Take A Bow

Summer is KNOT over yet, so take advantage of the warm weather in these ribbon knotted Lanvin sandals! Alber Elbaz certainly had sunshine in mind when designing his colorful Resort 2010 collection inspired by Acapulco, Mexico. Vibrant shades of azure, lime, and watermelon accent beautifully draped black ensembles. The standout pieces, however, are the fully fluffed out shoes! From rafia pom-poms to metallic high-tops, Mr. Elbaz's accessories are designed with the social butterfly (and her hectic schedule) in mind. These shoes were made for party hopping - er walking!


What You'll Need:
T-strap sandals (found at Target)
Two shade of grosgrain ribbon
Four large pearl beads
One packet of small crystals
Prong back settings (available at most craft stores)
Needle
Thread
Pliers
Scissors

First, tie six pieces of ribbon (double knotted) up the front strap of your sandal. Clip the ribbon off at an angle and fray the ends with the edge of your scissors. To attach the pearls thread your needle and double knot the end. Thread through the center of the ribbon knot from the underside. Slide the pearl onto the thread. Push the needle back through the ribbon close to where you made the first stitch. Repeat one more loop to secure, then tie off the thread underneath the grosgrain ribbon.


Finally it is time to add a little bling to the bows. Push a prong back setting through the underside of the ribbon so you can see the prongs poking through. Set the crystal in the middle. Use the pliers to bend the prongs to hold the crystal tightly in place. Repeat for however many crystals you want. I clustered mine around the pearls with a few spaced in between.


xx,CC

Hear No Evil...

There is no disputing that Barbie has had a major influence on high fashion. She celebrated her 50th birthday last fashion week with a blow-out runway show featuring designs from the likes of Calvin Klein, Anna Sui, and of course Bob Mackie. Apart from the impact her distorted proportions have had on society, she is an iconic symbol of youth and beauty. Thanks to artist, Margaux Lange, the plastic princess "has become the accessory instead of being accessorized." Exploring the darker side of the bubblegum pop phenom, Margaux uses every imaginable doll part to create handcrafted jewelry available for sale on her website. However, if you have some old dolls lying around the house, you can easily put your own spin on these "hear-rings!"


What You'll Need:
Doll head
X-acto knife
Eye pins
Earring hooks or posts
Superglue
Crystals (the size of the ear)
Boondoggle thread (aka plastic lanyard)
Assorted beads
Pliers
Needle

The first step is not for the faint of heart. You'll need to take your X-acto knife and cut the plastic ears out of your doll's head in a large square shape. Then, squeeze some superglue onto the back of your square crystal and adhere it to the back off the plastic ear. This gives the earring a finished look should it twist around while you wear it. Next cut off the excess plastic around the crystal with the X-acto knife.

Take your plastic lanyard and superglue it around the four side of the square. Make sure the plastic overlaps at one corner and trim off the excess. Next, attach your earring hook or post to the loop on the eye pin using pliers. String the beads onto your eye pin in the desired pattern. Take the needle and poke it vertically into the top center of the ear square, where the eye pin with enter. This gets the hole started so it will not be as difficult to poke the eye pin through.

Finally, gently (but with force) ease the eye pin into the hole until it is about half way into the square. At this point you should be able to hold the earring upright without the beads falling off. Dab some superglue where the eye pin sits in the plastic ear to secure the post.

From a distance these look like any other beaded earring, but up close people get a macabre surprise!

xx,CC

Safety First

No one does ironic jewelry quite like the notably candid Tom Binns. He has a penchant for taking fine "diamonds, emeralds, and shit" and dimming them down with sterling silver skulls and everyday objects such as laminated plastic. Take for instance his Rythym of Cruelty necklace. A pair of preppy pearls turn punk with the addition of a few safety pin closures. A veritable fountain of DIY inspiration, Mr. Binns also debuted a collection entitled "Get Real" at Colette in which he took magazine clippings of fine jewelry and laminated them to create wearable pieces. In a time when it's considered uncouth to flaunt one's wealth, Mr. Binns has come up with the perfect solution for the recessionista!

What You'll Need:
Safety pins
Pearl beads
Seed beads (optional)
Beading string
Two jump rings
Scissors
Pliers
Superglue

Seeing as how I just made a necklace, I decided to make a bracelet version on this go-round. Start by linking together three safety pins. Using the pliers, attach the two jump rings on either end of the chain of pins. Measure your beading string around your wrist (or neck), leaving ample room on each end. Double/triple knot the beading string to one of the jump rings. Put a dot of superglue on the knot (to ensure it won't come undone) and snip off the tail. String the pearls and beads together for the length of your bracelet. Knot, glue, and snip the second end!


If you have an overflow of safety pins and a bit more time on your hands, be sure to try his pin and pearl necklace.

xx,CC

Beaming Beamon

Vicki Beamon and Karen Erickson are well known for their jewelry line Erickson Beamon, but did you know they made home decor as well? Karen Erickson is single handedly responsible for coining the term "chandelier earring" in the 1980s after her designs, but her passion for chandeliers went one step further.

Behold, the Glam Rock Chandelier.

The antique brass based chandelier is dripping in Japanese glass pearls and Swarovski crystals. The piece has been on display in London's Victoria and Albert Museum for nearly 20 years, and it can be yours for the mere price of $32,500.00! C'mon, everyone needs a designer light fixture to properly see their couture garments underneath. Don't quite have the funds for such an extravagant purchase? Neither did Mama Couturiere. Wanting to spice up an old Williamsburg chandelier in her bathroom, she drew inspiration from this true objet d'art. Now we all know the origin of my creative genes...thanks Mama Couturiere!

What You'll Need:
Lighting fixture
5 strands garland (each 6 ft long)
Scissors

Whether you use a chandelier with mini shades or one lamp, start by cutting the outer fabric off the shade. Leave the inner layer of fabric in tact, and you'll be able to see the wire frame of the shade. For a mini shade, cut your 6 ft strand of Christmas pearl and crystal garland in half. Wrap the garland through the wire lamp frame (to hold in place) in a growth like pattern.


Repeat for all mini shades. If you're decorating a single lamp, you'll want to leave the garland long and wrap it in a spiral around the shade.

xx,CC

Pearl of Wisdom

Well, today marks day one of Paris Fashion Week! What better way to kick things off than with a project inspired by one of France's most famed designers, Jean Paul Gaultier. Though his Fall 2008 RTW collection had some weird animalistic undertones (c'mon, girls were wearing pelts on their heads), his delicate pearl-trimmed velour heels are the perfect thing to wear to a holiday cocktail party.


What You'll Need:
One pair heels
2 long strands faux pearls
fabric glue

Glue one end of a pearl strand on the back, center edge of the shoe. If the pearls are different sizes, make sure the largest pearls are in the front center (where you slide your toes in).

Continue gluing the strand around the shoe until the entire edge is trimmed. Depending on the shape of your shoe, you could play around with an ankle or T-strap too!


xx,CC