Miss Mish Mish Mish Mash

2011-12-17T13:06:00.000+01:00

All that glitters...

My tiny christmas tree doesn't have one empty branch this year. Since it is an ugly black plastic thing I though it would be better to over-decorate it and hide the fact that it was one of those cheapy £5 trees. Being a jewellery designer, I have lots of glittery things lying around so this year some of my supplies ended up in the tree. Longs strings of rhinestone chain instead of garlands and cypress cones, which I use for making rings, rolled in glitter instead of balls. The rest is a mixture of vintage 80s ornaments given to me by my mum( from her first christmas tree) and kitschy deer and high heeled shoes.

And what's a glittery christmas without glittery jewellery for the party? These "Barbie lost her shoe" rings are just perfect for it!

2011-12-02T19:46:00.001+01:00

Hello! Just wanted to share this exciting news: since yesterday my one of a kind restyled bags are for sale in London! I have created a mini collection for Things British, a lovely shop in the heart of London promoting handmade designs by British designers. I am so happy to be part of this and to have my handbags on display! Sofar I have sent in five bags, as I have rented just one shelf and more bags won't fit on there. I have taken a picture of them before sending them off as you can see below. If you are in London and you are looking for unique gifts by UK talent then please visit this lovely shop. The address: Kingly Court first floor, just off Carnaby Street (postcode:W1B 5PW)

PS: with this post I have revived this blog (once again).Please join to stay posted about my upcoming projects and giveaways. I have found an antique suitcase transformed into a 60s cocktail bar with electric light(sounds crazy, i know) that needs restoring. I will be posting about the project soon!

2010-12-17T18:34:00.008+01:00

DIY : Making a stunning fabric cuff from scraps - Perfect last minute gift! This is my tutorial for the perfect last minute gift. A really fun project, very quick and easy with maximum result!
Here's what you need:
Fabric scraps (enough to cut about 13 circles of 4cm diameter) sewing machine or good sewing skills fancy or contrasting thread contrasting fabric for the flower embellishment a snap button, for the inside a decorative button or bead, for the outside Start with cutting circles out of fabric. You can use a glass or round lid as a template. Don't use delicate fabric because you don't want it to start fraying. I used vintage fine italian leather- leftovers from my dad's past as a Florentine salesman - and it's a gift for my mother so I want it to look luxurious. You can use different types of fabric and alternate them, all options are open! Dab a bit of paper glue ( pritt or uhu stick) at the right half of each circle and layer the next one on top of that to form a straight line: The reason for using glue is because it's easier to sew the pieces together for the next step. Get your sewing machine ready and choose a nice thread. I used metallic gold for my cuff. Start with a first line straight in the middle and then one on either side. You can do any type of stitch. I used a zig-zag line for this cuff.
Now it's time to decide where to place the snap button. Sew one on the back of the first full circle ( first circle from the left in the 3rd picture) Try it on and find the best spot to sew the other part of the snap button.

The finishing touch: gather a piece of fine fabric ( I used lace here) and sew it together with a decorative button on top of the full circle. Your cuff is ready!

2010-12-16T14:24:00.005+01:00

DIY : Making a lip balm container from a vintage brooch.

Are you one of those people constanly looking for their lip balm in each and every pocket, handbag or drawer? I have to buy a new one nearly every other week as I keep misplacing mine. No more of that! I have a trick and I am going to share it with you.

A while ago I bought this beautiful vintage Avon owl brooch from the local car boot sale. It was in absolute mint condition, with the perfume glace still intact in the container behind the wing. Sadly, the pin broke after a couple of times and another thing...the perfume didn't smell very nice after all these years.

So, the brooch ended up in the drawer and that was it. Then winter came and with that, the annoying problem of dry lips. After yet another trip to the shops for new lip balm I came up with a solution: I took the broken pin off the brooch, glued a blank ring base to the back and cleaned out the perfume container(took a few washes as the perfume really stinks!) and replaced it with my favourite lipbalm et voila : A statement ring and much needed beauty product in one. I hope this will inspire you to make something new and useful out of the old and forgotten!

2010-11-09T16:45:00.004+01:00

November Randomness

It's a dark november day and there isn't enough light to do any decent work in my studio, so why not post a few dark november photos I took in London last Sunday while being stuck in traffic. My favourite picture is the one with the black branches and a pristine white St Martins church in the background. Not bad for an iphone camera, is it?

2010-03-18T12:18:00.007+01:00

Alice, I'm falling, I'm falling....

Help, I'm falling for it too! Ever since I saw the interesting trailer for the movie I wanted to do something with this theme. While I haven't seen the movie (yet) and I like to stay away from the next big trend I couln't help getting caught up in the whole Alice hysteria. While a few people told me they never liked the story as a child and found it creepy, I have always loved the illogical twists in this magical story. I do admit I was scared of the Queen of Hearts, though. So, one rainy afternoon I made my own Alice drawing: she's holding the magical potion and contemplating whether to drink it or not. I transferred it to fabric appliques and matched it with vintage embroidered and lace trims. The result : a new fun and quirky jewellery line for the Alice in Wonderland fan. And please excuse me now, time for tea!

2010-02-17T17:01:00.009+01:00

What's on the work table today? - part two.

Nearly a month ago I showed you a picture my worktable and today I am happy to say that the bag I was working on, together with two other bags, are now for sale at Qetty Bang Bang Boutique in Tetbury. This is one first big step I've taken since I've moved to the UK, and it feels good!

I am feeling motivated and therefore I have something new on my work table today. This time I am working with another favourite theme of mine, the photo booth beauties. I rediscovered a few boxes in the back of my storage, full with beautiful trims and fabrics. A few of them handmade my grandma, others given to me by the daughter of a belgian seamstress who tried her luck as a designer in America in the early sixties. And more unique pieces picked up in thriftstores, bazaar shops and other unusual places. I am giving each photo booth picture a different trim... it's almost like a photoframe collection on handbag instead of on a wall!

2010-01-19T14:41:00.005+01:00

What's on the work table today?

