Elephunk's Trunk

Millinery Marvels: Talulahblue

2012-02-13T12:37:00.002-05:00

I have often felt that modern Western culture gives too little regard to the forehead as a site of decoration. We paint our cheeks and our lips, pierce our ears and our noses, but the space from our eyebrows up to our hairline is sadly ignored. Fortunately, British milliner Talulahblue is working to rectify the situation with her wide variety of stylish headbands.

This gorgeous piece, titled Ruby of the Orient in recognition of Eastern cultures longer history with forehead decorations, is a beautiful example of inventive millinery. The peacock feathers are hand curled, and Talulahblue has created a lovely satin cameo to anchor the feathers. The beaded trim provides my favorite forehead decoration.

Handmade Gifts for Men

2012-02-12T12:35:00.001-05:00

Having taken the handmade pledge, I am always on the look out for great hand made gifts for everyone I know. Read more, and see my list of picks for men on the Boston Handmade blog!


Unisex Ring by Christina Hurley

Uplifting Treasury

2012-02-11T19:23:00.001-05:00

I am pleased to say that my blue bird's nest fascinator has been featured in this lovely treasury:

The Uplifting treasury was curated by Laurie of SkyBlueDesigns2. Laure makes beautiful ornate barrettes, like this gorgeous silver Victorian Cameo barrette:

Thanks to Laurie for including me in her treasury! I encourage all my readers to check out her lovely shop.

My new favorite hat

2011-08-14T20:35:00.000-04:00

This is my new favorite hat. I experimented with new techniques of feather curling in this hat designed for the Uforge Gallery September assignment: Chanel vs Harajuku. I've tried to combine the elegance of Coco Chanel with the spunk of Harajuku. What do you think?

Milinery Marvels--LaPetiteMenagerie

2011-07-13T15:07:00.000-04:00


Deck of Cards Pillbox hats by LaPetiteMenagerie

Artists draw their inspiration from the things they see around them, and milliners are no exception. It takes true talent to take the everyday and turn it into something extraordinary. That is why I am so impressed with the millinery work of Shelby, the creative mind behind LaPetiteMenagerie. Most of us have a deck of cards sitting around our house somewhere, but how many of us would look at those cards and say "Let's take this and make it sexy"? But that is exactly what Shelby did with her Deck of Cards series of pillbox hats. Each hat is constructed in buckram and wire, covered in black and white leather, and then decorated with rhinestones and veiling. I challenge each of my readers (and myself) to look with new eyes at the things we see around us and see if we can find some new inspiration in them.

Model - Kitty Kosmo
Photographer - Luminous Lizzy
Hair & MUA - Sarah Rochelle
Corset - Sweet Carousel
Photo used with permission from Shelby of LaPetiteMenagerie

Weekly Wishlist: Sleep!

2011-07-09T09:12:00.000-04:00

As a new parent of a one month old, there is one thing I am wanting right now more than anything, and that is SLEEP!


Tote by theboldbanana

Theboldbanana has me pegged. I mean, who doesn't like naps. I've always been a fan, but now I'm a connoisseur. There's the five AM nap on the couch while the baby spends an hour grunting and squeaking his way to a poop in the co-sleeper next to daddy (who is much better at sleeping through the gastric symphony), the five minute half-a-sleep doze in my nursing rocker; and the 20 minute nap with my finger in the baby's while he sucks vehemently, and I try to convince him that he'd like to sleep too. Really. Please?


Happy Nap by zetie

Basically all I get are cat naps. Photographer zetie captured this little kitty mid snooze. Personally, I don't know why they call short little dozes "cat naps." My cats don't just sleep for a few minutes here and there. They sleep all the time. While I am propping my eyelids open, they are passed out in the nursery with me, as if to taunt me. Often in the baby's crib or bouncer.


Heffalump, photo by me

Introducing Morgan!

2011-06-22T08:16:00.000-04:00

I have been very inactive in blogland and craftland lately, but I have a good excuse. I'd like to introduce everyone to Morgan, born on June 5 2011. He is delightful, and adorable, and makes his mama very happy, but also takes up all of her time. I hope to get back to crafting and blogging soon, but until then--oogle the baby!

Birds' nests for your hair

2011-05-24T09:45:00.000-04:00

About a year ago, I decided I wanted to include my millinery repertoire to include hats made from sinamay, a woven straw fabric. Sinamay is supposedly very easy to block as its open weave makes it easy to stretch and pull on the bias. When I went to buy some, I fell in love with a novelty textured sinamay called Medley Tuft. Here, instead of a grid, straw fibers in two colors swirl around randomly to make a straw cloth with a funky texture. I didn't realize until the sinamay arrived that the unusual weave made it much more difficult to work with, especially blocked on its own without a regular sinamay. So it sat in my supply box for a year while I tried to figure out what to do with it.

Then I started making my Peace Hat collection, and I saw the Medley Tuft sinamay in a new light. Why, all those random bits of straw woven together looked just like a bird's nest! And so my bird's nest fascinators were born!

Orange bird nest fascinator

Blue bird's nest fascinator

Celebrating Womanhood--UWIB April Blog Hop

2011-04-25T09:09:00.000-04:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about about womanhood--how to interpret it and what it means to me. In about a month I will be entering a new kind of life as a woman. My first baby is due on May 27 and from his birth forward I will be not only a woman, but also a mother. Having spent two years in a PhD program in Women's Studies, I am wary of essentialist definitions of womanhood, and particularly any definition of Woman that revolves around her role as a mother. Yet I agree with Dr. Sarah J. Buckley, author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering, that "birth is a women's issue, birth is a power issue; therefore birth is a feminist issue" (page 8). Yet it is an issue that American feminists have largely ignored. I am fortunate to live in a place with multiple options for birth and prenatal care, to be able to work with midwives who celebrate womanhood by trusting women's bodies to be strong enough to birth babies without unnecessary medical intervention, and trusting women's brains to be smart enough to decide which medical interventions are necessary for her.

And while I've been ruminating over the political implications of my transformations--both the physical transformations of pregnancy, and the social transformation of motherhood--I've been getting back into some of my non-millinery related art practices to help me celebrate my womanhood:

Pregnancy, by Celeste Bocchicchio-Chaudhri

This was a spontaneous self-portrait painted in acrylics on handmade paper left over from making my wedding invitations.

For more musings on Celebrating Womanhood, be sure to check out the other participants in the April Unique Women in Business Blog Hop!

Rita Wetzel: www.RitasCreativeNest.com
Audrey Fetterhoff: www.AudreyGardenLady.blogspot.com
Linda Stranger: www.capecodjewel.blogspot.com
Judy Woodley: www.WellspringCreations.blogspot.com
Janet Bocciardi: http://honeyfromthebee.com
Ann Rinkenberger: www.harvestmoonbyhand.blogspot.com
Celeste Bocchicchio-Chaudhri: www.ElephunksTrunk.blogspot.com
Wendy Kelly: http://blog.vintageday.com
Cory Trusty: www.aquarianbath.blogspot.com
Karen Terry/McDuffie: www.jmjcreations.blogspot.com

Weekly Wishlist--Mother Earth

2011-04-20T09:55:00.000-04:00

Earth Day is right around the corner, so today I'm browsing wonderful eco-friendly and recycled handmade goodies. While there is a whole world of brand new, sparkly craft supplies out there (and I confess I have very little will power in craft stores), these wonderful artists have created their treasures from what others might mistake for trash.

Reclaimed wood MP3 player stand by fromMarz

This fun dragster style MP3 player stand is made entirely of reclaimed wood scraps. This stand is also great for cell phones or for holding business cards. James of fromMarz rescues discarded fence wood before it can make it to a landfill and uses it for all his woodworking projects. Scraps from larger projects become small treasures like this one.


Recycled paper earrings by shearmoresheep

Once upon a time the paper in these earrings made up the pictures and pages of National Geographic and Time magazine. Monica of shearmoresheep preserves the beauty of the paper in these gorgeous swirly earrings. Her packaging is also made from recycled materials so her customers can be sure of an eco-friendly shopping experience.


Eco-Ninja Plushie by EcoWeaver

And if you don't do your best to conserve our resources, you might just find this Eco-Ninja standing over your bed. Except you won't find him there, because he's a Ninja, and you'll never see him coming. This delightful plushie is made from Eco-felt, a fun new form of felt made from recycled plastic bottles. Trinity of ecoweaver sources all of her beads and embellishments from fair trade sources, seeking to have a positive impact on the world.

For more Earth Day finds, check out my "Love your Mother" Treasury:

Fabric Origami--an experiment

2011-04-18T16:26:00.000-04:00

Ever since I started my peace crane line of hair accessories, people have asked me if I have plans to make origami cranes out of fabric instead of paper. After all, common wisdom says that fabric is more durable than paper, especially if unexpectedly caught in the rain. This is, generally speaking, true. The problem is, when you try to make a paper crane out of a square of fabric, you get something that looks like this:

It looks kind of.....flaccid. Fabric just doesn't do crisp folds the way paper does, even when the creases are ironed. Unless, of course, you can stiffen the fabric so that it has the feel of paper. So I hunted around the internet for options to stiffen fabric. I tried one home-made recipe: equal parts water and white glue, and one "professional" version: gelatin millinery stiffener (the stuff I use when blocking hats). Both made much nicer cranes:

glue and water stiffener


Gelatin hat stiffener

However, neither solved the initial problem. I put the stiffened fabric cranes, along with a paper crane, in the bathtub and ran the shower on them to simulate a rain storm. Because both glue and gelatin are water soluble, the shower caused the stiffener to unstiffen.

glue and water

gelatin

When the cranes dried, they restiffened and I am sure the careful application of an iron would have them looking great again. But I don't want you to have to iron your cranes every time they get wet! The paper crane, on the other hand, held up surprisingly well:

There are some commercially available fabric stiffeners that claim to be water resistant. I'll try those next.

Weekly Wishlist--Is it Spring yet?

2011-04-15T12:01:00.000-04:00

This time last year I was still living in sunny Hotlanta, wearing tank tops and skirts and walking barefoot in my backyard. This year, in Boston spring is creeping up a bit more tenuously. A few days ago I was out in a skirt and no jacket. This weekend we are supposed to get a frost. So in an effort to entice spring to get a tighter grip on New England, I offer you some dreamy handmade spring picks:


Spring Dress by Pinkmouse

Things like this beautiful spring dress from Pinkmouse make me not-so-secretly wish I was having a little girl. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally excited about the upcoming birth of my son, but there just isn't as much awesome stuff for little boys on etsy as there is for little girls. I love the bright green skirt on this dress, and the billowing sleeves. Come to think of it, maybe I should just see if she could make one in my size!


Gabon Ebony Hairstick by Grah-Toe Studio

I keep thinking about getting my hair cut, and then changing my mind at the last minute.Things like this beautiful calla lily hair stick from Grah-Toe Studio call out to me, and then I want to grow my hair out even longer so I can wear them. I adore lilies of all sorts, and calla lilies are particularly sensual. I can't imagine anything more springy then sitting on my back porch, reading a book, with one of these tucked into my hair.


