GlamKat

Holiday Gift Ideas

2011-12-12T22:09:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, you regretfully do your holiday shopping last minute. Out of ideas for gifts? Lucky for you, we've been back in the studio creating some new holders, bags and aprons!

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Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Zebra Pillow

2011-10-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

Meet the newest member of our animal pillows, Charlie the Zebra.

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Charlie is tired of being square, and wants to finally join the fun. Spruce up your couch with him.

This has been another collaboration between the Katherines, as I drew and screen printed Charlie and KWang sewed him into a pillow.

Be sure to check out our other holiday items!

APE and new items

2011-10-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

The show in SF this past weekend was hard work but in the end we're glad we did it! It was a great way to get our name out there.

Space Lynx T-shirts were a hit as well as some of our housewares. Now that we're done with the show we're bringing you more cutesy oven mitts, aprons and pot holders just in time for the holiday season.

They make sweet gifts! http://www.etsy.com/shop/GlamKat

Let's Get Down to Business

2011-06-15T21:29:00.000-07:00

Hey there! It's been a while, I missed you too. I recently came back from a trip to the Louisiana swamps inspired to make wooden cutouts in the shape of alligators. Most people seem to like things that function (go figure) so this alligator can hold up to 30 business cards. It is laser cut with plywood and hand-painted with acrylics. Great for trade shows, your store, or your desk.

Also available as a dachshund in brown and black!

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Space Lynx Tee

2011-03-07T22:05:00.000-08:00

Lynus the Lynx goes to space! The last time we met up with Lynus, he was trying to woo some wild cats. He’s past that now, and has his eyes set on meeting new life forms. Join him on his journey!

This original design is screen printed with water based inks on Alternative Apparel t-shirts. The tees are fitted, so none of that baggy sleeve stuff.

Big thanks to our lovely models Katherine Wang (that's one half of GlamKat) and Tamon!

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Blood Tears Collection

2011-02-13T23:21:00.000-08:00

Indulge in your romance novel fantasy. Keep this Twilight-inspired jewelry near your swiftly beating heart or close to your jugular vein as homage to your own Edward. Each blood-red tear is custom-ordered and handcrafted by contributing artist Nicholas deSomov.

Special effects designer and vampire enthusiast deSomov comes from a long line of traditional glass blowers. For this limited collection, he selected a particular type of Borosilicate glass endowed with special properties that magically turn crimson when exposed to flame.

What better gift to give your Valentine than a symbol of eternal love? Comes as either earrings or a pendant on a silk cord.

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Retro Futuristic Jewelry and Coasters

2011-02-01T22:51:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is around the corner! Treat that special someone or hells, yourself to some new jewelry and coasters!

I've always loved the way the past depicted the future with its geometric shapes and minimal frames. This jewelry is a nod to the Retro Futuristic movement, and I think is a product of watching too much Mad Men followed by Tron.

The Hexa and Poly necklaces are laser-cut from colored acrylic and fastened with gunmetal chains. Thank you to our wonderful model Dany Paragouteva, who made our photoshoot so seamless!

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Okay, so you don't wear jewelry. Well, I know you do drink. Here are some colorful Tetra Coasters with tessellations etched into acrylic. I didn't pay enough attention in chemistry class, but patterns of all those compounds has resurfaced onto these coasters.

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Happy Valentines!

Let's Get Cozy

2010-11-23T23:40:00.000-08:00

Our home decor line is up and running! Let's get cozy with these two pillows.

Pillow Idgie is exhausted from her run around America. She's traveled from DC to Alaska and is happy to be home. If you missed her adventures, you can still catch them HERE.

This Victorian Chair Pillow will remind you to Sit. Take a breather. Sitting idly is not only reserved for the Victorian era.

It's been a true collaboration between the Katherines, as I created the digital illustrations and handed them off to KWang, who turned them into pillows with her sewing prowess.

Thanks to the real life Idgie for modeling, and to her owner Tien for letting us shoot in her awesome kitchen.

BUY NOW.

Art Deco Jewelry

2010-11-22T23:47:00.000-08:00

Print by Dany Paragouteva

We're baaaack. Our shop is now OPEN. We've been hibernating for too long and its time to share our new line. First off is a winter collection of jewelry inspired by the geometric style of the Art Deco movement. This collection was made for the career gal in mind. Your cubicle may be stuffy, but your jewelry doesn't have to be. These necklaces are light and delicate, lazer-cut on birch wood and fastened with a brass chain.

