Handmade Jewelry: Earrings

  

Buying Supplies
This can easily add up very quickly so I like to try to have a project in mind before I start dropping $$.  I am currently working in gold tone metal, but I think I may try gold fill in the future.  Here are the supplies I either already had or purchased for my project.   I already have a set of tools so there was no additional cost there, but wire cutters and shapers can be found at any craft/jewelry making store or even hardware store!

Designing & Executing

whew!  they match

working my way around the loop

I decided to go for something relatively simple without much wire bending.  I tend to design on the fly, as I go along--as a result I spend a good amount of time adjusting and undoing (i.e. ill fated alternating purple colored beads... looked clownish).  Earrings are always tricky when there is a lot of working or detail simply because the pair needs to match (or at least that is usually the goal).  I decided to go with alternative small blue faceted beads and gold tone seed beads, with a large droplet facet cut stone in a charcoal.  I didn't need to worry much about spacing as the beads occupied more or less the entire round.  The excess I used to connect to the hooks.

The finished product

Another Project
This time with tumbled green stones, gold tone wire, and small floral metal beads.  This look was achieved through lots of wire wrapping.

Sewing: 50s style dress

When I first found this pattern I knew it was perfect for me.  Full circle skirt, cute bias detailing, overall vintage 50s look.  As I am still a beginner sewer I limited myself to a more manageable cotton fabric.  Generally I tend to shop on ebay for fabrics, because the variety is vast and I am still a little intimidated by the fabric outlets in NYC's fashion district.   Plus I was able to get 5 yards of this fabric for a good price.

The bias tape was also from a nice ebay seller (wenze001) who I believe makes her own "tape".  This way I was really able to match the color well.  Although I did buy both a bright orange and a green and decided to make the choice in person.  

In the end I went with green, and I think it was a better fit for the vintage/traditional design.   I wish I had taken more photos of the process but it was a pretty simple pattern with basic steps.  Cutting pattern, cutting cloth, sewing darts, etc.  Here it is before I added the bias tape.  I must admit I don't use the dress form at all for sizing purposes, but this did come in good use to hang the garment so the fabric could settle before I worked on the hem.  Considering its been used as a glorified coat rack for most of the years I've owned it, it's actually moving up in functionality at least.   Next with bias added.

I headed over to M&J Trimming on 6th Ave which is just a WONDERLAND of notions.  Not cheap, but they seem to have everything jammed into the store from floor to ceiling filled with buttons, trimming, ribbon, applique, etc etc.  I picked up these darling green buttons ($2 each) and a package of large snaps ($7 package).

detail of the buttons

Here is the finished product!  I'm quite proud as this is the first dress I have made in years, and first dress that I actually really was careful about seams, hems, overlocking the edges, etc.

arm loop created by wrapping of fabric

H&M Dress

I am definitely one of those people that feels happier when purchasing an item on sale even if I am already shopping on a relatively inexpensive store.  Whether H&M or Prada, I gravitate to the SALE rack like a moth to a flame.  Lucky for my pocketbook it was H&M this time.  I was very drawn to the pretty pattern of the skirt part of this dress as well as the overall fall look and it's sale price of $14.95 (originally 24.95).  I couldn't decide which color I like better so I tried on both, and it fit so well that I decided to get both!  They will be perfect for fall layering with a scarf or vest or sweater, with tights and ballerina flats or boots.  It's a great price, so I guess style wise it wasn't everyone's cup of tea--but it was a perfect fit for mine.  Added bonus I think it could be worn to work or out on the weekend.

I thought it was extremely flattering for my pear shape (perhaps a little help from dressing room mirror), and for a size small, I believe it runs large.  I typically wear 2-4 on top and 4-6 on bottom in other brands (H&M I am typically 4-6/S top and 6-8/M bottoms), and have a defined waist. I found the medium to be awkwardly baggy and ill-fitting in the top and waist.

Bottom is 100% Rayon, top is 95% cotton 5% spandex. Machine washable, which gets a gold star in my book.

Amigarumi: Part 2

More amigarumi.  This time two cute animals for my sister and her husband.  The tiny legs for the turtle and the never ending tentacles for the octopus were the most frustrating.  I purchase safety eyes on ebay so that once I feel comfortable my stitches are tight enough I can start gifting to the babies that have been increasingly popping up in my family and friend circles =D.

Amigarumi: Part 1

Lately I have been dabbling in a little amigarumi ("little animals"), a genre of crocheting that can only be described and ridiculously cute.  Armed with some basic crocheting stitches and a good instruction book + some slow motion instruction care of youtube, I set forth on making an elephant.  This is how we turned out....

First shot missing his limbs!

Size wise he ended up a little larger than I originally anticipated (shown next to a finger puppet) in part due to using a larger crochet hook, but also I think the project was just a bit larger than I thought.

Here he is all finished up and handsome, and with a fetching green scarf, he's ready for the winter! 

