How could I resist posting this?

Welcome to VK Apothecary! Balms, soaps and candles for unrivaled grooming for ladies and gents. We’ve tinkered and tweaked formulas in our former Oddfellows hall for the past few weeks, and Ainslie even created her own tattoo balm!

We wanted to create a line of products that are unisex and evoke a feeling of the past. Below is a bit more about each product, although we recommend coming in for a whiff.

Body Balm 

Made with cocoa butter, shea butter, bee’s wax, sunflower oil and vitamn E, this hydrating salve features a hint of lavender, cedarwood and real vanilla. Use it on hands, feet and other dry spots. A perfect blend of scents before bedtime to help you relax. $9.99 for a 2-ounce jar.

Lip Balm

Our lip balm features wintergreen and vanilla. We did a lot of testing on this one to get it right. (And not on our cats or anything like that. We tested it!) Ingredients include bee’s wax, sunflower oil, vitamin E and cocoa and shea butters. $2.99 for a .15-ounce tube.

Tattoo Balm

What is tattoo balm? This is the stuff you put on your tattoo as it’s healing. Ainslie specially formulated this, and we’ve packaged it in an easy-to-apply container; you don’t have to touch your fresh tattoo. The ingredients include camphor and comfrey, an Appalachian healing herb. (Fun fact: Ainslie grew up in Appalachia.) $2.99 for a .15-ounce tube.

Soaps

VK Apothecary soaps were made by a fellow over in Indiana for us. Every soap contains organic shea butter and no animal fats. $5 per bar

We currently offer these types:

Bay Rum
Cherry Almond
Cool Citrus Basil
Eucalyptus Aloe
Gobi Gold
Grapefruit Tea Tree
Hydrangea Rose Goat Milk
Jasmine Lime Scrub
Lavender
Lemongrass
Nag Champa
Oatmeal, Milk & Honey
Peppermint
Rosemary & Thyme
Sandalwood
Tobacco Flower
White Tea Ginger
Ylang Ylang Lavender

Chicago Candle Company

We are excited to also offer candles from Chicago Candle Company at Vintage Karma. You’ll find these soy candles in our apothecary display, and each one is hand-poured in an upcycled wine bottle and based off wine, cocktail and drinks scents. $15.50 for a candle that burns approximately 22 hours.

Choose from:

Cabernet
Chardonnay
Irish Coffee Stout
Kentucky Bourbon
Old Fashioned Cocktail
Pear Vanilla Apertiff
Pop The Bubbly
Sangria

Please be patient with us as we load VK Apothecary items onto our online shop! In the meantime, feel free to drop by and check it out!

So, our shop in Tuscola will be closed Saturday, March 2. Plan to come to the Hatch art fair instead! We’ll reopen Sunday morning at 10 a.m. in Tuscola.

For more info, check out the Hatch website here. You can also R.S.V.P. at the event’s Facebook page here. Hope to see you there!

Welcome, Laura!

Two of her pieces were included along with several quotes.

You can purchase a copy of your own through Amazon by clicking below or clicking on the book in the righthand column.

Bodies of Subversion was the first history of women’s tattoo art when it was released in 1997, providing a fascinating excursion to a subculture that dates back to the nineteenth-century and including many never-before-seen photos of tattooed women from the last century. Newly revised and expanded, it remains the only book to chronicle the history of both tattooed women and women tattooists. As the primary reference source on the subject, it contains information from the original edition, including documentation of:

•Nineteeth-century sideshow attractions who created fantastic abduction tales in which they claimed to have been forcibly tattooed.
•Victorian society women who wore tattoos as custom couture, including Winston Churchill’s mother, who wore a serpent on her wrist.
•Maud Wagner, the first known woman tattooist, who in 1904 traded a date with her tattooist husband-to-be for an apprenticeship.
•The parallel rise of tattooing and cosmetic surgery during the 80s when women tattooists became soul doctors to a nation afflicted with body anxieties.
•Breast cancer survivors of the 90s who tattoo their mastectomy scars as an alternative to reconstructive surgery or prosthetics.

The book contains 50 new photos and FULL COLOR images throughout including newly discovered work by Britain’s first female tattooist, Jessie Knight; Janis Joplin’s wrist tattoo; and tattooed pastor Nadia Bolz-Weber. In addition, the updated 3rd edition boasts a sleek design and new chapters documenting recent changes to the timeline of female tattooing, including a section on: celebrity tattoo artist Kat Von D, the most famous tattooist, male or female, in the world; the impact of reality shows on women’s tattoo culture; and, therapeutic uses of tattooing for women leaving gangs, prisons, or situations of domestic abuse.

