My, what large…3D printed antlers you have!

Another fun Christmas commission I can now write about (recipient is pleased, no spoilers, etc) involved a collaboration between myself and another very accomplished jeweler named Doug Bucci.  Mr. Bucci’s first role in my life was that of teacher: he taught my stone-setting class in college.  Being as Philadelphia is a small city and the artistic community a tightly woven one, Doug and I have loosely kept tabs on one another throughout the years, along with most of my other jewelry school survivors.   It felt like a war, sometimes, and we have the PTSD to prove it.

BUT.  I digress. Doug and several others in my jewelry clique have moved onto the art of 3D printing. An example of Doug’s outstanding work in the CAD arena:

 

Despite the fact that my studio-mate owns and operates one of these crazy newfangled things in the space we share together (I have seen it work with my own eyes), I cannot wrap my mind around this phenomenon.  I don’t quite care to.  I’ll let my hands do the talking and leave the techno stuff to the experts.  However, I am quite happy to endorse, receive and benefit from the articles produced by these machines.  (Have you seen me sporting my Loop Hoop earrings by the amazing Maria Eife?)

 

 

Imagine my excitement then, when Doug approached me about making a jackalope using antlers designed & printed from this technology.  This piece was to be a gift for his daughter and I was instantly smitten with the idea of not only a dad commissioning such a cool piece but also contributing his own talents.    He designed, printed and cleaned up the antlers, brought them to me and I got smurfin’.

These days I always seem to have at least one rabbit head (and feet, skin, etc for that matter) in my freezer, compliments of my boys at the Farmer’s Husband.  I thawed one out, cleaned his skull and built a form around it with clay.  The antlers were deliberately large; we thought an exaggerated look would be fun.  After all, this creature doesn’t exist naturally so why not make it as fantastical as possible?  This thought process is Rogue Taxidermy at its best, in my opinion.

I was nervous about supporting the weight of these bad boys on my rabbit’s head but I drilled holes through the skull and wired it up.  Success.

 

I got swept up in a Victorian theme, leather & lacing the shit out of this thing.  Much to my delight, I might add.

I used grey fox eyes instead of the anatomically correct hollow black glass ones to give him more personality.

I’m a terrible photographer and this piece, due to its dimensions, was difficult to capture.  These photos are disappointing to me but I suppose they get the point across.

He’s snarling.  Those are the rabbit’s actual teeth.

And that’s Jackelope.

Tryin’ to get a nut to move your butt.

Here’s some photos of a fun piece I was commissioned to do for a friend this Christmas.  Apparently his lady friend has a disdain for squirrels (I’m hearing of this more and more; are squirrels taking over the city?  Do you all have any idea how tasty they are?  No kidding…) and seeing a stuffed one under her tree channeling some devil vibes seemed to be the ultimate gift.

 

 

So here’s the little scamp mounted on a piece of garland, stealing a glass ornament.  Devil horns and all.

I took some liberty with the eyes; obviously in nature squirrels do not look like this.  But when touched with the evil stick, some artistic interpretation is welcome, I’m sure.  Also, these peepers are antique hand-crafted glass eyes that I’ve been looking to use for ages.

 

Man, he looks pissed.

 

Merry Christmas!

CHARMED, I’M SURE.

 

Charmed, you’ll be.

Allow me to present you with the latest batch of taxidermy talon charms- just in time to decorate your tree, wreath, rearview mirror, mistletoe, what have you.  As you’ll soon see I have no idea how to shoot a reflective surface without getting myself in it so enjoy the self portraits of your truly as well.

I’m listing these on this site with prices for anyone who would like to buy immediately and directly from me. This weekend I’ll post what remains unclaimed on my etsy page.  All of these duck and chicken feet came from the boys up at the Farmer’s Husband and are the byproducts of delicious, humanely sourced meat. While size varies slightly, each piece falls into the 5″ to 7″ range. Due to the bulk of specimen this large, prices are slightly increased as the process of preservation is more involved, timely, and labor intensive.  Also, bear in mind that most of the charms clutched in these little claws are one of a kind or antiques that cannot be reproduced.  You and your loved ones will be the only ones on the entire planet to possess the ornament of your choosing.