On mine: loads of postage stamps! I am working on a new postage stamps handbag and the only way for me to do this is to have all the stamps scattered around me. I know this will probably give stamp collectors a small heart attack, but I can't keep stamps in neatly sorted books and folders, organized by year or theme...no! I simply stuff them into boxes and envelopes and then when I start working I keep emptying box after box and rummage around till I find the perfect stamp for the perfect spot on the bag. Sometimes I lose track of what I am doing and end up staring at the mini artworks of countries that no longer exist, extinct butterflies, scientists from different eras. It's like walking through a history museum, but in the comfort of my own home. Some stamps are still partly attached to their envelopes, a far-away address still visible, and I wonder who sent them and what was written in the letters that travelled around the world. Funny how a tiny piece of paper can have so many different meanings, don't you agree?

2010-01-16T16:03:00.005+01:00

Vintage Illustration of the Day Saturday 16-01

A few years ago I bought the complete edition of a local Belgian women's magazine, published only for a few years in the 40s and 50s. I paid quite a lot of money, but the investment was worth it. It was a traditional magazine, full of inspirational tips for housework and decoration, romantic stories, recipes and fashion. I love browsing through them, it's like being teleported to a different world where etiquette was the new black and the readers would seek advice on how to tell their fiance politely to cultivate some table manners without sounding offensive. I wish I had the patience to translate these letters and articles! I will be posting scans from this magazine from time to time. The illustration of today comes from a 1956 publication and part of the story "And Lea chose a Mule" ( as I said, it's from a different world...).

"And even though Dad and Luc would get enraged by the glamorous hustle and bustle, Tessy simply wouldn't care about it!"

2010-01-12T15:10:00.005+01:00

Etsy Finds 12th January 2010 Have you ever played around with the Pounce feature on Etsy? I must warn you : it's addictive. I keep finding more beautiful items to share with you! Catherine from Cramoxx22x is a talented young designer, inspired by her grandma's closet and the recyling of beautiful textures and fabrics. This Fairy Flight Sweater is just one of the beautiful creations in this shop! Next find is this lovely Lily Purse by London Designer Ammagyan. Amma's feminine and romantic handcrafted leather creations are made in the heart of London with locally sourced materials and are truly unique and individual pieces of art!

If you like spicing up your home with unique pieces, then I just found the perfect Etsy shop for you! Kelly McDavid from RustedRoof makes her own - very cute and quirky! - chandelier shades and has a small selection of impressive vintage chandeliers for sale as well.

2010-01-07T17:51:00.007+01:00

Fresh Finds for the New Year

Happy 2010 everyone! First post of the year and it's literally a fresh start of the new year as I am nearly up to my knees in the snow here in Ascot.

A beautiful scene it is, but one day of snow is enough so I am staying inside and discovering some fresh new shops on Etsy!

I found this stylish pillow in brand new Etsy shop fancy4u. Fancy4u makes glamorous handmade pillows featuring beautifully handpainted shoes and boots...a shoe lover's must-have!

If you have read my bird stories on this blog you might know that I have a soft spot for the feathered babies. It is not surprising that I fell in love with this cute pair of bird earrings from FERNandDANDY.

Next up is an old favourite of mine, the vintage bag! I discovered this quirky green leather purse in New York based shop SelectiveMemory. This shop sells vintage treasures picked by twin sisters Alice and Brooke.

And if you are looking for bold jewellery, OBRDESIGNS might just have the right piece for you! I fell in love with their bib necklace, featuring shiny sequins and chains designed by the mom and daughter duo.

Hope you enjoyed today's finds!

2009-10-21T18:11:00.005+02:00

Just for me

Thrift shopping is not always about finding a great unique piece. Sometimes the piece finds you. My all time favourite second hand shop is in Belgium, and every time I go back home - even if it is just for a weekend - I have to stop by and have a peek. The shop has gone through a makeover in the last few months : funky wall paper, crazy chandeliers ( not for sale, unfortunately!) and their latest addition...a grandma's wardrobe full of vintage coats, hats and handbags! I was still opening the entrance door as I saw this beautiful straw-weave handbag peeking out underneath a pile of vintage leather and vinyl purses at the bottom of this treasure wardrobe. In two steps I was there and picked it up, clutching it tightly before anyone else could get their eyes or hands on it ( yes, my sweet mum-and-thrift-shop-ally included... sorry mum!). I didn't even look at the beautiful sixties coats and cloche hats, all i wanted was this bag. Funny enough, I was told by Yuku, the lovely lady that works there, that this bag had been sitting there for weeks and she had been thinking about me (she knows I'm handbag crazy) and knew I would have bought it if I had the chance to be there...and there I was. I paid and left, packed it in my suitcase and now she's here with me in excellent condition and ready to enjoy her second life in England as my new favourite bag!

A note: both mirrors and the closet in the picture are from the same shop!

2009-06-30T13:05:00.006+02:00

Sunday Breakfast

I can't help it, but I just want to show off my balcony today. I think it looks absolutely cute with all the flowers and the little breakfast table (which is foldable, so perfect!) I am an outside person. If the sun's out I have to be outside or else it feels like a wasted day. Unfortunately I have to get used to living in a small flat, but getting to decorate the balcony makes up for it. The big tea pot is not our actual tea pot. It is my great grandmothers coffee pot, but al long as everyone can remember it has been used as a flower vase. In is standing on a little black and white tiled table that belonged to my grandma and is fact a fifties magazine rack. I now use it for my parsley and basil plants. I also love a proper sunday breakfast with boiled eggs and a croissant, so setting the table and making it look inviting and fun is part of my sunday ritual.

2009-06-16T15:09:00.004+02:00

Silhouette Lady Summer Jacket

I am not a fashion designer but once in a while i get the fashion designing bug and i have to pull out all of my trims, sequins and fabric scraps and attacht them...to something. The victim of my itchy designer fingers was this summer jacket, bought by my sister but a size small for her. " Maybe you can transform it, do something fun with it.", she said when she left it here on her last visit. I hate stuff sitting around. These things always end up in a big "to do" bag and are out of fashion by the time i decide to work with them! Not this time, though. I locked myself up in my work room the other day, pulled out all the fabrics and trims I could get my hands on and just started adding bits to the jacket. I can only work directly on the mannequin,not on a table. I dont know why that is, I just feel like a painter with his easel and the jacket is the canvas. I am really happy with the way I transformed this piece and almost wish it was my size so I could wear it myself!

