Bryce Facebook
Amber Bryce Twitter

Amber's ability to recycle silver into these amazing designs definitely deserves the kudos and recognition she receives, and it was, again, my pleasure to introduce you to her.

Happy Earth Day!

Earth Day 2012 is fast approaching! What better way to celebrate than to have these super green celebs receive a special Earth Day gift from TDD?

The celebs will be receiving an Eco iPod/Camera/Phone Case. I know that's what I named it, but I'm actually finding all kinds of uses for it! I have two in my own purse, but I digress...

Outer case - 100% hand crocheted plarn (upcycled plastic bags)
Magnetic snap closure, acrylic button

So the big deal? Here they are:

(Top row: Adrian Grenier, Alicia Silverstone, Barbra Streisand, Bill Maher, Cameron Diaz, Courteney Cox.
2nd row: Daryl Hannah, Dave Matthews, Drew Barrymore, Edward Norton, Ellen DeGeneres, Jake Gyllenhaal.
3rd row: KT Tunstall, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Orlando Bloom, P!nk, Rosario Dawson.
4th row: Jeremy Piven, Josh Hartnett, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Kate Bosworth.
5th row: Sting, Tom Hanks, Woody Harrelson.)

Let's hope they all enjoy their small sampling of TDD product this Earth Day. :)

TDD Teams with Go Green America TV for a very Special Giveaway!

I'm so thrilled to announce that TDD has teamed up with Go Green America TV for a very special giveaway to celebrate TDD's product being featured at the GBK Academy Awards Gift Lounge on February 24 and 25 (as represented by The Artisan Group).

You can win a Denim Throw and Go Mini-Tote! The shell of this eco-friendly tote is upcycled and crocheted from plastic bags (plarn). The lining is repurposed from jeans! It's eco-chic, vegan, and machine washable! It hasn't been listed on the site, so whomever wins it will be the first to have one.

It's super easy to enter the giveaway! Go to Go Green America TV's post - ENTER HERE!

TDD is Bringing Hand Crocheted Eco to the Oscars!

Well, actually, TDD products are Oscar-bound! On February 24-25, TDD will have a display piece and swag bag gifts at the GBK Academy Awards Gift Lounge. I will, again, be represented by The Artisan Group, which had a very successful showing at the GBK Golden Globes Gift Lounge (where TDD gifted the press baskets with a bar of Summerfield Soaps' Buttermilk and Carrot Complexion Soap).

I'm very excited that the newly designed eco-friendly Occoquan Tote Purse will be featured as my display piece! Hand crocheted from upcycled/repurposed plastic grocery bags; it's lined and has a zippered pocket. After receiving customer feedback, models after this design will include a snap closure.

The Occoquan Eco Friendly Tote/Purse

The celebrity swag bags will include an Eco Petite Pocket Purse. These little numbers are hand crocheted from upcycled/repurposed plastic grocery bags and have a magnetic snap and a little bling as a button. They are perfect for keeping coins, lipstick/lip balm, and other small items from cluttering the bottom of your handbag.

And so the excitement for my fellow artisans and I will begin in a couple of weeks! Fingers crossed that we all receive some great photos.

Jessica Alba and Zooey Deschanel to Receive TDD Eco Evening Wristlets!

To say I'm excited to be included in this special celebrity gifting opportunity via The Artisan Group is putting it mildly. The VHS/yarn eco evening wristlets will be headed to California for inclusion in the bag this week and will be headed to these two fabulous actresses the week of December 1st.

As excited as I am to gift to both ladies, I'm really so thrilled to be gifting Jessica Alba, a fellow Air Force Brat.

Jessica Alba (left) - actress, film and tv
Zooey Deschanel (rt)- actress/singer, currently of "New Girl" on FOX

These wristlets were initially designed as press gifts for the 2011 GBK Emmy Gift Lounge. Both Penny Marshall and Nia Peeples spied them and asked to take one home.

Here are the wristlets, with cotton cheetah print lining, that are going into these two special bags:

I hope they enjoy!

Emmy Gift Lounge Excitement Wrap-Up -- Part 2

As promised, here's Part 2 of my wrap-up. Better late than never!

The Gift Lounge wasn't just a ball of excitement for me, but also for my fellow artisans. Here are some of their shots. :)

Jeff Probst w/ Sweet Stellas

Rico Rodriguez w/ AJ Sweet Soap

Maria Canals-Barrera w/ Atutudes

Wes Ramsey w/ Fancy Designs

Beverley Mitchell w/ Bellaroma

The Artisan Group table at the 2011 GBK Emmy Gift Lounge

View all the pictures on The Artisan Group Facebook page.

