MUSEROUND: A Girls Best Friend

It seems everything in the craft-o-sphere is all hearts and flowers (especially hearts) this week, but I’m not into Valentine’s Day with that much enthusiasm. I’m not actually your typical Valentines scrooge moaning about commercialism and the like. You won’t hear me complaining that we only receive displays of Courtly Love once a year – It went out of fashion for a reason, it’s daft. Fellas wielding roses and chocolates, I ask you. But why not be a bit daft sometimes – if you like that type of thing. So, on that note, today’s tenuous MUSEROUND theme is about some more types of things I like. Girls’ best friends: diamonds, lip balm, shoes, handbags. In that order.

DIAMONDS

1. Kalicat, based in London, has trained in jewellery at Central St Martins and Hatton Gardens, in London. I LOVE the Night and Day ring so much. And so I should, it’s my wedding ring. In fact, I think my actual ring might be in that picture. It’s truly the best piece of jewellery I’ve ever owned.

2. A warm champagne diamond in a glowing 18k bezel and oxidized sterling silver by Sara Westermark.

3. Diamond earrings by Oblik Atelier, see the DaWanda shop for more ultra-stylish pieces.

LIP GLOSS

1. Hoggwash Coconut Cake Lip Gloss Pot. Miss Hogg says “What happens when your last name is ‘Hogg’ and you discover you love making sorts of bath and beauty products? You find that you were predestined to be in the soap business and, naturally, to call it ‘Hoggwash’!”

2. Redwood Glossy Lip Tint in gorgeous gift-ready packaging by Flourish Bath + Body.

3. Cherry Blossom Epically Epic Lip Balm.

4. Movin’ to the country I’m gonna eat a lot of peaches… thanks to Clover Hollow.

Ever tried to make you’re own lip balm? I use so much of it I should definitely give it a go in the near future.  Here’s a tutorial from the Not Martha blog.

Here’s another very quick make – a blush lip and cheek tint from the wonderful World Sweet World blog.

SHOES

1. Handpainted Joker shoes by Art & Koi of What?Shop.

2. Ooh I feel a purchase coming on…Happy Cloud mary janes by Em & Sprout. Hey, it’s my 30th birthday next week…anyone?

3. Crochet pumps by Le pied léger, a place where we like to walk, dance, jump, live with a light foot! Sounds fantastic!

4. The Hetty Rose label makes shoes. The collection is based on a theory of re-using and re-working vintage materials in a creative and sustainable way, hand making gorgeous, feminine shoes to fit.These materials are primarily vintage Japanese kimono fabrics: relics of a disappearing world, saturated in significance and hidden meanings.

A little shoe painting tutorial by Toasts on Deviant Art – give your old pair a second wind.  Something for the little ones? A free downloadable cloth baby bootee pattern and tutorial from Stardust Shoes.

HANDBAGS

1. Red clutch by Girl of the Sixties on Folksy.

2. Don’t forget to check out the reverse of this beautifully designed zip clutch, made of hand printed fabric by Orea Duffy. So…did I mention it’s my birthday next week?

3. This clutch is bright, modern, elegant … and so pretty! By Jennifer Ladd.

4. Upstyle Design offers unique, finely handcrafted items using high-end designer fabric.

So, now we’ve covered in brief our girls’ best friends. How about a little selection of man’s best friends.

1. Ceramic Dog brooch from Yorkshire textile artist Louise Taylor.

2. Sarah Waterhouse is a textile printer and designer (and a Craft Candy head honcho) making purses, glasses cases, knitting bags and other home textiles.

3. The Dachshund, a.k.a.the Wiener Dog, is the official dog of Vienna you know. T-shirt by Motmot on dawanda.

4. hehehehe he’s so cute. Mister Wiener is a friendly dachshund made of soft fleece fabric. Care of Flufftail.

And, well, if you must have a more Valentinesy fix…see this round up from the Mad Scientists of Etsy blog.

See you later Joe!