Forever 21 & decorating

While F21 is not exactly known for their high quality goods, least of all houseware, I recently picked up this delightful display three tiered tray with "crystal" on top.   It was intended to be a jewelry stand but I found it to be the perfect way to showcase my nail polishes.  And at $12 it makes for an inexpensive feminine way to display a splash of color instead of wasting drawer space.  Hopefully this way I won't forget what colors I have in my collection too!

Sewing Class and Choosing fabrics on Ebay

My latest crafty activity has been attending an 8 part introductory sewing course held by the Sewing Studio located on 134 West 29th Street in Manhattan.  The class meets once a week over 8 weeks, during which we learned how to make a drawstring satchel, a zipper pouch and a skirt from a pattern of our own choosing. My favorite part has been choosing the fabrics and who I will be gifting them to.  I found the PERFECT match from my friend Jen in this cupcake faced playful design.  I just love the expressions!

Similarly this owl design was a perfect fit for my pink and owl loving friend Jane.  I think it's important to choose fun prints and useful designs.  For me crafting is about using the products and I very much hope my friends will be using theirs!

Ebay is a great source for unique fabrics, but searching can be quite difficult as there are tens of thousands of prints and no consistent naming, labeling or photoing conventions.  Here are the steps I used to find the prints I ended up with.

(1) Material: I knew I wanted to work with cotton, so this eliminated a large number of fabrics right of the bat.  Using the search term "cotton" can be too restrictive (unless searching the description as well).  Cotton also pops up as an ebay characteristic if you are in the fabric sub-category.
(2) Topic: I found it easiest to start with an idea in mind.  I actually began my search for a Russian Doll print, followed by some animal related searches.  I think this was helpful to give me a sense of the types of fabrics that were available on ebay.
(3) Designer: I actually ended up finding both fabrics via designer name.  I had seen the names "Alexander Henry" and "Robert Kaufman" pop up several times among fabrics I found to be attractive for the projects I had in mind.

In the end I chose a cupcake print by Alexander Henry and an owl print by Robery Kaufman.   In determining how much fabric you need I think it's always wise to get a little extra because once it's cut it's cut and shipped and on its way to you.  Also when buying multiple increments (i.e. by the yard) make sure the seller is selling you a continuous piece.  Lastly a tip for the total novice a "fat quarter" is simply a quarter of a yard of fabric, but cut once length wise and once horizontal wise  (thus you have a squarish/rectangular piece, rather than a very thin and narrow piece of fabric).  Happy online fabric shopping!

Mosiacs

I have a tendency to jump around from one craft to another.  Craft du jour being mosaics!  It all started last year with a groupon to MAKE meaning located in the upper westside (506 Amsterdam Ave 
New York, New York 10024).  What started as a "morning activity" ended up stretching some 7 hours (I even took a 2 hour midday break).  By the end I my only was to finish before the store closed, but I was quite happy with the results.  I free hand sketched the flowers and ladybug, and then tiled away.

Being the ambitious and frugal gal I am, I began to wonder hey I could easily (and cheaply) gather supplies necessary to mosaic at home.  Granted there are some physical limitations to living in a rented apartment--no mosaic backsplashes in the kitchen or bathrooms quite yet in my future.  

But I ordered a few supplies from JoAnn.com (glue, grout, tile snippers and several wooden items to decorate) and tiles from a seller on ebay.  TIP 1: check measurements.  When a seller says the tiles are 1/2 inch, one should take out a ruler and remind oneself just how small half an inch is.  Needless to say I was slightly surprised and ended up having little use for the snippers (to come in handy next time when I order larger tiles).  But I purchased a good assortment of colors ended up making a tray for my cousin (a red fish for Little Fish).  I free handed the design, only really planning ahead the fish in the middle.  In retrospect this was probably a bit risky, but the tiles were small enough for me to make small adjustments to avoid gaping holes.  Here is the end result:

Next up photo frames and jewelry boxes.

Craft Dresser

Looking for a storage solution for my (possibly too) many craft hobbies.  My ultimate goal was to be able to bring together all my supplies currently tucked away in a 1001 places around my apartment into one easy to find location.  I originally fell in love with a Bisley metal (often times filing) cabinets, especially when I found out they came in different colors, including this handsome blue that would have complemented my apartment's coloring scheme (the container store).  Alas unfortunately, I couldn't find any retailers selling a size that worked for me, and the fun colors only appeared to be offered for the smaller desktop sized cabinet (I loved it so much I am planning on getting the letter sized version for my printer shelf). 

I finally settled on this unfinished piece from Gothic Cabinet Craft.  It is meant to be a lingerie / tall dresser but it was actually one of the very few drawers that I could find that could fit scrapbook sized paper (12in by 12in).   Being wood I could paint it to perfectly match my decor.  Additionally it was reasonably priced at $389 + $45 delivery to my walk up.  Plus I had this brilliant plan to make it look reminiscent of an old style filing cabinet with the help of a few brass labels.  I found exactly what I was looking for on ebay.   Ten labels came with matching screws for $7.68 + $5.40 shipping.

