Zombie High, Win or Die

Something wicked this way comes... Halloween is upon us once more! Halloween is one of my favourite creative holidays so I thought I'd share some pictures of the costume I created last year. I'm actually afraid of zombies so I figured I face my fear by becoming the source - a zombie! Zombie what? Why, a zombie cheerleader of course!


I used cheap basic items from Primark to adjust as it was easier than starting from scratch. The skirt needed some work but it was quite easy to shorten and elasticate. I had the most fun creating the top. After designing the cheerleaderesque logo I purchased some red felt and simply cut out the designs then used fabric glue to stick them straight onto the cotton.


The small lettering was pretty tricky to cut out but I was really pleased with the result. On the back I actually made two costumes, one for me and one for my best mate. Since we were from the same 'squad' we picked our lucky numbers and put those on the back.


To complete the outfit I splattered some red pom poms with burgundy nail varnish to represent blood splatter.

Make-up was obviously also an important part of the costume. White face paint, heavy on the dark eye make-up and some fake wounds later, we were rocking the undead look. I even bought some blackjacks to chew on to turn my mouth black! Putting my hair in bunches and backcombing them took minutes but looked great.

The final touch was a difficult one - to cover myself and the shiny new costumes in fake blood - but once we got into the zone it was a whole lot of twisted fun.

I loved the reaction we got walking around the London Underground - especially turning round corners and making people jump out of their skin. The costumes went down so well they're asking for a reprise.

But not this year!

This year I am lucky enough to be going to see the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Halloween night. I'm in the process of putting together a Trixie/usherette costume. I can't wait!

Mad as a Hatter

These personalised party hats were fun and simple to make. Using an A4 sheet of card each I rolled and stuck the hats in place then collaged them with various bits and pieces with the 3D first letter of my guests names as the focal point. A few fabric and parcel ribbons plus a white feather made the top a little more interesting. Finally I added some multi-coloured elastic and the hats made a nice touch to the tea party.

Nail it!

I wanted to do something different with my nails, rather than the usual single colour (or alternate colours if I was feeling fancy). Here's what I ended up with:





No, I didn't paint all that on. I'm far too lazy for that! I have a bunch of comics I use for creative projects - they're all old and random, but yes, I did feel a little guilty cutting them up. At first I was going to cut out panels to fit each nail, but then a saw a tiny speech bubble that would fit on perfectly on a nail and had a eureka moment.



I first painted my nails black using my favourite Barry M nail paint. When that was dry I carefully cut out some speech bubbles that fitted the nails (some needed more trimming). I used Hi-Tack All Purpose Glue to stick the speech bubbles to each nail and waited for that to dry.

The final step was to cover the whole nail in clear nail varnish - I used about three coats because obviously I didn't want the paper to get wet when I washed my hands. Unfortunately, it did after a couple of washes so, while they did dry again, the nails didn't last more than two days. I think coating the bubbles in PVA or similar water resistant glue before application might solve this issue.

It was a fun project completed in under two hours, and I got quite a few compliments!

Ikea, you've gotta see her

I had no idea Ikea had a fabric section! When I found it downstairs in the caves of rugs and lamps it was a nice surprise. There was quite an impressive range of patterns, though I was disappointed to find some of the ones I wanted weren't in stock (and hadn't been for months, I was told). At around £4 per metre on each I limited myself to two designs since I'm low on cash. This funky heart design from the 'Fialena' range:



And this quirky bird motif from the 'Gunilla' range:



The intended uses are probably upholstery and such, but the black, white and red heart fabric is dieing to be used in a Queen of Hearts dress or bodice, and it would be easy as pie to make tote bags from them!

They were out of stock of these black and white designs (just as well or I'd have made lightened my wallet a whole lot more). You can view most of their selection on Ikea's website (though they are not available to buy online).

Philately Lately

At a car boot sale a lady was selling packs of around 500 stamps from all around the world for £1.50. How could I say no? The tiny canvases are perfect for incorporating into jewellery and other art projects. I had more fun than I thought I would going through them all.



These are seven of my favourite designs.

Link to the Past

I was lucky enough to get a commission to put together a costume from one of my favourite game series, Zelda. It was Link's outfit I was challenged with making and I had a whale of a time making it all up.

I started with by gathering up the materials I needed for the basic outfit. This included green suedette which was great to work with (no fraying, fabric glue was fine on the seams, minimising sewing!), and white stretch cotton. The faux chain mail was difficult to find, but I eventually found some silver netting in my favourite haunt: Fabric Land.

The hat was the easiest thing to make so naturally I made that first! Only one line of sewing was needed, then I glued the hem and added the side detail. Next up was the green tunic. Since this was laced up at the side rather than one complete piece, this didn't take too long. I made the criss-cross detail at the front with strips of the suedette.

The white under shirt was the most difficult piece to sew, as I had to work from measurements and no model, since it was a mail order piece. I redid the collar a couple of times, as this was quite tricky.

After this was finished I added the faux chain mail, sewing this into the tunic. I ended up with two pieces - the tunic, complete with chain mail, and the white undershirt. The customer kindly agreed to find some white trousers himself, as I don't think I'm at the level to make trousers from scratch quite yet!



Next up was the accessories - a Hylian shield, Master Sword and the belt brace. I used three belts for the brace. They proved very difficult to attach to each other - I used epoxy and velcro in the end.

For the sword I bought a plastic one and took off the guard. My dad cut some wood into the general shape and I attached and painted it, along with the handle. It's a rough representation but it does the trick! My dad ran away with shield idea and created his own method of making them from a cardboard base. He's sworn me to secrecy.



I used acrylic paints to paint the basic design and touch up, and silver spray paint around the edge. We attached a metal door handle to the back, and a leather jug handle (we just happened to have a bundle lying around!) as the arm brace. I was very pleased with the end result. I'll be making one of these babies for myself next!



