Everything New is Old Again

Everything new is old again. One of my favorite backwards sayings. Believe it or not, I'm actually an old fashioned kind of girl. I like to take things slow... take my time... savor the moment. Not all this rush-rush-rush we have today. So I like to surround myself with things that remind me of a simpler time. Antiques, collectibles and, well... junk. The older-looking the better I like it. But I can't always find what I'm looking for. Either the items are out of my price range, smell a little funky, or just too rare to obtain.

And that's when the fun starts! I get to take something new and make it look old and dirty and dusty and unkempt and disheveled and like it's been kept in Grandma's attic (or perhaps basement) for decades! Such is the case with my most recent acquisition... a dress form.

Before and After

I searched high and low for an antique dress form to use as a model for my jewelry making. But, alas, there were none that met my criteria. So I gave in and ordered a new version, with the intention of transforming it into something vintage. And that, I did. Over the course of a few days, I dyed it with tea, aged it with espresso and spritzed it with a watery mix of Van Dyke Brown acrylic paint... letting it drip dry in the sun (although I think I scared the mailman once or twice when I left it in the alleyway!). I sanded it, stamped on it, and went back over it way too many times! I even took an old page from a math book and added it to the neck (I thought it looked like a measurement chart. And of course I had to distress that as well.

Sometimes it's just the simplest of details...

Look at those beautiful, decades-old looking discolorations...

 Every diva needs a pair of wings...

Sticking my neck out...

Why 42? Because I'm 42!

All-in-all this was one of my favorite projects to do. I love aging things just right because it's impossible! Huh? That's right, these techniques are so unpredictable that you never know how they'll turn out, and you are just going to have to course correct. Kind of like life...

Photos: All photos by Michelle Bernard, with the exception of: Original Dress Form picture courtesy of MannequinHub.com

Ruffle Your Feathers... at Bird!

Hey everyone... if you are in the area, come on down to Asbury Park, Saturday, May 29th for the Grand Re-Opening of Bird—an eclectic retail establishment with a brand new space 10 times larger! It really is "grand"! Owner Leigh Grahill will be your gracious host as you peruse the racks of her personal line of Artwear, as well as funky vintage clothing that she "rescues and re-designs." You'll also find a plethora of jewelry, accessories, artwork and decor items—in every flavor you can imagine... oh, and several pieces of my mixed media art will be there for sale.

To celebrate, Bird will be entertaining you at 8pm and 10pm with ever-so-talented vocalists, informal fashion shows, and plenty of acting out! Then finish the night around 11pm with Man Up, one of the most popular local Rap acts... This is one Grand Opening you'll want to leave the nest for!

Bird
707 Cookman Avenue
(on the first block from Main St.)
Asbury Park, NJ 07712

Tighe One On...

Yesterday, I went to the Cirque du Asbury Fashion show at Langosta Lounge on the Asbury Park boardwalk. The show's theme was a circus/vaudeville one... featuring tons of clothing from local retailers. So I couldn't pass it up. Funny thing though... I was totally enthralled by the performers (although I did love the fashions and plan on going shopping soon!). This talented young lady swallowed fire, rocked out to techno music with these cool weighted thingys and raved with some day-glo streamers too. And I love those pants! Impromptu emcee Tighe Swanson (a vaudevillian himself!) kept us all entertained while the fashionistas walked the runway. It was really a great show!

Edited 7/23/09: Okay, I did some research and those "cool weighted thingys" are called sock poi. I just ordered a set, plus the swingers (the ones with streamers), and a DVD from Luxotica. I am so excited!