I designed the cameo lady silhouette years ago, but I keep going back to it. ( her nose isn't really crooked, it just looks like that in this photo!) I really enjoyed stepping away from the jewellery and the bags for a day and do something different. I'm thinking of doing a few tops with the same silhouette...we'll see how it goes!

2009-05-19T15:12:00.005+02:00

Madame Lucie gets a makeover

Some ideas need time to grow. In Madame Lucie's case it needed two years. I have had this bag for more than two years and advertised it for sale several times. Nothing happened. Madame Lucie started to look sad...I hid her in the cupboard. After a while I started to ignore her completely and I was quite comfortable with it. Others took her place: sultry cairo cabaret girls, colourful matryoshka dolls and Lady Cameo, elegant as ever. Things changed after I moved and I was forced to get her out again. She looked as if she didn't care about it anymore...ready to be sent away to the charity shop or worse. I don't like to live with enemies in my flat so I decided to take her out and give her the most prominent place in my work room. Patiently she stood there week after week waiting till I would give her the attention she deserved. Last night she finally had the makeover she had been wiating for all this time and I must say, she and I are quite pleased with her new look! She's going to Camden with me later this week. ( wish me luck! )

2009-04-27T12:18:00.006+02:00

TTV - Abandoned Boudoir

It's been a while since my last experiments with ttv photography. Through the viewfinder photos are shot with a (digital) camera through the viewfinder of a vintage camera. The shape of the viewfinder and the dust and dirt it has collected through the years add a magical and surreal effect to these photos. Last sunday I bought a vintage conway camera (again at a car boot sale!) for just 4 £. I struggled a bit to make a contraption to keep my digital camera focused on top of the conway, so by the time I was ready it was dark outside. I then tried to shoot a pictures inside the flat and this is the creepy result. Now tell me, would you think these photos were taken in a brand new home in 2009...or rather a century ago in an abandoned boudoir filled with ghosts?

2009-04-22T12:10:00.005+02:00

Greetings from Firenze, 1939

Car boot sale season is back! The local car boot sale is only a few minutes away, a nice walk down the high street. Before the end of last season I was hunting for useful things for the flat as it still wasn't complete : a set of boring pine wood bar stools ( which we transformed into sleek french style black laquered kitchen stools), rattan chairs for the balcony and vintage ivory silk lamp shades. Now that my home is fully furnished ( I still have my eye on a beautiful four poster bed, but that will be for later) I don't really need any useful items and I can concentrate on the fun part of car boot sale hunting...weird nick-nacks and other "decorative junk". I always loved to have a wall full of pictures frames, a collection of photos and art from different era's and styles but my wall is still quite bare. Slowly slowly it is coming together, but I need a lot more! Last Sunday I found an interesting photo of a young couple. Both in their best outfit, nice hats, beautiful smiles.

The frame in green leather, looking as old as the picture itself. For just a pound, it was hard to pass it up. At home, being curious as ever, I took it out of the frame and saw a glimpse of a different live, different time...since then this photo is fascinating me. The picture was taken in Florence in 1939. Someone wrote " Betty and Enzo. To dad, with affection."

Betty looks English, and Enzo is unmistakably Italian. My parents met in Florence in the seventies, so I can imagine their story being similar to my parents'. They walked the same streets, different cultures, different languages. 1939...right before WWII. I wonder what happened to them. Did they get married? Was it just a summer love? Did the war destroy their friendship or love story...I guess I'll never know, but Betty and Enzo are more than welcome on my photo and art wall in my inspiration room aka craftroom slash dining room.

2009-03-04T13:31:00.005+01:00

Feta stuffed ubergine rolls

Here's an easy dish I made last night with a leftover aubergine and feta cheese!

You will need:

Feta cheese

Aubergine

fresh flat leaf parsley

fresh basil leafs

oregano

Wash the aubergine and slice it vertically. sprinkle salt over the slices and let it rest for about 15 minutes. This will take the water out of the aubergine. Rinse off the salt and liquid with a paper towel after 15 minutes. Heat up your grill pan and grill the aubrgine slices (you can use a drop of olive oil in your grill pan if you like). Place them on a dish after grilling both sides. Prepare the feta filling by crumbling the feta cheese and adding the chopped up basil and parsley leaves. Knead it with you hands into a paste and place a spoonful on the aubergine slice. Roll it up and secure it with a toothpick. Sprinkle some oregano over your rolls...and your healthy and tasty dish is ready!

2009-03-03T10:59:00.006+01:00

Baking Soda + White Vinegar I have a big box of plastic goldtone buttons that has been sitting around for a long time without being touched. The reason is their colour: even though I love their designs, the plastic goldtone makes them look horrible and cheap. I keep opening the box and looking through it, but I just can't force myself to use them in any of my projects. It was time to do something about it. I was planning to get rid of them but before that I wanted to try one of my chemical experiments on them...nothing would be lost anyway if it turned out to be a useless plan!

I went for a mix of hot water, vinegar and baking soda. I let the buttons soak overnight and lo and behold... my ugly plastic ducks had turned into pretty vintage looking swans ! I don't know how I came up with this idea, but I use these " ingredients" for cleaning and I thought it might have a discolouring effect on plastic, and so it did.

I'm keeping the box of buttons!

Before (right) and after (left)

2009-02-27T13:51:00.003+01:00

Mirror Mirror...in the Mirror I was taking pictures of one of my mirror mirror on the wall bracelets and thought it would be fun to use the mirror theme for the picture itself. I like how this one turned out!

2009-02-24T21:48:00.004+01:00

New Ring Design : The Spider I've been experimenting with some fine wire and black seed beads and came up with a new design for a ring, but I'm not quite sure what to think of it. Right now I am calling it the spider ring, but Queen Anne's Lace has been suggested to me and I quite liked that. It is a delicate design, the "spider legs" can be bent very easily and this could be seen as a disadvantage. Then again, you could shape the ring to your own taste and do something different like turning it into a flower. I created a poll and would like to hear your opinions, so please have a look and let me know what you think!

