Before and After – Mr. Broken Turtle Stool
BEFORE
AFTER
THE BACKSTORY: This little turtle guy has been sitting around at my grandparents house for as long as I can remember. The story I’d always heard about him was that he was a project for an upholstery class that my grandparents took back in the 70s. So when I heard they were thinking of getting rid of it I decided to take him home. My husband wasn’t so happy about my decision to adopt this new member of the family, especially because I failed to realize the turtle’s leg had pretty much split at the screw. After a quick fix with some wood glue and a nut and bolt combo he was still banished by my husband to the garage cabinet for a few years until I could figure out how to make him presentable.
THE PROCESS: For some reason my grandparents thought it would be a good idea to upholster the turtle in tablecloth vinyl, which slowly deteriorated and became sticky… but I figured if my grandparents could upholster it than I could probably fix him up too. So, after looking through one of his favorite Etsy stores, my husband found a Union Jack footstool and fell in love. Just as he was about to buy it I suggested we save a little cash and try to make Mr. Turtle a new Union Jack shell. Knowing I would never find upholstery fabric with the right sized Union Jack I bought some Off White Bull Denim and fabric paint and got to work. The old fabric was only held by upholstery tacks on the front and tiny nails underneath. After removing everything I used the old stuff as a template for the new fabric. It just needed to be tacked and pleated every inch or so. Once the fabric was on I taped off the same-colored sections of the flag with painters tape and sponged on the color. After drying for about an hour I made a decorative band from extra Bull Denim and nailed it in place with the upholstery tacks! We’ve decided to name Mr. Turtle “Jack” and are looking for a suitable nametag to hang around his neck.
Vintage Walter Bosse Stacking Hedgehog Ashtrays On johnny&stacie!
My Walter Bosse Stacking Hedgehog Ashtrays were featured on johnny&stacie in the post “from the favorites”. Thanks so much to them for promoting my vintage wares and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here and Fox on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)
Bonjour Tee On Rachelle D!
My BONjour Tee was featured on Rachelle D today in the post “Sailorific Adorned!!” … a perfect little collection of sailor inspired stuff! Thanks so much to them for promoting my DIY shirtmaking abilities and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here and animals on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)
Vintage Walter Bosse Brass Bunny Candle Holder On Irene Design!
My Walter Bosse Brass Bunny Candle Holder was featured on Irene Design in the post “Wedding Cake Toppers” … a perfect application for the little bunny friends! Thanks so much to them for promoting my vintage wares and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here and Fox on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)
Vintage Walter Bosse Brass Animal Hangers On Cotton and Cloud!
My Walter Bosse Brass Animal Hangers were featured on Cotton and Cloud in the post “Vintage Knitting Ideas” … a perfect application for the little animals! Thanks so much to them for promoting my vintage wares and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here and animals on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)
Vintage Walter Bosse Brass Fox Figurine On Tialys!
My Walter Bosse Brass Fox Figurine was featured on Tialys in the post “Wooden Letterpress Alphabet and Printers’ Tray Paraphernalia” … a perfect application for the little foxy figurine! Thanks so much to them for promoting my vintage wares and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here and Fox on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)
Interview with PinkPopMash!
Check out a super fun two-part interview I did for PinkPopMash. Thanks for repping my Etsy store!
You can read the whole interview below or check out the original first post HERE and second post HERE.
————
MASH: When did you know that you wanted to be a designer? AZ: I’ve always been drawing, sewing, painting or had my hands in some kind of creative project since I was little but I really got into designing in high school. I played around a lot with my mom’s old vintage stuff, trying to re-interpret things to be more modern.
MASH: What inspires your work? AZ: I am mostly inspired by vintage fashion, current trends and all the cool people I see on the street. I like to keep it fun and fresh.
MASH: Do you listen to a specific type of music when creating your work? AZ: As far as music goes, my current playlist has a little bit of Led Zeppelin, Kings of Convenience, Paul McCartney and Kings of Leon. My music changes with the seasons!
MASH: So, you have designed for Urban Outfitters, how did that opportunity come about? AZ: I just worked in their store in Merchandising and entered an Employee Tee Contest one day. They loved my design and wanted more… and the rest is history!