Flowers in Blue from Artbygeorgia

A few years ago I bought my mother some paintings by Georgia Pistolis for mother's day (or was it her birthday? I don't remember) and I have wanted to get some for myself ever since. I love the simplicity of this watercolor painting. Georgia captures the image of these flowers beautifully, without getting mired in the details. The colors are bright and vibrant. What better for spring than some lovely flowers?

New product line--Peace hats and hair accessories

2011-04-13T10:56:00.000-04:00

I've been folding origami paper cranes on and off since I was in elementary school. Cranes are the first origami I learned to do, and pretty much the only one I ever remember. Sometimes I make them out of napkins at restaurants, bits of receipts, anything I can get my hands on. I like to keep my hands busy.

Long thought to grant wishes, origami cranes became associated with peace after twelve-year-old Sadako Sasaki tried to stave of her own death from leukemia by folding 1000 paper cranes. She had been two years old when the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, about a mile from her home.

About a year ago, I put one on a cocktail hat in my shop. I liked that hat, and have always intended to make more like it. This week I decided to start an entire line of hats and hair accessories featuring paper cranes. I started by folding a bunch of cranes.

I spent the rest of yesterday wrapping metal hair combs in ribbons and gluing the cranes to the combs. The first Peace Crane hair comb is now available in my etsy shop:

I will be adding the rest of the hair combs, as well as some fancier hats over the course of the week.

Eventually I would like to donate some of the proceeds from the sale of the Peace Line to an organization working for peace in the world. However, since it is against Etsy TOU to publicly state that proceeds go to charity unless the seller has contacted the organization and received permission, I want to wait and see how well these sell. I don't want to contact an organization, receive permission to publicly announce that I am donating to them, and then end up raising a whopping $5.00 or something. Should the line take off, I will keep you posted on what organization I will be donating to.

Work in Progress--Ancient Greek Inspiration

2011-04-11T10:04:00.000-04:00

I draw the inspiration for my hats from all sorts of places, but I find historical head wear to be one of the richest sources of ideas. I would like, at some point, to start making historically accurate reproductions. Right now, however, I am enjoying taking inspiration from historical fashions and making something entirely new.

Currently I am working on a hat inspired by head pieces worn by women in Ancient Greece, like this one:

I imagine from this picture that this is more like a head band or a bandana than a hat with a firm structure, and I have experimented with the style in that form for my personal collection. You can see me wearing in this picture of my enormously pregnant belly:

I thought it would be interesting to make a similar design with a buckram and wire interior structure. The end result will probably not look Greek at all, but that is fine by me. So far I have completed the buckram base. I plan to cover it with brocade fabric and millinery flowers.

Elephunk's Eyes in a BNR Treasury!

2011-04-09T19:52:00.000-04:00

I recently decided to re-open my photography shop, Elephunk's Eyes, on Etsy. I closed it about a year ago when my macbook died, taking all the digital files of my photographs with it. But I have some prints of the photos still and figured that I should see if they would sell.

The lovely SummerWilson8 included me in this "Buy and Replace" Treasury! Never heard of a BNR before? Well, if you buy anything from any of the shops in this treasury, Summer will put an item from your shop in the treasury to take its place!

Peacock feathers, ostrich feathers, pheasant feathers...oh my!

2011-04-08T17:59:00.000-04:00

Fun, unique materials come from all sorts of sources. Back at the end of February, my roommate and I were parting ways--Hassan and I were preparing to move up to Somerville into a larger apartment with new roommates in preparation for our baby--and our room mate Corin was heading to Northampton en route to larger adventures. Consequently, she was trying to get rid of a lot of her stuff. That worked out well for us--we got the couch, TV, and dining room table. Corin also offered me some of her jewelry, most of which was not my style. But one necklace and earring set caught my eye as something aching to be transformed into a fun and funky hair accessory. Corin was nice enough to give it to me to do with as I pleased.

This is the hair clip I made from the pendant. It has four peacock feather eyes that I trimmed, a white ostrich plume, and a hand curled pheasant feather. I hope to get a picture of it modeled soon so that I can show what it actually looks like worn. The earrings match the pendant, but are about half the size. I haven't decided yet what I want to do with them. This feather fascinator is now for sale in my etsy shop.

Work In Progress--Snowflake hat complete!

2011-04-07T10:41:00.000-04:00

All to often for me "work in progress" really means "piece I have started and is now sitting in a Rubbermaid bin while I am distracted by other things." I started designing this cocktail hat at the beginning of February, worked on it a little bit, and then let it lie for about a month. Granted, I had other things on my plate like the Milliners of Etsy Bridal Challenge and moving to a new apartment. But since one of my goals for April is to finish the items I've begun, I've been hard at work all week stitching and embroidering. The snowflake cocktail hat is complete!

Blocked from wool felt, wired to keep its shape, hand embroidered with both satin stitch and Indian shisha mirror work, and decorated with glass seed beads, this hat took almost nine hours to complete. I am happy with the way that it came out though, so it was worth the time!

The inside is lined with grey dupioni silk:

Weekly Wishlist--I wish I'd thought of that!

2011-04-06T16:01:00.001-04:00

Every now and then someone comes up with something so ingeniously practical that I wish I had been smart enough to invent it myself. Of course, a quick look at my hat shop will reveal that practical is not exactly my forte, so it is fortunate that these other Etsy sellers can turn their creative minds to things that are actually useful.

Take for example this microwaveable bowl pot holder:

Made by Rita of RitasCreationsOnEtsy, these potholders are the perfect solution what has until now been an eternal problem: most microwaveable bowls heat up faster than the food that is inside them, leaving you to decide between lukewarm food in a bowl you can reasonably expect to pick up, or nice hot food in a bowl that threatens to melt all the skin off your fingertips. Made fun cotton fabric and a new form of microwaveable batting, these potholders conform to the shape of your bowl--meaning you don't have to try to maneuver a traditional potholder around the curves of your vessel. And if you are feeling crafty, Rita sells a ebook tutorial on how to make your very own!

Anyone who travels in our crazy post 9/11 world knows that having everything you need with you when you fly is becoming more and more difficult. Struggling airlines are charging for every checked bag at the same time that TSA is limiting what you can carry with you. Since regular liquid lotions are apparently a Threat to National Security, I'd resigned myself to traveling with dry skin. But not CoquetteBath! Using her lip balm recipe as a starting place she played around with the ingredients until she came up with her own lotion bar. Sweet smell and good for your skin, this babies are also 100% approved for airline travel.

Everybody has to do laundry. Well, I guess you don't have to do laundry, but clean clothes are highly encouraged, especially if you intend to leave the house. Dryers are generally not very eco-friendly, with an average carbon footprint of 4.4 pounds of CO2 per load. Shorter drying times mean smaller carbon footprints. But how do you get a shorter drying time? Mr. Wooly has the answer with his wool dryer balls! Like commercial dryer sheets, wool dryer balls keep your laundry nice and fluffy. But unlike dryer sheets, they contain no chemicals, absorb water, and keep clothes separate in the machine--which helps clothes dry faster, shortening loads, and helping the environment at the same time!

Now why didn't I think of that?

Ask and you shall recieve!

2011-04-06T09:46:00.000-04:00

According to a poll I am conducting on my facebook fan page, most people would like to see more feathered hair clips in my shop. The poll has only been running for about eighteen hours now, so results could change, but since I am always eager to listen to my fans I spent most of yesterday working on some new feathered clips.


Hair clip with brass cameo and peacock feathers

When I saw this Vintaj brass cameo in the shop of Unique Women in Business member SoManyBeads, I fell in love immediately. I have been incorporating cameos into my hair clips for a while now--I like the air of mystique the women's faces bring to a piece--but I hadn't seen one made of brass before. The metal cameo seemed to be the perfect compliment to the metallic sheen of the peacock feathers. This hair clip is now available in my etsy shop.

The poll is still running on my facebook page, so if there is something you would like to see in my shop head on over and tell me what you think!

Featured in the Handmade Top 10 list

2011-04-05T09:51:00.000-04:00

I have two hats in the running for the Handmadeology Team Top 10 list. If you have a moment, stop by and give them your rating! Don't forget to check out all the other lovely items as well.

Millinery Marvels--RedDragonflyAKATOMBO

2011-04-04T18:04:00.000-04:00

"Buy Eco, change your light bulbs, grow your own veggies and don't spray bug killer on bees." So ends the Etsy profile of Pheigi Sugahara MacDonald, the talented woman behind RedDragonflyAKATOMBO. Pheigi's urge to create is also an urge to preserve: she creates amazing hats with the goal of encouraging a more eco-friendly and responsible form of consumer behavior.

Take, for example, this gorgeous red tweed cocktail hat:


Strawberry Bows Harris Tweed cocktail hat

The beautiful fabric that covers the handmade buckram frame certified Harris Tweed that Pheigi buys directly from the weavers or mill in Harris, Scotland. In this way, she uses her art to support a traditional craft industry. The inside of the hat is lined with recycled kimono silk. I am always drawn to artists and craftspeople who see their work as part of a movement for ethical consumerism, and aim to include more upcycling and refashion into my own work. Pheigi of RedDragonflyAKATOMBO is an inspiration to me in her ethical commitment and the beauty of her designs.

April 2011--Goals for my business this month

2011-04-01T21:56:00.001-04:00

Today was my last day at my day job. Starting Monday, I will be a full time milliner, at least for the next two months. After that I will be a milliner and a mom and who knows what that will do to my schedule! I figured this was a good time for me to sit down and think about what my goals for the month of April should be. I have general goals for the year, some of which I have already accomplished and some of which are more ongoing targets.

In the past I tried to make it a goal to list a new item in my etsy shop everyday. I pretty quickly found that this was influencing the kind of items I was making, skewing my shop toward things like bobby pins that I can make relatively quickly. Don't get me wrong, I love my organza flower bobby pins--they are fun and elegant but easy to wear for all sorts of every day occasions. But I also love my more extravagant creations, things like crazy cocktail hats that take any where from five to twenty hours to put together. If I am trying to list something every day, those projects get pushed to the sidelines in favor of something I can get done faster.

So for 2011 I resolved to make sure I spent some time every day working on creating something. I haven't always been good about it, but I have been spending more time on product creation than I was before. The downside of this approach is that I end up starting a lot of projects that I don't finish. I currently have about nine works in progress at various stages of completion.

So for April 2011 I have the following goals:
1. Continue to work on creating something everyday.
2. List two new items every week.
3. Do not start any more projects until I have completed the ones I have already begun. By the end of the month I would like to have no more than three concurrent works in progress.

What are your goals for April?

