Sparkle Studio Styling Flashback...

For the red carpet of their film project "Olive Juice," Leighanne Littrell asked us to spiff up a few choices for her and husband Brian Littrell of the Backstreet Boys. The name of their film in metal studs on Brian's shirt, and a shoutout for her hubby on Leighanne's sleeveless sweater.

New Mosaic Tile Tables Added to SparkleStudio.com

We have added a selection of smaller mosaic tile side tables to our site. Perfect for summertime lunches and teas on the patio, these are perfect alongside a chaise longue or a pair of poolside chairs. Each piece incorporates whole and fragmented vintage tiles thoughtfully arranged. Weathered painted wrought iron bases make these pieces compatible with many other different styles of indoor and outdoor furniture. Find us also on facebook and Etsy!

Wendy Fanny Pack Update!

Keith and I were very surprised and excited to receive in the mail two autographed cards signed by Wendy herself(!), thanking us for the fannypack that we embellished and sent to her. We will continue to follow her show as we do every day, she still might pull it out on air!

As always, feel free to join us on facebook!

The "Weekend Wendy" Fanny Pack

Pictured above is our gift to Wendy Williams, what we are calling the "Weekend Wendy" fannypack. It is our homage to the outrageous and larger than life personality of Wendy Williams, whose show we are big fans of. It incorporates her favorite colors purple and pink metal studs and Swarovski rhinestones, and is attention-grabbing as the woman we have made it for. We hope she wears it and enjoys it, and shows it off on her show!

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*Our letter to Wendy:

David and Keith Company, LLC
Sparkle Studio / http://SparkleStudio.com
8702 Sherwood Drive
West Hollywood, CA 90069

Wendy Williams
Attn: Ultimate "Weekend Wendy" Fannypack
P.O. Box 2078
New York, NY 10101-2078

May 1, 2010

Dear Wendy! (From David and Keith in West Hollywood, CA)

We have been loyal and dedicated fans of your show all the way back to your "6 Week Sneak Peek," and are thoroughly entertained by all of the madness, the wonderfully upbeat audience, the Hot Topics, and the HAIR!

Our site SparkleStudio.com shows some of what we do, Interior furnishings such as pillows with antique fabrics, and Fashion accessories such as one-of-a-kind bags and leather and rhinestone flower pins.

We know very well that you love FANNYPACKS! We saw fashion stylist Stacy London cringe when you mentioned it, and also heard you mention that you only had one black one and one beige one that you rotate when you're tipping out and about on the weekends. Sparkle Studio needs to know that you have one fannypack with a bit of OTT flair, so we have made for you a custom embellished lavender fannypack with your WW logo. We hope it brings a smile to your face when you are out sporting it, and that you wear it with the bag on the front so no one SNATCHES it!

We LOVE YOU, and wish you continued amazing success!


David Kahauolopua & Keith Webster
David and Keith Company, LLC
Sparkle Studio
http://sparklestudio.com
blog: http://signofthemonkey.blogspot.com/
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sparkle-Studio/189688473385?ref=ts

Kevin Stea and That Rogue Romeo

Saturday, April 3rd marked the video shoot day of "City of Glass" by our good friend Kevin Stea, aka That Rogue Romeo. As a dancer and choreographer, Kevin has danced with literally everyone, everywhere. That Rogue Romeo is his current project as a solo artist. We provided Kevin with a custom black leather obi sash that looked great on! By all accounts the day sounded like it was a big success, and we can't wait to see the resulting video. We look forward to more collaborations with Kevin and creating bold and edgy leather accessories!



Find out more about Kevin and That Rogue Romeo on facebook.

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photo courtesy of Marc Cartwright

Sparkle Studio Cuffs & Gauntlets

While other types of cuffs and armband gauntlets are worn with buckles and snaps, Sparkle Studio offers a creative alternative with grommets and adjustable leather laces. Made from remnants of vintage leather, denim and camouflage prints, these cuffs are often simply embellished with various combinations of metal studs and rhinestones, and the laces are meant to dangle after tightening to the desired fit and tied in a bow or loose knot.

While we are continually adding new things to our Sparkle Studio site, we do want to provide the following size chart so that you can best determine what will fit you best, and all you would need to do is take a measuring tape to measure around your wrist. With the lacing there is a bit of range in the wrist area to allow for slight size differences from person to person:

SMALL: wrist 6.5 - 7 inches around; cuff length 4"; gauntlet length 8"
MEDIUM: wrist 7.5 to 8" around; cuff length 4.5"; gauntlet length 9"
LARGE: wrist 8 to 8.5" around; cuff length 9"; gauntlet length 9"

Check out more Sparkle Studio and follow us on facebook! Please don't hesitate at all to contact us with any further questions you may have. Enjoy!

The 4 Corners of Sparkle Studio!