MASH: Why did you decide to sell your designs on Etsy? AZ: My friend told me about the site when it first started WAY back in 2005 but I didn’t start selling until recently. I really love the creativity of the Etsy community and the ease of use. Plus there’s no better way to test a design to see if it’s working than getting it out there on Etsy, it keeps me on my toes!
MASH: Why the name Two String Jane? AZ: Jane is what I named my guitar that I found at a garage sale for $2. It only had two strings on it at the time when I bought it and I used to learn how to play things on my guitar when I had “designers block”. Thus “two string jane”!
MASH: What advice would you give to a designer trying to make a name for themselves? AZ: Always stay true to yourself and your style and it will show in your work… and be open to the unexpected. Invest in branding for yourself and especially in good pictures! They’re the most valuable tool you have when selling your brand.
MASH: Who is your favorite designer? Why? AZ: I love Karen Walker right now, her stuff is flirty and feminine with a tomboy twist which I think is a great mix and her florals are amazing!
MASH: Finally, where do you see yourself in five years? AZ: Still working away on anything creative I can get my hands on. I’d love to have my own physical storefront someday! Curating a collection for a store of my own would be one of the most fun things ever.
Josh and Alyssa’s Album Cover Wedding Invite
Our wedding invites are finally done and up online! Wanna know how we did it? Check out the entire “revealing” post here on Josh’s site!
Bonjour Linocut Print On Material Girls!
My BONjour Linocut Print was featured on Material Girls today. Thanks so much to them for promoting my DIY printmaking abilities and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here and print on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)
Studded Loafers On Holier than Now!
My Studded Loafers were featured on Holier than Now today in the “Weekend Web Crawl – beautiful things online”. Thanks so much to them for promoting my DIY studding abilities and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here and the shoes on Etsy here =)
Before and After – My Super Plain 80s Childhood Dresser
BEFORE
AFTER
THE BACKSTORY: I’ve had this dresser for as long as I can remember and as soon as I decided to move out my mom “decided” the dresser would move out with me. Because of it’s dashing good looks, for a while I had the dresser as storage inside my closet. But pretty soon my closet was overflowing and the dresser needed to be pushed out into the real world where it could do some real good. So there it sat, like a blank canvas waiting to be messed with… for 4 years.
THE PROCESS: I think the fact that the dresser was so plain made me more weary to do anything with it because you could basically do ANYTHING to it and it would look better! One day I snaped and I decided once and for all to finally go for it…so I scrounged around to see what kind of supplies I had to work with and found some mint green and bright orange paint left over from some room painting projects. After a days worth of researching vintage and new pieces on ebay and Etsy to get inspiration I seemed to be drawn towards the idea of almost overlapping circles to draw attention away from how rectangular everything on the dresser was. So I measured out center points and made some compasses on each side to help guide me in making good circles. Basically I taped some string to the side of the dresser where the center of the circle would be and cut it to the correct radius. Then I just moved the string around and slowly taped off where the end of the string was and went all around. Eventually the circles needed to become ovals so they would look more proportional, so with a little tweaking I was all ready to paint. It only took about 2 coats to cover both sides and VIOLA!
Get Your Own Custom Studded TOMS Classics Shoes!
I recently custom studded a pair of Mens TOMS Classics in black with silver studs and thought I’d share pics of them with everyone. If you’d like me to stud a pair for you feel free to contact me here or on my Etsy Shop page! More pics below!
Studded Loafers On C’est Classique!
I recently had the pleasure of making a pair of Spikey Studded Loafers for Kaila of C’est Classique and am super excited to see she did a featurette on her site cestclassique.blogspot.com all about them! Love the way she styled them with her outfit.
Thanks so much for promoting my DIY studding abilities and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here and the shoes on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)
Apt. for Rent Linocut Print on Etsy’s Front Page!
My Vintage Style APT. FOR RENT Print Linocut Block were featured on the FRONT PAGE of Etsy in Handpicked Items. Thanks to the guys and gals over at Etsy for promoting my stuff and sadieolive for the gorgeous list!
Check out the print on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)
Bonjour Tee On Beyond the Pale Blog
My BONjour Tee was featured on Beyond the Pale Blog today. Thanks so much to them for promoting my DIY shirtmaking abilities and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here and Tee on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)
Studded Shoes on Fat Shopaholic!
