80s Baby

rs cover courtesy ofsharmadeanreid.com

black and white II

Soccer Team,Adaban, Iran

Colette Saint Yves

Vintage Fetish Fighting Photo

Petra by James Anthony

Mouth Watering Swedish Auction House

My mouth is watering...not for Swedish Meatballs, but for this place.

He was a poet

"...and he could not commit to me. At least that was his excuse for being unfaithful, that he was an artist, a true lover of all. He was so willing to give all of himself to get lost in another, all to wake up in a random bed and do it again. Empty fool, he was. I smashed his mother's harp on my way out the door and left on a morning train."

New nostalgia in the shoppe...

Merci a Kaight NYC

Basically a fashion staple downtown has given me a great shout out on her fantabulous blog:
http://kaightnyc.blogspot.com/2010/11/these-coins-will-make-you-blush.html

AND...now carries The Hand of Fatima Design at the Orchard Street Location. Stop in, the Brothel Token Collection is buzzin'.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxxooxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxooxxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Feliz Dia De Los Muertos....

Absolutely enchanted. Some day I hope to be in Mexico on this day. What a rich and beautiful part of Mexican/Mayan culture. My Dad said to me yesterday, "You should have gone to the festival in East Harlem. I like that Mayan thing, it's great." LOL. If you only knew what that meant coming from my dad! Who will you honor today? Even though I am not Mexican or Mayan, I celebrate this to the fullest, let the ofrendas be built and the ancestors be pleased with us.




ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF Flickr.com!!! Artists copyright on these photos.
Johnathan Barker:http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbphotographer2/
John 300: http://www.flickr.com/photos/john3000/2982471924/
Steve Hopson: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stevehopson/

Smut and Surprise

Back for the holidays and available for wholesale to brick and mortars...the brothel token series of vintage necklaces! Reclaim yo fame in your crew, they'll wild out over these coins of thunder! Buy online in the shop and you get one chosen randomly for you.

Eye See You....

There is something undeniably intriguing about conspiracy and the history of organizing around the theory of ruling the world. How's this image for you? This is from a few years ago, fashion photographer Emma Summerton took it, I love it. Who is watching? Why? If they are should we care? I guess if they are, we might as well look dam good, check it...get your Masonic on:

I wanna apologize...

these boots were made for walking and they're gone! Too bad for you and I who adored them so, they're on their way to New Orleans.
Speaking of NOLA, you all know I am obsessed and fascinated with Louisiana, my hubby sends me a link to this:


So that's a Victorian style Shotgun house. He's sick of the grit and the over-stimulation of NYC...though this city, my city, is so magical and full, it is also rude, and quite harsh at times. With two children, it's a challenge indeed. But even more of challenge with two babes is to pick up and relocate away from all one knows, where most of my family is etc. While if we were still just us two minus our joyful babies, I would entertain the idea in a heartbeat...but at the same time, I would hate to be an occupier, like an non-native taking someone's home after Katrina, ya know?

I'm Baaaaaa-aaaack

Creativity can be soooooooooooooooo scarce when a well deserved break is needed. I am amped up and ready to move one way...forward. Check out the fresh blood in the shop!

wow

another inspiring picture from mr. jacob riis who has newly brought great inspiration into my life with his turn of the century new york city (particularly 5 points area) photography.

la petit chose.

some little treasures make there way to the shop just in time for Valentine's Day...My little collection of vintage charms salvaged from a New England warehouse on simple gold filled chains were a HIT during the holidays. People adored these simple, yet unique pieces and layered up with them or wore them single. The tiny skeleton key is really something, what's great is that on the gold filled chain the gunmetal patinated charm pops, as does the tiny copper padlock. Practical price of $20 for the key alone, $23 for the combo. Also wholesale available for my beautiful boutique buyers.
xoxoxoxoxooxxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxxooxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxxoxo

inspire.