Millinery Marvels--TRAMPmillinery

2011-03-28T13:54:00.000-04:00

Artists look to the past for inspiration in pretty much every creative genre, and in millinery I think this happens even more frequently. We are drawn to the days when no respectable lady or gentleman left the house without a hat and designers sought to outdo each other in innovation and elegance. In this gorgeous headpiece, Maggie of TRAMPmillinery draws inspiration from not one, but two historical eras:


Grecian Goddess leaf and feather headband by TRAMPmillinery

Aptly named "Grecian Goddess," the garland of millinery leaves hearkens back to antiquity. The spray of ostrich feathers and the elegance of the design are reminiscent of the glamor of the 1930s. I imagine this stunning piece topping off a beautiful wedding ensemble, or complimenting the perfect outfit for a summer soiree. Every leaf has been carefully arranged, and the silver beading finishes the look.

Work in Progress--MOE Project Runway Complete!

2011-03-27T13:19:00.000-04:00

I missed the deadline for the Milliners of Etsy Bridal Project Runway Challenge, and thus was not eligible for the actual competition. Despite this, I wanted to push on and finish the crochet hat and veil that I had designed. After all, I had already put about fifteen hours into the project when the deadline came and went. And I am glad I did! I am very proud of the finished product.

This picture shows the hand crocheted motifs that decorate the wire frame of the hat. If you look closely, you can see the crin covering and even some of the ribbon wrapped wire of the frame.

This picture shows the trailing cascade veil. I machine stitched pearl cotton thread around the edge of the veil as a decorative trim and to tie it in with the crochet theme of the hat. The veil is made of fine nylon illusion tulle and has two tiers.

Things I learned from this project:

Everything takes longer than I think it will. All told, this hat took about 19 and a half hours of crafting time.
I learned a lot of new hat making techniques! Before this hat I had never made a crochet motif (I had started a few doilies, but never finished them). I had never made a wire hat frame before. I had never worked with horsehair crin before, and I had never made a traditional wedding veil. The fact that I was teaching myself how to do basically every part of this hat as I went probably explains lesson #1.

Dagmar has been hard at work on the wedding dress that inspired this hat as well:

I can't wait to see it when she is done!

Milliners of Etsy Bridal Project Runway

2011-03-24T14:41:00.001-04:00

The talented milliners on the Milliners of Etsy team have completed and submitted their hats for our Bridal Challenge. Each participant found a piece of textile work on etsy to inspire them, and created a head piece based on that inspiration. Sadly, I did not get my hat done on time. I am still working on it and will post more about that later.

The team has compiled all the entries into two treasuries:

'Milliners of Etsy Go Bridal: Project Runway II page 1' by MoeSewCoMillinery

Beaded Bridal Headpiece... zazuandviolets... $145.00	Recency Style Milkmaid ... delightworthyn $135.00	Aingeal Bridal headpiec... TRAMPmillinery $144.00	Hampton Bridal Collecti... GraceDunbar $780.00
Bride Of The Wind By So... soiree $1800.00	Milkmaid Regency Frock RanunculusMark... $125.00	Aingeal Wedding Gown, M... TRAMPmillinery $980.00	WHITE DAHLIA joanshum $7000.00
Billy Project Runway M... Fedora $120.00	Baroque Fantasy Bridal ... rakijaa $685.00	The Gael Collection - M... RedDragonflyAK... $80.00	Millie's Big Day...... littleoldweddi... $250.00
READY TO SHIP. Daphnie ... ellanacouture $395.00	Annuciation Angel 18th ... ParisCoutureAn... $2825.00	Medieval Style Dress Ma... katrinshine $433.41	RESERVED LISTING 1920s... adelinesattic $248.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

'Milliners of Etsy go Bridal: Project Runway II page 2' by MoeSewCoMillinery

Moe Sew Co does bridal:... MoeSewCoMillin... $100.00	Feathered Crown. kisforkitty $120.00	PROJECT RUNWAY2- Bridal... SIS2rs $100.00	White Gold Rose Burlesq... orderabandon $145.00
daniellemaried... $	White Feather Bridal Dr... austineshu $699.99	Vintage 1900 Lace Victo... verytreschic $1299.00	Elegant in Ivory and Go... KMKostumes $850.00
Chapeau Gateau - Ivory ... jenniferwhitme... $145.00	Wedding Day Mini Top Ha... BoringSidney $150.00	DeathGlam beginning of ... Caracrass $88.00	It Must Have Been the R... clairelafaye $1400.00
white gown 13threads $145.00	Bustled and Ruched Bouf... Kimmi $525.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Making Vintage Re-fashionable--black and silver zig zag skirt

2011-03-15T20:28:00.000-04:00

I have to admit, if circumstances were different I would have loved to wear this skirt:

The black and silver zig zags would disorient and confuse all pursuers, making it much easier for me to escape to safety. And really the stretch and shimmer is just plain fun. Sadly, the waist of this skirt would perhaps fit around one of my thighs, or perhaps on a very tall nine year old girl. Perhaps that is why this skirt was nominated by Dame to be taken off the vintage "for sale" rack and get a new life as a hat.

With the zig zags now going in different directions, the hat is even more reminiscent of dazzle camouflage than the original skirt was. I added some nylon wire scavenged from another old hat to give the brim some shape and a black millinery flower I had laying around for decoration.

Millinery Marvels--Lyndahats

2011-03-14T13:40:00.000-04:00

Today's Millinery Marvel was chosen in honor of St. Patrick's Day. Ok, to be honest today's milliner was chosen because she makes some really wonderful hats. But I chose to feature her today instead of some other day because of St. Patrick's Day. After all, who can resist this gorgeous green topper?


St. Patrick's Day Mini Top Hat by Lyndahats

I love all of the ornate details on this hat: the gold and green ribbons, the fluffy green ostrich plume, the rich silk and velvet flowers. At 2 1/2 inches tall, this top hat is perfectly sized for a leprechaun, but the convenient hair clip attached to the bottom of that hat means that us big folk can wear it too. Lyndahats has a wide array of mini hats, crochet hats, and other items in her etsy shop.

Etsy Product Review: Lace Earrings from Topiary Designs

2011-03-13T10:04:00.000-04:00

I love getting mail (who doesn't?) and getting mail is especially awesome when you open the package to discover an amazing pair of unique earrings like these. Jen of TopiaryDesigns calls these earrings "Deco Statement Earrings" and I think it is a perfect name for them. You will definitely make a statement wearing earrings that hang nearly to your shoulders. And since they are made of lace they are incredibly light. I love long dramatic earrings, but often find that after a few hours my earlobes are sore from the weight of them. These babies will never give you that problem.

Jen's love of lace grew while working for Claire Pettibone designing lingerie. While drawn to the "girly girly" and feminine nature of lace, Jen realized that it isn't always the most practical fabric to wear. Her solution? Turn it into jewelry of course! The lace has all been painted which, in addition to making it lovely colors, stiffens the fabric to be more durable.

The Topiary business formed when Jen moved from Los Angeles to a small town in Northern California: "When I decided to launch Topiary I wanted to bring that beautiful feminine vintage look I loved and merge it with the beauty of woods, moss, trees, streams, deer and wild turkeys that I’m discovering at this stage in my life."

So if you are looking for something unusual yet feminine, definitely check out Topiary Designs!

Weekly Wishlist--Women!

2011-03-11T14:03:00.004-05:00

Since International Women's Day was earlier this week, I'm going to focus my weekly wishing on women today. Who doesn't need more fabulous women in their life? Fortunately, you can't buy actual women on Etsy (I'm pretty sure human trafficking is against the TOU); today I am going to focus on some wonderful finds that honor the women of the world.

"Saint Anandamayi Ma" Painting by Marisa Redondo

Marisa Redondo is a painter from Northern California who has a talent for abstract female imagery as well as the realistic paintings of her India series. This particular painting honors Sri Anandamayi Ma, a spiritual teacher regarded by many in India and elsewhere as a saint. Marisa will donate 50% of the proceeds from this painting to a Children's Ashram and School in Omkareshwar, India.

"Julia" By Lark Calderon-Gomez

Many of us in the United States can trace our presence here to a brave woman traveling alone to a new country to seek a better life. For me, it is my great-grandmother Mary Hucik who came alone on a boat from Brezovica, Slovakia in 1911. Since she died when my mother was a child, she has mostly been a mythological figure to me. Likewise, Lark Calderon-Gomez never got to hear her grandmother tell of her immigration to the United States from Guatemala in the 1940s. Calderon-Gomez has created a series of paintings called "Julia's Journeys," as well as written back stories, to honor her grandmother and explore her own family history.

"Black Rose" by Niehlah Studios

Unlike the other paintings on my wishlist for this week, "Black Rose" by Francis Bradley of Niehlah Studios does not depict a particular female character, or at least the identity of the woman is not revealed in Bradley's description of the painting. I was drawn to this piece because of the strength and dignity with which the subject confronts the unknown beyond the edge of the canvass. Bradley works through her art to bring that strength and dignity to the children of Bamako, Mali. Through the Murals for Mali Project, Bradley uses the arts driven educational and vocational programs to raise awareness about child labor, abuse, and neglect.

Happy International Women's Day

2011-03-08T19:56:00.000-05:00

Jot and Go notebook from Ivylanedesigns

On March 8, 1911 International Women's Day was founded through events in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Switzerland. With roots in the feminist and socialist movements of the time, IWD was envisioned as a day in which women across the globe could simultaneously press their demands for equality and social justice. Today marks the one hundredth International Woman's day; celebrations and events are happening across the globe.

Feminist T Pinky by BiasDesignLLC

While many people today see International Women's Day as an opportunity celebrate the achievements of women rather than as an international day of feminist action, the IWD website reminds us that the "unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men." This is not to negate the many positive changes that have happened in women's lives in many places, but rather to acknowledge that those changes did not and will not come about without the active struggle of people about true gender equality and justice. So for this international women's day, I call on all of us to celebrate the power of women working together to create more just societies, where ever they happen to be.

"Contribution" Oil painting by Eekah

Millinery Marvels--Zazuandviolets

2011-03-07T13:56:00.001-05:00

Lately, I've been obsessed with cloches. After making one as part of my refashion project with Dame vintage, I became amazed at the versatility of these bell shaped hats. Cloche hats can have a variety of crown and brim shapes, as this gorgeous example by Sydney of Zazu and Violets Hats shows:


Tricolor Cloche by Zazu and Violets Hats

I love the asymmetry created by the way the brim turns up in the front, combined with the split in the side. The handmade flower is strikingly elegant in its simplicity. Sydney has been sewing all her life, and making hats for twenty years. Her experience shows through in the attention to detail in this wonderful hat. While the cloche may have gained its popularity in the 1920s, this hat from Zazu and Violets Hats shows that its style is timeless.

Weekly Wishlist--Amazing Aardvarks!

2011-03-03T14:56:00.002-05:00

You know what they say--you can never have too many aardvarks. And I woke up this morning and realized I didn't have any! There are many reasons that aardvarks are amazing. For one thing "aardvark" is pretty much the only word I can come up with off the top of my head that starts with two a's. According to Wikipedia, the aardvark is the only living representative of the order Tubulidentata. And despite its modest size, weighing in at between 80 and 150 pounds, one of its closest relatives is the elephant! Some of you may know that I am a big fan of elephants. So today I am scouring etsy for ways to bring more aardvark into my life.

