skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Hi my name is Vivian and I'm really bad at updating blogs (including my personal -_-). I guess you could say I was recovering from almost getting run over by a minivan, but really I've just been on a giant kpop kick lately, and there's so much out there that it takes a significant amount of time to get through even just a small portion of it. But I love it! :)
But anyway, I figured what better way to kick off my slightly less sporadic blogging (again) with Vivifromage! Virginie (or Vivi) is one of my most favorite independent designers, as everything she makes is of impeccable quality, her packages get from France to the US in like a week, and she's a super cute French girl! Have I mentioned she's super nice? Oh, and I consider her the queen of Threadless (and other t-shirt) reconstructions.
She's holding a contest right now, which runs until December 4th (should be Saturday) at 8pm CET. I've no idea what the CE stands for, but that's where the internet comes in :) At any rate, why not just do it now?? The prize: 50€ (about US $70 / £45) credit to her shop! Off the top of my head, that's a little more than one of her dresses (in general). Good deal! So how do you enter? Post the link to her Facebook page (which is hyperlinked in "Vivifromage," above) and leave a comment saying you did here. Have Twitter? For another entry, tweet her page and something about her work/why you like it, and leave another comment under your original comment. Blog posts count too!
Personally, I've lost count of how many Vivifromage pieces I own... But I can honestly say I've never been disappointed (unless I lost an auction or missed out on something by an hour :p) and I love every single oneeee. From all the photos, I know it looks like I only buy her dresses (well they are amazing), but I have multiple skirts and shirts, a vest, a shrug, and a purse! In fact, one of my absolute favorite DIY pieces EVER (and which I get compliments on all the time, aside from her purse) is this Dark Mario ruffle collar w/bow shirt. <3
[edit] OMG I forgot to add that she makes COATS! Like, legit overcoats. Freals. Check it! [/edit]
There's a ton of independent designers that I love and follow, and found through dozens of About Me pages on eBay (on dial-up, no less!) years ago, and thankfully Lipgloss & Black was one of them! Er... Two of them? Since they're sisters?
I remember I kept clicking on their site, to see if it had been updated from their hiatus page, and then bam! One day, they were back! And on Etsy! Oh Etsy, I love you so. But I have to take a break from you because I just bought a bunch of kpop imports. D:
Anyway, they JUST launched their brand spankin' new website (Emphasis on the spankin', I was seriously happy with the design and I'm not even a graphic designer! More of a graphic observer, maybe.). And to celebrate, they're doing a giveaway contest!
It's really easy, all you gotta do is leave a comment on this photo, saying which item(s) is(are) your favorite in their store, and that's your entry!
Of course, since there are so many networking sites today, you get one extra entry for each re-post/linkback to their photo. Which means, your Twitter, your blog, and your Facebook link post thingie. Another comment for each one, and that's four entries total! It wasn't really clarified, but I *think* you get an entry for each "sharing" you do, so if you Tweet about it like once a day, and comment about it, you get another entry for each? Not too positive, but it didn't say NOT to do it, so I'm guessing it's all good.
I myself have been a huge fan of their suspender skirts (I own a slightly pleated purple one, and I've been eyeing the teal!) and I immediately fell in love with their Motodress that they debuted on the new site. It comes in black and gray and I'm pretty sure it's way better quality than the Forever 21 version I saw a couple months ago. Based on the L&B pieces I own, they use reallllllllllly high quality cotton knit--it's pretty thick, so it's durable (and sucks you in if you need it), and warm enough you can wear the skirts in cooler weather with tights and boots! And of course, it's cotton, so it's totally breathable.
They also use bamboo fabric for some of their designs! I haven't tried bamboo fabric yet, but I love eating bamboo shoots, so it's probably amazing. Even better? They use their fabric scraps to make reusable totes, and include one with every order! The bags not only keep your goodies together and protected in the envelope, but they're also usable forever! They're the perfect size for grocery shopping in Asian countries, I should know, I took mine to Taiwan :)
Oh wait! I forgot the most important detail! The prize is a $50 credit for their store! Meaning... that $70 suspender skirt would wind up being $20 + S/H. OR you could get a bunch of accessories (omg the zipper bow headband in purple! leave me one, k guys?) or any other combination. If you win, you've gotta use it all at once though... Which is literally no problem, because their store is full of amazing, including a tank that has a skull cut-out in the back. (Check it!)
