Sweet Nothings

NEW BLOG ANNOUNCEMENT!!

2013-02-12T04:29:00.000-08:00

My wonderful readers...

The time has come to share with you some very exciting changes to Sweet Nothings.

For the past few months I have been avidly researching, Wordpress learnin', writing, crafting and snap, snap, snapping readying for the launch of my new super blog "Jurassica Explains It All!"

Fear not avid readers for the essence of Sweet Nothings will still live on, and as the name suggests my new blog is sure to be JURASSIC!

Please stay tuned for news of the launch, which will include a week of non stop posts introducing you all to the regular features you can expect from Jurassica. (For all you crafters, you will be pleased to know that Jurassica will focus more heavily on tutorials, DIYs, and discounts... and for all you vintage style lovers there will be a multitude of delectable style inspiration and whimsy, as well as a whole mess of other fun stuff as Jurassica Explains it All :)

In the meantime please follow me on INSTAGRAM / TWITTER / FACEBOOK for sneak peeks of what's to come, as well as a little insight into the world of Jurassica.

Big love to you all! I am so excited to share in this with you, and hopefully inspire and teach you a thing or two along the way!

Thank you as always for your continued support!

Lots and lots of love and hugs,

Jessica

AKA Jurassica ;)

Jurassica Christmas Cards now available!

2012-11-29T06:03:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas my dears!

Alas since debuting my Jurassica line last week, (more on that to come!), my poor laptop has become sick, hindering the completion of my new website! However, I am taking orders for my Christmas cards!

There are currently 3 designs available:

Bah Humbug
Silent Night, Ghouly Night
Have a Juanderful Christmas

Custom designs are available also, drop me a line if you have a specific request!

Price is dependent on quantity the more you order the more you save, please get in touch for more information!

More images available upon request!

Hope you are all doing well and keeping warm!

Love, love and Jingle Bells!

Hereeee's Jurassica!!

2012-11-20T05:02:00.001-08:00

Well, not quite... But exciting things have been happening in my absence, stay tuned for the unveiling of Jurassica very soon

We're gonna knock you right outta your bobby socks!

Love, love!

Ps how awesome is The Gov's zombie head fish tank wall?!?!

DIY: Upcycled Organizers!

2012-03-23T08:38:00.002-07:00

Hey y'all! Today I thought I'd share with you a cute organizer DIY... it may not seem like it but I am secretly obsessed with organizing... I like everything to have a home of it's own... and this simple tutorial using recycled household items creates perfect storage for the little things that tend to get in the way of a neat and tidy living space!

what you will need...

Cardboard containers... I used Chai tea latte, Bisto gravy and Lilets tampon containers! Raid your recycling...anything you have lying around that is similar will work! I wanted different shapes and sizes, to create a prettier display, hence using a variety of different types!
Pretty paper... my signature is book text, sheet music and maps... I use them for everything! Alternatively cute wrapping paper, wallpaper scraps or patterned paper would work and may fit better with the aesthetic of your room! Patterned paper is available from any craft store, (they usually sell it by the sheet for mere pennies, and in a beautiful array of designs to suit any style!)
A ruler... (If you are planning on using a craft knife, a metal ruler or paper cutter is preferable!)
Scissors (not necessary if you are using a craft knife instead!)
Glue stick
Craft knife (unless you have a steady hand and want to use scissors!)
A pencil.

what to do...

1. Measure the length of your container...

If your container has a lip like the one in the photo, (a plastic or mental ridge on the top or bottom of the container), allow an extra 1-2mm as you will be able to tuck your paper into the lip for a perfect edge.
If your container does not have a lip at the top, account for an extra 1-2cm of paper to tuck over the top. If you do not intend on using the lid for your container, you may want to allow enough extra to cover the inside completely.

2. Measure the circumference of your container... The easiest way to do this is by rolling your paper around your container. I'd recommend allowing for a small over lap. If your paper is not wide enough to go around, cut separate sections making sure that the pattern with align once it is stuck down.

3. Measure & cut your paper... I always measure from the top, bottom and middle of my page, making tiny dots at my measurements to ensure a level line. If you are using scissors, go along the line faintly with a pencil so you have a line to follow. I used a craft knife/ paper cutter so the dots were enough to guide me.

4. Glue... using a glue stick, cover every inch of your paper in glue. (PVA and other craft glues can be a bit too wet for thin paper.. causing unsightly wrinkles and possibly even tears). Ensure every spot is covered to avoid bubbles.

5. Cover your container... start at one end and stick around your container vertically, smoothing out any creases or bubbles as you go. When you get to the joining end, you may wish to apply more glue to ensure the end stays stuck!

6. Tuck in the overhang... if you left a mm or so of paper to tuck into the rim, do this now using a blunt object (I used my thumb nail... but a dinner knife or something would also work... make sure it's not too sharp though or it may tear your paper).

