by Carla Louise | Oct 15, 2011 | Creating |
Or cocktail shoes as Apryl calls them!
These started off as work shoes. But I brought them home the other day and realised they are no longer smart enough for work…
(click for bigger pics – they’re still ok shoes, but they’re scuffed a lot on the heel)
I’ve seen several pairs of sparkly shoes recently, properly glittery ones, and I want some like you wouldn’t believe. But I also have a vast amount of shoes, and no money. So I nipped out and bought some fine glitter glue… and here is the result:
This photo doesn’t really pick up the immense sparkle, but I am SO PLEASED! It took three coats and three days (to make sure it dried properly between coats) and I’ll touch up and set with spray varnish tomorrow. And probably not wear them in the rain, hehe! For once a project worked exactly as I’d seen it in my head, with the silvery sparkle on the main part, and the aqua blue sparkle on the heels. I have many plans for my other tired shoes…
by Carla Louise | Oct 13, 2011 | Creating |
I’ve found it really hard to make time for crafting since I returned to working in London in March. I can just about crochet, knit or cross stitch on the train, but my work tends to get a bit grubby that way, and by the time i get home at 8ish, make and eat dinner, wash up and do a bit of housework, it’s time for bed. And that’s without meeting anyone or going to the park to skate for exercise.
So I was over the moon at managing an entire two hours in my studio yesterday evening. I was mostly playing with different effects with a host of stamps, inkpads and embossing powders that I’ve owned for a while but not had a chance to use. And then towards the end of the evening I made this…
Rubbish photo I know, but I was really pleased with it! That middle one is actually pale blue with tiny white flowers; the one on the right is cream and artistically smudged to give the look of a battered Beetle; and the one on the left is translucent and coloured with colouring pencils. It’s shrinky plastic, inspired by Jen over at On Diversion, and I’m fairly sure I’m addicted already 🙂
However, note to anyone wanting to play – if heating with a heat gun, make sure you have an acrylic block (or something else smooth, cool and flat) to squash it with, or it will set curled up. Also, if you forget to punch a hole, you cannot turn it into jewellery. Drilling it will result in either a) a ruined drill bit, coated in unremovable plastic; or b) small bits of shattered shrinky plastic EVERYWHERE. You have been warned 😛
But I wore it all day today and it was a great feeling – had entirely forgotten how nice it is to be able to say “Thanks, I made it” when someone compliments something you’re wearing!
by Carla Louise | Oct 9, 2011 | Collecting |
How can it possibly be past 7 on Sunday night?! I’ve had a stupidly busy weekend, although I did have a sneaky lie in this morning… not that long a one, but was so nice not to have to leap out of bed at half five, I couldn’t resist! (Ok, by the time I post this it’s half eleven… oops).
Have a photo – of one of my newest acquisitions, I haven’t bought model horses for aaaaages (the two I bought while rally shopping don’t count, hehe) and now I’ve had two in two weeks – it’s rather lovely, although my shelves are now protesting!
Spent yesterday with my parents, they brought my filing cabinet over then we went for breakfast and furniture shopping for their new flat – so much fun, but a bit dangerous, I kept finding the perfect chairs for my long-wished-for reading spot… and they were all hugely expensive 🙁
Then went over to Wendy’s for dinner with her and Sharon and Izzy and Jolee – was so lovely to see them all and catch up, and play some Wii Dance (no, no videos will make it to the internet!) and talk about crafty things and relax 🙂 Bored them with rally photos too, and in a minute I’ll upload those to Flickr – the carefully-selected 200 or so, instead of the full 2101!
Today has been filled with filing and admin and a bit of photography – not in the slightest bit exciting, but all necessary, sadly. Was supposed to be seeing a friend but had (and still have, annoyingly) so much to do I had to cancel… which I’m sad about, I don’t see her very often!
Have spent an hour or so sorting out the Project Pin Up blog header though, and here it is – projectpinup.co.uk 🙂 I’ll do a proper introduction to it when we’ve put the first few posts up, but I’m so excited for it and for my pin up journey to begin!
Here’s me with my Curiosity Project box – an anonymous swap of a box of curiosities. We’re hoping to match up senders and recipients once they’ve all been posted and received! Contents post once it’s gone up on the Curiosity Project’s blog! Posting mine tomorrow, can’t wait to see my recipient’s reaction!
