Midsummer Sale

Fantastic vintage Bally bag. For sale HERE

Perfect for.. well, everything.

I'm a big fan of bally, sling backpacks, and black with gold hardware.

I love how relevant this style still is!

New Tank Design

Here's my newest design, printed on a dark-gray racerback tank top. I'm quite pleased with the results- this was one of those designs I wasn't sure would work. I'm relieved to find that I recognize the design as a pair of flowers.. however, this has yet to be confirmed by anyone else.

I've shied away from printing flowers for far too long- my last attempt involved an ill-placed pair of flowers in a disgusting shade of pink. My mom loved the reject shirt, so rather than throwing it out, I let her have it. I've been haunted by it ever since. This is what happens in a loving & supportive family when things go horribly wrong. She also acquired an early flower-printed tote bag, which she carries to the co-op whenever possible.

(That is actually a circle- perhaps I should have given the top an iron before photographing!) 

Available here

Fabric & Leather Totes

Last fall and over the winter, I went through a phase of fabric dyeing.. I really enjoyed the process and the results, although I was never able to get the same outcome twice. This is a lot like baking for me. And interestingly enough, the parallels don't stop there- both baking and dyeing will leave you with dirty pans and a completely destroyed kitchen.
Anything stainable will be stained. For weeks after, I hesitated to interact with strangers- it looked as if I was suffering from some rare skin disorder of the extremities. When they recommend you wear gloves, they do mean it..

Here's a tote bag I made from some of the canvas I dip-dyed, then paired with pebbled veg-tan leather and brass rivets. (no longer available, but I will be making something similar in the next few weeks..)

Summer Florals

Everything is beautiful and blooming here, despite the rain and uncharacteristically cold weather. 
I'm finally working on designs for summer- a little late to the game, but I've never taken a particularly organized approach to my creative work. And I'm a strong believer in wearing whatever I like, no matter the season. Of course 80% of my closet is filled with black and gray, which just enables me to ignore seasonal dressing.. I own very little "summer" clothing, though I love this time of year.

I'm in the process of designing several new silkscreen designs- I realize I've been printing the same things over and over for several years, so it's time for something fresh..

Here's my floral & geometric shape design- I haven't tried printing this yet, but it should look something like this if everything goes well.. This is by far the most photographic image I've tried printing, so I'm interested to see how it translates onto a screen. I love the hyper-realistic look of the flower, overlaying the simple shapes. I'll be sticking to black and white ink for this, though I may print it onto some coral or seafoam tops I have..

Back To Basics

Having survived our first snow storm here in the northeast, I'm finally reconciling myself to the fact that winter is inevitable. I've always gone into the late fall armed with a new fall-winter wardrobe of lovely, yet impractical items. High-heeled boots, thin blouses, and purely fashionable outerwear.

And then the cold sets in, and I end up desperately digging through my wardrobe for something, anything warm. And from there I'll spend weeks in layers of pilly polar fleece and sweatshirts, until sometime in mid to late winter, when I break down and buy the staples I've needed all along.

So here they are- classic pieces that I always come back to. Cabled sweaters, wool capes, simple leather accessories. The harshness of winter makes me stylistically go back to the basics- I lose the desire to deal with frivolous, glitzy designs, and pare my wardrobe down to just a few pieces with timeless appeal.

Another Etsy treasury, because I find them incredibly addictive.. Enjoy!

'Winter Favorites ' by betenoirevintage

Luxurious cables, leather and wool..

Brown Justin Western Boots MilkandMoon $35.99	Vintage Cropped Jacket With ... MaevenOnEtsy $128.00	1970s Shawl Collar Sweater /... FemaleHysteria $38.00	Kare Knits' Signature Ca... kareknits $4.90
Hand knit poncho, cable ponc... Kampsun $189.00	1960s Vintage DISTRESSED LEA... idigvintage $85.00	Boot topper pattern Boho Kni... bysol $5.00	Vintage Grey, Leather Satche... LarkVintage $49.00
Vintage 1960s 1970s WInter ... ms1mayo $98.00	Oversized Cable knit cowl Cr... Happiknits $98.00	Copper Metallic Vintage 70s ... empressjade $95.00	1960s cape / wool cape coat ... DearGolden $142.00
Vintage 1970s Lined Suede Le... FerryTaleTreas... $35.00	BROWN TWEED Winter TRENCH Co... HousewifeVinta... $169.00	Vintage Hand Knitted Aran & ... 5678Vintage $28.00	Grey Knitted Headband Ear Wa... mareshop $20.00

Treasury tool supported by the dog house

 

In the Interests of Research

Kim Basinger; her MENSA approved specs

Lust 4 Danger

  

 

Fridge poem from my sister's apartment. She won a Halloween costume contest last weekend, and her prize was vampire magnetic poetry. Needless to say, many risque poems ensued- I think we may have a vampire smut novella on our hands soon.. with a slightly limited vocabulary of 250 words. But do we really need more?