A vintage tarot card sits above my work desk these past four weeks and wants to dance with me. The Chariot...I am a lover of all things Egyptian, and this card is all things Egyptian+Circus+Symbols, and I love it. My aunt on my mother's side (one of my grandmother's eleven children) is a clairvoyant tarot reader, and I will say this, she was the one person that believed EVERYTHING that nobody else believed when I was a child. All the mysteries of my youth she accepted with a smile. My grandmother on my father's side was also able to do things, she read fortunes of everyone in the room from there small cups of Turkish coffee. In most Middle-Eastern cultures, when you're done with the post-dinner coffee, you flip it over and it reveals a depiction or text then read by the special lady in the house. Ancient, ancient practices that humanity has meshed into the contemporary state of their cultures..quite amazing how inspiration molds who we are.

A little reminder: Sunday Love in Williamsburg, that happens to carry THoF jewelry, was once a Fortune Teller's home and work place on the gritty Grand Avenue...stop on in NYCers and go through a warp, a mirror pool so to speak:
Sunday Love
624 Grand Street
BROOKLYN

Blogging, Patti Wilson and VOGUE....

Ya'know...really need to get with it...I've been one of those that kind of was a non-believer when it came to blogs...i mean c'mon blogs are not hard to come by, saturation of fashion blogs and "look what my kid can do" blogs...and political blogs, they're just everywhere from everyone. I started this blog because sometimes I come across cool things I wanna share...and I'd like to say I make cool things I wanna share...and this past week I realized that I'd better get with the blog program and submit to its mystical power.

I was cleaning my toilet the other day...seriously, when a request for some items came in from non other than stylist extraordinare, Patti Wilson. The email from her Enterprise read "Patti Wilson, a stylist here in New York"...and out loud I was like "like I didn't know THE Patti Wilson!" The picture above in the blog post is one that I had blogged of in my first attempt @ blogging that was styled by Patti! It's one of my favorite fashion photos in the wonderous world...
So, it gets better, the pics that John, one of stylist on the team and her had seen were my Militaria brooches, that I only ever showed through the BLOG...
Now what were they pulling them for? A shoot styled by Miss Patti for VOGUE Italia shot by non other than Emma Summerton!!! Trust when I tell you, you've seen Emma Summerton's photography before if you're into fashion, wiki her and links come up to her ridiculously beautiful work. Let's hope they get used, huh? You know how it goes!

I raise my glass...of sparkling water to Patti for supporting indie, handmade, local NYC (homegrown at that) designer and artist like me, it means a hella lot.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOOXOXXOXOXO

::BUST:: Spring Fling

Hey you and you and you! So, the BUST show was fun, I want to share some new great designers I finally got to talk to and some I discovered, that will come in the coming days...but the consensus is that all of us indie artists are really feeling the hurt of the economy. So many great supporters came out, and so many were there for fun, jobless. Three, yes, three of my customers came to say hello, and had lost their jobs. I know that so many great people will rewarded for there patience and hard work.
Here are some pictures of the day we spent at the WARSAW in Crooklyn, thanks for all you fantabulous folks that chilled with us.

***You'll see the line of fascinators and the hat I made with a mink skull***



Dawn who used to work at BUST came buy and brought me some Swarovski crystals I love her and her cute self.

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.

Lucky Me, Lucky You

Luck...it seems that no matter who, pagans, monotheists, polytheists, all kinds of believers always believe in luck. Through out mankind's history we see evidence of this. Well, I was using the fifteen minutes of free time I have when the boys are eating breakfast (no wonder it's called "break-fast"), and snooped around Flickr to find these Hand of Fatima doors in southern Spain and Portugal where the Moors, Berbers and Arabs ruled for hundreds of years. These exquisite door handles were crafted into "hands of Fatima" as signs of luck to ward off evil and malice from the dwellers of each home. You can see the European spin on the style.

I chose the name The Hand of Fatima for many reasons, one main one being that everything is made by hand, another being I love the name Fatima, and finally, a little luck can't hurt, even when you're not the most superstitious person, why not cover your bases?