Erm… no, that’s pretty much it, I do feel rested but I’m dreading work tomorrow as I have more filing to do, and it’s not so straightforward as my own filing is, mostly because it’s not mine, but it’s just as boring!
(update: at twenty five to midnight, the photos are only 39% complete, so I’m leaving them to upload overnight. Link to come!)
by Carla Louise | Oct 3, 2011 | Creating |
It’s been a ridiculously long time since I did an update on my creative projects in progress, possibly not since I moved the blog over to WordPress back in April, so here goes…
(and apologies in advance for the continued lack of photos – this is due to blogging on the go!)
Project Pin Up
A joint project with Mimi from Little Sips of Tea, we are hoping to launch this inspirational blog/website sometime in October. Designs and scribbles are ongoing!
The typewriters
I never did blog these – bought them by accident at a car boot I went to with Mimi a while ago, and have just had a very exciting phone call from Mike at InkXS – he’s sending me ribbons for both of them so I can actually use them – I may never print a letter from my laptop again!
Teasets to Typewriters
A long-term project that is hopefully coming to fruition, this is the relaunch of Ducking Fabulous… only not as Ducking Fabulous. While I still adore making jewellery, and have a commission in the workings for @craftyguider, I don’t have time to make the level of stock I’d like to keep the shop open, and I’d always intended to branch out into vintage. So this is it – inspired by my typewriters, the new Etsy shop, to be launched towards the end of October/beginning of November, will stock vintage loveliness for you, your home and the people that make you happy, and in time will also stock Ducking Fabulous jewellery (made by me!) too, especially the upcycled/reworked/repurposed lines to fit with the vintage feel.
Freelancing for Helitech
Much as the day job is good experience in many ways, it’s not using my design skills even a quarter as much as I’d hoped it would, and as they need to be used in order to keep them fresh. So, I’ve started freelancing again (because I didn’t have enough projects already on the go) and have just completed some work for two companies attending Helitech. Follow up work for HeliExpo in February is expected, plus keeping an eye on their respective websites, and it’s all good for the portfolio too.
Dining room table
I have some completely gorgeous vintage-style wrapping paper which I want to attach to the surface of my very battered dining room table… but haven’t yet had the time to sand it down and buy some decent glossy varnish to cover it with – it needs to look pretty and have a wipe-clean surface!
Bookcases
I have been collecting quotes for a year or so to adorn my bookcases with… now I know which ones I want to use, I’m struggling to work out the best way of putting them there – do I handwrite with permanent markers, or decopatch first, or print and mod podge on… the possibilities are almost endless!
Heather’s wedding present
Hevsy occasionally reads my blog, as her wedding is featured on it here – so I can’t post a photo. But it’s getting there!
R2R art for the living room
This involves plotting the route on a giant map, somehow choosing some photos to be printed, working out how to frame 3D objects and retrieving Rusty’s number plate from Rob’s house (I ran away to cry at the end of the rally and forgot to pick up my plate. Yep, I am an idiot).
Amy Butler dress
This one’s ground to a complete halt because my sewing machine quit and I’ve not yet been able to fund a new one. I bought the pattern on my birthday back in February, and have a shortlist of fabrics I like, but I’m not actually buying the fabric till I can at least start on making the dress.
The studio
Filing cabinet is to arrive this week and be installed properly on Saturday; this will then at some point be decopatched to fit in with the rest of my décor. I need to move the rug under the desk and re-organise the boxes… would like to be able to pick up one box for one type of craft, ideally.
I also have lots of bits of ideas for smaller projects, but haven’t actually started any of them yet… I do feel I have my creative mojo back now though, which is always a good thing!
What works-in-progress do you have on the go?
by Carla Louise | Sep 22, 2011 | Adventures, Collecting |
Skating with Jess – and the first picture I have of me on wheels since I was about twelve 🙂
Fizzing with excitement over a new project with Mimi from Little Sips of Tea… watch this space for details
Finally settling on my pin up name… to be revealed along with the new project launch 🙂
Having my gorgeous uni girlies over for the weekend, it was so lovely to see them… and then seeing Val & Matt on Monday on their way to the airport for an impromptu dinner and drinks – was exactly what I needed!
