Let's try something a little different!

Okay, let's try this.  I wanted to do something picture-heavy and topical today, but I'm not in the mood to code a Treasury Wednesday (on Friday), so let's play clothing-and-jewelry pairings.  I don't get to do this much in real life, since I'm the youngest of my coworkers in a fairly conservative area, so virtual dress-up it is.

For the pretty base pieces in this post, I'm using Maxi dresses from Goddiva.  Just in the interests of disclosure.

Let's start with this little mesh-insert number, which -- yes -- is sort of daring for many people, but could easily go sci-fi (Inara cosplay, anyone?) to pull it off:



It's actually transparent, not silver; that's the mannequin.  Which leaves us with any metal option we desire.  How shall we make this fantastic?  I'm thinking with a big steampunk statement necklace like this one:


Sorry, sold to a pretty lady at Upstate Steampunk!

And maybe a jeweled belt, like this nice vintage example, which would suit either the teal or the red version of the dress and, in either case, introduces another high-contrast color that would be fantastic in a draped shawl, or as earrings:

Available here from Nana's Cottage House Antiques.

Instant sleek space-opera sci-fi -- or maybe even bustle it up over a constrast underskirt and see what happens.

Less costume and more couture, you say?  Fine.  Look at this peacock-patterned garment:



You could actually wear this under a waist-length leather jacket and calf-high boots, and have a bit more of a casual-elegant look on a spring day.  Try it with a necklace that adds more visual weight to the top half of the ensemble. For this purpose, I can't decide if I prefer the knotted linen from Grey Heart of Stone on the top or the repurposed bridle rosette from Funkyjunkmama below:



Probably the bridle rosette.  It picks up the colors attractively without blending in, and has a sturdier, heavier look that will contrast well with the dress's airiness.  Hey, both!  No?

On warmer days, this dress of course demands a light shrug and a cool big bracelet like this one:


Available here with matching earrings here.

As a matter of interest ...

While my suppliers are trying to calm everyone, the laws of supply and demand would indicate that turquoise prices are going to hit the roof again like they did in the 1980s.  China is going to be dramatically slowing its production of turquoise rough -- a couple of sources are suggesting that that country's output may fall by as much as 75%.


Available here.

While this is no doubt exaggerated, it has some interesting implications.  A lot of turquoise miners are going to lose their jobs -- but the loss of life in mining should slow too.  The environment around some of the turquoise mines should improve.

And as for what this will do in the jewelry industry ... well, turquoise was recently a Pantone Color of the Year, and it is still exceedingly popular, since it fits both the fruity jelly-bean shades that are in everything this year and the dustier ones predicted for next summer.  As the prices rise, we may see a surge in substitutes, like dyed or undyed howlite, which pleases me -- I much prefer howlite.  Turquoise may be found in fine jewelry more often than casual jewelry by the end of this decade -- as it becomes priced as a luxury, it may be paired with sterling, gold, and precious stones more often than leather, fiber, and bone.  That could conceivably redefine tribal/ethnic-inspired jewelry styles.

This will be interesting to see!

Unrelatedly, I am sick.  I do this every year, but usually I manage to weather it before the school year begins.  However, it's possible my body is still on California scheduling (UCR starts in late September) and thinks it's got plenty of time to be ridiculous.

Treasury Wednesday: The unsubtle beauties of lipstick red

I've wanted to try on a deep, lush, '40s-esque crimson lipstick since I was thirteen -- and no one will ever let me. Longtime readers will not be at all surprised that makeup is a world I treat with half-dismissive, half-deferential wariness, being not any good at it myself, so I'm not entirely sure why.

This is a tribute to one of my favorite character archetypes: The no-nonsense, sensual modern femme fatale. I like stories where efficiency is made into something that's desirable and hot. Some say this makes me a bad feminist.

My favorite item is that fantastic shoe photo in the first slot. There's a lot of great photography in this treasury, vintage-inspired styled shots and nice crisp white backgrounds. It was a fun challenge balancing all the shades of red across the columns, too!

'I Like to Make You Suffer' by Scribblegoat

Sultry slinky dresses, strumpet-red lipstick, heels and red wine and vixenish behavior. Sexy handmade and vintage-inspired designs.