 

Do please peruse at your leisure, should any of these strike your fancy, send an email to diamondtoothtaxidermist@gmail.com.  All pieces can be shipped or picked up from my studio in Kensington.

 

Duck Foot with antique silver glass ball, trimmed with white fox fur: $38

Front view-

This glass ball is uncapped- perfect for slipping a rolled up love note into for your favorite elf.

Side view-

 

 

 

Duck foot with antique silver glass ball, trimmed in raccoon fur: $38

 

 

Duck foot with antique silver glass ball, trimmed in white fox fur: $38

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Chicken clutching electroformed & oxidized cone charm with feathers, trimmed with fur: $46

Rear View-

 

 

This was the first piece I produced in my electroforming class back in jewelry school.  The fur is reclaimed from an old fur coat I rescued from a landfill destiny.

Front view-

 

 

 

Chicken clutching Givenchy perfume bottle, trimmed in white fox fur: $38

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Suggestion: Fill the bottle with colored water for enhanced decor effect!

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Chicken clutching antique gold glass ball. trimmed with white fox fur: $38

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Chicken clutching vintage gold-plated leaf brooch, trimmed in white fox fur: $42

 

 

Double Chicken Talon Charm, trimmed in white fox fur: $48

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The pictures of this ornament didn’t come out well at all; my apologies.  It’s essentially the same as the other doubles charms you’ll see posted below, the hands holding each-other with an empty space within.  Leave as is or stick a chocolate heart in there!

 

 

Double Chicken Talon Charm, trimmed in white fox fur: $48

 

 

Double Chicken Talons cradling antique miniature pink glass ball, trimmed in fur: $56

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View 2- This specimen had the not-as-common trait of feathers reaching down to his toes.  It creates a sweet cocoon effect from the rear view.

 

 

 

 

 

Double Chicken Talons cradling slice of genuine quartz, trimmed in raccoon fur: $56

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Just for fun, a quartz-enhancing backlit shot-

 

Chicken foot with antique miniature light pink glass ball, trimmed in white fox fur: $38

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Chicken foot with antique miniature pink glass ball, trimmed in white fox fur: $38

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Chicken foot with antique miniature light pink glass ball, trimmed in white fox fur: $38

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Mutant Cock Talon with antique miniature pink glass ball, trimmed in rabbit fur: $48

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This is not a pretty piece, but a rare one nonetheless. This foot belonged to a large rooster who lived a full life, as evidenced from his gnarled skin and toes.  The fur capping off the ornament is from a rabbit I dispatched myself and brain-tanned.  Can you say provenance?

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And because most gnarly rough neck chickens have TWO feet,

 

Mutant Cock Talon with antique miniature pink glass ball, trimmed in raccoon fur: $48

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Chicken with 3 plastic rings, trimmed in fox fur: $42

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Psst- the blue ring glows in the dark

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Chicken with vintage road runner bolo charm, trimmed in raccoon fur: $42

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Detail-

Chicken with Texas Ranger charm, trimmed in fox fur: $38

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Detail-

 

Duck with antique glass “globe” ball,trimmed in white fox fur: $46

 

Chicken with genuine “MOM’S” token, trimmed in white fox fur: $46

Philly Dwellers take note: I earned this token through many nights ,(ok let’s be honest…afternoons) spent in the dark hazy cave known as Sugar Mom’s while living with the Reverend Michael Alan in a magnificent loft on 3rd street circa. 2000.  For some reason I never cashed it in. Hello, PROVENANCE.

 

 

 

Chicken talon with large spur holding mystery wooden ear plug, trimmed in raccoon fur: $46

I found this ear plug on the ground during an outside concert at XSXW in 2010.  It was the Gwar show and Andrew WK had just taken the stage to bring the heat with his amazing party-mate Cherie Lilly.

 

 

Happy Holidays!

xoxo, BB

Rabbit for Reggae

Remember my Twenty4Twenty project? I know it seems like I may have forgotten it but fret not, I’m just stretching it out.  Some of the people on my list are quite hard to reach; others I’ve just decided I’m not so wild about anymore.

