Friday, June 28, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Vintage Record Bracelets
Made some more record bracelets. Get 'em here! http://noviadeldiablo.bigcartel.com/product/record-charm-bracelet
Monday, June 24, 2013
Vintage Toy Find of The Day
Found this on ebay (for way too much), and thought I'd share its coolness.
Bat Boy, Rat Fink, baseball charms, hot dog, mini coke bottle... What's not to love??
Bat Boy, Rat Fink, baseball charms, hot dog, mini coke bottle... What's not to love??
And for more of Grandmother Stover's miniature delights:
These are pretty awful... By awful, I mean AWESOME.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Suitcase Projects: Part 1
I always come across vintage suitcases for cheap. I have this problem where I want to buy them all, thinking that I'll use them to tote band merch, vacationing, or simply use them for storage.
I found out that doesn't really work unless you have a mansion to store all this crap and lots of money to take a bunch of vacations. I'm up to my eyeballs in old smelly suitcases. Still doesn't stop me.
Anyhow, I'm not one for ruining something vintage for the sake of "making it cool". The upcycle trend kind of makes me shudder, yet I fall victim to its lure from time to time. Like in this (suit)case, using an object I come across easily, for cheap, and have waaay too much of.
So here come the suitcase projects!
Project #1: Pet Bed
I took apart an old suitcase for the bottom half, got some short furniture legs and plywood at Home Depot, then made my boyfriend drill 'em in so that it would sit nice and stable. Sewed and stuffed a cushion then TA-DA!
That there is Bo Diddley, my friend's very happy and adorable kitty.
Project #2: Pin Display
Just as I have collected many a suitcase, I've collected MANY pins over the years. I used to store them in a jar but that became a pain in the butt trying to fish out the one I wanted. The top half of the suitcase shown above layed around for a long time 'til I thought of something useful for it... like this!
I found out that doesn't really work unless you have a mansion to store all this crap and lots of money to take a bunch of vacations. I'm up to my eyeballs in old smelly suitcases. Still doesn't stop me.
Anyhow, I'm not one for ruining something vintage for the sake of "making it cool". The upcycle trend kind of makes me shudder, yet I fall victim to its lure from time to time. Like in this (suit)case, using an object I come across easily, for cheap, and have waaay too much of.
So here come the suitcase projects!
Project #1: Pet Bed
I took apart an old suitcase for the bottom half, got some short furniture legs and plywood at Home Depot, then made my boyfriend drill 'em in so that it would sit nice and stable. Sewed and stuffed a cushion then TA-DA!
That there is Bo Diddley, my friend's very happy and adorable kitty.
Project #2: Pin Display
Just as I have collected many a suitcase, I've collected MANY pins over the years. I used to store them in a jar but that became a pain in the butt trying to fish out the one I wanted. The top half of the suitcase shown above layed around for a long time 'til I thought of something useful for it... like this!
It's just a cool and simple way to display them. And a plus that I can snag whatever button I'm feeling that day without having to make a mess dumping them out of the ol' jar.
Another fun thing to do is paint your suitcase, such as this one for Dyes' merch. I used model kit paint and it hasn't scratched off a bit!
Welp, that's all for now. Stay tuned for more suitcase projects in the future!
~LL
Friday, June 21, 2013
Vintage Monster Decals
I'm going to be redundant and share my first blog post for Horrorbles, Chicago's #1 horror shop! Be sure to follow our blog here: horrorbles.blogspot.com.
A BRIEF HIGHLIGHT ON MONSTER DECALS:
America during the 1920s-'30s was a turbulent time. In the midst of the Great Depression, Americans sought refuge in new forms of entertainment as an escape from reality. Model A's rolled off the The Ford Motor company assembly line like there was no tomorrow. The picture shows were hopping as Universal Studios doled out creepy new horrors like Dracula & Frankenstein, each film more shocking & terrifying than its predecessor.
Flash forward about 30 years.
Just like the creation of Frankenstein's monster, a new generation of kids cooped themselves up in the garage, toying in their concrete-floored laboratories for countless hours bringing to life their own visions of "Frankenrods".
They took those old Model A Fords, chopped the tops, threw in a souped-up engine, and decorated the body full of flames & pinstripes. Their idols included Ed "Big Daddy" Roth & Von Dutch; eccentric car customizers who taught America's kids that it's okay to be a weird-oh -- in fact, it's cool! Wolfman charms and Dracula flicker rings flowed from gumball machines. Frankenstein could be seen everywhere from your Old Maid playing cards to the green-headed speaker at the drive-in.
This was a whole new era for classic monsters & the products to market them by; their resurgence was followed by a craze and demand for all things monster.
I'd like to think that cars & monsters make a great marriage (take George Barris' Dragula or Munster Koach, for example), and the kids of the '60s must have thought so too. No exception is hot rod decor & accessories. I could cover a lot of things like bobbleheads or rearview mirror danglers (shrunken head, anyone?), but for now I will zoom in on... DECALS!