As of 2012, tattooed women outnumber men for the first time in American history, making Bodies of Subversion more relevant than ever.

Bianca says Merry Christmas, too!

Thank you all for your support in 2012. We can’t believe so much has happened and we’ve met so many wonderful people along the way! 2012 is a year we will always remember, and we are looking forward to continue growing our business in Tuscola in 2013.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you!

- Laura and Ainslie

Vintage Karma Holiday Hours

Christmas Day: Closed

Dec. 26: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Dec. 27 through Jan. 1: Closed for a holiday break

Jan. 2: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and resume regular hours

For his man cave:

Burn353 Storm Trooper art. $20. He also made the $10 prints at bottom.

Cheryl Slifer and Janet Alred made this adding machine into an awesome lamp. $75. They upcycled an old railroad blueprint into a shade, too. $52.

John McDevitt paintings. If your dude’s a scrooge, he’ll love the four-letter ones! $40 per four-letter word. $125 for the exclamation point.

Moonshine jugs by Hugh Bridgeford. Guess what? They’re not just for looks — you can even put ‘em in the dishwasher. $20-$28.

Mannery and man duds:

Copper cuffs by Susan Harbourt. $30. Graphic cuffs by Shani Goss. $31.25. Upcycled leather cuffs by Angie Heaton. $22.

Reversible flannel scarf by Laura Davis. $20. The Tuscola T-shirt is a VK limited edition. $20.

For his manly stocking:

Waxed canvas and leather pouches by Peg and Awl. $38. Bullet casing keychains. $3-$5.

We can ship these items, too. If you’re interested, leave a comment or e-mail shopvintagekarma@gmail.com. We also have other gifts for guys at our brick and mortar. Hope to see you soon!

We had almost 80 people attend (and one cat), and we were able to raise $70 in donations that we are going to use to buy pet food for the Tuscola Food Pantry. Yes, Ranger, the famous cat in Tuscola, attended with his Santa suit on!

Thank you so much! The night went off without a hitch and we were blown away by everyone’s support of local handmade art!

If you missed it, we still have plenty of holiday goodies here for you. Our artists were even bringing in new items last night!

Check out some of the photos from the open house:

Folks shopping and having fun. That kitty at the bottom of the photo is Ranger Foote! Scroll down for more pics of that handsome puss!

Bianca had her party dress on!

Snacks and cider.

New items that arrived just for the event! Letterpress cards by The Living Letterpress and decoupaged boxes and book lamp by The Prickly Pair!

And, Burn353 released a special line of steampunk jewelry at the open house! You can only find it here!

Our giveaway table! We had 10 giveaways and raised $70 in donations to purchase pet food for the Tuscola Food Pantry.

Shani Goss (whose cuffs and neckaces you can find here!) won a giveaway!

Kari Carter won the hour of tattoo time!

Rachel Green, right, won Melissa Mitchell’s escutcheon-plate peep! That’s Melissa snuggling with Ranger!

And Ranger is all partied out!

Hope you had as much fun as Ranger did!

We hope you’ll join us after you’re all stuffed full of turkey later this month!

Click the picture for more info. You can R.S.V.P. on our Facebook event page and keep up with the latest!

Rushing through a season isn’t much fun, and it seems a shame to not enjoy fall for a little longer.

Here are our Vintage Karma picks for a happy Thanksgiving!

This apron by Leslie Hornaday of Mother of All Design would make a great gift for a hostess. Leslie suggests wrapping it around a bottle of wine! Click the photo to purchase.

This is our most popular offering from Homer Soda Company, but we have more than 20 flavors you can choose from to create your own six-packs and impress your guests. We’ve even got a ginger beer with a cocktail recipe on the back for the boozy types.

Cute and festive acorn earrings by Anne Potter. Click the photo to purchase!

This handmade triangle shawl is woven with Chilean fibers. A soft and warm treat from Carolina-Arellano Grant. The pin it comes with looks like a little knitting needle!

Looking dapper is never a bad idea. Click photo to get all dapper-fied for Thanksgiving dinner!

For the kiddies! By Kelley Englehardt of Posies and Pattycakes.

Laura Davis of VK made this acorn wall hanging. It’s so TEENY TINY! Click the pic!

Or maybe you’d rather put a bird on it? Joellyn Cobb has needle-felted a turkey for this cute little wreath.

Also made with felt, this brooch by Anna Marx of Posies and Pattycakes, means you can wear mums that never die!

Hugh Bridgeford of MudBugs Pottery made this French butter keeper. Perfect for a holiday table!

We have more Thanksgiving goodies in the store, and different versions of the items above, too.

Happy fall and have a happy Thanksgiving!