The piece I’m writing about today falls in the fan art category but isn’t quite a Twenty4Twenty gift as I orchestrated a trade for this mount.

If you know me personally, you know that I’m a rabid consumer of podcasts.  Especially the ones falling into the comic variety.  While I get a tremendous amount of laughs from these podcasts, they are also quite thought-provoking and mentally stimulating.  Comedians are, in my opinion, the most observant, intelligent and unique people on earth.  Recently I added another podcast to the weekly roster and it quickly become my favorite. It’s called Twisting the Wind- check it out.  The host, Johnny Pemberton, incorporates music samples into the already captivating material and that’s what gave me the idea to reach out to him and propose a swap:

Every song I’ve heard on this podcast was new to me.  And wonderful.  It took me back to my grade school days of mixtapes, where I discovered most of the music I still love today.  Perhaps I’m aurally lazy but I just prefer my favorite songs be spoon fed to me.  Record shops are among my least favorite places on earth to be, right up there with live music venues.  If someone else has really great taste, it only makes sense to me that I glom what I can off them.

SO.  I wrote Mr. Pemberton on a whim and proposed I send him a custom piece of taxidermy in exchange for a custom mix tape.  And he responded yes.

This was going great.  I was working on the rabbit I’d dispatched with Farmer Thomas, and trying out a new mounting technique (new to me, at least) in which I taxied the skin over the rabbit’s actual skull and not a form.  I also tried out a new type of ear-liner which produced mixed results.

The mount itself is riddled with technical issues but it’s still pretty rad- he holds a little mirror in his rabbit hands to serve as a “last check” point: something to look at before seeing another person or people, and make sure there is no food in your teeth or gunk in your eyes.

He also has a small tiara type embellishment because he’s dripping with meaning, history and charm.

I’m quite pleased with his exposed teeth- the neat and perfect little rabbit chompers are what inspired me to incorporate the skull in the fist place.  It was a great experience to try something new and still be able to share it with someone while getting something in return, to boot!

Millenery Boomerangs.

Some time ago I was fortunate enough to receive a box full of magnificent vintage hats from old college chum Rebecca Strzelec.  This was just weeks after embarking on my twenty4twenty project and I’d sent out a few of my hats with no response whatsoever.  Seeing this giant box of beautiful hats on my doorstep reminded me that everything, every intention you put out into the universe comes back to you , but rarely in a form you’d expect.

These pieces had been sitting in her home, I believe, for years, and once she arrived at the conclusion that she had no use for them they became mine.  All she asked in return was that three hats make it back to her: two for her daughter and one for her.

Let’s start with mom:

I chose this base since it was just misting (dripping would be too much) with class and elegance.  Very proper, like my friend.

For her child, there were two smaller hats.  This first one I bent the brim to give it a more formal feel but the actual material was so delicate that it proved quite challenging to work with.

I added miscellaneous feathers and sourced gems:

This base was much easier to work with.  Plus I have a huge sift spot in my heart for bonnets so it was a natural fun piece.

I added chicken wings, a chicken foot and switched out the white button for a pearlescent pink bead in the talon and on each side, plus a poof of white fox fur for good measure.

So that’s that.  I was very touched to be given such a magnificent gift from Rebecca.  She is an amazing, talented and accomplished woman whom I am honored to even associate with.

Also I am short on words today because sometimes life beats the vocab out of you.  More soon.

Eye of Newt and Toe of Frog…

And pics of talons on my blog!

Feast your eyes, lovies, all of these voodoo talons are up for grabs!

 

Here’s a two tiered chicken talon, appx 8″:

 

 

Up next is a very large (apprx 9″) specimen clutching a functional Barbie locket.  Perfect vehicle for love letters, or BFF notes…

 

 

 

Here we have a chicken claw holding a rainbow crystal charm.

 

It was difficult to catch the sparkles in the gem but this blurry shot kind of captures it:

 

Here we have a sweet little campy claw with a vintage beaded earring.

Again, I lit the piece from underneath to catch the razzle dazzle of the gem- this foot has a large CZ in its grasp:

 

A more vintagey looking talon holding an antique earring with metal globe details:

 

Fancy some chicken of the sea?  How about a chicken holding some pearly shells, with fur and pheasant detail?

