How to ~ Beginner’s Decoden Resources & Tutorials

You might remember that I posted about wanting to try my hand at Decoden {here}?   Well, over the last few months I have been slowly collecting up some supplies so I can actually give it a go.

Being the perfectionist that I am, however, I did not want to just sit down with a bottle of glue and start sticking on jewels willy~nilly….  Especially as the iPhone case I am decoing cost me $15.00 {which I thought was outrageous as it is just a piece of plastic}.  But anyway, to be fair, some deco results look exactly like that throwing everything on was the method of application!!

I am too fussy to be happy with that I must confess, so my second port of call {after gathering up my supplies} was the internet to see exactly how I should go about starting my iPhone deco project.

The only problem is that it is really hard to find anything that is useful for showing me what to do!  So I thought I would put together my own deco resources post, for myself and any other decoden beginners who would like to know where and how to start.

Anything that I have found particularly helpful, or heard of a lot in my internet research I will highlight in pink, so if you want to skip parts of this post, just look out for the pink to find the best bits. 

Decoden Suppliers:

Artbeads.com  ~ go here for Swarovski crystals*

Fullmoon07xxx  ~  a wide range of cheap deco supplies; this seller is highly recommended

Strapya World

The Sticker Monster

Ebay

*highly recommended by every experienced decoden crafter I have read.  They don't scratch, tarnish or wear like plastic rhinestones so your deco will last a lot longer with these.

Decoden Resources:

LiveJournal Decoden community ~ I am a part of this community; it has some really great tips you can pick up. 

All about Deco ~ this blog is only just starting out, but has some great tutorials and information posts up already. 

Decoden Tutorials ~ this is a forum topic that posts about decoden tutorials.  It might take a while to wade through the posts to find anything specific, but it’s still a great place to check out new ideas. 

KawaiiFrenzy.com  ~  a blog with a lot of decoden tutorials available and lots of other cute stuff!

Decoden Tutorials:

Decoden Headphones Tutorial

Hairbrush & Travel Mug Deco

Making Sweets Deco Supplies

Deco Technique ~ Paving Headphones Tutorial

*Coming soon: My own beginner’s deco tutorial {or simply: how I did it!}

Youtube Tutorials:

How to deco iPod Hime Gyaru style ~

Created be kawaiinails

How to cover your items with protective film before decoing ~

Created by 01b0o

Not a tutorial, but useful if you want to see someone else’s deco process ~

Created by 01b0o

Decoden Tutorials in Japanese!

Okay, so I can not understand Japanese, but I still have a good idea of what they are doing just by watching the videos.  I hope you find these useful too. ^ w ^

Also, I have to say that the first two videos on the list I found  really helpful as they are the only videos I have seen that do a step by step of the decoing process. I really recommend watching these to understand the deco process, even if they are in Japanese. 

Decoden tutorial ~

Created by Chiara

 

Created by Chiara

Sweets Decoden Tutorial ~

Created by decorateharajuku

Decoing a shape/creating a picture with coloured stones ~

Created by decorateharajuku

Links to a three part Sweets Deco Tutorial that is very detailed ~ I recommend watching these if you want to try Sweet Deco:

~  Part One

~  Part Two

~  Part Three 

~ * ♥ * ~ * ♥ * ~ * ♥ * ~

So after a couple of hours trawling the internet, I think managed to gather together enough helpful links so I can start decoing my phone, and I hope after reading this post you are confident in starting out your own deco project.  

I promise I will post photos of my decoing adventure ~ and if you wish to share any of your decoden projects I would love to see them!  Post a link through in the comments, or email me a picture ~ bonita{at}bdotdepictions.com.   Happy decoing!  ^ u ^

xox,

bonita

Outfit Twelve ~ Princessly Living

Or “Venture into Frills”.  So this is the Hime Gyaru flavoured outfit I promised earlier.   On that note, I apologise for the lack of updates.  I have reoccurring abdomen pains that bother me from time to time.  Unfortunately this week the pain has been more than just a little problematic!   I also finally figured out that the pain is multiplied a hundred times if I overdose on wheat….

I have only just developed this level of serious wheat intolerance  over the last five months or so, and at this stage it is really difficult to decipher at which point I have had too much.  Some things also appear to upset me more than others….   Bread, escargot scrolls from Baker’s Delight {*sad face*  They are sooo yummy!  T_T }, any pizza that is not thin crust, pizza pockets and too much cake seem to be the real culprits so far. 

