The June Projects – Results

As June is to be over in a few hours, this is my résumé list for the five projects I had planned out for this month.

1. - circle skirt with stencil border: No. First I noticed that the fabric I had in mind was already cut up for another project and couldn’t find the same colour when I went shopping for some more, and then I spent the rest of the month pondering about the right motif for another colour.
2. - a bag of some kind: No. Mainly because I couldn’t find thread in the same colour as the leather. I’m still working on that.
3. - white underskirt: Yes. Considering that this only required two seams (already ruffled underskirt fabric is one of the greatest inventions of all time) it’s not a big achievement, but when you take in account that I’m really, really bad at putting myself together to do something at all, it’s a good thing anyway. And you can see it here.
4. - Batman t-shirt: Yes. I just hope it’s bright enough for black light (it doesn’t look like it on the picture, I know, but it’s actually more of a fluorescent-neon-kind-of-yellow, I swear). ^^
5. - summer semester 2012 time table: Yes. I finished it just today and am really happy about the result. [Edit: you can see it here]

Result: 3/5

For Dice and Coins with Knots and Eyelets

A while ago I mentioned a friend of mine, Constantine, going to Ireland for a year abroad. Back then my parting gift for him wasn’t ready yet, so it became a welcome back gift when he recently returned from Limerick.

I hit bullseye with this little bag, once because he loves knotwork motives, twice because he’s a gamer, soon to join one of our Pathfinder parties (to hold dice was the originally intended purpose for this gift), and a third time because a bag for his smaller belongings was exactly the thing he lacked for his first LARP attire. I love it when people actually have use for the things I make for them!

The bag is made of dark green broadcloth with a blue-ish grey wild silk lining, both things I already had here, and I had lots of fun doing the embroidery. Now I’m really looking forward to the embellishments for my new character’s garments!

10 Adorables in June

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1. Namesake, a wonderful webcomic by Isabelle Melançon and Megan Lavey-Heaton about the adventures of people with the awesome ability to go down the rabbit hole, the yellow brick road and through the wardrobe… I love Isabelle’s style (here’s her deviantArt, by the way) – and of course I like Megan’s story, too -, and I’m especially in love with the cover art of Alice’s Journey.
2. Spice Market, New York, or better yet: the interior of this restaurant as featured by Destination Luxury. Just look at those colours, those shapes! Their whole oriental style is just so inspiring!
3. Aux Champs-Élysées by Joe Dassin. Qui, that 70s song (just don’t look at the video, it’s horrible!). It’s been stuck in my head for weeks! I even looked up the chords and annoyed my father to hell and back strumming away on his piano when I stayed over at his place a week or two ago. But then again, it makes me want to wear bell bottom jeans and striped T-shirts, and it makes me smile, so I don’t actually care about the cheesiness.
4. This Smoke Detector in bird shape (Charles & Marie) I found via The Dainty Squid. If I needed one I’d love one like this.
5. Benedict Cumberbatch reading John Keats. A voice like a jaguar hiding in a cello isn’t such a bad description after all.
6. Kalakotkas, an Estonian webcam project keeping record of the breeding of an Osprey couple. I’ve watched them through the last few months, and now the little ones are finally there!
7. Polaroid Project. A free application for people without a smartphone and therefore without instagram who like the look of not-so-technically-advanced photos nevertheless (like me).
8. Théophile Steinlen, creator of what is probably the most famous cabaret poster ever. He also created other  beautiful advertisements, and I always wish my room had a few walls more so I could pin up some Steinlen prints in here.
9. Things that match in colour. The fabric in the picture above is one from the recent Tilda collection and was a gift from my aunt (I’ve got no idea what to make from it yet, though, it really has to be something special) and the nail polish is essence‘s Happy from the Snow White line. Somehow I’ve grown rather fond of this rich kind of yellow lately.
10. Wilde Imagination Steampunk BJDs. Ellowyne was interesting enough, but the Steampunk collection is really great. I especially like the Airship Escape outfit, non-sepia Steampunk clothes are always such a treat.

Artwork Monday: Birthday Card – Artist (+ Postage Stamp)

Someone I know who happens to be an awesome artist celebrated his birthday last week, and actually I just wanted to leave him a message on facebook, but it seemed so dull just to write what everyone else had written.  So I started sketching around, just a little, spontaneous something (a mutual friend had left an awesome e-card on his wall, that’s how the idea of leaving a picture came to be anyway), and at some point it seemed to be more work to stop now than to finish it the right way.
Instead of candles in an appropriate number I used artist’s tools and sparklers (oh, and three actual candles!), and I think I rather like the idea.