Here is just a small selection of cool decals. You can still find these or similar ones often on ebay, though some for a price. Impkos range anywhere from $10-25, while original Ed Roth vintage decals can ring in 60 bucks a pop or more!
But don't fret; you can buy repops for much cheaper (they're probably easier to stick on too...).
So feast your eyes on some vintage monster madness and stay tuned as I highlight more '60s monster toys & accessories in the future, including original memorabilia that we carry in store!
Stay cool, Wheel Cats.
A BRIEF HIGHLIGHT ON MONSTER DECALS:
America during the 1920s-'30s was a turbulent time. In the midst of the Great Depression, Americans sought refuge in new forms of entertainment as an escape from reality. Model A's rolled off the The Ford Motor company assembly line like there was no tomorrow. The picture shows were hopping as Universal Studios doled out creepy new horrors like Dracula & Frankenstein, each film more shocking & terrifying than its predecessor.
Flash forward about 30 years.
Just like the creation of Frankenstein's monster, a new generation of kids cooped themselves up in the garage, toying in their concrete-floored laboratories for countless hours bringing to life their own visions of "Frankenrods".
They took those old Model A Fords, chopped the tops, threw in a souped-up engine, and decorated the body full of flames & pinstripes. Their idols included Ed "Big Daddy" Roth & Von Dutch; eccentric car customizers who taught America's kids that it's okay to be a weird-oh -- in fact, it's cool! Wolfman charms and Dracula flicker rings flowed from gumball machines. Frankenstein could be seen everywhere from your Old Maid playing cards to the green-headed speaker at the drive-in.
This was a whole new era for classic monsters & the products to market them by; their resurgence was followed by a craze and demand for all things monster.
I'd like to think that cars & monsters make a great marriage (take George Barris' Dragula or Munster Koach, for example), and the kids of the '60s must have thought so too. No exception is hot rod decor & accessories. I could cover a lot of things like bobbleheads or rearview mirror danglers (shrunken head, anyone?), but for now I will zoom in on... DECALS!
Water slide decals.
A pain in the butt to get on your window sometimes, but boy do they look cool! Hot rodders did not want to miss out a single detail in making their ride truly unique, even if you couldn't afford to do a lot in order to stand out. So what better way to finish off your car and showcase your finkster taste than with a cool monster decal?
Probably most famous of kustom kulture artists is Ed Roth. His designs of monsters like "Drag Nut", "Mother's Worry", and of course, "Rat Fink" graced everything from t-shirts to model kits in the 1960s. Other companies like Impko caught on to the monster craze and decided to make their own line of off-beat auto decal characters. Though more obscure & simplistic, they were drawn in the same vein and often paired with sarcastic phrases to express the owner's loyalty to juvenile delinquency.
A pain in the butt to get on your window sometimes, but boy do they look cool! Hot rodders did not want to miss out a single detail in making their ride truly unique, even if you couldn't afford to do a lot in order to stand out. So what better way to finish off your car and showcase your finkster taste than with a cool monster decal?
Probably most famous of kustom kulture artists is Ed Roth. His designs of monsters like "Drag Nut", "Mother's Worry", and of course, "Rat Fink" graced everything from t-shirts to model kits in the 1960s. Other companies like Impko caught on to the monster craze and decided to make their own line of off-beat auto decal characters. Though more obscure & simplistic, they were drawn in the same vein and often paired with sarcastic phrases to express the owner's loyalty to juvenile delinquency.
Here is just a small selection of cool decals. You can still find these or similar ones often on ebay, though some for a price. Impkos range anywhere from $10-25, while original Ed Roth vintage decals can ring in 60 bucks a pop or more!
But don't fret; you can buy repops for much cheaper (they're probably easier to stick on too...).
So feast your eyes on some vintage monster madness and stay tuned as I highlight more '60s monster toys & accessories in the future, including original memorabilia that we carry in store!
Stay cool, Wheel Cats.
From the Land of All Things Horrorbles,
Lisa Louise
Lisa Louise
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Brand spankin' new!
So I'm new to blogspot. I always dug the idea of having a blog because it makes you more accountable; I guess now is the time to get my butt in gear and post stuff that maybe 5 people will follow.
~Lisa Louise
What is the Novia Del Diablo blog exactly? Well, my name is Lisa Louise and I'm from Chicago. I like cool stuff (or at least I think it's cool)... if you think a 24 year old girl who drools over Slim Whitman 78's or a vintage pencil sharpener shaped like the Wolfman's head isn't worth reading about, then maybe this blog isn't for you, in which case I don't blame ya.
GOAL: I will be making stuff, sharing my endeavors, occasionally babbling, and documenting my progress whatever that may be. This will most likely involve art, crafts, music, all kindsa vintage, monsters, and more!
So welcome Boils and Ghouls! I'll do my best to keep up with this thing, but I do have a life ya know. Kind of. :)
So welcome Boils and Ghouls! I'll do my best to keep up with this thing, but I do have a life ya know. Kind of. :)
~Lisa Louise
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