Clockwork Orange Cufflink DIY

With Halloween fast approaching, I figured I had better get my costume in order.  So, as the title suggests, my outfit has something to do with the movie Clockwork Orange.  Actually, my costume is the iconic white costume.  I still need to find a pair of white suspenders (and I'm not going to wear that jock strappy thing) and I need a bowler hat.  Anyways, the little somewhat critical piece of the outfit--the eyeball cufflinks, is finished!  I'm trying my skill with making tutorials on video, so please click the link below to see my first VIDEO DIY!

 

Scotch Tape Most Gifted Wrapper

I've got gift wrapping skills, so I thought I would enter the Scotch Tape Most Gifted Wrapper contest.  I had so much fun composing my entry!  I believe that finalists will not be notified until late October. You know, this was my first time editing a video. My video is only a minute and 25 seconds, but it took me over two hours to cut and past stuff together.  I really need to get to know the ends and outs of Movie Maker.  Without further ado, here is my entry video!

Pill Case Makeover!

 

Since I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis, I've had to take various amounts of pills.  My number of daily pills usually increases with symptom severity.  Unfortunately, since the new year; I have been prescribed so many pills that I have needed to employ the use of a pill case. 
When choosing a pill case, well to be honest...the selection was limited.  All pill cases at the drug store were plain, dull and had a very somber feel.  Sometimes my illness gets me down, so the last thing I need is a reminder of unfortunate circumstances. 
It was only fitting that I give my pill case a make over.  Using my Scribbles paints, I threw down some color.  I didn't have a plan for the paint, just knew I wanted a little color to keep my mind off of things. I had a few resin cabochons laying around and decided to glue a few on. Nothing fancy, just doing something in the spur of the moment.

Failure to FAB

I saw this woman wearing an amazing bleached denim over shirt.  The denim had been bleached in a tie dye effect, thus leaving her shirt with tons of pattern.
I purchased a turqoise, button up shirt at a yard sale and thought I would try to do my own bleach tie dye diy. I crinkled the shirt up and held the random folds with rubber bands. I put a cup of bleach in a small tub of bleach and threw the balled up shirt in. I left the shirt in the bleach water over night. In the morning I eagerly removed the rubber bands only to realize....that nothing happened. The shirt looked the same as before it took its bleach bath. Whaaa? Looking at the shirts tag I read that 30%of the material is polyester...30% of polyester makes for 100% failure when it comes to bleaching out color. I call the project quits.
A week later I come upon a detached silk collar in my project pile. I decide that collar would look nice on a solid colored shirt. I hand stitched the collar on to the existing collar and voila...failure to fab!

Shirt in bleach over night

No change to shirt color so new collar was added

Collar was sewn on to existing collar for stability.

Tonight's episode of The Game

More background work....and on this one, I really have to stress BACKGROUND. 
The show is The Game and it aired on BET...the episode is called, "Swan Song for Rick and Tasha".

It's going to be awhile until my next appearance on film, so until the next time!

More film work!

I've been fairly busy these last two months with film work.  In June, I scored a pretty good gig working on Tyler Perry's sitcom, For Better or Worse.  I am the reoccurring nail tech in the show's salon.  I ended up working on around 8 episodes. 
Recently, I worked on an Adam Sandler movie called, Blended.  In the two days I was at the set, I worked 24 hours!  Unfortunately, most of that time was in the extra's holding-waiting to get ON set.
It was last month that one of the projects I worked on in December, finally showed. 

The show is Devious Maids on the Lifetime channel.  Again, my good friend Shawn was able to get these crystal clear photos from the show.  I'm the woman in pink. 
The next project I may be seen in is this Tuesday on BET, The Game. We'll see if that showing will provide any good still shots of my extra work.