2009-02-23T19:24:00.005+01:00

byhand.me spotlight by moi byhand.me allows you to create spotlights featuring your own or other artists' creations. Here's a vintage glamour themed spotlight I made today:

2009-02-02T11:13:00.005+01:00

Etsy Finds for 2nd Feb 09 I woke up this morning under a big blanket of snow. I'm staying at my parents' house in Belgium for a couple of days but with this weather there isn't much to do around here, so why not post some of my recent finds on Etsy! I'm still decorating my flat and I'm always looking for new ideas and Etsy is the perfect place for that. As you know, I have a thing for vintage and that section of Etsy is just full of beautiful eye candy:

Vintage yellow and white round ceramic canister jar with lid from highstreetmarket

Maid of Honor Canisters from AntiqueAttic

Mid Century Gold And White Carafe from PeacockEnvy

Vintage 1960s 70s Doll Face Ice Bucket from dollsandmolls2

Vintage 1950s Lamps from bittersweetdesign

2009-01-26T14:11:00.007+01:00

I love watching these cute birds on my balcony. They are really tiny but oh so greedy. At times I can hardly count them all, they come in groups to plunder the seeds I hung off the railing for them.

2008-12-24T13:05:00.003+01:00

Happy Holidays!

A thank you to all my blog readers for visiting my blog in 2008 and thank you for all your lovely comments. Enjoy the holidays and see you again in 2009!

2008-11-26T17:45:00.004+01:00

Hello from the U.K.

What are two months in a human's life? I just looked back at my blog and noticed two month have gone by in absolute silence. The funny things about this is that in these two months two of the biggest changes in my life sofar, have take place. I have finally moved to my new flat in the U.K. with all my belongings and left my family behind in Belgium. Only a week after i moved here i already had to go back home because my dear 88 year old grandma passed away. Happy versus Sad... it's an unfair battle. I know my grandma was not the kind of person to sit around and sob about things going wrong or life being sad. Even at that high age she was super active and an example to many. I felt that i needed to keep myself busy if i didn't want to sink into home sickness and melancholy and what is better than a brand new flat as an empty canvas to get your emotions under control again? Luckily my fiance' is as interested in home decor as I am but at one point it became quite extreme and i couldn't even pick a toaster and kettle for our flat without making sure it would match our flat. Ok, things have calmed down now, but i'm still trying to convince him that the spare room will be a craft room slash dining room and not the other way round! Here is our first makeover for the corridor : a handpainted diamond pattern with a vintage florentine cabinet and a vintage inspired mirror. I'll give away one secret: the frame is from Ikea, but I painted it to match the cabinet...can you tell?

2008-09-10T13:44:00.004+02:00

Shopping for Supplies
Online shopping for supplies is so easy and i must admit that i love the fact that i can order whatever i wish for just with a few clicks while sitting in a comfortable chair. It is luxury. But there is another side of me that needs to go shopping in a more adventurous way. All year long i wait for this occassion and i have to travel 3000km for it but it is worth it. (ok, i'm not just travelling all those km just for shopping!) The action takes place in world's biggest shopping mall ( it stretches over 10 km ), the Souk of Aleppo in Syria. This medieval shopping heaven is packed with thousands of mini shops and devided in many sections (khans), there are streets with just gold shops, others with only fabrics, sweets, meat or leather and antiques.

The trick is to find your way in this crazy mishmash of shops,people and donkeys without getting hopelessly lost. What i like about these shops is that they always surprise you. That's why i do my shopping without a wish-list:i know it's impossible to find specific items when you really need them so i just go with the flow and keep my eyes open. Here you can actually enter one of these mini shops and spend the rest of the day in it. The shopkeepers are extremely helpful and have atleast 2 or more helpers that don't mind to show you box after box full of different buttons and ribbons. I know that i should never even try to ask a shopkeeper here in Europe to spend hours with me looking for the right sequins and charms! The horror! The patience is endless and often they will send out one of the helpers into the souk to other shops to get you the right item you've been looking for. Some shops are that old that their stock has become vintage and the example buttons on the boxes have faded and rusted as if they were 100 years old.
.
Adventurous shopping takes a lot of time, energy and patience compared to online supply shopping, but to me it's so much more inspiring and fun than those few mouse clicks that bring them right to your doorstep!

2008-08-29T10:35:00.006+02:00

Light Therapy
It's been a week since that horribly long journey from Aleppo to Istanbul and Belgium. More than 24 hours awake and on the way to get home again and now it seems as if i've never been away. It's funny when people tell you they went to the middle east and experienced a cultural shock, because for me it's exactly the other way round : everytime i come home from Syria i feel completely out of place and have a hard time getting used again to Belgium and its inhabitants. The cold and dark weather in the middle of summer is just one example that really makes me depressed and grumpy when i wake up in the morning. I'm not saying everything is perfect in Syria: many times our electricity was cut off and we were in the dark ( and heat) for hours and hours without a warning but then you start smiling again when the light goes on again and you hear the whole neighbourhood applaud and shout because of this "miracle". So now that i'm back i love to look at the pictures i took during the holiday for a daily energy boost, to remember the heat and the sun ( and the possible sunstroke i had when i was walking around in the desert without a hat - yes very smart, i know). Here's a selection of 5 of my so called light therapy photos :

The sun rise as seen from my balcony.

Sweet grapes in our garden, too many to eat them all!

Sergilla, the dead city : our house is surrounded by more than 700 dead cities dating from 200 to 500. Some are completely deserted and others partly inhabited by farmers.

Beehive style constructions on the road from Homs to Palmyra.

My sister posing as a modern version of Queen Zenobia in the Temple of Bel in Palmyra.

2008-07-08T13:49:00.002+02:00

Summer Break

See you after summer!

2008-06-25T17:10:00.004+02:00

Arm Chair

I've discovered some beautiful furniture pieces thanks to mydeco's room planner, which i blogged about a few posts ago. I found an arm chair in their catalogue which i absolutely must have : the Albert Arm Chair from Egamma. It is a combination of classy French elegance and a funky modern comic book print. I really love prints, but i do have a weak spot for comic book prints and this one is simply fabulous. At 218.99 £ it is a little bit too expensive for my taste, but nothing can stop me from dreaming about it!

