T & D[IY]

How awesome is this tea service? This is the end result of a tutorial from re-nest that I cannot wait to try. I already have a cute little blue and white thrifted tea service and am scouring ebay for a black porcelain paint pen with an idea in mind that will hopefully end up in the shop (which will, fingers crossed, be live come the middle of august).

Double DIY: Chanel Perfume Bottle

I own four scents but two that I would describe as being 'signature' - Thierry Mugler's Alien and Coco Chanel (my other two currents are Marc Jacobs Lola and YSL Parisienne). When it comes to perfume I love the containers as much as what they hold so when one is finished I keep it, only getting rid if I replace the perfume with a new bottle of the same. A couple days ago I realised I had managed to accrue two empty bottles on top of the one I am working my way through. It kinda seemed a shame to just put them in the bin...that big cut glass stopper was calling to me specifically.

So after a lot of twisting (and, I'll admit, tantrum throwing in frustration and my boyfriend taking over) the lid and its little plastic 'cuff' where separated (FYI my bf ended up having to use a butter knife).

 

The first DIY I wanted to go for was turning the 'cuff' in to a thumb ring. Be prepared for spending a lot of time cleaning glue remnants from it once you've finished!

Obviously I didn't want to cover the black and gold band or the interlocking C's so my chosen decoration had to be focused on the top clear plastic lip. I dug out some lightweight vintage gold toned chain and measured it around the circumference to work out the correct length. I was lucky enough that the ends just overlapped so I opened up one end link, liberally applied glue (I used Tesco's All Purpose...very similar to E6000!) then stuck down the chain. After a few seconds of letting the glue cure I was able to push the open link around the other end of the chain and nip it closed , forming a perfect fitting circle of chain on my ring.

From here onwards it was slightly trial and error as I figured out what looked good and what would not make the ring too chunky. In the end I settled for using some vintage diamante studs which I wedged inside every other link using the same glue to secure. I then sat patiently and picked off any excess, visible glue with a pin (time consuming but works well as chemicals tend to tarnish).

And that's it, one night, one Chanel thumb ring...

[chipped up manicure using Topshop's Milkshake]

And now for the double part of the DIY - remember the glass perfume top? Well turn it upside down and pop a tapered candle inside (you may need to add a little melted wax to the bottom first) for a simple, chic candle holder. Several of these in different sizes with different coloured candles would look amazing!

 

Click here for my previous posts on Coco inspired DIYs. Feel free to post links in the comments to your own Chanel makes...

Thing's Are Still Flo'ing At The Atelier

So I've been missing from the blog this past week (again - I'm sorry!) due to the fact I've been organising some jewellery pieces from the Atelier plus displays for a new Hull stockist - Bella Flo.

Sophie, the owner, handpicked a selection of vintage charm necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings for her shop...I then had the task of labelling, pricing and and turning an old drawer (courtesy of Eleanor, one of our store's VMs) into a suitable display.

This is the original drawer, acquired from a junk shop and with a quick splash of lemon emulsion to use for a high level at work.

After a few hours sanding and a new coat of paint plus a vintage fabric covered 'pillow' the draw was set for a new life at Bella...

I used a stamping set to create the price labels and earring backing cards, then pinned them to the satin pad.

I picked up the vintage-look jewellery stand from a homewares shop down the street (I also have the larger version in gold which I use to hang my necklaces so they don't end up in a big knotted mess).

Next week's task is collecting all the stock from the other stockist, Co-Co Rose, re-labelling and pricing everything and changing some of the stock around. While Bella is more of a couture boutique with handmade gowns, Co-Co is a straight up and re-worked vintage shop so I can stock it with more kitsch pieces - vintage plastic fruit charm bracelets and over sized vintage plastic daisy studs!

For now it's back to the garden to continue in my quest to turn a vintage abacus into an earring stand...will let you know how it goes.

Why Are You Here? There's Nothing Here For You!

"you're an intelligent individual with plenty of
common sense. i repeat: there is nothing here for you.

unless, of course, you want to go big. unless, you are smart and sophisticated enough to understand and appreciate the quality of a handcrafted one-of-a-kind statement piece that actually makes a statement. unless you want to break necks and drop jaws. then let us welcome you to a-morir. by definition accessories are supplemental; there is no need to be practical. so go big. go hard, and go far"

with love, 'till death,
a-morir. 

In May I wrote about a selection of DIYs I was hoping to do (here) including a crazy concoction of chains attached to a pair of shades as an OTT sunglasses chain. Then I came across this image of model Amber Rose wearing vintage Chanel...

[sunglasses: vintage Chanel from Resurrection Vintage, LA]

They where instantly copied at budget prices and clearly have DIY potential but if you're in the market for a pair of one-of-a-kind shades then check out celebrity favourite A-Morir by Kerin-Rose!

