Speak Softly and Carry a Vlieger & Vandam Bag. The 2012 Guardian Angel Collection.

I stumbled upon the amazing weapon embossed Guardian Angel bags from Vlieger and Vandam back in 2005 when they were made of felted wool (below). The brand and their collection has grown and become more sophisticated in the past few years.


above: The 2005 V&V Guardian Angel Bags were made with embossed wool

Now made with fine aniline leathers from the greenest tannery in the world (Hulshof Royal Dutch Tanneries) and handmade embossing in the Netherlands, the Guardian Angel line includes structured and soft bags for both men and women, clutches, attache cases, wallets and iPad cases.



above: the metal embossing is done by hand using tools like the stamping gun shown above in the Netherlands



above: their newest collection is now lined with a silkscreen printed fabric of guns and knives

For their Autumn Winter 2012 Collection they have introduced three two-toned Classic (structured) Guardian Angel Handbags with detachable straps in Brown/Pink, Brown/Grey and Black/White leather:




New for 2012 are large and small soft versions of their Guardian Angel bags in black, brown or grey leather with detachable leather straps:



Unisex Guardian Angel attachés and shoulder bags in black, brown and grey leather for 2012:



The 2012 Guardian Angel clutches come in three styles (handcuffs, gun and knife) and black, brown or grey leather online. The gold, silver and blackened detachable chains are sold separately.

Other clutches in colored suede are new for 2012 but not available in their online store (yet):



iPad cases in Guardian Angel (black leather) or cracked screen (black leather):


Gun stamped zippered wallets and billfolds for 2012:



The Guardian Angel bags are popular among celebs like Fergie Rhianna and Rumor Willis (shown below carrying her large soft black Guardian Angel bag):


In addition to their Guardian Angel line, they make other stunning totes and handbags, small leather goods and scarves.




Vlieger and Vandam

Shoot, That's Fun. The Bullet Hole Art Of Walt Creel.

above image courtesy of The Birmingham News

Walt Creel of Birmingham, Alabama uses a deadly weapon, ironically, to create images of sweet Southern wildlife. Brandishing a rifle, he fires .22 caliber bullets through 4' x 6' white painted aluminum panels to form images of a deer, an owl, a rabbit, a possum, a squirrel and bird in his project, De-Weaponizing The Gun.


detail of Rabbit:


The pointillist-like art is as interesting to admire up close as it is from afar, and is the artist's attempt at taking away the destructive power of the gun.

Squirrel:

The finished image of Squirrel [above] and creating the piece [below].

Deer:

Close -up of deer:

Bird:

Possum:

Rabbit:

Owl:


DEWEAPONIZING THE GUN by Walton Creel

In the artist's own words:
The terms gun and weapon are practically interchangeable. From hunting to war, self defense to target practice, the gun has been a symbol of power and destruction. Art and entertainment have both taken the same approach to he gun. Traveling Wild West shows had gunslingers that shot crude silhouettes and names, but this was done to illustrate the shooters prowess. Some artists have used high speed film to capture a bullet slicing through its target, while other artists have melted guns into sculptures.



When I decided I wanted to make art using a gun, I was not sure what direction I would have to take. I knew I did not want to use it simply as an accent to work I was doing, but as the focus. My main goal was to take the destructive power away from the gun. To manipulate the gun into a tool of creation and use it in a way that removed it from its original purpose, to deweaponize it.



During my first experiment I came across the concept of creating an image hole by hole on a surface. I also figured out that canvas would be too stressed by the process of a rifle firing many bullets into it.

A test firing of the bullets into canvas:


I moved on to aluminum and, with further experimentation, I figured out exactly how far apart my shots needed to be and that moving beyond .22 caliber was simply too destructive. When the aluminum was painted beforehand, the blast of the gun knocked off a tiny amount of paint around each hole, which helped fuse the image together.

images courtesy of the artist and the Coleman Center For The Arts,

Deweaponizing the Gun is an ongoing series presented in installments.

Advertising Concept For Cartier Combines Luxury With Violence.

A simple photographic juxtaposition of fine jewelry items by Cartier with a ball and chain (which has the wonderful double entendre given that it's a wedding band), a hand grenade, and explosives is a twist on the traditional and boring way that most fine jewelry items are presented in advertising and marketing.

"Weapon Jewelry" is another interesting concept from Diddo Velema (who goes by the moniker "...by Diddo" on his blog) that combines luxury with images of violence.

The ads as they would appear, if Cartier had the guts to run them:


This is not the first time the art director and media designer has combined luxury brand icons with images reminiscent of destruction. I previously blogged about his project in which he created Luxury Couture Gas Masks:



Diddo Velema creates branding and advertising ideas for freelance and personal projects in his Amsterdam studio and has an art direction and media design site in addition to his blog.

Chic Defense: The New Colored Tasers For Women

Feel Lucky, Punk?"
A stunning stun gun. The TASER C2 is our newest product designed for personal protection. Utilizing the same technology as our proven law enforcement models, the C2 has incredible take down power.




The TASER C2 is a self-defense electronic control device. Electronic Control Devices (ECDs) use propelled wires or direct contact to conduct energy to affect the sensory and motor functions of the nervous system. The TASER C2 uses a replaceable cartridge, containing compressed nitrogen, to deploy two small probes that are attached to the TASER C2 by insulated conductive wires with a maximum length of 15 feet (4.5 meters). The TASER C2 transmits electrical pulses along the wires and into the body affecting the sensory and motor functions of the peripheral nervous system. The energy can penetrate up to two cumulative inches of clothing.



Advanced Features
# Small non-gun design
# Lightweight and easy to carry
# Lithium Power Magazine is good for over 50 uses
# Available in six designer colors and three patterns
# 15 ft. (4.5 m) range





learn more about it here.