ribbit

can't wait for spring. can't wait to see the big fat frog in the pond of the prospect park zoo. meanwhile, here's a handmade one...

lace & doilies

a great and easy thing to make with my ever-growing stash of lace, ribbons and doilies. these bracelets in various widths are all sewn on heavy linen ground, with a button and ribbon-loop closure. dylan is modelling....

teacups

based on a craft project by martha stewart living: teacup candles. the cups were all found at flea markets and charity thrift shops. the microwavable candle wax is soy based, which makes for a very clean smoke-free burn. i bought the wicks and wick holders - which are hot-glued to the bottom of the cup - in a diy store in belgium.

tis the season...

last year, i made a bunch of holiday stockings that were sold in a few local boutiques. the one i liked the most never sold, and i'm very happy about that. it was made from an unfinished piece of petit-point embroidery - le paysan d'apres le nain - and I left in the printed border as well as the color sampler.

more bangles

after the ones i made with leather, i wanted to try some with fabric, which turned out to be lot easier... in this case, the bangles are wrapped with selvedge clippings. it just takes a little hot glue to keep everything in place. again, the closure was wrapped and covered up with waxed jute twine.

bibs

a great way to use up whatever bits & pieces you have lying around: these "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" bib necklaces. i love collecting vintage sewing notions & buttons, and this is a great way to use them. the base is a double layer of fabric, sewn together with the seams exposed. a ribbon makes the closure.

more bugs

after fred, i was on a roll. i still looked at entomology books for inspiration, but then veered widely off course and came up with some entirely new species. so much more fun than following the rules.

versace?

actually no. this dress was another vintage find from the catskills. this one falls squarely into the category "so bad, it's good". the pattern is somewhere between blown-up fingerprints, tiger stripes & graphic woodgrain, the colors are a tonal offering of deep ochre, violent green and - let's call it what it is - poopoo brown. fascinating...

pastel

i wouldn't have have pegged myself as a pastel girl, but this iridescent sequin trim is beyond cool. maybe it's all the candy i have consumed lately, but i can't get enough of these sickly sweet colors.

pottery beads

when i saw these at last sunday's flea market, i had to have them. they're such an interesting blend of folk, craft & color, in a very macrame do-it-yourself kinda way. some of the beads have chinese writing, others have a distinct delft pottery look and there are some artsy 1970's glazes as well. i can't wait to wear these....

cuff

i find most bracelets hard to wear for daily life because they move around so much and inhibit your movements - nothing worse than bracelets clattering against your keyboard while you're trying to work.... the answer is the fitted cuff of course: it stays in place, makes a much more dramatic statement, and even keeps your wrists warm. the added bonus is that this one was made from my husband's pant legs when he decided to convert them from jeans to shorts. i waste nothing!

girl scout beads

found in an antique barn in vermont: a big bag of 1940's wooden girl scout beads. i restrung them as the original lanyard was falling apart, hoping to achieve a marni look. love their jewelry.

diy #5

first seen in a martha stewart article: braiding fabric strips to turn them into necklaces. ripping the strips gives a raw, fraying braid, thicker strips make for really chunky stiff braids and thin satin ribbon makes a really skinny braid. this last one took forever to make... i tied on some off beat charms & figurines as well. looks best when several braids are layered together.

doll heads

slightly weird, these doll head beads that were meant to be turned into full-fledged dolls. i turned them into a necklace instead, tying loose bits of ribbon randomly between the beads, for extra texture.

shells

a new way to look at accessories: wearing belts as necklaces. just wrap them around your neck twice, works best with decorative or skinny belts.

deer

last weekend's score from a trip to sullivan county (happy 40th allison!). not only did we see lots of deer (and 2 bald eagles), i bought these 2 awesome candle sticks, they made me start planning thanksgiving dinner already.

green rabbit

louise and i spotted this green rabbit fur scarf at the same time at a yard sale, so we decided to buy it "together" and share it. i have a feeling this will happen more and more. meanwhile ozzy proves that fur is not just for girls.

hands

a favorite find from olive's vintage on court street in brooklyn: a belt buckle in the shape of 2 clasping hands. i have always had a soft spot for the surreal fashion accessories of elsa schiaparelli, and this is very much in the same vein.

sequins

a $2 purchase at the elephant's trunk flea: a sequin collar/bib that I wear as a necklace. the nice thing about is that the sequins have acquired a gorgeous dusty oxidized patina. priceless.

toilet seats?

i was very excited with this $4 yard sale purchase; an extra long costume necklace with oversize oval ivory resin links with rhinestone details. that is, until louise pointed out it made her think of toilet seats...

fred

fred was born on august 28, 2011 while we were sitting out hurricane irene on block island. he is made from fabric scraps, wire, sequins & beads. he is filled with rice which gives him a nice weight - and it was the only thing i had in the kitchen that would serve the purpose. fred is inspired by the book "an inordinate fondness for beetles" by evans & bellamy (henry holt), i highly recommend it.

birds

more prints that i like: found this wonderful wrap skirt from the 1940's/1950's at the elephant's trunk flea in connecticut for $5.

gladiator

just purchased at the annual summer sale of LF stores (i am probably about 30 years over their target audience's age). a very cool leather bib necklace with coins. i have yet to figure out how to wear this and not look like an extra from spartacus.

trim

i can't stop hoarding sewing notions: ribbons, thread, buttons, trim.... this particular example is a very heavy metal trim. i used some of it in a burlap-backed bracelet, no firm plans for the rest of it yet.

dead stock in rosendale

we had a great trip to the catskills a few weeks ago. aside from a bear encounter (no joke) the highlight was a visit to a thrift store in rosendale. the owner just purchased a large lot of dead stock items from the 1970's. she let me dig through a few (very dusty) boxes that hadn't seen daylight since 1973. most of the sizes were extra small so louise has a whole new wardrobe for fall.

wayne

a brand new wayne dress with sequins, bought at yard sale for $15! sadly, I am really bad at eyeballing sizes, so the dress now belongs to louise. it will be her las vegas holiday dress.

more yellow

the reflection of our plexi kitchen shelves against the hallway door, late on a summer afternoon. yellow makes me so happy.

floral

i have never been into florals, or even prints for that matter. but this 1940's shirt with its patriotic red-white-blue pattern is fantastic. now I started looking at flea markets for more small scale florals, even laura ashley is starting to look good again.

diy #4

a leather sample book was being thrown out at work, so I brought it home. inspired by allison's leather bangles, i came up with this variation. no sewing required: the "stuffing" is a thick nylon cord (from home depot) around which the leather is glued with a glue gun and tied with waxed jute string. i tried one variation with fluorescent nylon string (again from home depot, who knew they were such a great source for craft supplies), a little trickier as nylon is slippery, but a cool contrast with the leather.

rainbow

my colleague jen qian brought this home-made rainbow cake to work, the perfect way to brighten up a gloomy friday. can't wait to try this myself, just need to stock up on some food coloring. apparently the trick is to color each batch of dough separately and then very carefully spoon each separate color into the baking pan.

wooden cat

a favorite flea market find of my favorite animal. the pose says it all: cats have it figured out.