There are four locations where you can find out all about us and all that we have to offer. Sparkle Studio offers fashion accessories and interior furnishings. We incorporate vintage and antique fabrics, trims and beads, shells and tiles all to create a wide variety of products. As we mentioned previously, we have just launched our site and are currently only accepting sales through Paypal, though we plan to also accept all other credit cards very very soon!

*Find us first at our website SparkleStudio.com
*Connect with us on facebook for the latest info and additions to our site
*Follow the monkey's blog, where we'll go deeper behind the scenes of what we're creating;
*Etsy is an extension of our site that also gives us further opportunity to connect with you!

Sparkle Studio Launches!

Sparkle Studio is up and running! While we are currently only accepting Paypal, we expect to be able to accept all credit card transactions very soon! Please check back often as we will adding to our inventory as soon as exciting new products we have created are ready. Also, do not hesitate to go to the "Contact" section to provide any feedback you may have for us.

Please join us on facebook so that we may be able to provide the latest updates to all who choose to become fans of Sparkle Studio!

Cherub Cards Incorporating Vintage French Fabric

These are two of our latest card creations for the Sparkle Studio website, both cut from the same vintage 1940s French printed cotton fabric, and both depicting winged cherubs. A limited number of each will be made for the site.

a 5" by 7" template allows us to center each design to best make use of this wonderful cotton fabric that would otherwise be too thin to make pillows out of. The pieces are then backed with an iron on webbing material that allows the fabric to be ironed directly to the card, rather than using glue and having the glue seep through the fabric. Each card is then bordered with a 3/8" coral grosgrain ribbon with handcut mitered corners. The fabric itself is then embellished with opalescent sequins and superfine glitter.

The cards are made from recycled cardstock and are blank inside. Enjoy these and more designs on our site as well as more designs to come! Join us on facebook as well!

How To Care For Your Sparkle Studio Cone Incense Burner

*About the design:
Antique coastal town souvenirs, shellwork "sailor's valentines," devotional shrines, "tramp art" of the 1920s and 30s as well as European grottoes have all served as inspiration for these original Sparkle Studio creations. All are comprised of a pair of large scallop shells and a mix of smaller shells with accents of glittered sand, loose rhinestones and gold leafing. Each one measures approximately 4 1/2 inches across at the base and 4 1/2" across the back, and each one also incorporates a 1 inch square of ceramic tile on which the cone is placed after it is lit.

*About the cones:
With your purchase of a Sparkle Studio handmade burner you will receive one free dozen incense cones to get you started. The cones are wrapped in packs of three, so you may choose up to 4 packs of any scent to equal one dozen. This is a list of the scents we currently carry:
-Coconut
-English Rose
-Jasmine
-Lavender
-Nag Champa
-Patchouli
-Rain
-Sandalwood
-Vanilla

*How to light and place cones:
Standard incense cones such as the ones we offer with purchase measure approximately one inch. The best way to light them is to hold the base of the cone in the tips of your fingers and light the top of the cone, letting it burn for approximately 15 seconds before blowing out the flame and carefully setting the cone on the tile square.

*How to handle & clean the burner:
Although the scallop shells are securely attached to each other, please use caution when handling your incense burner. Hold it under the base when lifting or moving it. All we recommend for cleaning the ash after each burn is a clean inexpensive paintbrush to carefully dispose of ashes in a safe receptacle.

*Where to order more cones:
Incense cones are readily available wherever incense sticks are. However, if you find that you particularly enjoy this method of burning incense, search the internet for the keywords "incense cones." There are many online incense & fragrance companies carrying incense cones that you would be able to order at a more affordable price, and some may offer up to 100 different scents! We recommend the 1" sized cone for these burners, as they burn for approximately 20 minutes, leaving the area of the burner with a wonderful aroma to enjoy! Thank you from Sparkle Studio.

"Pillowmakings"

Probably not a real word. In any case, I've switched into "pillow mode" this past week in order to get some thoughtfully planned ones for Sparkle Studio made. This is still a bit of a production since most of the "good stuff" - the French 19th century fabrics, 1940s damasks and vintage/antique trims are in storage bins. Instinctively I pulled a French 1930s cherub print and a coordinating pinstriped red velour, an amazing graphic floral 1960s print also from France that will either become pillows or maybe a couple differently shaped handbags. Tune in to see what becomes of my selections.



First up is a beautiful piece of Fortuny that I have been saving up for a special occasion. As mentioned previously, Fortuny fabrics are extremely collectible and very well documented. Because some of the higher end silk velvets can retail for up to $600 per yard, vintage Fortuny is highly desirable. This particular print is called "Fiori" that was produced in the 1940s and 50s, and is a beautiful floral design in pink and silver printed on cotton. Because my collection of vintage Fortuny is small, I have waited for the right combination of backing fabrics and trims in order to go ahead in the design and construction of anything with it. Also in very limited supply is my collection of antique French metallic trims, such as this 2" silver fringe that I will be incorporating into the 2 pillows i have planned for this piece of Fiori!


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Sparkle Studio hits facebook!

