Vintage Fashion Illustrations with a bit of bling

MY STORY

    I have always loved vintage fashion and vintage fashion illustrations.  One of my favorite illustrators is Hilda Glasgow.  As a worker in the fashion industry for the last 20+ years, I admire her style and her story.  Her daughter has continued her legacy through The White Cabinet - here is a little bio from their page which can be found here THE WHITE CABINET WEBSITE:

From the 1940's to the 1960's Hilda Glasgow was one of the top fashion illustrators in the industry. She was also my mother. As a woman ahead of her time, born in 1913, graduating from Pratt Institute in NYC in 1933, she illustrated the latest mid 20th century fashions for magazines such as Vogue and a variety of high end department stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Best & Co. 

Her original pen and ink drawings had been hidden away for over 50 years in a white cabinet in her Manhattan apartment, now in my home. I decided it was time for the world to enjoy them again.  Here they are in all their glory, as limited edition reproductions, and, partnering with The Pencil Factory, notecards, coloring books and more.  You can even have Hilda's ladies gracing your home as wallpaper by Flavor Paper!

Please take a peek and enjoy. If you are a fan of "Funny Face", "Breakfast at Tiffany's", and that little black dress,  then I think you'll find these vintage illustrations  simply divine just like I do! 

                                                                                                             ~Liz Glasgow                        

   The website features great product featuring her illustrations -- from gift wrap paper to compact mirrors, and my new obsession, "Hilda's Sketchpad" -- a coloring book featuring vintage illustrations 1940 - 1970.  This book is high quality and beautifully made.

   I love coloring so this project was a perfect way to spend a relaxing afternoon in the studio.  And my utilizing some of the product from THE BUCKLE BOUTIQUE, I was able to add some dimension and texture to these already beautiful illustrations.  Hope you enjoy and check out both The White Cabinet and The Buckle Boutique for great inspirational ideas.

YOUR TURN

   Before I started coloring, I made a few copies of the illustrations to practice colors, etc., on before I was confident to use the original pages.

   No rules about coloring -- just relax and enjoy it.  Since I was a kid, I found coloring and coloring books an almost meditative experience and that has not changed all these years later.

   Once I finished the coloring, I chose some rhinestone adhesive stickers to pump up the picture.  For the first example, I wanted to focus on the handbag and other accessories.  From one of your copies cut out pieces of the bag and use as a template for cutting out the rhinestone.  One of the great features of the Buckle Boutique product is that, no matter how small a piece you need, it is easy to peel away from the backing.

   On the second illustration, I thought the original illustration lent itself to some bling on the dress itself in addition to the accessories.  Same process as the first illustration.

   I found these great frames at Michaels and I thought they were the perfect complement to the era of the illustrations.  I still have 14 drawings left in my coloring book -- I can hardly wait to play with these as well.

  Either the coloring book itself or the finished pieces would make a great gift for the fashionista in your life!!!   Don't forget to check out The White Cabinet and The Buckle Boutique and get your fashion/creative mojo going!

  Even Entertainment Weekly magazine had a recent article on the popularity of modern coloring books.  Check out the article here ARTICLE.

                      

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Tips and videos for cutting our rhinestone sticker sheets can be found HERE

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A Gift Box For Baby

MY STORY

     It's challenge time again at Decorate To Celebrate!  If you need some great projects and inspiration for your next celebration check at their blog:  Decorate To Celebrate

     I love finding ideas for re-purposing or upcycling in my crafts.  For this challenge, I created a gift box for the new baby which makes a nice keepsake item that the new parents can use.  They can keep special items in it like that first lock of hair or first tooth or even remove the box cover and hang as wall art.  Here we go!...

YOUR TURN

     You will need very few supplies for this project:

• Any size box
• Paper of your choice - sample uses Paper Source paper
• Backing papers - again using Paper Source product
• Domino shaped wood pieces - from Michaels
• White , gold acrylic paint and crackle paint - from Michaels
• Stickers - from Michaels
• Decorative clothespins - from Michaels

     Paint the inside and all surfaces of your box -- this sample used gold acrylic paint, but use any color that complements your idea.  Once dry, place the cover upside down on the reverse side of your paper and adhere.  Handmade paper tends to be thinner than card stock, so be frugal with how much glue you use.

    Paint the domino shaped wood pieces in white (or whichever color you have chosen).  I like the look of a little rustic mixed with the metallic in the paper and stickers so after your color paint has dried, apply a layer of crackle paint.  It takes about 2 -4 hours to dry and you will be left with a little weather beaten effect.

   Once the paints have dried, apply your stickers as desired. 

    Then glue to a sheet of backing paper.  (Currently I'm obsessed with the gold and light pink palette.)  Cut out using decorative scissors. HINT:  Based on the size of your box, and the amount of letters  you need, lay down on the paper to insure everything fits on the box top.  If you are using a lot of letters, you may need to trim your backing paper more than in this example.

