Etsy Shop for ladiestheytalkabout

Flaneuse leather and crystal cuff . . . glam people watching style

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:37:58 -0500

$40.00
Flâneur is word describing a type of male figure of fashion, common from the mid 19th century, particularly in Paris after the construction of the new Grands Boulevards around the Place de L'Opera. The word derives from the verb flâner, which means to stroll idly, and really carries with it a meaning of strolling to see and be seen....something like what we'd call people watching today.

Many artists (including the Impressionist painters) of that time wanted to move away from classicism and romanticism. Their interest was in showing everyday life and they were drawn to the image of the flâneur, who usually appears out and about with a conspicuous top hat and other fashionable accessories. Notable examples can be seen in the works of Constantin Guys, Honoré Daumier, Edgar Degas, Gustave Caillebotte, and Edouard Manet. One of my faves is Caillebotte's painting, "Paris Street, Rainy Day" (1877, Art Institute of Chicago) which you can see to the right.

Although it was difficult for a typical mid-19th century woman to have the freedom to stroll about as a true **flâneuse**, of course now we certainly can, and do!

This piece celebrates that freedom with style and certainly says projects a confident "here I am" vibe. The cuff has a flexible (and sturdy) metal strip encased in stitched black leather (front and back), enhanced with 150 Swarovski crystals, hand set with permanent adhesive by me. The letters are crystal moonlight crystal, surrounded on either side by a stylized eye design in blue montana crystal.

The cuff is about 1" wide and can easily be adjusted to fit your wrist/forearm. (Before shaping, the cuff was about 6 1/4" long and you can see a picture of it flat to the right.)

A truly unique piece perfect for art freaks, style hounds, chic peoplewatchers, rockstars...and YOU!

Batik stripe coptic double bound sketch book journal . . . dos-a-dos

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:37:58 -0500

$40.00
This special double bound blank book is perfect for impromptu sketching, jotting down your daily inspirations or even to use as the foundation for a custom photo album or scrapbook.

The unique dos-a-dos style binding makes it easy to create completely different sections for your content, if you desire. The book’s small size also makes it easy to carry along wherever you go.

The three book covers show off the beautiful hand-dyed Lokta paper, which is made in Nepal in a process similar to Japanese rice paper. This particular Lokta has the extra feature of being batik dyed in a stripe pattern of cool blues, aquas and greens, interspersed with the natural color of the paper. I’ve angled the stripe patterns, which I think creates a nice movement of color between the inner and outer covers across the book.

The covers are acid-free binder’s board and the Lokta paper is adhered to it with acid-free binders PVA glue.
The entire book measures 4 ¼” square and is 1” thick when closed. (Coptic binding lays completely flat when open, making it easy to draw or write.)

Both sections are coptic bound using black waxed linen thread. The book has 160 pages total, or 80 pages per section; the paper stock is acid-free, smooth eggshell and text weight.

Bombing for peace is like..... Super-cute and stealth-cheek minibag

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:37:58 -0500

$35.00
This adorable knit minibag sports a semi-stealth and slightly sanitized version of a popular Vietnam War-era, anti-war protest slogan: "Bombing for peace is like shagging for virginity". (I'm sure you can guess what word "shagging" is replacing!)

I'm calling this item "stealth cheek" since the bag is small (5" square) and the words at first glance appear as if they could be typical girly-girl embroidery and one has to look a little closer to get the message. :o)

The bag is knitted from a lovely wool/alpaca blend yarn in black, and the words and graphic are hand embroidered onto the front surface (pearl grey for the words, metallic silver for the bomb and deep red for the no-circle). The strap has a 12" drop (so it actually can be worn over the shoulder) and is a nice, stitched black pleather (synthetic) material. It attaches to the bag via rings that are sewn securely to the inner side seams.

The bag is lined with gorgeous silky Liberty lawn fabric in a black and white flower pattern. I've also added a bit of interfacing, so you can carry your phone, camera, wallet, etc. without worrying about the bag stretching out of shape. The bag closes with two small snaps.

By the way, if you love this but just MUST have the original un-sanitized slogan, email/convo me and I'd be happy to make you one of your very own. It's too much fun embroidering obscenities!

Bag details:
Size - approx 5" square (see photo with CD for scale -- CD not included)
Strap - approx 12" drop (strap measures approx 24" ring to ring)
Two snaps for closure - opens wide to give good access to the interior (see photos).
Lined/faced - strong enough to hold your wallet, card case, phone, camera, pda, etc.

Material details:
Yarn: Valley Yarn Berkshire Bulky - black
85% wool/15% alpaca, made in USA

Lining: Liberty Tana lawn - "Toria" pattern
100% cotton, superfine weave, made in England

Embroidery: Presencia Finca Mouline floss - grey, red, metallic silver
100% Egyptian mercerized cotton - made in Spain

Carnelian, black onyx and bali sterling silver bracelet and earring set