Vintage Circus Costumes and Clowns

The best thing about my life is that no two days are the same, despite my best efforts to just hibernate in the warm and take photos in my home studio, the unusual offer seems to haunt me like a shadow... and here's just one such instance.

I met the wonderful Ruth from Admiral Costumes on a photo shoot which I helped to style, Ruth had just taken over an established costume hire company not far from me up the country roads.

Ruth had come across a fabulous selection of genuine vintage circus costumes, and thought I might like to have fun with them. When finally we found a young lady small enough to fit into them, I set about building a little set and rummaging around for props. The final part of the jigsaw was finding that our student model Charlotte was best friends with another young lady who is training to be a makeup artist, the girls were fabulous, they really entered into the spirit of it. 

Ruth has been looking into the different types of clowns and we took some ideas from these.

There are four types of clown, there's Auguste who is the fool or joker, he falls over with his big shoes on and has makeup with white round the mouth and eyes which is outlined in black.

Hobo clown is a happy go lucky fellow who is always looking for work, typically he wears a bowler hat and tramp clothing, he has a dirty face due to his constant travelling.

Harlequin clown originated in France and wears an outfit made from triangles of coloured fabric with a ruff at the neck. Harlequin is nimble and performs stunts and acrobatics.

The Pierrot clown wears distinctive black and white and is known for mime.  He is a melancholy dreamer and hides his pain from his audience but reveals only a single tear drop on his cheek, under his eye.

We combined some of these clown ideas to style the showgirl outfits, the sort a bear-back rider would wear and another like a Jeanie.

With the addition of a few feminine touches like ballet shoes and veils, we twisted the idea from a male image to a female performer, albeit a rather sinister one, but I can't help but feel that clowns are a bit scary anyway. 

You can hire any of these items or some just like it from Admiral Costumes. Kerri Victoria Pocknell our MUA can be found through facebook or myself.  Big thanks to Charlotte our model too. 

Send in the clowns, don't worry, they're here...

Clarks Orla Betty funky retro shoes!

A slightly unusual review from me today, but as most of my readers are ladies, I thought pointing out these new shoes from Clarks would be appreciated.

If you, like me, wear vintage or vintage style clothes and like the colourful and fun, then this new range of shoes designed by Orla Keily for Clarks will sure be a must have for your summer wardrobe. But be aware, these are selling out super fast, so whilst its not quite sandal weather I have bought mine now so that I don't miss out.

As is usual with Clarks, they have gone for comfort here, so despite it being a high heel, you don't feel like you are walking in heels, as the inside padding and the little platform put you in a comfortable position.

I think the strap is a little thin as it did tend to cut in a little bit but considering my first outing in them was walking around a vintage fair with bare feet, I didn't come home with any aches or pains and no rubbing whatsoever, which is a good sign.

There are so many great styles in this range, I also liked these in blue but it had sold out and there are some that do have a thicker ankle strap and are slightly lower, these could be a good second pair to have. 

The styles remind me of childrens shoes in the sixties and seventies, and Im sure I had a pair like these Orla Betty when I was at school in the 1970s.  Theres are so many cool pairs in the range, Bibi, Bobble and Beatrice all really appeal to me, so I may have to go and try these on soon. 

One last major point, Im a half size, (uk 4.5) and these come in half sizes, which is a great bonus.  

If you can't get to a shop, then order online http://www.clarks.co.uk/c/womens-orla-kiely

Far From the Madding Crowd

for this last month Ive been honing my skills in still life photography, something which I have to do a lot of when I work for others photographing their products.  Sometimes its just fun to play but as Im the sort of person who needs a nudge, the instagram challenges have proved just the sort of push I needed. 

So Im telling you here first about an Instagram challenge Im setting of my own, called #farfromthemaddingcrowd.

I read this book in the 1970s as it was on the curriculum at school for English O Level (gcse).  The books of Thomas Hardy had a big impression on me at age 14, I thought they were very tragic and they still leave me with a haunted feeling. 

This books title reminds me of my new life now in the countryside, getting away from the crowd in London.  But the idea and concept of being having some personal space, some moments of stillness and an escape corner of your house, can be beautifully captured in photos. 

So Im challenging over the next month for people to hashtag #farfromthemaddingcrowd and the entry I like the best will win a vintage copy of the book from me. 

