Baroque-ish inspiration

The fabric embellisher extraordinaire and refashion designer in me was immediately inspired by this gorgeously ornate and baroque-ish jacket I ran into while perusing one of my favorite new blogs (more on that later) . . .

The blogger was commenting on "the fierce force of ornamentation, brocade, bling, bang & baroque that assailed the runways" last Fall. 

Since I remarried and pretty much retired for now, I completely missed this awesome trend. Honestly, I have not paid much attention to my love of fashion and design for several years . . . well, since my love of being in love took over.

While the look is gorgeous offset by a white background, my first thoughts went to denim since my fashion and design tastes gravitate toward recycling fabric and bringing new life to used jeans.

This post is strictly inspirational. The look of the jacket so grabbed my attention that I had to write about the inspiration for future projects which are not confined to fashion, but transcend to home decor and beyond!

About the blogger . . .

The blogger is Carolyn Espley-Miller aka Slim Paley, whose blog is uniquely stylish, beautiful and entertaining.  She is the wife of Dennis Miller (one of my favorite comedians and entertainers of all time).

Carolyn is totally awesome and I am in the process of reading her entire blog . . . it is that good.  The jacket is one of many jewels I have discovered within the pages of her blog.

Huffington Post describes Carolyn as "a Santa Barbara based Lifestyle blogger with an eclectic eye for all things design related. She is well versed in photography, fashion, food, interior design and gardens."

Start exploring her blog on the very entertaining article this gorgeous jacket came from, Loco for Rococo.  Hope you enjoy her blog as much as I do!

Awesome Closet Makeover!

I love the before and afters 

on this closet makeover from 

ScoutAndNimble.com

Click here for the article 

and lots of inspiration!

Kitchen Awesomeness

This is just a small glimpse of Brenda's awesome kitchen which matches my idea of the perfect color scheme and feel for my kitchen.  Her small kitchen is packed with all kinds of little delights for the eye . . . the splashes of red really does something for me!

Click here to see more of her fabulous kitchen . . . check out all the little nooks and crannies of her kitchen.  While you are there, check the rest of her blog, Cozy Little House, it is one of my favorites.

DIY Beaded Flip Flops

I'm always on the lookout for a way to refashion flip flops! These flip flops are going to be my next project. Living in Florida means having a great selection of flip flops, one of the greatest inventions ever. This project is one of 10 ideas for DIY Flip Flops from one of my favorite blogs, Handmade Future. Click here for the original blog article . . . check out the rest of the blog while you are there! Happy Crafting!

Denim organizer

What an awesome concept!  

This denim organizer was originally made to organize belts,

 but I'm thinking of all types of ideas, like a lingerie or

 jewelry organizer.  

The pockets can be designed using the denim waistband part

 that has the button closure or secure a specially designed

 denim flap with velcro.

How about using denim pockets for

 the various sections? 

So many ideas!  

Roll it up and store in your luggage for organizing all

 those little things you take on a trip.

Click here to go to the original blog post.

Follow Hong Kong Chic for an

 awesome array of inspiration!

Love this blog . . . and she participates in
 numerous linky parties too.

DIY Sea Salt Spray

Don't you love the way your hair behaves after a day at the beach?

I had no idea there are actually hair products out there that mimic the effects of a day at the beach until I discovered a wonderful blog, Bridgey Widgey . . . Life's A Party!

Bridget has developed a DIY version of a sea salt hair texturizer that will give you those lovely beachy waves as shown in the photo.

Here's her recipe:

Ingredients:
Empty Spray Bottle
3 teaspoons Epsom Salt
3 squirts Water-Based Hair Gel
4 ounces Tap Water

Directions:
Just load your ingredients into your spray bottle!


Check out her blog for variations and more!

How to make nail polish stay on longer

After reading the article on one of my favorite blogs, All Women Stalk, I tried to remember the last time I actually went to a salon for a manicure.  It has been so long I don't remember . . . my frugality gets the best of me.  I'd rather spend the money on a good supply of nail polishes and manicure supplies.  

If you are like me, you will love the article on tips to make your polish stay on longer.

Click here for the article.

The Red Dresser!

Look at what you can do with someone's cast off furniture!  I've been thinking about painting our wood bedroom furniture for a while and since I saw this dresser, I am convinced.  Love love love the red, although I was originally thinking of glossy black with gold-leafed hardware.

It is amazing what a little paint and effort does for a tired piece of furniture.

See the before and after pictures here.

DIY Masks for Hands and Feet

Stop spending a ton of money on expensive products

 to pamper your hands and feet!

Check out these awesome DIY masks instead 

. . . click here.

New use for old sheets . . . rag rug!

The original rag rug article is no longer on line, but I found instructions on eHow . . . the instructions are for a rag rug 3-foot by 5-foot.