On Etsy i found a few more unique gems that are really worth to be shown off:

60s Mid Century HOLLYWOOD REGENCY Floral French Vintage Chair - fabulousmess

Hollywood Regency chair redeaux - tuffetlady34

VINTAGE HOLLYWOOD REGENCY LOUIS XVI STYLE MEDALLION BACK ARM CHAIR - aquadesigns

2008-06-23T14:32:00.005+02:00

Beauty Grace and Charm Dress by Angel Damico

My dress arrived today! Not so long ago one of Angel Damico's dresses was featured on Etsy's frontpage and i could no longer resist. This shop has been one of my favourites for a while now but i never got the chance to order anything...or better yet : i never knew what to choose because i liked them all. Then my eye was caught by this beautiful pink and blue dress and i just had to get it, no more hiding behind excuses. It was exactly the type of dress i had in mind to buy for my trip to Syria. Each year it is a big drama to organize my suitcase because what can you wear on a 45° C day in Syria visiting old monuments? Certainly not shorts and i can't see myself wearing a maxi dress climbing ruins or visiting the souks. I can combine this dress with a comfortable pair of jeans and my hot pink diamond slippers and i'm ready to go! Apart from the beautiful design by the talented Angel Damico ( so much detail to discover! ) and the stunning colours, the fit and feel of this dress are a big bonus : so soft and light as a feather as if i'm not wearing anything at all. All i can say is WOW. Go have a look a this beautiful shop now and see for yourself!

2008-06-16T23:10:00.006+02:00

Buttons

2008-06-03T18:27:00.006+02:00

Flamenco Fever
Last saturday i attended a flamenco performance ( Compañia Flamenca del Junco ) and i was swept away by the beauty of it! So much engery and passion accomplished by just two guitars, three singers and two very talented dancers, they made me forget Belgium and took me to the south of Spain - the Alhambra courtyards maybe -or the beautiful and mysterious barrios of Sevilla and Granada. Unfortunately i didn't have my camera with me and i can't find any info online about this flamenco group, but these Etsy finds bring you a taste of the flamenco atmosphere!

handpainted mug by houseofharriet

Flamenco earrings by trystbykerry

The Spanish Signora print by matouenpeluche

Black lace fan by SamanthaSultana

2008-05-26T11:25:00.006+02:00

Interior Designing with MyDeco.com

I found this website a while ago and i just had to blog about it because it's so addictive and fun. mydeco.com let's you design your own rooms online with real existing furniture and accessories. You are basically the interior designer of your own house: you choose the measurements of the room, the doors and windows and from there on you can let your imagination take over! The best thing is that you don't have to download any software for this and it's quite quick in rendering the pictures and browsing through the catalogues. I think it is a UK based website because most of the shops featured can be found in the UK : John Lewis, Cole & Son , Designers Guild but also my favourite shop Maisons du Monde ( not yet in the UK ). Everything is rendered in 3D, but the catalogues show the actual pieces of furniture and tells you exactly how much it costs and the dimensions and colours of each piece available. As you know i will be moving to a flat soon and there will only be enough space for my fiancé, me and my huge collection of bags ,supplies and vintage junk i can't say goodbye to( ok, we haven't found a solution for that yet - i might have to get a shed and ask my in-laws if i can put it on their land,it's only 2min. away ). The flat isn't big and we don't have any furniture yet so mydeco.com is a gift from heaven : i had all the measurements of the rooms and started decorating! The downside is that most of the furniture is really above my budget ( £6,139.28 for the living room and £7,706.84 for the bedroom? I don't think so! ) But being the flea market and thriftstore addict that i am i think i'll find other ways to decorate for les money. Here are two pictures of the rooms i made and how i would like to have them decorated. I hope i can show you the real thing in a couple of months!

2008-05-18T13:27:00.004+02:00

Personal Portfolio

I'm back again! After two weeks of furniture and deco hunting in the UK ( our flat is comming along nicely and i can't wait to move in! ) i'm back home in Belgium and i'm getting ready to move out, finally. Besides all the moving related things i have to do, i still found some time to work on my "business plan". Ok, it's not really a plan, but a dream...and dreaming is allowed, no? So, I got myself a personal portfolio! There are a few shops here in belgium - and i'm sure this system exists in other countries too - that print photo books for you at a very reasonable price. Shops like Fnac, Kruidvat, Blokker and Hema have free software that allow you to create your own book : you choose the lay out, the pictures, set up, basically everything is in your hands! My little book costed about 15 Euro, but it's worth the investement and the quality is excellent. I used to hate that " what do you do in life" question, because i'm not a big talker and saying that i design things sounds so silly sometimes, compared to people with "real" jobs and some of them have no idea what i'm talking about if they can't see it. This little book is the best way for me to show my work and i think it would be interesting to take it to some shops instead of taking my whole inventory with me at a first try-out. I have noticed that handing out a business card doesn't work that well because people forget about it or they are not bothered to go see online what it is about. If they see a portfolio they can atleast tell you if they are interested or not at first glance and it makes things easier for me. If you are serious about your designs i really recommend getting one made....or have it as a souvenir for later when i will be an old granny :)

2008-04-12T17:54:00.003+02:00

Makeover over Makeover

Sometimes things don't happen the way i want them to happen. For example this bag : it's been sitting in my collection for months and it's the third one of my circus themed bag. The first one was about zebras , the second one about snakes, but this last one just didn't want to be captured. The circus theme is inspired by a picture and that picture decides type of animal print i will paint for the top section. It took me forever to find an interesting picture and a matching animal print. It's hard to paint elephant skin and i have no idea how to turn acrobatic dog fur into an attractive element...so leopard it was. The picture was printed, the animal pattern painted and the rhinestones glued into place. I've had it ready to put for sale for months, but something was missing and it was driving me crazy everytime i looked at it! I took of the prints, changed the colours and replaced the blue lace trimmings with this funky gold and black lace trim from Syria. I have finally fallen in love with this bag which means it is ready to go. It actually reminds me a bit of Cavalli's style,one of my favourite designer!

