Strappy sexy black

Ohh I am so happy to be back to blog world! My free time has been shrinking rapidly with a part time job taking away my craft time - well, at least the photo-taking time. I am going to use this as an excuse for my c-r-a )((*y (crafty that is) photos that follow ...

So boys and girls, I thought I had already posted THE simplest necklace to make in the world, but I was wrong! This new creation needs no talent, no skill and no time - seriously, the emphases is on NO TIME. Once again, I'd like to claim it to my name and in some way I guess I can, though it suspiciously  looks like a necklace for 400 USD I found somewhere on the internet :). Keep on breathing and reading ... this one will cost you only about 10 USD or less.

The 400 USD inspiration:

This is what you need:
A chain about 3 (2.5) feet (depending on the length you like) with links big enough for a ribbon or fabric to pass through
1/4 inch ribbon
clasp

Cut your ribbon to 6 inch length strips, fold in half, loop through the links. I did 2 loops per link but if you want a bushy necklace, go crazy looping! Attach clasp as usual.

I seriously did everything today to post a photo of me wearing the necklace like you see in those professional looking blogs and the kind I turn green reading :) I covered our standing mirror with a sheet, dressed up and down for the shoot trying headless (and headful) poses, built a tripod from cook and craft books, used a timer for the first time on my camera, ran back and forth into the shot and it all ended up looking like roadkill on a way to a red carpet event. So with that said, here is the end product displayed on my brand new Guatemalan coffee sack bag: 

Now run and buy some chain and ribbon (though I think pretty torn fabric pieces would look amazing also) and start looping! And if you make one let me know ok? 

I am hoping to be back at least once a week again.

LoLoVie to you all,

  

LV

Cherry Blossom necklaces to benefit Japan

Every year I wait for the time, when nature takes over the cherry trees and the sad brown branches are blanketed with beautiful white and pink flowers, transforming branches to plush gardens and city streets to fairytale landscapes. The Cherry Blossom, known as "Sakura" is a cultural icon in Japan. 

I bought a cherry flower ribbon last year thinking, I would make a necklace out of it without knowing, that I would be making a donation to support the natural disaster struck Japan.

Only after donating, I read the symbolism of the Cherry Blossom and I got the chills reading ... 

Symbol of Transience 
Although Cherry Blossoms can put up such a spectacular show, their existence is brief. This is the main reason why the Japanese people invests time and effort to vigilantly track down Cherry Blossoms so as not to miss a second of its passing time on earth. Cherry Blossoms therefore, are a reminder of our humanity - our mortality. Buddhism’s concept of “mono no aware” teaches the same thing. Like Cherry Blossoms’ cycle of exceptional beauty followed by a quick death, a human being’s life can be given and taken at any moment. During World War 2, Japanese pilots on suicide missions (Kamikazes) painted the figure of the Cherry Blossom on their planes, while some brought branches of these flowers to accompany them in death. Human life is not everlasting. Humanity’s evanescence, epitomized by Cherry Blossoms, reminds us that life is too short to squander away. We have to relish every breathing moment we have left and live life to the fullest.

Symbol of Hope 
As the Cherry Blossom season coincides with both the fiscal and calendar years in Japan, it marks the arrival of new beginnings – students start their first day of school and new employees start their first day of work. The intense and vibrant blossoming of Cherry Blossoms bestows us with the license to hope and dream of greater things. It likewise gives us the sanction to forget past disappointments and failures and to look ahead with optimism and enthusiasm.

Source: http://www.brighthub.com/education/homework-tips/articles/69976.aspx 
The necklaces were donated to a sale for Japan event.  (I am not sure yet if they sold, but I am hoping they did.) 

I will never look at another Cherry Blossom the same way again ...

LO(lo)V(i)E,

Elvi (a Cherry Blossom tracker)

Easy peasy necklace

Get your glue gun and nobody gets hurt!
Find some rope! (I bought mine from a craft store, but it dawned on me, that I could have bought some half price at a hardware store!)
Dig out some fabric - I like anything that shines or has flowers, or polka dots or stripes or looks vintage or shabby chic or lace or checkered or animal print or is recycled (I've made a necklace from my prego yoga pants before, so don't hold back your imagination fabric-wise!)
I think I missed a few patterns ...
Order a few of those end pieces (silver/gold) for jewelry because we will be using those a lot!
Look through your closet - is there a coat you hate with buttons you love? Perhaps a few fake pearls (because you know what Elvi says "Fake pearls are the girl's best friend".

