Monday, March 31, 2008
Jane-y Lane-y
One of my other favorite magazines was Jane. And one day whilst surfing the interwebs, I found this surprisingly tasteful photoshoot with Christina Aguilera, looking a bit like Marilyn Monroe. Observe:
Lets Get Spaded
I really love Kate Spade's advertisements, they have a fun, vintage-y appeal to them.
Sorry about the gross title, by the way.
Sorry about the gross title, by the way.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Sleepy Hollow
I must see this movie! Johnny Depp? Christina Ricci? Collen Atwood Costumes? Whats not to like?
D.I.Y. Kanzashi
Here is a cute idea for making some japanese hair ornaments, all from Shojo Beat magazine.
YOU'LL NEED
Solid-color Hobotai silk, cut into one inch squares
Sharp, pointed tweezers
Spray starch
Rice starch glue
Wood board (to use as workspace)
Stiff cardboard
26-gauge florist's wire
Scissors
Hairpin
Decorative thread, beads and other details as desired
Tsumami kanzashi or hana kanzashi are beautiful traditional hair ornaments from Japan. Once only worn with kimono on special occasions, kanzashi have recently found a new lease on life recently as part of modern street fashion in Japan.
PETALS
There are two basic petal shapes that you can use to make almost unlimited designs. You can even create multicolored petals by folding two different colors of silk together! We're making round and pointed petals here.
Before folding your petals, you will need to starch your silk (the simple spray starch available in most grocery stores will do).
Next, spread a 1/8 inch thick layer of glue onto your board to hold the petals you have folded once they are done.
Round Petal Technique:
3.Fold silk square in half to form a triangle.
4.Place tweezers along center of triangle, and fold in half again.
5.Place your tweezers along the spine of new triangle.
6.Fold the sides up around the tweezers.
7.Holding the pieces in place, slide tweezers out and move them around to hold the petal shape in place.
8.Cut excess silk away (keep a 90 degree angle between the cut and the back of the petal).
9.Place petal in glue on board.
Pointed Petal Technique:
3.Fold your square of silk in half.
4.Fold in half again.
5.Fold in half once more
6.Grip petal in tweezers as with the round petal, and cut to size leaving a 90 degree angle between the cut and the back of the petal.
7.Place petal in glue on board.
BASE & ASSEMBLY
1.Cut one-inch-or-smaller circles out of stiff cardboard for as many flowers as you plan to make.
2.Pierce a hole in the center of the circle and pass a length of florist's wire through the hole, curling the end to stop the wire in the hole. (You can add a small dot of foamboard to the center to level out the petals for a flat flower.)
3.Spread glue onto your circular flower base.
4.Using tweezers, lift a petal from the glue board, smoothing the glued edges together.
5.Place as many petals as desired onto the base, evenly.
6.Gently form petals on the base to whatever shape you like. Once you've placed the desired number of petals, leave to dry while you're creating the next flower.
7.When all of your flowers are dry, gather the wire stems together like a little bouquet and bind them with an attractive thread. You can attach small silk leaves, buds and other decorations to add a little character!
8.Now bind your "bouquet" to a hairpin (I made my pin from a heavy gauge florist's wire, folded in half, then shaped to form two prongs).
9.Finish off by gluing little beads or other decorations to the centers of your flowers. I added some beaded dangles for a contemporary touch.
Follow the following step for a seasonal look that coincides with the spring cherry blossom season in Japan: Once you have a dried and completed round petal flower, turn it into a cherry blossom by adding a small dab of rice glue to the outside of the petal in the middle, and squeeze for a few seconds with your tweezers. When you let go you'll have that recognizable cherry blossom dimple! Repeat on all 5 petals.
YOU'LL NEED
Solid-color Hobotai silk, cut into one inch squares
Sharp, pointed tweezers
Spray starch
Rice starch glue
Wood board (to use as workspace)
Stiff cardboard
26-gauge florist's wire
Scissors
Hairpin
Decorative thread, beads and other details as desired
Tsumami kanzashi or hana kanzashi are beautiful traditional hair ornaments from Japan. Once only worn with kimono on special occasions, kanzashi have recently found a new lease on life recently as part of modern street fashion in Japan.