2008-04-06T14:18:00.004+02:00

60 Years Ago... I was looking through my collection of vintage magazines and found an article about April's fashion trends for 1948. Exactly 60 years ago! Here's what fashionistas would have ran to the stores for back then :

The latest fashion trends for April 1948, presented by Vrouw en Huis ( Woman and Home ), a Belgian lifestyle magazine:

"Small waiste, large hips and long skirts are essential if you want to dress in style in 1948. Seen in every Parisian Fashion Maison is the Kimino sleeve, a must have for this season" :

"The collars are high and elaborated, but ladies please don't wear these things to work. The office is a place for business not for fashion shows! They are appropriate for Sundays, holidays and special occasions such as birthday parties or an evening out".

And a real lady doesn't go out without her hat!

2008-04-01T15:31:00.002+02:00

Another thriftstore find

Here i am again with another great thriftstore find. I know i haven't been posting much else than my vintage finds lately but it's all i have time for right now. This is the sewing kit i found on my last trip to the thriftstore and i love it! I was lucky to get it in mint condition with all the original items still inside, because usually all boxes, cupboards and photo albums in these thriftstores are emptied before sale. Inside i found vintage buttons, ribbons, needles, thread and a vintage and slightly rusted pillbox with "aiguilles" (needles) written on it in a beautiful oldfashioned handwriting. Some of the black foil wrappings for the needles haven't even been opened and the most of the button cards were still complete. I 'm not good at sewing even though my grandma has tried to explain the basics many times and even gave me her sewing machine and loads of vogue patterns from the fifties and sixties. Maybe this box is a sign that i should atleast give it a try and take sewing classes next year.

2008-03-20T17:06:00.003+01:00

2008-03-14T16:43:00.003+01:00

New ring design

I have many of these sea shells, but never really knew what to do with them. I wanted to make pendants, but somehow that didn't look right, just silly. I had already drilled a hole for a pendant so i just made another one of the other side, patiently glued on the rhinestones one by one and turned it into a ring. When i make something for the first time i always have to test it to see if if doesn't fall apart after half an hour, so i've kept this one for myself and have been wearing it for a week. Sofar it has been comfortable to wear, hasn't cracked or fallen apart and i'm getting a lot of interested and positive reactions! Maybe it's time to make some more?

2008-03-10T17:22:00.004+01:00

Crazy Retro Shopping Day

At last Saturday 8th March arrived. I had been waiting weeks for my Crazy Retro Shopping Day. Every year my favourite thriftstore and many others in the country organize a Retro Market and it is becoming a really big thing, last edition was great but this year me and my mum went crazy. I told her to be up and ready by 8.30 so we would be in time for the opening at 10. I thought we could take our time looking at everything and commenting of fun pieces. But forget that, when we arrived at 10.10 the shop was already full and everyone was just grabbing whatever they could find! Being the thriftstore addict that i am, i already went on exploration Thursday to check if they had displayed any retro items...and came home with 5 beautiful bags! I picked up another 5 bags from my favourite thriftstore that Saturday. And after visiting 4 Retro Markets in and around Antwerp that day it added up to a total of ...15 I don't want to sounds like some crazy bag lady, but these bags are hard to find lately. Everyone is into vintage and i see more fashion people visiting these shops whereas before it was junk collector addicts like myself.

Things didn't end here. In Antwerp i found a beautiful yellow sixties coat that i just couldn't resist. I love the buttons, i love the A-line, the yellow is still fresh and popping and what really made me buy it was the tag inside. This coat came from a well-known couture shop in Antwerp, the kind of shops my mum's godmother - a true sixties style icon for my mum and her sisters - would buy her outfits from. It just makes me dream and wonder about the owner of this coat...was she beautiful? Stylish? Did she have a bee hive hairdo and matching yellow shoes? Was she 16 or married? Ahh somethime i think i should open a musuem for all my vintage finds, i could go on forever!

2008-02-26T14:16:00.007+01:00

Through the Viewfinder
I have a new addiction. It's called TtV. TtV stands for "Through the Viewfinder" and is a photographic technique that gives your photos a very old, vintage style look. I always thought i was an effect created with photoshop or with those really antique cameras, but i recently discovered how to do it. You take a digital camera and take a picture through the viewfinder of a vintage or antique camera, in my case a Kodak Cresta III. My original plan was to take pictures with the Cresta, but it's too complicated for an amateur like me (don't know where to get the right film, can't develop the photo's myself etc). And if i would take real pictures with that camera they probably won't have that nice TtV effect anyway, and that's what i was interested in, in the first place. Here are my first TtV's, but have a look a the the Flickr Group for the best TtV's from other photographers.

2008-02-13T12:14:00.004+01:00

I love kitchen ware!

Noooo i haven't lost my mind, i'm not going crazy over spoons and forks but my latest addiction is the hunt for perfect mold...in the kitchen wares section of my favourite thriftstore! I'm not too fond of the traditional resin molds that are for sale on e-bay or other shops that specialize in resin supplies, they seem too generic or just plain boring most of the time. The kitchen ware section of my thrift store is another story because here i find my treasures : egg holders for the fridge, old fashioned ice cube trays, other trays for i-don't-know-what-goes-where for the kitchen, the shapes and possiblities are endless. More than once i've been greeted with a frown when i walk to the till with an arm full of used ice cube trays, happy about my new thrift store treasures. Seriously, i must be the only person buying these things because some of the trays ( the ones i really don't like) have been sitting there for months. My latest mold is the best i found sofar: an ice cube tray for diamond shaped, faceted ice cubes. I think it is just perfect for making ring charms and i've been trying out some new designs:

Matryoshka in Space

Floating Flowers:

Frozen Diamond:

2008-02-08T13:09:00.000+01:00

My Moo cards are here! I was so excited to find my Moo cards in the mail today! I had seen DecadentDiamond's beautiful Moo cards on her blog and i instantly loved them! I had heard about the cards before, but i didn't know they were entirely customizable and the unusual shape is a nice feature. They look more artistic than regular business cards, so i just had to try this out! I've been printing and cutting my own cards for over two years and to be honest, i've had enough of that...for some reason my colours are off when i print them or i don't cut straight, i don't know why but i'm just not that good at it. But I don't think i'm just going to hand out my Moo's to anyone, (ok i had to give one to my sister because she modelled my trashion jacket and i made a moo card of her picture), but i will include them in orders. I wanted to use the photos i made of my designs because i thought it would be fun if someone bought a bag or a pair of earrings and received the matching moo card! Well, atleast i know i would like that :)

Here's the whole collection:

And two of my favourites:

2008-02-03T17:05:00.000+01:00

Custom orders...and all that jazz!

