FB Ronnie Handmade - A Family Affair

The Romanian husband and wife team along with Mom create many spectacular items from many different mediums. Veronica likes to create mostly steam punk style jewelry using leather, base metals, glass beads and recycle found objects.  Bracelets and necklaces are her favorites.  She says she enjoys creating these jewels and also wearing them. She also creates some special products from time to time: jewelry boxes, "steampunked" USB flash drives and collages. 
 

Stefan loves to work with wire. He uses mostly enameled copper wire and a variety of beads. His favorites are the rings and the bracelets. But he also creates stunning necklaces and earrings.

Veronica's mother, Ghizela, is the Taylor of the family. She sews bags and purses mostly from denim. Combining other fabrics as well. Recently she started to work a series of headbands and colorful brooches.

Everyone has day jobs  except for Ghizela, who is retired, so the workshop for FBRonnie Handmade is at home for now.  All would very much like to have a shop of their own, one side to sell the other to work and organize workshops from time to time. "Our dream is that some day we could quit our day-jobs and work for our small crafts business and sustain ourselves from our own hands work."

Please visit FBRonnieHandmade at Etsy!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/FBRonnie

Celestial Chainmail

Chainmaille Bikini Top

Celestial Chainmail is company started by a husband and wife team who lives outside of Crestview, Florida. Two other artist friends help out with the shop and even create some of their own items as well.  

Chainmaille is the art of hand weaving tiny little rings to create such items as jewelry, armor, clothing and other great items.  If you are thinking of knights and battle gear, you are on the right track.  Special pieces are added to some creations such as beads, shells, feathers and coins.  The process of weaving the the jump rings is time consuming and is very difficult intricate work.  Some works taking months to complete.  I can only imagine how sore their fingers can get. But the owners say, "All in all it is very rewarding in the end".

Shell and Pearl Fairy Maille Earrings

The owners of Celestial Chainmail vend at the local Gulf Coast Renaissance Fair and Pirate Festival.  You can also see their lovely work at http://www.etsy.com/shop/CelestialChainmail. Special orders are welcome!  All  products come with a lifetime warranty. 

TS Rubber - Repurposed and Recycled Fashion

The Queens Envy has recently become a member of the H.A.R.D.C.O.R.E. Team and in getting to know my teammates I am blogging a few of the other member shops.   

TSRubber is owned by Tanja Schroeder a 46 year old woman who lives on a small island in Denmark. "A very beautiful place, where people take a holiday."  Full of old buildings and ancient castles.  A place I would love to visit someday.

Rubber Harness  (photo by www.larsws.dk)

In 2005, Tanja began a job where she worked with children after their schooling.  She would teach them arts and crafts and to make gifts for their parents.  After two years, she started selling her own designs in small galleries in Denmark.

An interest in recycling and reusing, is her inspiration.  Tanja receives her used rubber from a local company who makes inner tubes for tractors, harvester combines, etc...  The rubber is very dirty when she gets it and gets cleaned 2 -3 times and is then polished with water based silicone. A friend helps in cutting out circles with a special tool and everything is put together with an old industrial Singer shoe sewing machine with some intricate hand work added.  

I cannot help but get a sense of fantasy seen in such movies as The City of Lost Children or Brazil. The belts, bags and jewelry designs have a Steampunk, Gothic feel, no doubt attributed to the old castles surrounding Tanja's small island.  The products are all unique, and some of them are adorned with military jewelry, gears, grommits and found objects. Different textures and patterns from the inner tubes add interest and overlap with original stamps which are still visible on the product. 

 

  

For more information, wholesale prices or to shop go to:

mail@tanjaschroeder.dk

or
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TSRUBBER

For more information on the shops included in the H.A.R.D.C.O.R.E. Team go to:  http://www.etsy.com/teams/12536/hardcore-artist-team

Fable and Fury - Wearable Art

"Combining the romanticism of Victorian chic and curiously wayward subjects with modern techniques and materials, Fable & Fury creates unique jewelry and wearable art. Woodland creatures, peculiar portraits, and follies of nature appear in imaginative vignettes, cameos and silhouettes intricately crafted in black satin finished stainless steel. Quirky. Charming. Elegant. Askew"   

One of my favorites: Vincent Price

Victorian Raven Deer

 

  

Motto: Fable & Fury silhouettes depict curious concoctions, iconic portraits, woodland creatures, and distinctive yet symbolic imagery that you'll adore. Modern techniques enable us to design intricately-detailed pendants that are still extraordinarily durable. We are committed to creating unconventional jewelry using materials of the utmost quality and strength, providing you with necklaces that are ageless, enduring, and uniquely... Fable & Fury.

Jennifer has a background in graphic design & illustration, so creating silhouette and portrait jewelry is a tangible way for her to connect with her design ideas while making unique pieces of wearable art. She says, "Drafting a new design for my jewelry is similar to designing the type of graphics I've been accustomed to creating, but now I can create a visual narrative in simple lines and embellish to my heart's desire, making Fable & Fury jewelry designs uniquely mine".

 "I have eclectic tastes and draw inspiration from vintage styles, nature, fairy tales like the Brothers Grimm, and beautiful little beasties. Often I find myself daydreaming about living in a tiny cottage deep in the forest. Running away with the circus would be splendid too! I think these flights of fancy are often reflected in my jewelry."  




 See more of Jennifer's wonderful imagination at work here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/FableAndFury

Tajma Stetson- The inspiration for The Queen's Envy

MGM 2011

Originally from Michigan, Tajma Stetson, now lives and entertains in Kansas City.

When asked how she was introduced to female impersonation.  Tajma replied  "My best friend was performing in drag when I was still a teenager and it interested me. I had always been a creature of the theatre and thought that female impersonation was a wonderful extension of that community."

When she started drag, Tajma was reared by what is called a "drag family"--the Stetsons. Her mother was Shania Stetson, and her grandmother was Sierra Stetson, along with several aunties from different families. The collaboration of these entertainers came up with Tajma.

"I was always on stage as a kid--at school, at church, in front of large audiences, and sometimes just a mirror. Even in college I was part of a touring professional theatre company."

By the time Tajma moved to KC, she had be doing drag for 3 years and always knew that she wanted to compete. It was at this point that several of her new KC girlfriends and one very influential former Miss Gay Missouri encouraged her to enter a city prelim. "The rest is history still being made!"

"My favorite part of competing is being a part of a huge sisterhood that encourages me, educates me, makes me want to grow and be a better entertainer and person."

Tajma wearing The Elizabeth Ring in Siam Ruby

Tajma Stetson's former titles include Miss Gay Congeniality 2009, Miss Gay Kansas City 2010, and Miss Gay Metropolitan 2011. She also was a top ten finalist at Miss Gay America 2010 and a top five finalist at Miss Gay America 2011.

Tajma's upcoming pageants include Miss Gay America 2011.  Best of Luck to you!

The Queen's Envy thanks Tajma Stetson for the information provided for this blog!