Here are some of my favourite stills from the last few weeks ...

find me on Instagram janiceissitt_life_style

stacked for Kim Klassen

Moody Wednesday

Far From The Madding Crowd

floral for Lobster and Swan

from my kitchen

Silver for Capturing Colour with Capture By Lucy

Gathered Style for A Quiet Style

Painters In Residence Moroccan Boho Bedroom

The last of my projects for Painters In Residence has now been posted up by Annie Sloan and it's my Moroccan Bedroom.

Actually this bedroom is an illusion, it's my conservatory that I use as a studio and I built this set to show what could be achieved with paint and colour. 

The back wall is the colour Provence with a Mandala in Napoleonic Blue.  Mandalas are traditionally used in meditation and so I did my own twist on this by designing and cutting my own stencil.

You only have to cut one quarter of the design as you can repeat it to form the circle.  The designs were a collage of various patterns I had seen with some alterations done on the template before cutting. 

The table was dark brown wood.  I first painted inside the carved areas so they would show through underneath the top coat.

The floor was a quarry tiled dark rust colour which I have never really liked so I was more than happy to see what happened when I put paint onto it. I first painted each tile alternate colours and let those dry.  I cut my own stencils again, a variety of different designs and then painted these onto the tiles. Once dry all the tiles were covered with the clear lacquer from Annie Sloan which seals and protects them.  On a few of the tiles I picked up some tiny details with gold leaf and varnished over it. 

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The bed came from good old e-bay, it was painted in Barcelona orange and varnished with the same lacquer as I used on the floor. I again cut a stencil, Im a big fan of peacock feathers I even have some tattooed on my leg, it was also a play on 'feather bed'.

The bed coverings are called Kantha Quilts and are made from old saris held together with a Kantha stitch, made and hand sewn in India. A great way to up cycle old saris.

The little screen was mainly in Old Violet but I created an Ombre effect using yellows, orange and red, mixing them as I went along. This again was dark wood and it just goes to show how well the chalk paint covers.

The three Painters In Residence were given three months to come up with their completed projects and very soon the next batch of recruits will be handed the baton.  I hope my approach has been an inspiration to some of you to be brave with colour. I don't consider myself a great painter but I do get carried away with a vision. I find that if it doesn't work then what's the worse that can happen? Well you just paint over it and put it down to experience.  I rarely do any work now without the Chalk Paint coming out at some point, for photographic backdrops and props to changing the walls in my house to match the new furniture makeovers. I seem to be on a mission to eliminate beige, boring and dull so if this triggers even the slightest idea with you to go bold with colour and add some details then I hope it makes you as happy as it makes me. Love Jx

Romance and Roses

This week I have seen a few themes running with my friends on Instagram, so I have decided to join in with these fun photo stylings and thought I would share them here as well.

"Capture By Lucy" has a great blog and feed on Instagram, she runs a few photo challenges like Capturing Colour. Just follow the hashtags. 

This week her Capturing Colour theme is Pink, whilst over at Lobster and Swan blog they are Styling The Seasons, with February being Romance. 

Another Instagram challenge came from Fabulous Thrifted Finds, their theme being glass, so to kill three birds with one stone I played with all these ideas. 

My motivation levels have been very low during January so this was just the kick up the proverbials that I needed to get styling and snapping. 

paper weight a rose in glass from Aylesbury Antique Market

a collection of my own vintage items which is my idea of Romance

this chair has just been finished, painted and upholstered by myself.

I chose Travel for my romance theme, the idea of being dashed off to Paris for Valentines would be my perfect date. 

As my latest chair makeover is quite romantic I have included this in the pics, the fabric is from great Facebook friend Betty Zee who does fab things with fabric, and the paintwork is from the usual source, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. Ive recently been indulging my collection of needlepoint cushions too with several more being finished just now for inclusion in photos soon. 

To find me on instagram go to http://instagram.com/janiceissitt_life_style/

and if you like a good blog then check outhttp://capturebylucy.com and http://lobsterandswan.com


This heart box is very old, it's a watch box which belonged to my Dad. Styled pink and romantic and glass for all the themes. 

Ive had these shoes for years, the postcard came from Instgram seller Half Moon Hobo

thrifted 50s frosted glassware, 

Thanks for popping by, and don't forget to check us Instagrammers out. See you all soon.

A little p.s. just adding a few more pics as Ive also joined with  Emily Quinton for Floral Friday Competition. 

