Sea shells Now here's a fun substitute for settings! I'm recycling sea shells so i can use them for making resin pendants. It actually looks like there is water inside the shell, and a little matryoshka floating in it, surrounded by rose petals ( ok, not really : it's red mica glitter, but use your imagination!). I painted the shell in bronze-gold tones so it would match the jump ring chain i made for it. I have a lot of double shells that i would like to use, if i can find a way to keep together with glue i could turn them into diptychs or portrait lockets. To be continued!

Tsarina Winter Coat & Trashion Baroque Japan Jacket I think autumn is the most productive time of the year for me. I 'm working day and night on my new ideas and the best thing is that i really enjoy it and don't feel tired at all. I worked on two new designs last week, something i've been wanting to do along time but never got around doing it in summer. I'm always a little bit hesistant to work on a piece of clothing because i'm afraid to mess up and not be able to cover up my mistakes. Anyway, i decided to take the plunge and restyle these two items into something very different. The long coat is inspired by Russian Tsarinas and Matryoshkas (yes - again russia, can't help it). I painted bronze hearts, embellished with lots of hand sewn seed beads on the sleevs and around the edge. Then i put little matryoshkas in the middle of the hearts and taller ones alternating with the hearts. The most difficult part was stencilling the art nouveau pattern. I had to cut it out of flimsy paper and keep it still on this thick coat, but it was worth it because i think that pattern really makes the coat stand out. The other jacket is an upcycled trashion creation, with a japanese twist. I have loads of fabric scraps and i thought it would be a nice idea to use this jacket like a canvas and turn it into a collage. I actually worked like a painter here, with my jacket on the dress dummy, paint brush in one hand and glue gun in the other. I was not sure what to put inside the cameo frame, to be honest, of all things that decision too the most time! I wanted something that really contrasted with the baroque style of the jacket and the fabrics i used, so i chose a japanese geisha. many thanks to my lovely sister for modelling them for me :)

Resin Ring I have to admit, i really love resin. And matryoshkas. And sparkles. I love the preparation, slowly pouring it into the molds and then wait anxiously for a hit or miss surprise. I think i used too many hardener drops in my last batch, which caused an "inner combustion" or something like that. I do like the result though, it looks like chipped crystals or flakes.

Cabaret Cairo Bag

My newest bag! I'm quite happy with this one because this is the first bag that is completely "My Design". I still can't make bags, but i found someone ( a little boutique in Aleppo) that wanted to execute my designs in their own workshop...et voilà, my first line of bags was born! I love the look of the fifties and sixties so i wanted a firm bag with an old fashioned clasp, but with a modern touch like a pocket for a mobile phone. For Cabaret Cairo i used a fabric that i brought back from my trip to Syria and the picture featured in my dissertation about fashion, so you could say this is a real Yasmin Bochi bag :

Here i am again It's been a while since i've been here! Since my last post a few things have happened: i finished writing my dissertation, i graduated ( with distinction -yay!), spent two weeks in England trying to get things sorted out for my move (and failed) and then spent two months in the Syrian countryside without internet connection or without even getting near anything computer or internet-related ( and i must say:i had a great time living the "primitive life") But it's late September now and it's time to get back to the real word. I just don't know where to start yet!

New experiment I love making stencils but sometimes it becomes a headache because i have to work with temporary connections taped together on the stencil or else my drawing just falls apart. I have used the laquer thinner methode for some of my projects, but for some reason i can't find the right thinner anymore in the shops...none of them work with my lasercopies! My hands are itching to make something new, so i had a look at a few screen printing tutorials and found an easy home made version for my project. Instead of "printing with ink" i just prepared my screen with very strong white glue and used spray paints...and it worked! All that is left to do is find out how to keep the keep the paint on the fabric and test it out on a piece of clothing. ( to be continued!)

No, i do not have too many bags ...but just not enough space!! 35 counted, one more suitcase to empty and 30 brand new designed bags on their way to be shipped to me. Is it time to say "help"?!

Back in action!

