Pick of the Crop – Ultra Violet Vintage

Some Rings from the Ultra Violet Vintage Facebook Page

I admire any recycler. Some people have disdain for catching people rooting through dumpsters or “curb alerts.” Not me. I applaud the re-users. It is American legacy to keep things filtering through many hands. Didi Chisholm, owner of Ultra Violet Vintage…… has always had the penchant for the one of a kind. That is the essence of her jewelry line. Every piece is uniquely one of a kind.

She has had this business since 2007, but has been doing jewelry since age 13. She always was drawn to the vintage style of all things which led her to start a store with the vintage theme. She sold vintage clothing, furniture, house wares, and jewelry. The Store was Urban Artifacts. Mingled in those items were some broken drawer pulls, or handles, or nibs and nabs on the items and Didi took a liking to giving all those bits and pieces 9 lives.

She started with beaded things, then found that she could work with miniature scissors, tea infusers, cabinet knobs, even a pencil casing from the 30’s that sports a really cool splatter swirl. Other cultures are represented in her lines such as the Middle Eastern beads and rhinestones that are on a dainty chain. She creates pins, pendants, bracelets, earrings. Oh, and the part about them being one of a kind? If anyone showed up with, say, 4 of some really cool baubles discovered in Aunt Veronica’s things left behind and that person wanted 4 identical pendants for the 4 nieces of Aunt Veronica….it can definitely be done.

As a matter of fact, any item that you might find can be memorialized in jewelry with Ultra Violet Vintage. I wish I had known Didi a few years ago as I was parsing out my Mother’s things. I truly wish I could have donated some of the strange, jewelry type things. I actually have a broken string of Romanian bead that I might commission her to make earrings for me. The price range for her pieces is $18 – $125.

I asked Didi what 3 qualities one needs to be able to succeed as a Farmer’s Market vendor. She said,
Be:

• Personable
• Patient
• Unique

Sort of says it all for any business. The patience comes into play for Didi as she decides what to do with a piece. Sometimes it is an immediate inspiration, but other times it has to percolate. This is her first year at the Farmer’s market. She does other shows and bizarre, such as the Christmas Craft Mafia show. When not making, or selling, she is scouring antique malls, thrift stores to procure interesting items.

Didi is going to morph into a new Etsy store. Information can be found on Facebook soon.

Come visit Didi, and better yet, clean out that odd box of stuff that Aunt Veronica left behind and donate some raw materials to the Ultra Violet Vintage venture!!

See you Wednesday!

Souther of the James runs on Wednesdays 3 PM – 8 PM at 4910 Forest Hill Ave (23225). Your list of vendors.

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Pick of the Crop is written by Trish Morrison.
Originally from Illinois where she was pioneering with Food Co-ops and Farmer’s Markets in the Chicago suburbs, Trish now lives in the neighborhood near Westover Hills Elementary School. A city dweller by week, weekends she travels to Lunenburg County working on an agricultural venture with her son. She enjoys the blend of art, agriculture, music and muse, you can find at a Farmers’ Market and hopes it comes through in her interview style of writing.