Full DisClothesure » Finds

Kind Hearts and Coronets

jrotem — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 05:49:42 +0000

Each year someone discovers my Valentine Shmalentine tees and adds them to a Valentines Day gift guide, or features them in some other way. Yesterday it was Simo Media’s Craftsyble site, where the ironically romantic looking anti-Valentines Day tee was featured among some lovely handcrafted pro-Valentines Day gifts from bath items to jewelry (classic, modern, vintage, whimsical, elaborate, simple… you name it!), even a couple of very special bears. For those who want to shop right out of the box, this is an excellent place to start!

Romantic cupids and Victorian flourishes make for perfect irony.

Our feature last year on the Huffington Post.

Gushing Over This Beer

jrotem — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 03:13:35 +0000

It isn’t every day one gets to go to a luxury hotel where the concierge is expecting you to pick up hand-crafted beer that has been personally delivered from half-way around the world, but I have that kind of glam life.

OK, maybe not so much, but lucky, lucky me, I got to taste three types of Israeli-made beer from a microbrewery in Gush Etzion called Lone Tree Brewery. How did I get so lucky? Social media connected me with the owner of Lone Tree, David Shire. (“Gush” is pronounced more like “goosh” than the word in the title, but I never met a pun I didn’t want to exploit.)

Let me say here that I am no beer expert; I don’t drink much beer, I know no beer tasting nomenclature and have no experience in judging beer.

But like they say about art, “I know what I like.”

That said, it wasn’t so easy to get to the beer, being wrapped in layers of newspaper, plastic, newspaper, plastic, cardboard box, packing tape and more newspaper and plastic — presumably to protect it from any possible damage during an airport terrorist attack. But sooo worth it.

Inside the package were a Pale Ale, a California Steam Ale, and an English Northern Ale. I took a picture of the three amber hues and the unique popping graphics even before I managed to slice off the packing tape that covered the bottle tops:

Beer #1 was the Pale Ale that I shared with friends on the eve of the projected Armageddon back in May and it was the perfect beer for the possible last day on earth. Clean, crisp, perfectly balance, not too bitter… simply excellent.

The other two beers also did not disappoint. Again, remember I’m not the beer person so maybe you shouldn’t go by my word, but I thought these were the best I’ve tasted. I only wish Lone Tree Beer were available in the US. I’m waiting for Trader Joes or some other smart importer (or investor?) would get on it and bring it over here!

It doesn’t hurt that I love the Lone Tree Beer t-shirt too.

There are several types of beers including Belgian Piraate, Extra Oatmeal Stout and this extraordinary looking seasonal pomegranate date ale that I can only dream to taste:

I can’t speak for the brewery as to whether they give tours, but David keeps inviting his Twitter friends to visit. I’d say connect with Lone Tree Brewery on FaceBook, and if you happen to be in the neighborhood, contact them and find out. You don’t want to wait for Trader Joes to discover Lone Tree.

Bungle in the Jungle and Maybe Win Some Animal Tees!

jrotem — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:27:23 +0000

Tees inÂ Pod have created a dictionary, if you will, of animal design t-shirts from A-Z, and two of my designs are featured! Two!

Let me first say I’m enjoying all the designs (I especially like Detour’s Easter Island rabbits, Saga’s Sun Horse Moon Horse and Lady Umbrella’s owl); the Tees-in-a-Pod folks did a wondrous job.

But they didn’t stop there! Continue after the photos to find out about their giveaway…

Together with affiliated company GritFX they are having a giveaway — one winner will win 4 shirts! Not the ones above except for the owl (these are just my personal faves) but 4 cool shirts nevertheless. Check it out and maybe your inner beast will win!

Photos from the Jewish Food Festival

jrotem — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 06:38:44 +0000

I’m always thinking of ways to improve my booth display. Sometimes at shows I don’t have time to do everything I want, but this time I was pleased with the result. I tested a new bamboo+strapping type of rigging to display t-shirts. It needs some fine-tuning but all in all I really like it and will probably make a second one. This inspiration came from my friend Becky O’Neill of Becky Oh! Handbags who is a display maven!

Next to the rigging is a carved Indonesian hanger from which I hung my hamsa scarves. At the entrance I placed a small display of two cookbooks by Pam Reiss, a friend I met on Twitter and who also bought one of my aprons. Pam’s two books, ">Soup – A Kosher Collection and ">Passover- A Kosher Collection, are beautifully designed and published. People wanted to buy them straight off, and I had to keep explaining that they were for display and hand out marketing material instead. But do check them out!

Pam with her books and wearing my Flower Power Kosher apron .

