CVLT Nation » Fashion

Bone salvaging with Osteal Jewelry

SeanFitz — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:00:27 +0000

Osteal Jewelry is run by horticulturist and jewelry designer Amanda Joe Langston in Seattle. It is animal bone jewelry, but all materials are sourced and crafted cruelty free. Crafting animal bones and salvage into jewelry is popular with some folk these days, so I thought I’d go through all the questions folks send Amanda regarding the crafting process. I hope this interview will be helpful to other folks who are messing around with bone scavenging and jewelry making, as well as interested in one of a kind nifty designs from Osteal Jewelry.

Will you give the readers of CVLT Nation an introduction to Osteal Jewelry?

Osteal is a line of cruelty free bone, hair, teeth and occasionally fur jewelry (with some wood and brass thrown in, for good measure). I wanted to use natural items, while not creating more garbage for the world… Plus I wanted a way to pay tribute to the wild bits of life. All items are found/scavenged – nothing comes from factory farms, fur farms, trapping or trophy hunting. I’ve been vegetarian for over ten years and having ethically sourced materials is extremely important to me, and i hope to my customers.

Where do you find all the bones and salvage for your jewellery?

I am always looking, always. The woods rivers, beaches, rural roads, train tracks, abandoned houses/barns – even my own yard. I also have friends and family that grab anything they see for me, and a few trusted scavengers i buy found bones from. Its just a matter of always looking, you’ll start to develop an eye for it.

I’ve learned to spot a rib cage, in a ditch, on the side of the road at 70 miles an hour…seriously, you develop an eye for dead stuff.

How much time do you spend scavenging to get so many?

I try go get out of the city for hiking/bone collecting or general adventuring at least once a week, usually on the weekends. So at least one day a week is dedicated to searching, scavenging and foraging.

Truly, though, I am always on the look-out.

Do you bury found dead animals/roadkill and then dig them up later after they’ve decomposed?

I do! its the easiest way. Burial works best on small mammals and can take several months, especially if they are still very fleshy. Larger animals, like deer, I sometimes put at the bottom of our outdoor compost bin, that goes quite a bit faster.

For the most part, the things I find are nowhere near fresh, which is great. Most things I find are either street jerky or a big, writhing, maggoty pile of goo. All you need to do at that point is macerate them for a week or so, scrub off the meaty bits and then give them a peroxide bath.

What’s the process of making them into jewelry? What concentration of peroxide do you use to bleach your bones? What type of drill do use on bones? What kind of wire do you use?

The process: Drink coffee, put on music/movie, work till my hands are sore. Repeat. I love laying out all the bits and pieces I have, rearranging them, and just seeing what works. I try to start with a rough idea, or a theme, but I rarely have designs planned out beforehand.

For bleaching the bones: I use regular, drug-store, hydrogen peroxide.

I currently have a small Dremmel hand drill which I use for all the drilling, cutting and sanding. They offer a wide range of bit and chuck sizes – it basically does everything you could want.

The wire depends on the item, the amount of contact with skin and the type of chain I’ll be using. I currently have galvanized steel wire, antiqued pure brass wire, sterling silver and your basic tarnish resistant craft-store wire in brass and silver tones. The more variety and choices I have, the more I can create.

You are required to have a permit to sell bone jewelry internationally. Have you ever come into bother in posting any to someone?

Yes, permits are required – so unfortunately many of my items cannot be shipped outside of the U.S. Even with permits some items are illegal to ship internationally or even state to state within the U.S. – such as most native bird feathers.

I haven’t run into any troubles via the post yet, not regarding the contents anyhow.

What do you think of ‘How can you wear bone jewelry if you are a vegan/vegetarian? Opinions on taxidermy?

I’ve never been asked the ‘how can you?’ question in real life. I assume because anyone who spends any time talking to me has probably gotten an earful about how animals and nature should be protected and respected.

I find lots of bones while hiking and foraging so I’m able to tell people what trail, mountain or region I was in when I found the bones. I think that helps people understand that I see bones as treasures.

I’m all for taxidermy – if you use roadkill, natural deaths or the occasional ‘look what the cat brought me.’ However, most taxidermy revolves around sport/trophy hunting and I find hunting as a sport disgusting.

