Creating a Cufflinks Box

Another installment of new crafts with Rachael!

Where she pretends like she knows what she's doing and it somehow all works out.

I wanted to get the boyfriend a cufflinks box, but I couldn't find any I really liked, or any I thought he would like that seemed worth what the stores were asking. So, I made one! It actually turned out to be fairly simple and not too expensive. (Unless the boyfriend is reading this, in which case I spent a ton of money and time, and also I am an amazing person who can do anything)
Kind of. I'm not SO deluded as to think I could actually create the box, so I got one at Michael's, and a few supplies from craft stores and Walmart.

 Fun fact: Sometimes my phone turns pictures blueish.

I chose a flatter box that came in a two pack, which was the best decision I made this whole time because I was able to play around with the woodburner on the smaller box to get used to it, and decide how I wanted to decorate it. I wanted to do a really simple design because I thought it would look classy. Also, less opportunity for me to mess it up.

 Spoiler alert, I did not freehand that. I found a stock photo on the internet and traced it, then laid it on the wood and burned through the paper for a light outline. (Again, boyfriend, don't listen. I am an artist.) The woodburner I purchased came with a couple different tips, and I used the fine point - the chisel was a little difficult to get a curve, but the point worked perfectly. Then I removed the paper and evened up the line.

I toyed with the idea of shading the bear in, but I ended up leaving him as a simple outline.

Next step: woodstain.

 I believe I chose a dark chestnut, or possibly walnut. I'm too lazy to stand up and go find it, but it's a lovely color. I focused first on the groove - I ended up using a wood skewer to just drip the stain into the groove until it was all colored. I only used one coat and rubbed it in immediately, because I didn't want it to be very dark. (Now I need to do a bunch more projects to use up the stain!)

I set it outside to dry and give my roomate and I some breathing room. Always do your projects in well-ventilated areas, guys.



And voila, a box. But I didn't just want a box - I wanted a jewelry box. So I got some hair rollers

 and removed them from their plastic prisons.

Got my box

and laid the rollers inside.

Don't make the rollers too snug, because your covering is going to fill out some space. I picked up some velvety paper at JoAnn's, next to the felt squares, so it had a pretty stiff backing. I laid it over the rollers and cut 1 1/2" strips, which reached around the rollers and touched the bottom again. I laid the rollers in one at a time and used a hot glue gun to secure both the rollers and the edges of the velvet.

Superglue was not effective on the foam, but the hot glue worked great!

 TaDa! I'm really excited how it turned out. I think I might even make myself one.

It almost makes me want to wear cufflinks!

My New Pens

Good news, guys! I don't have carpal tunnel. I just have weird joints. Apparently normal joints in hands and fingers bend about 60 degrees, and mine bend almost 90. Hooray.

On the plus side, no surgery needed! I just need to be careful and wear wrist braces while sleeping so I don't accidentally hold them weird. On the downside, I had to go through a nerve conduction study and EMG to find this out.

If you don't know what a nerve conduction study is, roughly speaking it's where they hook you up to electricity and shock you to see what happens. Yeah, science! No but seriously, I was really nervous and I hate the thought of pain so I tried to play it cool but not sure how well I fooled them. Even after they did one arm and I knew what to expect, my lower half kept trembling like a small neurotic dog.

But the shocks weren't even the worst part. The worst part was the EMG, which boiled down to STICKING A NEEDLE IN MY ARM MUSCLES AND HAVING ME MOVE IT AROUND TO LISTEN TO IT. I'm sure that's not exactly how it works but that was how it felt (plus, I've never felt so stupid as when reading medical wikipedia entries. I thought that was the dumbed down version?)

And then instead of going back to work I went home for the day because I felt sorry for myself.

But then I got to go shopping for some weird ergonomic pens! I love pens and pencils and office supplies and after some time browsing the internet, ordered some that would hopefully prevent my hands from cramping so much.