I'm back i'm back! I'm finally free...what a great feeling!I don't know how long it's been since i had this feeling again. But i think this time it's different, i'm "really free". Free to take a new start, free to write the next chapter in my life...it's exciting!

So...where to start? Let me tell you that i've been tagged! Ok, it happened a while ago but i never had the time to respond and to come up with 7 things that are interesting enough to blog about. Check out my taggers and their lovely blogs:

Retro attic from Retro Romance

Tessa from How to Make Art

Helen from Pepperina Press

The rules:

* Write 7 random facts/habits about yourself on your blog. * Choose another 7 people to get tagged and list their names (then make sure you go to those people's blogs to let them know they're "it").

1) Mis Mish Mish is not my name. Mish Mish is my 13 year old cat. It means apricot in Arabic and a common name for orange cats. My Mish Mish is not orange:

2) In a conversation, I can switch from Dutch to French to English to Italian to Spanish or German within seconds. When i was four i was fluent in Arabic as well (i spent a whole summer with cousins that didn't speak anything else so i had to!) , but i when started going to elementary school i couldn't practice any longer and i forgot most of it. And i still can't get past the basics now...too hard!

3) I met my UK fiancé in a chatroom when i was 15. We wrote letters and met eachother for the first time a year later. I will be 25 this summer, we're still together and i will be moving to the UK soon...yay for internet love :)

4) DO NOT feed me nuts, i will die. I've been allergic to most types of nuts as long as i can remember. I don't even have to eat one to go into shock, just having it in my mouth by accident is enough to send me to the hospital. I hope i don't have any enemies that are reading this or i've just given them the best strategy tip ever to get rid of me lol!

5) I used to make all kinds of objects for a very popular computer game. I taught myself how to make 3-d models and import them into the game. I had a website and shared my designs for free with the whole world. I stopped about a year or two ago but my yahoo groups still count over 10000 members with new ones joining every day. I'm not part of that community any longer but sometimes i go back to have a look and see what's going on. I still see people showing screenshots of their games with my 3d's in it...it's really weird to see something that i've created on my little home computer travelling the whole world.

6) I love Barbie Pink. I apologize, it's stronger than me.

7) My favourite film is Return to Oz. Not the orginal Oz story, but a "remake" from the '80s. I remember being terrified as a little girl when seeing the scene when an evil princess takes her head off and choses a new one in a long corridor that looks like a head gallery. The actress that plays Dorothy was an exact copy of one of my childhood friends, which made it even more spectacular me. It's a kid's film, but it's so creepy and dark that i don't understand why my parents let me watch it back then!

Ok, enough facts and things, it's my turn to tag!

AniemanCrochet

Made by Milla Pequenio Craft

I'm featured on the indie quarter ! Yay, good news! Go have a look, it's a great blog!

Bringing this blog back to life...

I hardly get a chance to do anything else besides writing my disseration these days. I'm counting the days till 21sth of May and then i will be able to breathe again...and sleep...and have fun again. My breaks are never longer than 15 minutes, but the past few days i just had to do something with this free time insides of staring into the void. I'm so sick of looking at fashion shows, fashion books, fashion essays...enough!! I decided to look at my resin charms instead and made a few rings and earrings:

Etsy finds for my Day of the Dead Shoes

I bought new shoes, i just couldn't resist them! The only problem is that i don't have any matching accessories. I asked for help on the Etsy forums and these are some of the lovely suggestions:

Red Delicious. Red coral and turquoise beaded necklace by mountainvintage

Fire and Ice Bracelet by AnnaAhrensNZ

Love Is Redrum Sterling Silver Charm Bracelet by GalinaKirman

Skull Patches - Set of 3 - Sugar Skull - Day of Dead - by terryann

I still haven't made my mind up!!

Digital Art Earrings These are my newest digital earrings. I used my own vector art, printed it out and decoupaged it onto polymer clay. I can just go on forever creation earrings and pendants! Creating my own jewellery components is just so much more fun. I don't mind that it's very much to my own taste, eventually someone will show up that likes them just as much as i do. I'm not business-minded enough to create things for a mainstream market. I bought some lovely blank cabouchon rings, so that's going to be my next experiment!