PETALS
There are two basic petal shapes that you can use to make almost unlimited designs. You can even create multicolored petals by folding two different colors of silk together! We're making round and pointed petals here.
Before folding your petals, you will need to starch your silk (the simple spray starch available in most grocery stores will do).
Next, spread a 1/8 inch thick layer of glue onto your board to hold the petals you have folded once they are done.
Round Petal Technique:
3.Fold silk square in half to form a triangle.
4.Place tweezers along center of triangle, and fold in half again.
5.Place your tweezers along the spine of new triangle.
6.Fold the sides up around the tweezers.
7.Holding the pieces in place, slide tweezers out and move them around to hold the petal shape in place.
8.Cut excess silk away (keep a 90 degree angle between the cut and the back of the petal).
9.Place petal in glue on board.
Pointed Petal Technique:
3.Fold your square of silk in half.
4.Fold in half again.
5.Fold in half once more
6.Grip petal in tweezers as with the round petal, and cut to size leaving a 90 degree angle between the cut and the back of the petal.
7.Place petal in glue on board.
BASE & ASSEMBLY
1.Cut one-inch-or-smaller circles out of stiff cardboard for as many flowers as you plan to make.
2.Pierce a hole in the center of the circle and pass a length of florist's wire through the hole, curling the end to stop the wire in the hole. (You can add a small dot of foamboard to the center to level out the petals for a flat flower.)
3.Spread glue onto your circular flower base.
4.Using tweezers, lift a petal from the glue board, smoothing the glued edges together.
5.Place as many petals as desired onto the base, evenly.
6.Gently form petals on the base to whatever shape you like. Once you've placed the desired number of petals, leave to dry while you're creating the next flower.
7.When all of your flowers are dry, gather the wire stems together like a little bouquet and bind them with an attractive thread. You can attach small silk leaves, buds and other decorations to add a little character!
8.Now bind your "bouquet" to a hairpin (I made my pin from a heavy gauge florist's wire, folded in half, then shaped to form two prongs).
9.Finish off by gluing little beads or other decorations to the centers of your flowers. I added some beaded dangles for a contemporary touch.
Follow the following step for a seasonal look that coincides with the spring cherry blossom season in Japan: Once you have a dried and completed round petal flower, turn it into a cherry blossom by adding a small dab of rice glue to the outside of the petal in the middle, and squeeze for a few seconds with your tweezers. When you let go you'll have that recognizable cherry blossom dimple! Repeat on all 5 petals.
Poor Dolly
I found this great Sweet Lolita website that has some fun recipies and crafts, I love these corset cookies!
Chocolat du Corset
I would like to thank Ami for this tutorial. She can be found on lj and her website is here.
The item you can’t miss in gothic fashion; the corset.
Whether you put it on your body or on a pastry, it’s very pretty!
Ingredients:
(makes 15)
White
Black
- Cocoa flavored sponge cake 150g (5.3 oz)
- Fresh cream 50g (1.8 oz)
- Chopped sweet chocolate (confectioners' for garnish) 40g (1.4 oz)
- 30 hazelnuts
- Sweet chocolate (confectioners' for coating) 300g (10.6 oz)
- Some Arazan*
- Some brandy (optional) - Plain sponge cake 150g (5.3 oz)
- Watever icing you'd like
- Chopped strawberry chocolate (confectioners' for garnish) 40g (1.4 oz)
- 30 hazelnuts
- White chocolate (confectioners' for coating) 300g (10.6 oz)
- Some Arazan
- Some brandy and dried strawberries (optional)
This pastry is originally from a shop in Harajuku called Baby Doll. (For information about the store, read page 54, ok!) They served these at a Valentine Event. They were kind enough to share this special recipe with us!
Directions:
1. Crumble sponge cake (see Point!), divide in half, then set aside.
2. To make the black cookie garnish, in a pot, add cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate; stir until melted. Add optional brandy. To make the white cookie garnish, do the same. This time, add the chopped dried strawberries.