I've worked on all kinds of custom orders in the past, from digital art jackets over postage stamp shoes to photo handbags and more. But the request i received from Spanish artist Mtuent left me speechless for a few minutes. She requested...a pen. Yes, at first i thought it was a mistake or i missunderstood,but it really was a pen. For the presentation of her new book she wanted to use a pen that was inspired by the subject of her writing : jazz music and Billie Holiday. She had seen my designs on Etsy and was interested in the way i use art and photography in many of my creations. This is why i like Etsy so much : there is room to work across the borders of your own "field" and exchange ideas with other artists on a creative level. Honestly, i would never ever had thought when i woke up that morning " hey i'm going to make a pen today instead of earrings!"...it was just something that was outside my box, so to say.

So, the idea was in my head...but how to execute my design?! I didn't even know what most pens are made of and how i should get my design onto it. The next step was to create something that i could call my canvas, on the surface of the pen. After much thinking i found something that could work for me : i have this clay that isn't 100% organic, but it isn't polymer either. When it's dried it feels a bit like terracotta but much lighter, maybe it is simular to that what doctors or hospitals use when you break your arm or leg. Anyway, it was just perfect for my plan. I used a thin black ballpoint pen and formed another shield around it with this clay. The rest was easy : some hints of silver gold and bronze paint, music notes, parts of old jazz club ads, a trumpet player and the pretty face of Billie Holiday in different colours decoupaged onto my first handmade pen!

This was a great challenge and really fun to work on. In fact, Mtuent's custom order made me think of other designs for pens...i can't wait to try out them out!

2008-01-25T14:40:00.000+01:00

Image transfer continued...

Here's another example of the transfer technique i was talking about a few days ago. I made an illustration of a handbag, digitalized it and touched it up in Illustrator and then printed it out on paper. It was transferred onto a cotton applique and embellished with some glitter, silver paint and a lace trim with sequins. I purposely give it an antique look, which you can achieve by leaving the iron a little bit too long on the transfer when you are setting it. For this applique i needed a matching bag, so i got one of my vintage inspired bags, a black one, painted it silver and added lots of glitter. As a finishing touch i added parts of an old necklace and a bow made of vintage lace. The fun part is that the colour of this bag changes according to the light. It's a very sparkling and bright bag when it's sunny, but when the weather is dark the bag becomes black again and has a more gothic and mysterious look.

2008-01-18T13:31:00.000+01:00

Be fashionable in each and every circumstance

Yes ladies, even when you are driving your convertible!
Scanned from :Fémina, 1906

2008-01-15T16:58:00.000+01:00

Image Transfer Tutorial

If like to try out an alternative for those expensive iron-on, then maybe you should have a look at this! I love this transfer technique, it's cheap, easy and fun because you can achieve different "looks": from distressed to crisp images...it's worth a try!

What do you need:

soap shavings

turpentine

a piece of fabric and a fresh inkjet print

and : a well ventilated workspace!

Get a cup and fill it 1/4 with hot water, add two tabelspoons of soap shavings and stir. Then add a table spoon of turpentine and keep stirring until it looks like this:

Now we're ready to print! get your piece of paper and apply the soap and turpentine mix to the front of your print:

Then put it face down on your piece of fabric. Press it down firmly and apply the mix to the back. The paper will become slightly transparant. The mix can be applied quite thick, as long as you are careful not to rip up the paper. I like to use my hands to rub down the print, but a spoon is very handy too, it depends of the effect you desire:

Now peel back carefully ...and there it is!

How to "set" the print

Of course you don't want your image to fade after the first wash, but please note that that transfer technique is experimental : depending on the mix and amount of soap and turpentine you will get a stronger or weaker print. There are a few tricks for settings the transfer though:

Let your transfer dry for 24 hours. Get a spraying can ( you know, for spraying or watering your plants) and fill it with 50% water and 50% white vinegar. Spray it on the transfer and let it dry. After that you have to iron your transfer on high temperature or use a heat press. Repeat the last two steps( (spraying can and ironing) a few times, but don't rinse in between. When you have done this 3 or 4 times you can take an additional step and use some varnish on the transfer The fabric will become a bit stiffer, but if you do it carfully with thin layers you can obtain a nice result. This last step is recommened for transferring on t-shirts, but if you are just making appliques or transfers that don't need to be washed frequently, you can skip this step.

Ok, that's it! Feel free to post your comments and questions here, i'll try my best to answer them!

2008-01-10T13:53:00.000+01:00

Mirror Mirror on the Wall - Valentine's Edition

I finally found a use for the brass wire hearts that i bought on my last trip to Syria! I love how an idea can just pop up while cleaning up the crafting boxes and stumbling upon my forgotten treasures. I found these hearts in a little shop right outside the Souk of Aleppo. It wasn't even a craft or supply shop, they were selling bolts and hammers and then i saw these beauties in a box in the corner. I think the shop owner didn't even know why he had them there...they looked like they had been in that corner for the past 100 years. A good reason for me to buy most of his brass shapes inventory! Right in time for Valentine's :)

2008-01-04T17:38:00.000+01:00

New Year's Resolutions

I'm not a fan of New Year's resolutions because i just can't keep up with them. Every year it's the same story and every year i simply fail at most of the things i promised myself to do better next year. Maybe i should keep things easy and not stress myself...live day-by-day and don't stress about nothing and everything. Don't they say "good things come to those who wait"? To be honest, i have really neglected my promo-plan since i've been travelling up and down from Belgium to the UK, but yesterday i was contacted by the newspaper for an interview about Etsy and handmade creations. Everything happened really quick so i didn't get time to think about what i was going to say and how everything should look...but also : no time to stress about it! :)

Many thanks and congrats to Karlita, who got the whole thing started and ArtMind, my fellow belgian etsians and EST team girls!

2007-10-31T20:33:00.000+01:00

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!

2007-10-09T11:30:00.000+02:00

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 :)

2007-10-02T15:57:00.000+02:00

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.