First up, the Ring Pen, $7.89

It comes with a cap, which is pretty awesome, and is a pen with a hole in it - you put your finger through the ring, and it helps with proper grip and also doesn't need much force to keep it steady. However, it's just too tall for my tiny hands! I don't have the control I want and I can't move my grip any closer, so it's not getting much use.


Ergo-Sof PenAgain, $4.95

 This is the Ergo-Sof Pen-Again. I actually love this one! It's retractable and came with two ink refills. Instead of a ring, it's in a Y-shape with a groove down the top for comfort. It's actually very comfortable to use and I don't have to use a firm grip at all. This version is also coated with a soft silicone, making it very comfortable and helping my brain realize that it's not going to just fall out of my hands if I don't grip it tightly.



 I also bought the Twist n' Write Children's Pencil version, $6.99 for a 4-pack

 I'm not going to lie, this one is my absolute favorite! Maybe it's just my small hands, but it's the most comfortable, I get to hold it right at the tip like I want to and I just twist the tip to put it away or get more lead. It has erasers on each side of the Y and they actually work really well! No smudging and definitely no annoying streaks. And I don't need a sharpener! The only downside to this one is after a little bit of writing the tip isn't as fine as I personally like - by no means dull or unreadable, but I can't rotate it like I would with a regular pencil. If it annoys me too much I just turn it over for a minute and kind of touch up the tip.


EZgrip Pen/Tool Grip, $2.99

 For good measure, and because I'd just bought a pack of regular pencils, I got a pencil grip. Apparently the EzGrip company makes pens with this grip, but I like that I can put this grip on anything. There's a couple different ways you can hold it easily, and it has a big lip on one side - the idea is you only need to use that one finger to push. First finger...

 Thumb...

Or the knuckle of your middle finger. When I'm bored at work I color with colored pencils, and this is perfect because it slides on and off easily without falling off, and I can rotate the pencil in my hand when it starts getting dull. It's also able to be used on things like an exacto knife, so I'm really happy with it. It lives up the the claim of only needing one finger of force to keep control (even though using it that way takes a bit of getting used to) and being able to shift my grip keeps me from cramping.


All in all, it was a fun experiment and those Twist n' Write pencils are my go-to writing utensil now - I keep one in my purse and a couple at work. If you're looking for a couple interesting pens, check 'em out!

How I Made My Steampunk Outfit

Part II

So, the internet is awesome. In my last post I talked about how I turned this:

into this:

All with the help of some package instructions and the internet. Let me tell you, the internet is incredible and makes me feel unstoppable. We have the complete knowledge of generations at our fingertips and yes I use it mostly to look at fuzzy animal pictures shut up but if I WANTED I could teach myself anything. Academics, crafts, I think if I got it in my mind to build a shed or turn my apartment into a pirate ship I could, as long as I had deep pockets and a wifi connection during construction.

So the ugly white dress became an interesting green dress, but I needed more to make it wearable/awesome. I decided to do some ruching in the front, which I have never done before. But I spent a lot of time thinking about how I would do it and decided to go for it. So I got some thread, laid out the dress, went through it a few more times in my mind, punched the needle through the fabric once and then panicked and went to the internet.

But you know what? The internet told me to do exactly what I'd imagined. (High five for me!)

 Admittedly, it didn't turn out exactly how I'd imagined it in my brain, but, eh. Keep an open mind, right?

And then I knew I needed to pull up the train into a bustle. Spoiler alert, I'd never done that before either. I'd never done any of this. But the internet had.

The internet's done everything.

Again, I stared at it, pinned it, repinned it, got frustrated, and went to the internet. I found an amazing video on different types of bustles and surprise surprise, I was thinking of the fanciest kind there is.

I started by pulling up the very center of the back, since it was marked with the applique and was the longest part of the train. After that I was so nervous it would come undone I tacked each layer, strongly. I knew essentially what I was doing but I was also making the technique up as I went along... But it worked out. Then I moved to the right side, put a pin in the seam and then one in between the back and side. I ended up doing two layers, and tacking them both down at the same time. Then I did the same on the left side.

