How to ~ A Beginner’s DecoDen Tutorial

Disclaimer:  This is the first decoden project I have ever done myself ~ so I am not an expert, but I did learn a few things doing it so I thought I would share them. 

For the first ever decoden project I have ever done I must say I really quite enjoyed it!  It is a great way to make something boring look pretty and unusual at the same time.  Plus, it is a totally personal thing.  You can do whatever you want and you will be guaranteed to end up with a unique piece, which is something I really like about anything ~ not just deco.  

I think next time though I will make sure I am in a room with better ventilation as I got dizzy from all the epoxy glue fumes!   > O <

Maybe a higher table too, so I do not have to bend over so far?  Anyways, I loved it and I can not wait to do more deco when I get the chance!  However, on the tutorial we go.   As it is another long post I will highlight things that I think are important in pink.

These are the supplies I got for my project:

I did not end up using everything I bought, but it was helpful to have the different cabochons to choose from when deciding on my design.

Basic supplies:

• One clear Gen 3 iPhone case
• Two parts Epoxy glue ~ Araldite for Australians. 
           {My epoxy had a five minute drying time which was ok, but meant that I wasted a lot of the glue.  I have heard that the longer setting time is recommended; but I kind of liked being able to pick my project up without bumping and ruining the work I had already done.  Try both to figure out what works for you.  I think I am going to use both types next time to test which one is better for me.}
• A picker ~ mine was homemade; just a skewer cut down to size with a blob of Blutack (the stuff you use to stick posters up for non~Australian readers ~ I am sorry I do not know what it is called overseas….  T ^ T } on the end. 
• Pointy nosed tweezers ~ I bought these half way through the project and they certainly helped to save my sanity when it came to the smaller gems.  Get some ~ you’ll use them.
• A plate/piece of cardboard for the epoxy to go on.
• Toothpicks to apply the epoxy with.
• Shallow dishes to put your deco pieces/rhinestones in.
• Something to lay underneath your project so you do not get glue everywhere.  I used paper towel. 

Deco parts {sorry, I do not have the size details of the cabochons or pearls}:

• One white glitter rose cabochon   ~  from a local bargain shop
• Two large glitter pink rose cabochons  ~  ordered from modes4u; unfortunately they do not seem to stock them any more
• Four small pink rose cabochons {there were advertised as nail art pieces, but they work perfectly with my design}  ~ also ordered from modes4u; but not in stock
• Three small heart shaped flat back pearls   ~  from a local bargain shop
• One large heart shaped flat back pearl   ~  from a local bargain shop
• Five assorted size round flat back pearls    ~  from a local bargain shop
• Approximately 500 round flat back rhinestones   ~  from a local bargain shop:

~ 6 mm stones:   37 {I would round that up to 40~50 gems so you have spares if you need them}

~ 4 mm stones: Approximately 250 {Round to 300~350}

~ 3 mm stones: Approximately 200 {Round to 250~300}

Note:  I did a price check on how much the Swarovski crystals would have cost me and I was looking at about $40.00 USD for the lot rounded up; not including postage.  

However, my plastic crystals were $6.00 AUD in total….   So yeah.  Huge price difference; but at the same time, I can see how the Swarovski crystals would be totally worth it. 

One, you can clean the excess glue off them {more on that later!}.  Two, they would last longer as well as being more sparkly.    Three, you wouldn’t have to worry about the gems falling off their bases which has already happened to one of mine.  : /   And four, which I like the most ~ you would have left overs, plus, if you do a smaller project it would not cost as much.

But between you and me, I think this is why sweets deco is so popular now ~ silicon for whipped cream costs around $15.00 ~ $35.00 USD {depending on the size of the tube} if you buy the Japanese craft silicon and cabochons can be found relatively cheap. 

I think it ends up heaps cheaper to do sweets deco; especially if you make your own cabochons, but I guess it depends in the end what you are willing to spend. 