Gretchen Oddvark by MrSogs

Gretchen is the handiwork of Joelle Medici and can be adopted, along with lots of other fun soft sculptures from MrSogs. Although technically Gretchen is an Oddvark, rather than an aardvark, the enormous white blaze down her snout makes her irresistible.

A is for Aardvark by Jhilldesign

Since I am currently expecting my first child, I am always drawn to fun and interesting nursery items. This "A is for Aardvark" print from Jhilldesign is perfect for introducing the alphabet. And the skull-print motif will help introduce the concepts of personal mortality and inevitable decay to your two year old!


Aardlark by maryjill

And once you have used the "A is for Aardvark" print to introduce your children to the amazing diversity of animal life on planet earth, you can encourage their imaginations, or simply just confuse them, with this painting of an Aardlark by Mary Jill. According to the description, an Aardlark is half-aardvark, half-lark. "He sings sweetly, eats ants, but rips up your lawn!"

Millinery Marvels- Boring Sydney

2011-03-01T20:14:00.000-05:00

Belle of BoringSyndey and I have a few things in common. We both got into hat making through an interest in costuming, and we have both used antlers in our creation of headdresses. The difference is that Belle has much more extensive training and experience in costume design, and that shows in the amazing piece of wearable art she calls "Queen of the Woodland:"

"Queen of the Woodland" by Belle of BoringSydney
Photo by Craig Thomson
Model: Aylyssa
Dress by Kimmi

Made from antlers, a large vintage silk flower, and ostrich feathers, "Queen of the Woodland" is a dramatic statement piece. BoringSydney is, in fact, anything but boring. Belle's work demonstrates the ways in which fashion in general, and millinery in particular, transcends the mundane and practical to enter into the realm of art. Belle's repertoire is quite extensive, however, and her shop also includes more "wearable" kinds of hats.

Weekly Wishlist-- You made that out of WHAT?

2011-02-23T11:46:00.000-05:00

Given my current refashioning project, it is not surprising that I am currently obsessed with the world of making beautiful things from the world of the discarded. And sometimes when I am cruising through Etsy I find absolutely gorgeous things made from the most surprising materials.

Take this hat (and then send it to me please!):

Phoenix Cap by Abscraft

When I first saw it I was wowed by the intricacy of each looped and crafted feather. Then I read the item description. Guess what this hat is made of? Give up? It's recycled television wires. Allison of abscraft spends hours gutting old television sets for their colorful wire and then days sculpting that wire into a hat. I'd say Allison is the queen of turning trash into treasure!


Long Standoffs Pendant by Lushbeads

One look at this necklace and I think "ooo pretty metal beads." A closer look, and a thorough reading of the item description, and I realize that those aren't beads at all. Instead, Liz from lushbeads takes rejected computer parts and turns them into unisex jewelry. To be honest, I've opened up my computer a few times, and while I can appreciate the aesthetic of the circuit boards and what I can only call "diggly-bobs" inside, I would never have thought to turn them into jewelry supplies. Kudos to you Liz!

Cordova Silver Fork Bracelet from wearetheedge

This bracelet from wearetheedge is less industrial than my other two picks for today, and the original material is therefore more obvious to me. But that doesn't make it any less amazing! I love the way the artists have used the tines of the antique fork to hold in the opalized ammonite and then curled the remaining two tines up!

Making Vintage Re-fashionable--Blue Maxi Dress

2011-02-21T17:28:00.001-05:00

When I first got my back of vintage goodies from Dame to work on our collaborative refashion project, this blue maxi dress with white polka-dots jumped out at me immediately.

The white floral lace trim, the sheer blue polka dot fabric--it just screamed "picture hat" to me. Picture hats were popular in the late nineteenth century and featured broad brims with fancy decorations. So I built a picture hat frame out of buckram and wire, cut up the dress, removed some of the trim, and approximately five hours later, I had this hat:

I used the ruffle at the bottom of the dress to create the overhang on the hat and transformed the lace trim into a decorative hatband. This and other hats refashioned from vintage clothing will be available at Dame: Fine Vintage and Independent Design, in Jamiaca Plain, Massachusetts beginning in March.

Millinery Monday-- Thistle Cottage Studio

2011-02-21T09:25:00.000-05:00

Millinery design is steeped in history and in fact it could be said that much of the work of modern milliners is to revive the historical art of hat making (and hat wearing!). Today's featured milliner is steeped in that history. With a family tree that includes the Orsini and Medici families--two of the greatest patrons of the arts in Renaissance Florence--creativity and a passion for the arts is in her blood. Elsie Collins of Thistle Cottage Studio designs studied apparel design at the Rhode Island School of Design and spent three years as an apprentice to an Italian tailor. Basically, I want to be Elsie when I grow up.

Late Victorian Pinchback Hat by Elsie Collins of Thistle Cottage Studio

In addition to theatrical costuming, and modern millinery Elsie uses her knowledge of fashion history to create authentic period reproductions like this late Victorian pinchback hat. According to her item description, hats like this would have been worn by fashionable ladies around 1898. Elsie's work inspires me to dig deeper into art and fashion history to learn more about the fantastic millinery traditions of yesterday.

Making vintage Re-Fashionable-Collaborative hat project with Dame in Jamaica Plain

2011-02-20T15:54:00.001-05:00

I believe that some of my most creative moments happen when I have the opportunity to try and mesh my mind with another person's. So when Dame, a boutique specializing in fine vintage and independent design, asked me to refashion a line of hats for them I jumped at the chance. What is "refashion" you may ask? The wonderful people at Dame define refashion as "an exercise in finding inspiration in the everyday, in the passe, and sometimes in the 'what were they thinking?'" It is "a creative exercise in with a focus on reuse and renewal, blending the lines between what is old and what is new."

Basically, they give me a big back of fabric scraps from their own refashioning projects plus some vintage clothes that wouldn't sell for one reason or another and asked me to make hats out of them. The resulting hats will all be inspired by the particulars of the fabric and by spring and summer hats of yesterday.

Take this dress for example:

My husband dubbed it "the Dr. Seuss dress" due to the ruffles at the color and sleeve. Some of the ruffles were a bit stained, and the stains combined with the overall style of the dress made it something that wouldn't sell in a fine vintage boutique. (Woozles likes it though!)

So I cut it up, cleaned up some of the trim, and turned it into a cloche style summer hat:

This hat, and the rest of the Elephunk's Trunk: Refashion line will be available exclusively at Dame in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts starting this March.

Weekly Wishlist--Steampunk Finery

2011-02-17T14:39:00.000-05:00

This week's wish list is inspired by the fantastical neo-Victorian charm of steampunk fashion. With lace, brass, and felt steampunk artists create a truly funky elegance that hearkens back to a time when everyone wore hats and gusts of steam filled the air.

To add a touch of steampunk to your wardrobe, try one of Claudia Bruno's impressive brass steampunk cuffs. Claudia adds a patina to all of her jewelry by hand to give it that special look of Victorian age. This gorgeous cuff is lined on the inside with black velvet for added comfort.


Black Patina Steampunk Cuff by Claudia Bruno

A steampunk outfit isn't complete without a wild and crazy hat to top it off. Of course, I'm of the opinion that no outfit is complete without a wild and crazy hat, but that's just me! For those with an inclination toward the neo-Victorian and a passion for color, nothing could be better than this vibrant hat by Delight Worthyn. The most amazing thing about this hat? It's made from recycled t-shirts!


Spider Mum Neo Victorian Hat by Delight Worthyn

For the height of neo-Victorian culture, try a nuno felted scarflette from Rudman. I love the texture of nuno felt, and this royal purple creation in silk, merino wool, and tencel looks delightfully soft to wear. The neck is one of the more subtly sensuous parts of the body, and this scarf will accent it beautifully.


Felted Scarf-collar Nunochka by Rudman

And of course, any recreation of Victorian times would be incomplete without the image of soot smeared young boys heading to work in the coal mines. After all, where do you think all that steam comes from?

Young Miners by CoalRegionArt

Millinery....er, Tuesday--Little Old Wedding Shop

2011-02-15T19:02:00.001-05:00

My millinery feature of the week is a day late due to technical difficulties and my own millinery exploits, but I am sure you will agree that Little Old Wedding Shop is worth waiting for. Christine has recently opened Maudie's Millinery and Little Old Wedding Shop as a brick and mortar studio in Brisbane, Australia. She teaches traditional millinery methods to eager students.


Pink Hat by Christine of Little Old Wedding Shop

Christine specializes in vintage inspired recreative work, taking old hats that have seen better days and working them anew. She will take the entire hat apart, wash, dye, re-block, wire, and trim it to create a new hat better suited to the size modern heads, as vintage hats are often rather small. I find this recreative work tremendously inspiring. Christine recognizes the value and beauty of vintage objects and uses her creativity to craft them into modern masterpieces.

Milliners of Etsy--Bridal Project Runway

2011-02-12T16:08:00.001-05:00

Due to the success of the first Milliner's of Etsy Project Runway competition in December 2010, we have decided to do a second challenge, this time focusing on a bridal theme. I spent weeks pouring through handmade bridal gowns on Etsy trying to find the perfect inspiration piece. It wasn't easy--there are a lot of beautiful, original, and just plain amazing dresses out there. In the end, I had to chose this crochet wedding dress designed and made by Dagmar of Sash Couture.

Crochet Wedding Dress design by Dagmar of Sash Couture

Dagmar's dress appeals to me for a number of reasons. First of all, it is a design concept for a custom wedding gown, rather than a ready to order product. This means that she can make you a wedding dress in any style you want while giving it the special elegance of crocheted lace.As a hat designer, I can work with Dagmar to take her basic design concept--traditional bridal fashion in a less traditional material--and interpret it in my own way to create a wedding hat that goes with the dress. But the main reason that I chose the crochet wedding dress as my inspiration piece is that it is fundamentally different from everything else I saw.

Design sketching is not my forte--I can never get the image in my head on to paper quite right--but here is the concept sketch for my crochet wedding hat:


Crochet wedding hat design by Celeste of Elephunk's Trunk

The structure for the hat will be made from millinery wire covered with horsehair crin (which despite its name is actually made from nylon these days). The headband shaped crown will then be covered with my own crochet motifs, accented by a crochet rose. For an added bit of elegance, the hat will support a double layer cascade veil in bridal tulle.

Tied up in Knots--Wishlist Wednesday

2011-02-09T19:19:00.000-05:00

I confess. I am an Italian-Polish-Slovakian-American drawn inexplicably to Celtic knot work. I can't really explain it--maybe it is the way they draw your eyes in and don't let them out, maybe it is the way they show the interconnectedness of all things, maybe it is just because they are pretty. Clearly I am not the only one tied up in Celtic knots, as these talented Etsy sellers demonstrate.