Huge thanks to our lovely model Dany, who graciously endured a half day shoot. More items to come. Stay tuned!

New Stuff!

2010-11-22T00:16:00.000-08:00

Big news! Not only is GlamKat back we're also moving forward with our brand-new home decor line. Check our Etsy store soon for the goodies (also perfect as holiday gifts). And KChiu has released line of custom jewelry for the career woman. We're keep you posted as soon as our store is updated!

SNEAK PEEK

On the Road

2010-08-20T11:43:00.001-07:00

Our unofficial GlamKat mascot Idgie, the foxy dog, is currently traveling up Route 66 and hitting up the iconic (and not so iconic) landmarks of this great nation. She's going to space, rolling with bandits in Missouri and making a splash in Oklahoma. Follow her journey at http://idgieacrossamerica.tumblr.com/ to see where she shows up next!

Patchwork Festival

2010-06-30T10:24:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, GlamKat was feeling crafty and headed out to the Patchwork Indie Arts and Crafts Festiva l in Long Beach. We helped celebrate (by buying, not selling yet) Patchwork's 9th event of bringing independent goods to the marketplace. There were lots of knitted animals, industrial-looking necklaces, and fun pillows all labored with love, spawning the reaction, wait you mean you made that? With your bare hands??

With friend (and model for GlamKat) Christina Kuo.

I can relate.

There will be another festival in the fall and hopefully you will see our frazzled yet smiling faces behind a booth.

Summer Style

2010-06-14T22:10:00.001-07:00

It's hot. Time to whip out those sun dresses and tanks. With the arrival of skin, comes... necklaces in three new styles!

I've been having so much fun doing the wood cuts, I wanted to make something you could carry around with you. (Lynus the Lynx unfortunately does not fit in your purse.) These wood cut necklaces are inspired by the colors and architecture of South America. All necklaces are laser-cut on plywood and hand-painted, fastened with a brass chain.

BIG thanks to our model Talin Astourian. Talin is getting married and has a lovely blog dedicated to wedding tips. DO check it out.

Lynus the Lynx

2010-05-26T14:19:00.000-07:00

Overheard conversation at the Kitty Lounge.

“I’m Lynus the Lynx, nice to meet you. Do you come here often? Yeah, that’s right. I see you checking out my paws. These huge guns help me plow through the cold snow. No, I don’t work out that often, just twice a day to catch a deer or two. I’m a transplant, originally from Alaska. I love it here, so many glam wild cats like yourself. I got a litter at home, some six young, but they fend for themselves. So slide me those digits, Kitty. I’ll be seeing you. Wait, why are you strolling away? Was it something I said?”

Lynus needs a little help. He needs a home and a sweet caretaker like yourself to nurture him and teach him how to be a kitty’s lynx (i.e. ladies' man). I personally like him better when he’s Space Lynx, like below:

Lynus in bed

Tame his wild side. Take him home today.

GlamKat Adventures

2010-05-06T04:43:00.000-07:00

Some of you may have noticed that one of the GlamKats has been conspicuously M.I.A. for the last few weeks. Fortunately things have settled down a bit and I can start thinking about creating new items for GlamKat again. But until then, here's a photo montage of a recent GlamKat adventure! We got to hang out with our favorite Metblogger Queequeg who wrote a great piece on KChiu.

The itinerary: Silverlake Farmer's Market for some grub, UniqueLA Downtown for some important GlamKat market research, Tinlark Gallery in Hollywood where some of KChiu's art was featured among other works of awesomeness.

We need sustenance! Fueling up for the GlamKat day of adventure.

Great booths at UniqueLA!

There were some great pieces at the Tinlark including KChiu's huge Patagonia painting, transient artwork and a very Zen looking stuffed lion. Plus our Victorian kitty found an owner. Woot!

Fashion on the Walls

2010-04-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

Nucleus Gallery is currently exhibiting European fashion illustrators, featuring work from pages of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Nylon. These artists, including Stina Persson and Naja Conrad-Hansen, have had the good fortune of collaborating with the likes of Marc Jacobs and Dior. You and I both missed that fashion show at the opening, but check out the art without having to feel judged or out of style.

I like that this one feels kind of vulgar.

Soo luxurious.

Printed on a silk scarf!