One of our tasks on our Multitasking List has been achieved: get Sparkle Studio on facebook! Now as the launch of our site is within sight (haha), we will be taking full advantage of various arenas to spread the word about, which of course will take just as much time as making new products for SparkleStudio.com. This is the one time I wish at least my arms could be cloned in order to get everything done! Become a fan of Sparkle Studio on facebook, see you there! Oh and by the way, I can officially reveal/unveil our logo here!

Sparkle Studio Chromo Collage Greeting Cards

Over the years I found that I had an affinity for making different kinds of greeting cards. I tried as often as i could to send out handmade cards for the holidays and for birthdays. Working with antique fabrics and trims for as long as I have, I incorporated textile fragments that were too small to make anything else out of, and these even sold fairly well in our antique shop. Because most of what we carried in our shop was of a French origin, I became familiar and knowledgable with chromolithography. This was a technique of art reproduction used widely in 19th c. France among other places that allowed a larger number of reproductions to be made with out the tedious element of handcoloring. Artists who traveled abroad to document other people, botanicals, animals etc., were able to share images of their journeys with a wider number of people. Also, figures and flowers were reproduced to be used by young girls as sort of paper dolls, for them to create their own fantasy world.

I bought a cache of smaller sized chromos at a flea market next to Versailles, figurines, flowers & animals, and most seemed to be from the late 19th century. This small collection has been a constant source of inspiration for me, and incorporating them into my greeting card designs was one outlet. As can be seen here, I am currently working on reproducing images from my collection and placing them on backdrops of either real settings for a slightly surreal effect, and placing them on a fabric background. I plan to make them in limited numbers, and they will be available for purchase at Sparkle Studio.

Halloween 2009 in 3-D

It's been a month, and I must apologize to all the followers, present and future, for being absent for a month. We are pressing to get Sparkle Studio up and live online! Hang in there everyone, and keep the creative juices flowing! After watching a pumpkin carving contest on the Food Network, I decided to take a stab at a 3-D pumpkin design to help Keith and myself get into a festive Halloween spirit. We picked out a great white pumpkin, and because of it's exterior color I thought that a great design to start off my adventure would be a skull design. I got a bit of inspiration online, and dove right in. However, I realized that I would need one thing to do this right - a set of clay/sculpting tools! This first attempt at 3-D carving ended up fairly successful, enough so that kids that came by the house to trick or treat were too scared to come to the door for candy! Awww...

Fresh Off The Runway - Viktor & Rolf, Paris Spring 2010 RTW

Thank you, thank you V & R! As an artist i can fully appreciate the depths of creativity, and having the courage to drag it up to the surface and express it. Without fear of criticism, without worry of marketability, without concern for those that will shrug their shoulders and say "I don't get it." My jaw dropped at the site of layers and layers and yards and yards of tulle sheared and shaved into bold, angular, completely over the top shapes. This does not even include the shock of a full length tulle ballgown with huge holes drilled all the way through from the front to the back. To have been in that audience would truly have been an uplifting and inspirational experience, heightened by the runway's live musical performer, Roisin (pronounced ro-SHEEN) Murphy. Bravo!!





Roisin's great video for "You Know Me Better"

The Best Glitter!

The Perfect inspiration for Sparkle Studio! Because I am in the midst of creating greeting cards for our site, I must briefly mention the Ultra Fine glitter from Stampendous. I discovered it once at our nearby art store several years back, and I have to say that I have not found anything else that even comes close to this brand. I cannot, at least for the projects that I have worked on, make use of glitter where you can make out the small square shapes of the glitter itself. I once tried the type of glitter made for soaps and candles, but this type is way too fine, almost to the consistency of eye shadow. The Stampendous brand has been perfect for embellishing the types of cards I have created over the years such as these holiday cards for 2009. They also carry many pastel colors and different types of iridescent glitter. I have been such a happy customer for quite some time, I had to just spread the word!

Fresh Off The Runway - Milan Spring 2010 Ready-to-Wear

This week I'm following Milan's fashion week for Spring 2010, and for me there are a few highlights. I liked the graphic prints presented by both Versace and by Prada. Donatella's swirling geometric circles mixed with stylized feather and flower patterns were bold, while Miuccia Prada combined photographic prints of clouds and beach scenes to a serene yet borderline ghostly effect.
For myself, I'm more tuned in to accessories, jewelry & handbags, and it's always inspirational to see what's swinging around the models' necks and from their hands, since often it is each major label's handbags that are the long term bread and butter items. The standout handbag collection for me accessorized the Fendi collection, which offered customers lucite boxes to needlepoint (yes!) satchels to smaller carryalls with changeable outer layers of lace.





Because I often lean towards funky, edgy & offbeat designs, I particularly enjoyed seeing a great mix of denim as part of the Trussardi collection. there was also a lot of black painted denim, leather and suede fringed pieces that had just a little bit of retro without letting you forget about what's going on today.