Now you're left with a nice neat line! (Tucking in the paper also prevents it from pealing up at the edge).

If your container does not have a lip, begin folding over the paper you left to tuck inside the top (it will probably need re-glueing as glue stick dries quickly!)

Begin at one side and fold over and stick down as you go around, smoothing any wrinkles of course!

7. Varnish... If you so wish, you may varnish your container for an extra polished finished. This will also prevent mild wear and tear. (And provide some light water resistance if you intend on using your containers in the bathroom).

I used this acrylic paint gloss varnish from the craft store. It can be found with the little bottles of acrylic paint, usually for less than £2.00. I like this varnish because it isn't too shiny... dries very quickly, and it has the same applying techniques (not to mention durability and flexibility) as acrylic.

Apply a thin coat using a soft brush to prevent brush marks.

Leave to dry for approx 20 minutes.

8. Lids... If you plan to use the lid to your container... you may wish to paint it to match your paper. I would definitely recommend using spray paint as most of these types of lids are made from shiny plastic that regular paint will not adhere to directly.... spray paint is much quicker than priming and applying multiple coats! Make sure you spray paint in a well ventilated area and protect all clothing and surfaces... and

varnish your lid once painted to prevent chipping!

NB: you could also stamp or write a sweet quote or a label to your paper before covering your container...

Fill your new organizers and you're done!

I've used these ones as desktop organizers... but you could use them for make up... cotton buds... rings... just about anything that will fit really!

Happy Crafting!

Love, love

PS If you try this tutorial, I'd love to see pictures of how yours came out!

Thrift of the Week!

2012-03-11T17:42:00.002-07:00

Greetings y'all! It's been a while since I've done one of these... but this week the thrifts store were so full of treasures I just had to share!

I actually went to thrift stores in three different towns this week?! May explain why I was so lucky... anyway, any moment now I'm going to get to the point!

These Barbarellariffic 60s shoes leapt onto my feet and transported me to a cosmic galaxy in seconds. For a mere £8.00 I'd say that's not bad going!

Uh oh... here I go again indulging in another of my secret obsessions... crocheted purses. I was instantly drawn to the beadwork and snappy clasp on this beauty... and as my go to everyday purse is quite literally falling apart at the seems, it seemed somewhat serendipitous that our paths should cross... and I wasn't about to leave her without a home for £3.99!

And finally...

A precious little vintage cigarette case. I fell in love with it's dinky, ornate nature... £2.50 from one of my favourite UK thrift stores(also the smelliest... they are always the best!)

Oh and the crocheted doily I used as a backdrop for these photos was also a recent thrift find... it's so darling and one of the biggest I have ever come across... and it was only £0.60p!

Happy Thrifting!

Love, love

A Point of 'Pinterest"

2012-03-10T04:08:00.002-08:00

As you may have noticed I have recently added "Pin It" buttons to my posts...

I'm sure you are already familiar with the magic of Pinterest but I just wanted to take a few moments to explain why I find it so useful! As well as share a tutorial I found to add your own Pinterest buttons to your blogs!

Pinterest is effectively a huge database of online pinboards full of images and ideas from every corner of the globe! Users can upload their own content, share content found on pretty much any website or simply browse the pin boards and re-pin other users pins to their own boards.

Why I Find Pinterest Useful

Let me set the scene; on any given day my desktop is a veritable midden of images pulled from websites, blogs and google image searches that I wish to save for reference... maybe not today maybe not even this month or this year... but one day I know they will be of use to me!

As you can imagine, apart from my desktop consistently looking like a Jpeg graveyard, these countless files over time take up a considerable amount of space on my poor Macbooks little hard drive... not to mention all the hours I have to spend reorganizing them into folders for future reference!

And in this tiresome process of computerized filing is where I have found the greatest use of Pinterest for me:

Since joining Pinterest, I have began uploading my back catalogue of saved images to my pinboards, and systematically deleting them from my hard drive. Uploading takes a few seconds, and you have the option to pin them to which ever board of yours you deem fit.
I have managed to organize my boards into 4 basic categories: Words, Pretties, Funnies and my own crafts, (titled 'I Make Stuff'), although I may add more as I work my way through the folders on my computer!
Pinterest also has revolutionized the way I browse the web! The simple yet efficient "Pin It" button for your bookmarks bar means you can easily pin images you wish to save to your pinboards from anywhere on the web... and the best part is, it automatically links the image to the original source! Remember that DIY/ Recipe/ Hair style etc you desperately wanted to try? Pin an image from the article you located it in (I usually go for the end product, unless there is a step-by-step montage!) and when you are ready to "DIY it" simply click the image and you will be taken to the full tutorial!

