January30
Hmmmm, I am beginning to see a pattern with my crafting fails. Whenever I try to make some sort of flowery doo-dad for an jewelry project, I crash and burn. Here’s my latest flaming inferno of failure.
I had an urge to go all Martha and make a flower zipper brooch like I have been seeing all over the webs lately. I searched through the bins of zippers at the local thrift store and found one that was appropriately worn and frayed for that shabby chic look.
Shabby, yes. Chic, dunno about that. I got to work on the brooch by chopping off the ends of the zipper and pulling the two halves apart, like so.
Check out my mad photography skillz. Nothing says “professionally made product” like a photo lit only by the flash of a crappy point and shoot camera.
Anywho, once the zipper was taken apart, I got bizzay making the flower. I folded and twisted, pinned and sewed, expertly forming the petals like a, um, an expert petal former.
Behold the fruits of my labor!
It’s a moss-covered, three-handled family grendunza!
What’s a moss-covered, three-handled family gredunza, you ask? I’m not sure, but it’s not a flower.
November20
I’m not usually a frilly girl. I like clean lines, classic colors, and I look like an idiot in lots of ruffles. But I looooooooove the necklaces from Anthropologie. Love them. I have nothing in my closet with which I could actually wear one, and I would probably break it within 24 hours. I’m kind of Jojo the idiot circus freak with a pretty new pet when it comes to jewelry. (Bonus points if you got the Tommy Boy reference.)
I have seen lots of beautiful Anthro knockoffs on the webs, so I thought I would give it a try. You would think by now I would have learned my lesson about trying to do crafts with no skills and no real plan. But I just knew THIS time would be different. I would make a gorgeous reproduction and people would gasp and ask me,”WHERE did you get that fabulous necklace?” ”You MADE it?!?!?” “Well, I think it’s even more beautiful than the original!” I would nod knowingly but humbly. “Oh really. It’s nothing. I didn’t even know what I was doing when I made it.”
I found my inspiration on the Anthropologie website. Look at this pretty:
Sigh.
I bought some cool ribbon at the thrift store. It’s like organza or tulle, but not quite organza or tulle. Or maybe it really is organza or tulle since I don’t sew and know nothing about fabrics.
Anywhozits, I made this pretty flower using it.
Not a bad start, if I do say so myself. Now to just add a strand of fake pearls, and it will be just like the original. Okay, add some more ribbon since the pearls aren’t long enough. Hmmm, no jewelry clasps. Well, I’ll just tie the ribbon off in a big loopy bow. It will be romantic. Okay. Can’t get the bow to work. How about a plain double knot. It works for shoe laces, right? Let’s just put it on and take a look in the mirror….
BWAHAHAHAHA!
Suddenly those conversations in my head were starting out a little differently, ”My. What a lovely flower-shaped goiter you have, Miss.”
But I will still reply the same way, “Oh really. It’s nothing. I didn’t even know what I was doing when I made it.”