(Psst! If you use coupon code LBFB10 to get 10% off, good now through Oct 4th at midnight! I know y'all have Facebook, don't try and deny it :D) The contest runs for a week, so get on it!
Yaaaaaay I *just* received some FairyTails from Smarmy Clothes, so she gets today's post! I've been an admirer from afar of Lex's work for yearrrrrrrrs now. I don't remember exactly how many, but I can tell you right now that almost every DIY designer I know about today, stemmed from discovering Shrinkle on eBay when I was in high school, and plodding through tons of About Me pages (on dial-up no less!). Plus, you really can't go wrong because she has the word SMARMY in her name. :D
I was hoping the pink "Shooting Star" dress would be my first ever Smarmy purchase, but I couldn't justify a formal dress when I was already nearing the end of college. Of course when I finally said "Screw it," it had sold literally hours before. Boo.
So instead, I kept lurking around her shop, and had my eye on her colorful hair streaks. I love dyeing my hair, but I can't really do it anymore, which is unfortunate because I kind of miss walking into science lectures with fuchsia or purple hair. (No guarantees on NOT dyeing some part of my hair teal next year though...) So these clip-in streaks are genius! Not to mention you don't have to fumble around trying to hide the clip in your hair, because it looks like a normal animal clip.
Bonus! You can mix/match the animals you want, AND you get to choose up to 5 colors for the streaks. I was boring and just wanted two colors, but it turned out super pretty! I got turquoise (pale teal) and blue moon (vibrant blue), and I wound up being her 300th sale so I also got a free pair--purple with black bats this time! I'd post pics of them, but I don't have a camera here... But they're amazing, trust. Plus, they came with easy care instructions, which is good, because I'm pretty sure I would accidentally destroy them otherwise.
Going back to her clothes, she does a TON. Recons, from-scratch, hoodies, casual dresses, formal dresses, skirts, undies, wrist cuffs, I mean I could go on and on (and I did). There's one thing in her shop I've completely fallen for: the Land of the Rising Sun jumper. Alas, I am too small for it.
I also fell in love with the Hello Kitty dress she sold a couple months ago. The fact that she used scraps from the shirt she recon'd for the ruffle detail on the neckline/armholes, and the bow on the skirt ruffle was very creative. That ruffling is pretty legit. I'm also a huge sucker for ruffled trim on skirts, but that's beside the point.
I know a bunch of artsy people from my time in college, particularly those who majored in something "lucrative," but also had a passion for the arts. This guy... Well, he majored in what he loves, so, I guess he doesn't fit into that. Unfortunately, he doesn't have an Etsy shop (yet!) but I'm going to work on convincing him. He's hoping to eventually do animation for Dreamworks or Pixar, but in the meantime, he makes AWESOME custom Munny figures!
If you don't know what a Munny is, it's a blank (white) vinyl doll made by KidRobot, with the intention of people designing their own art. The Munny has monkey ears, the Dunny has rabbit ears. I've tried searching for these on Etsy, with minimal success. Though it did result in finding Rosie O'Donnell's shop, because she Sharpies Munny figures, signs them, and sells them (for a lot!) for charity I think.
The other Munny's I found were...not quite as good as the guy I know (I hesitate to call him friend, long story behind that one). Although, there WAS a Steampunk Dunny that was gold and pretty much the coolest one I've seen EVER. 
So this dude paints Munny's. I think some of his lines could be cleaner (perhaps with tape) but he manages to get enough detail on there, that, whatever. I'd seen early examples of his work because he made some as gifts for a hip hop competition we were both a part of. I believe the picture at the top is the first one he ever did--it's Kevin(?) of the Jabbawockeez! They won Season 1 of America's Best Dance Crew, hence the white mask and gloves. He also made a Kanye Bear for a good friend of his as a birthday present! Then he started offering his friends an opportunity to order customs! (Exclamation points!) The first one he finished is the Green Power Ranger. He used modeling clay to add dimension to the head.
