Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Lovely finds, Eclectic Eccentricity Webshop, Favorite song this week.

Had a lazy sleepy day today, mostly sat about having tea and looking through my wardrobe. So I didn't get anything I wanted accomplished. But, I did take some pictures of some great things I found on Tuesday.

Delightful HUGE pearl and ribbon necklace from H&M. It was 14.95$ but on sale for only 5$! I'm excited to layer this with my birdhouse and locket necklace, this is pretty much what I have been looking for for ages.
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These earrings were also on sale at H&M, for 2$. I don't plan on wearing them, but taking them apart to make other stuff. Thrilled!
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Weird tin-edged wooden picture of a rococo-looking lay. It has a metal loop on top, so it's going to have to be tured into a necklace, hehe.
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Also on the "I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!" note, this amazing webshop was pointed out to me by a co-worker. I'm pretty sure they illegally went into my brain and made everything I love. The shop is called "Eclectic Eccentricity", and their tagline is "jewelry with inpired kookiness", which pretty much sums it up. In their shop you'l find vintage and antique inspired pieces, featuring birds, scissors, cameos, bows, flowers and hearts galore. I AM IN LOVE! My favorite pieces:

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Visit them here: Eclectic Eccentricity

Last but not least, my favorite song this week. I can't stop playing it:

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Amazing video of L'Androïde de Marie-Antoinette

Watch this show! Oddities on Discovery Channel

I JUST discovered this TV show thanks to a spotlight on it on another blog. "Oddities" is a reality based television show about the propriaters and customers of a New York based store selling everything odd to the macabre, antiques and just plain weird. And aptly titled Obscura Antiques and Oddities. Airs on Thursday nights.

Click for the Oddities site on Discovery Channel and short clips and pictures!

Sadly, Discovery Channel has not been airing advertivements for this show AT ALL. Hence why no one knows about it. You can lodge a complaint with Discovery Channel about it HERE

First Spoon Necklace and Kilt-pin Brooch

So I finally got around to making a necklace from one of the many antique spoons I purchased a ways back. I was lucky enough that this one already had a hole in the top from the charm attached to it, making it so much easier to put on a chain. I simply removed the charm, attached a circle link through the hole, pulled some jewelry chain through and added a swan charm I had been saving for a while. Simple and looks great in my opinion, I've been getting lots of compliments! My next will be anything but simple though.

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I also started a brooch made from an antique kilt-pin I found. added some chain and a charm I've been saving, not sure what else to add though.

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Definetly stuck on what to add to the brooch, so here's another Dolly Kei coordinate I made on polyvore instead:

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Dolly Kei Raccoon Tale Decoration/Accessory

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

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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.

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So what you're going to need for this little project:
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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.
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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).
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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). Image and video hosting by TinyPic
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.

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

Monday, November 22, 2010

Snow and just have to say: I hate pants.

Awful blurry photos taken with my phone, Snow!

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Which brings me to:

Walking around in the snow, coming home. I don't hate the snow, it's pretty. But I hate the snow melting into my hair and messing it up, and melting all over my coat. If it was feasable, I would cab everywhere in winter months to avoid this. Same goes for "spring showers". I don't like anything that effects how I look in a way I have no control over. Feel free to call me a girly-girl, call me a princess, tell me it's very unfeminist of me. None of these things are bad words to me, and I'm proud of just how much of a girly control freak I am. I also don't wear pants. I hate them. I think they're ugly and unfeminine, I don't care who gets angry at me, I HATE PANTS.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Late-night admittance: I'm not very nice.

I was out yesturday with my friend, who has come to visit me from Sweden. He's a good guy, funny, good company. I'll be sad when he leaves on the 21st.

So what I'm getting to: He says lot of "You'e too nice of a girl to_____". Fill in the blank. Swear. Have tattoos. Have peircings. Have ever smoked. Say that I prefer to emotionally destroy my enemies as opposed to physically hurt them. I do all these things, I'm not very nice.

