deep cuts vol 38!
a little change of pace
this is a special freebie from my series deep cuts, a newsletter for paid subscribers that drops the first week of every month. enjoy!
welcome to june! i’m sending you this greeting from my comfy bed and hope you are resting just the same.
i’m pausing on doing a monthly collective card reading to discuss and preview some exciting things i’ve got planned ahead instead.
first on the agenda is a super soft launch of my jewelry project. a drum roll please for the title:
••ephemera•• by things i collected
it’s inspired by found objects, memorabilia, and apothecary goods (plus hoodoo, of course). the signature offerings for now are mini amber-colored glass bottle earrings that can be purchased standard (no filler) or with the inclusion of crushed herbs, beads, or other accoutrements.1 with this specific style, i’m stretching my imagination and trying out custom varieties.
for instance: i made a pair filled with honey for my friend Kamil and the result was honestly such a vibe.
i used thicker hooks for stretched ears and while making the prototype to test the weight, i made a pair for myself that had one earring filled with honey and the other with crushed roses. for my own pair, i used stainless steel leverback clasps, so i have the option to wear the earrings attached to 0G hooks or in my second lobe piercings.
honey was a special request from Kamil and i thank them for the inspiration to take this idea further, as the first pair i’d made for myself had beads. i hadn’t considered the possibility of other infused items until that moment, when they took notice of the earrings i was wearing on set for a project of theirs.
the original pair that i made is most similar to the ones that i made for my mom (pictured below). these are filled with peridot, her birthstone.
i also gifted a standard pair of this style to my best friend Catie for her birthday and she had the brilliant idea to pour a little beach sand from a family vacation into hers. i’m excited to see how those turn out.
besides the bottles, i have some designs adorned with keychains/charms — an effort in my ongoing attempt to repurpose the things that sit dormant. i’m considering the idea of selling single earrings so they can be mixed and matched. based on the sourcing of materials, it’s likely these styles will be asymmetrical anyway, like the example below:
overall, many of the styles i have in mind will make you feel nostalgic, like this butterfly hair clip idea i’ve been working with:
my main focus now is figuring out the logistics of branding and marketing. like, do i want to make a traditional website? or what’s the pricing structure with add-ons? do i want to vend at local markets? the list goes on, but it’s starting to come together as i felt comfortable enough to announce it here. and that’s on transmuting fear and anxiety into excitement.
at this moment, the selling process is a little more grassroots. so if you’re interested in a pair of earrings for yourself or for a gift, let’s chat. be an early adopter!
next up for Black Music Month: i have three main ideas i’m working with.
a playlist regarding the history, present, and future of Black psychedelic music. it’s a fairly broad topic considering the myriad genres that intertwine with psychedelia and the cornerstone of these genres within Black music history. this will be a fun deep dive for me.
a write-up about a soulful album that’s in my collection to coincide with its 50th anniversary. one hint: Stevie Wonder.
a playlist that encompasses my responses to the Black Music Month challenge, courtesy of #MusicSermon.2
i’m expecting my schedule to open up towards the middle of this month, so we’ll see if i get to approach all three of these ideas in a timely manner. if anything, i think i can at least take on 2/3 and save the other for another time.
last, but not least: my favorite albums and songs of 2024 so far — i haven’t been particularly quiet about this one, but i will likely need to spin the block on some music to compile a full list of 12 albums. my favorite songs are much easier to list. june looks fairly promising for new music, so there may be some contenders that have yet to be heard.
well, that’s all i have for today. if you have any thoughts on what i’ve shared or you want to chat about custom earrings, don’t hesitate to hit my line.
with care,
Tay
these may be a limited run, but i haven’t decided yet.
in full transparency, this is my second year attempting this. last year, i was a little too overwhelmed with grief to keep up with the challenge.