My Studded Boots and Loafers were featured on Fat Shopaholic today. Thanks so much to them for promoting my DIY studding abilities and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here and here and the shoes on Etsy here =)
Bonjour Linocut On CasaSugar!
My BONjour Linocut Print was featured on casa sugar today. Thanks so much to them for promoting my DIY printmaking abilities and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here and print on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)
Vintage Romantic Hand Tooled Leather Love Birds Purse in Cognac
Perfect for spring! Get this bag before it’s gone HERE!
Vintage Shoe Sale in the Shop!
Check out all the new one-of-a-kind vintage reworked and studded shoes in the shop HERE!
Studded Red Ampersand Snakeskin Ankle Boot - size 8.5
One of a Kind Vintage Vera Wang Wedding Dress FOR SALE
Get this one of a kind dress before it’s gone on Ebay HERE!
Lots more Bosse!
I’ve just listed TONS more Walter Bosse items in my shop including a Dancing Bear Bell, Sly Fox Figurine, Mouse Bell, Deco Hand Ashtray, Large Brass Firehorse, Penguin figurine, Modernist Horse and much more!
Come get em before they’re all gone and check out more close-ups below!
Buy them HERE
Mondrian Boots on Etsy’s Front Page!
My Vintage Mondrian Boots were featured on the FRONT PAGE of Etsy in Handpicked Items. Thanks to the guys and gals over at Etsy for promoting my stuff!
Check out the boots on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)
Slim Fit Military Hand Stud Cardi On Outblush!
Outblush recently did a featurette on my Studded Military Cardigan. Thanks so much to them for promoting my DIY studding abilities and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here shoes on Etsy here and get a piece of history =)
I Heart Alexander McQueen Tee
This cute shirt has all the right stuff with the versatility and comfort of your favorite tee. Tuck it in to a highwaisted skirt or hang loose with a pair of skinnies.
Each tee is painted in black to grey gradient ink. Each design is uniquely textured pattern since I hand print each shirt just for you… no two are ever alike!
Vintage Style APT. FOR RENT Print Linocut Block 9 x 12.5
Inspired by an awesome 60s hand-drawn “Apartment for Rent” sign outside an apartment building nearby.
The piece measures 9″x12.5″, and is printed on a 80lb acid free paper from French Paper’s Mod Tone Series. Paper has a light printed design (as seen in last picture). The sign is printed using a water based red ink.
Each block print is drawn, carved in linoleum and hand printed by myself. This piece will be signed and dated, then mailed flat in a bend proof envelope.
Vintage Modernist 50s Brass Walter Bosse Hagenauer Bear Egg Cup
Mint example of a Walter Bosse brass. This modernist bear egg cup from the 50s is in great condition with good patina. Underside label reads “Made in Austria”.
BUY IT HERE IN MY SHOP
NOS Vintage Mondrian Go Go Boots In the Shop!
GET WHILE YOU CAN… These show stopping boots would be perfect for dressing up any outfit and will add that extra punch to your wardrobe! Boots feature a Mondrian inspired pattern with blocks of blue and red down the front and up the cuff. Two toned black and white brass zipper closure up the back!
Size: US 6.5 … Euro: 37 … UK: 4
BUY HERE IN MY SHOP
Half Studded Spring Festival Shorts
Check out these super cute custom studded shorts I did for a girl on Etsy! Great for wearing to those upcoming spring music festivals.
Check out my Etsy store for more studded items!
Valentines post on Dark Pony Designs
Dark Pony Designs recently did a featurette about her Valentines wishlist and featured my Studded Shoulder Buffalo Plaid Dress. Thanks so much to them for promoting my DIY studding abilities and repping my Etsy store!
Check out the original post here shoes on Etsy HERE and get a piece of history =)
And check out her Etsy store as well here
Check It Out – A Studded Featurette on suffix-hail!
I’m sure you all remember my friend Sohail from the previous post I did, he’s the genius behind those absolutely fabulous studded leather brogues of course. And now he has a new blog with “photos/illustrations/shambles” from the mind of Mr. Sohail. He has been kind enough to include a post about our rendezvous through stud-heaven together.
Check out the post here…
AND his brand-spankin new wonderful blog HERE!
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