The Kitsch Danger Zone

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I've mentioned before, there's a very narrow margin between cool kitsch & all out ugly; with this ensemble I'm not confident enough of it not being the latter.

 It's one part of the room I'm just not sure about. Perhaps because most of my other kitsch things are collected in pockets in the room; the wall of ugly art, the cabinet & it's wares, they re-enforce each other that it's 'meant to look like that'. But mister fish sits upon a really stylish retro side table & I'm just not sure if he 'works'.

 My iPhone camera photos aren't the best but he's a sea-green with a slight sheen to his paintwork.
He's a very large, heavy vase, I found him in the same tacky shop in Dublin where I bought the Jesus clock. He was only €15 & worth lugging back to the hotel!

 The plastic flowers are from a normal fancy goods shop, the sort that sells candles & posh twigs for decoration.
The blue birds are again Ikea Summer 2008, and I think they are fantastic! If I retire mister fish I'll still be keeping the blue birds in the room somewhere.

 I'm scared to ask what everyone thinks of this get up! Do you think it's just too ugly, not retro enough to get away with?
I could always move mister fish to the garden...

Claire

Russian Matryoshka Dolls

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Russian stacking dolls have bizarrely snuck back into mainstream design this year.
Many mainstream brands have used the image on clothing or cushions & furnishings for this coming winter.

 They appeal to me due to their collectable nature. They come in many varieties, including modern versions of The Simpsons.

 I only have two sets so far, a Star Wars one I bought for my husband & these original design dolls from Hawkin's Bazzar which came 'blank' to paint yourself.

Claire

Painting by Numbers

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My bible, "Kitsch Deluxe" includes painting by numbers artwork in their run down of key items.
Personally I was surprised to see them included, I find kids' velvet art to the the pinnacle of ugly DIY creativity.

 You remember? If you were an 1980s child like me, you'd have had a black velvet art of My Little Pony, or He-Man, which would come with a entirely inadequate selection of four felt tip pens to add your own colour.

 I did have two of these glorious works of art in my old flat, some kittens in a basket & a velvet reproduction of the classic dogs playing pool.

 Since getting married & moving to a 'proper home' I ditched them, now we have our own little son I'll be letting him make a masterpiece when he's old enough to!

 But back to painting by numbers. I do have a ship bought for it's nautical theme rather than it being one.

 It's quite large & hangs above the cabinet. It's really well executed by whoever the original colourer-in was.

 I bought this for £2 at a church fête.

Claire

Sailor Jerry & Nautical Kitsch

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Nautical kitsch is mainstream & has been in fashion for interior design & women's clothing & accessories for the past couple of years.

 It's a theme you're more likely to come across in 'normal' homes, bathrooms most frequently & if it's a look you'd like to recreate you don't have to hoke around as much to find pieces to do so.

 When it comes to seaside decor, our family goes straight to Sailor Jerry.
You may be familiar with the name from the brand of sweet vanilla rum, or from his legacy as a tattooist.

 Sailor Jerry tattoos have strong nautical themes, real sailors & Navy men would have these designs.

 Any Sailor Jerry merch is expensive, so if you find anything that looks like his work at a car boot sale, I'd recommend getting it, even to sell on if the look isn't to your taste.

 We have many old school tattoo & nautical themed items, but by far the biggest is a recent addition, an authentic Sailor Jerry shower curtain. A reproduction of a dozen or so of his tattoo flash sheets, which customers would have picked their designs from.

 It's very striking & is the centre piece of our little bathroom. It was bought for £40 on US Ebay, which is the cheapest I could find it. That's an expensive buy for me, I prefer my treasures to be bargains!

Claire

Gypsy Dolls. They come for your Soul.

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Some holiday kitsch now. Along with the good old straw donkey, another common souvenir purchase from the 70s was a doll in traditonal dress.

 Package holidays meant we working class folks could get away to the sun for the first time, and trinkets were collected like trophies of these grand adventures.

 I remember my own parents having flamenco dancing lady dolls, and I too have one in the cabinet collection.

 Today's blog however are these spooky looking chaps.
Handmade in Cyprus & wearing traditonal dress, this pair were found at yet another car boot sale.
Love that they are still boxed, although unlike my husband's original boxed Star Wars figures, I very much doubt my dolls would sell for much these days!

Claire

Garden Kitsch - Help!

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I've hit a stumbling point when it comes to the outside of our house.

 I'm not too sure how to do garden kitsch, or if there is such a thing.

 The immediate answer would be gnomes, but I've always found them just too far into the realms of bad taste. Maybe I'm just repressing some fear.
In fact my earliest memory is that of a garden full of gnomes down the road from us when I was a toddler.

 I have some funny little bits & pieces in the pots at the front door. A reproduction pink flamingo, smaller & slightly lighter than the authentic ones. Also a tin crab & lobster from a pound shop, but I think living this close to the sea, anyone could get away with those.

 The pink bird house is a bit cutsey, steering toward the Cath Kitson look, which I personally find a bit too twee.

 It'll be a challenge for me investigating garden kitsch & getting the place into shape, but I think I'll leave it till next summer.

 Does anyone have any ideas? What did your granny used to doll her garden up with?

Claire