DIY: Botanical Specimens & Shadowboxes

If you're looking for a quick and fun craft project for this week I suggest checking out design*sponge for their new DIY pressed botanical specimens tutorial. If I weren't leaving for Britain this week I would definitely get into it but as it is, I'll have to wait til I'm back at the end of the month :(

Let me know if you create anything special of your own this week!

Also, if you're in the mood for a more time consuming or stimulating craft, you might check out this DIY shadowbox project with Moomah also found on design*sponge

FaerieWorlds 2009 & New Faerie Wing Tutorial

So I finally bought my tickets to FaerieWorlds '09! I've missed the scent of incense, sweat, and craft booths, and I've missed being in that little secluded spot of fantasy and magic lovers, dancing and creating for 3 days.

And now as the countdown begins (24 days) I'm trying to energy drink my creative flow into overdrive so that I can pump out something truly fairy-like for the festival. Last year I posted a wonderful fairy wing video tutorial which I used to make my own wings since I was a beginner.

This year I'm trying something a little more challenging. I will attempt to make some insect like fairy wings out of iridescent cellophane paper, using wire as veins to create an open frame like these ones below.

Thank goodness for Faerie Muse and her extremely helpful tutorial! Wish me luck! Keep checking by for updates on my costume!

DIY: Faux Feather Wreath

I want to start on making one of these gorgeous Faux Feather Wreaths IMMEDIATELY! How fantastic to have hanging on my door? Although I probably should laminate it as I do live in rainy Seattle. 

Visit the above link to the Etsy tutorial and make sure to check out Tiny Bazaar for a variety of feather cut outs. Plus I love the idea for using them as gift wrap decor like below!

DIY: Cord Crafts

Tired of looking at the same old heap of cords that comes with basically everything electronic? Frustrated with how similar they all look? Here's some great suggestions for creating your own decorative phone chargers and electrical cords! So pretty! Plus although seemingly time consuming it looks like the steps for creating your own would be relatively simple. 

Leafy charger cord

Big beaded cord

Via Free People

Tie-Dye Tango

Oh goodness I want this dress from 80's Purple soooo badly! It would be a great DIY project except for the fact that it will be impossible to find a plain tank top that long....let me know if you have any ideas for where I could find out! 

This would be PERFECT for the Folklife and Bumbershoot festivals here in Seattle this summer!!

A Call To The Craft Of Embroidary

Sublime Stitching "Forest Friends"

Doodle Stitching by Aimee Ray

"Naive Embroidery" via WGSN

DIY Faery Flower Crown

Never has a post been so right on like the one that The Cherry Blossom Girl just posted. If you're like us, you've been on the hunt for a lasting crown of flowers for ages. There are some very beautiful ones on the internet but prices run oh so high it sort of ruins the point. 

There are the daisy crowns we've all made in the summer time. But no matter how beautiful, they're shriveled up messes by the end of the day...

Although it's the only the beginning of winter, flower crowns are always in season I say. So check out how to make your own (flower crown) and let the magic begin...

YES WE CARVE: Barack O' Lanterns

This site is sooo brilliant! Why not support Obama on our beloved holiday of Halloween? Take advantage of those brightly glowing pumpkins in the dark and visit YES WE CARVE! 

You can also print out stencils here if you're like me and not the most talented pumpkin carver...

My Halloween Wish List

Sooo...I'm a BIG fan of Halloween. The costume choosing and creating process is thrilling. But the best part of it all in my opinion is the house decorating. So I thought I'd make a list of all the stuff I'd like to get this year to decorate my new house! Enjoy! And maybe it will inspire some spooky ooky ideas for you. 

Witchcraft Chest

Instant Cemetery

Bloody Rustic Lantern

Pick Your Poison Drinking Game

Skull Candles

Skull Wreath

Lace Lamp Shade (i want this SO bad but it's out of stock! if anyone sees it elsewhere let me know)

Black Rose Centerpiece

Le Blog De Betty

Betty is so so cute! Most of her blog Le Blog De Betty is in French so it's not the text that matters exactly. But the images...oh la la. Her style is so inspirational especially the way she works with layers. Her outfits are something I could copy myself with pieces I own. (I'm honestly the worst layerer EVER)

I hate it when a style blog just has pieces that are beautiful and I could never afford or find. It's much more appropriate to find a blog that teaches you something. 

So here are a few of her outfits I found most inspirational for you to check out! Au Revoir! 

Etsy Find: Mint Conspiracy & Softlife & Zygopsyche

I've recently fallen in love with soft little squishy plushies. Yay! They make great gifts for birthdays, holidays and other such festivities that merit presents. Lots of homemade lovin' and in addition to that each creature has it's own unique personality.  

