Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Fun things to rub your body with...




...in the shower
...or after getting 'dirty'

Get your mind out of the gutter - I'm talking about soap! Unbelievable weird handmade soaps. Do check out the shops of these talented folks - this is just the tip of the iceberg!

*Food soap*
As someone who has cast off sugar and carbs I really appreciate the vicarious pleasure of food soaps. There's a local company that makes chocolate cake slice soaps that make me wanna take all my clothes off...and take a shower. But these food soaps go way beyond chocolate and cupcakes. And you won't get fat using them  - unless you eat them which you will only try once, trust me.





Need something to wash that down?

*Nerdgasm soaps*
To boldly go where hopefully man has gone before...(a shower)
 

For lovers of antiques:

 from the listing:

"Scented with Mountain Dew fragrance oil, a gamer's best scent." 
Do they make Mac 'n Cheese fragrance oil?

Natural history soap - nerdgasm in progress:

And lastly what I like to call *wtf soaps*


Disturbed? Take a chill pill.


"Choose your scent" May I suggest Frankincense

And saving the best for last...
Because nothing says irony like washing your hands with poo. Also guaranteed to get those annoying friends to stop inviting themselves over.
Posted by skeptis at 2:51 PM 8 comments

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Micro Forests, Vintage Glam and Cool New Stuff

I'm always surprised by the diversity of life found on Mount-Royal, Montreal's little green hill. All around is busy downtown city life, including subway station you can reach by foot.

For example, I nearly soiled myself when I saw this huge pileated woodpecker!


Notice the high traffic road behind him. This guy was over a foot tall. He also had a call not unlike a cross between a chimpanzee and a chicken...neato!


This is the third time I passed this particular red trillium playing hard to get with it's bud juuuust about to open. Today it finally opened, it didn't disappoint:


The beautiful Dog tooth violets were in bloom in huge patches all over the mountain. This bunch was particularly... uh photogenic:

my boyfriend / porter all squinty-eyed in the sun (or silently swearing to himself)


And a few patches of Bloodroot were still in bloom


And the maples were finally sprouting leaves in a eye-watering chartreuse green.


And now for something completely different***

A new treasury!  Dunno how but I just happen to land on the page 5 minutes before they opened:)


From the top, left:
Vintage Patent Leather Kitten Heels
14K Antique Deco Diamond Cameo Filigree Ring
Vintage Summer Dress What a gorgeous green!
Hand Embroidered Lace Vailtail Fish Necklace Wow!
Gold Comet Purse
Green Flower French Brocade Recycled Plate Brooch
Vintage Swarovski Crystals
50s Exotic Bird Jumper PDF Pattern
Persinnamon Girl Perfume Oil
Chromatica Halter Dress
Vintage Faux Bois Jewelry Box Full of Jewelry
Reclaimed Stiletto Succulent Planter

And just because this is my blog...

A plug of my first bracelets! Super long wrap style made with genuine vintage materials, as always:





Posted by skeptis at 6:58 PM 1 comments

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

New Treasury Full of Jellies!

I somehow got a hold of a treasury and decided it should be an ode to all the neat stuff on Etsy inspired by marine organisms (that I keep talking about...).
Check it out! Marine Biology



That frilly vintage Fenton candy pink vase is full of WIN. I'm convinced the designers had marine invertebrates on the brain...Otherwise it just might be the gaudiest vase ever created.

You bet some of my recycled vintage jewelry items have also been inspired by the sea. I see jellies everywhere...









http://urbannaturalhistory.blogspot.com/

Posted by skeptis at 2:03 PM 3 comments

Are your eyes thirsty?

Take the plunge !




Refreshing isn't it?




http://urbannaturalhistory.blogspot.com/
Posted by skeptis at 11:32 AM 1 comments

Monday, April 19, 2010

Psychedelic Gelatinous Lifeforms


Etsy has become even more cool since a particular search term resulted in an entire page of handmade awesomeness; I can always count on Etsy artists to feed my need for geeky art but I was still surprised to see how many items had the word nudibranch in their titles!

What the frak is a nudibranch?
Commonly refered to as 'sea slugs' they're basically like a marine version of the slug on a major acid trip.

