Crafting, costumes, jewelry, fashion, DiY grown fresh daily!
Wow! The gorgeous and oh-sew-talented Miss Marisa at New Dress A Day has completed her year-long journey of sewing and editing. New Dress A Day began about a year ago with 365 dollars and 365 days, and each day Marisa edited a $1 secondhand garment into a gorgeous new creation!
Hers is one of the most inspiring blogs I’ve read this year, and I can’t wait to see what else she creates in the future! Congrats on meeting your goals and inspiring thousands! We love ya!
I’ve been on a lovely break since Wednesday, enjoying time off from school before the last stretch toward the finish life of this semester. I had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with friends yesterday and enjoyed their company and the amazing cooking skill of my friend Imee.
I’m so thankful this year to have a wealth of friends and family supporting me, as always, and I’m so happy to be closer to starting my career as a teacher. I’m looking forward to what this next year will bring for my career, my creativity, and my life! Thanks, all!
I am a HUGE fan of these delightfully easy projects, especially around this time of year! Projects like this one over at Apartment Therapy are not only great for your home, but make wonderful gifts as well! Like the pillow project, this table runner can cost as little as NOTHING using fabric remnants you already have.
What are your favorite free projects to create?
As crafters and creators, we tend to be messy people. We also have stuff all over. Where are my scissors? Oh nuts, they’re on the floor under that pile of fabric (not that you knew that until after 20 minutes of searching). An easy solution? The versatile, useful apron! As both a fashion statement and practical tool, the apron serves as both protection and storage while you’re busy being brilliant. Check out these fine specimens!
The totally adorable “Pink Chocolate Flirty Apron” apron, for about $30 at overstock.com. Definitely a must for the party hostess, this leans more toward fashion, but still serves the necessary purpose. Also, I cannot say no to chocolate and pink, not to mention the stripes and polka dots! So cute!
How about this witty waist apron? The “Grania” style apron over at Retro Electro is a play on the cocktail apron style, with just the right amount of smarts and whimsy to make them perfect… Perfectly sassy, that is! What else would they be stating “How about a little drinkie winkie?” on the pocket? There are several styles at about $36 each.
The vendor apron may perhaps be the handiest for crafters – I even know teachers who wear these to keep supplies always at hand! What a great time saver! Check out this adorable one at Etsy!
Or you could always whip one up yourself from the over 51 free patterns at Tip Nut! What’s your favorite?
Get it? Like fondant? Yeah, I know.
I came across this in the blogosphere this afternoon and I HAD TO SHARE IT. IT IS SO AMAZING. I periodically steal Nick’s new Droid phone specifically to play Angry Birds, so this just blew me away.
It is an Angry Birds cake! And man, is it right on! Anya Richardson created this amazing sweet thing, and while I don’t have any personal experience with cake making, based on all the crazy cake challenges I’ve watched over the years, it is tough stuff! Fantastic work!
What’s your favorite fun cake?
I had a play kitchen as a kid that I loved and used all the time. So seeing this delightful repurpose of a TV stand into a beautiful play kitchen was just irresistible!
…into…
This!
This gorgeous project was completed by Giggleberry Creations’ folks for their granddaughter, and it is just so incredibly charming. All the little details like the window, curtain, and kitchen utensils make it just gorgeous and totally unique. Check out the process over at Giggleberry!
What’s your favorite amazing repurpose?
I’d attempted to put together a green and white bedroom when I was in college and had a modicum of success. Reflecting on that, I went on a search this afternoon to create another green and peaceful sleeping space. I really wanted that main punch of green and white, reflected in the walls and bedding, but the dark accents and warm colors ground the room, while keeping it interesting and adding a little warmth. Here’s what I came up with! References are below, with a few extras: see that mirror from Target? Get a whole different look my mounting it longways! Also, I’ve been in love with that mirror dresser from Anthro for years… someday! Enjoy the Etsy finds!
Wallpaper: H&W. Bedding from Pottery Barn. Dresser & light: Anthro. Mirror & Rocking Chair: Target. Headboard: Sundance. Chest: Greybills. Pillows: Room & Board. Accessories: Etsy sellers willowpillow, mementoretro, dahlush and Urban Outfitters.
Why, because of Halloween, of course! I’m always appreciative of these two holidays falling within proximity of each other because they share a good portion of the décor. The warm colors, fallen leaves, and gourd-based accessories are easily shared between the two events. Even (more permanent versions of) jack-o-lanterns can be turned about to their featureless sides. All those orange candles? Still great! Check these out!
A beautiful fall floral and dried display outside a barn. Appropriate for any harvest-time celebration.
Pumpkin plates can share your favorite of each of these holiday foods. Ours held candy for trick-or-treaters during Halloween, and now displays some seasonal gourds for Thanksgiving!
Pick up this cute set of stacking boxes from Oriental Trading! One side of each is printed with a thankful message, but turn them about for perfect Halloween containers.
What other décor do you love to reuse?
Me, with the puns. I know.
These are my Anne Boleyn initial replica necklaces! They’re one of my favorite little jewelry projects to work on, and several have marched through my Etsy store and the Charmedseed website lately (I wonder where that came from! Did I make a blog I don’t know about?). Sort of elementary cutwork, I saw each of these letters out of sheet metal, then polish and finish them. Pair them with freshwater or crystal pearls and you have the iconic accessory of Anne Boleyn.
The best part is they’re really personal. For example, mine is copper with mint-green button pearls! Anything goes! They make great gifts, too! I know I’ve had at least one customer give one to a girlfriend, and she loved it! I even have an “Heirloom” version done on traditionally knotted silk. Definitely something to hand down.
Check them out, along with other handmade gifts for the upcoming holidays! Thanks for supporting small crafters!
So my attempt at Han Solo and Princess Leia costumes failed with an overwhelming week prior to Halloween. We didn’t even make it to the main party we usually attend, and we missed our friends bunches! We did make it out for a short trip to another party on Saturday, but I struggled to come up with a last minute costume for each of us.
Climbing into the costume closet, I returned with all the pieces of black clothing we owned and proposed a fitting Dia de los Muertos theme! I printed out these decorated skull images (or calaveras) and mounted them on cardstock and construction paper to create handheld masks for each of us. With a little coloring, they really popped! A few flowers borrowed from Ophelia completed our costumes.
The outfits were a big hit (and they go really well with the black and white floor at my friend’s house! Heehee!). I’ve seen a lot of similar costumes created with makeup and really incredible styling, so that’s another option you could go for! I liked this option for us because we didn’t have the makeup available, and we didn’t run the risk of scaring the host’s 8-month-old daughter. It’s also interesting to learn more about Dia de los Muertos!
How was your Halloween?
She’s done! In fact, she’s been done for a week, but I wanted to get a few nice photos. I had a lot of fun at Mile Hi Con, too, and took home 1st place in the adult category! Nick and I took these photos yesterday – so Happy Halloween, too!
I did all the beading in about 12 hours total, using about a dozen types of stones and glass: pearls, rose & crystal quartz, aventurine, amazonite, jade, jasper, garnet, labradorite, and others. I even got to use a friend’s great embroidery machine to add some much needed detail. I still have a little beading to do; my tiny pearls for the sleeves just got in this week. But overall I’m really thrilled with the outcome and I can’t wait to wear it again!
