Recycledlovelies.com » I want to make this!

I Want to Make One of These….

Deanna — Mon, 24 May 2010 01:11:35 +0000

I got an email a couple days ago with a link in it to Charlotte Hostens website and I immediately got excited because these necklace/collars are so pretty. So this (or something like this) is what I will be working on this week.

Thanks Jen for sharing the link!

Altered Couture

Deanna — Mon, 17 May 2010 15:13:18 +0000

I bought the latest issue of Altered Couture. I don't know if you have ever seen the magazine but its pretty good. Its a quarterly magazine that is made up of clothes that have been made new by adding to or taking away from the original article of clothing. Its exactly what I love to do and has amazing and fun photos and ideas. I want to start getting the subscription but will probably wait a bit before I sign up, as its a bit expensive. They also have a magazine strictly for aprons called Apron.ology that I have enjoyed looking through. If you love to upcycle or alter your clothes, you can find this magazine at your local fabric store.

Some of what you will find inside:

J. Crew Inspirations

Deanna — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 16:39:07 +0000

I was looking through the J. Crew site again, checking out the new arrivals and came across two tanks that I want to make for the summer. I love the tissue cotton they use on so many of their shirts. Its so soft. I don't seem to find them much at thrift stores but occasionally I get lucky.

Here are the two shirts I have my eye on making:

Tissue Ruffle Tank

Tissue Flutter Tank

Recycled Bicycle Tube Bracelet

Deanna — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:04:52 +0000

I noticed this lady was wearing this bracelet that looked like leather with unique leaf like cut outs all over it. I decided to ask her about it and I am so glad I did. She told me her husband is a bike commuter and goes through bicycle tubes like a wild man. She wasn't quite sure what to do with them as they were piling up so she decided she would somehow find a way to get use out of them. She started playing around with them and found that they made some unique jewelry. And the best part, she used eyelets to connect the two sides. She said they stretch enough so that you can just slip it on. She also made a necklace and earrings from bicycle tubes. I love finding crafty people! I am so excited to try this. But since I don't have any bicycle tubes laying around, I figured I would give it a try with my leather scraps.

Now these aren't exactly like the one she made but the middle one is similar, just with eyelets instead of a snap closure. So many possibilities!

Photo courtesy of The Matchbook.

The Very BIG Project

Deanna — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:09:53 +0000

My daughter started a project, a very BIG project, one in which I was overwhelmed for her. Well now I am overwhelmed for myself as I take on this project. I am not even sure where to begin…which scares me even more. She wants to make her own prom dress. She has an idea in mind and we have looked at many dresses online and she has picked some that she likes, but in those choices are my fears. I have a fear that I wont be able to complete it, or that it wont be what she likes. If there's one thing that I don't want to do, it would be letting my daughter down. Being some what of a beginning sewer, I am not skilled in the ways of tulle. She went out and bought a whole bolt of tulle, yes a whole bolt! Who buys a whole bolt of tulle? Apparently my daughter does. Wow! Any helpful ideas on how to accomplish this task, please share them!

Here is a dress she likes. It was created by a local artist Sonia Kasparian, of Urchin Design. She sells her beautiful dresses at Flutter, a store in Portland, Or. We have visited this store many times and drooled over the amazing work she does.

It certainly is beautiful. I have been searching for wedding gowns or prom dresses with beaded detail for the bodice.

Now I know our creation wont be this spectacular but something close would suffice.

Any help or suggestions are welcome! Please, I really would love to hear your thoughts.

I Have Been Challenged!

Deanna — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:50:24 +0000

If you know me at all, you know that a challenge to me is not something to be ignored, in fact, its something I take very serious. Someone asked me once if I could shove this piece of cake in my mouth all at once, and as soon as I feel like there is a challenge on the table, well I will show you that I can. I did shove that cake in my mouth, unfortunately I did spit it out again, but I did shove it right back in(which made everyone sick) and chewed and swallowed the whole thing. That just tells you I have a big mouth and that I will do whatever it takes to prove to you that I can do it!

Well Evan from A Nerd Like Me challenged me to make a shirt like this one below from J Crew. Evan how did you know that J Crew was one of my favorite stores??

J Crew's Hand-cut Flower Art Tee

I take your challenge Evan! Now I have to find me a v-neck tee.

Check back!

The Graduations are Coming!

Deanna — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:54:01 +0000

In May my husband will graduate from Seminary and in June my daughter graduates from High School. The overwhelming responsibilities have been haunting me lately, I have thought about what I need to do so much that I am dreaming about it. Decorations, invitations, food, house space, redoing the yard, too many things to think about and really not a lot of time. Lately I have spent a lot of time looking at wedding sites and have come up with some great ideas on decorating and invitations and I am excited about those possibilities. I know they are wedding sites but you would be amazed at how just changing up one aspect of it or color and they can be used for any occasion.

Something cheap and sweet like these candy apples courtesy of My DIY Wedding Day.

These cute pom-poms in school colors would be great decorations, courtesy of My DIY Wedding Day.

And who wouldn't want to receive one of these Thank Yous? Courtesy of d. Sharp Journal.

How about you? Do you have any ideas for me? I would love to hear from you!

Sock Monkeys

Deanna — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:50:10 +0000

Ok I may be the only one that is excited about this but I found my very own sock monkey socks at the goodwill. Yep, they were brand new, never worn, ready to sew on a face and stuff to make it look like a sock monkey. I still need to find a pattern but am just so excited to get these started. Watch out my friends, one of these may be coming to you for your next birthday! I look at these socks and can just see the sock monkey smiling back at me.

DIY Christmas Gifts Day 8 – Easy Jar Candle Holder

Deanna — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:34:34 +0000

A friend of mine sent me an email last week and said she would be giving me a gift on Sunday that she made and told me I could use it for Recycled Lovelies. I was excited to see what it was. She said she made these with her kids/grandkids in the past and thought I might enjoy it. And she was right, it smells wonderful and is adorable. In fact the first thing I did was say, 'Do you smell that?' to everyone in the car. It was this cute canning jar filled with potpourri, topped with a votive candle holder, with a candle inside and ribbon tied around the jar. Adorable and simple! I love it, thank you Cathe!

The best part of this DIY gift is that you can use any old jar, from pasta sauce, mayonnaise to whatever you have laying around. You should also check out your local thrift store for some votive holders and canning jars. The only thing you would need to buy is some potpourri and a votive, but those can be really cheap. I have not made my own potpourri before but here are a few recipes to try if you are adventurous:

Make Your Own Potpourri – from dabneyherbs

Homemade Potpourri 101 – from tipnut

Ruffle Scarf

Deanna — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:32:21 +0000

I want to make a ruffle scarf, I see them everywhere and I need a little something to make me feel pretty. I am so excited. It looks so delightful! I think I am going to stay up late tonight to work on this. I mean I usually can't sleep anyway, so why not use my time wisely and get something done. Right??

Here are a few examples of what I might try:

A version of a ruffle scarf from Banana Republic

Another version from Anthropologie

Yet another from Anthropologie

Aren't they just lovely?

Check back tomorrow and hopefully I will have accomplished my goal.