When I started teaching myself taxidermy an old housemate of mine called me “the most brutal vegetarian” she’d ever known. She ate meat and the idea of carving up a rotting body was too much for her. Lucky for me I’ve got a strong stomach, a huge amount of respect for science and a healthy acceptance of death.

You’re involved in a forest restoration project, could you tell us more?

I went to school to get an AA degree in Horticulture with a focus on Ecological Restoration, which basically involves protecting the plants, wildlife and habitat native to any location. This includes lots of removal of invasive plant species as well as stabilizing soils and replanting with natives.

I am privileged to live in a city that has year round, on-going restoration projects. I often volunteer at local clean-ups which are hosted by the Green Seattle Partnership and Nature Consortium. Anyone can volunteer and it’s a beautiful experience.

I also help run a landscaping business. We are pesticide free, we use salvaged and native plants, organic fertilizers and homemade compost tea. We encourage low water drip irrigation, permeable hardscapes and lots of habitat plantings.

Any last words? What’s the soundtrack to making jewellery from bones?

Everyone should go outside more, the world is full of natural treasures! Live with less, reuse more and don’t litter.

The soundtrack: His Hero is Gone, Kylesa, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Crisis, Black Sabbath, Blackbird Raum, Bolt Thrower, Black Cobra, Venom, Rudimentary Peni, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Jolee Holland, Merle Haggard, Obiat, Year of no Light, Contropotere, Stevie Nicks, Aerosmith, Dandelion Junk Queens, The Sword – lots of The Sword lately!

I always watch movies when I’m scrubbing/cleaning bones, no idea why. Some of my most recent include: the Indiana Jones trilogy, Ginger Snaps, The Dark Crystal, The Rivers Edge, Princess Mononoke, The Dark Half, Young Frankenstein…I know, I’m a dork.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/Osteal

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Osteal Jewelry appeared first on CVLT Nation.

CVLT Nation’s Favorite Instagrammers

Meghan — Thu, 16 May 2013 07:00:13 +0000

We have been doing CVLT Nation’s Favorite Tumblrs for a while now, and it only makes sense that since I spend too much time trolling Instagram that I start a CVLT Nation’s Favorite Instagrammers feature! We don’t follow too many people because I like my feed to be quality over quantity, so today I am giving you my top 3 so far – NYC iPhone photographer Daniel Arnold, Montreal’s Ovate clothing and Philadelphia’s Bloodmilk Jewelry. These three consistently post photos that I have an emotional response to, whether it be to their latest creation, a stunning, haunting scene or a moment of hilarity. I am simply in love with whatever Bloodmilk and Ovate make, so it makes sense that I follow them to see what new items they have that I can dream about owning one day that I am not living on a tight-to-nonexistent budget. Bloodmilk often features work by other talented artists as well as curiosities and oddities which inspire my posts and makes me feel good about the endless well of creativity in the world. Ovate posts her own stunning clothes as well as beautiful shots of Montreal, her studio/loft space and recently old photos of her Quebecois family. Daniel Arnold captures the complexities and eccentricities of New York City in his candid street and subway shots. His photos make me laugh with humanity rather than at it, and there is often a deeper message underlying his images that was completely unintentional by his subjects. Check out some shots from my favorite Instagrammers below…

@BLOODMILK
http://instagram.com/bloodmilk

@OVATE
http://instagram.com/ovate

@ARNOLD_DANIEL
http://instagram.com/arnold_daniel

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Sickest CORRUPTED hoodies… I have ever seen! FUUDOBRAIN Store Spotlight!

Sean — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:30:28 +0000

I just might be obsessed with Japan. Having been there many times, I can honestly say it’s one of my favorite places in the world! When it comes to punk culture, Japan’s has always hit the spot for me. Going to live gigs there is something special – I have never heard shows as loud as in this country. They have some of the sickest record stores on the planet, plus they have been able to keep the peace punk flag waving high! Then there are the products that you can get in Japan that, to me, always seem to be on the next level. This fact can be seen on the FUUDOBRAIN/strong> website where you can find the sickest CORRUPTED hoodies I have ever seen! Plus this website is full of sick tees with jumbo prints. I’m just just saying, when I saw their John Heartfield tees I almost lost my shit! FUUDOBRAIN also carries Black Means, and their own in-house brand has killer pieces. Their web store is open to international customers – it might be pricey, but Japanese quality is always worth it! Personally, I’m saving up for the CORRUPTED hoodie and the FUUDOBRAIN side bags!