I meant to take more pictures along the way. I also meant to put in more layers. But at this point I was kind of done with this project and it may have been around 2 am the night before Comic Con. So, you get what you get. To make it up to you, here's a picture of me with Nicholas Brendon.

Why? Because I paid for him to look like my best friend, so I'm milking it. That's why.

Ah! The hat. There are a lot of tutorials online to make mini hats and top hats and all sorts of hats. I watched a few videos and looked at a few DIY's and then I grabbed an empty frozen pizza box, scissors, duct tape, and two round things to trace while I watched Arrested Development.

Because Jason Bateman, that's why.

Oh, and genius hilarity, that too.

But yeah.

 

I cut out a smaller circle for the top of the hat, a larger circle for the bottom of the hat. Then I cut a strip and taped it around the smaller circle. To be honest, I just eyeballed the whole thing and covered it with duct tape. 

 

 At one point, I realized that one side of the strip I cut for the side of the hat would have made one side taller than the other. I cut it off, but if I did this again I would probably make if skewed on purpose, because that would have been spectacular.

 

Also, I would have made it an oval because thanks to an idea pioneered by my brilliant mother, I punctured a hole in the side so I could install a clock. A clock. Inside the hat. I told you she was brilliant! The only one I could find small enough on such short notice (did I mention it was the night before?) didn't have a second hand which would have blown everyone's minds but no matter, it worked out. Thanks to a screwdriver to poke a hole, and duct tape to keep things in place. Handy-dandy.

 

Lastly, I cut off a swath of the lining from the front of the dress that I didn't need anymore and used it to cover the hat, since the duct tape didn't really match. I had some tacky glue that I adhered it with. Pro tip, start at the top of the hat and don't worry about the part where the brim meets the hat, since you can cover that with a hat band. It may have been because it was 3:30 in the morning, but I did that backwards. Also, lining is a bit thin so while it worked it would not be my future choice.

But, a couple Arrested Development episodes later, voila! I snipped off a few applique flowers from the underside of the newly formed bustle and in the morning, duct taped it to a headband. (Which I completely forgot to get until I'd finished the hat - isn't it great to procrastinate?)

All in all, I'm really rather proud of how it turned out! It was new, and exciting, and turned out great for my first time, I think. Plus, people at Comic Con were STUNNED at how much work (they thought) I put into it and took my picture often, which made me feel greatly validated for staying up almost all night!

Last life tip I'll leave you with is that not only are heels never a good choice, which I think everyone knows, but they are also never an okay choice. Not even for whatever you're thinking of, and especially not for a day of walking and never sitting down.

But it was worth it!

Dyeing a Vintage Polyester Wedding Dress

A step by step tutorial on how I made my steampunk outfit

Part I

 
Wander around the DI looking for costume inspiration. Find a ridiculous vintage wedding dress for only $15.

Amazing! You couldn't buy this much material for $15.

Spend half an hour in the dressing room imagining the possibilities.

Smile and nod at the elderly couple in line who keep gushing about how gorgeous you'll look on your wedding day. Take home to the boyfriend. Make him freak out about your dress sense and rethink his life.

Spend about a week researching how to dye polyester and how terrible it is. Colors hardly take and you need special dye, extra time, and hot hot boiling hot water. (There is no way that much fabric is fitting on any stove top). Also, when dyeing you need to agitate the fabric the entire time if you want a smooth dye, otherwise the crevices will be darker like a tie-dye.

Decide to dye it burgandy. Realize it might not take and could end up pink. Buy green and black packets.

Wet dress in an old tub in the shower. Momentarily freak out because you totally forgot to rinse out the tub and the white dress now has dirt on it. Shrug, because it's only a costume and pull out of the water.

Spend half an hour researching what ratios to use with green and black.

