pixels are good for the soul

all available now at pixels ATTACK via etsy.

HAZAAR!


please welcome my new etsy shop, pixels ATTACK!

i have so many of these perler/hama beads that i've needed to do something with it. i used to have a different etsy store agesss ago with an assortment of things including pixelwears, but i closed that shop not long after i opened it. but inspiration has come again to re-open a new store to sell my ironed goods.

this is just the beginning. i have a super awesome pixel product in the making, but it's going to be some time before i unveil that one.

for now, just enjoy the awesomeness that is pixels.


- her.


p.s: we went to the dog park today and kicked a soccer ball around for about an hour. which is great exercise but then we ruined it by having this for dessert.

apple turnovers. amazing. puff pastry + bakers apples + jaffle maker + ice cream = *drool noises

new necklaces on etsy.

pretty self explanatory really. i've posted up two new necklaces on my rupert and sherlock etsy.

available here at US$40 each with free express post within australia.

i also have a few projects going on at the moment that i will reveal soon. which i'm excited about. one invovles an opp shop buy and that's a big deal for me because i'm not the oppshop type. i try and try but i just can't bring myself to enjoy it, or buy anything. but i'm stubborn so i'm keeping at it. i hope to bring these to you sooner rather than later...with my track record.

- her.

to affinity and beyond.

i have a strange affinity to buying jewelry. i say strange because i don't actually wear any. i wear some time to time, now and then, mostly just some statement necklaces but otherwise, they all just sit in my ikea tree looking pretty. i've come to gradually realise this over the years and have toughened down on what i buy. i used to get a whole heap of cheap assortments of things but never ever wore them, because that's what they were, cheap and thus never looked nice. now i buy more in investment pieces, ones that stand out, not necessarily with a hefty price tag, but ones that i will knowingly feel special in, like i've made that extra effort.

the above photos are an assortment of things i've gotten over the past year or so and naturally all from etsy. i find that being a handmade site, i will always find something new and unique with reasonable prices.

1. a ceramic skull ring from mixko. this was made in limited edition so none of these are available anymore in this style. they do although have some left over with rhinestones in their eyes, which i personally thought was a bit distracting. they also had at one point a baby doll head ring in ceramic which was creepy but slightly calming.

2. a beautifully crafted copper cuff from jewelstreet. i fell in love with this one straight away and asked if it was possible to reserve it. she was awesome enough to say yes (that's another thing about etsy, they are all so lovely). i prefer silver, which she said she would be able to make up if i wished, but i couldn't afford it at the time as it was quite a bit more. but i had to have this cuff no matter what colourway it is.

3. this piece is amazing. i love it because as a child i used to love collecting the christmas beetles in qld where i used to live. but now in vic i haven't seen one at all, so this was a great way of showcasing them. also because it has been set in resin you can import it as it comes from the usa. it was made by kolosstudios. they have a wonderful selection of pieces and if bugs isn't your thing, they have cast other things in resin also.

4. super cute faux moss ring from adornjewelry. i was jealous for a while when i found this because in the states they have such a cute variety of moss jewelry and of course with import customs i would never be able to own such a thing, until i came across this. i thought it was so clever because it will also never die. i got quite a lot of complements when i wore this and it was fun to play with while bored as well as the texture is nice.

5. this necklace was so amusing when i stumbled across it and i laughed for a while then bought it straight away. i felt very gansta. haha. it comes from nat1489 and is still available. i love wearing it. i still find it amusing and i got it quite some time ago.

6. this is one of the most recent purchases. well ben got it for me for my birthday. it was handcrafted by jewelerjim and he's super! the ring wasn't in my listed size but he remade it all for me again with no extra charge. it is such a beautiful ring and looks amazing on. i've worn this ring a lot more then some of my rings i've owned for over year, but i've only had this one for over a month. he has such beautifully designed pieces in his store, some way out of my price range, but still amazing. if only.

another thing i love about etsy, is that, if a piece isn't in a limited edition collection, it will still be there months to come, if the seller sees fit to continue making it. compared to consumer fashion, where it's there one week and gone the next, never to be seen again. this is one strong ill wishing emotion i have towards it. ben will say something like, think about, next time, or i will want to check out my bank balance and then when i want to get it, it's gone. the amount of times it has happened to me it's not funny. especially in this year alone, where i have only done online shopping, then it's open to the world and not just the locals. so i'm very close to learning my lesson, if i love it, wait a day or two, then get it. if money permits. oh how money pains me.

what are your favourite pieces new and old? are you like me, where you own lots of things but never actually wear any of it?

- her.

metamorphosis.