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I have ever seen!
FUUDOBRAIN Store Spotlight! appeared first on CVLT Nation.

HAPPY 420! CVLT Store 4/20 Weekend SALE Friday to Monday

Meghan — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:00:39 +0000

At CVLT Nation HQ, we will be celebrating the 420 weekend, so we thought we should spread the joy! All our clothing and hats will be 30% off starting today until Monday the 22nd with code 420WEEKEND! Plus, every order placed during the sale will get a FREE pin pack! As if it couldn’t get any better, all domestic orders over $75 ship for free, and all International orders over $150 ship free. So spark one up (or don’t) and get yourself some new threads from the CVLT Store!

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CVLT Store 4/20 Weekend SALE
Friday to Monday appeared first on CVLT Nation.

The Story Behind A…$ 3,000 Suicidal Tendencies Button Down Up Sale

Sean — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 07:00:51 +0000

A friend of mine for over 30 years, Dan Clements of EXCEL, is selling something that he never thought he would – his hand-drawn Suicidal Tendencies button down created by Ric Clayton RxCx is up for auction on Ebay for $3,000. I know that many people reading this will say, why so much? Because this is really a one of a kind piece of punk rock history. Back in the day, having a shirt created by Rick was way more than just a badge of honor! These shirts were just as important to us as a biker’s cut is. If I had the money, I would buy it from from Dan and then put it in the L.A. Punk Museum. Read a recent interview with Dan below, plus check out the details behind this auction…Venice for LIFE!

100% AUTHENTIC, ORIGINAL OWNER, ORIGINAL HAND DRAWN SUICIDAL TENDENCIES BUTTON UP DRESS SHIRT. THE SAME ONE WORN ON THE LEGENDARY 1983 DEBUT ALBUM, THIS ONE IS DISPLAYED ON THE BACK COVER IN ALL IT’S GLORY. ARTWORK BY RxCx aka RIC CLAYTON, WHO CREATED THE ENTIRE VENICE DOGTOWN SUICIDAL IMAGES THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME. THIS PIECE WAS ON IT’S WAY TO THE LOS ANGELES PUNK ROCK MUSEUM BUT DUE TO A PERSONAL EMERGENCY, I MUST SELL THIS TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER. INCLUDED IN THIS AUCTION IS THE ORIGINAL FIRST OFFICIAL RELEASED T-SHIRT 1982 AND THE VERY FIRST STICKER 1981. THIS IS A ONE OF A KIND AUCTION NEVER TO BE REPEATED. I HAVE HELD ON TO THIS MEMORY FOR OVER 30 YEARS AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, I AM THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS AN ORIGINAL HAND DRAWN SUICIDAL SHIRT LEFT OF THAT ERA…Words from the seller…

Dan Clements Interview via Noisey

Noisey: We got in touch because you’re auctioning off a piece of hardcore history. Can you give me the backstory on that photo shoot and the backstory on the shirt in the auction?
Dan Clements: This shirt was hand drawn by Ric Clayton, AKA RxCx. Ric did the majority of the hand drawn shirts but on the debut Suicidal album. Glen Friedman chose a variety of representations showing a range of styles. But a RxCx version was the one you wanted.

The photo shoot was orchestrated by Glen. As the manager for Suicidal and producer, he set up the photo shoot and even had Black Flag come and play a west LA day time backyard party to insure a solid turn out. No one was gonna miss a Black Flag performance. The only stipulation was that everyone had to come with their representation of Suicidal. Ric and our friend Art Gardia were the first of the Venice punx to go full English peace punk style via Discharge, GBH, and Varukers with spiked painted leather jackets and super big spiked hair. I have known Ric since the 4th grade and he was always involved with cutting edge styles.

Over the years, the shirts have become pretty iconic. Aside from your own, were there any shirts featured on the album that were owned or drawn by members of Suicidal, Excel, or anyone else noteworthy?
The artistic contributions came from the artistically inclined individuals within the scene. On the album, the sickest most badass designs came from RxCx, Art Gardia, Mike Frasier, and Dave Kasin. Those artist shad their finger on the trigger when it came to putting the soundtrack in the form of a drawing on a shirt. But I would say Ric Clayton was the main artist that gave that “Suicidal” image.