    Glue your backing paper with the wood shape onto another sheet of card stock -- for this example I used gold glimmer.  Cut out.

    Clip your clothespin onto the papers and glue into place.  

 

  I think this is an adorable way to give a gift to the new baby and their parents.  Happy crafting!!

Easter Egg Bling

MY STORY

     I love when I can combine my Decorate To Celebrate challenges with being a design team member for the Buckle Boutique.  Both of these sites have creative inspiration with products and projects DECORATE TO CELEBRATE The Buckle Boutique.  And now The Buckle Boutique has reduced the prices for their rhinestone sheets so it is the best time to check them out.

    I decided to bling up some Easter eggs for a fun centerpiece.  Would also make a fun gift to bring to your Easter dinner hostess.

YOUR TURN

   Since I like to work ahead, I found these great eggs at Michaels.  They are dyeable and I was thrilled to find them.  You will also need some coordinating napkins/guest towels (mine were from Bed Bath & Beyond), rhinestone sticker sheets from THE BUCKLE BOUTIQUE, Mod Podge, foam brush, a basket, paper filler, twine, flowers.  My color palette was determined by the napkins I found so use whatever colors work best for you.

    Some different ideas to bling up your eggs:

A)  Cut your napkin into thin strips.  Apply Modge Podge to your egg -- be careful.  Use a thin layer and work slowly.  Once the napkin is wet, it could rip while applying.  Cover the egg as desired.  Once dry, apply Mod Podge over the total egg and let dry again.  Then add strips of coordinating rhinestones.  You can also add a larger piece of the rhinestones down the middle and place some of the napkin on either side.

B)  These examples used just the sticker sheets.  I cut up in random shapes and applied.  The rhinestone sticker sheets from THE BUCKLE BOUTIQUE are so easy to work with.  They adhere to anything and are easy to cut.  And even using the smallest,thinnest pieces they are still easy to peel the backing away.

C)  I like creating some eggs with 3D elements.  The first one I call the nest egg.  Wrap the twine around the egg, leaving an oval opening.  Cut out a bird from one of the napkin designs and apply.  Don't glue the entire piece down so it sticks up above the egg.  Add a little bling to the tail.

     The other 3D egg is what I refer to as the Koi egg.  Once I started working with this particular napkin, it felt Asian to me.  Cut out strips of the napkin, leaving a long tail that go past the bottom of the egg.  Once dry, apply another coat of Mod Podge over the entire egg -- but do not apply any to the "tails".  Apply strips of rhinestones to the tails and add a blingy eye.

D)  You can also use bits of the napkin to create a design and add some rhinestones to add bling and dimension.

   For the basket, fill with paper.  I added a little bling to a burlap flower and applied.

  And that's it.  A fun presentation for your Easter dinner table.  This concept can also be used for the holidays -- there are tons of blank ornaments out there so you are only limited by your imagination!

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Shop The Buckle Boutique at our Main Store and Etsy

Tips and videos for cutting our rhinestone sticker sheets can be found HERE

Are you a retailer who would like to carry The Buckle Boutique's products in your store?

Please contact us for wholesale pricing information.

Bling Up Accessories with The Buckle Boutique

MY STORY

     I am so excited to be part of the design team for The Buckle Boutique.  Their rhinestone sticker sheets make it so easy to add some bling and glam to anything!   Check out their website for great product The Buckle Boutique Website.  There is also tons of inspiration on their facebook page, check it out and bling it out! The Buckle Boutique Facebook page.

   For today's blog, I took some plain jewelry items and was easily able to add some bling.  I found these items at Michaels and a great jewelry store in NYC High Design Jewelry.  You can use these ideas for any jewelry you  have -- fun and easy let's go!

YOUR TURN

   Here are the pieces I worked with for this project.  I also wanted an animal print theme for this project and The Buckle Boutique does not disappoint with their selection:

   For the ring, I simply traced the open top onto the back of a rhinestone sheet. Peel off the backing and that's it!   Using a different sheet, I was able to add some bling around the ring itself.  And that's it!

   Bangles will never go out of style and why wear plain when you can wear bling!  Just trace out a piece and apply to the bangles.

   I love these plastic bracelets I found at High Design Jewelry.  Using one of the sections, create a template and then trace that template onto different sticker sheets.  I like laying out the pieces before I apply to insure I like the pattern/colors in a specific order.  And although these rhinestones stick really well, they are also easy to reposition so you have some time to play around with your design.

  And that is just as easy as it is to Bling Up Your Accessories!   #itsallaboutthebling

Follow The Buckle Boutique at our Blog  //  Facebook  //  Twitter  //  Pinterest

Shop The Buckle Boutique at our Main Store and Etsy

Tips and videos for cutting our rhinestone sticker sheets can be found HERE

Are you a retailer who would like to carry The Buckle Boutique's products in your store?

Please contact us for wholesale pricing information.