Easy Cufflinks

During one of our thrift store hauls, my mom and I picked up a beautiful blouse. After we purchased it and got it home, we noticed the blouse was missing its cufflinks.  We went looking through our wardrobe to see if we already owned a blouse with a pair of cufflinks, thinking we would just pop the links off and use them on the thrift store blouse.  Unfortunately, there were no cufflinks to be found. So then I throw out the idea, "Why don't I just make some?" Mom looked a bit unsure, but replied with a, "If you think you can."
I love a challenge, but as it would turn out, making your own pair of cufflinks is a piece of cake!  All you need to get you started is a pair of cufflink bases that you can purchase at a local craft store.  Once you got your bases, you need to decide upon a design. I went with a couple of flat backed turquoise stones I had lying around my craft room and some champagne colored micro beads. I affixed both the stones and micro beads to each cufflink base with some clear epoxy.  That's it!  *TIP, if you are using a sealant/glue/glaze and you want the product to stay level with your work (and prevent spillage over the sides) use rice to stabilize your craft upright.

Glitter Shoes

I had a pair of white, canvas Keds.  With natural wear the shoes began to get dirty and dingy.  I didn't want to buy a new pair of white sneaks-- but I really missed their bright, clean look.  I tried a little bleach on the shoes, hoping to whiten them up.  The bleach ended up making matters worse because it stained the shoes with yellow splotches. Frustrated, I put the shoes to the side and kinda forgot about them.  Their existence would enter my mind during my typical stroll thru Michael's Craft Store.  While looking amongst the clearance items, I came across a HUGE bottle of orchid colored glitter. Thus, the idea of glitter covered shoes was born!

Old, dingy white canvas sneaker

Supplies! ...and of course a paint brush

 

Mixing textile medium and acrylic paint in similar color as glitter, apply your newly made fabric paint to areas of high friction.

 

Paint thin coat of Tulip glitter fabric paint on to shoe (excluding tongue). Apply first layer of glitter



Second coat of glitter, applied same as first. Once dry, seal with third coat Tulip glitter paint, only.  Paint and glitter is easily scraped off shoe eyelets with finger nail.

I'm ready to have my Wizard of Oz moment, in my new ORCHID slippers!



 

I realize I could have made this whole process easier if I would have purchased a purple fabric paint, but (excluding the glitter) I was trying to be thrifty and use the stuff I had on hand. I get creative when it comes to keeping cost down. The cost breakdown:  $2.99 plus tax, for glitter.  All other supplies were remnants from previous craft endeavors.

Oh yeah...if you're doing this craft indoors, make sure the house fan is off.  Not that I mind the fine dusting of glitter all over everything, but; it becomes a bit troublesome when you're unable to clean it from the nose wrinkle of a pug.



Watching The Cure in Mexico City!

At the end of March, The Cure announced that they were going to tour Latin America.  I was so excited at the news and knew I needed to be a part of the music.  I decided I would attend the April 21st concert in Mexico City, Mexico.  My mom makes a good travel partner so I asked her if she would like to attend the concert with me.  She agreed and we bought our tickets for Mexico City, traveling to MC on April 20th, leaving MC on April 23rd.
April 20th came with great anticipation!  I couldn't wait get on the plane and get to my destination, Unfortunately, a suspicious package would shut down the interstate to the airport while I was en route.  The traffic delay would ultimately make me miss my flight (Insert seriously sad face here). Fortunately, I was able to book a flight two hours after my original departure time. 
Touching down in Mexico City was a welcome relief.  I arrived at the hotel a few minutes before my mom (she flew in from AZ).  Once getting our room, we made a quick trek to the supermarket for some essential bottled water and then called it a day, we had an event packed day to rest for.
Sunday came early for me.  I was up around 5am.  The hour back (time change) did work in my favor, but anticipation was my real alarm clock.  Mom and I still needed to pick up our concert tickets at Will Call.
Finding a Ticketmaster Will Call was difficult.  I couldn't get English directions, just fingers pointing in a general direction. Three hours in to the search, we were able to run encounter a nice man who spoke enough English to get us where we needed to go. I gotta say, that after the search we went on for Will Call, holding the tickets in my hands felt so AWESOME!
When we got back to the hotel room, Mom decided to take a siesta.  I took those two hours of quiet time to apply many layers of eye liner, perfecting my Cure concert look. By the time Mom woke up, I was ready to go to a concert! Unfortunately, I had wait around for Mom to get ready. Does she always take this long to get ready?!?!
FINALLY, Mom and I were able to catch a taxi from the hotel to the stadium, Foro Sol.  A quarter mile from the stadium, pedestrian traffic became just as heavy as vehicle traffic. An unofficial uniform worn by most--a black tee; many tee's showcasing the mug of Mr. Robert Smith.
When we exited from the taxi, it took some major walking to get to our seats.  There were just so many people.  I would later find out that the show was sold out- 57,000 tickets!
57,000 people is really a very cool sight. At the end of the four hour concert, there were 57, 000 smiles.  This was my 8th Cure concert and my first time seeing The Cure out of the U.S. I'm really glad I decided to see The Cure in Mexico. 