One pill makes you larger...
 
The name means 'naked gills' referring to the feather-like structures found on certain species of nudibranch that serve as gills or lungs (yes aquatic organisms need oxygen too!). The hallucinogenic colors have evolved as camouflage in some species (to hide where? Burning Man festival?) or as a warning of toxicicity in others.

...and one pill makes you small...

 ...but the ones that mother give you...

So now you see how these psychedelic balls of goo are exactly the kind of inspiration Etsians eat for breakfast! Wait that didn't come out right...

Nudibranch bangle, or as the artist calls them nudibrangles:

Your cat wants a nudibranch.
From The Frog Bag, another Etsy seller with a degree in zoology!
20% of the price of anything bought in their store will be donated to The Tapir Preservation Fund.

UH-ma-zing silkscreened scarf by Zoebe ! 

Want to DIY? Crochet patterns for Amigurimi nudibranch! Is there nothing you can't make with crochet? I think not.



Ernst Haeckel thought they were pretty neat balls of goo too:
Art Forms in Nature, Plate 43, Nudibranchia

Pretty nudies, trippy nudies, little balls of goo. What will evolution think of next?




http://urbannaturalhistory.blogspot.com/
Posted by skeptis at 4:20 PM 5 comments

Send the gift of Science

Cool eco-friendly envelopes made by Sly Raccoon. Made from up-cycled vintage science books.
Oooooh do I spy flagellates, bacilli and anatomical diagrams?! Neato!



Send your snail mail covered in germs and guts teehee!
In honor of Earth Day, The Sly Raccoon will be offering 20% off everything from April 16 - 22!




http://urbannaturalhistory.blogspot.com/
Posted by skeptis at 9:17 AM 0 comments
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Sunday, April 18, 2010

Calling my Inner Rainbow

Today sucked.
It was dark, rainy and cold, and I'm wearing a sweater indoors...on top of the pajamas I'm still wearing.

Here's some bright and shiny from my shop to prove there is a little happy rainbow person somewhere inside me. He's just solar-powered.


Top Left to Right:
Fresh Cut Flower Earrings
Beaded Chain Necklace
June Bug Earrings
Plastic Bird Earrings
Yellow and Violet Spring Necklace
White Blossom Post Earring Set
Neon Orange Glass Ring
Trippy Purple Dove Earrings
Funky Fruity Post Earring Set



http://urbannaturalhistory.blogspot.com/
Posted by skeptis at 4:21 PM 2 comments

Crochet Me Baby

Amigurumi: The art of crocheted cute weirdness. And a whole lotta weirdness there is. Exhibit A:

Venus of frakin' Willendorf!
 Handmade Venus of Willendorf Soft Sculpture

Finally, you can now own a sexy crocheted prehistoric pinup ('cause that's what scholarly folks mean when they refer to things as  fertility symbols). And in true DIY fashion you can even make your own by purchasing the PDF pattern.
 

Perfect for the man who has everything...except a big woman to hold at night. And much cuddlier than the stone ones the lonely prehistoric dudes assuredly used to cuddle with.
Posted by skeptis at 8:16 AM 2 comments

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Vintage Birds are a Hoot

There seems to be a law of nature that the smaller the creature the more spherical it is. It probably has something to do with less heat loss due to a low surface/volume ratio and blah blah blah - the important thing is this is great for us since small + chubby animules are what we live for. Add a bit of vintage charm and you have a definite WIN.

Peep family photo complete with temporary flash blindness. "Wait, don't move! I don't think we got Billy in that last one!"

Lookit this little guy with his little beady eyes that say "please don't eat me, I love you". Which is the look I get from my darling rat Charlie even though I've never tried to eat him.



"After I lost my job Ireen left me and took the kids..."

Check out the chubb on this guy! His eyes seem to be saying "I think I'm on fire!"

"Do something!"

Wow without the tail this guy is practically all sphere. Perhaps his distress is caused by some intestinal disconfort? Should've had lots of water with your fiber little dude!

http://urbannaturalhistory.blogspot.com/
Posted by skeptis at 9:46 AM 2 comments
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