 

Chicken with rabbit fur poof:

 

Chicken with mink fur poof:

 

Here’s a not so common specimen with low reaching feathers growing down to its toes:

 

Want to be more charming?  This talon comes with beads and a fully functional locket on the small side, but could certainly hold a tablet of something magical…

Chicken, chicken, DUCK!

 

Metal horns, anyone?

 

Last and never least: my treasured Skeksie talon.  I lied earlier when I said these were all up for grabs; this one has been sold and is shipping out to NY later today.

 

 

If you see something you like, please email me directly at diamondtoothtaxidermest@gmail.com.  Otherwise they will all be posted on my etsy shop and website tomorrow.

Arrrrrt Starrrr Craft Bazaarrrrrrrr

I’ve come up for air after the Art Star Holiday Craft Bazaar, if only for a moment.  The weekend was a success and I feel pretty good about how my first time at the rodeo went.  It didn’t hurt to pair up with Art Star veteren Maria Eife wh also has an international show plus the Martha Stewart Holiday Craft Show under her belt.

I presented (and sold!)  an assortment of combs, pins, picks, joined earrings, hats, and talon charms.  Below is a smattering of the pieces I’ve been toiling away in my ivory tower creating:

A chicken feather hair pin with vintage jewelry elements,

More chicken feathers with more vintage jewelry,

And look!  An equestrian flair!  I finally got around to creating those horse shoe themed pieces I promised my polo buddies so many months ago!  Perhaps this Summer I’ll actually follow through and sell some at the Friday Night matches…

Some of the combs were feather based while otehrs were built around entire taxidermied wings.  Below is an in betweener, comprised of the taxidermied tail of a chicken.

Oh look!  A frizzle chicken wing!  Perhaps now would be a good time to let you know that 90% of my feathered elements come from my dear friends Bailey and Thomas.  They are quite possible the sweetest, kindest and most compassionate farmers this world may ever know.  Yes, My opinion is totally biased.  They keep an outstanding blog in which they document their adventures in farming, please give it a read: The Farmers Husband.

Another winged comb.  I would also like to give a shout out to my dear friend Daniel who owns Wilbur Vintage for letting me purchase his odds and ends of vintage gems.

For those who choose not to sport a long mane, fret not!  Stick pins are always within reach.  Pop one into your hat, your lapel, blouse, sweater, bag, etc.

This one belwo didn’t sell, much to my surprise.  Instead, it and one cimilar to it are en route to a faraway city as I write this, where it will make Christmas gifts for a pair of very special friends.

The gang!  (some of them, anyway)

I also made a trial run of these fur bangles with tails for the show.  People responded quite positively so I intend to tweek the design a bit and create a series.

Perfect for gesticulating wildly at cocktail parties…

I also created three new higher end head pieces for the show, as my little neon signs to lure in passers by.  They absolutley did the trick, and had many a lady tryign them on.

Right here is a vintage rabbit fur pillbox hat to which I added a chicken tail, with feathers from other birds.

Here’s a view of the side.  Can you guess what that super fluffy soft yellow plush is?

It’s gosling!  Compliments of another farmer friend of mine, Jeannie. I sewed another patch on the opposite side:

Next up: A vintage velvet fascinator base with a pair of chicken wings on one side and down on the other:

It’s hard to see form these photos (all of these hats need to be reshot on a model’s head, but I also added a small metal crown jewel charm to each side; a reference to my new logo, which you’ll see below.

Laslty, my fave piece of all, this vintage black felt hat base with chicken wings, vintage jewelry adn a tassel made by yours truly.  I have a thing for fringe and tassels, and I think you do too:

That’s actually the side view.  Below is the hat, straight on.  The curved shape frames the wearer’s face beautifully.  I just adore this hat.

On Friday night my husband came and got a few shots of our booth.  Here it is, our gypsy caravan in all its glory:

My “side” of the booth:

Like that fox? I worked with the very talented designer Dave Seater to create it and a more cohesive look for all my online presences, which you will be seeing soon.  He’s the best.  The fox with the crown was entirely my idea though; I think it really embodies the Diamond Tooth philosophy.