FINALLY, finally, finally gotten around to taking photos of my necklaces to post up on etsy. it's been quite some time. i did take some a few weeks ago, inside, at night, with some bright lights but it made everything orange and not even photoshop could fix it. so i gathered up all my motivation for the month and took them today. i've only uploaded a few for the moment, as spreading them out over time makes for the best exposure.

on sale now at rupert and sherlock.

the set of necklaces above is my metamorphosis series. the center necklace is the base then you buy the attachments separate to suit your mood, mix and match. i was quite pleased with myself when i thought of this one. plus it means not having to spend lots of money on buying a new necklace each time. so far i only have the two turquoise nugget attachments shown here, but there will be quite an assortment to come.

the necklace im wearing in this photo is one yet to be released. it is made from the most beautiful faceted druzy agate in a wonderful navy colour. i bought two lots of these beads lengths before i even started using them. i adore them so much. this one is my own, as i said in my previous post, i make them then end up keeping them myself. but luckily i have still quite a few leftover so it will be making an appearance in my etsy store.

i will also be updating my photos on my already existing cuffs plus adding some new colours i have made up. plus some limited edition ones (they have vintage heart shaped studs on them, available in limited quantity....minus the ones i keep for myself...)

so please check out my store regularly for new items. i am also open to doing custom orders or wholesale. i have also updated it so postage in australia is now free and it's express! if there is a listing with postage still charged, contact me to change it or i will refund it after payment.

- her.

druzy-licious.

a. necklaces by beijo flor. b. necklaces and bangles by sparklecouture.


for as long as i can remember i've had a love for druzy and agate slices alike. i remember when i discovered them and found it such a treat when i could buy one or two at the new-age healing stone faerie shops (you know the ones) when i went to the mall with my mum and grandma for the movies and shopping. i still have those somewhere, in a box. but my love for them has re-surfaced and i can't get enough.

i've been trawling ebay and etsy to find supplies of them wholesale so i can make my own necklaces, for my own use and for sale on rupert&sherlock. the trouble with this is that, each stone is unique and different, so you will never ever be able to have them all. a bit like pokémon. i am constantly finding new ones that amaze me and make me need to buy them, otherwise someone else will and it, will then obviously, not be mine. which is not an option. i find them ever so much more fascinating than diamonds, to my partners approval (he doesn't really agree with the whole diamond thing).

i have a small collection at the moment of both slices and the geodes but am at a loss at how to use them. i want to make it a bit more interesting then just linking them on some chain as a pendant. i've made one so far that i adore, but the problem is, i now keep it for myself. quite a few necklaces i've made with the intention to sell, ends up on a hook in my bedroom instead and with agate it's even worse because there's only ever one of that style... another issue is that a lot of my slices aren't drilled but i haven't quite managed to drill them myself yet. i tried one form of drillbit with no results, so now i'm waiting for some new ones from china. bunnings has nothing and they referred me to a hobby shop and i assume that would cost a bit of money. no thanks. i need all my money to buy stones. as some of them can end of costing quite a bit. especially at the quantities i want to buy them...

what are your favourite type of stones and gems?


- her.

being neat is not always a good thing.

i've been making A LOT of necklaces lately. i've found a style that i am working with and change it depending on the beads/stones i am using. i have some new stones in the mail that i'm excited about and can't wait to get creative with.

although. i have a problem. i'm too neat. i need to make sure that everything looks balanced when draping my chains and make sure that things are symmetrical and hang just right. yeah it's good in some ways so the piece is aesthetically pleasing in some sense. but i find that when looking at other pieces using the same sort of stones, i gravitate towards the messier necklaces. ones with no boundaries, ones that arent balanced, ones that don't use all silver and mix up the colours and stones in a way i would find blasphemous. i look at these necklaces and began to think i really wish i could let go of rules and make ones such as these. i know i can't. so i start thinking of a way i can save my money to buy them instead because they really are amazing necklaces and i know i can't do it myself.

all necklaces made by loveheylola via etsy. ofcourse.

they are a beautiful mess of chain that makes me want to pull them off my screen and wear them now. plus i've always loved larger statement necklaces. i have found over the years that single chain necklaces with a small charm on them just dont fit in with what i wear or how i look. larger bib sort necklaces on the other hand look a lot better on me, i think it might be due to my round face. so it kind of balances out my upper body area or something. i also wear more simpler tops so it makes for a good addition to an outfit. also the colour really pops as a lot of my clothing is black.

in the end i think my need for these necklaces i've shown is largely due to the fact it's something i cannot do. something that is beyond me that makes it very wantable. kind of like something you can't have. but it's not only due to the fact i can't be messy, it's also because they are a beautiful collection of stones collaborated with the chain to make a perfect mess of awesome. even if i could be messy i would still very much love these necklaces and i hope i can own them myself before someone else buys them. they were only listed just a few days ago.

i have a birthday in sixty days. thanks.

