Two opposite sides of Washington State

I recently visited Spokane for the weekend, about five hours away from Seattle. I came across a store just outside of downtown Spokane called Glamarita. Right away I recognized the long dresses in the window made out of ties from Etsy and Pinterest. Upon walking in, I saw purses made out of ties that I saw on Etsy. I had not realized that the creator of these amazing garments were from Spokane. We met and exchanged contact information while sharing our background and experiences.

Shop owner, Ronnie Ryno, has a vast collection of amazing works that she has created. Be sure to check out her shop if you're in the area.

Stick a pin here, a pin there

One can get lost in the world of Pinterest. One click and repin leads to another and another and another; there is no end. Sometimes I find myself repinning the same thing by accident, which is fine because it means I really like that pin!

A friend is using Pinterest to find ideas of her wedding and another friends is using it to find baking ideas. Who would have a thought that a social media pinning board would catch on the way it did! For me, I like finding pins that relate to my creative side of how I make purses. So far I've found so many interesting ways to use ties and so many cool things that people have knitted. I wonder what the next phenomenon will be in the world of social media...

Mt. Ties

About a month ago I decided to start shopping on eBay to buy used ties in bulk because I knew of a fellow small business owner/professional crafter that was successful in purchasing bulk ties on eBay. I found a couple of listings within my price range and found a seller that was shipping from Everett. Once I was successful with the bid and my random selection of ties were sent to me, I awaited for my first lot of ties to arrive. Upon opening the box I found a note from the seller offering more ties from their inventory. I contacted the seller and learned that they were in Monroe, about an hour away from Seattle. I found myself in Everett this previous weekend and made an appointment to swing by their place to check out the stock. I figured I could not go wrong when I heard that they have over 1000 ties.

Along a main road in Monroe is a cute lavender house that you cannot miss. The couple, Lisa and George, were very nice and welcoming as we entered their home. Lisa took out bin after bin of ties that she had collected for a quilting project which she gave up on. Each tie was bagged and coded by size and length. I spent about an hour shuffling through ties, with Ryo (my silent business partner) keeping track of how many ties I was picking out. George provided garbage bags to store my ties in for easy transportation. In the end I decided to finish off at 400 for a good number. We excused ourselves as we ran to the ATM to withdraw money since the couple did not have a means of taking credit cards. When we returned, Lisa pointed out that she forgot to show me a stack of ties she did not categorize. In 10 minutes I found 30 more that she was glad to be rid of. On a hot summer evening, we left the lavender house with three bags full of 430 ties for a bargain. Thanks to Lisa and George for helping this crazy purse maker in making more Formal bags.