Introducing DreamCuffs!

Okay guys, here’s a first glimpse of the Crazy New Thing I’ve been obsessing over for the last few months.

Introducing DreamCuffs(TM!): Original Wearable Art That’s Armed and Dangerousssss…ly Fabulous!

Wear them on bare arms, or over sleeves or gloves. Accessorize your favorite costumes, or build a whole new outfit around them! There’s something empowering about strapping on a pair of bracers…like you can deflect any obstacles that come your way and let your most fantastic self shine!

It all started with an idea I’ve been kicking around recently; “If I were a fashion designer in the Faerie Realm, what would I design?”.
This idea made my brain a’splode, in a really good way. One insomnia-wracked night I envisioned faerie bracers made with iridescent wing-like shapes and textures, with graceful designs and shifting colors. I had to get out of bed and do some sketches. They looked really neat. Then I thought: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like that in physical form. How would you make something like that?”

I started doing some more drawing and research and experimenting and discussing with Dore and ultimately we decided to invest in a supercool (but somewhat expensive) machine that allows me to electronically die-cut my own original designs out of a variety of materials. So far, I’m loving this thing. It’s called the Zing, but Dore keeps calling it “The Zinger”, which cracks me up every time, which is probably why he keeps calling it that.
But seriously…there are SO my things I could do with this new art tool that I feel like I could be busy with it for the rest of my life!

But the thing that is really bringing down the Muse Hammer is this bracers idea. It combines my intricate design style with iridescence (something I’ve always wanted to play with!), it’s a way to get back to my fantasy-art roots in a new and exciting way, I can integrate different textures and finishes and embellishments to create truly unique and striking accessories for freaky people like me to wear to fun places. And not just armwear…I have some ideas for other accessories as well.
I was suddenly consumed with a burning NEED to make these things real and see people wearing them and feeling amazing.
I started thinking about other design themes besides the faerie one. I could do steampunk, cyberpunk, high fantasy designs, sci-fi/anime/video-game/pop-culture-inspired designs, punk and goth and tribal and urban fantasy, mythical figures, abstract geometrics, organic, nature-inspired designs, as well as applying my “gypsy mystery” style to them. Pretty soon, every cool or beautiful thing I saw became fodder for a design idea and I’ve spent many a late-night/early morning hour sketching out ideas and scribbling notes. I’ve got a TON of ideas to develop.

So who would wear these weird things? No one wears bracers anymore! Well, you know what? I think we should, because they are freaking COOL-LOOKING, amiright???

Whether you’re a man, woman or child, a Dreamer or a Dancer, a Performer or a Party Monster, a Burner, a LARPer, a Raver or Cosplayer, a Masquerader or Fearless Fashionista…here’s a fun, funky, fantastic “new” fashion accessory to add the perfect, eye-catching touch to your crazy-amazing adventure attire!

These are my first three successful prototypes, crafted from non-animal materials using an original construction method I devised after much research, trial and error. I’m currently field testing them, which usually involves me bopping around the house getting things done while my body is wearing pajamas (don’t judge me!), and my forearms are dressed like a dark sorceress and a steampunk adventurer, respectively. It doesn’t make for a very cohesive look, but it is giving me an idea about how they feel, function and hold up to wear, which are all essential elements of a quality product that I’m willing to sell to folks.

I’m still perfecting my method, so I’m not sure how long these will end up taking me to make. It is a multi-step process involving graphics design software, a machine that makes strange sounds, something called "weeding" that doesn't actually involve weeds, ironing, taping, cutting, painting, gluing, stenciling, sealing, riveting and lacing. But I think once I get my techniques and workflow down it’ll be worth the time and effort.

So – what do you guys think of my crazy DreamCuffs? Be honest. Would you wear something like this? Or more to the point – would you BUY something like this? Please post your feedback! And thanks for reading all of this, if you did.<3

Star Snake

Snakes have always been a source of fear and fascination for us.  Their form and movement is so alien, yet mesmerizingly beautiful. Their venom can be deadly, but can also be used to heal.  This paradoxical nature has captivated the human imagination, making snakes and serpents symbolic figures in nearly every culture and religion throughout time.

Early people who observed the careful, cautious and deliberate way snakes stalked and hunted their prey came to see them as shrewd creatures.  They are focused, patient and thoughtful – valuable attributes of wisdom. The ancient Celts, Egyptians, Greeks (and many more) linked them to wisdom, divine and secret knowledge, oracles and revelatory experiences. The serpent is often seen as a guide through the spirit realm in shamanic cultures.

In the Bible, the snake tempts Eve with a taste of knowledge and self-awareness, at the cost of innocence and blissful ignorance.

Snakes are also associated with healing and medicine, as evidenced by the snake-wrapped staff, which represents the medical profession to this day.  They have also been used in Chinese medicine for millennia.

Their fierce threat displays have also made them popular Guardian figures, protecting mystical portals, temples and treasures from those who are unworthy.

As snakes grow, they shed their skins periodically. This sloughing off of the old to make way for the new connects them to the ideas of rebirth, renewal and transformation.

They are also associated with fertility, both male (with the obvious phallic imagery) and female (in its sinuous, curving movements).  In Hindu traditions, the feminine creative (kundalini) energy is imagined as a snake coiled around the base of the spine, which rises during arousal like a conduit through the chakras to join with the divine above.  The Native American Snake Dance celebrates the union of Snake Boy (a Sky spirit) and Snake Girl (an Earth spirit), bringing life-giving rain to the land.

Snakes and serpents are often depicted as part of Cosmic mythology.  The Greek ourobouros symbol of a snake eating its own tale represents eternity and the cyclic nature of the Universe. Norse mythology has a similar figure, the Midgard Serpent, which surrounds the Earth. The Australian Aboriginal people consider the great Rainbow Serpent to have created the Earth’s landscape from the void of the Dreamtime.  In Central America, Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent, was seen in the glowing path of the Milky Way.

The depiction of two snakes together holds its own symbolism of entwining, of balance, integration of opposites and the joining of primal forces.

 

These are only some of the many symbolic meanings that this amazing animal has inspired.

My "Star Snake" design celebrates the snake as a potent symbol that has fired humankind’s imagination since the dawn of our species. 

 This cuff bracelet can be purchased from my Etsy Shop:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/196649901/star-snake-cuff-bracelet-rustic-antiqued

DragonWings Cuff Bracelet: Cut It Out!

Apron: On.
Safety glasses: Check!
Bench pin: Clamped.
Saw blade goes: "PING!"
Ready to SAW!