Archive for the ‘to DIY for’ Category
did you know i had my very own superhero living with me? turns out the mild mannered (ha!) son of mine has a secret crime fighting identity: SUPER DARING D! well, he did for one day last week… so naturally he needed a super costume. and naturally i couldn’t help myself and had to make something.
time and budget were tight so we talked about what we could make with the things we already had: glittery sticky backed plastic, holographic tape and uh.. double sided tape, bits of elastic etc. martha stewart provided a starting point and we ran with it. every hero needs: an initial emblazoned on their chest (thanks american apparel!) - we skipped the cape because they were going to craft some capes at the party.
and they need a mask to hide their true identity! i measured my son’s face, the width of his nose etc and just roughed the shape. the mask is made from cardboard, rad glittery sticky backed plastic from japan (next time i visit i’m coming back with a suitcase of the stuff, isn’t it THE BEST THING EVER?) and some elastic i appear to have inherited. the mask needed extra lightning bolt power though so i added some bolts in contrasting glitter!
nothing adds a certain je ne sais quoi like super-cuffs! with more lightning! initially we considered wings, to infer the power of flight, but really one should never doubt the addition of lightning bolts. its power, its electricity, its referencing bowie and glam and you just need them, ok?
next up was a utility belt. we recently watched the old batman movie and Super D was pretty taken with the endless supply of ridiculous tools so we talked about what powers he’d like to have on hand to fight with. Super D chose:
alpha power! number power! space power! and rainbow power!
we made the belt by measuring D’s waist, then covering a correct length strip of card with holographic tape, adding a velcro dot and sticking the power squares on with double side tape. each power’s shape is just cut from black gaff tape.
Super Daring D was really pleased with his costume and i was really pleased with how cheap, easy and fun it was to make!
those of you who follow me on twitter might have seen this chewbacca cuddly toy i made for a gift. you were all so desperate to get your hands on one that i felt obliged to share the pattern i made up.
so go forth and sew! please let me know of any issues with the pattern – its my first try so be gentle.
this chewie is about 50cm tall and made of durable pinwale corduroy, guaranteed to last for at least twelve parsecs. Wait a minute … a parsec is a unit of distance, not time! you lied to me, lucas! lied to me!
why some printables are no longer free.
please note: i do not offer tech support, or customization on printables.
to celebrate just how ace thursday & her blog my girl thursday are i made some filofax printables to help get your blogging organized! or blorganized. or blogifiled… clickety-click-sticks to get yours now! you know i won’t rest until you aaaaaall have filofaxes.
please note: i do not offer tech support, or customization on printables.
inspired by vintage pyrex patterns and colors, you’ll find a downloadable page to keep your blog on track for every possible occasion: my regular features, blog notes, blog to-do and a blogging plan. now get printing and organizing!
some of you sassy readers showed interest in the eye makeup i wore to see roxy music a couple of weeks ago. well, here you go: pilgrim delivers, baby! i’m no make up pro, but i have been slapping on the glitter etc since i was a starry eyed teen pretending i was going to marry david bowie.
ingredients:
“demi pixie” false eye lashes, like these ones.
medusa’s makeup eye dust in ‘purple rain’
medusa’s makeup eye dust in ‘barbarella’
napoleon perdis loose dust 39: ‘techno’ (possibly not available anymore)
“stick-on stones” novelty earrings
those crazy glam rock cats were all about cheap, tacky and spaaaarkly accessories. stick on earrings are the perfect thing to give that ‘girl who fell to earth’ look. place one anywhere you’d put a beauty spot!
so here is what i did:
1. apply primer, concealer, and foundation to a clean face. pencil in your eyebrows.
2. slap on that eyeliner THICK. along the top & bottom lashes, and on the inside rim, top and bottom. smudge to blend.
3. apply the ‘purple rain’ or darker color to your eyelid, up to the crease
4. using ‘barbarella’ or a lighter eye powder apply from the crease almost up to your brow: DISCO STYLE! blend the two colors together with your brush and do the hustle.
5. apply your blush to suit, but keep in mind the 70s was quite ‘apple cheeked’ unless you were david bowie, in which case keep it deathly pale.
6. taking your finger, dab the eye glitter on to the lighter eye shadow near your brow. prepare to be covered in glitter for days, but really, this isn’t such a bad thing unless you just slept with a member of KISS.
