My Little Pony - Pinkie Pie Shrinky

Its been a loooong time since my last entry.
Still on the shrinkies but this time, moving away from the anime but still on the cartoons.
Its got to be the one and only My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

This is a awesome image of Pinkie Pie replicated on shrinky.

All cut out with holes punched

Going, going, shrunk!

Oops! not the clearest of photos but you get the idea.

And finally here it is all lacquered and with chains on....

PrismaColor Premier (Soft Core) Coloured Pencils Review (with CardCaptor Sakura)

For the first few shrinkies, i has been using Derwent Artists coloured pencils. Since there was only 36, it was seriously lacking in a lot of colours. For some reasons, all the colors were on the darker side so it seriously lacked lighter tones.
So what does a crazy crafter do? Yep, buy a larger set with all the colours of the rainbow because i didn't what colours/tones i would require in the future... so just buy them all 😊

PrismaColor offered the largest set with the widest range of tones. So i got the 150 piece Premier.

Comparison to Derwent
At first glance, the sheer amount of colours was amazing and the pencils look like any other pencil (im not really a pencil aficionado). Looks fine.
But on closer inspection, the pencils are of poorer quality when compared to my old Derwents (probably a big price difference between the two, but the Derwents are from way back).


The imprint alone along the length of the pencil is poorer on the PrismaColor. The stamping is uneven. The Derwent stamping is very even, aligned and complete.

Picking up the Prisma, the pencils are thinner and the colour core is proportionally less than the Derwent. Less pencil for less money.
A thicker barrel is easier to grip when in use.

Worst of all, it appears that the PrismaColors are manufactured with poor quality wood as there were several pencils that were split/cracked along the length of the pencil...

Even with the crappiness of the quality, the only saving grace for the PrismaColor Premier is the softer coloured core (apart from the awesome colour spectrum they produce). The colour draws out smoother and more pigmented (a side effect though is the excess "colour dust" that could easily smudge across your work if not careful) than the harder waxy Derwents.

First test with PrismColour on shrink plastic
The PrismaColors are so much easier to use on shrink plastic than the Derwents. The colours provide better coverage on plastic and its much easier to see where you have already coloured.
The pencils really glide smoothly across the plastic - feels almost as if you are 'painting' the plastic but with pencils.

CardCaptor Sakura - Sakura in Wonderland. Sakura as the white rabbit.

Unshrunk

After shrinking, both sides look pretty ok.

The "underside" - drawn side underneath

In contrast to Derwent on plastic, the drawn/coloured side actually looks much better and best used as the "top" or "right" side. the coverage is so great, its almost as though the image has been printed or painted on.

Viola!
This is the drawn side as the top side with a clear coat.

Verdict is as crappy as PrismaColour quality is, its like a match made in heaven for shrink plastic.

Shrinky Super Sailor Moon

The original plan was to make a shrinkie something with My Little Pony... but due to the limited colours of my current Derwent artists coloured pencils set, i went back to a Sailor Moon image again.

As cute as the Sailor Moon pictures are, they are a bit more fiddly to draw and colour compared to the simple lines of Ponies.
I'll just have to get some more pencils first!

Sailor Moon Super S!

This side is what i call the glossy side.

This is the coloured/marked side.
Maybe its the colours used in this picture, but she does look a lot more "waxy" than Sailor V.

This is the idea for the 3 holes punched into the shrinkie.
What do you call these? Hand chain? The craft chain i use is too thick and bold and overpowers the whole thing. I will need to swap these out when i get some thinner, dainty chain.

Shrinky Sailor V with coloured pencils on shrinky

Continued playing with shrinkies..

The advantage of using markers on shrink plastic is clean lines and even coverage... however it all comes unstuck when you need to get white on the frosty clear sheet of plastic. There just isn't any white ink marker.. sure you can get white paint marker but it probably won't shrink well.

This where colour pencils are required.
Based on the limited colour set i have, Sailor moon characters would work great - most vibrant solid colours. Getting even coverage with wax based pencils is alot harder than markers.

How freaking cute are the Sailor moon images on Sailor moon drops game.
Sailor V has to be the most adorbs.

