Blog
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Check out this Georgia Straight article on the latest vendor added to our Creative Finds Art Market list:Pillow fight
On the sweet side, flaming angels does tiki-kitschy cushions, but you can rest your head on their gothy-skull dark side, too.
For a goth girl who started out making coffin-shaped bags, being accepted by the heavily juried artisan "it" crowd at the Circle Craft Christmas Market was a pretty big deal. That's why when Flaming Angels president and designer Miriam Melanson submitted her portfolio in 2005, she thought she had only a fifty-fifty chance.
"I just figured that I should practice my skills at applying for hard-to-get-into events," says Melanson. "I thought, 'Why not try it once?' There's no harm in trying, right? But I honestly didn't know if people would get scared off by my stuff and be like, 'Oh, my God, this is too freaky,' and then run the other way or be drawn in."
They were drawn in. Of course, it took a little more than funeral-box accessories for Melanson to win over the CC judges–it was a combination of her innovative doom-and-gloom gear and her unexpectedly cute novelty pillows. After spending four years catering to the undead set with her customized fetishwear, creepy-crawly jewels, and casket backpacks, Melanson stumbled upon some pop-art fabrics in the States that she simply had to have.
"I just knew there was an untapped market," says the self-proclaimed "perky goth" (which apparently means she likes bloodsuckers with happy faces). "The prints were so cute and accessible to everyone. And with pillows, you don't have to worry about it matching your outfit or being too flamboyant. I mean, everybody feels safe with just a fun pillow, and they make great gifts."
But the Gothic Beauty magazine regular hasn't forgotten where she got her start. She continues to design for her pale-faced pals as well as collectors of kitsch. So when you log on to her site ( www.flamingangels.net ), you'll see a screen divided into three parts: a black Wicked side, a pink Sweet side, and a red Hot side for all things music-related. All she has to do is decide where to post her wares. It's not as easy as spider-web patterns and vinyl bats on one side and tiki and trendy home décor on the other.
Popular Sweet patterns include the Tattoo, which has mermaids, hula dancers, and sacred hearts–the pale-pink version is a hot seller in the rockabilly scene. Then there's the In Crowd print, which is row upon row of black-and-white headshots–think Andy Warhol meets Mod Squad. And for the ironic surfer, there's the Loteria, which is scattered Mexican tarot cards and the Fiesta de Muertos: skeletons dancing in traditional folk costumes.
All of Flaming Angels' cotton-covered pillows can be made to order as small or large throw cushions ($18 or $28) and bolsters ($28). Though the majority of Flaming Angels regulars are kitsch collectors, you don't need wall-to-wall tiki décor. If hot chicks on scooters are your thing, you could toss a Mod Girls pillow in your rec room and call it a day.
And there's plenty more specialty prints where that came from–in fact, a few too many.
"Right now I have a surplus," she says. "I just bought a whole bunch of stuff from
Labels: flaming angels, georgia straight, tattoo
Posted by nicci at 9/11/2007 02:46:00 PM