Step 1:  Set up your deco area.  Make sure you have plenty of room on your table and desk so you can find everything when you want it.

Top Tip:  It is a good idea to make sure you are in a well ventilated area as epoxy glue has quite a strong smell and the fumes can make you dizzy. 

 

 

Step 2:  Clean the surface you are about deco with a damp cloth and then lay out your design.

I only had ideas about the cabochons because I basically wanted to pave the empty space around them with rhinestones; so this is what I laid out before I started gluing.

 

 

Step 3:  Lift up your cabochons and glue in place.  I also made a quick decision to add some pearls so I glued them down next.

Then start gluing your rhinestones on around them.  I started up the top and did a straight row across.   I left the sides for later as I put larger stones around the edge.

Top Tip:  Only do a small area of glue at a time ~ no bigger than 1 1/2 cm square.   This is particularly applicable when using the fast drying glue.  You do not want your glue to dry out on your project before you get your stones stuck on.

Step 4:  Put a small patch of glue on your project.  Stick rhinestones on, making sure to choose the best sizes so there are as few gaps as physically possible.  You want the stones to sit next to each other as closely as they can ~ sort of like piecing together a jigsaw puzzle.  

Step 5:  Lather, rinse, repeat until the project is entirely paved with rhinestones!   Bear in mind that this process will probably take a few hours depending on the size of the area you are decoing.

Step 6:  Allow your project to dry for the recommended drying time.

Top Tip:  If you are using glass, crystal or Swarovski gems {possibly resin; but I am not sure about this so do a tester first!!} you can clean off any excess glue using am acetone nail polish remover.  Clean the excess off BEFORE it sets.  DO NOT use nail polish remover on plastic rhinestones because it will melt the plastic and turn it cloudy; i.e. ~ your gems will stop sparkling and you probably do not want that!

Step 7:  Enjoy your pretty new sparkly!!    > U <  ~  ♥

Top Tip:  My iPhone case did not have a place to hang mobile phone charms off, so I super glued a a loop of ribbon to the inside of the case and hung my pony off that.  It works great and the case still fits like, well, a charm!   > __ <

Well, that’s it for my first decoden project but I hope to be back soon with more deco bling!   If you have any questions at all, just leave a comment and I will do my very best to answer them. 

xox,

bonita

Lingering in the Past ~ Outfit Twenty Seven

Last week I watched Fleur’s video tutorial on 1940s Victory Rolls and knew that I really wanted to give it a go because it looked so easy!

Husband {formerly known as DH, or Dear Husband ~ but I am not sure if anyone got the reference of the initials, so now he is just Husband.  : D } and I were going out yesterday night so I thought I would try a Victory Roll hair style for then as I had all afternoon to get it right.
Turns out I just about needed all afternoon because Victory Rolls are not easy!!    > <   Plus, I do not think it helps to have layered, curly hair.   : S    Anyway, please excuse the amateur hairstyle; I definitely need to practise more.

  

I love this old building ~ the details and style is fantastic.  It is just up the street from the hotel we are staying in.  When Husband and I were walking past it one evening I said I wanted to loiter in the doorway.   He knew exactly what I meant ~ outfit shots!

Perth has amazing architecture tucked away all over the city; I often stop just to look at the wonderful detail that you do not find on the buildings in Canberra.  Our city is too new.  : (  Still, it is nice to travel around and find that sort of thing else where. 

  

Close up of the Victory Rolls.   I only did two ~ one on each side, but I pulled my fringe out before I did the left hand roll and let it curl in front.  I think that it suits me to have loose hair around my face ~ I do not like having it all pulled back, so I will probably keep doing my hair this way when I do Victory Rolls. 

Although I might have to figure out something different if I decide to pin the back half up too.  ….Hmm. 

Also on my list of “To Try” is pin curls ~ I am very interested to see if they will work in my hair with it being so curly already!  I would love to find a way to set the natural curl so it does not frizz after one day, so we will see if pin curls are the answer.