There are only two weeks left for this exhibit (ending April 26) and the work is best seen in person. I walked away feeling inspired for GlamKat!

Nucleus Gallery, 210 East Main Street, Alhambra, CA 91801

Red Cat

2010-03-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

I know what you are thinking. You’re thinking, “Hey, that’s a cool dog, but I’m more of a cat person.” For all the cat lovers out there, here is the latest addition. This red cat is debossed with an intricate Victorian pattern and then painted with acrylics. This pattern was a killed textile at Junior Drake, and I’m glad I could revive it. The laser cutter almost gave out on me rasterizing it! There are two hooks on the back so the cut out is ready to hang, or can be propped against any surface. She will be sitting patiently for you when you come home.

Blurring the Lines

2010-03-03T17:09:00.000-08:00

As I was cutting out the shape of Idgie, the helper at the model shop asked if that was a fox or a dog, to which I replied she’s a dog that looks like a fox. A foxy dog. Or maybe just a dog that was once a fox in another life. Which got me thinking of different distinctions. Someone once asked me if my work is fine art or illustration? My ambiguous response, “My work is illustrative with a story-telling element to it, and I want it to be one of a kind. I’ve done work for galleries and Wal-Mart, so I can’t really say.” I went home in a daze, this question still haunting me today. And then there’s Katherine Wang, who blurs these labels so well. She’s written for a magazine as an editor, designed web pages for her parent’s furniture store, works in marketing for electrical cars, and wants to pursue a PHD in English. Oh, and then she makes these really awesome vintage headbands, that are both glam and accessible. Let’s all feel inadequate now.

It’s true, labels help us market our work, define the people in our lives, and give us sense to this chaotic world. But can’t we be multiple things without realizing the term for it, say a fine artist and commercial designer, an academic and a fashionista? Should work have to be so specialized? Does life have to be categorized? Maybe Meredith Brooks said it best in the 90s; maybe we are both a bitch and a lover, all rolled into one.

For your classification, Idgie is a Shiba Inu breed. Get your foxy dog large, small or as a magnet.

This is the pet of my friend Tien, also a multi-tasker. She is a lawyer and writes about happenings in Los Angeles on Metroblog. Visit her award winning fan site of Jane Lynch!

New stuff

2010-02-28T23:56:00.000-08:00

Photo shoots are tough. You have to deal with drama queens, long hours and technical difficulties. I'm only half-joking (we're not exactly a large operation). But it's kind of still true. Except for the drama queen part. All of my models have been pretty awesome.

The good news is I'm learning a lot the second time around and I've gotten a little better at directing my divalicious models. They've been great so far and the photos are coming out gorgeous.

Look forward to some new merch!

Mutability

2010-02-28T11:22:00.000-08:00

I went on my way, in the midst of the world's transformations, being transformed myself. Every now and then, among the many forms of living beings, I encountered one who "was somebody" more than I was: one who announced the future...or I might encounter another who bore witness to a past beyond all return... They all had something, I know, that made them somehow superior to me, sublime, something that made me, compared to them, mediocre. And yet I wouldn't have traded places with any of them.
--Qfwfq in Italo Calvino's, "The Aquatic Uncle," Cosmicomics

This GlamKat's goal: To not be dictated by the desire simply to be great but to embody the spirit that is change (even if it means existing in that uncomfortable state of limbo) and be elevated for that. If there's one thing you that is predictable about the Katherines is that we'll always be a little different. And we welcome folks in all shapes and sizes, sans fins or scales (like Qfwfq our amphibious hero).

Now Open

2010-02-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

Mullet Days

2010-02-23T10:50:00.001-08:00

A couple of months back, I sported a mullet. I didn’t do this as a social experiment or because I thought it was cool, but by accident. My lovely long locks seemed to get in the way and I needed a change, so I asked the hairdresser to give me thin layers, thicker on the top and thinner on the bottom, which I realized later to my dismay was the definition of a mullet. The first week I tried my best to deal with it, thinking to myself that it wasn't so bad; I've now become an edgy and tough chick. Some days I felt like I could rock the mullet, but most days I questioned myself – Who do I think I am? I am certainly not Joan Jett. I tied my hair back for most of the month and then gave in, settling on a short bob that I am now happy with. Here’s to Mullet Days – managing days of insecurity and owning up to your mistakes.