Check out Mint Conspiracy's cute cute cute little monsters and Somethings who sort of My Neighbor Totoro-ish.  

Also, Softlife has super unique little creatures that each inspire photo stories blog, some a little morbid, some so simple and cute,

 and all hilariously loaded with the sort of dry humor I love.  

I miss my kitty...all soft and fluffy...suffocating me with his obesity and overwhelming fluff. Zygopsyche's cuddly bunnies and guinea pigs make me happy though. I can at least pretend they are Vinny. 

Faerie Wing Tutorial

I finally found a faerie wing tutorial that actually gave me some authentic ideas! No more cheesy looking glitter glue wings, this is the real thing!

Sublime Stitching

So last Christmas I decided to save some money and put a lot of love into the gifts for my friends. Therefore, I decided to try embroidering some vintage handkerchiefs. Sublime Stitching is definitely THE place to get supplies and patterns. I've since used their patterns for many crafting projects and recently bought two more patterns that are sooooo cool, one by the amazing artist Emily Martin (plus her blog is really fun).

Just thought I would share them with you and tell you to try it out!!! It's super easy to learn to do and I've found it very therapeutic. PLUS it's a super thrifty way to make personalized gifts!

Moleskine: Art Design Center Conference

I honestly think that Moleskine journals hold magical powers to inspire huge amounts of creativity in those who use them. Here are some videos from the Art Center Design Conference that display inspirational pages from artists and their own Moleskines.
Link found via Dear Ada

The Caravan of Curiosities

You may wonder my sources for finding all these unique sites, artists, and inspirations I blog about...

I just want to take a moment to pay my respects to the blogs that have given me such a great deal of joy and have really taken me deeper in my appreciation for these things. And also to thank them for allowing me to share their ideas and finds with the all of you! 

So yay...here are some wonderful discoveries for you to get lost in....(in no specific order)

The Free People Blog aka Caravan of Curiosities

Dear Ada

Orange Beautiful

Etsy

Art Deco 

BurdaStyle

Daily Candy

Kaleidoscope Eyes

Etsy Find: Rivka's Mom

While a little out of my price range, Rivka's Mom makes unbelievably unique and beautiful Steampunk-ish creations that are hard to resist. 

If you're more of a crafter yourself, here's her other site Sweet 15, that provides great watch part lots for amazing prices! Enjoy!

DIY Sequin Art!!!

Thank you to the FreePeople blog, Caravan of Curiosities for such a wonderful, amazing crafting idea! I'm so excited to try this out....although I don't have much wall space left with all the picture frames I've been collecting...it seems like it must be done simply for the sheer pleasure of making something so dang sparkley!

Here's some info on how to make your own!

"For our proto, our designer actually hand sewed each sequin on by hand, and then left a space for the screen printed flower applique. She does not recommend doing that yourself! Luren suggests going to a fabric store and buying a small amount of sequined fabric, maybe the stretchy variety. This could be a little expensive, so another great alternative would be to find some sequined wonder of a dress at a thrift store for a couple of dollars. That way you would be recycling material and not spending much $$. The fabric can them be fixed onto a frame of canvas stretchers and decorated as you like."

Book Review: The Prairie Girl's Guide To Life

Alright so this summer one of my crafting goals is to make my very own quilt! Preferably as grandmotherly and patchworky as possible....so when I happened upon this book I bought it immediately off of Amazon.com! 

Since I've only briefly skimmed over the book so far I'm just going to highlight a few of the projects I just can't wait to start! Maybe you'll be inspired too....only $10.17! Pretty good for all these Little House On The Prairie ideas! Oh and just a plus note...the author Jennifer Worick is from Seattle, no wonder...I wonder what it is about Seattle that makes you daydream of old time crafting....

- Bake a Rhubarb Pie

- Embroider Towels

- Mix a Rosewater Spritzer 

- Mix Lavendar Linen Waters

- QUILT A SAMPLER

- Embroider a Pillowcase (with a cool wagon wheel design)

- Knit a Shawl

- Whittle

- Learn to Waltz

- Arrange Wildflowers

Featured Designer: Built By Wendy

So I hadn't heard of Built By Wendy before until I saw her sewing patterns they sold at Urban Outfitters. I remember thinking what an amazing idea it was to offer REAL fashionable sewing patterns for people like me who wanted to be able to make something unique and special. Unfortunately, although I really appreciated the patterns........the styles just weren't for me. 

BUT recently I happened upon her site and although the prices are way beyond my price range....they are so beautiful they've inspired by to make my own patterns to reproduce them for myself! Wish me luck and I try to replicate my favorite looks!

Fort Making

This reminds me of when I was young....I was the Queen of Fort Making.....and yes, that's a place...

Image found on Kaleidoscope Eyes