Flower Crown

Flower crowns are everywhere!  Every picture I see from a music festival, 1/3 of the chicks in the pictures are wearing flower crowns.  So inevitably, I thought--I want one!  I didn't really plan anything out...just kinda DID IT.  I found some flowers at the craft store that caught my fancy, a small bouquet at 50% off brought the price down to four bucks.  Once I got the flowers home, I did numerous YouTube searches on DIY flower crowns.  There were so many ways to go about making the crown...but I didn't really like the directions I was watching.  I wanted to use the whole flower, bud and wire stem.
 I brought in some thin wire I owned, and began to wrap the flowers together.  I staggered the flowers, bud after bud.  I contured the wire to the shape of my head, tied the two ends together.  I bent the flowers outward, just so I had the full bud showcased.  To cover the wire wrapping I did, I used a green ribbon to cover the wire. In all, I think I like my crown more than any tutorial I watched.  Most the tutorials I watched had no regards to the cost of supplies. When I craft, I try to do it effectively and most importantly CHEAPLY!. Just to break down cost:  Flowers $4, wire $Gifted, Ribbon $.20 (I got it @ a yard sale).  Total $4.20.

Birthday!

I'm ending the day with wonderful feelings.  I had my birthday today! Didn't do anything special.  I treated myself to a massage with facial and then a long stroll in the craft store.  Late evening, Ry and I had a wonderful hibachi meal. I was so stuffed from dinner that I barely had room for cake.  I had half a slice of cake and gave the rest to the pugs--they looked cute with their frosting mustaches. 
I've been in my art room playing with my new craft purchases for the past few hours...now its time to go to bed.  I took the day off work today, but reality must resume tomorrow.

Cell phone cover painted

Months ago I posted about how I painted my cell phone cover.  Well, one night I began to pick at the paint, peel off some stickers and before I knew it, had totally striped the case back to its original state.  I can't have plain, yuck! So I dug out some fabric paints and went to work.  No fancy design, just simple dots of paint in a cluster or colors.  I really like how it turned out...and am really loving the texture that the paints give the design.

 

Even a monster needs LOVE

Heart Monster Pin!  I wore it today and got many compliments on it. It was a very simple make.  Poly clay shaped in to a heart.  I used a knife to cut out a mouth.  I used a black bead for an eye and broken glass beads for sharp teeth.  The pink texture is made from colored, rubber caulking. Finally, I glued on a pin clasp. It all just came together so quickly that next year I'm going to put some effort in to making some for fam and friends.  He's cute, he's crazy looking and lets others know that love comes in many forms. Happy Valentines day!

Film work.

With some of the free time I've had, I've been working as a film extra.  I've been averaging about one gig per month over the past six months. All my extra work has been done in Atlanta.  I do see celebrities, but that doesn't do much for me. I think I'm too in to myself to have time for a movie star...but a musician, well that's a different story.In this post, I'm including some awesome pictures that my friend was able to snip from the film work I've done.  By awesome, I mean that the pictures are of a  high clarity.

The Following which premiered on the Fox Channel

My claim to fame! I worked 8hrs that day for only 1 second of show.
 

This is from the trailer to Scary Movie 5...yes they have made 5 of these movies! I think it has a theatre date of June. I'm the half face, center, fourth row back.
 

Yeah, so I'm pretty much a movie star.