He's got a backlog right now, but considering it takes him a few days (and lots of hours) to do each one, it's understandable. Plus he has work. So. At any rate, I'm gonna submit an order of my own with him, aaaaaand try to get him onto Etsy. I realllly think his work should be up there, especially since there isn't too big of a custom Munny market on the site to begin with.
Confession time! I'm a HUGE sucker for Cirque du Soleil. Like, HUUUUUUGE. As in, when Needless Markup did a special Christmas collab with them a few years back, and sold a bunch of Cirque ornaments, my mom got like, 4 for me. And okay, I examine the costumes/hair/makeup more than I do the action, but I can't help that. It's toooooooo pretty!So yeah, instead of browsing and stumbling upon another not-so-well-known Etsy seller, I clicked on Merimask's shop through the vampire article (which I originally wasn't going to read because I thought it might be Twilight-related, but it wound up being a lot better, which made me happy).
AND HOLY AMAZEBALLS. She(?) makes masks so incredible that freaking Cirque wanted to sell them?! Not gonna lie, I started freaking out, because my favorite part of browsing the Cirque gift shops is ogling the masks. Okay, and I seriously considered getting a butterfly one once. ANYway. She's another one of those sellers who did one thing in school and then settled into something completely different. Which gives me hope!
Basics: Leather. You can see. You can breathe. Workmanship looks absolutely INCREDIBLE. Colors, texture (OMG THE TEXTURES), all the details are just, ahhhhhhhh. These are easily the first masks I've seen that I've actually gone and thought "hey, these would give Cirque a run for their money." (I feel like the Double Rainbow man, I can't express how I feel in words hahaha)
I am head over heels in love with the Medusa, and Gorgons creep me out, so that's a testament to how good she made it look. And I cannot for the life of me get over the flipped tails of the Fighting Betta Fish--I kinda want to see them in blue! I also loooove how the Japanese Fox thumbnail made me go "hey that looks Japanese!" and it was. And of course, gotta throw it back to my Asian roots, and mention the Frost Dragon. You can tell she does her research.
(I'm still dying over how gorgeous these things are, so I'm just gonna end this here.)
I don't even know what to say about Amy Kirkman's work except "Wow." That and, "Are you sure you trust me not to break this?" Really, it would be a crying shame to break one of her pieces, they're so pretty.
Quick list of the variety of things she creates! Necklaces, vases, plates, coasters, candleholders... all out of glass!
I find glasswork fascinating, especially since I found out how it works and how the colors get in there. Plus, I got to see the Chihuly exhibit when it was in San Fran, which was just awe-inspiring, particularly because the dude's only got one eye! So not only do I admire Amy Kirkman's designs, but I also start thinking about how she did it (I know, I'm strange... I blame my high school robotics experience haha, it just kind of changed everything).
Also, anyone who has anything pertaining to Hitchhiker's Guide in their shop = automatic win. Her necklaces each come on a black cord with lobster clasp and extension chain, and if you're wondering if her Kanji/Chinese necklaces are true to their definition, no worries--they definitely are! (Hey, Chinese school finally paid off!)
My absolute, absolute fave from her shop though? The black and white sushi plate set. Not only does the line design remind me of actual Japanese restaurants (and their plates), but the colors are Yin and Yang (so cute for couples!), AND she even made little wasabi/soy sauce dishes and chopstick props to complete the set. I don't even like sauce on my sushi but this set is PURE LOVE. If the black/white theme isn't your thing, she does offer to make them in colors you'd rather have!
Second fave is the orange koi plate (the one that made me decide to look further through her shop) and close third would be the heart plate, which I just saw when I went back to her shop for this post (the bubbles!). Price range seems to be pretty reasonable--$15 for necklaces, $30ish for coaster sets, $40ish for plates--considering the handiwork involved.
Oh heyyyy, I wasn't expecting people to actually find and follow this, especially since these are pretty much the ramblings of a shopaholic, so yay! And thanks :)
One of these days, I'm going to do a post all about robots, which will include some steampunkish stuff, because I love both and recently found some cool things while searching "robot watches" on Etsy. But that's really a note to myself, since chances are, I'm going to forget in about two hours.