NB: if you are browsing blogs using bloglovin, be sure to click the "x" in the bottom right hand corner of the bloglovin browser, which will take you to the actual source rather than the bloglovin link, where you can pin until your heart is content (You can't pin images if you are viewing a blog in the bloglovin browser as far as I can tell)

There is so much content to be found on Pinterest... it's ease of sharing and organizing means you can quite easily go hours past your bed time endlessly browsing the boards... you will find anything from recipes to interiors, crafts, beautiful photography, fashion, quotes... trust me if you want to find it... it's on there!

Of course, pinning content from your own site will also help to increase traffic and widen your audience... even more so if you link your blog/ website to your pinterest... which brings me to my next point!...

How to add a PIN IT button to your blog

I found this tutorial which was of great use to me. This one is for Blogger, but a quick google should lead you to a similar one for any platform.

I chose this tutorial over the one on Pinterest itself as it ensures the pin it button is automatically added to each post (as I understand it, with the Pinterest method, you have to manually copy and paste the html into every blog post before publishing?)

Also, note that to view your blogs pin it buttons you have to click into each post individually, as they will not show on your main page.

Two points before you begin:

Ensure that you paste the html at the first data/post/body not the second, otherwise it won't work
Paste it above if you want the pin it button at the top of your posts, and below if you want it at the end

NB to add a "follow me on Pinterest" button, I just followed the instructions on their website, and added a html gadget to my blogger layout... it was easy as pie :)

Good luck! I hope this has been of use to you and that I haven't blabbered on too long!

And feel free to follow me on Pinterest and have a snoop at my catalogue of inspirational images!

Back later with the return of Thrift of the Week... and it's a good one!

Love, love

Crafting: Travel Map Postcard & Pen Set

2012-02-26T06:42:00.003-08:00

Spring is fast approaching... the lambs are in the fields, bulbs are poking out from every roadside patch of grass and the days are getting longer... kind of makes my feet itch to jump on a plane and get going!

A lady who is "getting going" is my dear friend Emma of Gohemian Travellers, who begins her worldly travels very soon!
I searched high and low for the perfect Birthday gift for a lady who is soon to be backpack bound, before deciding to make her something that would be of use to her while she was away... then one day I stumbled across this travel map correspondence set DIY on design sponge and knew what I had to do!

Being a lady who teeters on the edges of OCD when it comes to crafting, I decided to take it one step further, creating a pen and a keepsake box to make the gift a little more special.

Happy crafting!

Love, love

Who's that girl?

2012-02-06T10:16:00.000-08:00

It's JESS.

A thousand apologies for my abandonment... I have selfishly been seeking solitude in my beloved journal... At times I wondered if my path would ever lead me back to you... but it has.

Here we have 2012 thus far, in photos.

I have missed you.

Love, love

Look back to look forward

2011-11-17T17:54:00.001-08:00

Today: The Decision. Not to be disappointed and upset by the things I have not done.. the things I have yet to achieve and the point of my life I'd like to be at.. but to instead appreciate the things I have done.. .the traumas and devastating life experiences i have overcome.. and all the things I have yet to experience and accomplish.

Thrifty Gifty: Tips for Gifting on a Budget

2011-09-14T06:22:00.000-07:00

I've become a one woman painting factory the last few weeks due to the number of Birthdays, Christenings and other celebratory events requiring presents, and my limited means of income! However, it has inspired me to share my tips for finding that perfect gift on a budget.

Here are my top 5 Tips for being a Thrifty Gifty lady:

1. The obvious, but effective Thrift store. Like I need any excuse to go thrifting? But searching for that perfect gift is always a viable alibi. Thrifted gifts have the advantage of being unique, find something you know the giftee will adore.. that is perhaps somewhat rare... and most likely at a bargain price. In the past I've gifted vintage oil lamps, broaches, linens, tableware and of course clothes and accessories.

2) Antique Stores. I feel antique stores have a reputation of being expensive... but oh how wrong we all are. An antique store is a great place to find good quality vintage rarities... such as ornate vintage compacts, usually at a price point of £4.00 - £15.00, perfect for stylish ladies of any age... as well as jewellery (not always as expensive as you might think.. try broaches... costume rings and bangles) and occasionally you may even encounter some pretty little vintage undergarments and the all important hat!
The perks of antique stores over thrift stores; the quality is guaranteed to be top notch on most items.

3) Online. If you have the perfect gift in mind, always check online prices for comparison. For books/ dvds/ and many other gift items, the obvious choice is amazon. However, I would also recommend Play (free shipping!) Both offer second hand options too, for extra penny pinching!
As for anything remotely electrical, have a search of Pricerunner who will source the least expensive online outlet for you. I've used them alot, and saved many dabloons through their helpful searches.
I will also always recommend Modcloth to anyone, for anything pretty much! They have the most adorable selection of homewares and gift items, with price tags that won't cause your heart to flutter. Their Sale section is always very impressive too!