I smile a lot, I laugh a lot, I do my best to help people if they need it. But the running commentary in my head is generally not very pleasant. I like who I like and everyone else can drop off of the face of the earth. I don't think I'm a bad person, but I don't think I'm very nice either.

So... where does the idea that I'm "nice" come from? Am I just not as awful as I think am, or maybe my admittance that I'm not "nice" somehow makes me nice. Maybe the "nice" assumption is based solely on my looks. Maybe I'm secretly a "nice" girl.

Dolly Kei for Winter

We had our first snow today. It was only mild flurries, but...still. The only thing about winter I like is that I can wear my fabulous winter coats, and extravagant scarves and hats. And all those great knit and heavy tights and socks that are much too warm for summer. The thing I hate most about winter (other than the cold), is that I have to wear my fabulous winter coats, concealing my outfits that I put so much effort into perfecting.

So, how do we wear Dolly Kei in winter?

Since your usual layers, accessories etc won't be visible, you have to look to your coat, and items like scarves, hats, boots and mittens/gloves to accessorise with. You won't be able to get the layers really, but you will be able to achieve the same "feeling".

Coats with a fur trim and embroidery details are a good start and lend a great eastern european/homemade look. I love this coat:


Heavy patterned tights with knee high boots, great button-edged gloves, patterned scarf and tapestry bag add rich details.


The above ensemble has a great coat as well (the fur on the shoulders is amazing), but is also making use of really interesting accessories.

And of course, not everyone has access to these amazing coats (I don't!), but you can find similar ones in used clothing and vintage stores, or purchase a more plain version new and add your own fur and embroidery panels or lace.

In the case that you aren't crafty at all, or don't want to modify your existing jacket, or...for whatever reason none of these ideas will work for you, I made some examples of "dolly kei-ing" a plain black military-inspired peacoat that you can get in most stores, used or otherwise, and cheaply (this is the actual coat I have, from H&M):




Keep in mind, you can obviously get as creative as you like. I kept these pretty simple. The main idea is to get the look from your accessories.

Some quick ideas to take your "plain" winter accessories and make them more interesting:

-You can easily take your plain gloves and sew on bows, buttons, lace and other findings. Fur trim as well.
-If you have a long knit scarf, you can pull through some ribbon (or long lace) starting at one end and working it though to the other. You can then let the ribbon end hang or tie it into a bow. You can do a single ribbon or more.
-Add brooches and cameos to a plain bag.
-Remove your boot laces and replace with ribbon or lace.
-Get some fake fur (which can be purchased at most craft and fabric stores). Trim off the edge (under the fur edge, without cutting off too much of the actual fur). You can then sew a ribbon on either side (lengthwise) to make your own fur collar to wear over your coat.
-Same a above, only sew the longest edges together to make a fur "tube". Tada! Instant fur muff!
-If the buttons on your coat are plain, you can easily replace them with more ornate ones, either vintage or new from a craft or fabric store.

Happy Winter! Stay warm!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Saturday Shopping Adventure!

I had Saturday off for the first time in what feels like forever, so my partner in paycheck-blowing, Liz, and I went to a few places to shop. Namely Fashionably Dead, Dressed in Time, Freak Lunchbox, Splurge, Envy and Value Village. Good times were had by all.

We started out at Fashionably Dead, which caters to the sorta goth and punk crowd mainly. BUT I always find somehing creepy cute there. We were in luck because they had crazy awesome sales that day! I got a cute shirt with a circus freak print (13$), some Manic Panic eyeshadow (5$) (will have review for later since I've never used their make-up before) and...this hilarious vintage-look kitty necklace:

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Hahahaaahaha!

After that we went to Dressed in Time, which specializes in vintage clothing. I didn't buy anything there, but they did have some great tapestry bags that I may have to go back for. As always, their mannequin out front looks insane. Note the lack of hands:

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Onwards to Splurge, also having amazng sales! It was 50% off of everything, so, I did in fact, splurge (lame joke). There I purchased a cute deer wallet (12$), Rose ring (99 cents), and a neat hanger for my necklaces (7$, will also be doing a review for this).

