The Love Shop

Has your "get up and go"got up and gone?  Do you find yourself wishing for simpler times or divine guidance? Are you concerned that your bad mood is keeping you from getting all the nutrients from your multivitamin? If so, look no further than The Love Shop for remedy. Effervescent, expertly-designed prints will lift your spirits and bring a pop of personality to even the most austere living space. Based in Melbourne, this shop brings together dynamic messages, eloquent images and all-encompassing good karma. “This shop is my attempt at giving a little love to you and the world,” explains the founder of the Love Shop, “I’ve experienced some very challenging times over the past few years and throughout those times when things looked dark, I grabbed a hold of love and held on for dear life. I noticed that when I focused on love, I felt better. This was when the idea for the Love Shop was born.”

Literary inspiration for Love Shop artworks is varied, from Jane Austen and Edgar Allan Poe to the Beatles and the artist herself. A selection of matte and glossy archival papers in a range of easy-to-frame sizes make a poster or limited edition print from this shop a great gift for any occasion. It’s difficult not to feel renewed zest for life when looking at the gorgeous colors and uplifting messages that each artwork celebrates. But then that’s the point:

“I love nothing more than to utilise my experience in designing to create what I hope are artworks that bring you joy (and if I’m very lucky, maybe even inspire you). That’s my intention anyhow.”

Feel the love on Etsy by visiting:

http://www.theloveshop.etsy.com

or on Twitter:

http://twitter.com/yaytheloveshop

(Images from top: ""Love Poe" featuring two star crossed crows," "Deer Birdy," and "Bewitched" print in French Blue. All images courtesy of The Love Shop)

A Late St. Patrick's Celebration

The artist, like the God of the creation, remains within or behind or beyond or above his handiwork, invisible, refined out of existence, indifferent, paring his fingernails.


~from A Portrait of the Artist as A Young Man by James Joyce

The Black Spot Books

Like the London fog that shrouds everything in a Charles Dickens’ Bleak House, objects found in The Black Spot Books are touched with the marks of antiquity and care. Margaux Kent, the founder of this shop describes her penchant for materials with a history, explaining that she likes to work with “treasures found and recovered from misfortune and neglect, relics of the unusual, the confused and the macabre, cut and pulled and bound into wearable curiosities and inscribable keepsakes.”

The hand-bound book receives new life in the hands of this Philadelphia-based artist in more ways than one. Lined with hand-torn and individually stitched pages, the uniquely tactile journals and notebooks are also produced in miniature as petite charms and utilitarian necklaces. The components for these books come from myriad sources: “The leather I use has been bartered from farms in Ecuador, ripped from old chairs in Holland, taken from boots and shoes and saddles and bags and wallets, and found in abandoned houses across the United States,” says Kent. This practice not only adds a nostalgic mystique to these items, but makes them both green and animal-friendly.

In addition, this shop offers an assortment of found and vintage objects crafted into delicate jewelry, Victorian curiosities and intriguing prints and photographs.

To learn more about The Black Spot Books or to purchase items from this Etsy shop, please visit:

http://www.TheBlackSpotBooks.etsy.com

Also, please visit this shop on Twitter, Facebook and Blogspot:

http://twitter.com/TheBlackSpotBks


http://www.facebook.com/people/Margaux-Kent/1347784159


http://www.theblackspotbooks.blogspot.com/

(Images from Top: Autumnal Library 11 antique and scrap leather books for the neck black walnut, yellow ochre, burnt sienna, crimson, sap green and soot; The Jellyfish 1885 Victorian etching journal covered in vintage deerskin; The Hester Pryne Necklace. All images courtesy of The Black Spot Books.)

"A child said, What is the grass?"

A child said, What is the grass? fetching it to me with full
 hands;
How could I answer the child?. . . .I do not know what it
 is any more than he.

I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful
 green stuff woven.

Or I guess it is the handkerchief of the Lord,
A scented gift and remembrancer designedly dropped,
Bearing the owner's name someway in the corners, that we
 may see and remark, and say Whose?