I usually don't search out figurines, but author Neil Gaiman tweeted about poppets based on his novel The Graveyard Book. (If you're a fan of his, and you haven't read it yet, I highly recommend it. Written with a young audience in mind, but still amazingly Gaiman!) That tweet led me to Strange Studios, aka artist Lisa Snellings. Of course, being American, I had no idea what poppets were ("...puppets...?"), but I quickly figured out that they're little figurines! Really cute ones too.
What I LOVE about them is that even though the faces may not be detailed (two dots for eyes, maybe some blush if they're lucky), their clothing and surroundings are. Two of my favorite "collections" of hers are the Alice in Wonderland set, and of course, the Graveyard Book set. The Red Queen's scepter is made of beads! The artist even took scenes from The Graveyard Book, like Bod reading, and the Danse Macabre (favorite favorite!). She has a LOT more in her shop, but Alice is another fave, solely because of her hair.You can really admire the artistry because each poppet is hand-cast or hand-sculpted, then finished and painted, all by Snellings. So if they're not on sale, they can be pricey, but they sure look like they're worth it!
Okay! Now that NHL post-season is officially over, including the 2010 Entry Draft, and Team USA is out of the running for the World Cup, I can try and post regularly again. No distractions this time!
I have a confession to make. I'm a shoe whore. Which is funny, because when I was younger, I distinctly remember seeing how many shoes my mom had, and saying "I'm never going to be like that, all you need is a pair of heels, a pair of sneakers, and a pair of sandals." Such guy mentality. And now, I have so many shoes I have to hide some under my bed at home so my mom doesn't find them. Awesome. (There is a point to this, I promise.)
The most DIY wearable shoes I can probably think of would be the inception of TOMS. I mean, the dude made them himself in the beginning. When it comes to Etsy, I can't bear the thought of crocheted/knitted slippers (my feet are way ticklish), so I look to vintage shoes, or re-designed ones. I am a sucker for hand painting. Which is where kezbirdie comes in.
Her painting still has that homemade feel to it, but it's pretty damn clean. The designs are cute, stuff you probably can't find in stores, and you can tell she puts a lot of thought and work into it. From canvas flats to point-toed heels, from nautical motifs to heart lock and key, and even dragons (if I remember correctly, should be in her sold items), and anything you can come up with (customs!), seems like she can do it all. The designs even come sealed so you don't have to worry if it randomly starts raining while you're wearing them! The only part I'm sad about is the fact that she never has US 6 in her shop.
My faves are definitely the silver notebook doodle heels and the nautical flats (those blue "waves" are to die for, omg). Kez is ALSO a seamstress, talk about multi-talented. In her shop one can also find reconstructed shirts and upcycled vintage, as well as finger-knitted scarves. I'm definitely a huge, huge fan of her painting though. I've tried my hand at painting some Chucks and let's just say it could have gone way better.
(My bad, haven't posted here in forever... Hockey playoffs are going on, and well, yeah. Heh.)
Hmm this isn't straight-up DIY, but it's just so awesome I HAVE to write about it.
Leonard Nimoy has an Etsy shop. Yes, that's right, Spock himself has his own shop on Etsy. It's pretty recent, so it only has a few shirt designs up now, but it features his photography (he's actually quite good, and posts a lot of older photos he's taken on his Twitter account).
I mean, I don't think I even need to give an explanation for Mr. Nimoy. He does have a team to help him with the orders, so he doesn't deal with everything himself, but I love the concept. He has a series of photographs taken of normal people with secrets, which are demonstrated on the back (right side) of each shirt. The front has "SECRET SELVES" screened on two lines, and the left sleeve has a smaller screen of Leonard Nimoy's website.
I actually ordered the Superman one for myself, and it came pretty quick! Each shirt is a slub cotton tee from Alternative Apparel (so the stitching on the hems are a little questionable for me, but only because I've never seen that kind), meaning it's lightweight and perfect for summer. Each order comes in a flat-rate envelope, wrapped in tissue paper, with a Leonard Nimoy Photography sticker to keep it closed, plus a handwritten Thank You note (by one of his helpers) that has a Spock LLAP stamp on it.