Here's a list of all the display participants where you should consider doing some of your holiday shopping from: :)
http://www.zazzle.com/beezkneez
http://www.13blackcatsdesigns.com/
http://www.makeitmineparties.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/littlefreeradical
http://www.zazzle.com/fancybelle
http://www.autumnbradley.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ajsweetsoap
http://www.bellaromaboutique.com/
http://www.doodlehouse.com/
http://www.rezipit.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/IlenePriceDesign
http://www.etsy.com/shop/atutudes
http://www.etsy.com/shop/LCVintageJewelry
http://www.thelonelypixel.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ellemoss
http://www.etsy.com/shop/thelightfantastic
http://www.ocstylescreations.etsy.com/
http://www.aromatichealthshop.ca/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/papermusedesigns
http://www.seeingisbelieving.etsy.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/sweetstellas
http://www.strandedtreasures.com/
http://www.etsy.com/shop/wagsandwiggles
http://www.honeyprint.com/

Emmy Gift Lounge Excitement Wrap-Up -- Part 1

The excitement of being in the GBK Emmy Gift Lounge was unbelievable. Of course, when I wanted to do this post, I wound up catching some creeping crud from Andrew (my 12 year old). I'm still trying to recover, but wanted to congratulate my fellow artisans for a job well done! Our table was quite impressive, and we received great feedback.

I was particularly enthused, not only about hearing that Penny Marshall took home a clutch and Catherine O'Hara took home the display purse, but also that Nia Peeples took home a clutch as well. I am also loving the photographer assigned to The Artisan Group for capturing some great posed photos and some great candid shots as well.

Catherine O'Hara loved the eco purse so much, she took it home!

Nia Peeples - currently of Pretty Little Liars

Kathryn Joosten - of Desperate Housewives & The West Wing

Nia Peeples decked out in TDD's purse, AJ Sweet Soap's Banana Split Sundae (and you can see Atutudes tutu in the background).

The Artisan Group Founder Valerie Guerrero explains to Nia Peeples that the clutches are made of vhs tape & yarn.

Nia Peeples showing a friend the clutch.

Beverley Mitchell - of 7th Heaven - finds out that the purse is made of plarn.

Here are some quotes I received on my product:

"That's amazing! Out of grocery bags? Whole Foods, I see." -- Jennifer Carpenter (of Dexter)

"Oh, my God! That's incredible!" -- Cloris Leachman
"This is awesome! This is fantastic! Look at this! Can you believe it's made out of bags?!" -- Nia Peeples
"Oh, I love that!" -- Jason Isaacs (of the Harry Potter films & the upcoming film Abduction)

So that wraps up an amazing ride that was the GBK Emmy Gift Lounge. My next post will focus on my fellow artisans who were there, too. :)

GBK Productions Emmy Gift Lounge Excitement - Day 2 Recap

Day 2 was a rollercoaster ride, too! We found out that we'll all get at least TWO celeb photos with our product, so that's a great bonus.

The Artisan Group was interviewed by Splash! Magazine and Gosh tv, and the feedback the group has gotten over Twitter and other avenues has been stellar. :)

Some celebrities in attendance yesterday who were lovin' The Artisan Group:
Nia Peeples, Rico Rodriguez, Michael Trucco, Jennifer Carpenter, Cloris Leachman, Andy Milder, Zach Woods, James Woods, Loretta Devine, Catherine O'Hara, and more!

And speaking of Catherine O'Hara, I got this message on the updates:

"Catherine O'Hara fell in LOVE with your purse, and asked to have it, so I hope it'sOK we let her have it. She really loved it."

So, if Day 1 wasn't exciting enough with Penny Marshall picking up a clutch, Day 2 was equally as heart-thumping with Catherine O'Hara picking up the purse!

This purse!

Also extremely happy for my TAG colleagues whose products were also adored and snatched up.

Extra, Extra: READ all about the Emmy's Weekend from the rest of The Artisan Group members (so many fun posts!) starting with Stevie Lynn, of Jewels for Hope.

Emmy Swag Gifts on Their Way!

Ok, YAY! I got the Emmy swag gifts off to CA! Now I'm completely obsessed with tracking the box across the country. It should arrive next Tuesday, and I know it's left PA.

So this is how the wristlets wound up being packaged. I used VHS tape as ribbon and kept it simple (cause I like simple).

And just in case you didn't see it before, here is my display piece. A great little plarn purse.

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am!