Dallas crafter gives jewelry a rock 'n' roll edge

This was just posted from DFW.com

Old record albums never looked so cool, thanks to Dallas' Texas Tarts.
By ERIN WHITE

If we say "crafts" and you think "macaroni necklace," you’ve got the seriously wrong idea about Jacky Sylvie, owner, crafter and mastermind behind Dallas-based handmade jewelry company Texas Tarts.

Sylvie’s chunky, bold jewelry, made of vintage vinyl records, has a decidedly tough edge — it’s whiskey on the rocks, not cherry Kool-Aid and animal crackers.

We chatted with Sylvie about how she makes her unique pieces, what it takes to make a living at making your own jewelry and what it means to be an indie crafter.

How did you get into using records to make jewelry? Do you have an art background?

I have absolutely no background in art, but I’ve got a ton of artistic friends and family who inspire me. I’d been looking for a creative outlet, and I was messing around with a box of old records I didn’t want to throw away. I’d seen a lot of people making record bowls. Eventually, I figured out how to make the cuffs. For a long time, I only did the cuffs. (Sylvie now does all kinds of jewelry. Price range is $5-$50.)

How do you make the jewelry?

I heat the records on low heat . . . (long answer edited so other crafters don’t bogart her style — it has to do with searching the entire known universe for awesomely colored vinyl), then I cut them, shape them and finish them.

So you need a way to heat the records . . . do you work in a kitchen? Or maybe use a blowtorch?

I actually have a small section of the garage where I do the heating. I do all the finishing in my laundry room, where I work on a really small desk. I have to be super organized. (Note: She does not use a blowtorch.)

You say you’re an indie crafter. As we’ve long associated crafting with our grandmothers and ugly crocheted things, we’re fascinated by this concept. Please explain.

Indie crafting is all about doing things locally and having it be handmade. Recycling is really big, and so is being conscious about where things come from. It’s about finding something that’s really quality and one-of-a-kind.

Is it also about attitude and sex appeal? The photos of your jewelry, what with the licking of things and occasional bit of underwear without pants, are pretty sexed up for, you know, crafts.

(Laughs) It is for me. I changed my look this year to go a lot more rock and roll. I like the sassy part of it and the attitude. Some of my stuff is a little bit racier. Not all of it. But a friend of mine did that photo shoot, and it got a little crazy.

We discovered Sylvie’s stuff at the super cool Coffee Haus in Arlington, but you can find her whole line at www.texastarts.com.

Article: http://www.dfw.com/entertainment/story/120998.html