Instructions

1. • 1
     Rip the sheets into long strips measuring 1-1/2 inches wide. Start the rip with a pair of scissors.
   • 2
     Chain stitch with the strips and hook until the chain measures 3 feet long. Chain two.
   • 3
     Single crochet in each chain. Chain two.
   • 4
     Single crochet in each single crochet, ending with a chain two every row until the rug is 5 feet long, introducing new strips of fabric when the previous strip is down to 2 inches. Leave the ends of the fabric loose for a rustic look to the rug.
   • 5
     Cut the last fabric strip, tie it into a knot and weave the end into the previous crochet stitches to complete the rug.

Here is another source for a rag rug made of sheets.

10 Better Sewing Habits

Whether you are a beginner or advanced sewer, 

it is always good to learn new habits!

Threads Magazine is a great resource for inspiration

 and I've learned so much about sewing through

 the years from the magazine and now their website.

Click here for the article on "10 Better Sewing Habits"

Beautiful Tin Can Caddy

There is something about this color scheme that I love, even though I tend to gravitate toward primary colors.  Love the use of lace!

The featured caddy is geared toward the craft room, but I could really use one of these in the kitchen!

Click here to go to the blog post with a link to the inspirational tutorial, which includes instructions on how to wire them together.

I'm always ready for another use for recycling cans!

Glitter Switch Plates

Anything glittery or flashy catches my eye.  I immediately thought that these switch plates would look so awesome in my sewing and craft room.  How cool would it be to make the room itself look crafty?  I just may do it once I get it organized and functional again!

As easy as switch plates are to replace and change out, wouldn't it be cool to make different colors to match the holiday decorations?  I have even covered mine with fabric using Mod Podge.

This is a Mod Podge craft . . . easy and inexpensive!  

Click here to go to the tutorial :)

Denim Placemat

Denim refashioning and recycling 

is one of my favorite things!

Check out my latest find . . . a cute denim placemat . . . I just love the little pocket for silverware! Would be very cute to make denim napkins to match. 

Sorry, I have been unable to find a tutorial on how to make it, but if you are an experienced sewer, it doesn't seem to be very difficult.

Here is where I found the photo for some inspiration.  The article has many ideas for denim refashioning and recycling!

Halloween Costume Ideas

We are fast approaching the holiday season, which seems to start when the witches and goblins come out in search of lots of goodies and sweet treats.

It always seems to be a dilemma when it comes to deciding "what am I gonna be for Halloween."

Here is your chance to get a jump start on the season!  Susie QT Pies Scraps of Life has come up with the awesome idea of starting a Halloween Costume Board on Pinterest and you can also participate!

Click here to go to her blog!

Crazy Quilt Denim Jacket

Recycling jeans is the favorite of my sewing/craft projects!

I did not make the jacket in the photo, but it sure did give me a ton of ideas for a future project!  I'm not a big fan of the crazy quilt technique since I like things to match, however, I was thinking of using the technique using scraps from the same pair of jeans.  Photo source

Another idea . . . make the jacket and run it through the washer a couple of times with bleach.  This will give you a blank canvas to do all sorts of artwork on.  

One of my favorite tricks . . . water down acrylic paint in a spray bottle . . . doesn't even need to be fabric paint.  Back when I was doing a lot of painting with fabric paints, I would use up the little bit of paint that is always left in the bottle for this method.  Crazy as it may seem, I would utilize the water I used to clean my brushes while I was painting for this method too.  Nothing goes to waste . . . I'm really frugal when it comes to using every little bit of craft supplies!

With fabric embellishment, you are only limited by your imagination!  If you love glitz like I do, you can use beads, sequins, rhinestones, studs, fringes . . . any type of trim.

Another thing I love to do is mix denim and lace!

Now that I have given you some inspiration, start cutting up those old jeans and create something fabulous!

Dramatic Eyes ~ Get the look!!!

Glittery eye shadow is my favorite!!

Love the smudgy cat-eye look :)))

Click here for a tutorial on how to get that look!

DIY Blush

Who wouldn't want to at least try to make

 blush that ends up costing a penny or two?

What a wonderfully frugal idea!!

This project comes from one of my newest

 blog discoveries, My American Confessions.

Click here for the tutorial!

Mini Muffin Box

What an awesome idea!

You could also use these little boxes

 for cookies and candies.

They are so nice and compact . . . 

would be great for storage of little stuff.

This awesome project comes from one of my

 new blog discoveries, Desperate Craftwives.

Click here for the tutorial!

Ribbon scarf . . . fabric manipulation

Although I like the scarf, what I am really impressed

 with is the technique for making the fabric.

The possibilities are endless with this method of fabric manipulation.  What first comes to mind for me is denim and lace for a purse over another piece of fabric.  It would also be awesome for refashioning t-shirts with cutouts and reverse applique.  

Love this!!  And it is so easy . . . check it out!

Click here for the tutorial by Kayte Terry . . . 

photo credit also belongs to Kayte!