Here Comes the Bride-Run for your life!

In honor of the new Etsy Wedding Team, I decided to share my own bride experience-or at least as close as I'll ever get to it. My Halloween costume three years ago was a homage to Tim Burton's Corpse Bride.
I already had the dress-I had made it two years before for a project in college. I slashed apart the bottom of the skirt added black Venician lace to the corset top. Then I airbrushed the colors to mimic the movie version, Burton-esque swirls and all. I made the veil from scratch with decorative stitching, paint and the blue rose wreath-and the bouquet to match. Then I made ribs out of porcelain craft clay and stitched them to a piece of black velvet for the hole in the corset.
And here is the finished product:I made a glove with bones to mimic her skeletal arm, painted my skin bluish-white and wore a black and blue wig to complete the outfit. The pirate is my sweetie J, I made his costume too. :)

Brand Spankin' New: The Etsy Wedding Team!

Yes, it's true! a bunch of etsy members have banded together to to form the new EtsyWeddingTeam. Within mere hours, the numbers of interested parties had swollen to 30+ in answer to Middleburg's query in the forums.
I personally can't wait to see what all the new members make! Hand crafted elements are the perfect touch for weddings; handmade favors make your guests feel extra special. My sister is getting married in January of 2009 and I am making silk mango calla lilies for the favors-I am still in the design stage but they are going to be breathtaking.
I have always love the pomp and circumstance surrounding weddings. All the time and energy and planning spent on making one day as perfect as possible. Well, now there is a whole team of artisans that can help make your day as special a possible!
I am going to be directing my energies to making a line of bridal tiaras and wedding wings. There may also be veils and ring bearer pillows in there too!

It's a Sweater! (purse)

In the immortal words of El Guapo (nod to The Three Amigos), I shall tell you how a charming, but unworn sweater became a purse.
I had this lovely sweater languishing in my closet for over a year. The yarn was spun with metallic silver thread so I could not get away with wearing it to the office. So I decided to recycle it into a new, super-fun accessory. The torso of the sweater was already the perfect size and shape, so I trimmed off the sleeves and collar and sewed up the bottom in a box shape for more carrying space. I added a lining of vintage cotton fabric with a dusky tree print so nothing would poke through the sweater and to give it added strength. I also added a reinforced pocket on the inside to keep small things from rolling around on the bottom, and added a vintage metal zipper for the closure. Next I decided to crochet a wavy carrying strap, which I attached on each end, one side in the front, one in the back. Then I crochet 3 matching green flowers for an accent and used a scrap of the sweater for an embellishment swirl. I even used the ribbon loops that were to keep it on the hanger around the top edging.
So, that is how I created this cute little bag. I periodically go through my closet and pull out things that I don't wear anymore, but I cannot bring myself to throw them away. Maybe it is my pack rat syndrome or because I hate to waste anything, but making cast-offs into something new is a great solution. Other ideas include turning old pants into skirts or combining several different items in to a new patchwork wonder. You are only limited by the scope of your imagination!

Farewell, Dark and Blurry Pictures!

Whew!
I just spent the whole weekend rearranging my tiny workroom so I could fit in a permanent photography corner. I have tubs of supplies now stacked to my ceiling but I don't care as long as the pix are better!
AND here to the left is an idea of what it looks like! In my traditional ghetto fabulous style, I used a clothing rack (that my boyfriend actually trash-picked for me-that is true love there!) and used it to hang a large panel of muslin that I dyed a pale gray. A second, smaller piece covers the floor and the base of my dress form. Then I went nuts at home depot and bought a bunch of clamp lamps and 100 watt bulbs so I could place them above, in front and on each side to minimize shadows. My next project will be to make diffusers for the lamps to reduce harsh shadows.
So my picture taking possibilities went from this (red) to this (gray).
I am pretty happy with the results at the moment. I still think I need a lot more light though.


And while I am on the subject, how about a peek at my ever-so ghetto fabulous light box! I made this baby out of a mid-sized card board box.
The sides and top are sheets of velum and the back to bottom curved sheet is watercolor paper-I wanted the toothy texture on mine. You can see my lovely clamp lamps in action-just remember not to leave them on long or unattended-this is a fire hazard from all the heat generated by the lamps and it must be watched when in use! I know it is not pretty or super professional, but it really does get the job done. My jewelry pictures are sooooo much better now than before I made it-see the difference in the two pictures here of my aquatic potion bottle necklace: on the left is before and on the right is after. Yikes!
Good pictures are uber important, that cannot be emphasized enough. They are your calling card, how your customers recognize your work and your self-representation all rolled into one little package.

And now for something completely different....

I hate clothes shopping. I can never find anything that fits right or looks right or fits my sense of style. So what's a girl to do?
Make my own of course!
I've been rabidly reading each new release of Altered Couture and Belle Armoire Magazines but long before I found those wonderful publications I have been embellishing here and altering there to develop my own unique look.
Most recent in these attempts resulted in this adorable baby doll shirt. This top actually started out as a button-down men's shirt and has been transformed into a super flattering, feminine baby doll shirt. It is fun and flirty and equally wearable with jeans or dress pants. The design incorporates ribbon ties that gather the waist and bust peasant-style to fit your unique shape. The top is a single piece of ribbon that is laced through the back, over the shoulders to form straps and through the front to tie in the center. The pocket and buttons down the front remain functional. I get mad compliments whenever I wear mine (it is green with pink ribbons) along with queries of where I found it. So I decided to make a few and put them in my etsy shop.
This is my own original design, so please respect the copyright. I do plan on releasing a tutorial in the near future, so stay tuned!