Reliving the rally through showing family & friends photos and videos… bittersweet as I still want to be there, but lovely to remember all the little details
Cake!! Bought by lovely Sophia to make work better this week
Speaking to lovely friends and knowing I’ll see some of them soon
Catching sight of my blackbird just as I was feeling a bit down – he always pops up when I need him 🙂
Completing my first bit of freelance design work in ages – gave me a real sense of achievement!
Booking a vintage hair & makeup workshops with Lou, Mimi and Anna at Make Do and Mend in Chelmsford- it’s going to be SO EXCITING!
Bunting in London, most unexpectedly
The glow after the rally and the feeling of knowing I can do absolutely anything – it’s liberating and a little bit scary!
Wearing beautiful shoes to work
Finding this picture of Rusty online – taken by a complete random when we were on our way to Dover. Muchly exciting!
Talking business ideas with friends and being taken seriously, which is always a good thing
Seeing this lovely little Figaro parked in the smallest space ever – I’m fairly sure it wasn’t a space, but it made me smile. And there’s a Banksy/Robbo rat behind it, which made me think of the rally, which made me smile wistfully.
Two new ponies arriving… one that I’d ordered and one that I’d bought on impulse… whoops! Rather nice to have some new faces on my shelves, even if my shelves are ridiculously overstuffed now.
Janine being on my train entirely unexpectedly 🙂
Making a new friend at work via emails about the staff day – we’re going for lunch and drinks when she’s back from holiday, yay!
So many happy things this week… and it’s of course lovely to be back in the blogosphere! Still not used to not being on the rally, my adventuring spirit has well and truly taken hold, but I have plenty to keep me occupied and plenty to plan 🙂 (edit – have updated with some bits I’d forgotten – apologies if you get this twice!)
by Carla Louise | Aug 20, 2011 | Acquired, Food & Baking |
Baking and a new lipstick 🙂 Recipe(s) and review of the red lipstick gorgeousness coming soon 🙂
by Carla Louise | Aug 18, 2011 | Adventures, Collecting |
Despite the rain and the dreariness of being back at work after nine days off, I have found some happy things this week…
- The rally car has a name and is beginning to take on a personality 🙂 Rusty McLusty has very nearly no paint on her bonnet, a roof full of random stuff and a shed load of stickers to be applied.
- Finding Breyers at a car boot sale for the first time EVER – I haven’t bought any model horses for a couple of years, and these were just waiting for me to take them home. I’m not sure Rob was that impressed… but the little girls I bought them from seemed pleased!
- Bristle-and-nylon hairbrushes like this one – I now own two and they’ve changed my life and my hair drastically for the better.
- Lie-ins – I went out for dinner with work people last night, and stayed at my ex-housemate’s new flat in Marylebone. Which is close enough to work that I was able to get up at HALF PAST SEVEN this morning and still be at work just about on time. (As opposed to my usual 5.30am alarm followed by staggering out of bed at 6am and running around like a headless chicken).
- Getting locked out of Julia’s flat and sitting on her stairs having the most random conversations while we waited to be rescued by her housemate
- Living on my own. I miss Jules, but it really is lovely having all this space to myself, and when I came home on Sunday night and let myself in, it really felt like home 🙂
- Jess’s skates have arrived! Which means we can go skating in Hyde Park next Tuesday… assuming the weather picks up and becomes more like actual summer.
I promise I’ll kick myself into gear and do more posts with photos soon – I have loads drafted of stuff I want to share but haven’t been able to get the photos sorted (either haven’t been able to take them in daylight, or have them but have had no time to edit them!)
Hope your weeks have been as full of happy things 🙂
by Carla Louise | Jul 30, 2011 | Books, Collecting, Photography |
So I mentioned this briefly in a previous post and promised a more in-depth look at it. It was a complete impulse buy, Lou and I wandered into this bookshop (shamefully I don’t remember what it was called, although I could walk you to it) just before we left Brighton (me to depart for Heather’s wedding, Lou to head home on the train). I wasn’t even looking for a book (inasmuch as I wasn’t looking for a specific book – I’m such an addict that I’m ALWAYS on the hunt for new books to read and to add to my collection).