7. spray your whole face with a fixing spray (not hairspray!) and sweat it up on the dance floor, confident that your makeup isn’t sliding off your face.
8. put those falsies on and bat your spidery lashes!
9. slather on the lip gloss and do your best debbie harry pout. stick the sparkly stick-on earring to your cheek or wherever.
10. slip into something lurex and go and dance around your bedroom!
frames by kitschy digitals
don’t forget to embiggen your hair with frizzy curls or crimps, backcombing and spray! my hair would not stay big enough though, so maybe NASA can help us work out something better. like i said, i’m no pro, just a passionate amateur. for reference, the other make-up i am wearing is:
primer: le blanc de chanel
foundation: chanel pro lumiere in ’10 – nude’
concealer: chanel perfection in ’10′
blush: l’oreal blush delicieux in 02 ‘rosy cheeks’
eyeliner: chanel ‘stylo yeux waterproof’ in 10 – ebony
mascara: chanel inimitable in ‘noir obscur’
lips: Chi Chi lip lacquer in ‘bimbo’
i know, i know… chanel whore. i love chanel because its just right for my skin – the tones suit my pale skin, and the texture is always very light and not oily. i like MAC too but their foundation is waaaay too dark for a ghosty like me. i end up looking like i bathed in dirt. and it works out that i always ‘just happen’ to run out around my birthday or christmas so i never have buy the chanel myself! tee hee!
need something to listen to while you’re getting ready?
or maybe…
i am so happy to have the privilege to post here on pilgrim’s gorgeous blog while she’s away. i love her style so much i wanted to come up with the perfect thing to share…
so i made this set of painted glass luminaries from some old recycled jars.
i love the way they turned out and they are SO easy to make! wait’ll you see em all lit up!
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED
scissors, glass jars, painters tape, paint brushes, acrylic paint and sealer, candles
* first you have to GET THE LABELS OFF your jars.
i like to soak them in warm soapy water before i try to scrape them off. for stubborn labels or impossible glue globs try using some nail polish remover.
* RINSE AND DRY your jars thoroughly. if they’re not completely cooled and dry the tape won’t stick
* CUT strips and stars or hearts or polka dots from painters tape and ARRANGE design
you can also use stickers or decorative edge scissors. the painters tape is pretty stretchy so i bet you could even do a pair of initials. i decided to do some simple stripes, a criss cross pattern and some twinkle stars
* ROLL THE JARS between your hands (to make sure everything is sealed down really well) you don’t want any paint to sneak underneath your tape!
* PAINT… i used about 4 coats. (use fewer coats for more transparency) i painted the background on the star jar first and then peeled the stars.
then i painted the stars on the inside of the jar in order to maintain the perfect outline (that way it doesn’t matter if you go over the lines) leave a couple of stars unpainted so your luminary will shine silhouettes on the wall
*PEEL YOU TAPE BEFORE IT DRIES all the way (or it will peel your paint off).
…i made the mistake of sealing before peeling…
* APPLY SEALER after your tape is peeled and your paint is dry. (use a toothpick to scrape off any paint that sneaked under the tape.)
they probably won’t be perfect, but that part of the charm! drop in a couple of small candles and you have a pretty new set of twinkling jars
you can also use them to hold a little bunch of wildflowers or maybe your magic wand 
✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽ ✽
thanks lori marie for sharing this pretty craft idea. i urge all of you to check out lori marie’s beautiful shop. her work is so pretty and fresh. i have a felt flower pin by her and its one of my favorite accessories for perking up a simple cardigan.
hot on the heels of my thanksgiving printable download i was inspired to create a christmas treat for the rest of our festive feast tables. in the great tradition of paper angels come the draw! pilgrim paper angel – you could use her as a place card, a personalized decoration, or just a little activity to keep small excited hands busy. she is black and white allowing you to leave your creative impression on her. don’t you think she could do with some color and glitter?
today would have been my dad’s 62nd birthday. so, happy birthday dad, wherever you are. i’ll have a whiskey and be personally offended by broad social trends on your behalf.
after mentioning “white christmas” in my 7by7 post last week i got some comments about the recipe. today i’m part of michelle’s blog party on scissorquirk and if you follow that link it will lead you to a printable white christmas recipe card! so go forth lovlies, enjoy the new look scissorquirk and enjoy making a kitschy christmas treat!
