archimedes. part one.

with all the leather i have (plus the more i'm getting), i've decided to move on from the cuffs and try out clutches. i actually tried making a wallet last night but didn't realise how tedious it is. bah. i'm definitely now not going to think $100 for a wallet is crazy. i think it's definitely well worth it. i would much rather pay the money then try my hand at wallet making again. especially since my puppy is a notorious wallet eater, i would cry if i spent all that time sewing for it to just become her toy.

also my downfall for yesterday was because i didn't sketch out a design, or anything at all really. i was just cutting out shapes and hoping they would all go together (which they did, just ended up being really thick with all the card slots for it to sew together). soooooo today i've fixed both my problems. ditching the wallet, to make a clutch, sketched out the design and all the components. yay.

well the above picture is the first drawing of the archimedes. so now comes the construction. for another day....

- her.

fashionary.

the above picture is from fashionary.org, which i came across from the blog duo at monoxious. the fashionary is a diary, for the fashion industry. its genius!

"Aimed to bring convienient of both online and offline content for fashion designers, Penter Yip found fashionary and its website in 2008. After graduated from Polytechnic University in HK and spending half year in Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK. Penter works as a fashion / graphic designer currently. Fashionary is the first sketchbook specially designed for fashion designers. And it is kept updating and improving according to customers’ feedback."

it has: 1200 brands index, Measurement tools, Body measurements, 10 basic patterns, Specs Sheets, Typography & boards, Books and bookmarks list, Fashion events, Textile information, Monthly Calendar and Contact Sheets. then is also contains 130 of figure templates.

i've made quite a few amazing purchases lately, but i'm waiting until i receive them in the mail to post them up here, but this is one thing i couldn't and didn't want to wait to post. i bought mine straight away, theres over 150 currently available on their etsy store, fasionaryonline.

GET ONE.

- her.

free gift worth a trillion million dollars.

ive got my fair share of free gifts from magazines. do i use them? no. actually i've used one. a free sample size of chanels mascara. beautiful. which i then went out and bought the real thing.

but what i'm trying to get to is that most of these 'free gifts' have a ridiculous price next to the designers name. most of them are tote bags. i dont use totebags myself, they just happen to be sealed with the magazine i want to buy. they are then removed, looked at then put aside. ive found them now and then behind the couch. these tote bags are usually super creased with poor sewing. even if i did buy tote bags i wouldn't pay the money they say its worth at its home store. which then brings me to this months free gift with cleo. a one teaspoon sports watch.

it comes in white or hot pink. i chose the white one as its more versatile. the band is from molded plastic, so just like its tote bag counterparts its been set into shape from its packaging. so it doesnt sit flat on the wrist, it sticks out on both sides. i've been trying to bend it back into shape to no avail. it looks quite odd when wearing it, it's essentially non-wearable. the clasp is actually pretty sturdy, it wont come apart easily, or at all because of the mechanism it uses. the price they claim it to be worth is $59.95. but with the condition it's in, it should be classed as a faulty item, as if it was bought instore it would be returned. i know i may sound cynical about it all, because some people might think, it's free why are you complaining, but it's moreso the fact that is just a piece of plastic, that most likely wont be worn by all the people who get one (because its bent out of shape) and it will just be put aside and eventually thrown out. its a waste. a waste of energy to produce and a waste of the companies money as a promotional item. this doesnt make me want to go out and see what one teaspoon has to offer. it's quite the opposite, it makes me think that they have other shoddy items for sale if they didn't quite take so much care in their promos. it's free, i know but its just disconcerting that we all take consumerism so lightly. this is where i would insert a preach about consumerism vs third world countries but we have all heard it before.

well i can't wait til the next tote bag!

- her.

nobody beats the drum.

this is the shiz

-him

art deco leather necklace.

so sore. ive been playing around with the leathers i bought and today decided to branch out with a new concept. i googled images of art deco necklaces and wanted to transfer that into a leather neck piece. i think the concept is nice and something that i didnt really find on google. which was good, cause it meant i'm delving into something new and exciting! oh my! well. i drew up a couple designs and focused on one of them then went to cutting it from my leather. using a scalpel on tough leather is not really something i would enjoy doing on an everyday basis. but it is necessary to get clean cuts. using double sided tape to hold the pieces down onto its backing, i went to sewing. because my pieces were small and to get close to the edge, i had to hand turn the needle the whole way through. fun times. well i spent a good part of the day hunced over my machine and this is my finished prototype:

im pretty happy with the outcome. theres a few things i need to work out. like the stitching. as most of you would know, you need to back stitch on garments to lock the thread in. i can't do it with this as it bulks up a part of the thread and doesnt match the rest of the border. i think ive got a solution for this, but its really tedious. need to clean up the lines on the sections aswell. the chain hanging out from the left is where you adjust the length of it.

statement necklaces are in. but i havent seen any like this. im on to something here. arent i? why not. once ive perfected this it will be up for sale on my etsy store.

plus my nail polish match it.