Photos from the following AMAZING photographers on Flickr...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/54427714@N00/395600505/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lxavian/3010927580/
jsprhmsn:bcn
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alfonsogamo/3456913496/in/pool-aldabasyaldabones

BUST Magazine Craftacular and Art Star Philly

Did I ever tell you, I fell in love in Philadelphia? It's true I left N.Y.C. and tried something new, went to school and met my soul mate in a public speaking class...I guess you can say the rest is "history" and the future.
Philadelphia is haunted. There are spirits and grimy tales everywhere around the ex-industrial city. Unfortunately historic and colonial Philly is plagued with bad management and issues of crime, so there are just warehouses, factories and empty turn of the century homes abandoned and decaying. However, the greatest testament to this city of spooks is The Divine Lorraine Hotel.
After my husband, and Clarke Park, I fell in love with this place. It's abandoned and stands isolated on Broad Street. If you look at it for too long, you will become entranced.

I'm sure that when corruption forces the locals to leave and city officials and realtors decide to gentrify that this beautiful and unique structure will be turned into luxury condos or knocked down, but I only hope that the Philadelphians will fight for it...and knowing many Philadelphians, they will. Boomer, who is like my brother, told me to ask his mother about what this place was like, and although she was just a child when it closed down, she told her mother's tales of its shine.

I would do many insane things to get inside this place. To get the key tags, the escutcheons, and just walk through the ghostly hallways and spider webs.
Why all the talk of Philadelphia?? Well, I'll be at the Art Star Craft Bazaar on May 30-31 (memorial day weekend) @ Penns Landing.

I can't wait to catch up with my peeps and walk around another haunted neighborhood, Northern Liberties, a friendly way to say the beginning of North Philly. If you ever want to see another spooked out hood try Kensington...you've gotta look at that place with a certain kind of eye to understand what I am talking about. You can almost see the steam rising above the abandoned factories off of Allegheny Avenue and down by Frankford Ave. You can just feel the grit, no women in corsets with wigs and Victorian lockets...work and workers, immigrants and natives building lives, legacy and a nation on creating things.


Next Sunday, May 17th...I will be at BUST Mag's Spring Fling in Brooklyn. I've added all these events to the calendar on the website. Love Love Love!!


*Thanks to Prof. Jas. Mundie on Flickr.com for this beautiful photo of the hotel. I found this artist's stream through google and am now inspired.

Fanciful Fobs and Circuses

Today I have two new creations in total contrast of one another. A minimalist, antique watch fob, hanging in all its gold filled Victorian glory, from a simple vintage brass chain, sprayed with faux pearls. Lovely no?
Next I have added to the shop a wild and eccentric mix of sordid sorts...a circus inspired charm fest, antique doll leg, antique secret society medal, chandelier prism, skeleton key, sterling clown, watch face!!
Very steampunk, very noir, very The Hand Of Fatima!

All Things Considered

All things considered...no, not Melissa Block and Michelle Norris, my life!
Wow, so alot is going on...so many political things in my other job, and in my first job as mother...some exciting new developments, Rami, at 10 and a half months walked!!! They want to make me work...hard.

So, spring is here, I have many a new additions to the line, and I have a secret stash that will be going up on my website by May 2009.

I've been focusing on a face lift of sorts, I am in the works for a new logo, a really exciting old piece of leather miniature from a special country came into my possession, and inspired me.

Also, the "mens" line, well what I meant to say was a line, marketed more towards men, but truly a, his, hers and them line. I am a feminist, so if I make something, it for a man, best believe it will also suit a woman...no pun intended. (suit...)

A new addition of head pieces will make there way to the website, fatimacouture.com.
Also, I have finally used those bones I've had. The line "Voodoo" is a take on the ever lasting drive for man/womankind to use other species for inspiration and mystical representation, along with the seedy diaspora of voodoo...sprinkle some mourning jewelery from the Victorian era, and voila!

I am sorry to all my vegans out there, but believe that these animals came from a professional taxidermist and were not killed for the bones, they were already dead, found or donated by an animal hospital.

I must say my vending over the holidays brought me in contact with some great new customers who offered great feedback. Many requested bones, and so many dudes were intrigued, which was a grand compliment.

Back to work!