Here I am making a sale!  Yippee!  Like I said, I feel pretty good about how I did this weekend, as a greenhorn.  I visited with Sue Eggen at her booth, Giant Dwarf where she not only promised to play hat model for my next set of shots but also to toss some much needed (my words, not hers) pearls of wisdom my way in regard to navigating through this wild and wacky craft show life.  Sue, I’m holding you to both these things!

And that is all for the craft bazaar, now its time to work on my entry for this year’s Carniverous Nights competition.  If you plan on coming, buy your tickets now!  ALso coming up: A cat, a fox, a hamster, a rabbit, more bridal pieces and the next 20for20 gift which is going to a mystery man that some of you may have dressed as for Halloween as children…

Twenty for Twenty, # 4: Georgia Pellegrini

When I first heard of the mythical creature called Georgia Pellegrini, I thought “NO WAY.”  It was as if someone took all the things I wanted to be in an alternate life and made them into her.  Does that sound creepy?  I hope not.

I came into contact with Georgia through her brother, whom I met via mutual friend.  He told me (and rightfully so) that somehow, someday, our worlds should collide.  So I looked her up.  DANG.  She hunts.  She prepares exquisite meals out of what she hunts.  And she looks amazing while doing all of it:

While so many of us (myself definitely included) are experts at talking the farm to table, local slow food talk, she is living it.  And writing about it.  Her first book, Food Heros, details the noble endeavor of 16 food artisans from around the globe striving to honor their respective culinary traditions.  Her second book, Girl Hunter, is out now and in it she shares the stories of sourcing all her own ingredients for a great meal.   I am starting to feel like a sixth grader writing a book report so I’ll just sum up my geekery with a simple “Shes rad.”  I hope someday to do some of the things Ms. Pellegrini is doing, with as much gusto and panache.

Another great thing about this gal: she’s approachable.  When I initially contacted her about this project, she was completely receptive and eager to participate.  I knew she would be a bit different to design for, given that she is constantly on the go and leans toward all things practical.  What I’m trying to convey is, Georgia isn’t wearing a large feathered headpiece out in a field while trying to shoot a turkey.  So I made her a brooch, imagining that she could pin it to the lapel of a blazer or on the band of a small, sensible cap.

The foot is from a chicken which was once part of my friend Bailey and Thomas’ flock, and it’s wedged tightly into the brooch base along with feathers of pheasant, chicken and peacock.  There is also the tip of a red squirrel tail in there, just for fun.

The puffy soft feathers are from  the tail area (read: butt) of the chicken; these have been a favorite of mine lately because they have a fur-like appearance and move so nicely with the wearer.  I’m constantly astounded by the range of color, shape and texture of the fathers all coming from one bird.

For an embellishment on the brooch base, I found an old pin from my street gift collection that apparently was some prize or medal for 25 years of faithful service in the state of Georgia.  Perfect!  I filed down the back, bent it to the correct shape and attached it to the brooch.

I left the talon colors as is and didn’t fuss too much with the natural state of the elements in this piece.  Although we’ve yet to meet, Ms. Pellegrini strikes me as a true creature of her own element, grounded and proud of it.

Cheers, Georgia!

20 for 20 #2: Turd is the Word

I got a sweet note from my newly minted overseas pal The Fashion Turd, so it’s safe to post about what I sent her:

The Turd received a custom created, larger than life, bird talon hair stick!  Based on photos from her blog, she’s got a head full of colorful locks, which made the job fun to the power of awesome because 1) dread locks are thick and strong, and therefore can hold pieces with a bit of heft, and 2)someone who deliberately works their hair into this style is most likely open to wearing items that are less than conventional.

That said, I felt free to go bonkers.  I started with the talons of a very large chicken (sourced from one of my farmer friends) clutching a chunk of electro-formed copper with a crystal embedded in it.  Once this was mounted on the hair stick, I embellished the base with dyed deer tail, rabbit fur and pheasant feathers.  I felt free to get as far out as my heart could carry me, knowing this gifteewould appreciate the outlandishness of it all.

