Happy Birthday Shopping Spree
09.03.07
Well, the countdown is upon me, just 4 days left until the big 5-0. No, not that 70’s cop show set in Hawaii!! MY 50th BIRTHDAY! And what better way to celebrate than a shopping spree at the fabulous market for all things hand-made, Etsy.com. Links to the shops included.
Pictured above: What better way to celebrate the aging process than with a Louise Black handcrafted Victorian corset that has a window–to not your soul–but to your spinal column, ribcage and pelvic bones. Completely glorious. I fell in love with this and many other items from this shop.
On the lighter side (sort of), here are two of a set of three pieces of art from TinyRat. Divine, left, wears sparkly-thread dangly earrings. And Jacko looks perfectly demented in this revival of that wonderful craft from yesteryear, yarn embroidery on plastic. The third in my set is John Lydon. Brilliant!! Visit this shop to find all of your fave pop culture icons, treated to the same… uh, treatment. BTW, TinyRat is a guy! Even cooler!
I have wanted one of those cute little tea-cup doggies, like all the beautiful people carry around in diamond-encrusted backpacks, but I have two cats so I was thrilled to find Salsa Verde from the Flaming Chiuauas of the Apocalypse series, pictured above and lovingly handmade by Laura at ChatNoirStudios. Salsa is so adorably scary that the kittens (and everyone else) are keeping their distance. She’s actually a very friendly girl, and I think everyone will grow to love her as I do. This visionary doll is crafted on a wire-frame with hand-sewn patches of fabric. She has beautiful crooked eyes, long lovely lashes, and a darling beaded collar. I think she is WAY more beautiful than any of those dogs Paris shleps around, don’t you?
I don’t buy a lot of jewelry (duh!) but every once in awhile, I find something I can not resist. This gorgeous necklace, made by Andrea at Amuck, is crafted from an upcycled “Men Working” street sign (do you LOVE it or what??), so the orange parts are reflective. This is a heavy, substantial piece, ingeniously designed and beautifully made. I will wear it to proclaim my true nature to the world.
My early September birthday always brings with it those first feelings of fall; the warm sunlight casting longer shadows and the crisp air that is finally a release from DC’s humid summery condition. Molly and I always start knitting at this time of year and I am currently making some really groovy knitted headbands to wear as my uber-curly hair grows long again. Etsy has some amazing fiber-artists, and this is a skein of handspun yarn called Psychobilly from Etsy shop inHope. The picture says it all!
Last but not least, this recon Ramones t-shirt from industrialGrrl. I’m reading an amazing book titled Heebie-Jeebies at CBGB’s: The Secret History of Jewish Punk by Steven Lee Beeber. To be perfectly honest, this book–a very fun read–is unlocking for me some of the puzzles of my charmed life. I’ll write an entire post about it another time, so stay tuned. RIP Hilly Crystal. And, love ya Joey.