3. Add half of step 1 to the black garnish mixture of step 2. Mix well so nothing sticks to the sides. Add remaining sponge cake to the white garnish mixture and mix well.
4. When the mixture turns into one big lump, divide into 15 pieces and mold in the shape of a corset. Put two hazelnuts in the place of the boobs and press them in gently.
5. Begin tempering the chocolate.**
6. Using your finger, spread the tempered chocolate on the back of your cookie (step 4). Use the sweet chocolate for the black cookies, and the white chocolate for the white cookies.
7. Cover the black cookies entirely with chocolate, and place on butcher paper. Do the same with the white chocolate for the white cookies. Place in the refrigerator. Once settled, decorate like a corset with icing and trim with azaran.
If you crumble the sponge cake with your fingertips, it will crumble neatly. (To save time, we crumbled both the cocoa and plain cake together.)
*Arazan - Arazan is a confectionary ingredient. It is a silver colored tiny grain that comes from the French word, "argent". Arazan is generally corn starch mixed with a sugar-type dealy that results in edible silver dust. It comes in a variety if sizes and colors, such as pink and gold.
**Tempering - Altering the temperature of the chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a pot and let it cool. Right before it sets, heat until it’s partially a liquid. If you do this, the finished texture will be smooth.
Recipe and pictures from Poor Dolly
Chocolat du Corset
I would like to thank Ami for this tutorial. She can be found on lj and her website is here.
The item you can’t miss in gothic fashion; the corset.
Whether you put it on your body or on a pastry, it’s very pretty!
Ingredients:
(makes 15)
White
Black
- Cocoa flavored sponge cake 150g (5.3 oz)
- Fresh cream 50g (1.8 oz)
- Chopped sweet chocolate (confectioners' for garnish) 40g (1.4 oz)
- 30 hazelnuts
- Sweet chocolate (confectioners' for coating) 300g (10.6 oz)
- Some Arazan*
- Some brandy (optional) - Plain sponge cake 150g (5.3 oz)
- Watever icing you'd like
- Chopped strawberry chocolate (confectioners' for garnish) 40g (1.4 oz)
- 30 hazelnuts
- White chocolate (confectioners' for coating) 300g (10.6 oz)
- Some Arazan
- Some brandy and dried strawberries (optional)
This pastry is originally from a shop in Harajuku called Baby Doll. (For information about the store, read page 54, ok!) They served these at a Valentine Event. They were kind enough to share this special recipe with us!
Directions:
1. Crumble sponge cake (see Point!), divide in half, then set aside.
2. To make the black cookie garnish, in a pot, add cream and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate; stir until melted. Add optional brandy. To make the white cookie garnish, do the same. This time, add the chopped dried strawberries.
3. Add half of step 1 to the black garnish mixture of step 2. Mix well so nothing sticks to the sides. Add remaining sponge cake to the white garnish mixture and mix well.
4. When the mixture turns into one big lump, divide into 15 pieces and mold in the shape of a corset. Put two hazelnuts in the place of the boobs and press them in gently.
5. Begin tempering the chocolate.**
6. Using your finger, spread the tempered chocolate on the back of your cookie (step 4). Use the sweet chocolate for the black cookies, and the white chocolate for the white cookies.
7. Cover the black cookies entirely with chocolate, and place on butcher paper. Do the same with the white chocolate for the white cookies. Place in the refrigerator. Once settled, decorate like a corset with icing and trim with azaran.
If you crumble the sponge cake with your fingertips, it will crumble neatly. (To save time, we crumbled both the cocoa and plain cake together.)
*Arazan - Arazan is a confectionary ingredient. It is a silver colored tiny grain that comes from the French word, "argent". Arazan is generally corn starch mixed with a sugar-type dealy that results in edible silver dust. It comes in a variety if sizes and colors, such as pink and gold.
**Tempering - Altering the temperature of the chocolate. Melt the chocolate in a pot and let it cool. Right before it sets, heat until it’s partially a liquid. If you do this, the finished texture will be smooth.
Recipe and pictures from Poor Dolly
How Sassy Changed My Life
Doing the Ellegirl post made me want to make one for Sassy, even though I was born too late to enjoy it.
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