With all the booming new stores on this little thing called the internet, it can be difficult to sort through all the possibilities for purchase. So let Geekscape be your guide. In the traditions of old, we’ll help you figure out what to take to make it a little less dangerous.
“A new lease on life for books.”
Ever wanted to carry your favorite book with you without lugging around the whole thing? Now you can, and not in a shiny, new book smell-less, electronic reader format, either. Retro Beads & Bangles offers you a recycling opportunity that looks adorable AND literate. Using book pages to make jewelry is not unique to the internet (as you’ll see below), but Retro also branches into brooches, bracelets, the using of sheet music, and old board-game pieces to make unique and specialized accessories for every day. These beautiful earrings, necklaces, and cufflinks immortalize famous names and phrases from classic — and currently popular — literature for a fair-ish every day price.
Shipping policies are not listed, so customer may beware — or want to read the 76 customer reviews before deciding.
“What a novel idea!”
Pretty Little Charms, also out of the UK, offers similarly recycled book jewelry. The categories featured here are Game Of Thrones, JK Rowling, Mortal Instruments, Divergent + Twilight, The Hunger Games, Narnia + LOTR, Alice in Wonderland, Pride and Prejudice, Sherlock + Classics, and Dictionary/Other. The charms feature different shapes, as well as colors: some heart-shaped in silver, others a beautiful copper with a steampunk-like accessory hanging off of the main jewelry. Compasses accompany sections of map and silver wolf heads sit next to “direwolf”. It’s all very appropriate and well placed. Pretty Little Charms also offers rings in pairs, offering a chance to celebrate your favorite geeky ship either with your special someone or all on your own if you’re greedy.
The charms that come with the sections of words, and the choice illustrations for others, are really what makes Pretty Little Charms’ selection glow. You can carry your favorite character or phrase along with you in stylish fashion.
All items are $3 shipping for the first item and free for additional items. There is a fair return policy: anything can be returned in exchange, except for earrings (hygiene!) and you foot the shipping.
Pretty Little Charms would like you to note that these items are NOT waterproof. They are made from books! Therefore, care should be taken when you’re deciding where and how to wear them.
“Wearable literature.”
If jewelry isn’t your thing, then head over to Storiarts, where you can acquire pages of classic literature printed onto a scarf, or writing gloves. How fancy would you feel if you owned something called “writing gloves”? Tori Tissell produces these wonders by hand, with the text chosen from such pieces as “Pride & Prejudice” and “Sherlock Holmes”. You may also custom order if you have your own choice of words (book paragraph, music, poetry, etc) prepared. Storiarts’ scarves look gorgeous and, as they say, will make you feel both “warm and intelligent”. Just be sure that your chosen text is not copyrighted and can be reprinted and sold without bringing terrible consequences down upon Tissell’s head. That’s the polite thing to do.
All items are shipped via the USPS and tracking is available. Storiarts accepts returns or exchanges within ONE week of delivery, but if you do a custom order then a full refund cannot be granted, so choose wisely. And not poooorly.
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