flowers!

We tribal girls love flowers.

We also love metal.

Me, I love chainmaille. Sometimes.

Put them together, add in a big dash of my hating scale maille bras, and what do we have?

Scale maille flowers, by the dozen! They're light, they won't rust, they don't tarnish, and they go just about everywhere!

Flowers for your fingers . . .



Flowers for your wrists . . .



Flowers for your ears . . .



And of course, flowers for your hair. There's the full-on kanzashi-style forks . . .





The double-flowered hair sticks . . .



And for the poor people who kept coming up to me and saying, "But my hair's short! What can I do?" there's the ridiculously sturdy (and ridiculously cute) scale maille flower barrettes.





From here? God knows what I'm gonna turn out. :D But if you're curious, keep an eye on acaseofrandom.etsy.com. Hopefully the flowery handflowers will be next.

HeadBands, Headpieces and Stuff

I've been working on the Tunisian Headbands for the longest time. I just never got to putting stuff on them. I had some left over fabric and I'm making a few headpieces too. Just like my crochet belts -I make them when I feel like it.

Go ahead and check out the new items including used jewelry for sale.

http://www.erikaschiquis.etsy.com/

I'm also working on new skirts and you can see a preview of 6 of them on

http://www.erikaschiquis.blogspot.com/

Oldies but Goodies

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_id=27094147

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=27096331

Selling off some of my own stash of belly dance items. More will come down the line as soon as my computer is repaired. Enjoy.

New Skirts@ Erika's Chiquis

SAFARI SUNSET
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=20167678

BLUEBERRY KISS
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14003561

SUMMER GARDEN
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14015817


BLUE ROSE
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25770027




BLUE SKIES
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=25769454


www.erikaschiquis.etsy.com

Older Costume Pieces

I'm selling off a few of my costume pieces that I no longer use or never used. I just have too much and can't possibly use it all. I'm selling some of my jewelry including some of my DIY jewelry. I'm also selling belly dance belts and patterns. Come see
www.erikaschiquis.etsy.com

Patchwork Custom Made Skirts

I finally have a couple of buy it buttons to a custom made patchwork skirt. One for 38-42 inches long and one for up to 37 inches long.

38-42
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22909028

up to 37
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_1&listing_id=22775003

You choose your colors.
Already made skirts
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5450178&section_id=5268390


Come visit Erika's Chiquis
www.erikaschiquis.etsy.com

New BD Belts@Erika's Chiquis

Check them out!!
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5450178&section_id=5461242

www.erikaschiquis.etsy.com

shiny thing influx!

Remember my giant super-swaggy Kuchi fusion chainmaille belt? I one-upped it. I wanted a hip scarf that wouldn't snag or fall apart . . . and so I made one of chainmaille.



Yes, I know it's technically not a scarf. No, I don't care. It's awesome and that's what matters. :D


Okay, I two-upped the swaggy belt. I wanted a fringe belt, too, and I'm not patient enough to sew one. So . . . I made one of chainmaille.



Yes, I know the time relation of sewing vs. mailleing doesn't make sense. No, I don't care. :P


And have I mentioned my new varieties of earrings lately?

You guessed it! Chainmaille.



I'm starting to futz about with different-colored wire and rings as well, so expect some coppery fusion pieces soon. :) Unless anyone has any suggestions . . .

Become a Fan!

Just a quick posting today on a recent accomplishment I achieved. I have finished up, for the most part, my facebook fan page. If you would like to become a fan, head on over and sign up. I hope to keep you the most up to date on the blog here as well as on facebook. I will be posting specials to the fan page, so make sure you sign up to get the passwords and codes from me. If you are not on facebook, I will be setting up a quarterly e-mail newsletter in the future. Look for that announcement to come. Once again, thanks to everyone over the past year for the support you have given me. I would not be here if it weren't for you! Come on over and check out the new digs!

Spring Flowers

I finally got to make that pair of hair flower hairpins for the shop. They are a wonderful medium tone purple gerbera daisy. The color of them actually reminds me of the old lilac trees of my childhood home back in Illinois.





These are a steal for $6 plus shipping. I have some more great silk flowers that will be turned into hairpins in the near future so look for them soon.

Business Cards

I've had the same business card for nearly a year now, it's a beautiful card designed by another Etsy seller. For the past year, I've been printing these on really nice glossy cards on my computer. The really nice glossy cards cost about $20 for a package of 200 cards from Office Max.

In reading the Etsy forums today, I discovered Gotprint. I just ordered 1000 glossy, full color business cards (I just uploaded the PNG file to their website) for $21.95, and that even included shipping. That's about what I spent on a package of cards alone, not to mention the amount of ink a full color card can suck up. I feel like the folks in the V-8 commercials.

Check it out: www.gotprint.com

Anniversary Give-Away!

March 12 will be Big Ass Bindis' first anniversary on Etsy. So to celebrate, I have a special give-away planned for the month of March. Each item purchased between March 1 and March 12 will earn you 1 entry into the drawing for a fabulous freebie! That's one entry for each item purchased.

The prize? A Big Ass basket full of goodies, including 5 bindis, spirit gum, chocolates, a gig planner, and a few surprises.The drawing will take place and the winner announced on March 13. I will be sure to have new bindis posted to the Etsy shop daily (or as close as I can manage) so check back often and enter to win!

www.BigAssBindis.etsy.com

Jewelry@Erika's Chiquis

PURPLE HAZE

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8761824


PENNY NECKLACE CHOKER

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14061655

PRETTY IN PINK

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=8761656


CARRIBEAN SEA

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=10282608

ORANGE SHERBET

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=8929332

I recently reduced prices of my jewelry in my etsy store. Two of my Junk Charm Bracelets are sold so better be quick as I won't be making anymore of them.

www.erikaschiquis.etsy.com

:P

Me, I've been making a whole ton of maille bellydance belts.





This one's made with bright aluminum in King's weave and decorated with a whole bunch of little beaded Kuchi earrings and Kuchi coins. It's fairly quiet but I like the colors and how it bounces.





This one's the infamous ultra-heavy-duty Kuchi fusion belt. Pendants, coins, swaggies, metal everywhere . . . I like to take it out and rattle it every so often.





This one's not a belt, but I like it anyway. It's a super-sized and super-clunky layered Byzantine maille necklace. I love that it's shiny and that it's not super-heavy . . . but I still wonder what kind of tan lines it'd leave behind come summer. :P



Now to figure out if I really want to get into the ren faire this year . . . What do you guys think?



(PS: More shines are up at my etsy!)

New BD Belts@Erika's Chiquis

I posted some more fringe belly dance belts. (pictures by my 6 year old) check it out here@
Erika's Chiquis Belly Dance Belts

New Skirts@Erika's Chiquis

Tropical Jungle



Safari Sunset




I finally put up some skirts that have been sitting around waiting to be posted. I might have to retake the pictures-but not bad for a 6 year old.
Take a look at my other skirts available. I also take weekly payments for skirts and custom order.
www.erikaschiquis.etsy.com

i have been making jewelry a bit lately...here is the first set of earrings i have put up on my etsy. i made some in red also, but gave them to a friend for her birthday and she loved them! i have more in progress, a little different though.