Friday, September 26, 2008

Bear Mountain Rings

This series of rings is called the "Bear Mountain Rings," in honor of the hardest race I will ever run in my life. The Bear Mountain Half Marathon was an "endurance challenge" sponsored by NorthFace. It was not so much a run as climbing up and down 90 degree mountian sides, dodging fallen branches, falling off slippy boulders, breaking ankles on rocks, and sliding down mudslides. I was in so much pain that Katiebeans had to apply deliciously scented Bengay for days. It was not the leisurely trail jog Katiebeans had envisioned. (Sidenote: Iron Martin just said, "blog-nobbing.") Regardless, these rings embody the lovely Thoreau-esque submersion in nature Katiebeans had hoped for when eagerly heading to the race, clapping her hands and telling her buddy Tony how fun the race would be for them. Well even Tony, who is the most positive, happy go lucky person I have met, was bitter at race end. Katiebeans is especially bitter that the hardest race she ever ran didn't hand out finisher medals. I digress.
Both of these rings were made from old jewelry. The New Leaf was an army medal purchased at a vintage store, and the Flutterby was one of two hair pins my Aunt Erin gave me as a little girl. With pliers, I broke off excess metal, and with excess metal (actually electrical wire and regular wire, respectively), I made rings. Nothing special or particularly difficult, but I think perfect for adding subtle and unique style to an outfit.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Rosey Bud


Katiebeans loves to play with her tangle of hair. Katiebeans also loves her hot pink. Katiebeans loves crochet. Katiebeans loves fleurs.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Kathleen Vintage Button Earrings

A while back Katiebeans purchased some button-style earrings from Urban Outfitters. The earrings were on sale for very cheap, but originally priced close to $12. Katiebeans loved the earrings, but almost immediately they broke. The earrings were easily repairable with a hot glue gun, so Katiebeans figured, why not make her own real vintage button earrings for cheap?



I bought about 4,000 earring backs from a craft store and set out for Go Fish! in Brooklyn to find some cheap vintage buttons. The buttons were ridiculously cheap and ridiculously awesome. I lalalalalove the color and plaid texture of the Bay Blue Buttons. The Wedding White really stand out when you wear them, and they also have a very cool texture. The Galaxy Black Buttons are shiney and swirly.


Some of the buttons I bought had metal protruding (to be sewn to clothing, in the normal fashion for buttons). I broke the metal with pliers, and the earring backs were big enough to cover over any dangerous metal shards. All I did was apply hot glue, and Voila! Kathleen Vintage Button Earrings a-go-go. I bought extras in case they broke; and while only one actually broke so far, an unforseen

accident involving a Wedding White earring and black eye makeup also rendered the spares useful!




Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Cherry On Top Lampshade

Say Hella to the Cherry On Top Lampshade.
Went to Goodwill to grab me some plates to smash; and what did I see as I waited in a long long line reading Nick & Norah but an awesome cherry print Anne Taylor dress. Perfect for a lampshade for my new owly lamp! Iron Martin surprised me with a killer shadeless owl lamp when I was a coughing bronchiosauras (he knows I'm an owl fan), and I've been on a search for the perfect shade since. When I was in Sonoma soaking up the sun, I saw some amazing shades from Found Images. I thought maybe I could buy one or make something cool. Since I already had a lampshade that I had painted water color on, I decided to strip 'er nekky and clothe 'er in cherries.

I hurt my back in the process, but crafties are worth it! I love my new owly cherry lamp! I used a #2 perfect glue , which happened to bind fabric and metal--fortuitous for Katiebeans as it was the only perfect glue I had left. The bottom was measured to fit the base. Taking the top part of the fabric as a square, I glued four corners equidistant from each other like a mini square on the top ring of the shade. I folded the excess fabric over.