Betsey Johnson's "Fancy Face" Hand Bag

     So, as you guys know, I am an avid Betsey Johnson fan.  I saw this purse at her store in the mall a few months ago, and I knew that it was love at first sight.  Here's the thing: I knew I could make a purse like this!  So, I walked out of that store with a mission.  I will make this cheesin' awesome "Fancy Face" bag.  Since then, the design has been discontinued, but you really can make yourself this loveliness.  All I did was take some denim from the legs of an old pair of jeans, buy some black fringe, and use some sparkly thick red fabric for the lips.  I found a pretty little navy blue bow in my Big Bag O' Fabrics, used a gem for its center, and attached it all with fabric glue.  I also had it sewn with a plain black zipper and a keychain loop is its zipper handle!  (People who aren't so sew savvy can just buy a bag and use the almighty fabric glue I've grown so close to.)  Here's what you do:

• Take your denim and cut it up into two rectangular pieces of the same size.
• Grab your Singer, slices, and zipper, and throw down!  After you've sewn together you denim pieces and added the zipper, you get to the fun part.
• Cut the red fabric into some lips.
• Cut the black fringe into two, even pieces.  These will be your lush lashes.
• I didn't add eyebrows, but you could bejewel some if you want to!  ;)
• If you're using a bow, go ahead and stick a gem onto the center to add some style.
• Okay, so this is where my little friend Fabric Glue comes in.  Glue down the lips, lashes, and little bow.
• Let them dry for... I'd say at least seven hours.  (I know you're just dying to walk out of the house carrying that thing as soon as possible!)
• Then, you're ready to go, and show the world your awesome creativity!!

Betsey's "Fancy Face" Bag



My version of Betsey's bag

Splatter Paint Nails

Hi guys!  So, I found this radical way to make your nails look like splatter paint.  It's a little messy, but totes worth it!

For my base coat, I used NYC Long Wearing: Taxi Yellow Creme.  My splatter paint colors were Wet n Wild Megalast: I Red a Good Book, O.P.I: Funkey Dunkey, and O.P.I: Ogre-The-Top Blue.  As a top coat, I used NYC Matte me Crazy.  First things first, you've got to apply the base coat.

Now, here's where it gets tricky.  I chose to be rebellious and not use tape around each nail to keep the mess from getting big, but looking back, I really should have.  It.  Gets.  Real.  Messy.  See, what you do is take the nail polish and pour a little onto a paper towel/newspaper.  Then, you dip a straw into it, making sure you get it across the entire opening of the straw.  Now, you hold the straw over the first finger.  Blow hard and quickly to ensure the polish splats.  Do this again to your other nails and in different colors.

Yeah, your nails should look something like this, if you chose not to use tape.  -____-  No worries, though!  Take some nail polish remover and scrub-a-dub-dub.  Then, the finished product oughta look like this. 

Simply apply your top coat, and you are good to go!  Enjoy splatterfying your nails.  Happy Memorial Day! I hope you take some time to remember what our military's done for us and its ultimate sacrifices. God bless.

P.S. I got this idea from http://www.nail-art-101.com/.  It rocks, and has some great ideas!  I love to use online stuff like this and see if it really works for amateurs like me.  This one totally does!  ^_^

Dripping Paint Nails

I got this idea from a Pinterest nail art picture.  It was easier than I thought it would be!  You simply choose a base color, and then find the color(s) you want to have "dripping".  For that part, I used a pencil, for lack of the bobbypin you're supposed to use.  Finally, you just drag the utensil of your choice from the drippings to the tip of your nail!  Easy peesy!

The actual dripping nails are from this website.  They look much better than mine!

 http://www.beautylish.com/f/ycazrp

How To Get Rid Of Eye Bags

Eye bags are just plain icky. They make me quite unhappy. Luckily, I know a few tricks that'll be sure to reduce those nasty circles.