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Envy is right beide Splurge, so it was next. There wasn't too much in there because it's very boutiquey, and when they have sales it clears out FAST. But I did get a great eyelet lace shirt for 19$, pictures soon with a coordinate.

We made a stop at the bank. This dog thought Liz was a raccoon:

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Woo, Freak Lunchbox was next! If you're ever in Halifax, you must visit this candy store. Huge selection of classic and weird candy, novelties, toys, and all sorts of collectables too. And the staff is super friendly.

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Huuuuge E.T. in the window for Christmas, lol.

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They always have weird things outside. I ended up getting a bag of mixed candy and some adorable cupcake mints. Like everything in my life, I prefer my mints cute. And frosting flavoured.

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Last stop was Value Village, huge-o-rama of new and used stuff and things. Not much in there that evening, but Liz got a hamster wheel for her hedgie hogs for 2$, And I got a bunch of cute little spoons, with which I will later be attempting to make spoon necklaces (like the Dolly ones carried in Grimoire). Tutoral for that to follow, but here are the spoons:

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I was lucky to find some that are heavily decorated and detailed. I love the ones that are scalloped. And the ones that have the flower details right in the "scoop" part are neat too.

These shoes were there too, but they were not my size:

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Hoping to have some tutorials and/or coordinates to post next time!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Newest Addiction: Polyvore

In case you don't know what Polyvore is, it's a web site that allows you to mix and match pictures of clothing to make your own coordinates in a sort of collage form. You can then save, display and share them on your account. AND I CAN'T STOP MAKING OUTFITS! I've spent the last six hours meticulously putting together dolly kei coordinates. So now I'll be posting any note-worthy outfits I make here, and there's also a link to my Polyvore account under my Twitter in the sidebar.

My Polyvore

An example:

I love it! And it's going to make my next blog post so much easier to illustrate...

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Metamorphose! Beautiful Gloves.

Randomly browsing through the Meta ( Metamorphose ) site and found these!

"Princess Gloves with Ribbon" 5400yen

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Click for the Gloves!

I think they would be amazing for a Dolly Kei winter coordinate. I need them to live. They also come in a dusty pink. I'm also thinking I can make replicas...

Delicious! Amaretti Cookies review.

I have a huge weakness for pretty packaging and sweets. Together, I certainly can't resist.

The first thing that caught my eye as I browsed the Winner's Gourmet Food section, was the beautiful old-world feel tin (I love Winners! Fancy things at un-fancy cost!). I had to have it, regardless of what was inside.

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So I brought my lovely cookies home (7.99$, regular price 16.99$), and was delighted to find, once opened, that the cookies came wrapped like brightly-coloured candies. Making them great to serve to guests with tea, or for a light dessert with coffee, since they'll be pretty and won't get stale or dry.

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The actual cookies themselves are delicious! They're soft,and have a really interesting flavour that is like a light mixture of almond and anise. It's not over-powering like a lot of almond flavoured desserts that rely on almond extract. I really don't know what else to say about them other than I'm now addicted.

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Amaretti Cookie information:
Amaretti (pronounced "am-ah-REHT-tee") is the Italian name for macaroons, which means little bitter things. These small, domed-shaped cookies that are crisp and crunchy on the outside and soft inside, originated in Venice Italy during the Renaissance period. Amaretti cookies are made from either ground almonds or almond paste, along with sugar and egg whites and can be flavored with chocolate or liqueurs. Oftentimes, two baked cookies are sandwiched together with ganache, buttercream or jam. Traditionally these cookies were served with a sweet dessert wine or liqueur, but they are also a wonderful accompaniment to a bowl of ice cream, sherbets, or mousses. Another favorite way to use these cookies is to finely grind them and then add them to desserts (such as trifles) for added texture and flavor.


