Two Thousand and Ten

...or twenty ten? you be the "decider".
one day when you write a memoir nostalgically, you'll call it out in full, but maybe i will go with twenty ten for now!

i want to wish all of you love, freedom, joy and health this new year, but i wish it for you and those i love everyday. be good to yourself, and be good to your human family. i want to grow seeds that i planted in 2009 this year, i really do. i feel like this is my year to shine...for all of us in our different movements and projects.

so, i have two shows booked for february and i will post them as soon as i just confirm travel plans for one.

all my love!

Happy Halloween Y Feliz Dia De Los Muertos

Someday, I vow to go to Mexico during Dia De Los Muertos. It's amazing to see this infusion of indigenous culture with Catholicism. I can't tell you the fascination I have with this day. The color...the color!! I love Halloween so much fro the surrealism it brings into the mind of a child, to pretend and imagine in possibility. Unfortunately here on the streets of New York City, while we have a fantastic yearly parade, Halloween has become the following equation: skank+stank+1 gallon vodka=you're best friend holding your hair back while you puke on one of 1,000 "sexy cops"
I am all about originality baby, and there is so much, your eyes and heart have to be one sometimes to see it. Last night my husband (who is not pictured lol) had a blast. Above in the picture is Samii, who is absolutely the best belly dancer of the night in all of New York. That costume is an original, handmade in Bahrain, watch out you mass produced factory belly dancer costumes...chock full of pink organza...
As for me, I am hoping you can guess who I am...I was honored that I was received so well. I love you Frida, Yo te adoro! My hubby was Diego...let's just say that he had our son's Thomas the Tank Engine Pillow in his shirt to try and get that bulky look, lol.
Here's to La Vida...

San Francisco Fog

In July we were so awesomely able to participate in the Renegade SF craft show. Boy was it cold...my first time in Cali and I never expected to freeze. I knew San Fran would be cool, but wow, it was beyond that!!
Basically to sum it up, the Renegade show was great, San Fran has it's own very, very, very laid back vibe, and great progressive politics. My favorite thing out there was the friendliness of the people...wonderful people, and some crazies, but NYC is chock full of crazies too, however this was a different brand-o-crazy...

It is so all good!! Can't wait to go back...you can now find The Hand of Fatima @ Picnic on Polk Ave. in addition to Bettina in San Fran. Woot!! Here are some pics of the most awesome murals, and some other reminders of the foggy Bay city of legend!
The lovable, Harvey Milk, whose Castro Camera is now a modern shop with several low brow art pieces and handmade goods.

This was in the Castro, and so appropriate that it almost hurts...awesome.
And now some stuff from the Mission. I am a looooong time street art enthusiast and these allies of graffix are up to par in my book.

I. LOVE. THIS.

apothecary

So I have a new obsession...it's true, I am collecting old bottles, weird things that freak out my husband...and everyone else I know for that matter. I initially just wanted a few poison bottles for my display in London, because I needed something light to pack...it evolved into about 30 old clear and amber bottles. I am going to do a little line of amulet-style home goods for the other nostalgic art lovers like myself.



I will admit that the trip to London's Welcome Museum is one of my newest muses. When my PC is fixed I will have pictures up of this amazingly freakish exhibit I saw and the Medicine Man one as well. For now, I'll torture your eyes with my phone camera pics!

*I bought that little Phrenology head at the center in Notting Hill, where Taylor Swift was being nearly attacked by the paparazzi...oh, and Phrenology is a sucky theory, but I like the head.

Sleep

When I am with you, we stay up all night,
When you're not here, I can't get to sleep.
Praise God for these two insomnias!
And the difference between them.
-Rumi

I can't sleep these days, it's a combination of things I suppose. It's the haunting of unsettled feelings, inspiration and uncertainty...oh yeah, life!
It's not bad things, just bad that I can't peacefully rest while I have these ideas barraging me and working on my being. Creating is a gift to those that appreciate your work, you and the energy of the universe in general...it can also be a curse in that you become intoxicated with the feeling it gives you, and unable to desire other things with out completion of your creations.

Above is a poem from one of my all time favorite masters and one of my great inspirations, Mawlānā Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Balkhī...but you can call him Rumi.

Collection Preview

You'll see bits and pieces of a necklace called "The Great Depression" which features two vintage liquor tags in a tarnished sterling-plate, Bourbon and Scotch...three strands of vintage glass "pearl" beads in a smokey metallic finish hang below. Do you get it?? Who says you can't look like a million in an economic hell storm? I added at the top of the center rows two hand antiqued, vintage monogram tags for detail.