Accessories   ~   Earrings  {Equip}    Necklace  {Thrifted}    Gloves  {Thrifted}  Clutch  {My wallet pretending to be a clutch!}    Belt  ~  Valley Girl

Top  ~  Valley Girl     Skirt  ~  Thrifted      Shoes  ~  Betts {These are my sensible maternity shoes…}

xox,

bonita

Review ~ Imju DEJAVU Fiberwig Mascara

I bought the Imju DEJAVU Fiberwig mascara a month or so ago after reading a recommendation on Eki’s blog ~ ekiblog.com.

The reason I wanted to try it was that Eki said  it worked really well and gave your eyelashes a ‘falsie’ effect without actually having to wear false eyelashes.

Who wouldn’t want longer, nicer lashes?  I put it on my “to buy” list and here we are. 

I do not consider myself a beauty blogger, but I do like trying out new products when I am unsatisfied with the product I have, and let me tell you ~ when the product works!!  I really can not keep this one to myself because this mascara is, in my opinion, a. w. e. s. o. m. e. 

For the visual people here are the photos of what it looks like on:

        

                      ~ *  No mascara…  Eeep!  * ~               ~ *  With a two to three coats of Fiberwig  * ~

  

~ *  With Covergirl Blast Volume waterproof mascara  * ~      ~ *  With Fiberwig over the top  * ~

~ *  The left eye with just Fiberwig; the right with Covergirl and Fiberwig over the top  * ~

Please excuse the different angles in the photos ~ this is the first time I have tried photographing my eyes and it is definitely not easy to do! 

For anyone who wants more detailed information I have more facts about Fiberwig,  plus my own personal experience using this product.

Instructions:

Like any other mascara; apply to lashes.  Sweep from the bottom of the lash to the tip.

Extra tips and information:

• When pulling the brush from the tube, be sure to gather plenty of fibers. You will immediately see the fibers on the brush.
• Start applying the fibers to your lashes by using the tip of the brush. Add fibers to both the top and bottom part of your upper lashes. This will film-coat your lashes completely.
• Apply fibers on the top part of your lashes too.
• Once fibers are added unto the lash, use the brush to stroke the lashes from root to tip until desired length is reached.  Take plenty fibers and apply to your lashes repeatedly; no need to worry about clumping and flaking.
• To achieve the best length, be sure to dip the brush into the tube between layers to gather more fibers.

Product Details:

I bought my mascara off Ebay and you can find it for $15.65 USD or cheaper.   If you just search Ebay for Fiberwig mascara you can find a lot of the mascaras for sale but just beware of fakes.  I am pretty sure that nothing but the original stuff from Japan would work; so check the manufacturer before purchasing your product. 

I bought mine from here and it was marked with made in Japan marks so I am fairly confident the seller is not selling fakes.

Here are more details about the product itself:

• Fiberwig is the top-selling mascara in Japan - beating the competition with remarkable, "false eyelash-like" results.   Fiberwig coats each individual lash with a light film of fibers. Your lashes become coated with a film.

• Fiberwig is made up of two types of extra thin nylon fibers; a short and a long fiber. The short and long fibers intertwine to form a light and smooth film coating that gently surrounds and seals onto your lashes.

• As the fibers seal onto your lashes, they seal onto each other. As a result the extended fiber lashes give your natural lashes appearance of extreme length.

• Fiberwig's light film coating defines and separates each lash while creating a fresh and natural gloss finish. Thanks to the film-coated lashes, Fiberwig will not smear nor smudge when you tear or sweat.

• Wear it on hot, humid or rainy days without fear of smudging anytime, anyplace, anywhere.

• Apply it in the morning for work straight through late at night without worrying about panda eyes!

• Fiberwig's film coating resists tears, oil, and sweat. Yet when you are ready to remove, all that is needed is warm water!