- her.

introducing chester.

this is the chester series. chester is the name of the style and it will essentially be the same length of chain with different stones and the threading of the smaller chain will be different each time, or the same depending if it's any easier to follow a previously made one. although at the moment i have no more chain to thread with so i have to order it in bulk from the states as spotlight doesn't have any. i'm pretty happy with the outcome and also how it is so versatile in the sense of being able to have different gemstones each time. most of the time i will have two of each kind as the 16" strands (which is the standard to buy gemstones as) can accommodate two necklaces.

this will be up on etsy by the end of the weekend, as it's now nearly 3am and taking photos in sunlight isn't really possible right now. i used a mirror to reflect more light onto the necklace in the photos above. pretty clever.

i also have another necklace i have designed and that will also be up on etsy soon. exciting times. if only we have more than one neck to adorn with handmade goods with. maybe one for drinking with and one for eating with then maybe another for breating with, so then we don't get things down the wrong one and choke. genius.

- her.

turquoise chain necklace

i told you i would re-do the turquoise necklace. it was quite a feat taking it apart and untangling the mess of chain. but i got there. then i redid the mess. but better. i'm letting it go on etsy and madeit as i'm still really picky at how the turquoise doesn't sit straight. i don't remember if i mentioned that previously or not. doesn't matter. it doesn't affect the aesthetic of it, i just don't personally like it. although, if the stones did sit right then i would keep it, as i don't have enough stones to make another. but i am looking into buying round stones. they will sit right. so hopefully it sells and it can fund more necklace adventures. buy it. now. thanks

buy on etsy here.

buy on madeit here.

long past due.

this post is long over due. it's been more than a week, i admit i haven't been posting as much as i was when i started. but that seems to be a habit of mine. i start something new and interesting, i go crazy with it, then it dies away when i see the next new shiny thing. short attention span. having a non-addictive personality has it's pros and cons. pros - i dont smoke nor drink. cons - i'm sure i cost my mother a pretty penny when i swapped from jazz ballet to piano lessons and something else as a child and now ben with all my crafty ventures. although i will admit i have stuck with the crafty-ness, albiet a range of different crafts (in which i need to purchase new materials) but still craft all the same. yay for me. it's progess.

which brings me to my newest projects. i've been lusting over the jeffrey campbell 99's for a while. also the alexa wedge à la acne atacomas. because i know i would never be able to afford the atacomas. when i found stock of the 99's on needsupply.com (half the price of what someone on ebay was selling them for), i kept my eye on them. when i saw that 4 of the sizes already sold out, not mine thank god, i clicked 'add to cart' along with a 'funktional' necklace and some happy socks.

so i'm pretty excited and i can't wait until they arrive in my post box. the next day the 99's sold out of another 3 or 4 sizes, so they only have size 8 left. but what i'm trying to get at is, when i was showing ben my prospective buys he asked if i could just make that necklace myself. it doesn't seem that hard. it's just a bunch of chain messed around. right? well if you have slight ocd in the form of, everything needs to be organised and symmetrical, then it's not as easy as a bunch of mess. i gave it a go, but because i'm always trying to have it balanced it was harder than i thought to complete an 'unorganised' mess aesthetic. plus i wasn't quite sure how i would keep the chains from moving around from my strategically placed loops and drops. my first attempt, i will admit, was kind of pathetic. so when i bought the shoes, i also bought the necklace.

as you can see its dramatically different to the funktional one. but i didnt want mine so long and i used turquoise (it matches the socks). as you can also see its pretty pathetic. the chains move around and it's no where near symmetrical which annoys me a bit. but the most annoying bit is that the chains move around too much, so it clumps together in places. i have although figured out a solution to this while i was attemping my second necklace tonight.

i love moonstone. it's one of my favourite gemstones. that and turquoise. it's needless to say that i will be taking apart the turquoise one and re-doing it completely, to something more like this one. it's not a simple task. this took me close to 2 hours, i guess if i wasn't so pedantic about how each chain falls and where, it wouldn't take as long. but it's attention to detail that really ends up making the necklace work as a whole. my mum and i bought those moonstone beads like 2 or 3 years ago at a yearly bead expo they have somewhere in eastern melbourne, so it's about time i used them. i have enough left to make another one of these that will be going on etsy. but i need to get new chain first, it's amazing how much chain goes into it.

well i think that's it on this topic. i'll be writing up another post about how its twothousandten next. i have a feeling i was going to say something else, but the mac decided to bring down the grey curtain of death and make me restart, so i've forgotten. thanks steve. i also think the length of this post makes up for the lack of posts.

- her.

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.

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.

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 ]

stick a needle in my eye. followed by chain.

[ jewellery design by Andy Farrow ]

lust.

- her.