Also I have a new, c. 1908, fraternal Order of The Odd Fellows all seeing eye piece with an incorporated vintage rhinestone bead, very rare.
Another fraternal badge piece "Member" also turn of the 20th century, along with a Victorian key hanging below.
Finally, an Art Deco, filigree belt buckle (half), in steel with painted color and a French cut chandelier dropping below.
Oh...and yes, "The Most Worthy Auditress", two tiers of an antique fraternal badge, hanging Victorian 12k gold fill eye glasses, skeleton key and deco locket.

My Patron Saints- No.1

"Feet, why do I need them if I have wings to fly?"

I guess that term, "patron saint" would be the best way to describe the following inspirations of mine. I'll be writing about a few of my dearest idols over the coming weeks. Long before I even thought I would design and create jewelry I was mesmerized by the work...the life and the legacy of Frida Kahlo.

I don't quite know where to start on the enormous affection I have for this woman. It's true that I have never "met" Frida, but have I? Have I indeed met her through the legacy of work she has left me to see, all of us to see?
When I was pregnant with my first son, Amir, I translated her diary from Spanish to English , just so I could learn in depth her words. I begain collecting Muertos and Ofrendas, retratos of her, I became enthralled with her existence, her creations as I created my child.


When I think of the parallels between our lives, it gives me a bit of a chill. Without getting overly personal, both our beloved fathers suffer from a like illness, I too had a life changing tragedy physically as a teenage girl, and I too am involved with political activism. My love for my partner/husband/friend is that that I cannot explain, their is no corny card or gift that I can obtain to express it, it's deep and personal and evident as was her feeling for Diego, although he happens to be a womanizer...and I love monkies :) But Frida is Frida, I look to the commonalities of our lives as just that, commonalities, it's just my luck that I have the pleasure to even relate to her majestic life.

It's her way, talent and radicalness that leaves me in awe. The irony of this colorful art with the dark tales and the unequivocal beauty behind them is a gift to th world.

"I hope the exit is joyful - and I hope never to return"


In our bathroom.

Yo Momma and Mines

Happy Dia De Las Mamas!!!!
You better do right by yours, lord knows it can be hard, but so what love her crazy.
Painting:kmberggren.etsy.com

I went to a playground on the Hudson today, the babies played and ruined their clothes, my mom was there too...my husband cleaned the car and made me dinner. It was a great day.

Forgive Me!

I have been MIA!! I know, but you all have to understand, I have an entire secret life away from my jewelery inventing persona. LOL! Anyway, I have soooooooooooooo many new things coming to the shop, I also have been playing around with some things that are going to be a bit shocking...shhhh. More news when I actually bare fruit from the play. Hmmm. what else have we??
Good news and bad news: The oh so loved, "Bonded" human body casket tag bracelet will soon be discontinued. Unfortunately, well, you know what, I want to be diplomatic, let's just say I want designs that I choose (and actually can) to reproduce to be exclusive. So, good news, I am going to develop my mens line this month. I am so excited because at every show I do, I always have such enthusiastic fellows that would love stuff for themselves.

Happy belated New Year and Chinese New Year!!!
According to my girl Yin in Singapore, it's also the birthday of humanity today! Happy B-Day humanity!!!

Vibe-ing

i'm sitting here trying to work like a sweatshop kid for this BUST Magazine show...and I just cannot focus!!! AaaaaaaaaaaHHHHHHHHH! anyway i am realizing that i am a huge Santogold fan. i love her, so i am listening to her during this process of unfocused behaviors....
enjoy

The Hand of Fatima Design Loves Courtney Love

Thank you again Miss Love for supporting my work and the handmade movement.
The Hand of Fatima Design has been featured on the icon of style's Hot List.
Check it HERE.

Freedom of Womanhood

Wow, this film looks absolutely fantastical...I must see it.

Trunk Show and The Handmade Cavalcade

Hey! So I am kicking off the season of shows with an intimate trunk show with Chez Marie. The show was by invitation only (as requested by the coordinator and owner of the space). It will be all women and a variety of ages, from early twenties to fifties. I will have pics for you guys because I have started a new display format...I picked up some awesome vintage suitcases and my Mom is helping me to distress some newer wooden jewelery caddies. Fun stuff.
On another note, the first trade show I will be doing is The NewNew's
Handmade Cavalcade in Tribeca on Dec.6th...check out this fabulous graphic flyer designed by Jamie Boyle Ibrahim of bluestitchbooks.

Tags

I loooove adding tags to each design I produce. I always like to use something with a handmade look, the older the better. A nice application of decay always helps. I purchased some hand died tags back in September. They are dyed with coffee and also stamped with a vintage looking crown. They smell really nice too! I stamp the reverse with my business stamp, also, I add a vintage brass fleur de lys on it and tag my luxe line of products. Here's an example:
another:

Something New

I took some pics yesterday, some newbies that will be added to the Etsy shop this weekend...okay by Monday night. I have two kids, gimme some slack!!