Etsy finds for 31sth March I love Etsy's time machine 2. Not just the recently listed section, but the sold section is simply fantastic! I have found the most beautiful items and great new (to me) sellers. This morning i found a lovely coin purse in the shape of a boot, sold of course! I rushed to the seller's shop (Studio X-tine) and found an even prettier version of the one that was sold...lucky me! Admire my latest purchase: Here are a few other lovely creations from Time machine 2 - Sold: By paraphernalia By Tenlittlefingers By Elsiecake By 1ofmykind

I'm featured on my indie jewelry! I've been featured on my indie jewelry, a beautiful blog by talented jewellery artist Bombalurina. Please visit her blog and keep and eye on it because she's going to feature many more artists! And then you must visit her etsy shop because she has the most gorgeous and unique vintage jewellery designs... you don't want to miss this!

Photo Booth Beauties : my newest bag

I miss making bags! I did so much jewellery lately and i'm getting bored of it now, so it was time to bring the bags out and do something new. If i say i have alot of bags...then i really do have a lot of bags. I think i'm close to 50 vintage bags waiting for a makeover and i have 30 or so new, custom made ones ( granny style) coming over in a few weeks! And last saturday i bought six beautiful vintage bags at a Retro Day , i should really stop buying now...i think. Here's my latest creation: a white vintage bag, painted pale teal and pale bronze with vintage photo booth pictures. I really like the lock button, it's automatic...that must have been really modern in those days! I love the distressed and faded look and i think it goes well with the theme and style of the bag.

Etsy Finds for 24th March If you've been reading my blog, you must know that i like crazy colourful bags! Here are a few bags that i found on my Etsy treasure hunt of today: FrolickingInk annalinnjace dollybags cindyhoose maxineorange

Makeover...Monday

This is the jacket i've been working on....a before and after or how a boring beige jacket can look completely different if you have have a lot of patience and paint. More pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/yasminbochi/sets/72157594342974930/

Another polymer clay experiment Time for another experiment! I think i figured out how to do a black and white transfer using white spirit, but i love using colours in my designs so i had to find a new technique, since i don't have a colour laser printer. I tried the soap-water-turpentine mix...it didn't work. I tried the iron-on transfer...it didn't work. Atleast not with my iron-on paper! ... So, what does work for coloured transfers? I baked the clay first and then used gel medium to get my image onto the clay. A layer of gel medium on the clay, and a layer of gel on top of the image and then i put the piece back into the oven ( oven switched off ). Then i used a glitter gel (this one is for fabric but it works well with clay too) for some extra effect on the edges and the back and finished it off with a coat of clear varnish....et voilà: my own digital art on pair of earrings!

Etsy Finds for 9th March Look at these fresh finds! It's springtime for your ears!

Limaid fruity glass and bali silver earrings by Artsy

Berry delightful earrings by Foliage

Hammered - Tangerine Swirl by brooklynbutterfly

Fresh Squeezed Lemon Drop Earrings by BlueThimble

Cherries earrings by aevalillithjewelry

A first try at polymer clay.

After resin...comes polymer clay! I was looking for new transfer techniques to try out and stumbled upon a page about image transfer on polymer clay... and of course i had to try it myself. I ordered two blocks of fimo and they arrived yesterday. These two pendants are my first experiments. I've used the white spirit technique before, on fabric, but it's great for polymer too.

Etsy Finds for 24th February I like antique chairs. I like earrings. I LOVE antique chair earrings! This is fun pair of earrings and a great conversational piece, created by TillyBloom Isn't this beautiful? I love this colour combination! If you wear these beauties by AncaNY you definitely won't need any other accessories...let them speak for themselves! They look like feathers, but they are not...so mysterious! I really love this amazing pair of earrings by tracyspopandshop Just looking at this cute pair of flower earrings by roguedivas makes me smile , so just imagine wearing these...you'll only see happy faces around you! Earrings with a history! I wonder what these keys were for? Locking away secrets in a journal ? Or maybe a leading to a rich lady's bank safe? All i know is that Talula has now given them a second life as this gorgeous and very unique pair of earrings.