For the paint I chose "blue spa" from Benjamin Moore, which I was a bit worried was going to prove to be too dark.  But I forgot to take into account the light base wood, and the color turned out to be near perfect match to my peacock couch.  I am all for simplicity and since the dresser was new, untreated, natural wood, I skipped the sanding and priming steps.  For any stained, painted or otherwise used wood I recommend at the very least sanding the surface so the paint has something good to stick to.  If not natural wood, check to see what primer works best with the material you are using, otherwise you'll risk peeling and other unsightly problems after all your hard work. 

 I took out the drawers for easy access to all surfaces I wanted painted, which included the back--not a necessary step but I hate to see a completely natural side even if it is just peaking out.  I used foam sponges since they are cheap and easy to use and laid out a few pieces of cardboard.  Remember for your own safety to keep the room well ventilated when you are painting and while the paint is drying.  I only did coats which provided sufficient coverage for my purposes.

After all the pieces had dried, I carefully measured the front panels of the drawers and the brass label holders so that they are basically centered, for a neat filing cabinet look.  I first hammered a nail that was a little smaller than the screw to "prep" the wood, which made screwing in the TINY screws much easier.

Next I printed labels for each of my drawers on some light cream card stock I had.  I thought the muted cream looked great against the blue and the black script would just pop.  I chose a basic cursive script font from my version of microsoft word (Edwardian Script ITC) in size 28.  I then printed with enough spacing between each line (this took me a second try as the first time around I did not leave enough white space between each label).  I used my cutter bee paper cutter to slice the labels.  Instead of taking formal measurements, I did this somewhat freehand, placing the label against the brass hardware and slicing as needed.


I am really pleased with my finished project and the streamlined, fancy way to keep my crafts out of sight but readily available.

Cord Kit Chandelier

While brightly lit during the day by natural light, my dresser area turned into a rather dark corner at night, ill fitted for prepping and putting on makeup.

Wanting to keep the maximum amount of free dresser top space, I was looking for a hanging option.  Be that I live in a rental apartment, this meant no hard-wiring, which unfortunately in my opinion meant foregoing some classier items.

urban outfitters chandelier

But it probably also meant I wouldn't even need to begin to covet pricey chandelier way out of my price range.

I ended up find this blue chandelier from Urban Outfitters on sale, and paid $31.99+ tax during there extra % of sale items in late December (and since I feel ultra guilty whenever I pay a shipping fee, I managed to fill my cart up with other decorations, some clothing and few presents to get free shipping).

The chandelier is back up to $58 at urban outfitters, but it's also worthwhile to check out other options for color/design that fit your space, or wait for this one to go on sale again.

I already owned a cord kit (light bulb with wire and switch--

hook attachment to ceiling

close up of tape covering the cord

bought long ago from the bargain bin also at UO for $3, I knew it would come in use! and it only took 4 years and moves), so I grabbed my power drill and made a thin hole (narrower than the hanging screw).  After deciding it was too far away from the wall, I made hole number 2, screwed in the hook and hung my chandelier.

the finished product in action!

Unfortunately I have a brickwall in this part of my apartment which made securing the cord to the wall a bit trickier.  Normally on dry wall I just buy the convenient nail in wire holders, but for brick I had to get creative. I debated drilling holes, a bit extreme and difficult, somehow using mounting adhesive, and finally settled on transparent duct tape.  I picked some up at my local hardware store (Scotch, $7.99 for 20 yards).  Not the classiest option, but I think it blends into the wall color well and maintains a stream lined look.

Now I have a pretty LIGHTED station to do my hair and make up.

Shadow Boxes

I am a big fan of shadow boxes.  They are a wonderful way to store and present memories / souvenirs.  It's an extremely flexible medium, only restricted by the depth of your frame. As an added bonus you can rearrange your collection with a few straight pins.

I found this sleek black frame at T.J. Maxx a few years ago for $23:

Example 1: College pride (Go Big Green!)

Several years later, I was lucky enough to find this "shabby chic" sweet white shadow box for $17!  I grabbed with the immediate idea to make it a functional decoration-- a jewelry "box" display.  The door makes for east access when I want to wear a piece and when I am not I can appreciate my necklaces as wall decor.  Straight pins allow me to choose whatever height is perfect for a necklace and bracelets, saving me from nightmarish tangles.  The larger "canvas" of the shadow box keeps my wall space from looking messy and busy by bringing together various pieces into a cohesive whole.

Example 2: Displaying Jewelry

With a little bit of handiwork, I think I could probably even make one.  Pick out a nice picture frame as the "cover", create the "frame out of 4 long pieces of wood and for the back just wrap some foam with a fabric of your choice and a few staples to the back base.  Buy two hinges from a hardware store, either a hook or magnets for closure and voila!  Perhaps this will be a good project for me in the future when I come across a well priced and interesting large frame.  For now I can enjoy my two T.J. Maxx finds.