My friend John (who, by the way, runs a really cool record label) recently got me interested in using disposable cameras again. I don’t even remember the last time I used film.. it was probably long long ago with a pink camera that imprinted hello kitty in the corner of each shot. :p

So this past weekend I got a $5.99 disposable camera from Walgreens and experimented. I felt guilty for taking so many photos in one weekend, but I was really interested in seeing the effect a disposable camera had on photos. I didn’t want to spend weeks/months filling my first disposable camera only to realize, after finally getting them developed, that I didn’t like the quality of the images.

But turns out there was no reason for me to worry; I’m in love with how these turned out. :] I thought I’d share some of my experiments with different locations/lighting with you guys~

Things I now love about disposable cameras:

• Each shot feels slightly precious. It prevents you from taking dozens of shots.
• You can’t see the photo immediately after taking it.
• The one or two shots you take is what you get. No choosing between a bunch of photos to find one that you feel best represents the moment. The photo you take is what ends up representing the moment. (No idealizing the memory? I’m not quite sure how to explain it, haha..)

Maybe I’m just tired of all the digital clutter I have. It’s so easy to accumulate gigabyte after gigabyte of memories… but sometimes I feel like it’s too much to keep track of. In the future I plan on using my disposable cameras at a slower pace, and hopefully I will record some nice memories with them. Memories I’ll be able to keep in a box or album instead of only digitally. :]

How to Make an Eyeball Shirt

It’s been so long since I’ve done a real tutorial. :o As always, feel free to message me if you have any questions~ Also I’d love to see yours if you end up making one! c;

helpful links:

• blanket stitch how-to on wikihow
• for a full-size image of the tutorial click the image or here

past tutorials

Adhesive and Glaze Guide

It took me until today to realize I had almost a full drawer of glues and glazes.. So many, haha. :p  I figured I’d upload a list of them all and what I use each one for, since I occasionally get questions about some of them. :]

1. Krylon UV-Resistant Clear - Gloss: Gives a shiny protective coating, I spray it over glittered things to keep glitter from from shedding constantly (matte does not look good over glitter). I also use it to protect things that may het wet/need to be washed (outside of a flask, casual jewelry).
2. Krylon UV-Resistant Clear - Matte: A matte protective coating, perfect for protecting drawings (pencil, pastel, etc).
   
3. Diamond Glaze: Gives a dimensional, resin like surface. I use it on top of shrinky dinks and scrabble tile pendants to add a 3d coating. This takes a while to dry, so first protect the surface with a spray coating (shrinky dinks) or a brush-on gloss and let dry before applying Diamond Glaze.
4. Elmer’s School Glue: I honestly don’t use this that much.. It’s water soluble so it’s not good for something that will get wet (rhinestones on shoes). Personally I think that Tacky Glue is more flexible (this may be all in my head though :p) so I prefer using that, especially for binding pages in handmade books.
5. Fabri-Tac Permanent Adhesive: DO NOT get this for rhinestones!! It may seem easier to work with because it’s more fluid and applies easily, but something in it cracks the silver backing on plastic rhinestones and gives them and old, dirty appearance (unless that’s what you’re looking for). Still have yet to find the perfect use for it, though I’m sure there will be one eventually.
6. Crafter’s Pick Fabric Glue: This is the best glue I’ve found so far for rhinestones (glued onto a solid surface/shoe at least, haven’t really tried it on fabric). It has a super good hold on rhinestones, is tacky enough to dry 3-dimensionally and hold onto rhinestones, and dries super clear. The only downside is that it dries pretty quickly, and does not come out of the applicator easily. To solve this I use a mini spatula to “grab” glue and apply it directly onto the surface that way.
7. DuraClear Varnish - Satin: I lovee using this on paper projects. In the past I’ve coated: record album notebooks and collaged candy boxes. Not pleasant to get on your hands (like superglue in texture but not nearlyy as painful). It has a nice finish, between a matte and a gloss.
8. Tacky Glue: As I mentioned earlier, I use it as an all around craft glue in place of Elmer’s. Water soluble so not good for any project that will get exposed to much water.
9. Imagination Gallery Super Color Inkjet “Over Coat”: Meant to be used for coating photos printed at home. I used it because it was at my parent’s home and I was impatient/didn’t want to pay for the Krylon Gloss spray if I already had this one available. :p I think the Krylon Gloss spray can be used for photos too.
10. Mod Podge: A waterbase glaze/glue. Gives things a gloss coating. I personally don’t like as much because I feel like the final texture is a tiny bit sticky.. I may be wrong though. Also not good for anything that will be exposed to a lot of water, as it is not completely water-resistant (I once tried to make a screen-printing design with Mod-Podge as the blocker. The screen only last through one application because the Mod-Podge started washing away when I was washing the paint off, haha oops..)
11. Painter’s Tape: Sososooo useful. It’s like masking tape but slightly thinner and easier to remove. I use it to protect parts of projects that I don’t want to ruin with brushed paint, glue or spray paint. I also use this to hang posters up on my wall. ;p
12. Packing Tape: Sometimes I’ll this to laminate things (lay strips side by side). Mostly I just use it to pack things to ship out. :]
13. Barge All Purpose Cement: I use it for repairing shoes or gluing things I absolutely want to be water/weather proof. I bought this because I was unable to find Shoe Goo Shoe Glue and a shoemaker said that it worked the same. Cons are that it has a very strong odor, as well as a yellowish color that will discolor your project if you aren’t careful.

Wow that was a lot.. hope this helps a little! As always, feel free to message me with any questions. :]

Tutorial for the bat necklace I made last night. :D

I’m beginning to think I may wear halloween inspired things year round now, haha.. More halloween diys to come probably~~

Please feel free to message me about any questions, comments, etc. :]

past tutorials

Decorate ANY Clothing in 2 Easy Steps ;p

1) Sharpie Oil Paint Pens

2) Studs

And that’s all you need, haha.The studs I used were a birthday present from my friend Melissa, but you can find them on ebay here as well. :]

I miss Eva so muchh, she’s in Seatle now. Evaaa how are we going to do photoshoots now?? (These photos are by Eva if you haven’t guessed. :p ) Oh, and I’m so crunched for time right now that I didn’t even edit the colors on the photos, sorryy!

My mom got me this corset from Charlotte Russe (I love her, she supports my diys so much):

I colored on it with the sharpie oil paint pens. I love these pens so much, they go on nice and opaque if you shake them well enough. Then I studded it all over with Melissa’s studs. ;D

Here’s a farther off view…

And the back of the corset:

And we used this opportunity to get shots of Eva’s etsy items “in action.” ;p I covered my face, haha~~

She makes awesomeee collaged bottle-cap jewelry and accessories, as well as really cute bows. If I could keep them all I would.. (can you tell I want you to check out her shop??)

I might not be online much for the next couple days, see you all soon :]]

Bodysuit thrifted, altered and painted by me. :D Awesome photo by Evaa~

How to:

• Black clothing
• Tulip Soft Fabric Paint
• Paint brush
• Reference materials: I just googled skeleton bodysuits and sweaters for inspiration, as well as real anatomical skeletons
• Fabric Pencil/chalk if you want to sketch the design first

You’ll need at least two coats of white if you want it to be even and opaque, and make sure to put something like cardboard or a magazine inside of the clothing so the paint won’t seep through to the other side. :]

past tutorials