Sapphire Celtic Puzzle Ring by nellyvansee

This beautiful ring is a Celtic knot you can untie. I have always been a fan of puzzle rings, although the last one I had ended up refusing to go back into its proper shape. Nelly Van Cleeff is a full time jewelry maker from Montreal, and this white gold Celtic Puzzle Ring is a ring-lover's dream. Did I mention I love rings?


Maple Bowl by menapace

The walnut lid of this hand turned maple bowl by Garn Menapace shows off the intricacy and complexity of Celtic knot work. I imagine myself as small as an ant just wandering endlessly along the smooth wooden pathways.

Lunar Trinity Chignon by Starflowersilver

My hair isn't nearly long enough for one of these, even though I am growing it out. Even when it is super long, it is very fine so that my attempts at crazy Renaissance hair dos always look a little pitiful. But I want one of these chignon's anyway. Maybe I can get her to make one that is really, really small for my tiny, tiny buns.

Millinery Mondays--MoeSewCoMillinery

2011-02-07T20:17:00.000-05:00

My personal interpretation of "fancy" and "elegant" tends to lean to extravagance and is often defined in the quantity of feathers and the brightness of colors. Emily of MoeSewCoMillinery teaches me that elegance can in fact be much more subtle.

Lola Feather and Bead Fascinator

While the Lola Feather and Bead Fascinator does include feathers, they are a neutral color and generally more subdued than the feathers on my own fascinators. The hand stitched bead work, Thai silk, and painstaking attention to detail, give this this hat a quiet elegance that I envy. Emily's work has inspired me to pursue my own ideas for embroidered fascinators.

Work in Progress - Snowflake Cocktail Hat

2011-02-06T18:44:00.000-05:00

This winter has truly been arctic in its intensity, not only here in Boston, but throughout the United States and Europe. My reaction to the cold tends to be unproductive and unhealthy--to hide on the couch covered in blankets staring at televisions or computer screens and wishing for spring. But I have decided to seek my warmth in creative energy this winter--to pull myself out of the cocoon and channel the undeniable beauty of winter into my hats.

The result will be a wool cocktail hat decorated with shisha embroidery in a snowflake motif. This hat is early in the design stages, but I wanted to share my thoughts.


Design sketch: Snowflake Cocktail hat

The circles will be small round mirrors and the large snowflake design will be done in white embroidery thread. The whole hat will also be decorated with clear glass seed beads. Stay tuned for more pictures as the hat progresses!

Silk Satin Leather and Lace Treasury

2011-02-06T09:46:00.002-05:00

My headband has been featured in this lovely treasury by OldSoulStyle. Be sure to check out all the awesome items. Also make sure you visit her shop for some awesome handmade cards and jewelry.

'SILK-SATIN-LEATHER-AND-LACE...' by OldSoulStyle

I feel the magic in your caress I feel magic when I touch your dress Silk and satin, leather and lace Black panties with an angel's face More lyrics: http://www.lyricsfreak.com/s/steve miller/#share

RESERVED LISTING- Secre... designedbygina... $20.00	Sexy Black Vintage Bead... reginasstudio $16.95	PINK HEART - pink sea s... CarolinaForero $70.00
Wooden toys .... FOREPL... mooshoopork $10.00	Jolie Fringe Choker thesockgirl $6.00	Organza Flower Brooch/P... oneperfectday $20.00
Lust 5x7 Inch Fine Art ... moonangelnay $15.00	Vintage Black Lacey Dre... wayfaringmagno... $52.00	Hot Pink Rose on Zebra ... bedbuggs $24.00
Valentine Red Wild Hear... pila12903 $39.00	Headband. Black and Pin... ElephunksTrunk $15.00	Romantic Silk Rose Peta... RomasMasion $3.50
sale sale free shippin... jillybeancraft $18.00	Jet Shell Wrap Bracelet TwoBeadles $50.00	Drawstring Jewelry Trav... lucymoonglow $6.85

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com A/B image testing.

Wishlist Wednesday--Keeping it cozy

2011-02-02T13:03:00.006-05:00

This winter has been truly awe inspiring as Mother Nature shows us what she is capable off. Here in Boston, I'm writing this from the warmth of my study as outside we get a "wintry mix" of freezing rain, snow, and ice pellets. The snow is already several feet deep and the plow mounds on my side street are taller than I am. With a predicted four inches of ice accumulating tonight, I've been scouring etsy for handmade ways to stay warm and cozy.

My husband is always astounded at how cold my hands get, especially when I spend too much time at the computer ooohing and aaahing over handmade goodies. These arm warmers from brendaabdullah for keeping me cozy without impairing my dexterity. Also, they are made from recycled sweaters which is just cool!

And speaking of amazing things made from old sweaters, I have been drooling over the elf coats made by katwise for seriously several years now. Given that they tend to sell as fast as she makes them, I doubt I'll ever get one but that doesn't stop me from wishing!

For those days (which seem to be happening a lot lately) when I need a little extra warm fuzziness around my neck, I'd love this scarflette from engelfelt.

Sadly, my face is not immune to biting winds and icy rain. Fortunately foamywader has the perfect solution! Nothing keeps your face warm like a nice beard, and finally my inability to grow my own will not hamper me!

Millinery Mondays--Alternative Design Studios Hats

2011-01-31T08:12:00.005-05:00

The talented milliner behind Alternative Design Studios teaches us that elegance and beauty do not have to come at the expense of practicality. After all, at its most basic a hat is an item of clothing designed to protect the head. While it can also be a purely decorative statement hat, I am always impressed when I see hats that combine the functional with the decorative.

This gorgeous suede hat is from Alternative Design Studios' hatcentric line of limited edition or one of a kind hats. I love the soft neutral colors and the texture of this hat. Best of all, it is waterproof and stain resistant, making this hat a perfect choice for a rainy day.

Be sure to check out Alternative Design Studios on facebook, and check out their website where you can learn more about their original designs as well as their hat shop in San Fransisco.

Wishlist Wednesday--Baby time!

2011-01-26T13:34:00.007-05:00

As many of you know, I am expecting my first baby this May. So of course I have been looking through Etsy for bits of handmade joy.

First of all, how can I resist this elephant onesie from blinkbaby?

Baby shoes are always adorable--handmade felt baby shoes with elephants on them are even better! Check out these babies from outofthebox:

Every baby needs a favorite blanket, and of course, I'd choose this one from bankiebaby (noticing a theme here?)

And finally, since I am having a little boy, I absolutely must have some tinkle tents from ClothPadStore.

Millinery Mondays--OnYourHead

2011-01-24T18:10:00.003-05:00

Welcome to the first installment of my new blog series: Millinery Mondays. Once I week I will be featuring a piece of millinery artistry that I find inspiring and generally awesome.

This blog series was inspired by a particular inspiring hat created by Eleonora of OnYourHead. Eleonora lives in Florence, Italy where she is studying millinery. The hat is called "Freedom" and features a hummingbird flying out of a handmade metal birdcage:

This hat has a beauty and grace to it that I strive for in my own work. I am currently fascinated with the concept of hat designs that tell stories, which I intend to explore in my own character hats. Eleonora captures the moment at which the hummingbird escapes from its cage in a hat the combines the whimsical and the elegant. This is truly a work of art that you wear on your head.

Want to keep up with what Eleonora is working on? Check out her facebook, follow her blog, and of course, don't forget to see all the treasures in her etsy shop.

A lovely collection of hats!

2011-01-21T18:14:00.002-05:00

'Day or NIght, A Hat is Always Right.' by kisforkitty

There are so many incredible handmade hats on ETSY, but I wanted to show you some of the most easily worn ones. Hats that are fun, elegant, soft, practical and pretty. Some are expensive, some are not. Truly a hat for every head.

Rita Beret enjolive $55.00	Black cashmere wool uni... IDHatShop $85.00	Red Ear Flap Beret Wool... WanderingLydia $125.00
Black Wool Bobble Beret strawberrycout... $45.00	Black Brimmed Cloche Ha... delightworthyn $65.00	Pink, red and orange Ca... adshats $125.00
Jane Fedora $120.00	Cranberry Red Leather R... LeatherheadOri... $69.99	Off White Alpaca Hat (b... peaceofthy $95.00
FEDORA HAT - NOT-So-Pla... TheMillinerySh... $240.00	Hot Pink Women's Ha... MoeSewCoMillin... $150.00	Isabella Brim Full of R... jenniferwhitme... $165.00
Felt Top-hat Fascinator TierreJolineHa... $65.00	Headwear. Ruby Waves MadHatterBouti... $121.78	Custom Beret-- hat in y... ElephunksTrunk $30.00

Treasury tool is sponsored by Lazzia.com.

Character hat in progress

2011-01-16T16:17:00.002-05:00

Soon all of this will come together as a hat!

Wire figure armature by created by my husband, along with two needle felted sheep.

Hand blocked and wired wool hat base.

Stay tuned to see how it all fits together!

Elephunk's Trunk Welcomes in the New Year

2011-01-01T15:42:00.001-05:00

I would like to wish all the fans and followers of Elephunk's Trunk a creative, happy, and prosperous 2011. This year is looking to be an exciting one for me: I am expecting my first baby at the end of May, which I know is going to transform my life in ways I cannot even begin to predict. As part of that change I will be quitting my day job, and while being a mom is certainly going to be a full-time job, I am also hoping to have more time to devote to expanding my craft. There will be lots of exciting changes in the coming year.

First, my etsy shop is getting a make over thanks to the talented Valerie of xinkblot. She has been working hard with me to create a logo and design matching business cards and graphics for my etsy shop. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for quality, professional graphic design. Valerie took my half-formed vision and turned it into something beautiful. She has been incredibly patient with me as I ask for various revisions and seems just as interested in creating the perfect image for my shop as I am.

I am developing several new product lines for 2011 as well. Everyone knows that people wear hats—this spring look to see hats wearing people at Elephunk's Trunk. I have a new line of bridal headgear in the works and hopefully by the end of the year I will be making hats for grooms as well. I am also working out the kinks on a new winter hat design inspired by the frigid winters of medieval Mongolia.

Wishing everyone the best for the new year!

I'm in a beautiful sapphire treasury!

2010-09-04T12:00:00.003-04:00

'Classy with Sapphire!' by sunshineartdesign

Sapphire is for September!Have a good shopping!

Designers Signature Bia... prizysebastian $345	Sapphire and diamond en... Karinamattei $8000	Small Sapphire blue wid... ElephunksTrunk $70
Crochet Art scarf Celes... VitalTemptatio... $68	Indigo Flow Neckscape -... wearartscotlan... $67	5 pocket Okinawa bag in... valhallabrookl... $335
Sapphire and Coin Pearl... WimseyJewelry $58	Sapphire Secrets Dahlia... vaivanat $22	Sapphire Blue Embroider... KamiMono $13
sapphire blue lace glo... yasoknitting $14	Triplet sapphire bliss ... sophinegiam $26	Wodehouse Parrot no. 2 ... graphidermy $79
Hat of the Month Club T... pedestrian $60	Navy Blue Suede Ruffled... stacyleigh $160	Navy Blue Vintage Wool ... ObservatoryPla... $510

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

New knitting project tote from madbird!