2007-09-27T21:33:00.001+02:00

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 :

2007-09-22T21:34:00.000+02:00

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!

2007-06-13T18:09:00.000+02:00

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!)

2007-06-12T12:42:00.000+02:00

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"?!

2007-06-01T17:13:00.000+02:00

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

2007-05-12T10:43:00.000+02:00

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

2007-05-05T15:42:00.000+02:00

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:

2007-04-10T16:41:00.000+02:00

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!!

2007-04-04T20:12:00.001+02:00

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!

2007-03-31T17:45:00.000+02:00

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 Tenlittlefin gers By Elsiecake By 1ofmykind

2007-03-28T17:16:00.000+02:00

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!

2007-03-26T16:07:00.000+02:00

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.

2007-03-24T20:14:00.000+01:00

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

2007-03-19T00:22:00.000+01:00

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/

2007-03-16T20:25:00.000+01:00

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!

2007-03-09T13:19:00.000+01:00

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

2007-03-07T10:51:00.000+01:00

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.

2007-02-24T21:25:00.000+01:00

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.

2007-02-24T20:58:00.000+01:00

Red feathers, hearts and cameos...on wedges. Well, here they are! How i love my glue gun.

2007-02-23T22:14:00.000+01:00

Treasury!

I got a treasury list on Etsy!

2007-02-22T23:56:00.000+01:00

I listed these on Etsy today. My sister loves them, but i wonder if they will do well...the feathers are really long! My sister has a pair of red wedges that need a make over, she wants me to use the

same red feathers and cameos...maybe i should give her these earrings too.

2007-02-21T15:10:00.000+01:00

Etsy Finds for 21sth February Can't afford a solid gold cuff? Don't worry about it!

This is gold fabric cuff even prettier than the real

thing! A fabulous creation by sparklerama

Even if you're not a gardener, you must admit that this

bracelet gives you that special spring feeling! A lovely creation by geelizzie How i wish this bracelet was edible, it just looks so yummy! This gorgeous romantic bracelet is a bombalurina design. No more longsleeves for you! Show off your arm

with this beautiful and detailed vintage embroidered

patchwork wrist cuff by easystreetvintage

This nostalic and dreamy emphemera bracelet by aminyitray will capture everyone's attention with its unusual and unique look.

2007-02-20T22:41:00.000+01:00

Going Back to my Roots

It took me forever to get this bag photographed,

the pictures just don't capture "it". I really like this bag ,

it's one of those experiments that turn out great and you know you

can't do it a second time, ever again. I hope someone will like it as much as i do.

2007-02-18T23:04:00.000+01:00

Etsy Finds for 18th February Stunning one of a kind "Hello, I love you" bag by rubyruby. Yes, i love you too! A fine example of "Classic with a little twist" is this Lacy hand knit mini-tote by bandamy. This beautiful and unusual vintage purse just started a new life as "Fancy This Fawn", a creation by babyboat.

What do you get when you mix the finest new & vintage

fabrics with a pink Zebra? This fabulous " Happy Hobo - Wild at Heart "

bag by spiritedstyle.

This colourful bag really makes you forget it's still winter! Let's get ready for spring with this lovely "Cherry Blossoms in the Spring Messenger Bag", by PurpleFlowerDesigns

2007-02-18T17:28:00.000+01:00

Work in progress... The custom order that i'm working on is finally getting shape. Still so much work to do! Edit: while i was writing this in my blog i received an e-mail from Anaëlle - the next owner of this jacket - she loves it! Yay! Back to work now!

2007-02-17T15:32:00.000+01:00

Feet Fashion

So what do you do when you fall in love with a pair of Blythe shoes from Irregular Choice and you know there is no way you will ever be able wear them thanks to your oh so delicate feet. I have a serious problem : i love shoes but my feet hate them! I think i wore flip flops for 4 months last year, just to avoid foot pain. So, these Blythe shoes...i was tempted to order a pair, but of course it's an online store and i can't try them on...having to send them back would hurt my heart more than my feet.

This is what happened next:

I ended up making my own version. I found a great pair of non-hurting shoes for only 12 Euro at New Look. I copied the picture from my Camden Blythe bag, added a few rhinestones and pink paint...& voilà! Sorry, Irregular Choice, but those who don't have fashionable feet, have to be creative!

To finish it off:

A matching pair of earrings made from the left overs!

2007-02-16T18:43:00.000+01:00

Etsy Finds for 16th February

We're going out in style this weekend!

This beautiful and detailed silk top with Silkscreened

Diva by AltheaP will make you shine like a true star.

Want to look cute but sexy? This Leopard Heart top by imyourpresent is the answer !

Time to show your friends the latest trends in fashion!

Wear this adorable polka dot combo by papaya

In the mood for something colourful? Violet Plum by

SpicyToast will add some spice to your wardrobe!

2007-02-16T14:54:00.000+01:00

Makeover Friday

Vintage bag gets a makeover...

Vintage photobooth theme...a whole new look!

Close up

2007-02-15T14:13:00.000+01:00

Etsy Finds for 15th February Stunning Portrait Art Print" Dreaming " by Mystikart Beautiful "Bubblegum Geisha" Art Print by MissKika

Lovely Art Print " The Wind- up Bird " by dkim

Fantastic Fashion Print " Mannequin Cabaret "by luciajohnson

2007-02-15T13:37:00.001+01:00

2007-02-15T13:27:00.000+01:00

Makeover Thursday

This is a makeover i did a while ago...i love vintage ad posters and i thought it would make a nice theme for this evening bag.

2007-02-14T16:54:00.000+01:00

Happy Valentines! Feel free to copy this valentines graphic (save as) and send it to your loved ones!

2007-02-14T12:04:00.000+01:00

Etsy Finds for 14th february

Very cute art pendant by Cosmocomet

Stunning Equestrian-Pedestrian necklace by TheHandOfFatima

Beautiful vintage charm necklace by Luxedeluxe

2007-02-13T22:18:00.000+01:00

My newest matrioshka chokers!

2007-02-11T15:25:00.000+01:00

Custom order for my mum. I used her godmother's vintage crochet piece. The trim is made of antique lace, a family heirloom.

2007-02-11T15:14:00.000+01:00

The pair of kokeshi earrings that i made this week.