Bustling at the Belle

Lest you lovelies think I was slacking off, I've been in serious high production to bring some quality things for you this season. Expect a snowy white fascinator next week to pop up and some amazing knits from the Belle as well. There *will* be Yule and X-mas horns. Here are just  a few of the updates to tease you up. ;)

First up is the Imperial Dragon Horns. I was thinking sparkly dragons with this pair, and honestly I absolutely love the fact that I get to use jade and jasper cabochons! My fiancee disagrees with the Dragon idea as he thinks they look like Cthulu horns. Hmm...

 The Mesdames X line has been really been brought up. There are several new neck ruffs, and I have to admit to the Victoria being my favorite. 

It's such a sumptuous little Mama to put on.  It's very quirky and fun, yet very elegant. The browns really work together. Also I can add vintage velvet as a custom lining for added luxury. Squee! There's also the equally kick ass Marseilles which is the double of the choker I wore for my Little Red Riding Hood Costume. Everything in the Mesdames X line is of course hand sewn. 

My most favorite of my updates is my Sugar Plum fairy horns! Glitter, metallic plum paint and purple glass cabochons! To die for!

Stay tuned, because this evening there's going to be an article of the creative packaging going on here at the Belle!

I'm Bringing the Shiny!

Last night was a rather busy night here in Violentbelle land. There are a ton of new earrings up, including the irresistibly cute pewter "Cuff Me" earrings. Mmm. Tasty.

 Also there's a new Necklace up, the Rock and Roll Queen. The Rock and Roll Queen is a necklace that I'm super proud of. It consists of a rattlesnake vertebrae on curled wire with a patina-ed dull razor blade. The charm that tops this all off is a guitar pick I found in an abandoned building. To me this necklace exudes rock and class. Blood, Bone and Music. 

Also, because Violentbelle is antsy I've dropped mini hat prices again, and at this point I am unlikely to go any lower on these crop of hats.

 You can get a regular sized mini hat for $45 dollars and a chibi mini for about $20-30. Yea. That's lower than the cost to make the pretties.

 I just want to give them good homes as I'm not making any more until this batch is gone from the house. 

Keep tuned I have a HUGE update to the Mesdames X collection looming! 

November Lovin'.

Good morning ma belles! 

Now that Halloween is over things have slowed down at the Belle, and I wanted to thank each and every one of you for your support. November is a month for cleaning and as such I have slashed prices on my mini hats...dangerously. If you've admired a hat of mine I urge you to get it now that I've taken between $10 and $20 dollars off. So that $75 dollar hat you had your eye on could be $50. The Ice Princess is the cheapest hat at the mo being only $25 bucks. Yeah. I know, it's almost criminal. 

 I also bring new treats for you! Remember those ultra special horns I spoke about? Well meet the Marie Antoinette. Done is a rich rococo blue with pearl and antique gold marbling the Marie Antoinette horns are wrapped in gold wire and have white veined marble cabochons. 

I really wanted a pair of barrettes that would capture the quirkiness of one of my favorite periods, and I'm super proud of them! If you love the Marie Antoinette, but are on a budget try the La Dauphine horns. Same coloring no frills. 

The Czarina horns are another favorite, much like the Blood Drop horns. Done in gold wire with perfect tear drop blood red Austrian crystals on a deep red background. 

Lest you think I bring only horns I also have some awesome additions to the Mesdames X line.  

I think you're going to die for the Soul Key brooch. A pewter skull rests on frayed rich wine velvet ribbon which in turn rests on a bright silver toned filigree disk. Attached to the disk is a dangling pewter key with a heart shape. Once you affix the brooch the key dangles beautifully. I have my own one of these cuties and I ADORE it. I got a lot of compliments on it so I'm offering it up to you.

 Another part of the Mesdames X collection is a rarity with a story. 

I bought these razor blades in a findings house. I was told they were cheaply dipped in actual 14k gold and used throughout the seventies to cut coke. The guy thought someone would eventually buy the razor blades and make *something* from them. 

These dull blades have a rich patina, and so I decided it would be best to just turn it into a simple yet beautiful brooch. Violentbelle would be super pleased if you didn't use this blunt blade for its intended purpose.  It would look far better if you stuck it on a sweet velvet jacket and made it yours.  

Updates and Cut-ups!

Ah yes, I've been a busy little Belle. I'm still editing the massive amount of pictures I took at this weekend's photo shoot. There were hats, ruffs, cuffs and silliness abounding. 

Today has a sizable update.  Last night I posted a mini hat that was inspired by chocolate.  My model K, (she's on the left) told me it looked like a truffle. I was going to call it just chocolate, but she's far more inspired than I. My favorite part about this hat is those strawberries. I had to wade through boxes of vintage fake fruit in order to find an unsullied pair. Also that veil is probably the best veil I've ever done. I love it to pieces. Pieces I tell you. K did a fantastic job modeling this one. Love her. 

Then today comes a hat inspired by the legendary Joker. 

 I have serious thing for that character. Not just the whole Dark

 Knight movie, but the character. I'm an avid comic book collector, so this one was so much fun to make. I really enjoyed making that absurdly cute little bow. Also I found those feathers stuffed in the vintage fruit box. How could I not? B was the model for this one, and the smile she took on in some of these pictures freaked me out to no end. How she managed to still look hot I have no idea. The girl's amazing. 

Also the Mesdames X items are up finally! I'm starting to really love how these things are turning out. The buttons, lace and frills are just getting my imagination far too excited. My base model so far has been L, who has such a stunning classic beauty that I've started to design new ones with her neck in mind. Fantastic. My favorite on her was the Dark Lady. It was a little fairytale and a whole lot Victorian.  The way she looks with her windswept hair is just fantastic for these! 

I think my favorite photo of the shoot had to be this little behind the scenes moment. Here is L and B wearing some of my horns.  Devils. Deliciously beautiful geeky devils. 

The New Romantic

Since I was a little girl I've been obsessed with the 19th century, which includes both the Victorian period and the Regency period. But being an American girl I wasn't just in love with the Regency period, I was in love with the Federalist style. I was in love with a new America and its desire for passion and industry.  At the time I wish that we still dressed the same, with ruffles and lace for everyone. 

So imagine how stoked I was at eight years old (the same time I was reading Pride and Prejudice) when I first saw Adam Ant.  The Prince Charming video was so incredibly awesome. It was then that I steeped myself in the ideas of New Romanticism which by then had gone out of style. My grandmother kept her ruffle shirts though, and in high school, a decade too late, I was wearing big black boots over jeans and a ruffle shirt. This only got me nicknamed the Hessian. I wore velvets and bolero jackets all vintage from my grandmother's closet. I couldn't help it.  Despite the occasional ridicule I kept in mind the lines from Adam Ant's song Prince Charming:

Prince charming

Prince charming

Ridicule is nothing to be scared of

Don't you ever, 

don't you ever 

Stop being dandy, showing me you're handsome

The mix of punk and lace to me is really a beautiful convention. Here at The Violentbelle, paradox and being two people in one body is a beautiful thing. Being able to celebrate all of you is a beautiful thing, and so mixing elements of a gritty social movement with Federalism and Regency (which seem total opposites) is what I consider one of the best fashion ideas ever. 

So because I do love collections the Mesdames X collection will be launching this afternoon. It is all hand sewn, with vintage supplies(even the needles!). Here's a sneak peek at the Prince Charming cuff.  Done with a vintage zipper, buttons, and lace. Even the hooks and eyes are vintage.  

Kinda awesome right? I hope so. Last night produced a slew of chokers, cuffs, and maybe today I'll bring out the headbands. 

Rock on lovelies, in all your leather and lace!