Here she is! 😁😄😁💖

By now, i'm also guessing that the "marked" side is the "right side up" (on the thinking that if you drew on opaque coloured shrinkie, the drawn side could only be the top side) but with the clear shrinkie, i prefer the drawn side as the "underside" and the thick clear side as the top for a glossy finish.

 

This is the drawn side which is the underside for me. You can see the texture of the coloured pencils is rougher than the drawn side of Stitch which was drawn with markers. Markers also keep the translucency of the shrinkie sheet whereas pencils give an opaque finish.

She turned out really well 😄(even though coverage is not 100% - shortcoming of using pencils).

Now to decide what to do with her... 

Back on the crafting bandwagon!

Having finally hauled my butt onto eBay to buy some shrink plastic ... or shrinky dinks or shrinkles ... whatever the companies want to call them.
Sad as it is, i couldn't find shrinkies in store in Sydders (the only ones that i could find were those children's craft packs that had pre-printed images on them 😕).

But anyways, yay that the plain shrinkies arrived just before the Easter break so of course, i got stuck right into it over the break.

It was fascinating to watch it curl and shrink and flatten out in the oven 😮 amazing lol

My test piece - to see how much it actually shrunk

 

Even though the package said the plastic will shrink 7 times smaller ... that was a bit of a lie - as you can see its more like 30% shrink.. although really, that's fine with me but the blurb was misleading.

The initial test was done with coloured pencils.

I already tried using permanent/indelible markers to see how that turns out.

The finish between the 2 are very different. The pencils makes the shrinkie opaque, whereas the markers resulted in translucent finish (the shrinkie sheet is frosted).

Well with the initial test out of the way, onto something bigger!

With some sharpies and a custom design.

 

Cutting the holes inside the bow and the slits on the either side of the bow with a knife is freaking hard!

It is very easy for the knife to slip a bit and its all over red rover 😢

Annnndddddd... you have to be very careful removing the shrinkie from the over while its still hot as its still soft and malleable. Very easy for the slit to no longer be a slit .. if you get what i mean.

Oven baked goodness...

The marker colours darken to what it would look like on paper..


ta da! a shrinky elastic bracelet

Family shot!
Test pieces with the big bow bracelet!

how cute is stitch!

My first Unboxing - GUCCI Animalier Feline earrings

Its been a long while since crafting anything *sigh* so its been crickets and tumbleweeds.
Will need to get myself back on the bandwagon.

However, before then, i really would like to share my unboxing of new GUCCI animalier feline head earrings because it was so "packaged" (a lot like sealed food which was interesting) compared to what you would normally get with these designer costume accessories.

Yep, other than making stuff, i like to indulge in some designer stuff. I do not condone it :P

Gucci's new stuff is very whimsical, full on and not for the faint of heart! But certain pieces are totally awesome!

Stacks On! Tsum Tsum Greeting Card *^.^*

We all know how cuuuuuuute Disney's japanese Tsum Tsum range is!
So i totally had to revisit the totally kawaii Tsum Tsum greeting card book - which i had previously used for Alice and White Rabbit playing card... and actually use it following the way the patterns were originally intended =)
But of course, i couldn't possibly just copy a greeting card exactly as it is prescribed in the samples - where is the fun in that!
The fun is working out how to do things within your limitations naturally LOL
Having left this until the last minute for a cute little bub's birthday, i could only get my hands on a limited selection of coloured cards to slice and dice.

i chose individual characters that "go together" somewhat and what i could make do with the colours i had - a Mickey, Donald & Pluto stacker.
I would have really loved to do a Lilo & Stitch but the colours didn't extend that far.

Turned out pretty cute with the slight misalignment of the stacking.
The "card" part is just Mickey's head.

Here it is standing - kinda looking very much like the flat photo =P

Side profile

This took about 2.5 hours (omg!) and can most probably be much quicker if i started with a knife that was actually sharp!
And it's not a good idea to use a chunky, fat box cutter even if its sharp. Small hands (well, not that small) and a chunky tool do not mix. Hand was not very happy after using that.
Pick a good slim Stanley knife or slender box cutter/retractable knife and the world will be your Tsum Tsum filled oyster.

Very cute and turned out awesome if i do say so myself.
Totally going to make more cut out tsum tsums just for the hell of it =D

Designer Sunnies and their Gigantic Cases!

