Random Photo Post - THRIFTING!

I was just trying to decide what to post today when I realize I haven't done a thrifting post in pretty much forever!  I don't even have a good excuse, I just...forgot.

Got these bad boys for $1.50.  I'm so in love with them and they are HELLA COMFY!

Oh yeah.  Another creepy piece for my 'weird stuff' collection.  The syringe is actually glass.

$1 leather sandals?  Yes, please.

Love how cute and boho these are!

Another 'weird stuff collection' piece.  I think this was $3.

What's inside?  :)

Antique dissection kit!

This one, the Wookie spotted and it was $4.

I had one of these when I was a kid and was so stoked to find another one.

My makeup collection grew after these photos, though, so it has since been moved to a larger location.  The Rolykit holds jewelry making supplies now!  I love it!

2/$1 hand towels for the kitchen.

Cute wedges!  I think these were $3 or $4.  I can't wait until fall so I can rock them way more often.

What pretties have you found lately?

<3WW

Listening to: 'Shut Me Up' - MSI

DIY Cardigan Clips

This is a super quick and easy way to re-purpose those adorable clip-on earrings you see everywhere at thrift stores...because who the hell wears clip on earrings anymore??

I realize it is still hot as Hades in my corner of the planet, but I'm posting this anyway since some of my readers are in Australia and I think its already cold there.  Yeah.  That's what we're gonna go with.

Actually, the truth is that I only ever seem to get struck with inspiration for winter crafts in the heat of the summer and vice verse.

Seriously, tho, this is stupidly easy.  String your beads or pearls.  I just used a broken bracelet because it was the exact length I wanted.  Make sure that if you are stringing them, to tie or crimp bead the ends around a jump ring so you can use it to attach them to the earrings.

Find a good place in the back of the earring you can wrap the jump ring around, then twist it closed.

That's it!  These are super cute and give you an excuse to buy the earrings you see out and about, but can't wear.  That, and they're great for actual function when you live somewhere super windy that threatens to remove a cardigan if you don't button it up.

<3WW

How to Re-Size a Maxi Skirt

This is much more quick and painless than you think it is going to be.  I thrifted a skirt that was too big and, since we've already been through how to up-size one, I thought it would be good to go the other direction with it!

First you'll need a skirt that is too big and a new piece of elastic.  'New' is flexible.  I hi-jacked this piece from an old pair of skivvies!  SCANDALOUS!

Flip the skirt to the inside of the waist and find the side seam.

Carefully, and being sure to stay between the top and bottom  seams, cut a small hole next to the side seam, then pull out and snip the elastic as well, but don't pull the elastic out of the skirt because we're going to use that to cheat the Craft and Sewing gods.

Take your new piece of elastic and safety in it to one side of your old one, then carefully tuck the pin and the attached pieces of elastic back into the hole.

Then, take the other, non-pinned side of old elastic and, while holding the free tail of the new piece, yank the old elastic through the tube.  This should automatically thread your new piece in as you pull the old one out!  TAKE THAT, SEWING AND CRAFT GODS!

Once you have the elastic threaded through the tube, un-pin and discard the old elastic, then stitch the ends of the new elastic together.  Be sure to go over it several times so that it has a lot of hold.  No one wants a wardrobe malfunction.  We in the real world aren't looking for publicity.

Once that's done, stitch your little hole back closed and that's it!

See?  No difference at all from the outside, only one tiny stitched-up place INSIDE and now we have a new skirt that fits like a dream!  YAAAAY!  :)

<3

WW

Listening to: "Raven" - Mejibray

Salvaging Broken Jewelry

Sometimes you just end up with a crapton of broken jewelry.

Or maybe that's just me.

Whether you buy it for crafty purposes, someone gives it to you, or you just stockpile things you have that break, it can accumulate!  While I'm certainly not a hoarder in most areas of my life, my craft stockpile can sometimes beg to differ.  I find myself having to clean out and re-organize all of it every 2 months or so just to sort of ferret through and ask "am I *really* going to do this project?" or "is this something I have the time and energy to finish?" so that it doesn't take over...well...everything.