Hello Ladies- Signe... AliciaBock $35.00	Teardrop cocktail h... hellostrumpet $25.00	Signed print, &quot... Lovinda $33.00	Small Lipstick Trac... Samskiart $40.00
K.Antoinette Signat... kantoinette $40.00	Irony - Natural Red... pdxblacklipsti... $9.00	The Red Stockings E... ArtByO $15.00	3 Lipstick Soaps F... sweetsoaptreat $3.50
Silk Mistress Knick... MistressCollec... $45.00	Skirt Altered Red P... bytheway $25.00	Red Leather Hartman... judeslore $160.00	Framed Real Lipstic... BentheButterfl... $16.00
Killer Heels... Lar... emmakisstina $200.00	Handmade 1940s dres... UnforgettableY... $89.00	Lipstick - Velvet C... thetwistedcow $19.00	Vintage Black See T... ragdollady55 $

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Treasury Wednesday: Everyone loves some tentacles! Also birds.

Part of a series of treasuries I did which took the most overdone motifs in jewelry and found fresh interpretations of the same themes. I wanted to find sellers who were putting time, effort and creativity into working with popular motifs, instead of adding a jump ring and purchased chain to the Hobby Lobby pendant and dropping the result on Etsy with a copyright notice. I realize that sounds very negative; it was less motivated by anger than by a desire to emphasize the many, many real designers who are fashion-attentive but fresh, and whose exquisite work is available on Etsy.

I did red poppies (remember those Ohai I'm Modern Art enameled pendants?)and then the swooping swallows that are absolutely bloody everywhere. This one took the longest; it's so hard to find anything tagged "swooping bird" or "swallow" that isn't one of the same two tattoo-inspired components. The second photo is my favorite; it's the classic shape, yes, but the bird is made of an upcycled measuring tape. So clever! The yellow tee is actually the same tattoo silhouette, but I liked the clever inscription so much it had to go in.

'Motifs, Reinvented II: Swooping and Soaring' by tangopig

Highlighting both newer shops and older ones exhibiting truly unique artistry, a series of fresh takes on old standbys -- no two alike. In this edition, interesting and labor-intensive takes on the ubiquitous flying swallows that speak of hope and freedom.

A custom pair of lo... orlydesign $95.00	Blue Bird Necklace ... yasminellis $64.00	Yellow Blue Stripe ... johnwgolden $12.00	The Tattooed - Wool... woolville $26.00
Content- Bird print amberalexander $18.00	Tree with Birds - V... ModernDecals $30.00	Uzumaki-- Original ... TheStrangeBird $275.00	Blue Bird Glass Pen... APOCALIPSTICKA... $20.00
Yellow and Blue Lea... jewelrybystace... $7.00	Rio - 8x10 redbeandesign $25.00	Violet Swallow Quee... TheNightjar $20.00	Itsy Bitsy Bluebird... DeliciousHobo $13.00
orange/blue/green s... SweetTrash $17.00	Happiness is Perfec... onegearclothin... $18.00	Tattooed Sky- Blue... FACEtheWALL $20.00	Vinyl Wall Sticker ... urbanwalls $45.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

Then I decided it was time to honor those who have rethought the Vernian octopus. I was hoping to find that octopus stamping (yes, the one you're thinking of) somewhere in a really unique and different design, but I couldn't.

'Motifs, Reinvented III: Spectacular Tentacular' by tangopig

Highlighting both newer shops and older ones exhibiting truly unique artistry, a series of fresh takes on old standbys -- no two alike. In this edition, unusual uses and re-envisionings of the long-suffering steampunk octopus.

Ascension. octopus ... schin $18.00	Leather Octopus Eye... SnappingDragon $36.00	Gorgeous Sea Green ... skybirdarts $130.00	Ghost of Cthulhu Mo... ArtsiBitsi $40.00
Reversible Recycled... TrilbyMade $25.00	Monster Coffee Mug ... wildcardpotter... $28.00	Octopus embroidered... audelaine $15.00	SPRING SALE JAPAN D... Leviticus $54.60
Green Octopus Art P... thedreamygiraf... $18.00	TOUCHED In The HEAD... blobhouse $50.00	Small Glass Octopus... EmergentGlassw... $30.00	Celery Squidy Neckl... PurpleToedGyps... $24.00
SALE Giant Pacific ... TileGoddess $20.00	Green Octopus- 8x8 ... karingrow $18.00	Cephalopod Sconce jtopolski $150.00	Jade Octopus Neckla... noadi $30.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.