Miyoshi's Make-up Tutorial

I think this scan was originally from Zipper Magazine, but here is a tutorial from Miyoshi on how she does her lovely wide-eyed dolly make-up!



I can hardly wait to try this myself!

Dolly Kei for the Summer

It's getting warmer out. Soon it's going to be REALLY warm. And a style that involves such a commitment to layers like Dolly does, can be a little difficult to simplify, let alone make summer-suitable. But, it can be done! You're just going to have to re-think your layers, and what constitutes your layers.

*Firstly, say toodles to your tights. Or at the very least, bid adieu to your thick, patterned, textured tights. Instead go bare-legged, or say hello to the wonderful world of lace tights. A loose-knit lace tight is almost the same as a bare leg.




Depending on your outfit, you could also consider a fishnet as well. You could also opt for ankle, knee, or over-the-knee socks. I personally think ankle socks are a really cute look for summer.

*Let go of your layers. Keep it simple when it comes to your actual garments of clothing. Choose lighter and more breathable "summer friendly" fabrics like cotton. Choose a single dress or shirt/skirt combination and just don't add anything else to it garment-wise. One shirt, one dress, no cardigans, no sweaters, no heavy shawls, no capelettes. If you really feel the need for another layer, opt instead for things like a loose crotchet shawl, lace vest or a longer light fabric scarf you can remove easily if you get too warm.







So long as the cut/shape of your outfit fits the dolly silhouette, and the style/embellishments are there, you can still put together a dolly coordinate using less.






Mai is a really good example to look to when it comes to keeping garments simple and working with one layer.

*There's been a trend in Dolly the last little, of incorporating printed tops. You can easily do this for summer by doing this with a t-shirt. Band t's, lolita cutsews, experiment!






*Consider taking your hemline on the shorter side. The hemline rules that dominate lolita are not present with Dolly, so why not? That said, if you're not comfortable with that, consider maxi-length (super long) skirts and dresses in cotton as well. Maxi dresses and skirts are actually really cool in summer. And there's any number of style and lengths available in most stores now in great prints!

Another option is something you don't see often with Dolly, but that can definitely work. Vintage style shorts, harem pants, knicker-style pants paired with things like vintage sandals, ankle socks, tassel belts and suspenders are all workable options (I'll actually be covering pants/shorts with Dolly Kei in the next couple weeks).




*Use your accessories to add more layers. Wear multiple necklaces, brooches etc. to keep the layered feel while wearing less clothing. I also think the summer is a good time to experiment! Go a little more extravagant and avante garde with your accessories since your clothing will be so much simpler. Feather earrings, crazy hair pieces, tassel belts, maybe try a more "out-there" purse. All easy ways to add more layers, details and interest without adding more warmth.










Instead of wearing fur stoles, collars etc., add fur accessories like a tail to your purse or bag.




A single oddfellows collar won't add much warmth or weight, so I think they're an item that will carry though summer and add the distinct dolly feel to your outfit.




*Your shoes. I love Victorian-inspired booties and oxfords as much as the next person, but they just aren't the most comfortable thing in summer. Look instead to vintage-inspired sandals, bohemian wedges, peep-toes and cute flats. A lot of people would argue to not wear socks with sandals, but like I said before: cute ankle socks with vintage (or vintage look sandals) look very cute and very dolly.



















Another thing you can add to make your shoes (and possible lack of socks and tights) more interesting, are "ballet socks", which can add such a cute point of interest.





You could also add things like bows, flowers or vintage shoe clips.

*Hair. Summer is a great time for up-dos, so experiment with braids and buns, anything that will keep the hair off of your neck.

To summarize, it's going to be easier and cooler to put the focus on your accessories, and keep your clothing light and simple. I'm not saying be boring, I'm not saying to wear summer colours or summer trends. But let your accessories do the talking and carry the dolly "feel" for your outfits in the summer months :)

*Gentlemen! I haven't forgotten about you here! Like the ladies, opt out of many layers and simplify with fabrics like cottons and linens. Over-sized cotton button-downs and tailored linen shorts can go a long way with the right accessories and a great bag. Suspenders and an oddfellows collar is also a super easy way to add layers without warmth. I know a lot of guys don't like sandals, so maybe loafers or oxfords with ankle socks or sockless could substitute :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

DIY Open-Locket heart Ring

This is sort of a tutorial, it's very easy but the finished product looks very polished.

What you will need:
~A ring base
~A locket that is big enough to stick some tiny items into.
~Heavy-duty glue (I use Bead Fix)
~Some tiny items. I used two small paper roses in muted jewel tones, three pearl beads, some tiny feathers, and a small charm shaped liked scissors)
~Tweezers (to place your items more precisely)
~Metal snips (you don't need these persay, but they will help make your finished item look "cleaner".

The first thing I did was to snip the metal loop from the top of the locket. If you don't want to do this, or if you don't have metal snips, you can always glue a bead, or attach a charm to it to cover it.

Turn the locket (closed) facedown and glue your ring base to the back. Let the glue dry 24 hours.

Decide how "open" you want your locket to be. I sat the locket open in a few different positions on my finger to decide. Once you've decided, put a tiny drop of gue on the hinge to keep it from moving later. Let it dry for an hour or so.

Now you need to decide how to place your tiny items inside. I propped my ring between two books and sat my little items inside the locket a few different ways before I did the final glue, just so I could see how they would sit. Once you've decided, glue your items inside I suggest over-lapping them a bit). If you have any spaces, you can always fill them with tiny beads.

Done! Let it dry 24 hours before wearing it :)

DIY Dolly Kei Spoon Necklace Tutorial

Inspired by the lovely spoon jewelry I often see posted on the Grimoire blog, I decided to make my own. This is very simple to do, and the end result looks great and is the exact sort of quirky accessory that looks so good with dolly kei.