I’m glad to say that he liked it. It would have been ridiculous to sendthe card via snail mail today (so he wouldn’t have the virtual version only), us living in the same town and all, but I’m lazy, and he (and his awesome wife My, congratulations again!) is on the hill, so I’m going to drop by his best friend who lives closer to my place and’ll use him as a letter box.
Long story short, I needed an envelope and have always loved to make up postage stamps. My nickname for his best friend is Unicorn Boy (not because he particularly likes unicorns or is sparkly or pastel, but because he is a unicorn, in the cool, stompy, wild medieval kind of way, save the virgins. Well, mainly because he has a bump on his forehead that is kind of horn-ish). So, actually the Angry Unicorn stamp (I bet he wouldn’t be happy to be pink) is some sort of easter egg for both of them, and I like details.

And now I’m going to take a walk and deliver some mail.

One Week of Breakfast

The idea occurred to me last Saturday while I was cleaning my french press and pondering about my relationship with the first meal of the day.

I’m a horrible partner.

Most of the time I prefer to throw my cereals into what bowl ever crosses my path, drown it in milk* and dig in while I’m surfing the nets for something completely unrelated, mostly not even drinking tea, but dull tap water. Coffee is a rare treat, and when I make some it’s strong enough to get a spoon stuck in it – I drink mine black and without sugar, so no excuses here – and afterwards I’m positively vibrating. Not very nice.
And all this albeit breakfast is so important!

This was the very moment this post was born. When I’m alone and no-one’s watching, I don’t really care about my breakfast. As I like to spend my mornings on my own I had to find a way to care more, so I decided to train myself to having nicer breakfasts. By blogging about them.

Saturday

boiled egg with soldiers, rose-flavoured black tea, boiled ham toast

Sunday

pineapple with yoghurt, rose-flavoured black tea, small croissants, cocoa

Monday

nectarines, honey rolls, green tea

Tuesday

nectarine, quark with herbs and boiled eggs (leftovers from the baked potatoes of Tuesday’s dinner), orange juice

Wednesday

boiled eggs and soldiers, rose-flavoured black tea

Thursday

apple

Friday

leftover pasta salad, liquorice spice tea

Saturday

smoked salmon on white bread, rose-flavoured black tea, dark chocolate spread on white bread

Well, I’m a bit ashamed of my Thursday breakfast this week, but I might add that I simply forgot about breakfast until there was only half an hour left to my cafeteria date. But the rest of it… well, it worked! I don’t think this will make it as a weekly installment (I’m not good at these, anyway), but maybe, from time to time… And, of course, taking pictures of delicious food is fun. :)

Favourite Words in June ’12

1. clef. The first time I read this word was in a CLAMP manga in which one of the characters was named like this.
2. chaff. Awesome, isn’t it? It’s a rough word, not really pretty, but there is something about it.
3. naprún. Irish for apron. Sometimes words get stuck in my head, and this is one. I don’t even think of the word in another language when I see an apron.
4. bobbin. Sounds like something that’s hopping and skipping. Actually, bobbins do that.
5. la pluie. The article had to be there. French for rain. It sounds far more cheerful that plain old rain, more dancing, I think.

Artwork Monday: Time Table No. 3

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The third – and thus far last – time table was drawn in 12th grade, hence less workshop lessons and more theoretical classes. I especially loved Art History and Design History. Also, this is the only one of the time tables coloured with aquarelles.

Sartorial Saturday: Cream & Cocoa

Mostly cream, just a bit of cocoa.

Happy International Lolita Day, everyone! Summer Edition, that is.

Outfit Rundown:
- blouse: Promod
- waist belt: Orsay
- skirt: self-made. And also the first of my June projects!
- tights: H&M
- shoes: Jennifer Taylor

My hair was basically just curled and somehow pinned to my head. It’s not really good at looking tidy, but in its defense I’ve got to state that the idea of curling it was a rather spontaneous one.

Accessoires Rundown:
- golden hoop/ bee stud: gift/ H&M
- camera purse: vintage
- necklace: Pandoor (via RPC)
- Alice band: H&M

Projects for June

I know it’s a little bit uncommon to post the next list of projects before last month’s result, but I really need better photos with the latter, and I don’t have those yet.

1. - circle skirt with stencil border
2. - a bag of some kind
3. - white underskirt
4. - Batman t-shirt or wifebeater
5. - time table

As you can see I really decided to limit my monthly projects down to five per month. For obvious reasons if you take the last two months into account… But I’m really looking forward to the June Projects!