- her.

must ween off handbags, to use tote bags.

tote by gemmabear

i really really really really want a pug.

but i'm not allowed.

so this is a good substitute for now. i guess. ..

rain rain go away. no no no, i mean please stay.

ah the rain. i welcome it with both arms and the arms of anyone else in reach. and yours. it's been quite hot here in melbourne and it's been awful. the rain is wonderful, it's cool, it's refreshing and it smells good. also gives you the best excuse to stay inside. ben and i have joked previously that it's the perfect gamers weather.

i recently bought a whole heap of leather to make some cuffs, bows for headbands, clips, etc and some clutches. i got inspired from a leather cuff i saw on etsy and ben asked if i could just make it myself. so instead of paying $40 + postage from the US for a cuff, i spent a substantial amount more on some australian leather. the colours are divine and the leathers so soft. so today because it was raining and the weekend (i actually stay inside on most occassions, i just think its a good excuse), i moved my sewing machine into the lounge room (so i can simultaneously catch up on gossip girl) and got to creating.

this is my mess:

i have the most basic sewing machine (as it was my first and didnt want to spend heaps on something i mighn't of used much) but it does everything i need. ben bought it for me at a mothers day sale (i have pets, that counts, right?) at a local store, with owners who are amazing. she gave me a quick how to and said i could come back for help with sewing anytime i needed! my stubby holder on my coke zero can is from rhyll fishing, a rainbow trout farm on phillip island, everyone who eats fish must go. you catch your own fish, then cook it yourself or they cook it for you.

well, after some trouble shooting, pauses for gossip girl and lunch i finally completed my first cuff! i plan on making lots more and selling them on my etsy store. i have a store at the moment, it's empty but i plan on making a new one with the same name as my blog so its easier for people to remember. i also made a headband, i'll post pictures of that another day. i'm pretty happy how the cuff turned out, but i need more buckles! i didnt realise how hard it would be to find decent sized and styled ones. the one i used today was of an old belt from the salvo's but they are pretty expensive for an opp shop. well here's my cuff:

i don't usually like snake pattern and such, but i loved the colour so much i couldn't resist. plus i thought a clutch with this leather would look amazing. that sort of tacky but to-die-for kind of thing. the background colour is actually another piece of leather i have, it's so soft. i'm pretty happy with the outcome being my first one, i can only get better from here. plus im such a perfectionist and can get really grumpy if one little thing isn't right, i know they will just get better. can't wait until i make enough to put up for sale, then sell them, then buy more gorgeous leathers. how excitement.

- her.

what's the time mr wolf?

high tea time!

i wish.

i was trolling through my favourite site for bankruptcy, etsy, and decided that i want to make a feature wall. a feature wall of clocks! i told ben (my partner) and he seemed less than pleased, as our clock from ikea likes to make sure it gets noticed by its tick tocking. although i prefer this excuse then him interrogating me where i would put them all. i get this from him everytime i want to purchase a new frame, painting, table tennis table, air hockey table..

bah, details... buy now, fit later.

i do although love how my walls are set up in the lounge room. on my left i have a collection of nintendo characteture prints from fort awesome studios, my own paintings on skateboard decks, random assortment of other prints (mark ryden for one), ikea clock and my favourite vintage floral plate with 'shithead' painted on it from trixie delicious (which was actually my first etsy purchase ever).

then in front of me, i have our tv mounted on the wall. then to my right my 3ft fish tank surrounded by an angelique houtkamp print 'cornelia' and my all time favourite movie poster japanese edition, labyrinth. david bowie is the dreamiest goblin king ever. then behind me i have a montage of frames housing numerous disney posters from japan. i have heaps more i need to frame though but i try to hold off going to ikea until i have a herald worthy parchment with my list of must-buys.

'need' and 'want' are not part of my vocabulary, its only 'must'.

-her.

1. imotime 2. giftedpapers 3. NiceLady 4. imotime 5. sofacitysweethearts 6. imotime

all from etsy.

cupcake photo from crumbs and doilies cupcakes blog.

need new bookcase. thanks.

it's no secret that i love ikea. it may be a new information to you but its no secret. i get excited when the new catalogue comes out and my house wouldnt look like a stranger if it was in the catalogue itself. i spend hours in the display store.

i mean hours. four at least.

then i go crazy in the market hall, but i stay composed, although im pretty sure my partner would love to have a pair of magic handcuffs from my pet monster on hand.

which brings me to why im writing this post. i use the iconic billy bookcase from ikea as a shoe shelf. its perfect. i decided to use the bookcase after numerous attempts and failures at finding a stable and aesthetically pleasing one. ive made a conclusion that this was because i kept buying cheap ones. but these are my shoes im looking to house! the ikea one works so well because of the adjustable shelves. but ive run out of room. aghast! my partner actually has the same bookcase for his shoes. ( i know! shock horror! a guy, with more than one pair of shoes! )

ive actually started to take over his bookcase with my boots. .. oops. we have a small house, so another bookcase is out of the question.

then again, we dont really need a kitchen right?

from etsy seller tinyvintagewardrobe.

