Ingenious jewelry hanger? I think so. It's simple. It's smart. It makes an old wire hanger useful. I love it, and it's all I'm featuring today. Get the how-to from The Letter 4.
Ingenious jewelry hanger? I think so. It's simple. It's smart. It makes an old wire hanger useful. I love it, and it's all I'm featuring today. Get the how-to from The Letter 4.
When I think neon, I think the image above. A bright, fun upcycle of beer bottles, but it also makes the 80's teen in me cringe... a lot. Is it really necessary to bring neon back? It's a fairly intimidating trend ... I'm really not ready for another go round with giant neon hoop earrings, shocking socks, hot pink belts and day-glo lipstick. Yes - lipstick. Wow.
Signs of spring are popping up everywhere around here! Sorry for the super-seasonal focus, southern hemispholks ... but you have to understand that the American Midwest is a place where people are so generally deprived of super sunny weather, we get a little high when it finally arrives. Even more so, this South African transplant right here. So I cannot resist the fun, whimsical, colorful spring projects and upcycles I'm seeing everywhere. The globe re-do above makes me a little home sick (hello Cape Town, Durban, Grahamstown) ... get the how-to at My Sister's Suitcase.
Faux bois / woodgrain is everywhere ... adding a little mid-century flair? A little "natural mod" texture? It's cheap, trendy, versatile and easy to use! So it's a GREAT upcycling material. Here's a round-up of projects I think are graintastic!
Chicago is so warm and sunny right now ... it's summer in March! I want to string a hammock under a tree and drift through the days. It will probably snow in April, but for now I'm staring at all the dull, grey/black/teal things in my closet. Blagh! So ... the hunt for (re) fresh, floral ideas begins.
If I could take you on a tour of my home, I'd proudly point out every thrifted, upcycled, alley-scoured and hand-me-down item. I like stories ... so I enjoy being surrounded by things that have some history and tell a story. BUT, I'm not about to try a blog-style home tour - I don't have the photographer chops for that. And, a toddler has invaded my home, so there are far too many messy toddler piles everywhere. However, I would like to share shoes, jewelry, corners and favorites ... things I love that might inspire you... and that I can actually photograph. So, in tried-and-true blogger tradition, I'm creating a weekly feature. Thrifty Thursday posts will be dedicated to the various thrifted corners of my home and my closet.
I am in awe of the craft, resourcefulness and colors in these products. The how to (via Supercyclers) is limited ... but I'm featuring it anyway because it's an amazing way to take one of the ugliest objects on earth and transform it.
If you're a tiny, imagined being like Arrietty (or any other "Borrower" or "Little"), you trade in thimbles. Really - where would you be without them?? I stumbled upon this pic on Flickr recently and was entranced. So I went hunting for Thimbalina re-do's for you.
I recently featured Mielie, a South African company creating amazing woven art, objects and acessories using old t-shirts and knit-fabric overruns. The post got a huge response, so here are a few more fun ways to repurpose old t-shirts! First, the hip chevron mat from The House that Lars Built.
Foxglove Accessories is the brainchild of photographer and artist Betsy Treacy Siber. If you're a regular at Renegade (Chicago), you've seen her beautiful work ... that's where I first encountered her a couple of years ago. Talk about giving things a second life! Vintage postage stamps become true works of art in Betsy's hands. I am constantly struck by her attention to detail and the GREAT color combinations in her work. All her items are lovingly handmade in her Chicago studio using found materials. Her fabulous postage collection features jewelry made with vintage postage stamps from around the world (keep reading to find out how to save 15% on her jewelry!)
Today I get to publish a mini interview with Betsy and a tutorial for her layered teardrop earrings. Yup - she's sharing some of her secrets so you can make them yourself! First, a little Q 'n A:
Q: What do you want to be when you grow up? Did you always know you'd have a creative career?
A: I have known since 2nd grade that I would have a creative career. I don't think anything in particular really sparked it, but it was definitely encouraged and nurtured by my family (many kids are not so lucky). I went to school for photography, which I find incredibly useful for documenting my work and our life, but I now enjoy other mediums as a creative outlet. At the moment, I see the most potential in metals and sculpture.
Q: Why postage
stamps?
A: My dad collects
coins and at some point a fellow collector handed off a box of stamps to him. He didn't
have much use for them, and I thought they would be a nice addition to collages
(I was in high school at the time). Fast forward 8 or 9 years to 2006. I was
moving and organizing my crafting supplies, including my old stamp
box. I often employ the "use it or lose it" method with cleaning (I
collect, not hoard), and I decided that if these stamps were going to be useful
they needed a project, like right now. That afternoon I made my first pair of
teardrop earrings, using the quick and dirty packing tape method mentioned in
the tutorial. I loved the way they turned out and ended up basing the entire
business on it. Using stamps makes every piece unique, so I find it easy to create the same type of earrings 100 times in a row. I really do take a moment to admire each stamp I'm using!
Betsy has a great offer for my readers!
Get 15% off everything at Foxglove Accessories and Foxglove @ Etsy
through March 31, 2012. Scroll down for the coupon code!
(excludes custom items)