We gravitated towards the fashion/design/craft section, as we always do, and spotted this.
I ummed and aahhed for about two seconds, then realised I had to have it, it was one of those kind of books. Gorgeously put together, interesting and informative, and actually relevant, I’ve been thinking about expanding both Ducking Fabulous and Checks and Roses to handmade floozy knickers for ages now. I say expand… I need to actually fill the shop up before I can talk about expanding. Anyway.
So inside the book are interviews with lots of contemporary lingerie designers from all over the world. The interviews are interspersed with fabulous photographs, sketchs, inspiration, mood boards and so on which gives what feels like a real insight into the design process. Obviously more detail would be even more fabulous, but a book containing the level of detail I’m after would be about 1000 pages thick!
For obvious reasons (the skates… the SKATES!!), this is my favourite page of the entire book. But here are some more (gorgeous) spreads to give you an idea of what it’s like inside – for more you’ll have to buy the book!
I’ve found it incredibly inspirational from a business point of view as well as a designing-pretty-things-and-knickers point of view. Would love to know if any of you have also read it and what you thought, or if there are any other similar books out there – either around the same subject, or a similar layout and approach but a different subject!
by Carla Louise | Jul 18, 2011 | Collecting, Thrifting |
A mixture of locations this week, I snuck into town while the boys were out playing golf just once during my time at the Open, but in the couple of hours I was there found an utterly gorgeous green tea dress with laced detail back. It is so unassuming on the hanger that I’ve failed to get a decent picture of it, but will put it on and shoot it soon 🙂
I also nearly bought a 50s tablecloth with pub signs on it from Vintage By The Sea, but couldn’t justify £25 on a tablecloth and the proprietor’s attitude changed a bit when she realised I was uncertain about buying it, which put me off. The shop, on the other hand, was so pretty I had to take photos (not very good ones, I admit):
Then while I was out with Mum on Saturday, I found:
Polka dot work dress:
Donkey cross stitch kit
Vintage glass jelly mould – which is going to look awesome in my kitchen!
Sewing book – this is both wonderfully nostalgic and completely hilarious, it has sections in it for things like ‘The Tummy-bulge Type!’ and ‘The Half-size, or Diminutive Type’ which cracked me up!
Inside detail:
I’m going to try and make something from this and see how good their advice is – it was published in 1958-1960 so will be interesting to see what’s changed (if anything!)
Also picked up a couple of particularly pretty scarves:
and of course there are my bottles and tin from Brighton. A good week for thrifting, I’m sure you’ll agree!
by Carla Louise | Jul 17, 2011 | Acquired, Books, Collecting, Thrifting |
I adore Brighton. I don’t go very often, but whenever I do I bounce around like a lunatic before the trip, and I’m just so excited while I’m there. It’s full of the most gorgeous shops, people and things.
This time, as before I went with lovely Lou, who is also fabulously inspiring. We had somewhat of a pin-up inspired day, and I came home with three prints and two sheets of wrapping paper covered in vintage style pin up ladies (my three prints are all Gil Elvgren, I have a book of his which I also adore). Photos of these are being withheld until I’ve finished redecorating my flat in August, as they feature quite heavily!
Following the theme, I found a beyond gorgeous book just before we left, about lingerie design and construction. Which sounds quite weird, but with Floozie Friday and all, and having a couple of talented sewists in my circle of close friends, I think it’s high time we branched out into making knickers! More of that to come… but here’s the book and its amazon link, everyone who loves sewing should own a copy. It’s almost like a blog in book form, beautifully put together.
Longer review to come 🙂
We found a cat in a (different) bookshop, too:
We did some of the antique/flea markets too (although I could happily spend six weeks doing those, I swear… I never see everything!) and Lou found the perfect vintage dress, while I found a fabulous tin that once housed saddle soap, and a collection of old glass bottles (which I really hope have survived the journey home from Brighton via Kent to Essex :S) Planning to display them in my living room, possibly as vases, possibly on their own. 🙂
How was I supposed to resist a glass bottle that said ‘Princess Alice’?! (centre of bottom row)
by Carla Louise | Jun 22, 2011 | Creating |
Not that I can use Illustrator yet – but this is really handy 🙂
Adobe Illustrator Tip: Turning Your Sketches into Vector Art.