So you will need:


-Spoons (or forks, really any sort of cutlery). I'm using vintage spoons I bought from a second-hand store. Smaller spoons will work better (and give you more room for layering them with other things), so I suggest using sugar/salt spoons, or keepsake tourist spoons, both of which tend to be ornate. They don't need to be vintage, you can get some neat little spoons in many tourist shops.
-Glue. You'll need the heavy-duty sort, think superglue etc. I use "Bead Fix", because it will glue almost anything to anything, and it dries fast.
-Jewelry chain or ribbon. I used both :)
-Jewelry bits, gems, flowers, whatever you may want to add to your spoons to decorate them.
-Jewelry closures and connectors (I use Blue Moon)
-Jewelry pliers. Like I always say: not neccessary, but they will make your life much easer :)
-Tweezers: these will make it easier to place the items you are gluing.

So, 24 hours in advance, you're going to want to glue your connectors to the back of your spoons like so:

Make sure the surface of the spoon is clean and dry. Then add your glue sparingly (you don't need a lot, and too much can crack) and add your connector. I used tweezers to place them so I could do it quickly and accurately. Now you just have to wait overnight for them to dry!

Next, decide what you'e going to decorate your spoons with. My spoons had some ugly little pictures on the handles (touristy spoons!), so I simply stuck a needle under the edge of the picture and popped them out. I relaced one of them with a cameo, and the other I decided to leave because it added to the "old" feel. I then added a bow to one (if you tie a bow around your spoon, make sure to add a drop of glue so that it doesn't come loose.), and I added some green hue feathers with black ribbon to the other (again, glue your decorations down.).


After you have your spoons decorated, give them an hour or so to dry. You can now add your chain or ribbon. If you're adding a chain, make sure to add another connector to the one already attached to your spoon so that it hangs "face out". Attaching your ribbon is easy as well: just tie your ribbon into a loop, pull it through the connector and loop through the other side. And done!





These are just suggestions, add as much or as little to your spoons as you like :)

DIY Dolly Kei Doily Necklace

Today I made a doily necklace to go along with my dolly kei outfits, and decided to document it so you can make your own as well. It's very simple and honestly only took about a half hour to complete.




You will need:

-A doily (what size depends on how big you want your necklace to be. I choose a small-ish one so I could layer it with other things.)
-Some chain or cord (you could also use ribbon)
-Connectors
-Charms/any bits you'll want to add
-Fasteners/closures
-Jewelry pliers (you don't need these, but they make it easier to fasten connectors and things)

I'm using a second-hand doily and charms and findings from Blue Moon Beads "Forged" and "Madame Delphine" lines.

So to start, decide on your placement. Figure out about where you want your items to hang before you start attaching anything:


Once you've decided the placement, connect the pieces for your middle or "main" decorative section:


You can then attach to the doily using connectors (as I did), or you can sew it down, depending on what you've choosen for pieces.


VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure you connect/sew your main piece to the doily securly on all sides. If you don't, the main piece will be too heavy and will pull your doily and make it hang funny. This is where I placed my connectors:


So now you can attach your chain or cord. I suggest attaching it forst to one side, and then hanging it around your neck to easier decide how long to make it. Once you have your length, attach and close the chain to the other side. Voila! A very easy to make doily necklace!

And just to overview:


You could also use this to make brooches, or by attaching a couple together you could make a bib necklace :)

I hope this proves useful! Enjoy everyone!

Dolly Kei Raccoon Tale Decoration/Accessory

So I'm sure you've seen the beautiful fur tail accessories from Grimoire/Dolly. If not:



Problem for me: I don't wear fur. So I'll probably never be able to talk myself into getting one from Dolly (even though, I reeeeeally want one.). Lucky for me, I came across a fake raccoon tale at D-tox (it was only 10$!), with a key fob and chain already attached.



So what you're going to need for this little project:

Jewelry pliers (not neccessary, but it will make your life easier), glue (depending on what you add to your tail), jewelry chain and/or ribbon, pin backs, jewelry findings to decorate with (broken peices come in very handy at times like this), ribbon and or/bow, feathers, whatever things you may want to add.

So I started by hanging my tail up. I find it easier when tackling things like this, since I can see how everything is going to hang.


At first I was going to make a new bow, but then I found one I had already made for a previous project and decided to use that. If you don't have a premade bow, simply use some large grosgrain ribbon (or another of your choice) to tie a bow. Make sure to sew it securely once you have it made, to keep it from coming loose later. Then take your bow and glue/sew it to your pin backing.

Once you have your bow, decide what jewelry bits you're going to be using for decoration. I chose a heart locket, two pearls and a cameo. Attach your "bits" to whatever chain you're using (the pliers will make this much easier. And if you have no chain, use some ribbon.), and hold them against your tail to figure out what lengths you want. Once decided, use your pliers to pull apart the chain to the lengths, and then attach any together that you're grouping, using a circle link but leave the circle link open).


Now you're going to attach them to your bow. You can glue, sew, or loop them through the pin back (which is what I did).
Close the loop with the pliers. I added a seperate chain with the cameo to the other side of the pin back. Once you have your peices attached to the pinback, push the pin through the top of your tail and close. You can either glue it there permanently at this point, or leave it detachable and you can use it as a brooch as well.



Now shown on my kitty tapestry bag for prosperity, but this is going right on my Lady GaGa eco-tote later, haha! And yes, that is a Hole poster under there. I love Courtney Love, I'm not ashamed (hehehe).


I kept mine pretty simple, but there's no reason you couldn't add feathers, flowers, keys, toys or other bits to it. Enjoy!