Argh!
Why does every designer brand and associated eyewear manufacturer make gigantic hard cases?!
With the amount of moolah they charge for said eyewear, the least they could do was make boxes that fit the darn things nicely instead of a 'one size fits all' lazy bum approach.

Case in point this time around -
the Dior So Reals are very slim yet the box is huge and squarish which means its a struggle to get it to fit into most moderately sized handbags and if you can get it in, it almost fills up the entire bag!
(Safilo have now started accompanying sunnies with the much slimmer black boxes, unfortunately, these still came with the giant white box)

*grumble grumble grumble*

Anyhoo, of course this is a good opportunity to custom make a box for the slim sunnies.

Presenting:

 

The custom case isnt tiny but follows the shape of the sunnies much better and fits more snugly than the original.
The side profile shows the uneven trapezoidal shape i made these in to follow the different slants of the front and back side of the sunnies. This shape is new to me so was an interesting challenge.

A little bit of casual neon polka dots on the side...

 

I made a large flap opening that opens up all most of the way for easy access that minimises the risk of squishing the sunnies or having to slide its way in which may inflict painful scratches.
The 'back' wall is lower for easy pick up because you know... its all rush rush rush lol

The inside is lined in emerald green scrap silk satin which you may remember i had also used as the lining for the 'wa! pucca flex sunnies soft case'.
The inner side where the front of the sunnies sit is padded - just like a silk pillow for the precious =)

With the finished case, i could have probably made it slightly smaller height-wise.

It was only after making this custom case that i found out the new black slim boxes were coming with newer models. The black case is slim and is the profile is actually a long triangle - which means its long and pointy at the bottom - probably not the best combination with soft leather lining in some bags.
Interestingly, the black cases are so slim that now you get the reverse problem where some sunnies like the Diorama barely fit in there - actually squishes the sunnies abit. You also have to slide it in and out to get it as on the top lifts up to open. Scratch central, anyone?
Oh vey =S

Alice and the White Rabbit Playing Card

Its been a little while since the last time...
so lets make it a good one!

i picked up a cute japanese craft book for making greeting cards based on Disney tsum tsum range.
totally kawaii!

Anyways, i took one of the card designs and appropriated it into my cartonnage - fabrics instead of papers.
Just a tad more challenging due to the tiny cuts that can be made on paper compared to fabric.

i turned this card design into a vertical top handle clutch purse/bag.
I used a push lock to secure the opening - first time using a push lock!

Here it is!
Adorable playing card design featuring Alice and the White Rabbit!

 Simple leather top handle with silver tone hardware

 My own little signature at the back

 Of course, how can i not include a giant mirror! Its totally what every bag needs to have built in (where possible)

Tiny little stitches... hand embroidered felt pictures...

Mini LalaLoopsy Dotty Gale Winds Mod

How adorable are the mini lalaloopsy dolls?
With their swinging legs and large button eyes. And im probably late to the game... as usual.

For the longest time, i had been meaning to do something with a couple of Lalaloopsy minis i bought.. for fun.
It was either going to turn into a bag charm or key chain/key ring.
And then it took even longer to find tiny eyelet screws... yep, it was hard.

i chose to try my hand at slight customisation on Dotty Gale Winds. Purchased on sale. In case i messed it up.
So this is what Dotty looks like from factory. Already very cute with her pigtails and sparkly red slippers.

Picture comes from LalaloopsyLand Wikia

This one is fairly simple mod.
First step was just to drill a tiny hole in the chosen position in her head and put in the eyelet screw so she could be hung.
I attached key ring rings to form a small chain and a larger one for attaching to an actual key.
There! as simple as that. Key ring done!

Being factory, a lot of the details molded into the doll (her dress in particular) are not that noticeable. Its really just a giant blue dress.
She needed more details ... or for the details to stand out more.

There are a lot of kids out there that customise their minis with acrylic paints and those are usually 'total' makeovers. Honestly, from what i can see, from a certain distance, they look fabulous. But as you get closer, the texture of the acrylic paint is very obvious and for me personally, i didnt really like the idea of changing the smooth texture of the plastic and ending up with a sandy finish. Plus, have to source some sort of sealer to keep the paint from chipping.
So i chose just to highlight some of her details and instead of acrylics, i just used nail polish o^_^o

The finished result:

 The wavy stripes on skirt of the dress were difficult to keep clean as the brush was crap and the plastic was super smooth, it slips! Hard to control.