I had a fun with this project and learned a lot too. I'm really happy with the way it all came together. I'm still waiting for the customer's verdict and I've asked him to send a couple of photos of it in action - provided it fits!

Cute as a Button

Last weekend I went to my first car boot sale of the year! I just love walking around the boot sale, not knowing what people are giving up. There's a huge one near my house every Sunday and the weather was good so we headed up. I was on the lookout for old watches, having missed out on some ebay lots recently. I found four watches for £3 (plus a pretty pearl brooch for £1), way cheaper than on ebay. Oh how I love a bargain.



I intend to use them in jewellery pieces.

Rekindling a lost love for antique trinkets, I dug out my grandma's sewing box, where I remembered seeing some old school buttons. Who doesn't love buttons?



I love how the designs are so intricate for such small things. I can't help wondering what they were originally intended for...I think these are my favourites:

London Love

I traveled up to London recently, and made a point of checking out a couple of craft markets. First up was the Sunday Up Market in Brick Lane. I was completely taken with the area, immediately feeling a great atmosphere. The market itself was full of handmade items, predominantly clothing, cards and jewelery. A few small retailers I'd been following online had stalls, including Buddug, who have to sell the most beautiful jewelery and trinkets. Also came across a lovely lady who sold crocheted fascinators and interesting brooches. Her website is underway at Twinkle Bug so keep an eye out!

I bought a brooch from Rosie Wonders. I have a thing about robots, and this little fellow was a must have, since I was informed it had only been made the previous day! Meant to be.



I can't wait to save some money and go again (without the burden of my luggage!). I highly recommend a visit. If you decide to go, make sure you get your money out before you get to the area as the cash machines often run out before lunch!

Fascinating!

A boredom-inspired eBay search led to my discovery of fascinators. I had the notion to search for 'burlesque' in the clothing and accessories section, and these curious hair ornaments kept popping up. There were some beautiful ones about, most of which predominantly used feathers. A few went a stretch further and played around with materials, which I what I decided to do when I tried my hand at making one.



Using mostly bits and pieces I had lying around, I'm really pleased how this turned out. Black, white and red is a favourite colour scheme of mine and I'd wanted to usde some old playing cards in an accessory for a while. The only new purchase for this creation was the red feathers.



The piece is attached to a slim red alice band, and so can be worn on either side of the head. I had a lot of fun making this and can't wait to make some more. This, and others, will eventually be sold on my forthcoming online store.

The Fight Against the Blank Canvas

Blank space does funny things to my brain. Whether it's a blank page or blank walls, the long I stare at it, the more my mood spirals downwards. That's why I'm a fan of that basic and beautiful design skill - the collage. Everywhere I've lived, the collage has followed. The colour and design of each individual piece transform the entire canvas into visual candy.



At university a like minded friend and I collected fliers. Being students, we collected a lot! At first we created a simple collage covering an entire wall, but one lazy Sunday we decided to step it up and make a flier rainbow. This is probably the best collage I've had a hand in making!



I've also used collages to jazz up boxes, folders, notebooks and such. Here are a couple of boxes I worked on as gift boxes.

Untamed Menagerie

On one of my many internet adventures I was led to the Etsy store of Untamed Menagerie. Being a big fan of Alice in Wonderland, I fell in love with the 'Curiouser & Curiouser' necklace, which arrived in the post today. I thought I'd share that, and one or two of the other wonderful acrylic jewelery designs.

Point and having pointed, pounce!

The triptastic Beatles film Yellow Submarine holds a special place in my heart, as it was probably one of my most watched movies growing up. It's been a family favourite since I can remember and that's why I made this little plush Glove to give my mum on Mother's Day.

He's 20cm long and made of felt. All hand sewn.

Material Girl

On a recent trip to London I was taken to a magical place: the largest Paperchase store I'd ever seen. It was a delight to explore the shop's three storeys of art supplies, trinkets, wrapping paper and gobsmacking array of greetings cards. With mixed media canvases in mind, I bought a few sheets of handmade textured paper, among other things.



Recently I also found some Japanese postcards my Granddad had sent my mother during his time in the Royal Navy. They're quite beautiful. I may end up using some of these in the canvases too.

She Won't Let Those Robots Eat You

Out of everything I have ever made, this is my favourite. Meet Giant Happy Robot! He is 50cm tall, but his little brother is a wee 18cm. Made from felt and PVC, he has a wire frame and all he wants to do is hug you. GHR is completely handsewn (I love machines but machines hate me!), and even has posable arms and legs!

The three basic body sections were made by using a basic box template, so these came together quite quickly. The trickiest parts to sew were the hands with their three claws.

Giant Happy Robot currently resides with a dear friend of mine, where his friends include No Face and Nobby the Night Gaunt. Tiny Happy Robot lives with me.

If you love GHR as much as he loves you, watch this space as I plan to make and sell more!

To Me, Tutu

I created this for a party I was going to, with a twisted Alice in Wonderland theme. The method is so simple, and didn't cost much at all. I got a belt (elastic works too), multiple strips of black and red dress netting and some suedette which I had lying around. Each strip measured double the length that I wanted the tutu to be and couple of inches wide.

Each strip was doubled over and loop tied around the belt. I looped the other strips, of which there were around 100 in total. And that finished the basic tutu! I glued some hearts, spades, clubs and diamonds as the finishing touches.

You can find detailed instructions with a quick search of youtube or google.

Colour Me In

I bought myself a new camera for Christmas, since my old one was getting on in years! It's a simple slinky Sony W110 and I've been playing around with it. I wanted to go out and about but it was so miserable outside I stayed in and made colour grids.

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