Or I guess the grass is itself a child. . . .the produced babe
 of the vegetation.

Or I guess it is a uniform hieroglyphic,
And it means, Sprouting alike in broad zones and narrow
 zones,
Growing among black folks as among white,
Kanuck, Tuckahoe, Congressman, Cuff, I give them the 
same, I receive them the same.

And now it seems to me the beautiful uncut hair of graves.

~from Walt Whitman

KM Stitchery

An explosive mix of feminist imagery and history, ethical and green practices and artistic vision, KM Stitchery makes apparel with a social agenda. Each screen-printed item from this shop depicts a luminary figure in the women’s movement. “I think it's important to recognize, acknowledge and admire women who have fought for women's rights and who have broken through gender barriers,” says the founder of this shop, “clothing is a great way to spread the message of feminism. I am sick of seeing male revolutionaries revered and plastered on t-shirts, but not hearing much about female revolutionaries!” Simone de Beauvoir, Audrey Lorde, Sylvia Plath, Gertrude Stein, Frida Kahlo and Charlotte Perkins Gilman are just a few of the feminist faces that grace KM Stichery’s hip assortment of t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts and tunics.

KM Stitchery is also unabashedly green--using creatively repurposed recycled materials for everything from hang-tags and business cards to mailing materials and fabric clothing tags. Even her iron and ironing board were saved from a dumpster! “Being environmentally-friendly and sweatshop free is important to me!” proclaims the designer behind this shop. All designs are printed on recycled clothing in pristine condition, making each design from this shop not only green, but absolutely one-of-a-kind. In addition to imaginative reuse, designs are printed with water-based, non-toxic ink and this shop’s business cards are stamped with environmentally-friendly stamps.

KM Stitchery is fabulous destination for eye-popping designs that celebrate women who have changed our world as well as an informative site to learn more about figures that patriarchal history has forgotten.

To purchase items or to learn more about this shop, visit:

http://www.kmstitchery.etsy.com

Other ways to explore KM Stitchery:

Blog: http://kmstitchery.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/kmstitchery


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/KM-Stitchery/108575778065?ref=ts


(From Top: Charlotte Bronte Hand-stenciled T-shirt; Sylvia Plath Hand-stenciled Shirt; Charlotte Perkins Gilman Hand-stenciled  Shirt. All images courtesy of KM Stitchery.)

In the Spirit of Halloween...

She was a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of glee. And evil was the hour when she saw, and loved, and wedded the painter. He, passionate, studious, austere, and having already a bride in his Art; she a maiden of rarest beauty, and not more lovely than full of glee; all light and smiles, and frolicsome as the young fawn; loving and cherishing all things; hating only the Art which was her rival; dreading only the pallet and brushes and other untoward instruments which deprived her of the countenance of her lover. It was thus a terrible thing for this lady to hear the painter speak of his desire to portray even his young bride. But she was humble and obedient, and sat meekly for many weeks in the dark, high turret-chamber where the light dripped upon the pale canvas only from overhead.


~From "The Oval Portrait" by Edgar Allan Poe

Lisa Victoria

Spanning many cultures and centuries, the lore of the dragon, mermaid and fairy still pervade world myth and fairytale. The art of San Francisco-based artist Lisa Victoria brings a new point of view to depicting these ancient and mysterious creatures. With a wink of good humor, an eye for subtle color harmonies and enviable technical skill Lisa creates fantasy illustrations of breath-taking luminosity. Coveted by international and domestic collectors, Lisa’s paintings embody a range of techniques in including watercolor, acrylic and mixed media. Lisa has been working as a professional artist since 1999 and earned her MFA in illustration from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.       

Offerings from her shop include original paintings, miniatures, prints, postcards, ACEO cards, note cards, magnets and stamps. In addition to individual artworks and craft items, Lisa has brought her unique style to children’s books as the illustrator of “A Simple Brown Leaf” (2005), recipient of The Mother’s Choice Award, and “Clara’s Gift from the Heart” (2006).