2010-07-21T13:43:00.004-04:00

It was early spring 2009. I had just opened ElephunksTrunk on etsy and was beginning to explore the forums. I stumbled across a thread started by Eclecticasia for shops with less then ten sales and I met my first etsy friends there. Alecia of madbird was one of those friends. With her products in several local boutiques in addition to over a thousand sales on etsy, Alecia has achieved an enviable level of success. While I've sprinkled hearts all over her knitting organizers and project bags. over the past year I never actually got one. Knitting had been a sort of background hobby for me until an hour commute convinced me to start making knit hats to sell. I can't bring my sewing machine on the bus, but I can bring my knitting!

And now I can bring it in style with this gorgeous madbird project bag:

What I love about this bag: It's the perfect size for my knitting projects. The padded, square bottom lets it stand up and stay open so I can get to my work. Also, it is beautiful and expertly made!

The best part? I won this beauty in a giveaway! Last month I learned from madbird's facebook page that she was running a giveaway on ravelry. The more I chatted on her thread, the more chances I would have to win, since she would be picking a random post number as the winner. When she drew the number last week, it was me!

And it gets even better! Alecia does a ravelry giveaway every month with different prizes. This month you can vote one what prize you want to win. So come on by the August Giveaway Thread and chat with us for a chance to win your own madbird goody. You do need to be a member of madbird's ravelry group to win.

Now I just need to order one of these fancy organizers to hold my needles and I'll be all set!

Pirate Faire!

2010-06-27T20:47:00.004-04:00

I got into sewing to make costumes. The first thing I ever sewed was a pair of jester pants for a Halloween costume in sixth grade. Hat making started for costume purposes too. I also have an affinity for pirates. Maybe I get it from my dad who wears a skull and cross bones bandanna when we jogs and flies the jolly roger from the back of his bicycle. So needless to say, when I moved to Massachusetts and first heard about the New England Pirate Faire, I knew I would be going and getting all dolled up to boot.

Most of my free time this month as been spent sewing my costume. My etsy shop is not as well stocked as I would like it to be as a result, but I am proud of my outfit! It was well worth the time it took to make it.

And, I worked out a new design for my fancy fascinators while I was at it!

My husband made a pirate costume for the occasion as well!

A sun hat with a bun hole!

2010-06-06T12:43:00.009-04:00

Every so often I am lucky enough to get a custom order that challenges me to create a whole new design rather than simply altering the colors and sizes of my current designs. This week I got two! The first was from a woman with long thick hair who likes to wear sun hats but has difficulty getting them to fit right over her bun. Her solution? A hat with a hole in the back that she could put her bun through! Here are the idea sketches she sent me:

Note the bun sticking through the back of the hat. Here is the hat I made:

Like most of my sun hats, this one is reversible. The other side is mostly pink with a brown band:
Unfortunately my display head does not have any hair so I couldn't make the bun, but you get the idea.

Inside the Studio-Mini Pill Box Hats

2010-05-30T18:08:00.004-04:00

A lot goes into a handmade hat and a lot of it ends up invisible in the finished hat. In the picture above, the skeletons of three mini pillbox hats wait for me to cover them. When they are finished, they will look like the hat I made for Julia's wedding.

These frames are each made from two pieces of buckram: one for the sides and one for the top. The bottom edge has been wired so that the hats retain their round shape. These three frames are almost ready to be covered. First, I will sew bias strips over the wires and over the tabs that hold the top of the hat to the sides of the hat. This way the frame will be smooth before I cover it with fabric. Once covered with fabric I will decorate with flowers, feathers, netting, and whatever other decoration the hat calls out for. Each hat is different, but underneath they look the same.

Wishlist Wednesday- Summer outfit

2010-05-19T14:39:00.003-04:00

Etsy has developed a new tool to help me find new things to drool over: the suggested shops. A computerized algorithm looks at shops and items that I have previously added to my favorites and shows me shops that people like me have hearted before. The algorithm needs some work to more fairly represent etsy shops, but I have already found some things to add to my hearts.

Like this wonderful green batik shirt from batikwalla:

And this whimsical pixie skirt from ElvenForestCreations:

I think they would be a great combo for traipsing around in summer fields.

The blushing bride

2010-05-07T17:19:00.003-04:00

When my friend Julia of ManicSpider Art and Photography first showed me pictures of her wedding dress, I begged to be allowed to design a hat to go with it. A dramatic off the shoulder number in black and red, the gown screamed "funky elegant cocktail hat" at me. And fortunately Julia, being a rather funky and elegant lady herself, honored me by allowing me to design her bridal hat.

Here she is on her special day:

I love doing custom work for people's weddings. I know how much thought people put into all the details of their wedding, and to be trusted with an element of that design is a great honor.

In other news, I apologize for my long silence. I have been in the process of moving to Boston for several months now--looking for jobs, apartment hunting, packing, etc. I am finally settled in and have re-opened ElephunksTrunk. I plan to be a regular presence in the blogosphere from now on!

Wishlist Wednesday-- Get Organized!

2009-12-09T15:31:00.005-05:00

Like crafters everywhere, I have materials and supplies spilling out of bins, cluttering counter tops, and otherwise taking over my house. Sometimes the chaos can be inspiring as I delight in the colors and textures of fabric, roving, and ribbon. But it also makes every project take twice as long as I search frantically for that perfect item.

If I had one of these gorgeous organizers from victoriawilde, I would never have to hunt for bobby pins, mirrors, safety pins or other small items again!

My ribbon and thread would fit perfectly on one of these racks from TheWoodShoppe:

This clutter cutter from celizabethdesigns could hold my scissors, pliers, seam ribbers, and other tools:

And finally, one of these lovely organizers from madbird would keep me from steppig on my crochet hooks in the middle of the night when I stumble to the bathroom:

Saying "No" to Photoshop

2009-11-23T12:15:00.003-05:00

I have recently begun modeling my hats and fascinators in the product photography for my etsy store. One thing the experience has brought home to me--in addition to the fact that I have a tendency to react to a camera like a deer caught in headlights--is just how easy it is to internalize media images of female beauty.

I do not look like the average fashion model, who is about 5'8 and 108-125 lbs. I've got the 5'8 part down, but at 160lbs I'm forty pounds heavier than the women who appear on magazine covers. I'm admitting my weight on the internet because I'm not ashamed of it. I'm not likely to die of malnutrition. But of course one of the main problems with the advertising industry is that fashion models don't look like the women on magazine covers either, as the recent Ralph Lauren scandal attests.

I know all this. I've read the blogs, taken the courses, and even helped teach a course on Beauty Myths to college students. And yet, looking through the shots of me in my hats I find myself tempted to pull up photoshop and do away with the shadows under my eyes, the places on my face that are just a bit pinker than the rest, or the creases in my clothing that prove that I do, in fact, have a body under the dress.

In the end, I resisted. I said no to photoshop. I am beautiful and I know it.

Fiber Friday-- Spinnning silk yarn

2009-11-20T10:46:00.004-05:00

I've gotten into the habit of carrying my drop spindle and a bag of roving with me wherever I go. This past week, the back has been full of a delightfully soft bombay silk roving in a perfect wintery white, and a small bag of sparkly blue nylon icicle roving. Spinning the silk was like working directly from a cloud. It took me a while to get used to the staple length, which is different from the wool I have worked with in the past, but it was worth the effort. Here is the resulting yarn:

For more fun with fiber, head on over to Alpaca Farm Girl for the Fiber Friday blog carnival!

Wish List Wednesday--A little book for your thoughts

2009-11-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

Several years ago I bought two large sketchbooks to use as journals thinking "this will be great! These books are huge! They will last me forever." And they have. Primarily because I never write in them. Every few months I make a resolution to start journaling again--every night before bed! Everyday first thing in the morning! Daily at 1:11 PM! And invariably after a day or two of fervent thought recording, I fall back out of the habit. I've decided that the culprit is my huge sketchbook journal. It sits there waiting for me to have time to come to it, when that isn't how my brain works. My thoughts and ideas come at bus stops and cafeterias, when I'm walking between classes or sitting on the train. All the mental notes in the world can't induce me to remember to journal about them when I get home. I need a journal that can live in my purse or bookbag so when I have that burst of thoughtfulness hits me I can be ready. Preferably I need lots of small journals so that I when I fill them with my new rapid journalling habit, the next one is waiting for me.

This beautiful journal from BlueToad fits the bill exactly:

At 5x6 inches I could slip it into my purse, but with 120 pages it will hold all my random thoughts. I love the tree art on the cover.

This little journal from UsefulBooks practically has my name on it (Celeste, not Elephunk):

The pages are a mixture of Italian Velata, graph paper, and found pages and are sure to give me plenty of journaling inspiration!

There is no reason that a small journal can't be large in charm, like this miniature leather journal from TeoStudio:

This gorgeous little book is made from recycled leather and hand stained paper.

I can get a whole set of tiny books to save the day from parksideharmony:

Each of these super hero books measures 3 1/2 inches square. You can't beat that for portability!

She wore a Raspberry Beret

2009-11-15T15:37:00.005-05:00

Last month I did a giveaway for a custom beret or sun hat on the Team NorGA blog. The winner, by happy coincidence, was my friend Stockannette from TeamSNEAK. After going back and forth a bit, she realized exactly what kind of hat she wanted.

"Ooh! Can I have a Raspberry Beret?" she asked me. I raised an eyebrow.

"As in a beret with raspberries on it or a raspberry colored beret?" I asked.

She said either one would work. I admit I found that a bit odd. She was so excited about getting a raspberry beret, and yet didn't seem to have any idea what it should look like. So I scoured the internet for fabric with raspberries on it (there is surprisingly little to choose from--strawberries are all over the place, raspberries: not so much). And because she wanted the beret to be a bit warmer for the winter, I told her I would do the lining and band in raspberry colored flannel. Once we had the particulars worked out, I came back to the Sneak Attackers UNITE! thread, and there was Stockannette, singing away:

"She wore a Raspberry beret The kind you find in a second hand store Raspberry beret And if it was warm she wouldn't wear much more Raspberry beret I think I love her"

A light went off in my head. That's why she wants a Raspberry Beret! Because of the Prince song! Although, the raspberry beret she's getting is not the kind you find in a second hand store:

I plan to make another raspberry beret to list in my etsy shop, so stay tuned!

Wishlist Wednesday--This is What a (Handmade) Feminist Looks Like

2009-11-11T15:39:00.011-05:00

To counter prominent stereotypes of feminists as dumpy middle-aged spinsters, feminist organizations initiated "this is what a feminist looks like" campaigns to illustrate the wide variety of women (and men) who are proud to call themselves feminists. Today I bring you a Wednesday Wish list full of my favorite handmade feminist goodies.

This is what a feminist looks like on the inside:

This Frida Kahlo Uterus Plush from VulvaLoveLovely will help anyone channel the creative power of the uterus within. Be sure to check out VulvaLoveLovley's shop for vulva jewelry, reusable menstrual products, and custum vulva portraits.

