Ears and Neck

Okay, so don't think I've gone cross-and-skull-jewelry-making-obsessed. (<--My PR writing professor would die if he saw I had written that). These three pieces have actually been made separately over the past year.

The top photo of the earpiece was my most recent creation and I'm definitely happy with it. I had previously made one but to be honest, the effort I put into it (or lack thereof) showed. This one I made out of two shades of $1 gold chains, crosses from etsy and twisted wire. 

The second photo is of earrings I made with the crosses and skulls with Swarovski Crystal eyes. I probably made these about a year ago. Wow, I am awful at updating this thing.

The final photo was of a necklace I made a few nights before leaving for Rome in August! That feels like forever ago. I like the varying lengths of chains. 

Thanks for checking out my post! xox

Envelope Clutches

I just thought I'd share what I've been up to during my post-Rome winter break. I've been making these envelope clutches from vinyl I bought at a fabric store. I've seen these clutches everywhere but I thought they would be easy enough to do myself. They're actually super easy to make--all I did was tear open an envelope to use as my pattern. After a half hour of sewing and gluing they're complete! I'm going to continue making them but try out different linings and sizes.

Cosmic Prints

Sources: Setareh Mohtarez, Jeffrey Campbell

So I (along with the rest of the world) have fallen in love with cosmic prints. I thought it'd be fun to make a galaxy skirt, but somewhere along the way it became a scarf. I used grey silk that I hand bleached and painted. It turned out alright I think!

Shorts Alteration

Source: Tumblr

I love the high waisted shorts trend, but I haven't found the right pair just yet. What I think is great about these shorts is that although the alterations are simple, they create something that is a step up from ordinary denim shorts. Hopefully soon I'll get my hands on a pair of vintage Levi's jeans and be able to make something out of them.

Anni Jürgenson

I love these earpieces by Anni Jürgenson! I think they are a really innovative way of updating conventional earrings. They're only priced around $35+ but it seems that all the ones I want are sold out. That's why I ordered these great beads from Clbeads' etsy store so that I can make my own earpiece. It should be fairly simple.... except I'm not sure how I'm going to make the actual piece that goes behind the ear yet. Possibly with wire?

Wearing Tea: and not because you spilled it on yourself

Okay, so i've gotten over my I-wanna-stud-everything phase. But as they say, it's way easier to just replace one addiction with another. Introducing: tea staining! Dying with tea gives a refined vintage look. I've also been meaning to try a marbled look by adding coffee but unfortunately, it doesn't hold well. Although tie-dye is making a comeback, you have to be careful with tea staining--you don't want it to look like you couldn't get the stain out from that one night you faceplanted in the dirt. So I'm taking on this new project and maybe even experiment with other natural dyes like berries and flowers.

Naturally Tea-Stained Sea Urchin Dress by Raw Hemline

Earl Grey and Pomegranate White Tea pieces by Duskin

Tea-Stained Silk Veil by Girl With a Sword

Rachel Zoe works on her Fall '11 Line

While Rachel Zoe says "Pinch me! Am I dreaming??" all I have to say is "finally". Zoe announced in June that she was designing a collection to be released in the fall of 2011. While sometimes I loathe how out of touch with reality she is (aka anything that doesn't involve Chanel or Vera Wang), I can't deny her impeccable eye for style. And with her love for quirky pieces, I can only imagine how flawless this collection is going to be.