A productive Solstice

Today, I was going to do so many things, I did none of them. Instead, I ended up working on the 'mark 2' dance bra that's been sitting with the straps cut off for months. I've had the metal rings to make the alterations, but I've let whatever silly thoughts distract me from getting on with it... until today.

Bra front - in progress

Bra side - in progress

It's not how I originally envisaged it, but it works for what I need and want. I wanted something on the sides, since we spend so much time with our arms and elbows up at shoulder height or higher.

I'm waiting on some extra DIY bits to arrive, so I've stopped where I am with this until those bits arrive and I can play with more ideas. As it is, I can wear this for a performance, it's 'done enough' to do that. However, I want more bling... even if this bra already weighs a kilo.

Most of the hardware came from The Red Camel or Tribal Souk; but the brass chrysanthemums on the sides are from TribalMart.net

Where the rings are at the top, I intend to cover the exposed stitching with some metal bits, that's part of the DIY bits that are in transit.

 

New necklace

I recently acquired an Asyk pendant from Red Camel and after consideration of what to do with it, I've come up with this:

Sterling Silver and Red Coral necklace

Closer view of the Sterling Silver and Red Coral necklace

Other than the Asyk pendant and the red coral beads, I've had the other sterling silver beads and plaques for close to ten years (if not longer). Everything's been sitting and sitting in my jars, boxes, and containers, travelling from the US to the UK. The large sterling silver bead near the clasp is the longest-in-my-possession bead of probably twenty or more years. The real vintage piece is the Asyk pendant.

I'm pleased with the design and I of course, had to do my prime numbers play with the red coral beads. 5, 7, 11, and 1.

Not for sale.

I made this for me to wear for tonight's dance. I'm quite pleased with my results.

I think the two spiral plaques, the two fish plaques, the small nobbly beads are from Fire Mountain Gems. The two spiral cylinders might also be from Fire Mountain Gems. The large nobbly flat spiral bead near the clasp is from Friends, in Louisville, KY. The red coral beads could be from any number of bead and craft stores I've visited in the UK and the US.

Cosmetics experience...

I had a dance performance yesterday; I made a few serious mistakes in the second set, I was better in the first set. Anyway, this post is not for castigating myself, but is about some new cosmetics I tried out and what I learned from them.

New products: Urban Decay's "All Nighter" makeup setting spray, 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencil ("Perversion"), and Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner ("Distortion"). Too Faced Shadow Insurance eyeshadow primer. Sleek Makeup i-Divine "Original" (#594) Palette eyeshadow and True Colour Lipstick - matte ("Russian Roulette" #795). Barry M's glitter lip gloss (#3 "Strawberries & Cream"). TRESemmé Salon Finish Extra Hold ("4") hairspray.

One: Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencils are insanely expensive for 3mm of eyeliner... you can't sharpen the pencil, all you get is the tiny tip, that's it. It's beautiful stuff, but not at £20 for 3mm of material.

Two: the Urban Decay's makeup setting spray worked well, except for my chin, where yes, it did smudge. Guh. I'll still use the fix to help keep things from sliding off.

Three: Urban Decay's Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner? Works very well, pleased with it.

Four: the Too Faced eye primer will destroy any brushes you use to apply the eye primer; I use hand soap to clean my brushes and that usually works... or did; it doesn't budge the eye primer and make up remover pads/cleaners never worked well for cleaning my brushes, so I didn't bother trying. I might try them to see what happens. However, it will also make your eyeshadow stick in place, and make it pop/sparkle. Note to self: use a disposable swab or fingers to apply the eye primer.

Five: Sleek Makeup's eyeshadow colours that I used was the purple with some of the pale golden wheat and a tiny bit of the black. The colours weren't named, but it was the first two on the top left, and the first one on the bottom left. I used mostly the purple with a little of the wheat up above and toward the inside of my eyes, and a tiny bit of black on the outside of my eyes. Then I lightly blended, while keeping them distinct.

Six: Sleek Makeup's lipstick, deep and rich, wow! I still use a lipstick brush to make sure it goes in the right places, but wow, the colour! Don't forget to blot so it doesn't coat your teeth or get everywhere else.

Seven: Barry M's glitter lip gloss has a very faint pink tinge to the gel, but the glitter itself is silvery/iridescent and it seems to have stayed on... at least until I drank from my water bottle. Carry with me so I can reapply as necessary. Yesterday was hooooot, humid, but sunny.

Eight: hairspray. I cannot recall when I last used hairspray, maybe thirty years ago when I was mucking around my mother or sister's stuff as a child/teen. Last month, when someone did my hair for me for a performance, they used hairspray on me; but that was someone else. I digress, I used the hairspray *cough-gag-eye-watering* and it held what I wanted it to hold. My hair is just barely long enough for a 'duck-tail'. It's not yet pig-tail or ponytail length, so I couldn't use the smallest hair doughnut I have (maybe my hair will be long enough at the end of summer, we'll see).

End result? This:

Post Dance at Rhiannon's Mystic & Holistic Fair

Blue cotton printed yukata (it's a kimono, but less formal) around my forearms; black cotton choli by Flying Skirts, and M&S altered bra with kuchi dangles. Choli chain (that I've tweaked up since my last post about it); my Blackpowder/Fur Trade re-enactor crescent moon necklace; gilet metal large loop earrings; sterling silver faux septum ring from Tribe Zuza. Sequined black headband and purple, pink, etc hair flowers all by Claire's. Bindi is from IndiaBazaar.net