• Fiberwig absorbs the warm water and then swells, making it easy to slide off your lashes. When washing your face, simply wet your lashes with warm water. Then gently slide off the fibers with your finger and thumb.

• Have you ever applied mascara but mistakenly missed your lashes only to dab some on your face?  Fiberwig is easy to remove. Simply wait a couple of seconds for it to dry and peal off with a Q-tip.

Review:

When I first used this mascara I thought that although it lengthened my lashes wonderfully it did not add enough volume so I was not really very happy about that.  But I tried it again over the top of my Covergirl Blast Volume waterproof mascara and it worked wonders! 

I found that it did not smudge {unlike waterproof mascara…  >  < }, it did not run ~ even when swimming{!!} and it came off super easily without leaving dark rings under and around my eyes.   {Although sometimes the Covergirl does not come off with the Fiberwig and then I have to deal with that separately.  : S }

What can I say?  After years of using waterproof mascara because I hate how easily normal mascara runs I had resigned myself to smudge~y, hard to remove smears and panda eyes in the morning.  I could never get all of the mascara off, no matter how hard I scrubbed, so I always woke up to a mess. 

At the risk of sounding like a corny commercial ~ Fiberwig changed all of that.  I can actually just wash it off at the end of the day and it is all good.  Sure, I still find little flakes of black on my skin if I do not do a good enough job cleaning it all off.   And sometimes when I swim the mascara will peal off depending on how warm the water is, but mostly it stays put.  

And yes, I pulled out the big test.  Tears.   Lots of them.   It did not even move.   I was really stoked!  After I got over being miserable and sad that is….   >  .  <

Plus, it really does lengthen and define your lashes, so that they look lush and long.   Maybe they are not quite as dramatic as fake eyelashes, but you get all the benefits of fakes without the actual overtop~ness of falsies.

Conclusion:

Love, love, love it!   No smudge, no smear, no mess mascara that looks great on!   I do not think there is a better mascara out there and I would not dream of ever going back to normal/waterproof mascara. 

My tip:    Find a clear mascara that volumizes your lashes and apply Fiberwig over the top.  You do need something underneath to get a full lash effect ~ you could also try a plumping mascara. 

Rating:

1 million/10? ~  because really, this mascara is fantastic.   I am addicted.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this review.  I have plans to try out a few other products like facemasks, and I am planning to post about those too.  Oh, and please let me know if I am over writing my reviews because I am a bit worried they get too long and boring!

xox,

bonita

P.S. ~ I am not affiliated with Fiberwig in anyway; I bought this product myself and chose to review it because I like it.  Plain and simple.  : D

Store of Treasures!

So I went treasure hunting and I showed you the wonderful things I found in my first video post ~ Vintage Goodies ~ Vlog 1, but I did not show you the awesome shop that I got the things in!!

I actually made a special trip back to the store just to take photos so I could demonstrate to you all how wonderful it is.  Now I have to stop talking because there are a million photographs that should tell the story….

  

   

Darling hats galore ~ I was so wishing that I had some spare pin money to splurge….

    

    

I love this 20s style frock but unfortunately my figure just does not suit a straight line dress, it is only 40s and 50s silhouettes for me, so I have to admire from afar.

   

Gorgeous chinaware ~ such a delightful, delicate teacup. 

  

Ooo, who’s that handsome gentleman?   I think my DH looks smashing in that vest and t~shirt combination.  I need to out fit my husband more often no?  I might even be able to get him in front of the camera instead of behind at some point.  > u <

     

This 20s sheer lace dress did not have a tag so I really do not know if it was just a homemade dress or a repo ~ but whatever the case it was simply stunning. 

      

      

So where is this fantastic shop?  Well, if you are ever visiting Perth in Western Australia, do drop by Vinnies Retro Northbridge Centre at 267B William Street in Northbridge.  It is a great place to shop and the staff are really friendly, helpful and even better, they love their vintage too, so they are more than happy to help you find that perfect piece to take home with you. 