To learn more about Lisa Victoria or to purchase items from her shop, please visit http://www.lisavictoria.etsy.com or http://www.lisavictoria.net. Become her fan on Facebook by visiting http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Victoria/86960201538.

(Images, from top: Crescent Wave Mermaid, Bedtime Tales, Friendship Fairy. All images courtesy of Lisa Victoria.)

Regency Shoplifting

In August of 1799, Jane Austen's aunt, "the respectable Mrs Leigh Perrot, was accused of shoplifting. It seems that a piece of white lace was 'accidentally' wrapped in a parcel of purchases that she had made with her husband. When the case was eventually brought before the Taunton Assizes the verdict was 'not guilty' and it appears that this was a blackmail attempt by the shop. Nevertheless, Mrs Leigh Perrot had been charged with attempted larceny and committed to the Ilchester gaol from August 1799 until the trial in March 1800 [...] Had she been found guilty the sentence could have been fourteen years transportation or even death"!
~from Jane Austen Fashion by Penelope Byrde

On Learning to Read

"When I caught the mumps, I couldn’t read; when I went back to school again, I could. The first page of The Hobbit was a thicket of symbols, to be decoded one at a time and joined hesitantly together…. By the time I reached The Hobbit’s last page, though, writing had softened, and lost the outlines of the printed alphabet, and become a transparent liquid, first viscous and sluggish, like a jelly of meaning, then ever thinner and more mobile, flowing faster and faster, until it reached me at the speed of thinking and I could not entirely distinguish the suggestions it was making from my own thoughts. I had undergone the acceleration into the written word that you also experience as a change in the medium. In fact, writing had ceased to be a thing—an object in the world—and become a medium, a substance you look through."

-from The Child That Books Built by Frances Spufford

rEVOLV3r Apparel

If the walls of rEVOLV3r apparel could talk, apparently they would speak with the voice of literary genius. This Etsy shop’s striking wall decals bring thoughtfully selected quotes, and crisp images to any wall in your house. Choose quotes from authors including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, Aristotle or William Butler Yeats. This shop also offers decals with imagery culled from popular culture ranging from The Big Lebowski to Audrey Hepburn, as well as geometric patterns, cityscapes and imagery from nature. Other items in this shop include apparel, specialty belt buckles and decals for cars and laptops.

“All wall decals are made from durable vinyl rated to last 5 years outside and virtually forever inside,” says the founder of this Delaware-based shop, “These are easily applied to any smooth clean surface and will instantly transform any space you put them on.” A truly novel and inspired idea to bring personality (and literature) to your everyday surroundings!

To learn more or to purchase an item from rEVOLV3r Apparel, please visit: http://www.revolv3rapparel.etsy.com.

(Photos, from top: WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS Quote Vinyl Wall Decal Room Décor, Karl Marx Political Icon Wall Decal Wall Art, HENRY DAVID THOREAU Vinyl Poem Wall Decal Room Décor. All images courtesy of rEVOLV3r Apparel.)

"On Sitting Down to Read King Lear Once Again" by John Keats

O golden-tongued Romance with serene lute!
Fair plumed Syren! Queen of far away!
Leave melodizing on this wintry day,
Shut up thine olden pages, and be mute:
Adieu! for once again the fierce dispute,
Betwixt damnation and impassion'd clay
Must I burn through; once more humbly assay
The bitter-sweet of this Shakespearian fruit.
Chief Poet! and ye clouds of Albion,Begetters of our deep eternal theme,
When through the old oak forest I am gone,
Let me not wander in a barren dream,
But when I am consumed in the fire,
Give me new Phoenix wings to fly at my desire.

Yardia

The swirling fabrics and delicate patterns of Regency and Victorian dresses are juxtaposed with the witty phraseology of the women who wore them in this elegant Etsy shop. Yardia is the creation of Seattle-based artist and teacher, Brigida Swanson. Offerings in her shop include original pen and ink drawings, limited-edition Gocco prints, hand-printed cards and card sets, and embellished moleskine journals.