I wasn't lucky enough to take advantage of this, but if you follow him on Twitter, he also does random promotions where if you're one of the first 10 or first 25 people to buy a shirt, he'll send a signed photo (1st 10 of his sales when the shop opened, I think) or he'll sign the shirt. He just did the signed shirt one a few days ago, and there was so much demand, he wound up signing 25 more on top of the original 25. Pretty crazy! But then, if a shirt were signed, I would frame it, rather than wear it. Too cool!
I'm seriously considering Dinosaur Girl as well, because these shirts are so insanely comfortable. It's a really nice twist on the basic white tee (and looks amazing with jeans, of course), so if you feel "lazy," just toss it on, and you still got some style going. While supporting Mr. Nimoy's photography! I think part of the proceeds also goes to some good cause, though I haven't found out which yet... But check it out! You know you want to!
So I admit, I almost yelped when I clicked on Dedalo's shop and saw what was offered. I couldn't help it, it was just that awesome. I don't know about you, but I'm not the best present shopper/giver (especially when it comes to guys), but hey, if they need a pair of cufflinks (or even a tie clip or a signet ring), Dedalo is probably your best handmade bet. His weapon of choice? Sterling silver.
I was looking at a sharks-related treasury (couldn't help it, I got sucked in by the shark thing, darn my hockey team) on Etsy, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the shark cufflinks--which really looked a lot like the art on our backup goalie's mask. They are, for lack of better word, AWESOME!
I love how he admits that he's a dude and loves designing jewelry. He knows who he is! Props to him for that. More props because he makes some cool cufflinks. And I have not seen a lot of cufflinks that I like. Just putting that out there.
Anywho, he's got stuff for everyone. Gamer geek? Covered. Classic styling? Covered. Alternative baby? Covered. (Ha see what I did there? Well... Maybe not if you don't listen to Reel Big Fish. Heh.)
Favorites!
For your rock star, a retro-style microphone.
Or, if he's more of a Rock Band/Guitar Hero star, well, it's a guitar.
Closet D&D geek? Keep his love for the game subtle with these dragon links.
And for all those alternative boys, pilot skulls (which are pretty badass, by the way).
Or (another one I looooooove), a modern twist on a classic blank, the ArcTan option.
Is he a Linux fan, instead of those other OS's?
And then, for good measure, a couple examples of his other work (non-cufflinks):
Love this open-cut, rounded, thick ring.
And this puzzle-like bracelet. (It's like a Chinese finger trap! For your wrist!)
This amazing seller, Markhed, I actually found out about from one of Etsy's Storque articles, the one featuring Valentine's Day. For this article, Etsy selected the Baby Franken Heart necklace (which is adorable) for all those singles out there who have had their hearts broken. I was immediately drawn to this piece, because it looks flexible, but also the heart is actually in pieces, and they sewed it back together.
I put up the LOVE studs as well because they're so cute and understated, and I have this thing for hand-stamped jewelry right now.
Anyway, what really sucked me into Marie's world of design was her collection of pinup/circus pendants. Well, that and the fact that she hand cuts, solders, hammers, etc. every piece she creates.
The Swinging Pinup is my personal favorite. Even though it's a silhouette there's still so much detail, and it's really as if she's in motion! Amazing. The Tightrope Walker is definitely a close second, though, I really love how she came up with how to connect the pendant to the chain itself. And then there's the Trapeze Artist (Marie's apparently an architect, so all of this is kind of a departure from that).
And then going in a completely different direction is the Tangled Lotus Necklace. It is straight-up AMAZING. The oxidized state of the metals and the natural looking tangles makes me think of the whole "bedhead-on-purpose" look. It's a very raw, organic piece, and the lotus blossoms just make me love it even more. (Did I mention that she hammers and solders everything herself? Yeah.)
And because this talented woman has so many cool ideas, here are some other noteworthy necklaces:
Fish Skeleton -- And yes, it IS flexible!
Winged Heart Tattoo -- LOVE this take on the classic tattoo design, particularly the oxidized details.
Sweetheart Birds -- Sitting together on an extended branch, with a blue pearl detail. She also has a Birds on Swing one.