And if you can't find these delectable amaretti cookies in store, here's a recipe to make your own. From "Joy of Baking":

Amaretti Cookies:
8 ounces (225 grams) canned almond paste

1 cup (200 grams) superfine or castor white sugar

2 large (60 grams) egg whites

Extra white sugar or Swedish pearl sugar for dusting cookies

Note: Make your own superfine sugar by processing regular granulated white sugar in your food processor for about 30 seconds or until sugar is ground very fine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Have ready a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) plain tip.

Using Food Processor: Break the almond paste into small pieces and place in bowl of food processor, with the sugar. Pulse until the mixture is very fine. Add the egg whites in three additions, processing well after each addition. Continue processing the dough until very smooth (about one minute).

Using Electric Mixer: Break the almond paste into small pieces and place in bowl of electric mixer along with the sugar. Mix on low speed until very fine. Add the egg whites in three additions, mixing well after each addition. Continue mixing the dough until very smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Fill the pastry bag with the almond mixture. Pipe 1 1/2 inch (3.75 cm) mounds onto the parchment paper, spacing about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. After you have filled the baking sheet with cookie mounds, take a damp paper towel and lightly press the top of each cookie to smooth out the surface (you want to smooth out the tip of dough at the top of each cookie caused from piping). Lightly sprinkle a little sugar on top of each cookie.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookies have risen, are a deep golden color and have tiny cracks. Remove from the oven and place baking pan on a rack to cool. When cool gently peel cookies from parchment. If they stick to parchment, turn the paper over, take a damp paper towel and gently wipe the bottom of the parchment paper to loosen the cookie.

Makes about 40 cookies.

You can always wrap your cookies in decorative wax paper or even patterned onigiri wrappers to get the "candy" look :)

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Lovely Finds: Small birdcage, cheap lockets and more.

So first off, this birdcage was 1.50$! Yay craft stores! It's a little smaler than my hand, and fairly light. A necklace chain would definitely support it's weight, so I'm think it should be a big crazy birdcage necklace. Maybe add a large dried flower to it, a little deer figurine I've been saving, or even maybe some of the doll parts I've been saving. If not a necklace, it needs to be a hat somehow. I'll post pictures when I figure out what to do with it.
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This huge bow belt buckle was on sale at D-tox for 4.99$. I don't know what I'm going to do with it. I suppose I could use it as it's intended purpose, but that would be boring.
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VERY pleased with these. I love Blue Moon bead company, and I LOVE their "Madame Delphine's" line. These lovely heart lockets were on sale for 2.99$. Definitely going to be necklaces. I think on a long chain, maybe with some feathers and pearls? I can see it in my head, lol.
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Lacey-pearl brooch thing. It also has a necklace hoopy on the back, so really I could wear it like that as well. I think it's going to be part of a hair piece.
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I'm so excited for my new things! And to get working on some new items for my wardrobe.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Ray Ceasar

Looking at some work by my favorite artist, Ray Ceasar, before I go to bed (Is that wise? It'll probably give me nightmares, but hopefully of the lovely sort). My favorite pieces by him:

The Power and the Glory
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The piece below is sort of an image I can relate to. Which I'm certain sounds a bit weird, but...the girl has dainty china arms, they could smash. And like anyone who is an artist or uses their hands for their work, it kind of taps into a fear I have of something happening to them and me not being able to do what I love anymore.
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And...I just like this one. The bubblegum colours and the sinister look of it combined.
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Ray Ceasar's Offical website

Video featuring Grimoire and Hitomi Nomura

The video is technically about Mori Girl, but the main focus is on Hitomi Nomura and Grimoire. It's very insightful and informative!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Lovely Finds: Birdhouse necklace and more

Birdhouse Necklace, 10$ at D-Tox
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Huge Pearl and Rosette Ring, 2 for 15$ at Ardene
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Brass-look Clock Ring, 2 for 15$ at Ardene
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