Move Over Conchords...Summer Heights High!!

Oh my goodness...just when I thought I was over HBO series'...I discovered Summer Heights High yesterday while visiting my parents (who have HBO) and I am addicted. I was hysterical!!! This guy is just too much. I need real comedy in my life...or is my life real comedy? Either way, this is one of those shows that will have a cult following...or does it already? I am always late.
xo

Courtney Love Love

Thanks Miss Love-Cobain for the love and blogging about me! I told her that calling me "genius" means I can prove to my family I am somebody-hahahhaa!!!! Miss love certainly picked some of my favorites, and I hope she enjoys them, and I hope even more so she continues being inspired on for her new album dropping in January. Visit her at courtneylove.com or her Myspace.
Big shout out to the other two Etsy sellers she gives C-Love love to!!!

Maine Trip Part II

Mary and Nabil took us to "downtown" Portland, Maine where Nabil had to make some deals on the docks for the lobster he would later bestow upon us. Sadly, I would partake in their demise...as a first time lobster killer, I was a bit sad and guilt ridden after hearing tales that you can sometimes hear the lobsters "scream" when thrown in a pot....
Anyway, forgive me if you can, Arian told me to remember that they are "sea roaches" and that will help me get over it...it did. I must say Portland is exactly what I thought New England would be, it's soooo cute and a drunkerd/college kid/beer lovers' dreamland chock full of BEER, breweries, bars and more places to buy beer. I don't drink, neither do Nabil and Mary, but Arian enjoys an occasional swig. "When in Maine, do as Mainers do." and so he got a taste of some Geary's ale along with his "lobstah", and I think it was safe to say he was getting his Maine on.
Portland is full of quaint, lovely shops and boutiques without the bougieness. One shop I just fell in love with, they had everything from shoes to babywear, but not saturated with any one thing...I don't recall the name, but I will always remember it.We snapped some pics on the docs in front of the "Bait Shack" and also near a park in the center of the shoppes, was a time piece store! Wait until you see the sign they have. I am a total steampunk nut, and this thing is so cool, I wanted to grab it and put in my living room. Another thing that was so interesting during the whole experience was that the mood was set by fog and overcast, and in the dampness, surrounded by the brew and boats, I imagined the days when this land was just cultivating, revolting and booming with industry...Look at how far we have come. I am a first generation born American, Nabil has arrived roughly 2 years ago from Rahbat, Arian second generation American on one side and descended from slaves on the other, Mary tracing her roots to this land for so many generations, and we were all their on those New England docks like the Americans we all are...I was moved, with the election results spinning in my head and my own visions of witches and hoop skirts.


Please do NOT forget to visit MothDesigns

Maine Is "Wicked"....Eating Lobster and Moth Designs....

There is a picture that basically can sum up what we did this weekend. Arian, the babies and I packed up and headed up north Friday morning to Portland, Maine where two of our best friends call home. Mary Robbins Sibouih of Moth Design and her wonderful husband Nabil were gracious enough to host us for a fabulous time! We were greeted with love, smiles, tea, home baked cookies (like two dozen with lots of chips!) and we feasted on lobster, and home made chowder...or "chowdah". We had never been to Maine before and we have been really wanting to go and get out of the city this year, and it seemed that fall with all the beautiful leaves and change would be opportune.
We had a blast, but let me give you a few details that left me so inspired from the trip.
Mary and Nabil have a real love story. To sum it up, Mary was an art student at NYU and got a chance to travel to India, Senegal and Morocco where she had a host family and taught English, Nabil was part of that host family, and for a long while they equally looked past one another as nothing more then host brother and American sister so to speak...as time progressed something began to bloom and it was their love...anyhow, after living together in Morocco and Turkey, the journey has brought them back to Mary's hometown of S. Portland and to the house that raised her father and his siblings, which she and the Nabster (as I affectionately dub him), now own.


What a house. Built in 1916, it's beautiful, spooky and full of treasures...old fading books, advertisements on chipping wood boxes, her grandmother's costume jewels, creaky wood floors, spirits and hints of Rahbat. We were basically in love with this house, as if its natural way wasn't fantastic enough Mary has added her creativity and splashed it all around, with a retro, mod spin, primary colors and funk all around...this place runnith over with nostalgia. Take a look at a few pics I snapped....


The deer head oversees all the procedures in the moth studio! If you notice all the old cameras, that's from Mar's grandfather who was into film.

How about that sewing machine?? To die for. Alot of the antiques in the house still function.



And at last some of the Moth studio.