So, I went into Lewis Craft today to get some stitch markers for a knitting project that's been unfinished for much too long and came out with some other things I didn't intend to buy. (Isn't that always the way? I also have problems when walking into bookstores and anywhere that sells DVDs and Cd's... but back to topic).

I bought a wreath made from twigs/branches and immediately thought of a crafty project. I have a shoebox full of shells and sea glass I've collected from various summers on the beach and decided to make a shell wreath to hang on the hook on our door. (It's been bare since the Xmas wreath came down early January and needed something more year-round). So, I just started hot-gluing small shells, bits of sea glass and buttons (just for fun) to the wreath without too much planning (I just made sure to layer the bigger pieces under the smaller ones). I stopped gluing before I went overboard cause I was worried it would eventually look too crowded.

Well, here it is...

On the inside of our apartment door (its new home):


Outside (different lighting):


Closeups:



P.S. I've concluded that anything can be glued to a wreath and look pretty.
P.P.S. I'm really proud of this project cause I've had a serious creative metal block for the last couple of months (at least)... I think this is a sign that its going away! 

I had this unused shadow box from Ikea sitting around my room forever. I finally came up with an idea for using it. I was inspired by a card given to me by my mom, featuring a 3-D dress form on the front. I picked around my house for some cute little odds and ends to put into the shadow box...

I used:
- card for background
- necklace
- fake flowers
- little tiny vase
- broken piece of china
- miniature Eiffel tower
- random buttons
- seashells from a couple of beach excursions
- costume jewelry pin
- old hat pin

Et voila:



Sorry if any of the photos are a little blurry, it was hard to photograph though glass.

Okay, this thing is huge...take a look: 



My friend's dad works down at a port/dock and to light up the docks they use these giant lightbulbs. One night his dad came across a burnt out lightbulb that happened to be intact (except for all the bits inside).

Any ideas for what the heck i can do with this? 

So, I started off with this *huge* shirt and dress pants that both had potential from the Salvation Army. I really liked the red/gold floral design on the shirt and decided it must come home with me. The dress pants weren't too bad to begin with (really nice fabric with a bit of a sheen) but the waist was a tad tight and the legs tapered *shudders just thinking of them.*

Before:

Huge shirt:
Tight waist and tapered legs:
Pants have bit of sheen:

After:

(Kitties love the dangling lacing...drives me crazy!)

First I made the skirt by ripping open the inseam of both legs. I then opened the "bum" seam and cut off the legs of the pants at the length I wanted my skirt. I inserted a panel of fabric where the open "bum" seam was up the back of the skirt in the appropriate width so the waist wouldn't be so tight on my hips. Before I sewed in the panel, I added ribbon loops. I was inspired by lisatrix's corset t-shirt (http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=38788.0) and used the same method for my skirt. After reinforcing the ribbon loops, I finished the front seam and hemmed, added the long ribbon to create a (purely decorative) lacing detail...

Lacing detail:



I was inspired by a halter top that belongs to my sister and came up with this...



I can't quite explain how I managed to make this except that the dress form is my new best friend and she helped alot!!  I really just wanted to make something pretty and sexy out of a shirt that was neither pretty nor sexy when I found it in the S.A. I think I was pretty successful.

Overall I spent, eeep, $11.50 Canadian...I figured with the exchange rate, I could possibly get away with going over by $1.50. (If I'm disqualified, that's okay...I had a blast making this outfitt anyways!!!) The ribbon for the skirt and the cord for the top were items I had at home.

P.S. If you look closely at the skirt you'll notice that I have one of the pocket flaps tucked into the pocket. I'm still trying to decided if I want to keep the pocket flaps on the skirt or make it more streamline and remove the flaps and buttons... Let me know what you think. Thanks for looking! 

yay, summer is almost here! i was inspired by rickrackruby and her striped skirt here: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=34064.0 and came up with this...

as worn by my new dress form (bday present from the best bf in the world!)

the idea for the skirt is pretty much the same as rickrackruby's design except the fabric is cut on the bias therefore creating the asymmetrical hemline. i also used two layers of fabric... the top layer is the sheer flower-print fabric and the second layer is just a solid white flowy fabric.



the waistband is some stretchy ribbed fabric with the smooth side showing and the ribbed side as the wrong side of the fabric...



and just for fun, here are a couple more pics...



ps. i'm planning on using this skirt as part of my portfolio for admittance to design school...any comments?

hey all,

its been awhile since i've posted anything new...i've been in a crafting slump. i just finished this shirt from simplicity pattern #7084. i modified it from the original cause i didn't like the interfacing around the neck and i didn't want it to have sleeves. i'm a little disappointed because i made it way too big (a combination of rounding up with my measurements and forgetting that the pattern adds ease to the sizes). oh well, good learning experience, maybe my sister will like it...

i made this clutch using the tutorial from MissErika here: http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=22875.0. i added the cherry applique to the front before i began to assemble the pouch and added a ribbon to make it a clutch... it didn't take too long to make and the tutorial is super easy! yay for cherries and easy projects!

 

this was an old shirt from my bf...he lost some weight and it didn't fit him anymore. i asked if i could have it and i turned it into a halter for summer! this project took awhile cause i spent alot of time trying and retrying on the shirt to make sure it fit well. i would love to post a tutorial, but honestly, i dunno if i could explain what i did! i just made it up as i went along. anywho, i'm pretty happy with the way it turned out!

i received snb for xmas and this is my first completed knitted project! woot woot!

whew, i was on such a crafting roll today... i finished up a couple of items that were sitting by my sewing machine just waiting to be finished and this is one of them. it is a pink skirt with an elastic waistband and a gathered bit at the hem. the skirt still looked plain so i added a little flower applique above the gather. the pink fabric was really see-through so the skirt is lined with white/cream fabric.