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...

Average 45 Matches - Rebooted

Where there is a will, there is a way!

Previously i was not pleased with how the Sharpie Stained markers bled as it touched the fabric which kinda spoiled the look of the detailed image of my vintage match box design.

Well what the heck, might as well make use of my expensive toy - the embroidery machine.
After much time in front of the screen re-producing my design in photoshop and getting it digitized, im much more pleased with the (now costly) design on fabric =D

This time around, silver hardware with removable chain handle - so it can be used as a clutch without any strap, a hand held with a short chain strap, a shoulder bag or cross body with a longer strap.

Squeeeee!

Slidey, slidey, like a proper match

Push, don't pull...

Available at my etsy shop.
Since i'm still new to this, i'm open to feedback on my listings. Anything, let me know!

Average 45 Matches

Finally got some slightly larger but still thinnish magnets in the mail and what better way to try them out than to use them in a slightly unusual box.

Modelling it off the humble matchbox comes the next design.
Vintage safety match boxes always feature interesting artwork and have usually have absolutely nothing to do with matches.

Since the designs are fairly intricate for only 2-3 colour designs, painting it onto fabric would be pretty time consuming and require way too much concentration.
What a good time to test out the fabric markers from Sharpie.
Stained by Sharpie.

i had come up with my own three colour design based on the plethora of vintage matchbox artwork, and i only required red and black sharpies with the fabric itself providing the third colour.
The tips of these liquid ink markers are very fine and sharp. Good start. However they are not soft like a paint brush as the top left corner of the pack suggests. They are hard like normal textas.

I started off with the red on my canvas. Inks like a dream. Colour is saturated and the ink did not bleed.
Buoyed by the excellent start, went to complete the picture with the black marker.
And then disaster strikes!
The red pen was so sharp and smooth, but for whatever reason, i did not have the same luck with the black. Right away, pen on fabric, the ink bled like crazy. It probably doesnt look that bleedy from a short distance away but it felt like crazy considering the red was so sharp. Particularly obvious with the outlines.
*le sigh*

Soldiering on.
Matchbox style is alot more difficult to put together than i had anticipated. That's not to its not possible, just much trickier. Especially handling the outer casing.

Presenting my Three Ducks brand Safety Matches :)

Bang, bang

Push, push to slide out

Riveted loops for chain

I won't be putting this up on Etsy.
I love this design, but im not happy with the black ink and the overall wobbliness of the drawing. I will most probably come up with another way around the Sharpie issue and make some to put up for sale. You know what they say, where there's a will, there's a way.

Stay tuned!

Now Open: the Art of Jemology

Its been a long time coming.
I have finally mustered up and opened up my very own Esty shop - Art of Jemology.
Yep, Jemology, that's the name of my label. Check it out!

The craft is starting to take over and as much as i enjoy making these box clutches, there just isn't enough room (real estate is at a premium here in Sydders :P donchaknow?) to keep all of them.
So why not share the love and offer them up to some happy campers.

The shop is a little bare right now, but no doubt i will be adding more.

First up is the Jemology 'Today is a Gift' large box clutch.
How cute is this japanese print!

not a real mirror makes for wobbly reflections :P

Ribbon goes all the way around!

More Clutching Maddness

In keeping with the box clutch maddness, and buoyed by the relative success of the grapefruit box clutch, i was itching to get cracking on another one (to take a break from studying for a certification).

Not anything original (Charlotte Olympia has done it, Chanel has done it, Lanvin has done it...) but is a cute and ladylike accompaniment to any outfit. It is the Perfume Bottle clutch.

Here is a sketch of what i wanted to it resemble. Proportions are abit off.
I wanted to go for something a little bit vintage/art deco.

and here is the end result..

The main body of the 'bottle' is covered in champagne coloured silk twill. The front and back panels are padded with some thin wadding. The bottle 'top' is covered in white cotton with a dainty floral print.
The name plaque is also padded and is hand embroidered in metallic gold and gray thread.

It is roomier than the grapefruit as i added an extra half cm to the thickness of the clutch. The deco style 'bottle' top was certainly a challenge to make. It ended up being abit more well 'rounded' than the sharp deco corners i originally envisioned.

A peek inside...

 

the vintage blue posies seen previously (keeping in with the vintage feel of the clutch)

When life gives you lemons...

... put them aside and get some grapefruits!

Getting into the small clutch trend, i put my cartonnage skills to the test and decided to make a citrus box clutch. Not a whole citrus, just one slice :-)
The major problem i faced with this project was how to do the closure/clasp.
I have seen alot of other solutions crafters have used to make a closure - such as a ribbon or elastic loop over a button, or ribbon ties; but that didnt take my fancy as i didnt want straingy bits or protuding bits.
As a two bit crafter, i had no access to custom clasps that you see on commercially produced box clutches. I put the brain to work to come up with a solution with ready made components.

The project took alot longer than anticipated as i had to wait for extra thin magnetic snaps to fly over (from Etsy), as the selection of available craft components seriously sucks here in Sydney stores. Sad.

Very proud of this box clutch. Very happy with how it turned out, although there were minor issues.
This little grapefruit is ready for breakfast!

Marquise crystal beads as seeds.

Hand stitched name in metallic silver thread on the backside.

stitched sides

Mirror, mirror in the clutch, is this all abit too much?

Surprise contrasting 'Balloon Tots' lining - all facing in all different directions ^.^;