I only used 4 different colours of nail polish.
Dior Tuxedo - navy blue stripes
Dior Diorling - gold buttons
Winmax glittery silver #11 - middle layer petticoat
Dior Perle - middle layer petticoat (over Winmax)

Winmax is a cheapie from Daiso.
The quality of nail polish made a big difference to the ease of getting this done.
Winmax and small fiddly details do not go hand in hand. In the end the coverage of the Winmax was too splotchy and way too glossy, so i went over it with Dior to give it a opalescent finish that is matte.
Dotty's sock frills shows the original Winmax glitter.


Now here's to hoping it doesnt chip as easily as nail polish does on nails! The overall texture and finish is much closer to the plastic than acrylics and you get the bonus of being able to use glitters and metallics that are harder to get in normal paint.

If i keep detailing mini lalaloopsys, i might need to expand my nail polish 'collection' =)

Cute Little Furla Spy... now even cuter!

Its been a little... (or a long!) while since the last post... life got in the way unfortunately.
Its a new year so time to get stuck back into things :)

Here is a small start.

I picked up a leather Furla mini spy backpack on sale - very cute.
This is a stock image of it

Its a cute little thing with a very minimalist design with a chunky pale gold chain handle.

Now as if this wasn't kiddy enough (the SA asked if i was purchasing the bag for a child lol, nope its for me), I added two pom poms and here we have it.

Customised design and even more kiddy... i mean, cuter!

Great result and took less than an hour to do. Well worth it.
If i ever want to dress like an adult with this backpack, i can simply snip the poms out.

Burda Style Wrap Band Trouser Pattern Review

Its been a long while since the last post.
Time to back track a little now as the holiday has come and gone.

There are a lot of stories about western Europe (its meant to be the better/developed side of Europe right??) and petty crime, and the worst part of a holiday is when you have just arrived in a new place, with your luggage, and trying to find your way to the hotel. Unless you have been to the destination before, you will inevitably look a bit lost sometimes. That's bad for you but great for the opportunists.

So at the last minute i decide i need to find a pair of pants that won't be so easy for pickpockets and i wouldn't have to worry so much about my pockets when i'm lugging luggage around in a foreign place (you will never regret travelling light =) ).
The shopping selection is pretty dismal in Sydney anyway so it would be impossible in the short amount of time so it was time to pull out the good ol' Burdas.

Thank goodness for Burda Style 10/2014 #119 'Trousers with Wrap Band'.
The pants are a loose style made in a lightweight fluid fabric and it has pockets and the wrap around tie covers the opening of the pockets. Perfect for the summer and paranoia.

Being a a craftster that sews (what would you want to call this... a sewer? a 'sew-er' but it readers like 'sue-er'... like the pipes that take waste water =P ), i hoard fabric so i just had to shop from my hoard. I picked out a lightweight cotton/silk blend with stars and spots woven into it.

This pattern was simple and fairly quick - i think i made these in a week <-- this is actually fast for me =P
The sizing was true to size and the pattern pieces matched up correctly.
But Burda is Burda and the only problem with the huge jumble of almost indistinguishable patterns printed on top of patterns on top of patterns on the pattern sheets. I was in such a hurry to trace out the right pattern, i accidently left out the front fly flap... and i didnt notice until i got up to the part of putting in the front zip. Quelle Horreur!!!
Yep.. that means i had already cut out the fabric pieces (and i had already bought the matching blue zip in the right length *sigh*).

Part of being crafty is to be crafty as well, right?

Here is the finished trousers...

Front - tied up as they did in Burda images

Front of pants without the bands tied - you can see the pleating and pockets that sit underneath

The band is quite long so you can tie it up into a bow

And the back... revealing my hack...

The loose silhouette makes the pants look stumpy on the hanger... =P

My quick fix solution was to just stitch up the front and install an invisible zip in the back due to lack from front fly flaps. Benefit i found with this is that i dont have to until the front every time i needed to go to the toilet. Bonus!
And yep, the zip is black... i had a stash of black invisible zips and had no time at all to go out and buy a matching blue one.

This is a great pattern. I had no issues with it, other than my eyes going crossed from tracing out the pattern.
I would definitely recommend and re-make (if i was ever inclined to).