But back to the Jewish Food Festival. It was fun, had an enthusiastic volunteer staff and there were so many awesome visitors to my booth. Jewish network TV was there too and I hope they show the film soon.

Doggy Crossbones is Here

jrotem — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 23:01:53 +0000

Doggy Crossbones is here! After years of requests to offer a canine version of my popular Kitty Crossbones design, I’m pleased to introduce this super-cute design to the Rotem Gear shop. So far there are three variations: classic, plaid and Hawaiian, with more planned for the future.

These are especially adorable on toddler tees!

So what else is new? We’re celebrating Hideki Matsui’s joining the Anaheim Angels, Alice in Wonderland, and in the face of earthquakes, volcanoes and whatnot, we’re warning everyone not to panic with the wise admonishment to “Keep Calm and Karaoke.”

My online indie designer friend Stacey, author of the Nonpareil “Sprinkles of Indie Style”blog, included Rotem Gear in a write-up on fave t-shirt shirt sites. Stacey is a wonderful designer herself (check out her Zuzu’s Petals etsy shop for stationary and her own seriously cute t-shirt shop) so I’m tickled to be included at Nonpareil! Here are some of her designs. Crabby really speaks to me

Valentine Shmalentine Tees on TV-ShmeeVee!

jrotem — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:37:44 +0000

I’ve been a bad, bad blogger. It’s been such a busy beginning of the year, including an awesome trip to New Mexico for the annual meeting of Edible Communities, for whom I do design work. But more about that later! (along with some great photos of snow and chilies.)

For today, I have to share this wonderful tv segment featuring my “Valentine Shmalentine” t-shirts on NBC’s”10!” show (Philadelphia.) So excited!

That’s Kelly Whalen, author of the The Centsible Life blog. Thanks, Kelly!

What a day, as if a tv feature wasn’t enough, a lovely write-up of me and Rotem Gear t-shirts appeared in Stationary Hustle, the blog of graphic designer Rajshel Juhan. Rajshel writes,”Too many time designers don’t focus on what makes them special and try too hard to just please everyone. That’s why I like Rotem Gear.” How sweet!

Rajshel herself owns Jane hancock Papers and creates wonderful cards and journals that combine the classic and the whimsical. My favorite is the Hedgehog Love cards!

Survival of the Twittest

jrotem — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:21:12 +0000

So they say Twitter can lead to business. Anyone who leaps into Twitter hoping to market by blasting folks with the awesomeness of their junk is in for a surprise — whatever those smarmy marketing articles told you, it’s not true.

What Twitter is about building relationships. It’s like being in a club or class you opt into — you hit it off famously with some people, develop warm regard for others, get to know yet others from more of a respectful distance. The popular social media application has ‘netted me (ha!) some rewarding friendships and connections, most of them online but a few that have expanded to off-line.

I’d even call Twitter a real-time networking “event,” where, like in a real-life networking event, you need to talk with people (not TO people), and where it is very possible to create relationships and mutual appreciation of your Twitter friends’ lives and businesses. And that, ladies and germs, is what leads to good business, twitterly speaking.

The Yenta Report's Hollywood sign -inspired tee by Rotem Gear

In the last few weeks I was blessed with a few commissions that came from fabulous Twitter friends. The first was from my favorite yenta, Loren Elkins, whose Yenta Report tracks all the “behind the velvet rope” happenings in Los Angeles. I worked with Loren and came up with the Hollywood sign idea and “Yentawood” was born.

Loren’s been a celebrity assistant to Faye Dunaway, Nathan Lane, Brendan Fraser, Rebecca DeMornay, Ellen Barkin, Val Kilmer, Matthew Perry, and Bradley Whitford, so I’m hoping she wears the Hollywood sign -inspired logo tee I designed for her around some H-wood bigwigs. Also hoping I get a photo of Her Hot Yentaness herself in a shirt! (hint, hint, Loren!) If you’d like a Yentawood shirt of your own, visit the Yenta Report shop.

: Nava Writz’s “Tweet Me” tee by Rotem Gear

Around that same time I was also contacted by luxe custom couture baby bedding designer to the stars, Nava Writz of Nava Writz Designs. Nava goes a lot of tweet-ups and does a lot of networking all over the world and wanted t-shirts with her twitter ID on it.

I offered 3 styles, all with Twitter-y typeface: (I personally like this birdy one in the pict best.) The cell camera pict isn’t that clear but even so, the tee is more fun, stylish and noticeable than a “Hello my name is @blah” tag, and that’s what you want when networking — to be noticed, yes? (I wear my Kitty Crossbones shirts sometimes and half the time that’s what breaks the ice.)