Butterfly with Music Background -- Love this one because it's butterflies meet Chopin meet cameo meet clear pendant. Recycled materials FTW!
I've always been a fan of handmade jewelry, but so often you find pieces uses cheap plastic charms (not that these are bad either, but they wind up being less unique). As such, I'm usually super excited to find work with so much thought put into it.
Untamed Menagerie is one such seller. Well, I should say sellers, plural, since it's a mother and daughter team, and the shop contains creations from both of them. I haven't had the pleasure of dealing with them yet (I had my eye on the lotus blossom necklace, since it was also priced well, but alas, it sold out).
So instead, I've just been looking through their work, going "Wow, that's a really cool concept!" or "You can tell they really put thought into how to make this work." Their main materials are cable chain, stainless steel, and black acrylic; their designs appear to be laser cut.
This is especially true of the hummingbird necklace, which is one of the prettiest things I've ever seen. Aside from necklaces, they also make rings, earrings, and brooches, so they're not just a one-trick pony.
Based on their profile and description of each of their design styles, I'm guessing the lotus blossom and hummingbird are both the mom. So the Carpe Noctembrooch, in which case the "leash" is more of a droopy chain, give a classic twist to a modern, alternative idea.
Other pieces of note:
Alice-inspired necklace -- "We're All Mad Here," indeed!
Melancholy Lashes necklace -- The swirls are so delicate and detailed, I can't help but wonder what the inspiration for the design was. piece is the daughter's work, another one I love. The concept of a bat as a balloon (or pet), and using the chain as the string (leash) to keep it close to the girl is so different! It makes me think of a Threadless tee, but for your neck. Pretty cool, no? Oh, and it can also be made as a
I've known about Evilneedles for a while now. I think I actually learned about her through other sellers' links (which is really how I found a lot of the DIYers I'm love with today).
When I first discovered Patricia, she was known for bad tee reconstructions. She did a lot of off-the-shoulder tops, hoodies, and baseball tees. She stopped doing this to create more of her own designs, not just shirt recons, but still makes some clothing for artists like the Reverend Horton Heat, The Dresden Dolls, and Amanda Palmer. Although she no longer reconstructs band tees (and doesn't take requests for them), she has started selling patterns for her more popular ones.
So, I've seen her style evolve, and boy, do I LOVE where it's been going. She's still creating feminine, yet alternative pieces, but they're not so alternative that you'll get strange looks everywhere you go. They are all everyday wearable, and some of her designs are evening-appropriate as well.
Her designs range from rockabilly and country, to clubbing, or just everyday casual. She also makes tote bags and coin/make-up purses, so she gets as much use out of her scraps as possible. Talk about one talented woman!
Her pieces are available in some local Florida boutiques (where she's based), but she also keeps prices for many of her designs competitive with actual stores. If you're on her mailing list, or you're a repeat customer, sometimes you get special surprises in her newsletter, like random discounts for her shop! She likes to reward people who actually reads through her news, which makes me an even bigger fan than I already am.
Her work is very high-quality, versatile, and I've been pleased with every purchase I've made from her. Although she may not seem as chatty as some other sellers, I think it's due to the high demand of her work, which keeps her busy busy!
Things I'm in love with:
Teal Flounce Dress -- I'm not going to lie, I've had my eye on this baby ever since she first made a midnight blue version. I love that it takes the recent trend of ruffle tiers, but doesn't over do it (i.e. doesn't make you look fat).
Abbie Ruffle Trim Twill Vest -- I was lucky enough to get the last one! And at half price! I love love love this one too, and it really shows her range as an independent designer. Everything about this was high-quality.
Black/Gray Striped Butterfly Back Top -- I've only had one word for this ever since she started selling it: A-MA-ZING. Period.
Camo Cargo Skirt -- I'm not a huge fan of camo, but the design of this skirt makes it so unbelievably feminine that I can't help but like it.
(There'd probably be more on the highlight list, but she's sold most of the stuff in her shop. She said in her newsletter that she's working on her spring/summer collection though! She included some sketches and I can honestly say that I'm happily looking forward to it.)