For most of America, the first Suicidal album was our introduction to a very unique style of graffiti and a culture that didn’t reach outside of California. Can you talk about how gang culture mixed with punk aesthetics?
The influence of gang culture is pretty much how Skip described it in the Dogtown & Z-Boys documentary. The area has had decades of history regarding gang culture, so it was a nod to where we are from. Artist Doug Smith, who has done skateboard and surf graphics depicting the ultimate in “Locals only” attitude, was one of Ric Clayton’s biggest influences. Doug originally signed his 1970s graphics as DxSx, and was one of the first punk rockers to come from Venice.

Ebay Link HERE!

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$ 3,000 Suicidal Tendencies
Button Down Up Sale appeared first on CVLT Nation.

Black Ink Black Skies…CLOVEN HOOV Web Store Now Open!

Sean — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:00:54 +0000

CVLT Nation’s creative comrade Natvres Mortes Illvstration is re-stocking his Cloven Hoov webstore with new tees, sweats, patches and pins featuring his artwork. All of his pieces are very limited so make sure to get yours quick. I’m sure the Cloven Hoov crews and tees will not last long! Even better, all of his garments are printed in the USA! Check out some photos of the gear before and after the jump…

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CLOVEN HOOV
Web Store Now Open! appeared first on CVLT Nation.

New Patches and Cough//Windhand Split in the CVLT Store

Meghan — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 07:00:13 +0000

We have finally restocked our woven patches, this time with two new styles – Black Heavens (Desecrator) and Satan’s Ride (Jacob Parmentier) accompany our Raise the Dead patch (Cub of the Woods) in the Woven Patch 3-pack II! Plus we just got in the highly anticipated split from Cough and Windhand, Reflection of the Negative. We are so stoked to have this on vinyl – the deep vibrations of this incredibly heavy record are finally done justice in our HQ! Check out some photos of our new stuff below and after the jump!

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CVLT Nation X TOMBS t-shirts Now in Stock!

Meghan — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:00:26 +0000

CVLT Nation is excited to announce that our limited edition TOMBS t-shirts are now in stock! Holy Mountain Printing outdid himself with these tees, and every detail of the intricate Viral Graphics design is captured in this awesome print. These tees are printed on the standard CVLT Nation body with a special edition TOMBS inner neck label and our logo on the back. This is some sweet fucking merch, and you are only going to find it here in the CVLT Store! There are only a few left so run and get yours now…plus check out some photos after the jump!

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A Chance to Support the Creative Community From the Black Lodge

Meghan — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:00:21 +0000

It’s been said that it’s hard out here for a pimp, but I would argue that it’s even harder for an independent artist or designer trying to make a living selling their work to a society mostly obsessed with obsolescence. Unlike the large corporations that dominate consumer culture, the work of small business is often meant to last – the materials are quality and each piece is lovingly constructed by human hand. It’s really the only thing that small business in North America has going for it; we certainly can’t compete with the quantity and price of the corporate goods. But a growing number of people realize that supporting local artists and designers – whether in the music we listen to, the clothes we wear or the art we decorate our house with – has much larger benefits than just getting something that will last you longer and is made better than its made in China counterpart. By supporting your friends and neighbors, you are improving their lives and the community’s economy, because the money stays in the community and cycles through it, supporting other local businesses and helping others improve their livelihoods. Unless you think we’re all better off working at Wal-Mart for minimum wage. Most small business is a minimum wage job, but one infinitely more rewarding than greeting huffy obese shoppers and making rich Christians richer. Being creative and running my own business has made me get used to being broke, yes, but so happy. However, I believe that the time of the artisan is nigh, that disgruntled citizens are waking up to the fact that the only way to live the way we want to live is to support each other at a grassroots level. One of the only ways creative people have been able to survive is by supporting each other, and Amanda Moore of Adelina Mictlan jewelry is doing that with her popup shop project From the Black Lodge. She has big plans to do a series of national and international popups featuring designers and artists who produce their pieces in small batches by hand, companies like Ovate, Guts, Glam Glory, Morph, Death/Traitors, Terra Luna, Wicked Apothecary, Thrillhaus, Lisa Muerta leather works, David Guy and more. She’s starting out at Austin Psych Fest this year, and she needs our help to get her started, so she’s put up an Indiegogo campaign to raise the funds. There are 7 days left to get involved, so I highly recommend that you check it out now. She has some excellent incentives for people who donate starting at $1, including a jewelry raffle, patches, tees, totes, tattoo credit, Adelina Mictlan gift certificates, original paintings and the one I am hoping for – a chance to win a stunning Bloodmilk ring. After the jump watch read about her mastermind plan and please help her get this awesome project started!!!

blacklodge from Amanda Moore on Vimeo.