Somethings that should go without saying, sadly still need to be said:

This "Women aren't Hoes" button from Beanforest is a playful way to make a statement pajorative terms for women.

Looking for some inspiration from strong women of the past? Look no further than anagrampress!

This beautiful hand pulled letter press poster features a quote from Harriet Tubman:
"Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world."

UglyBaby wants to get you fired up about women's rights before you go to the office. This waterproof shower art reminds us that on average women still only make $0.74 for every $1.00 made by a man:

Dia de los Muertos Artist Feature--Verveinteriors

2009-11-02T11:17:00.010-05:00

November first and second are celebrated as El Dia de los Muertos--The Day of the Dead-- to honor friends and family members who have died. To celebrate, I am excited to share with you the work of one of my favorite artists: Kay Martinez of verveinteriors on Etsy. Her work is often inspired by the Day of the Dead and the Mexican folk art traditions that surround it. I have several of her ACEOs, one small square drawing, and I have my eyes set on getting one of her larger pieces someday.

Your art work combines inspiration from South Asian Mehndi and Mexican folk art. How did these two artistic styles from opposite sides of the planet come together in your art?

I grew up in university towns, so I was easily able to meet people from many different cultures. I didn’t realize how fortunate I was or the impact that would have, but it really gave me a deep appreciation for all sorts of cultural nuances. In college, and then working in post secondary settings, I continued learning from other people and developing this appreciation. I can’t remember when I first got into henna art, but I must admit the initial attraction was probably more the “temporary tattoo” part. Yet it amazed me how fast a henna artist could produce such intricate designs, and that fascination just sort of sat in my mind for a long time.

My mother spent time in Mexico before she married, so she probably initialized my interest there; as a kid, I loved looking at all the treasures she had collected. Growing up in Texas, I was fortunate to have Mexican culture surrounding me. I’m a particular fan of El Dia de los Muertos. I love the idea of embracing the concept of death as a natural part of life, and not hiding it under the rug until it inevitably sneaks back out to find us unprepared to deal with it. And, of course, there’s Frida Khalo. This might sound ridiculous, but the movie “Frida” had a spellbinding effect on me. The morning after I saw it, I walked into work in this sort of drunken, lovestruck state. It’s like I had forgotten what I was supposed to be doing all this time, and now I had all-of-a-sudden remembered. That’s the day I started thinking I needed to make some changes and follow what I had finally remembered to be my path.

Having never been a rule follower (can you imagine?), I just find it so natural to merge the two for my own sinister purposes. Muah ha ha ha ha!

When you were six years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Six. Hmmm. I remember picturing myself as the lady on the L’eggs pantyhose commercial, be bopping down the street with groceries in one hand and a briefcase in the other. She had a smart beige suit on, and lovely Farrah Fawcett hair. I thought, “That’s going to be me when I’m thirty!” Really, the first time I can remember wanting to be anything specific was when I was ten, and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” came out. I wanted to be a bar owner in Nepal, drinking all the men under the table. Just kidding. I have no idea why being a movie archeologist appealed to me- I don’t even like camping.

What do you think the importance of buying and selling handmade is, in the broader context of the society we live in?

Whenever I shop or obtain services from a B&M scene, I’m always concerned about the people involved. Are they paid a fair wage? Do they have health insurance? Is the company I’m giving my money to generally give a crap about their employees? Many times, I’ve asked employees how they like working at a place. If I get the feel it’s not a healthy work environment, I find another place to shop. Of course, I don’t just go by one snarky employee’s comments, or one lone media report, but it is possible to get an idea about someone’s business practices through multiple information sources. If I can help it, I only want to give my money to people who practice fair trade, provide excellent labor conditions, provide eco-friendly products, believe in quality, and certainly don’t engage in animal testing.

Along these lines, if the product is also handmade, what a bonus you’re finding, because you’re helping keep artisan techniques alive for the next generation to enjoy. If an artisan has no venue for his or her work, that technique is likely to die with the artisan. If we can encourage people to keep putting their best talents out there for us to enjoy, I think other lives besides just the artisans’ are sure to be enriched in some way. And when your life is enriched in some way, it’s likely you’ll put your best self forward, and so on.

That said, when you’re buying a product directly from the person who made it, such as you might do on Etsy, you’re keeping those techniques alive, and you can be reasonably sure the artisan has some control over his or her work life. I love supporting people who, despite what society might encourage to the contrary, have had the guts to make art their lives

What is one art form or craft that you have never tried, but would love a chance to try your hands at?

Oh, geez Louise- yes! I wonder if any artist would say no to that question. At this time, I’m really drawn to sewing and knitting. I can crochet in its most rudimentary form, and I really like it, so I think I’d like other fabricky and yarny activities. On the other hand, I feel like I’ve only tipped the iceberg of the art form I’m playing at right now, so I have a lot to explore with the ink and paint scene too. One thing I know, I’m horrible on a potter’s wheel. I took a class, and it was like I had lost all sense of touch, time, and space. I felt like I couldn’t control my own body. It was awful! I didn’t go back after the first day, because I was a big baby. I have a real appreciation for mudders as a result.

Besides drawing and painting, what kinds of activities do you enjoy? What are your hobbies?

Ha. I would love to say I have all kinds of interesting and exotic hobbies, and that I’m this really fascinating person who lives her life to the fullest, but I really can’t say that without giggling. TV, film, and trying to control my household- my hobbies, ladies and gentlemen. I love TV, and I could talk about movies all day long. As well, when we bought our house, I proceeded to tear it up completely, trying to paint every surface possible. As a result, everything is still disorganized five years later. I keep working on it, though. I have five dogs, too, so they take up a little time. Gee whiz- what do I even do with my time? Yikes! Of course, my hobbies used to include hanging out at the neighborhood bar a lot, so I suppose that’s progress.

If you were a candy bar, what kind would you be and why?

Ack! I wouldn’t want to be a candy bar, because I don’t want anyone to devour me. I’m trying, but I can’t seem to suspend reality for it. Perhaps it’s because I have such a personal relationship with candy bars, and I know how I relish them. I’m not going out like that.

Wish List Wednesday--Handmade from head to toe

2009-10-28T13:53:00.010-04:00

I have a tendency to hold on to clothes long past their expiration date. I have a velour tunic I got on the way home from an orthodontist appointment in seventh grade fifteen years ago. I've sold holes closed on it more times than I can count, but I love it too much to retire it. Nevertheless, I am starting to think that it is time to buy some new clothes, and when putting together an outfit, where better to turn than etsy?

Topping my dream outfit is this delightfully whimsical asymmetrical gray hat from RetroReproHandmade:

I love the giant curly cue!

For my ears, I would love these elegant floral earrings from vividcolors:

To make a statement about my handmade outfit, I'd wear this fabulous shirt from Phippsart:

I have been drooling over this skirt from couvert for a few weeks now. I love the ruffles, and the zipper, and the general fact that it is awesome.

For a final touch, I would wear this amazing Mohop shoes, tied with orange ribbons:

I've got my new favorite outfit for the next fifteen years all picked out!

We came, we saw, we traded

2009-10-26T17:54:00.008-04:00

This weekend, the wonderful Jan of PamperPantry hosted a potluck and swap at her house for the members of TeamNorGA. There are many different types of etsy teams, and each has its own appeal. You can't beat a local team for proximity though! In addition to helping with local business laws and craft show information, a local team allows you to meet face to face and see each other's creations. So I baked a lasagna, loded up my trunk with hats, fascinators, and all my other goodies and drove over to Pam's house. My organza flowers turned out to be pretty popular, and I traded several away for some great goodies:

This beautiful fall shrug is from Worthy Soy Candles and Crochet. Erica has created these shrugs in a variety of colors and styles. I love the warm colors and bell sleeves on this one.

This pendant was made from a recycled bottle cap by the wonderful Julie of Cowgirl jewels. I fell in love with the pattern on this one immediately.

This stunning necklace came from Josie's beaded jewelry. I love the way it sits right on my clavicles. The bead work is so intricate!

I even got something to help me get organized! This clutter cutter tin from C Elizabeth Designs will now hold all of my organza flowers while they are waiting for a new home. It's pretty empty after this weekend though--I better get crafting!

Wish list Wednesday--Fiber Fun

2009-10-21T09:02:00.014-04:00

I've been developing a new obsession with fiber as I learn to spin my own yarn. The softness, the colors, just enchant me! I love the way you can take a gorgeous roving, transform it into soft beautiful yarn, and the knit or crochet that into another fabulous creation. For today's Wishlist Wednesday I'm highlighting a few things from each step of the process that I am wishing for.

WoolyTreasures's shop tagline is "Made with a fanatical love of color and natural fibers" and that fanatical love comes through in all her items. Her aptly named "treasure fiber batts" shimmer and sparkle in a rainbow of jewel toned hues. I especially love "seasonal sea:"

"Seasonal sea" is a mix of wool, silk, alpaca and angelina. But did you know that you can also make yarn out of milk? Zebisisdesigns sells roving made from dewatered extruded milk protein! I love the colors of this "berry fest:"

All of these wonderful fibers are just waiting to be spun into yarn. And to do that, you need a spindle. Now, you can make your own spindle or you can buy one. Either way, why make it plain and boring? An artists tools can be a work of art too!

Butterflygirldesigns makes beautiful spindles. The whorls are made from stone, resin, glass, or polymerclay like this lovely here:

In addition to having an awesome shop name, Knotmydayjob makes gorgeous spindles. I like the flower shaped ones since they work notches into the design of the whorl. I love the enamel on the shaft of this spindle:

Put roving and spindles together and you get wonderful unique yarns. I love this "Marigold and Mums" single ply yarn from HeartStringsByDee. The subtle shading of yellows into browns reminds me of fall.

On the opposite side of the color spectrum from Dee's muted browns and yellows, SpunRightRound has created this Neon Monster handspun weighing in at a full 13 oz! I love the variety of bright colors and the intermingling of solids and stripes:

What people do with yarn once it is spun always astounds me. I've been knitting and crocheting for years, but it still feels like magic to me--wave a couple sticks around an voila! Yarn turns into a gorgeous garment. Take for example this goddess wrap from FoxyGKnits, a knitting goddess in her own right:

I just want to wrap myself in that blue softness and curl up in front of a fire with a cup of hot cocoa. For a night out on the town, I'd love this blue and gray shrug from filofashion:

Congratulations to our winner!

2009-10-19T09:30:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to CatchaStarCreations, who one my product photogrpahy poll giveaway! Catch wins an organza flower hair clip or pin!

Sad you didn't win? I'm doing another giveaway over at the TeamNorGA blog. Enter to win a custom sun hat or beret!

How to Make a Plaster Hat Part III--Decoration

2009-10-12T07:38:00.011-04:00

You've made a plaster mold of your head and built up the structure. You are now ready to decorate your plaster hat. Let your imagination run wild! By this point you should have some basic design that you are working toward, although it is perfectly fine to make the details up as you go.