Mullet Days is available under the store. Prints and possibly tees to come. But for now get the original.

xoxo K Chiu

Behind the scenes

2010-02-22T00:34:00.000-08:00

The day started out wet and gloomy but the sun came out just in time for us to take pictures of the new merchandise. As the Katherines ran around helter-skelter, in contrast our model Dany was ultra-professional, even putting us in our places ("Direct me!" she demanded of us on several occasions.) The process took longer than I would have ever anticipated (over four hours). As a budding photographer I had no idea what to expect until I uploaded those images up onto Adobe Lightroom that night. My prior experience has been with furniture and the feedback I get from them has been mostly non-existent (there were artistic differences but we parted ways amicably). But with the help of Katherine Chiu as my fellow art director we were able to work through some aesthetic issues and sporadic weather and lighting.

There were some felicitous moments. For instance, we found a delightful red junk bucket outside of Dany's apartment that would prove to be one of the best props for the day's shoot. Some of our more brilliant and terrible artistic directions of the day were, "Stand by the car and pretend like you are waiting for someone," or "Channel more Urban Outfitters," or "How can we think more like a hipster," and finally the frequent, "oh, that's so Etsy."

Kat Chiu, holding down the fort

Pretending to be waiting for someone FAIL

Forcing Dany to break into a stranger's car

Channeling inner hipster

Calling for more Urban Outfitters

In addition to her part-time modeling career, Dany is also a wonderful artist. Check out her work at www.danydesign.net

Gray day

2010-02-19T21:41:00.001-08:00

Ever since we created GlamKat, I've been trying to find inspiration everywhere. I was taking a lunchtime walk around the office building when I came across a transcendental vision--a grouping of five gaunt, leaf-stripped trees jutting towards a robin-egg blue sky. What struck me was the velveteen gray of bark and architectural branches. The discovery was serendipitous. If I hadn't stopped to observe these details I would have completely bypassed the beauty of the mountains today. Due to the impending storm, a cool, creamy mist had gathered. With a little effort I could even imagine that we were somewhere else all together like the Swiss Alps. The sober hue of the trees strongly resonated with me. I find it in the recollections of empty rooms, dim afternoons and partially pulled blinds. It is the color of the cement we played, jumped, ran and threw balls on. Gray is also the exact shade in some of Katherine Chiu's paintings, simultaneously sweet and melancholic, playful and sedate, which I think is much more evocative of childhood than any bubblegum pink, tangerine and neon blue that you see in today's marketing materials for youth. Sometimes I wish in our culture youth would no longer be associated with levity. In reality, it is quite the opposite. We as children take minor and major events quite seriously when we are young. In fact, some of the most grave individuals that I have encountered in my life were not a day over 7. Our youthful years may be the most earnest times in our lives.

Check Kat Chiu out at www.katherinechiu.net

Sparrows

2010-02-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

After visiting the Little Moon and Rock, Paper, Sparrow boutiques in Redondo Beach, I got the idea to do wooden cut-outs of sparrows. Both stores have quirky trinkets, a peacock-like chair adorned with hats, and a vintage chalkboard next to the mannequins. I left thinking, I need to break out of the rectangular format! First, I drew a graphic shape of the birds and laser-cut them. Here are the birds naked on plywood.

I painted both sides with acrylics with a colorful pattern and then attached the set with basic yarn and a dowel. The set is ready to hang.

These sparrows are available under our Etsy store. Make sure to check back often as we will be updating with new items.

xoxo K Chiu

Treasure Hunt

2010-02-15T00:32:00.000-08:00

I love the Rose Bowl flea market. It's like being seven again at Disneyland in which every corner there's an exciting new attraction. And like the happiest place on earth, there are the same rides I return to again and again. For example, the $10 shoe place that I cannot resist stealing a quick peek at right even when I'm juggling the million purchases (alluringly located right next to the exit so even when my feet hurt after two hours I cannot resist). Or the great Pyrex and toy booth were I bought my snazzy little honey-colored traveling trunk. Yup, the Rose Bowl flea market is like an intoxicating wonderland where someone else's trash is my oh-so beloved treasure.

The loot: A vintage gray Smith-Corona typewriter with forest green keys, a pair of caramel weave leather sandals, a flat gold chain (for my lovely fifties flower pendant an earlier find), a handwoven rainbow afghan and a gorgeous shimmery gold dress with a neat little cape in the back.