“I'm currently obsessed with making art inspired by nineteenth century apparel and literature,” says Swanson, “especially that of my favorite writer, Jane Austen.” Her current assortment of artworks includes words of wisdom from literary greats Emily Dickinson, Charlotte Bronte, William Shakespeare and, of course, Jane Austen. Expertly-selected Romantic pastel and Victorian jewel-toned papers complement specialty inks on each carefully-crafted and delicate design—artwork that recalls the intensive workmanship and intimate intricacies of a Victorian gown.

To purchase items from Yardia’s Etsy Shop or to learn more about Yardia, please visit: http://www.yardia.etsy.com. If you’d like to become a fan of Yardia on Facebook, please visit:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Yardia/81426801701.

(Photos (from top): Charlotte Bronte print - Upward (violet), Jane Austen Print – Do Not Faint, Jane Austen Card – Only of You. All Photos Courtesy of Yardia.)

Hansel and Gretel's Crumbs

"They did not awake until it was dark night, and Hansel comforted his little sister and said: 'Just wait, Gretel, until the moon rises, and then we shall see the crumbs of bread which I have strewn about, they will show us our way home again.' When the moon came they set out, but they found no crumbs, for the many thousands of birds which fly about in the woods and fields had picked them all up. "

-From Hansel and Gretel by the Brothers Grimm

Sack Religious

When eighteenth-century Shakespeare scholar, Edmund Malone, scissored-out portions of invaluable Elizabethan documents “to retain as keepsakes" before they were returned to their owners, he marred these books forever and created a storm of resentment.* 200 years later, the craftswoman who created Sack Religious, mutilated the Bible, removing every single page, to create something…beautiful.

Sack Religious features a surprising assortment of items made from book components, including messenger bags, clutches, purses, wallets, frames, decorative boxes and shadow boxes. Each piece is made entirely by hand, with an eye to craftsmanship and a wink of good humor.

No part of a book is safe from this innovative, creative-reuse artist: text pages, book covers, illustrations and even sheet music are all crafted into something new and utilitarian.

“To some, it may seem a little savage to mutilate books,” says the owner of this Etsy shop, “A little sacrilegious, if you will. Others, however, know that a great book is much, much more than a great read. I'm no bibliocidal maniac because these books aren't dead, they're reborn.”

To find out more about Sack Religious or purchase an item from this shop, please visit: http://www.sackreligious.etsy.com. Sack Religious items are also featured on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sack-Religious-Handbags/70478852736?ref=share) and MySpace (http://www.MySpace.com/SackReligiousHandbags).

(Photos (from top): Orange Vintage Reader’s Digest Handbag, Alice in Wonderland Book Illustrations Vinyl Bag, Shakespeare Lovers Photo Frame. All Photos courtesy of Sack Religious.)

*From: Shakespeare: World as Stage by Bill Bryson

Mark Twain: Adam at Eve's Grave

"At Eve's Grave

ADAM: Wheresoever she was, THERE was Eden."

-from Extracts from Adam's Diary, vol. 2

Ephemeralogie

The brain-child of a retired librarian and “certified bibliophile,” Ephemeralogie is a tribute to the visual legacy of books and print, as well as the transitory nature of these items. Vintage images, photographs and literary ephemera are hand-crafted into the unique and one-of-a-kind paperweights and coasters featured in this shop. “I’m always on the hunt for “bookish” gifts,” says the founder of this shop, Jennifer Johnston, “and because they’re so hard to find, I thought it would be fun to create my own.”

Pressed under glass, the images used in Ephemeralogie's paperweights are diverse, ranging from famous authors to library décor, from old-school card catalogs to black and white photos of people engrossed in books. These art objects will delight individuals interested in antique imagery and booklovers alike, serving to organize and protect our contemporary ephemera for generations to come.

To learn more about Ephemeralogie and purchase items from this shop, please visit http://www.ephemeralogie.etsy.com.

(Photos from top: Edgar Allan Poe Glass Paperweight, Circulation Desk Glass Paperweight, Library Cat Paperweight. All photos courtesy of Ephemeralogie.)