1) You've heard this a million times, I'm sure, but you need to be certain you're at least getting 8 hours of shut eye each night. Try to sleep on you back, and not your stomach. Also keep your head slightly elevated. This will prevent liquid from pooling under your eyes.

2) Ever noticed that when you indulge in those saltly fries or chips, your eyes get puffy? No, you aren't allergic to salt. Still, the high levels of salt will make you retain more water, as well as aggravate your under eye bags. Avoid it.

3) Water. It's good for everything: your throat, your skin, your hair, and now your eyes. Drink it.

4) Cold things will reduce puffiness around the eyes. I've heard of putting 2 metal spoons in the freezer and then placing them over your eyes. There's also gel ice packs that look like crazy googles, but they're made to go on the eyes and get rid of the swelling. Just make sure that whatever you decide on using, it's cold.

5) Put 2 black tea bags in lukewarm water. Drain excess water, and lay them over your eyes for 5 minutes. The caffine will tighten the skin around the eyes.

6) Lay thin cumcumber or potato slices on the eyes. This one's okay, but the difference isn't fantastic to me, and it's not my favorite. Other people say that this only aggravated their eyes and left them red. Maybe it'll work for you, but please use caution.

7) Make sure you aren't allergic to any of your makeup, which could cause swelling.

These techniques have worked for lots of people, but that doesn't mean they'll neccessarily work for you. Sometimes, eye bags are genetic and they're really hard to get rid of. These tricks may irritate your eyes, so be cautious. Have fun getting yourself purty eyes!

A Little Sketch How-To #1

So, I decided that I would show you guys a behind-the-scenes look on how to make a sketch, (simplified, of course).  Without further ado...

First, you need to outline the model of your outfit.  In order for you to see how I drew it, I had to darken it, but normally it should be done lightly.  I've done better; I was kind of in a rush! :)

Next, draw the outfit.  Again, this should regularly be done lightly, and the following step is the reason.

Afterwards, erase uneeded lines under the outfit.

Now, pick the base colors of your outfit.  Will it be pink?  Will it be blue?  You decide!

Add the details, textures, and shading to your design.  Finally, gawk at its cheese'n glory!

Fabric Flowers

Well, I can now officially say that I have created my first fabric flower shirt! For anyone who is clueless on how to make them, it's SO simple, it made me kinda mad that I had put it off so long. So, for anybody who wants some general instruction on how to make these, your wish has been granted! :)

1. You'll need fabric, (each flower just needs about 6" x 6" of fabric, except for the first type, but it doesn't need to be perfect.), fabric glue, and optional sewing materials for the checkered flower. The denim flower with pinks and greens on it, (not to be confused with the plain denim flower), and the pink flower were made EXACTLY the same way. The plain green flower was made similarly too, but it was folded less often, giving it a wider look. You can decide which look you want for your flower. You'll need a long 1" by 10" strip of fabric. To make the shape correctly, you need to fold the strip over and over diagonally, while twisting it up into a circle, AND while squirting a drop of fabric glue every now and then in between where the fabric will touch. It isn't as tough as it sounds!

2. The blue and white checkered flower probably took the longest, even though the concept was relatively simple. Take your fabric and cut it into small 1" by 1" squares. Pinch the squares together from the middle into sloppy cone shapes so they look sort of like this: V. Either stich it at the point or use fabric glue to hold it together. Next, take your "cones" and glue them to each other to make a shaggy yet adorable flower!

3. The green polkadot flower is my favorite, and it was easy to make. For this flower, though, you may want double-sided fabric, because it's more likely you'll see both sides. Stick you're finger in the center. Twist it to the left or right slowly, so it takes that twisted rose shape, and put glue where the fabric touches. That's really all it takes!
For different and more detailed flower how-tos, these are some sites I thought were helpful.

http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2009/08/make-fabric-flower-and-flower-tutorial.html

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2011/03/22/10-beautiful-fabric-flower-tutorials/

http://www.livinglocurto.com/2011/04/how-to-fabric-flowers/