Due to the size and weight of the claw end of the stick, some balance was needed both for aesthetic and functional purposes.

This was achieved by running a large link chain from the top, to a cap which would attach to the bottom, so the stick could be worn securely like so:

I’m sure she’ll make it look even better than I am in this photo.  Now that it’s in her little paws, I am excited to see how she wears it.  I imagine it could even serve as a unique sweater/kilt/cape/shawl closure clasp, not to mention sharp pointy self-defense mechanism for those late night crawls home from the bar, er…pub.  Mind the gap, ye!

xoxo, BB

ps: I don’t mention it in every post but it should pretty much be assumed that all product shots seen on this blog, as well as on my etsy and website, are done by my on site photographer and husband, Jim Coughlin.  He also is a musician and painter; check out his stuff here: SnapBlamSplat

 

Up next: a client update or two

Coming soon on the 20 for 20 project: girl hunters, drag queens and another fashion dragon from the UK!

Twenty for twenty

I was chatting with friends at polo a few weeks back and two of them, almost simultaneously said, “I could see Kat Von D in your hats.”

My reaction was “Really?  Wow.”  I’d never seen LA Ink but I’ve seen many photos of her-and I love her look.  She’s absolutely stunning.  “Too bad she has no idea who I am,” I sighed, defeated, ready to move onto another topic but my friend persisted, “No, ding-dong, just send her a hat.”

This sentence rolled around in my head for a while and set into motion a brainstorm which gave birth to my newest project, an interactive “piece” I am calling Twenty for Twenty.

I began by simply imagining that Kat had put an order in for a custom hat and said, “Beth just make it me.  However you see me.”  I went with my heart and created the hat you see pictured in this post.  As I worked on it, I took a moment to really explore this feeling coursing through me, this in-the-zone elatedness I get when I’m not even thinking about my work but just letting my hands and eyes do all the talking.  I began to embrace this feeling of following my heart and creating something wonderful even though nobody asked for it.  There was no demand. Not yet.

That didn’t seem to matter to me at the time.  I just focused on custom work and how right it feels.  I thrive on connecting with (nice, good) people and creating for them.  It just feels right.

After I finished Kat’s hat, I was re-reading segments of an online book called “The Art of Earning” by Tara Gentile.  Toward the end there is a passage which inspired me to turn this good feeling about custom pieces and reaching out to people into a project. I decided to come up with a list of twenty individuals whom I’ve never met  but have been inspired by in some capacity or another. Some of them I’m just a plain fan of.  I would reach out to each of these people and make a connection through my work.  Like good old-fashioned fan mail!

This ties in to my love affair with the postal service.  Anyone who knows me well has received a note from me at some point in our friendship.  I love sending thank you notes.  At times when we are more organised, my mister and the kiddies and I would create our own holiday greeting cards to mail out each year.  I’m a sucker for that tangible piece of “hello” from the mailbox.  Like a long, convoluted paper-cup-telephone on a string.

I complied my list of twenty, and began the process of reaching out to them.  Some are more accessible than others (twitter is amazing for this), and some might never happen.  It’s hard to tell (any of you guys tight with Gwen Stefani’s team?)  But the responses I’ve gotten so far have been overwhelmingly positive and I’m so very excited to reveal more names (and why I’m inspired by them) in future posts.  I’m hoping that by following through with this brainchild, I can not only get more of my product on more people’s bodies (I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a hint of self-promotion in this) and gain some exposure, but also to fully express the gratitude I feel towards individuals whom I am happy to know exist in this sometimes glum and banal planet.  Also, I want to remind people how rewarding it is to receive a gift in the post, a piece of art that someone spent hours of their own life to make.

And that, my friends, is that.  I’m tapping into something deeper than taxidermy and hats, so bear with me as I explore this.  I’d love to know your thoughts.

For now, here is Kat’s hat.

I used one of my gifted vintage bases and spent oodles of time fastening the perfect chicken wing and feathers/pelt to it.

Inspired by her military meets goth meets doll type style, I used an vintage Trifari gold tasseled baton brooch and tied it all together with some chains and such.

Up next: My larger than life and circus inspired piece for The Fashion Turd!