“From the Black Lodge” is a popup shop that travels to different venues around the world. We strongly believe in handmade, small batch, independent business. The shop will be filled with products from artists and designers that sell primarily on the internet. My goal in the creation of “From the Black Lodge” is to help these artist bring work to shoppers which they may not have had the chance to see, and will allow the shoppers to experience and appreciate a unique, specific style. I will also be giving the artists I represent an opportunity to share their efforts, and to spread the awareness of their craft without taking a huge financial risk on their own.

What We Need & What You Get

To get the ball rolling, at the very least, I would need $4,000. This will directly go to the first venue, Austin Psych Fest, that will debut “from the black lodge”. Psych Fest is a 3 day musical festival that draws up to 10,000 potential shoppers from all over the United States and the world. This setup would include a booth fee, shelves, mannequins, tables and other supplies, that would be utilized to fill the space. I will also need flyers & business cards to keep the project alive and well promoted.

The revenue from the first popup shop at Austin Psych Fest will go towards starting a website that will feature an online store that will continue to sell products from our contributing vendors. This website and other social media sites linked to “from the black lodge” will continue to spread hype about my project and the small businesses I support. I will also use the revenue to start planning my next popup shop.

When you contribute to this project, you will be offered a handful of rewards. I hope something appeals to you because I am truly thankful for any and all help! My goal is to help others, both shoppers and artists in the pursuit of keeping a unique style, and handmade, artisan projects alive, and I am hoping this goal will be shared by friends, family, artists and all those who appreciate the small batch, independent business.

The Impact

From the minute “From the Black Lodge” initiative begins, it will benefit the progress of small businesses and independent artists. I know that creating and maintaining your art, integrity and business can be difficult, and this is why I would like to step in, and drive the success of others, who are in a position just as myself.

I know it is not easy to get a small movement started, and everyone is struggling in this economy, working multiple jobs, taking care of their families and making sacrifices to stay afloat. I also know this barely leaves time to do the things that make us happy. At the end of the day it is difficult for a working artist to find the time that they need to promote themselves, so “From the Black Lodge” will take on this burden, bringing valuable art to the global community.

The artists I represent are just like you and I, and I want to see them succeed by promoting & selling their goods in my new shop.

In the past, the community that Jewelry by Adelina Mictlan has been a part of has been very giving and supportive. All of the designers I have worked with have gone out of their way to promote each-others work, whether it is a blog
post, instagram photo, or tweet. We genuinely believe in each other and I feel that this strong community sense will be carried on in my new endeavour.

Some of the artists I will be working with are:

Ovate

Guts, Glam Glory

Morph

Death/Traitors

Terra Luna

Wicked Apothecary

Thrillhaus

Lisa Muerta leather works

David Guy

& many others

Incentives

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From the Black Lodge appeared first on CVLT Nation.

FALSE x CVLT Nation Limited Edition T-shirts Available Now!

Meghan — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:00:58 +0000

Today is a fucking rad day because we got our limited edition collabo t-shirts in from FALSE, and they look amazing! If you don’t know about this awesome Singapore-based clothing brand, now is the time to find out – Le Messie and Amanda make everything by hand, and individually hand silkscreen their tees together so that each one is a work of art, check out the interview we did with them here. Plus, as a brand we see eye-to-eye with their anti-system and anarchist politics; they disseminate a lot of important information in the form of articles and documentaries, and they are pro-small business and pro-artisan creators! The t-shirt itself is already super nice, a lightweight, combed cotton American-made tee, and then FALSE’s silkscreening skills are off the chain. This is a super limited design, only a few are available in the CVLT Store and on FALSE’s webstore Anti Anti, so they are going to go quick! Check them out after the jump, as well as a rad video below documenting the process of making a FALSE t-shirt!

Making of a FALSE T-Shirt 2013 from FALSE TV on Vimeo.

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