Unfortunately, I assume that this list is only going to grow longer as time goes on.  Hopefully, it will not reach the stage where my favourite treats {chocolate ice cream  and peanut M&Ms} are involved!!   >o<  Okay, enough about my tummy troubles, I am sure you do not really want to know.  >.>’  

Here’s the outfit~

Please note that this is not correct Hime Gyaru as I do not have the right makeup ~ false eyelashes and circle lenses, and I am pretty sure my skirt should be poufy~er.  If I had a crinoline, or a petticoat or two {like I am hoping to get one day} that problem would be rectified, but I do not think that I would ever really wear false eyelashes or circle lenses.   I am not really comfortable with wearing that much artificial prettiness ~ I do not think it is the right look for me.  I do think that they look good one other girls though ~ so kawaii.  But then again, maybe I would like to try them out ~ just once!  Just to see what they would look like.

Oh, and further notes on Hime Gyaru style ~ I do not think I have the right colour scheme or shoes.  Or the right hair!  I did try a modest bouffant do, but I think that it kind of sunk, because you can not really see it in the photographs.  Although that could be the angle too…  ><

Too many photos again?  Tell me what you would like to see, more detail or different backgrounds, or more wacky poses with photo spam.….  Should I smile more?

I actually stopped and did this in the middle of the shoot…  >o<’

 

 

And that’s all I got….   =^.^=

 

Accessories  ~  Pearl Hair Band {Equip}   Earrings  {Equip}   Necklace {made by b dot depictions}

Twin Crown Broach {Diva}   Cuff  {Diva}  Bracelet {embellished by b dot depictions} 

Ring {made by b dot depictions}  Shoe Clips {random $2.00 shops}

Top ~ Best&Less  {you must be so sick of it now!  ><}   Vest  ~ I do not remember which shop…

Skirt  ~  Tightrope     Tights  ~  Valley Girl    Shoes  ~  Thrifted

Underskirt for extra pouf  ~  SES

 

“That’s all there is ~ there isn’t any more…..”

xox,

b.

 

P.S. ~ Whoever correctly guesses where the quote above comes from can send me a photo and I will photo spam it for them as a present.   >w< ~ <3

P.S. II ~  Apologies.  There was more after all…. u_u

Lolita Fascination ~

Okay, I will admit it.  For all of my new found obsession with vintage and sewing and all the charm of worlds past, there is still another fashion discourse that absolutely fascinates me. 

Not from worlds past, but other worlds far away….   Let me fill you in on the back story.

Myself being the usual hyper attention deficit artist that I am, I can never pay attention to one source of inspiration at a time.  And ever since I was a little girl {around 10 or 11} I have had an obsession with Japanese/Asian/Oriental culture.  It all started with a love of bonsais.   Yes.  Miniature trees. 

 

I remember it most distinctly ~ I was at the Old Bus Depo Markets with my family and I saw a  stall filled with these tiny trees.  I wandered past them, but something kept drawing me back and that something has stayed with me through all the years.  Now what has that got to do with anything you may ask? 

Well, I was reading through some posts on Lolita Charm ~ {Lolita being a Japanese style of dress that I used to semi~sort of relate to.}  Sweet Lolita looks like this ~

No I never actually wore the get up, but I liked the aesthetic of Goth Lolita/Punk Princess and used to apply that idea to my clothing style.  Gothic Lolita looks like this ~

However, back to the post I was reading!!  I found it interesting that once again the relationship between a woman, her body and her clothes was an issue for an entirely different subset of culture.

I asked the question yesterday whether us vintage style ladies deal with a mass of unwanted emotion caused by the number on a tag {or a sewing pattern as the case may be} and I find myself drawn back to this topic again.

A lot has already been said on the case of sizing and body image distortions.  Gertie, from Gertie’s New Blog for Better Sewing, has already had a number of posts address this issue in thoughtful, insightful discussions.  I can not count the number of posts I have read about body issues on various fashion blogs.  Unfortunately, no matter how much we may want the art of fashion to be about expressing ourselves through the clothes we wear, {for me this is a very important element of my artistic expression!}  it always seems to come back to what you can fit into or not.

I must confess, I thankfully have never had any eating disorders, but like most women, still have that love/hate relationship with my body with a quite a lot of “Let me stay at home with a brown paper bag over my head.” days.   And as such, I am always interested to read what other people have to say about the matter.

Victoria, from Lolita Charm has this to say on the topic ~

Yogurt is Not Cheesecake: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves

The average woman has a very weird relationship with food. ….

 Fashion is to create an artwork out of an ordinary human being - to be a work of art. But when the canvas you see in the mirror is not like the ones you want to create, how do you cope?

 Measure out clothes in beauty and comfort.

~*~ Note: For the full post please click on the title.  ~*~

So, what you think?  Is this a topic we can never talk too much about, or do you think that we mostly are down with and can ignore the messages we are being sent?

Or for that matter, do you think the messages of “thinspiration” are still being pushed because mainstream fashion on the street is still crying out to be skinnier? 

xox,

b.