Shrug and dump the entire contents of both packets into the tub full of hot water from the shower. Supplement with a full pot of boiling water.

Freak out a little before putting the dress in. Imagine if it was something you actually cared about. Dump it in, and shove it under the water. Keep shoving. It's a lot of fabric.

Get excited because it's totally gonna look amazing!

Let sit for one hour as per instructions, stirring diligently the ENTIRE TIME.

Realize it's only 10 minutes later. Half an hour will be fine, right? And it can totally sit without moving for a while at a time.

15 minutes in, supplement with another pot of boiling water, just in case. Extend your mental timer to 45 minutes.

25 minutes in, realize that your rubber gloves are SO NOT WATERPROOF, and you've pretty much been soaking your hand in dye.

Spend a few minutes letting it sit, scrubbing your hands like mad.

Stir the dress with your handy-dandy stirring stick, bought expressly for this purpose! (99 cent dowel from craft store)

30 minutes in, the weight of the dress snaps your handy-dandy stirring stick.

35 minutes in, with no real way to agitate the fabric, decide it's been long enough.

Consider ghetto wrapping your hands in grocery bags to take the dress out. Attempt. Figure your hands were pretty much fine the first 20 minutes, as long as you don't dip them directly in the dye they should be fine.

Dump out tub into the bathtub. Wait for the black murk to drain. Attempt to rinse out the yards and yards of dress while keeping both your hands and the dress out of the dye water. This does not go easily.

Eventually throw on some old flats, put the dress on two hangers, and jump in the tub. Turn on the shower to rinse the dress until the water runs clear (...as near as you can tell).

Apologize to your roommate. The green will totally come out of the tub, you promise!

Hang dress to dry overnight.

Spend another 45 minutes or so scrubbing the bathtub (Comet is amazing!)

Geek out because it turned out fantastic!

Spend the night hoping the dye will take after washing. Throw in regular wash cycle with some laundry soap.

Dance around the room excitedly because it TOTALLY WORKED!

The beading ended up darkest, while the threads in the applique lightened with a bluish hue contrasting with the sage dress. Celebrate around the room some more!

Tips, In All Seriousness

• Know what kind of fabric you are dyeing. iDye was exactly what I needed, but don't mistakenly use cotton for polyester or vice versa. If you think you might have a blend, iDye makes color pairings in both cotton and polyester - mixing the two gives the best results. If you're unsure like me, there's a fabric burn test you can do.  
• I chose to only use polyester dye because I was hoping for some contrast, and while I guessed/hoped what it might look like, I had NO real idea. Keep an open mind. While researching this, the people I found most disappointed were the ones who had set ideas on the exact color or look they wanted when they weren't really sure what they were doing.
• That being said, you can do it! I'd never dyed anything before, let alone polyester which the internet agrees is difficult. Prepare ahead of time, use gloves that will not leak (ha ha) and get as much ventilation as possible. I had a killer headache the next day and I'm pretty sure it's because my bathroom didn't have enough airflow. If I were to do it again, I'd at least use an extra fan.
• Make sure the fabric AND the container you're dyeing in are clean (whoops). There are a few slight discolorations on my dress from dirt, so heads up.
• Rinse rinse rinse, and wash wash wash! I did get not all the dye out of my dress, as I found out the next time I wore it and my hands turned green (I was holding the skirt up out of the way). I don't know if it's because I hung it up to dry instead of using the dryer, or if I didn't rinse well enough, but it's going to need washing again. The good news is it didn't affect the dress, just my hands.
• Have fun, and get creative!

Sonic the Hedgehog

This never occurred to me when I was younger, but Sonic had an interesting lesson to teach.

As long as you're rich, you'll be just fine.

Think about it. You can run around with reckless abandon, and if you get stopped you just lose all of your golden rings. But you have some time to collect most of it back and get rid of whatever hurt you...

It's only when you've completely run out of money that you die.