Rhianna - Love Hate Pearl style

Nikki Minaj - Schubert style

Katy Perry - Dekker style

Tyra Banks - Sabotage style

[photos:a-morir]

These ain't subtle (or cheap) but they are a painstakingly handmade product (not mass produced, low quality like most of the Chanel knock offs) that, while they may not necessarily appear to be a 'classic' item, would probably be much appreciated if you handed them down to your granddaughter in years to come - or at the very least she'd be impressed that her granny had such kick-ass style...

Lux ($350) - Swarovski crystal embellished frames with beveled metal eyebrow pieces

Libertine ($280) - hand paved Swarovski crystal silver frame topped with tiara

Kaoma (£800) - frames fully encrusted in 24 Karat gold Swarovski crystals and draped with 5 gold chains

Roth (£500) -individually hand inked with leopard pattern, encrusted with Swarovski crystals

Bootsy ($275) - laced with crystal pyramid 'studs' and rhinestones in metal settings

Mars ($300) - U shaped 'horns' above either lens, encrusted with red/blue Swarovski crystals

Look Your Best At The Fest - Summer Festival Nail Guide

If you're only wanting a slick of colour while you're slumming it in a field then skip the nudes and go for deep, dark shades or rainbow brights. Beige, caramel, mink...they all look tatty when they get chipped (and however good the polish, they will get chipped) whereas as darker colours still look fine when a little scruffy.

For Gothic shades and jewel tones that are high gloss you can't beat Revlon. At £6.49, pick one polish for fingers and toes:

For summer neons pop to Barry M. At just £2.99 (and with Boots and Superdrug often running a 2 for £5 offer) you can afford to pick up a different shade for every nail:

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There are two super simple ways to do nail art without any fuss that are quick and don't need a steady hand:

Barry M's Nail Effects is now available in Black, White Frost, Pink Fizz and Blue Print (£3.99 each) - just one coat over any nail polish leaves a cracked, animal print effect on you nails.

[love indigo]

TIP: Once dry coat with clear polish as the Nail Effects formula drys matte and will easily chip.

Or go for high impact, low maintenance with Nail Rock Nail Wraps (£6.65) - simply trim your chosen wrap to fit, apply self adhesive side to the base of the nail then use a small hairdryer to heat strip and apply fully to the nail.

Blue, Yellow & Pink Stripes

Gingham Blue on White

Cheetah Yellow, Black & Fluorescent Orange

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If you've got a few spare hours before your chosen Fest why not dabble in a little nail art. ASOS recently teamed up with nail artist Sophy Robson for a music inspired shoot:

The Westwood Manifesto

I ♥ this jewellery idea used by Vivienne Westwood for a shoot for British Marie Claire this month to highlight fashion waste and upcycling - a print out of a pair of earrings glued to card and findings.

The Two C's - Customising Chanel

One thing I noticed when wandering the London markets was the abundance of the interlocking C's. From fake to vintage to DIYed, Camden and Portobello had them all - delicate diamante studs, acrylic logo chains, screen printed perfume bottle tees and the real deal in glass cases.

Before my capital trip I found out about 2.55 bags being customised at a Chanel/Colette collab pop-up shop by artists including Fafi, Kevin Lyons and SO-ME:

Personally I wouldn't have the balls to customise a Chanel handbag (especially not one that costs upwards of £1200!) but a little googling unearthed a wealth of creatives who have used the eponymous logo as a jumping off point for their own DIYs.

The obvious and simple do it yourself is a double C emblazoned white t-shirt - from hand drawn to stencilled the sky's the limit:

juliet polilova

luxenoir

stockholm street style

Feel a little more daring?

(?)

fashion in my eyes

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This now infamous Jak & Jil image of a paper bag 2.55 has led to many more durable copy creations:

fascination drop

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But the Chanel customisation isn't just limited to simple white cotton. Think a little outside the box and you can come up with some original DIYs that are low cost, high impact:

 Make jewellery with authentic Chanel buttons (scour Ebay for vintage and new) like this necklace from Knew 11.

Add large white C stickers to black plastic shades like Audrey Kitching.

Use fabric paint on nude shoes to create a black toe cap a la Chanel's ballet pumps (desilot).

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So, if you can't afford the real deal but want to let a little Coco into your life don't feel guilty at taking a little artistic licence and creating your own design. Even Kaiser Karl is in on the DIYs...

Got your own designer DIY you want to share? Feel free to leave a link in the comments box

FYI DIY

A collection of potential DIY's that I'm hopefully going to be trying soon.

Safety pins carefully placed on the back of a jacket to create 'wings'

Multiple chains attached to sunglasses

Simple chain bracelet with metal tassel

Shoulder pads added to a soft jersey tee with the shoulder seam tucked under

Gold safety pins on a jacket collar for a Chanel boucle effect