By the way, more name-dropping, as the list of Nava’s celebrity clients blows me away. They include Vanessa Williams, Jennifer Lopez, Usher, the Obama girls, Melanie Griffith, Heath Ledger & Michelle Williams, Paul McCartney, Richard Dreyfus, Shaquille O’Neal, Leeza Gibbons, Christy Brinkley, Joan Lunden, Eddie Murphy, Slash and Bette Midler. You must check out her designs!

After Nava bragged on Twitter about her new shirts and tote, another mutual friend asked me to adapt the same designs for her twitter ID. I’ll post when I get photos!

If you would like a “Follow me” or “Tweet me” shirt of your own, take a look here at the different versions I created for Nava, but don’t order them! There’s no way to customize them with your own name online. Email me and I’ll set you up chick chak! (that’s Hebrew slang for right way.) Men’s styles available too, of course.

PS you can always follow my Rotem Gear updates on Twitter here, or if you really want all my own blather you can follow me as moi here.

Meerkat Sighting!

jrotem — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:18:44 +0000

Apparently I have to give meerkats their own blog category., as meerkats have been coming at me from different directions.

This is one of the cutest, funniest things I’ve seen on esty in a long time. It’s already sold out so I’ve linked to the shop::

The crafter behind this shop in fact creates knitted meerkats of all ages and proclivities: Halloween meerkats, Star Trek meerkats, superhero meerkats … but I’m particular to this “Dad” meerkat which, once again, for reference and in the name of science, looks like Joey the Neighbor Dog:

Going Renegade

jrotem — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:26:18 +0000

The Renegade Craft Fair has been a well-known in the indie craft circle for years, but since it was held only in Brooklyn and Chicago, I had to rely on stories and YouTube to get a sense of it. No more! Renegade expanded this year to Los Angeles and San Francisco, and I got my first taste of it on Saturday, at LA’s California Mart.

The contemporary crafts movement that you’ll find at shows like Renegade and Felt Club is nothing like what you find at most street/arts fairs. From funky to funny to deconstructed to fractured retro to downright weird, creativity is bouncing off the walls.

Some 200-plus vendors filled the penthouse level of the California Mart, and I was impressed that so many came from across the country and from Canada to sell their own handcrafted jewelery, art, posters, stationery, clothing, bath +body products and in one case … beards.

Here button maker Mr Paul&Kat models a felt beard from I Made You a Beard.

But it wasn’t only the vendors showcasing creativity––visitors could exercise their own artistic juices participating in Reform School’s linoleum print workshop or Swap-o-rama-rama‘s shmatta-remake workshops. (Shmatta-rama-rama has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?)

Here is KB of Kokolelo who was not selling her patchwork world goodies but was lending a sewing hand at Swap-0-rama-rama.

Me and Christine Haynes, Indie Couture Queen and author of the newly published Chic and Simple Sewing.

<< Christine’s book!

But how did I miss THIS? Darn! Check out the Postcard Machine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB7T3BWYBR0

If you are in the San Francisco area this weekend, don’t miss Renegade!
>>JULY 18 + 19 from 11am – 7pm, at Fort Mason Center Festival Pavilion, more info here.

Limited Edition Artisan Scarves Now on Etsy!

jrotem — Wed, 27 May 2009 00:33:31 +0000

This past winter I made some fabulous silk-screened scarves to sell at some exclusive holiday boutiques and they’ve been a hit since then. So I have decided to offer them online as well and put them on Etsy. Check them out!!

The scarves are made of silky 100% pima cotton (not jersey), and reach a fashionably long 88” x 16”. The pima is deliciously soft to the touch (often when people feel them they ask if they are silk.) My original hamsa art in muted matte metallic decorates each end and the exotic flair is just perfect for dressing up or down.

Scarves are currently available in garnet red (wine), malachite green and sapphire blue. (Sorry, onyx/black is sold out but I plan to have them again in the future.)

As for my wonderful model, I’m so lucky to know so many talented artists and crafters, and Shari Bonnin is one of them. A little while ago I got even luckier when she and I bartered a scarf of mine for a pair of her Square and Loop Silver Earrings, which are my current hands-down faves, blending classic chic with a bit of retro-ness that I love. Shari doesn’t have the exact earrings in her shop right now but there’s a pair with a teardrop stone, plus these (below right) right now which I also nearly chose.

A bit more about the hamsa design: My artwork on these scarves blends tradition with contemporary floral patterns, and is purposely universal. Although I call it a hamsa, it could also be seen as a hennaed hand. The hamsa, or hand, motif is a protective symbol throughout the Middle East, embraced by Jews and Arabs alike. Throughout that part of the world, as well as India and other regions, brides henna their hands before their weddings, often in beautiful, intricate patterns.