The Butcher's Broom

There is a little shop called BUTCHER'S BROOM, born of Barbara from Italy, and there she sells her sweet crocheted jewelry and handmade accessories. 

Her work is lovely and well crafted, but it is the photos that initially caught my eye.  I love the use of mirroring, the earthy feeling and the contradicting elements of water and fire.

It's a witchy world, caught in glimpses at the sunset of a never ending summer...

"Wild Things leave skins behind them, they leave clean skins and teeth and white bones behind them, and these are tokens passed from one to another, so the fugitive kind can always follow their kind..."
(Tennessee Williams, 1959) 

" Once when I was living in the heart of a pomegranate, I heard a seed saying, "Someday I shall become a tree, and the wind will sing in my branches, and the sun will dance in my leavers, and I shall be strong and beautiful through all the seasons".....

... Then another seed spoke and said, "When I was as young as you, I too held such views; but now that I can weigh and measure things, I see that my hopes were vain".

And a third seed spoke also, "I see in us nothing that promises so great a future".
And a fourth said, "But what a mockery our life would be, without a greater future!".
Said a fifth, "Why dispute what we shall be, when we know not ever what we are".
But a sixth replied, "Whatever we are, that we shall continue to be".

And a seventh said, "I have such a clear idea how everything will be, but I cannot put it into words".
Then an eighth spoke - and a ninth - and a tenth - and then many - until all were speaking, and I could distinguish nothing for the many voices.
And so I moved that very day into the heart of a quince, where the seeds are few and almost silent. "
The Madman; Gibran, 1918 

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{ Below:  the wearable art of Butcher's Broom }

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{ visit Barbara's blog for music and poetry (in Italian):  butchersbroomstore }

Into the Future

... betchya didn't know I'm a fortune teller, did ya?

I love reading tarot cards as a hobby,

but I'm starting to take it more seriously.

And I'm pleased with the banner I recently made...

  

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  { the original graphic i created using photoshop. }

   { yes, I used an overhead projector.  shoot, I can't freehand like that! }

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{ I drew this design onto a piece of woven linen and mounted it on a large embroidery hoop.  I created the hand silhouette using Man Ray's photo of black and white hands painted by Picasso. }

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 Next project:  Gypsy tent!

We'll see... 

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tags: all seeing eye, fortune telling, future, gypsy, hand of fate, mystic, occult, past, present, reading, tarot cards

                                                                               

VAUDEVILLE, YOU DEVIL YOU!

Vaudeville: n. derived from the French expression voix de ville, or 'voice of the city'.
1880s - 1930s

Recently, Vague Studios acquired one of the most amazing articles of clothing we've ever had, and indeed one of the most incredible things we've yet come across in our treasure hunts:

an all-silk Vaudeville Devil Dress, ca. 1880s!

All aboard the Sizzle Express, as I share with you some photos one might say are...
 hot as hell.

The acquisition of our ghoulish gown has got me thinking about this early theatrical medium with a new appreciation, and a new perspective.
  When I slipped on the dress I really felt transported back in time -- about 100 years before my birth, to be exact-- to time when, under the cover of vaulted theater ceilings, prim and proper Victorian gents and ladies could shed the staunch codes of society, loosen the corset strings and let Baudy rule...

I'm also thinking about how pivotal this age of theater was to the entertainment industry, how influential Vaudeville and Burlesque were socially, and how it both liberated women and black performers, while sometimes also enforcing stereotypes.  

Overall, the influence of Vaudeville was and continues to be monumental, with Vauvillians like
Tony Pastor, Aida Walker, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harry Houdini, even Helen Keller 
(yes, that Helen Keller!) who toured the circuit, brought entertainment to the masses, and paved the way for future generations of performers.

A tip o' me ol' hat to the lot of 'em!
and speaking of....
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Here's the educational portion ...

{ above:  Aida Overton Walker, who refused to play stereotypical "mammy" roles.    }

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{  above:  Juno Salmo dressed as a demon, 1909.  (dang!)  }

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{ above:  'The Hornet' and 'The Witch', fancy dress circa 1887; via. }

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{  above:  The fabulous Dolly Sisters, Roszika and Janszieka Deutch; billed as "Rosie & Jenny" on the circuit.  gorgeous!  }

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{  above: theater backdrop, photographs and posters from the golden days of Vaudeville. }

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{ below:  two videos of footage of actual Vaudeville performers.  The first features Eva Tanguay, who dubbed herself "the girl who made Vaudeville famous", and was hailed by Aleister Crowley as being "the perfect American artist. She is… starry chaste in her colossal corruption. "  }

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{ The second video shows various Vaudeville acts from 1898 to 1910, which post-dates our Devil Dress by a little bit. }

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{ more on early American theater here, here, and here.  }

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*disclaimer:  Yes.  I know my shoes are from the 1950s.  Can you blame me?

PHOTO SHOOT 15.APRIL.013

from our shoot yesterday with Ambre!

together she and I knocked it out of the park.  I'm editing in shifts!

here's the first half...

{ incredible crochet fishnet dress, circa 1930s }

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{ death by cute:  black velvet, big bow and lace collar }

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{ love the cut of these shoes.  super old and still... eh... kickin'! }

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{ past-future-present:  amazing 1930s maxi gown and jacket... oh the sequins, oh the class! }

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{ this adorable top makes me want to saddle a horse and ride into the sunset! }

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{ luscious black flapper dress satin and rayon with rainbow trim and pussy bow! }

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{ super happy 60s cotton top with pun tucks galore! }

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{ i love this beveled cobalt blue top! comfy. }

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{ lovely black wool coat }

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{ smart pin striped blouse with ruffle front }

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{ she's a peach!  light button down blouse }

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{ below:  a peek of things to come... }

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{ ENTER THE SHOP HERE }