At any rate, in case you are the type of person who also ends up with a lot of broken jewelry or weird odds and ends, then this post is for you!  Maybe you'll have the same pieces here or maybe you'll be able to use this for some sort of inspiration!  :)

Now, I don't have any 'before' photos, but this metal cabochon thing had had the jump ring, bail, or whatever had belonged to it broken off, the stone was loose and had a silver paint on the back, and it was bizarrely wrapped in some sort of odd, iridescent fabric that was all bunched up underneath.  That had to go.

I pried up the prongs, ripped off the fabric and carefully used a razor blade to scrape the silver paint off of the back.  Not all of it, though, and you'll see why.

I wanted to put a photo under the stone before putting it back in, but without all the bunched-up fabric under it, it just didn't sit right, so I used some Loctite to glue some flat beads in there.

Once I had the proper level, I was able to trim the photo I wanted to use around the "stone" and set it into the little bevel...wait...is that even the right damn word?

Anyway...

I put the "stone" back on top, then closed the prongs....You can sort of see here how the silver I left gave it that 'damaged old mirror' look.  It looks better in person...

Now, the aforementioned bail.  It didn't really have one, I just did't know what the proper term for they-glued-it-directly-to-the-chain was.  Still don't.  Either way, I took a small, flat, ugly charm I had lying in my jewelry supplies and used the Loctite to affix it to the back of the whole ordeal.

And now we have a really cool, sort of goth pendant that needs a matching chain!

For that, I used a plain chain and then added some drapes to it using a different style of chain to break up the monotony.

Then, I attached the little dangling parts which are actually those little metal things you're supposed to put around round beads.

I am so full of terminology today I shock myself.

Awful fucking terminology or not, I'm very pleased with how this turned out!  It took me about 20 minutes (not including the glue-drying time, of course) to take this pile of trash and make something pretty and unique!  Score one for repurposing!

<3 WW

FOOD PORN!!

Yep, time for another random photo post!  I really need to get more craft projects done!  I have a ton I'm working on, but have sort of hit 'burnout' mode for a bit so, while I still have plenty to post, I'm trying to sort of space them out a bit and, besides, random photo posts are fun!!

On to the food porn, then!

Mmmmm, gelato.  That 'Cappuccino' thing was actually chocolate.  *.*

Breaded chicken, spinach, and ranch wraps.

TAMALES!!

Mozarella sticks with a breadcrumb coating from pinterest...Highly bland and unremarkable and the breadcrumb coating just...eew.  Do not recommend.

Hot chocolate and marshmallow hot chocolate spoons I made for Yule years and years ago...

Random donut box that I thought was just too cute!

I hope you're having a lovely week!

<3WW

Listening to: "Bad Apple" - Gakupo Kamui

DIY Window Clings

This post will be a quick, yet really, really fun craft!  I saw this one forever ago on pinterest, but have no idea what happened to the actual pin.  Anyway, I was very skeptical, but it actually worked and I was stoked!

Step 1: tape some wax paper around a cutting board, picture frame, cookie sheet, or whatever other flat thing you can get your hands on.

Step 2: draw designs onto it with puff paint!  Since the cookie sheet is transparent, you can even slide a coloring book underneath if you need to!

Step 3: Let dry.  I'd advise letting them sit somewhere for about 24 hours as the thick or 'solid' ones take quite a while to dry!  After that, be careful when checking them because some of mine even needed to dry for two days.  Once they are completely dry, you can peel them off!

I made a TON of these for every holiday and occasion and will probably make more.  I just love them!

The glow-in-the dark puff paints came out amazing, particularly in the spiderwebs.

Once I got comfortable with the paints, I began to marble a few and such!

...and best, they really DO cling to slick surfaces!

Quick and easy!  The longest part is the dry time!

<3 WW

Random Photo Post!

Since I've done quite a few projects since I've been gone that I was entirely too lazy to do tutorials for, I figured I'd share a few pictures of some of them so you guys can feel a bit more caught up.  While there are tons of tutorials on the way, I'm about half-way through my cup of coffee, so I figured that photos would do quite nicely today!

Barefoot sandals!  I've made a few pair of these lately, and I hope to start selling them soon.  If only I can remember to pick up the rest of the materials when I'm out...

My mixer.  I hand-painted the strawberries and stripes, then sealed it all.

A necklace I made for a friend...

...and another...

...and yet another.

This little bat I made for the Wookie and I want to make several more.

I sewed pipe cleaners into his wings and into his little toes so that his wings articulate and he can hang from things.

What have you been crafting?

<3
Wookie Wifey