Ok, now you're ready!

1. Just a few supplies ...
2. Take the cord, glue the strip to the cord entirely covering its length. Here is the trick: when you start wrapping the cord around fold it about 1/4 inch so that the unfinished edge does not show unless, you want more personality and you want it to show. Wrap, glue, wrap, glue, wrap, glue till the end!
Attach silver endings you've bought with a glue gun and clasps (Note: teeth don't work as well as pliers for this job. Just sharing my experience)
3. Make the flowers. Easy peasy! Surely you've seen thousand and one tutorials on this, but just in case: Cut a strip about 2 inch wide, fold in half, ruffle with a needle and thread. Now wrap around to form a flower - glue or sew together .. tararararaaraaaaaa
4. Get your button or a scrapbook brad, glue or sew to the center. Glue the flowers to the cord, cut out two circles of color coordinating felt and glue from the other side!

WEL DONE!

If I could only glue gun dresses and skirts and handbags and shoes in such a manner!

If you can, please let me know, I'll be your #1 follower (uhmmm .. stalker I think.) 

Now have a good week everyone and remember:
"Why lead when you can follow?" ... (hint, hint)

LO(lo)V(i)E

LV 

From Scrap to Fab!

I am no longer greeted with recognition at Bebe or Zara, and I am happy to say that the sales assistants at Buy Buy Baby have also forgotten the twin mom in despair; I lost the friendship of those temporary faces. On the other hand, being a stay at home mom in search of self expression beyond the world of Toddlerville, Kat at Fiber Notion craft store knows exactly who I am. She also knows that I like making "stuff" from "stuff" (now this sounds eloquent :), so she handed me a bag of scrap on my last visit to get my creative juices flowing.

I came home and as if a secret Santa gift, I excitedly opened the bag ... (Don't worry if you don't understand the excitement part over a bag of scrappy fabric - only crafters do! :)

    

I looked through the pile of rejects, leftovers and pieces that went out of fashion a long long time ago. I always root for the underdog in anything (you know the heavy kid without friends on American Idol ... etc.)  ... I did the same with these fabrics ... 

So far I've made three projects from this one bag ... here is the first one ... 

Look at this beautiful sheer fabric with flowers in the foreground! I'll make something pretty out of you!

What you need: 

Scraps

Hot glue gun

Felt

Beads (only if you want to be fancy)

Satin ribbon 

A neck

Let's cut the fabric to pieces - no matter what length, 2 inches wide ... 

Or cut them all the same length for same size florets

Now follow .... 

1. Make a knot (or two)

2. Twist and turn, go around and around until you can't hold the circle any longer

3. Grab a piece of felt (preferably color coordinating with the fabric) and glue with my favorite tool - hot glue gun! (Everyone should own one of these gadgets! I've glue gunned shoes, hems, flowers .. you name it!)

4. Keep turning and twisting until there is no fabric left. Work the end to the side of the flower. Apply the glue as close to the edge as possible, so it's not visible. 

5. Once all flowers are done, take a pair of scissors and cut them out of the felt. Now glue them side-to-side to each other - again, you don't want the glue to show!  Find your old fake pearls or whatever other beads you may have and glue them to the flowers. I don't like symmetry (unless I am at the beauty parlor getting my eyebrows done) so I just glued the beads all over. 

6. Cut two pieces of satin ribbon and glue them to the end of the back of the florets. Here is a trick! You need to burn the ends of the ribbon so it doesn't fray!

7. Felt scratches and I like my pieces looking nice and neat front to back, so I grabbed a piece of satin and glued the back of the piece to it. I used Fabric Mod Podge, but any fabric glue will surely work! Let it dry, let it dry, let it dry! 

8. Almost ready! Cut out the necklace from the satin the same way as you cut out the florets from the felt. 

Aaaaaand VOILA!!!! Here it is .. From Scrap to Fab! No sewing, total time 1 hour

(And that is only if you glue your fingers a few times to the felt also!)

        

Coming up: Scrappy design for the house! 

P.S. If you make this necklace, please let me know; 

"Like" me on Facebook or Follow me or leave a comment or all of the above.

Do you have a scrappy idea? I would LOLOVE to hear about it!  

LO(lo)V(i)E 

LV