- her.

custom me hearty.

internet + boredom = less money.

i was searching through eBay for new iphone covers and found some clear ones, which triggered my memory of some amazing artist iphone skins. à la audrey kawasaki, stella im hultberg and kukula via gelaskins. i couldnt remember the website at the time, so i just googled 'iphone skins'. in one of the description lines i saw the word 'custom' and just freaked. i could have my own photo? no way! amazing. so i did some sluething to find the better deals and came across unique skins. for only US$6.99 + postage i could have my beautiful sherlock (photo above) on my iphone. other sites were around $15-$20 + postage. i found it quite amusing trying out photos deciding on the one i wanted. it took quite a while. but i settled on my puppy chewing on some money.

maybe i should call her boredom, they both seem to eat my money away.

- her.

andrew gn-ious.

[ top runway photos from his spring 2010 collection. bottom runway photos from his spring 2009 collection ]

in the december edition of shop til you drop i came across a backstage photo of andrew gn's spring 2009 collection (the yellow one to be exact). it's printed in the 'shopping spree: dressed to thrill' article. that article i might add showcases tons of gorgeous dresses i wish could be inserted into my warddrobe but i think i will just have to cut them out and sticky tape them myself, as that might be the only realistic way i could wear them all.

but back to andrew gn. i fell in love with that tiny photo in those glossy pages because it incorporates everything i love right now. lace. jewel tones. large embellished bib necklaces. did you know andrew gn actually creates his own buttons and embellishments in-house. amazing. he is singapore born and is now based in paris. his handwork couture comes at a fancy price so i'll share with you some more budget friendly jewelled necklaces and such i have on my wishlist.

- her.

[ 1. TheGreenZebra @ etsy ] [ 2, 6, 8 & 9. EzzaExclusive @ etsy ] [ 3. deannaburasco @ etsy ] [ 4 & 12. designerplayground @ etsy ]

[ 5. chicmetal @ etsy ] [ 7. from sportsgirl ] [ 10. divinerose @ etsy ] [ 11. ExclusivelyZoe @ etsy ]

achievement unlocked.

giles spring 2009

after his post about nintendo gadgets and returning home after a midnight launch for a new game (modern warfare 2) it inspired me for a new post. the midnight launch itself wasnt as exciting as i thought it would be, although i only have 3 others to compare it to. the first one was for the wii, which was i guess boring apart from the fact that the security gaurds kept telling us to enter via different entry points... which also happen to be on opposite sides of the shopping mall. so after lots of walking back and forth and a ride in the security mini car, we just sat around and waited. the second one is my favourite, not for the game but for the cupcake overdose i nearly induced. nom nom nom. the third we went a bit late and it was pouring with rain, no one was there and they were closing up. although because him is a regular they let us in and also questioned as to his whereabouts, saying 'its not a launch without you there'. laugh. then there was the one tonight. standing in line. fun. with a drunk girl protesting with one of the clerks that she SWEARS she would trade her mobile for his mario hat. he didnt because clearly he wouldnt be up for the employee of the month running if he did. and she wasnt super model.

- her.

don't blow this.

nintendo hard drive by 8bitmemory @ etsy

Looks like Super Mario 3, but plays like a hard drive - 500GB to be precise, just about enough space to hold every game from your childhood or childhood you never had and are trying to relive. Does not include carefree adolescence.

-him

stick a needle in my eye. followed by chain.

[ jewellery design by Andy Farrow ]

lust.

- her.

spring is queen.

[ eyeshadow & blush by orglamix @ etsy ] [ rose ring by lizhutnick @ etsy ] [ dino ring by theriveriseverywhere @ etsy ]

[ purple glasses from quay eyewear ] [ orange necklace EzzaExclusive @ etsy ] [ floral skirt by grevilleadesign @ etsy ]

[ shoes by kvoll ]

i have a very love hate relationship with spring. i love spring because i am able to wear brights and florals and not look like i'm the odd one out. i wear them all year long. its also great because shops will actually stock new prints and styles. but what i'm not to fond of is the heat. i'm not a heat person yet so many people are and they think i'm crazy. in winter you can layer up, wear beatiful tights, longer sleeves with lace tops, coats and scarves. in summer, well theres not much you can do to dress down. you cant wear a bikini to the corner store, right? although i dont go out much and i still wear tights and cardigans in 40 degree heat. so i guess i should rejoice for all the new florals available for my wardrobe.

hoorah.

now to tackle hayfever.

- her.