Step one: assemble your materials.
Your materials can be anything. You will probably want paint, paintbrushes, water for rinsing, masking tape, newspaper and some sort of glue. I used hot glue for mine. If you want something stronger, you can use E-600. If you are adding large items to your hat, you may need more plaster gauze. I'm adding antlers to the front and pheasant wings to the back, and other feathers for accents. I'm also thinking of adding some organza flowers. Other decoration ideas include wire, glitter, metal foil, mosaic tiles, fabric, ribbon, silk leaves, etc.

Generally I paint first and then add other decorative elements. With this hat though, the antlers lay somewhere between structure and decoration, so I added them first. To hold the antlers in place while I worked with the plaster to attach them, I wired them to the legs of a camping chair:

The masking tape keeps the wire from sliding. Right now the antlers are just resting against the front of my hat. Next, I wrapped wet strips of plaster around the base of the antlers and up onto the hat. With most of this project, I've been emphasizing that plaster is heavy and you only need a few layers. Attaching large objects to the hat is the exception to that rule. Things like antlers are also heavy and you want to make sure you use enough plaster to hold them securely. I probably used around 5 or 6 layers.

You want to make sure that the plaster is 100% dry before removing the support structure (in my case the wire and chair legs). I let this sit for two days.

My husband added wire antennae to his hat, which are also attached with plaster and thus happen in the pre-painting stage of decorating.

Once you have your large decorations plastered on and the plaster is dry, you can move on to painting. For this hat, I'm decorating with gold paint, purple paint and glitter paint. I decided to airbrush the hat because it is faster and I happen to have an airbrush we got to make our wedding invitations. A paintbrush would also work. First, you want to use masking tape and newspaper to cover areas you don't want to paint.

Then, paint. My husband is painting his hat green.

The benefit of airbrushing is that it dries very quickly. Once the base coat is dry you can paint other decorations on it. If you want to paint strait lines, try using pieces of string for guidance:

You can also add your other decorative elements at this point. I added a half-pinwheel of purple feathers right above each antler and glued pheasant wings to the back.

For whatever reason, the purple paint is showing up blue in photographs. I also painted gold designs on the back of the hat:

I'm also planning to add organza flowers in brown and purple to the hat, like a garland around the wings. I need to finish sewing the outfit that goes with this hat first though, so I know how much organza I have to work with.

Improving product photography--Poll and Giveaway!

2009-10-10T13:17:00.006-04:00

They say product photography is everything if you want to be successful selling on etsy. To that end I am trying to develop a style that is both interesting, and clear. Erica of Worthy Soy Candles and Crochet suggested including an elephant figurine in my pictures. Here are the results of my latest photo shoot--a brown organza flower. I would love to get your opinion!

Leave a comment letting me know which one you like best and you will be entered to win one of these lovely organza flowers in brown, white or pale blue. Make sure to leave your email address or etsy shop address so I can get in touch with you if you win. Winners will be chosen on Saturday, October 17 2009 using random.org.

Fiber Fridays: My first Spinning project

2009-10-09T12:14:00.004-04:00

I've been collecting rovings and batts from yarn2spin for a couple of months now. I bought them with the intention of making wet felted hats and cute needle felted wonders, but I've recently been rekindling my interest in knitting and crochet. Which of course leads to a fondness for yarn, which then leads to wanting to learn to spin my own. And since I have several drawers full of roving, I figured I should give it a try!

My first attempt failed utterly, mostly because I hadn't really understood the drafting process. I found this video very helpful, and last night I managed to spin my first single:

It is tremendously uneven, and I'm not sure what to do next. I have a lot more of the roving, but I am not sure if I should draft more roving into this length, or start a new single ply with this one into yarn. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm having a lot of fun!

See what other fabulous fiber artists are doing for fiber friday!

NorGA September Swap--Comfort

2009-10-06T09:48:00.005-04:00

September marks the beginning of fall, a season for getting cozy and comfortable. Team NorGA celebrated with a comfort themed swap with team members sending each other comfort food and other cozy items. I got a delightful box of goodies from Heather of CelloRaisen.

Heather made me these delightfully soft and cozy arm warmers:
She also gave me some items from other Etsy shops. Like this bath fizzy and lotion combo from Pamper Pantry:

For comfort food, she got me a peanut butter and chocolate cookie mix from Love In Layers:
Which I immediately baked into delicious cookies.

And Heather sent me a fun fat quarter for me to craft with!

All in all in was a box full of comfort. Thanks Heather!

How to Make a Plaster Hat Part II--Building up the structure.

2009-10-04T14:51:00.010-04:00

In the last installment of "how to make a plaster hat" I discussed forming a base by making a plaster mold of your head. Depending on your design plan, that may be all the structure you need, in which case you can proceed to decorating and embellishing. However, if your plan involves an end product that is vastly different in size and shape from your actual head, you will need to build up a suitable structure before you can move on to decoration.

A quick aside about design--as with any other creative process, people approach design in very different ways. I haven't provided an tips on coming up with a design because I am mostly a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of girl. I generally have no idea where I am going until I am half-way through a project. My husband, on the other hand, sits down and does detailed sketches before he starts anything. Go with what works for you.

Step One: Assemble your materials
This could be just about anything. If you have a detailed design plan, then the materials will come from that. I find things like styrofoam and paper to be useful for many designs. You may want to gather some of your decorative elements at this time as well, since the form of decoration may determine the structure you want to build. My entire hat has been inspired by one thing: antlers. Here are the structural and material elements I've gathered for this project:

The antlers, pheasant wings and purple feather crescents are decorative elements. Because the wings and antlers are both very large and striking features, I decided I needed to put more space between them than existed on my actual head. I'm using the bamboo skewers and styrofoam circle to extend my head backwards. You will also need your plaster infused cloth, scissors, tape, and bucket of warm water.

Step Two: Build a skeleton of your structure
In my case this meant stabbing the bamboo skewers into the styrofoam circle:

Next, I taped the ends of the bamboo sticks to the plaster hat, and covered the styrofoam circle to give it a flat back:

Finally I covered the bamboo sticks with construction paper. This will keep the plaster strips from sinking in between them.

Step Three: Cover your skeleton with plaster. Cut strips of plaster in varying widths to suit your project. Remember, plaster is heavy! Two layers of plaster all around should be plenty.

Here is my hat so far:

I left the ridges from the bamboo sticks because I liked the way they looked. Some of the paper and tape is still visible because I will be adding more plaster there when I attach the antlers. I've drawn circles where I will attach the antler. Adding things like antlers and other decorative elements will be covered in Part III of this series

Vote for me and get a chance to win!

2009-10-02T11:09:00.003-04:00

It's that time again! The monthly Team NorGA challenge is up on the TeamNorGA blog! Please vote for my little mermaid hair comb fascinator for a chance to win one of two cool prize packs.

A mermaid princess tires of her underwater realm and yearns for the human world where her true love reigns as prince. She bargains away her beautiful voice for a pair of human legs so that she might approach the prince and win his love. Adorned with beautiful shells, she ignores the stabbing pain of her transformation and heads off for a new life. But will she win her prince's heart or die of a broken heart to return to the sea as foam?

This hair comb was inspired by the story of The Little Mermaid. It is decorated with beautiful colored seashells to represent the mermaid's underwater life. The small fork and knife rising out of the shells represent her new life above the water. The blue rhinestones have the sweep of an ocean wave and the sparkles give the comb a royal bearing.

How to Make a Plaster Hat--Part I: The Plaster base

2009-09-28T10:10:00.003-04:00

People often ask me how I got started making hats. The answer usually surprises people: my first hats were made out of plaster. Why on earth would you want a plaster hat you may ask? Why for Halloween of course! Rather than dress up as something for Halloween, I approach costuming as a form of wearable art. Plaster hats are sculpture for your head! As I make my costume for this year, I will break down the steps for you so you too enjoy the fun of plaster hats.

There are two basic parts to making a plaster hat: making the plaster base, and decorating and embellishing. Today I will cover the first step.

The base of a plaster hat is essentially a plaster mold of your head.

You will need:

1. Plaster infused cloth. You can get this at Micheal's or other craft stores.
2. Vaseline
3. Scissors
4. swim cap
5. Bucket of warm water
6. drop cloth or lots of newspaper

Optional:

7. plastic wrap
8. a friend
Make sure the scissors and swim cap are ones that you don't particularly care about. Once something is used for plaster it generally isn't good for anything else. This is an incredibly messy project, hence the drop cloth. You'll want to be wearing old clothes for this.

First, lay down your drop cloth, or cover your work space in newspaper. Fill the bucket with warm water. Cut the plaster infused cloth into strips about 2-4 inches wide. I like to have a variety of widths and sizes cut as different sizes are useful. You can cut more as you work, but be careful not to get the roll of plaster wet. Put on the swim cap, trying to cover as much of your hair as possible. If you can't cover all of your hair, you can tape a sheet of plastic wrap to the end of the swim cap to cover the rest of it. Liberally smear Vaseline in your eyebrows, along the edge of the swim cap, and anywhere there is hair showing. Its gross, but it will keep you from having to yank the hair out when you take the mold off.

Dip the plaster strips in the warm water and then lay them across your head, rubbing them until the little holes disappear. You can do this yourself, but it is much easier to have a friend do it for you, since they can see all of your head. You want to cover enough of your head to make a base for your hat. You could probably just do a plaster headband if you wanted to, although I have never tried that. You want to make sure you don't cover so much of your head that you can't get it off though. For this one, I wanted the plaster to go down all the way under my brow ridge, so I was careful not to bring the plaster down over the curve of my skull in the back. Two to three layers of plaster strips should be enough, although you may want to reinforce the edges a bit. Too many layers will make your hat extremely heavy. Keep in mind that you may be adding more plaster when you get to the decorating stage.

Now you get to sit patiently and wait for it to dry. Plaster will warm up as it hardens. Tapping the hat periodically will give you a sense of how hard it is, plus it will sound neat. You do not need to wait for it to dry completely, but you want to make sure it is hard enough that it won't get misshapen when you pull it off. I usually give it 10-15 minutes. When you are ready to pull it off, take some time to wiggle your head muscles and pull gently on the skin along the edge of the hat. This will loosen it for you. Then gently pull the hat off, and set it somewhere safe to dry overnight. Congratulations! You know have a plaster mold of your head!

The plaster mold will have the wrinkles of the swim cap. Not to worry! We can smooth those out as part of the decoration and embellishment process.

Please take a minute to answer this quick survey!

2009-09-22T18:30:00.001-04:00

I'm always working on expanding ElephunksTrunk by adding more items and new designs. As I do, I want to make sure I'm making the most of what you actually want to see. To that end, I'm conducting a brief survey of customers and potential customers.

Click Here to take survey

Dragon*Con Costume Part II

2009-09-04T21:50:00.001-04:00

Here is my finished Princess Buttercup costume. I finished it this morning and then headed up to the register for Dragon*Con. I didn't do much down at the convention today, although I did see some fabulous costumes. Stay tuned for photographs!