I'm famous! (relatively)

Exciting news... my Pearly Sunglasses DIY have been featured on the home page of Cut Out and Keep. Yay!

I'm listening to: Strawberry Swing by Frank Ocean

Felting fever!

Two weeks ago I did a Saturday felt-making course at my local college and it was great. I had such a fun time and learned a lot more about the process than I had found on the Internet. I decided to do the course because I wanted to be shown how to do it properly rather than trying to work it out from youtube videos.
This is what we did.

Those big wooden things are called carders, they're basically two big dog brushes that help you blend different colours of the tops (top quality wool used for felting).

Then you lay your tops alternating between horizontal and vertical layers (this makes it stronger) on a towel with bubble wrap on top, and add any other threads.

Cover the tops with netting and squirt all over it with warm water with a bit of washing-up liquid, put a plastic bag on your hand and rub over it gently until it's all wet and soapy.

Wrap it around a wooden pole and put lots of pressure on it as you roll it back and forth. This is the part when all the fibres in the wool rub and knot together and it will begin to shrink. You also have to keep turning it 90 degrees so that it shrinks evenly. When you roll it out flat, gently pull at the fibres and see if they come apart freely, if they do then you need to keep rolling until they're tight.

Rinse the piece in water. To get a bobbly effect throw it onto the floor or table a few times until you get the desired effect.

This what it looks like once it had finally dried. I'm not sure which way up I want it!

Before and after of another experimental piece.

Here is some of the work of the other people on the course.

  I highly recommend having a go at wet felting if you can. I'm super inspired by the whole process and will have a go at doing some more of my own. Next on my list of crafts to try is needle felting. Have you tried it?

I'm listening to:  Smokin' In The Boy's Room by Mötley Crüe (going to see them with Def Leppard and Steel Panther in December)

Oh how charming!

After seeing the amount of charms on my bracelet you'd be surprised that I can even lift it off the table and yet, I want some more. Ones from Dog State jewellery collection to be precise.

This I must have.

I'm listening to: Crow Jane by Two Gallants
Images from: goodhoodstore.com

What I'm doing on my night in.

So this is a little piece of hand and machine embroidery that I'm doing tonight, a work in progress. And I'm wearing silver undercoat and black Smash Up Crackle nail polish, both from Models Own. Speaking of which, check out their new Beetlejuice nail polish colours.

They look amazing by themselves but I think they could be a great base for making your own galaxy nails. Plus they're on offer at the moment; buy 3 save £3 or buy 5 and save £7. Bargin.

They were inspired by these guys                                                  not this guy!

I'm listening to: Crystal Necklace by Total Slacker

The best, most frustrating website ever.

I was stumbling today after watching the film Heat with my boyfriend (which is super long but super awesome; the film I mean!) And I found this incredible website, it's called Sexy Sweaters and it has the most amazing, quirky designs for jumpers. But the frustrating thing is that they don't sell them because they don't have enough money, so have a look and if you like what you see (and guarantee you will) then sign the petition to help get funds.
Here's a taster of the treasures you can find on Sexy Sweaters:

I'm listening to: Mmm Mmm Mmm by Crash Test Dummies
Images from: sexy-sweaters.com

✄ DIY tutorial: Glittery wedges

What you'll need:

A pair of shoes

Glitter-glue (or glitter and glue)

A paint brush

Masking tape (optional)

1. Gather all you materials together and get ready to re-vamp your old pair of shoes!

2. This is the part where you can mark out the area you've chosen with masking tape (I didn't bother because it's time consuming and I have quite a steady hand).

3. Now it's time to start your first coat of glitter-glue (don't worry if the glitter isn't spreading evenly as you will need to do several coats).

Once I'd done a coat I stepped back to look at the shoes and I wasn't happy. They looked a bit weird because they didn't have a platform under the whole shoe like these have:

Topshop LUCITE glitter platform sandals £80

So I decided to paint another part of the shoe with the glitter-glue so it balances out.
Here is the finished product after 3 coats (I think I'll do a few more coats just because I'm addicted now!)

What do you think of my latest DIY? If you like what you see then spread the word. If you have a go at it please credit me and don't forget to send me your pictures.

I'm listening to: N****s in Paris by Jay-Z and Kanye West
Image from: topshop.com

Coming soon... DIY tutorial: Quilted Shoes

INSPIRATION

It's really annoying me that one of the studs is mising, can you spot it?

I'm listening to: California Demise by The Olivia Tremor Control
Image from: topshop.com

My New Craft Organiser Box

I was so excited when I found this today in the art shop on Green Street. I can't deny that I'm a seriously messy person, and I guess I'm a bit of a horder just out of laziness so I got this today as an early Christmas present from my parents. Plus I get to have it now because I (my mum) am sorting all my art and craft stuff. Hurrah.

It's four trays deep and I can't wait to organise everything even though I'm such a messy person.

I'm listening to: Mezzanine by Massive Attack

What do Mary Portas and Monique Lhuillier have in common?

Did anyone catch the latest Mary Portas programme Mary Queen of Frocks on channel 4 recently? If you did then you would have seen her newest accessory that she teamed up with hosiery company CHARNOS to produce.

It's called Armery (duh) and it is genius for us women that have bingo wings! She came up with it because she was working on making line of clothes for middle aged women that wanted to be stylish (and not have to wear pastels!) And a problem that middle-aged, and some of us younger ones face when wearing anything sleeveless is flabby arms. And a one point in the programme for some unknown reason, she decided to put a pair of tights on her arms, and the rest is history.

I'm actually going to buy some now.

Since watching the programme I knew that the Armery reminded me of a collection I had seen a year or so ago but I just couldn't remember...until today.

I love the symmetry at the back

Of course! It's Monique Lhuillier's A/W'09 collection. It's full of laddered and holey tights worn both on the arms and legs.

I love the juxtaposition of the laddered tights with the lavish elegant dresses, but actually having said that I think they actually work really well together and don't look massively out of place. I think the laddered tights make the dresses look even more expensive and luxurious. If I ever get the opportunity to wear a gown like these I would definitely rip a few holes in my tights!

I'm listening to: Flash flood by Aesop Rock
Images from: style.com

Proof that I can predict fashion trends.

Not to blow my own horn or anything, but I predicted that rucksacks were gonna be big in this post back in March. And guess what? They're everywhere:

Urban Outfitters black leather tassle rucksack £98

Kate Sheridan for ASOS printed rucksack £98

River Island beige quilted rucksack £40

Topshop orange contrast stitch pocket rucksack £40

Urban Outfitters black velvet pocket rucksack £45

Motel cyan blue pocket rucksack £42

River Island brown faux fur pocket rucksack £40

 I'm so smug right now.

I'm listening to: Nettie by Type O Negative
Images from: asos.com, riverisland.com, urbanoutfitters.com, motel.com, topshop.com