Vintage Record Boxes

I can't resist buying albums for their cover art ... if they're under $1. I have some framed but also wanted to enjoy them a little more so I made these 2 part boxes (like the ones puzzles come in).  I lightly scored the front of the album with an exacto knife to prevent cracking. I used the back of the album for the bottom of the box and sized it 1/4" smaller to fit inside. Clothespins kept the sides in place while the glue dried. 

Free the iPhone Photo!

I take lots of photos on my phone but never do anything with them. Frames are expensive & also somehow too formal. I found some random tiles in my basement, resized and printed photos on cheap copy paper. I used Liquitex Matt Medium for Decoupage. I'm seeing a whole wall of phone photo tiles. They're also fun to prop up around the house, like on a windowsill. 

Orphaned Clip Earring Rescue

I can't resist those orphaned clip earrings from the 50's & 60's. So playful, festive and feminine.  I do succumb to a bit of saccharine nostalgia now and then, so I decided to make a little frame shrine to my mom and her sisters, the wearers of the earrings. Its easy to clip off the earring backs using a pair of wire cutters and a bit on epoxy is all you'll need to glue metal to metal.
This post is part of Get Your Craft on Tuesday at Today's Creative Blog. 

Holey Cashmere!

I love to give a helping hand to a good cashmere sweater with lots of moth holes. Poor things! Once a beloved member of the wardrobe --  then left at the end of the day on the rummage sale table. I make the holes larger, add a few new ones of my own then patch with cashmere scraps and wool embroidery floss. 

A T Shirt, Bleach & a Doily

I needed to help upcycle this T shirt because of a bleach accident. I loved the red tones the bleach brought out so I picked up a cotton doily (yard sale find), soaked it in straight bleach and started using it to "print" this shirt, resulting in a kind of a tie dyed/floral effect. 

Garbage Around My Neck

I made this necklace on the train on my way to a party where I didn't know anyone. I thought it would be an "ice breaker" and it was. Materials include telephone wire, plastic toy, bottle cap, mesh fruit bag, button, pop top, candy wrappers and bubble blower.

So You Say You Want a Resolution?

We did a family project for New Years last year. First we decoupaged the jar. Then we wrote our resolutions on pieces of paper and sealed them up in the jar for a year. When we opened it there was a definite trend ... the more specific the resolution the more successful it was. Duh! Why was I surprised? 

Its a Crime

... to have a bunch of boring cups. A set of Pebeo Porcelaine markers are all you'll need to change that. These were inspired by cozy mystery books, the ones where the person is already dead and the evil doer is brought to justice in the end. The rest of the dishes in my house are in for a makeover. 

Designer Shoes

Saw these Todd's loafers at Salvation Army. So not a Todd's gal but they were really comfy & in perfect condition.  I designed my own logo (initials PAR) and drew it on with a gold metallic sharpie. 

Bye Bye Polo Pony

I bought this cashmere sweater in a great blue at the Salvation Army for $3.00. There was one minor problem: I couldn't wear a sweater with a Ralph Lauren polo pony on it. Got out my embroidery floss & created a spontaneous new logo and cut out the tag. Now I can wear it with pride!

Garbage Fish

When I walk along the ocean often the most interesting things I see are the bits of trash that wash up. This is a beach rock fish dressed up in all kinds of beach trash. I painted her a coordinating sea to swim in. 

Bye Bye Holidays!

Ah, the holidays ... a great time of year to make a point about not shopping. (Here's my holiday tree made from an old paperback book.) Occupy Wall Street had a barter & gifting only Holiday Bazaar & skill share this year. Totally love this idea! Hope we won't have to wait until next year to shop without money. "What Would Jesus Buy?", a documentary about Reverend Billy is an inspiring film to watch any time of year.

Parking Lot Penguin

I can't resist picking up flattened cans in parking lots. I think they're just so cool but not so easy to find a new life for. This can told me he'd like to be a penguin so I found him a cigar box in the basement, punched & screwed on the metal parts.