Serendipity Reclamation's Summer House

I don't know, my blogs are like buses, you don't get one for ages and then theres two in one week!  I just thought I'd do this extra one as another of my projects for the Painters In Residence series for Annie Sloan Chalk Paint has just been revealed over on her blog.  It's the summer house that I added some finishing touches to for Jane at Serendipity Reclamation.

Jane who specializes in sourcing reclamation, designed this summer house and found some beautiful authentic features like the windows which came from France, copper guttering and many more details like a chandelier and metal desk.

With a soft muted palette of colours used in the building already we decided to add some pops of colour so went about mixing chalk paint to get a bright fuchsia pink, we added Emperors Silk to Henrietta.  A diluted amount of this was used to soak the lace panel in and it picked up the colour beautifully.  I also used this colour in the wall stencil, a repeated pattern made to look like a mandala or snowflake.

Jane had also found a screen frame missing its panels, she had already found some beautiful french linen sheets and the stiffness of these was perfect as a natural background to the graphite stencil.  To add touches of grandeur to the screen and cupboard I used Annie Sloans leaf and gold size glue in brass. 

The cupboard was painted in Antibes Green and then given two coats of Craquleur, a glaze which crackles also made by Annie Sloan. I then worked dark wax into the cracks as Jane wanted the piece to look aged.

The summer house serves many uses, sometimes an office and sometimes for yoga or guests and social occasions. The desk is the most stunning piece of furniture so to compliment it I used Annie Sloans leaf in silver for a little side table top.

Top Drawer and Tattoo Style

Happy New Year one and all, yes, Ive been a bit tardy of late in blogging, to be honest I have been very lacking in motivation over the holiday period and am often feeling very blue by January. It's hard to keep your energy and motivation up when you are self-employed and I do think that the dark wet days don't help either, hibernation has set in and knitting has ensued.

But everyone else has battled on back to work and time waits for no man, so it's January and in retail that means the big buying shows for the coming Spring and summer with all the major trade shows being held.  

Top Drawer at London's Olympia also incorporates Home and is a great showcase for the shop suppliers and wholesalers/makers to display the coming trends in gifts and interiors. The show is so vast that I decided just to feature the things that I feel fit into my Tattoo Style ethos.

the perfect presents for your tattooist at Temerity Jones

It pleases me enormously when items which were once thought creepy and maybe too gothic, seep into the mainstream. Some of my personal favourite pieces of victorian, circus, steampunk, crossover can be illustrated here.  Firstly, Phrenology heads and palmistry hands.  

Temerity Jones

Seletti

Phrenology dates back to the Greek era when it was thought that certain areas on the head were responsible for specific functions. This is clearly laid out on the phrenology head but we now see that being tweaked into a more fun object.

Alphabet lights were on several stands, they vary from the large rusty statement pieces akin to old theatrical signs,  to smaller more kitschy ones which would be fun in a kitchen or teenagers bedroom.

temerity jones

PAD Home

Filament light bulbs and cage shades are also hot news in interiors and I welcome the regression away from horrible energy efficient bulbs, sorry but thats the truth.  I love that the lightbulb is a beautiful thing in its own right, now being shaped in a variety of ways and the filaments larger than before like some victorian scientific apparatus.

temerity jones

NKUKU

These look great grouped together and offer a good alternative to areas where a fabric shade would be impractical. 

i-bride France at PAD home

Van Asch Sweden

Victoriana and steampunk, skulls, lace and animals in period clothing, whats not to love. Above you can see how these quite gothic subjects are transformed into something quite delicate and feminine. 

Temerity Jones

temerity jones

Mercury glass is the name for this silver aged effect on glass objects, it is reminiscent of how old mirrors crackle and mist. Personally I love old mirrors, and when buying antique and vintage ones I actually prefer the imperfections. Mercury glass has started to form another of my collections and it looks particularly elegant used at Christmas. For me this look fuses the ethnic style from India with a victorian feel and I love a good fusion. Nkuku has been mentioned by me many times before, for me they are the perfect wholesalers of fair trade products with their eye for mixing country rustic with ethnic whilst hinting at scandinavian cool. I should buy shares in them !

nkuku

Top Drawer is only for shop owners and buyers, not for the public, but I thought it was still worth mentioning these companies either because you may have a shop or you could track down your local stockist. I hope to be bringing you some of these stockists soon as I may be working with a few shops in the future on styling and sourcing.  

www.temerityjones.com
Nkuku
Van Asch
PAD Home