I know I could have taken home half the shop if I had a chance!  Oh well, I suppose it is a good thing I am on a budget.  It helps me to sort out the things I really want ~ right??    >  o  <

xox,

bonita

P.S.  ~ Most of these photos were taken by me but there are a few mixed in there that were taken by DH, so I’ll share the credit for the shoot with him.   : D

How to ~ Making Your Own Chocolate Lovelies

I know that Valentine’s Day has long gone, but I wanted to show you the present I made for my husband.  I felt that it could be it useful as a gift idea for the man in your life {is it just me or are boys notoriously difficult to purchase presents for?} or anyone else special to you that you want to show love to.

Chocolate usually goes down as a great present for the young and old ~ but half the problem with buying chocolates is that it just seems so impersonal.   That’s why I decided to ‘make’ my own for the hubby.

He happens to adore liquorice all sorts, actually any type of liquorice, so I thought that I would start from there and see how I went!

Supplies:

~  Chocolate to melt down

~  Candy to dip in the chocolate {I used liquorice}

~  Bowl & Saucepan to melt chocolate in

~  Piping bag or substitute

~  Non-stick baking paper

~  Tray/plates

~  Space in your fridge

~  Wrapping paper/cellophane/sticky tape/scissors 

Step 1:  Lay out all of your supplies ~ things are going to get messy!

 

 

 

 

Step 2:  Melt your chocolate in a bowl.   The method is really simple; just fill a saucepan with water, put the bowl on top and set to boil.

You can melt the chocolate in a microwave, but I find it easier not to burn it using the pot method.

Note:  Be careful not to let any of the boiling water get into the chocolate because this will ruin it as it causes the chocolate to separate.

 

Step 3:  Lay out your candy on non-stick baking paper so it’s ready to cover with melted chocolate.   You can do this while the chocolate is melting, but do not forget to keep an eye on the pot so all the water does not boil away. 

 

 

 

Step 4:   Piping time!   If you do not have a piping bag, it isn’t a problem.  Just spoon a decent amount of chocolate into a sandwich bag, and cut one corner. 

Cut a small hole because you can always make it bigger, but you can not make it smaller!   Then pipe away to your heart’s content.

 

 

Step 5:  Cover your candy with chocolate.  I dipped half of the liquorice all sorts in the chocolate bowl for more ‘coverage’ and piped squiggles of chocolate on the other half.

 

 

 

Step 6:  Make some truffle chocolates.  Okay, so I have to confess ~ I was not planning to do these, they came around because I made a mistake.

I wanted to see if I could improve the chocolate flavour with a bit of milk and butter.  The only problem is that the milk acted like water and separated the chocolate.  I do not know if it is because of the temperature  {I put the cold milk in} or because it was a liquid.  

Either way the chocolate was pretty much ruined for piping/dipping so I squeezed the mixture into little squares and popped some coloured choc chip decorations on top.  My suggestion for making proper truffles instead of mistake ones is to try this recipe, or this one, or any other you might like to taste!

 

Step 7:  Pipe a chocolate valentine for your sweetheart.  ^ u ^    I just did a heart shaped outline and then filled it in.   I wrote “I ♥ U” in chocolate chips for a special message. 

 

 

 

*Sorry ~ I forgot to take a photo!*         Step 8:  Put your chocolates in the fridge until they have set.

 

Step 9:  Wrap your chocolates up.   I wrapped my ‘valentine’ separately with a lid underneath it so it didn’t snap or break.

I put all of the liquorice in an banana split bowl I bought from Woolworths, but you could use a heart shaped box if you want, or an ordinary bowl; it really depends on what you think up.

 

    

Step 10:  Give your yummy handmade chocolates as a gift and watch them disappear!   Or, alternatively you could keep them for yourself and watch them disappear……  > U <  

xox,

bonita