4) Sales. Maybe the sales are over, but remember for next time: buy your gifts in advance and save a penny or two :) You will also find that online sales tend to have a much longer life than in store... so always check the website!

5) And most importantly: Handmade! You don't have to be the most creative person to come up with a wonderful handmade gift. Utilize your talents. Something as simple as a cherished photograph (encased in that frame you found at the thrift store ;) perhaps with a lick of kitschy paint!) can make a heartfelt gift. Try re-moulding your own soap or candles, add a little lavender to the mix and gift wrap to perfection. The internet is saturated with DIY gift ideas... so go on, bow to the knowledge of Google!

***

Even when my budget does allow me to shower my loved ones with more substantial gifts, I still throw in a little handmade something.

This months budget however, required 100% handmade presents for the Virgos of my world... causing my bedroom to become a ghetto version of The Factory haha.

Here is a piece I did for my dear friend Hannah for her Birthday (she requested a Jurassic Park painting... naturally I was only too happy to oblige her!)

And another for my Brother in Law, who is currently experimenting with patriotism.

I hope my tips will be of use to you! Giving gifts is fun!

Happy huntin'!

Love, love

Ps I'm most likely going to start compiling a list of my favourite DIY gift tutorials to post in the near future, so keep them peepers peepin'!

BV8BM2B466MU

Missing you.

2011-09-07T07:11:00.000-07:00

These are about 2 years old, and very ropey in places... but I just came across them again and thought I would share. I'm missing my friends more than ever at the moment.

So, here are my dear friend Jim and I having a little sing song haha. Please excuse those excruciating off pitch moments!

The ending always makes me laugh "I just had a terrible thought!" haha

And this one, well this is just madness. But it makes me so happy. Ah, the carefree days of years past... when Miley Cyrus got served by Natalie haha

Thrifting coming soon, have some alterations to make first

Love, love

Sculpting:Dino Girl Diary: Headpiece & strings

2011-09-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Not a drastic amount of change, but Dino Girl now has a little head piece made from ribbon and pearls as well as 3 strings! (Head & wrists) I'm draggin' my feet with the leg strings, it's so frustratingly tangly!

But, they will come soon as I'm desperate to start my next sculpted girl, and I refuse to allow myself to begin until Dino is complete :)

Happy crafting!

Love, love

Painting: Maps: Skulls: Doodles

2011-09-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

I have this problem, I am 100% incapable of relaxing. Sure, I may watch more movies in a week than most people watch in a year... but my hands are always busy.. drawing, painting, sculpting, sewing, sticking, writing, planning, sourcing... Sometimes I pretend to relax by attempting to paint my nails, but as my photos show... there is rarely a day of the week when my polish isn't chipped! Painting your nails means waiting for them to dry. I couldn't count the number I times I end up with the oddest accidentally collaged nails due to my impatient need to be using my hands at all times haha

Take Monday and Tuesday, I had both days to myself. Free time! And what did I do with my down time (besides watch a gazillion movies?)

This:

This is the first of two world maps I have been working on. This one is now completed except for a frame, I'm waiting for the perfect one to materialize at a thrift store! The other world map requires a little more patience (hard to say considering this one almost descended me into madness!) And so it may be a little while longer before it makes an appearance. My dear friend Emma of Gohemian Travellers inspired me to do this one. Hope you like it Embo!

Next in my line of I'll-do-anything-to-keep-busy creations is this little mini artwork piece. Skull etched on acetate on a text print background. I can not take credit for the skull cameo design which I found during a google search (I think my search words were of the oxymoronic "pretty skull" persuasion!) Anyway, not wanting to take credit for someone elses drawing, I sourced the original artist who can be found here.

Again, I really want to frame this piece, I'm just not sure with what yet!

I loved this image so much that I used it again to make my own skull cameo

I made the cameo using an old oversized button, book text (naturally!) and a string of broken pearls, which I'm fairly certain are real! from my Grandma.

And finally is a little doodle.

I did this while watching gritty horror movies... on oil paper using watercolours.. which is why it is all bleary and pretty haunting!

I've also completed the headdress for dino girl... and started stringing her... I'll post separately on that once her final 2 strings have been strung!

What do you do to relax?

Happy crafting!

Love, love

Thrift of the Week!

2011-08-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings y'all! It's been a weird week... I can feel Autumn just around the corner... and just like the weather which seems to be having a little difficulty deciding who to be, my head has been all over the place!

However, here are this weeks thrifts!

TMNT hankies! To explain this one, I need to divulge a secret... long before the days of Ryan Gosling there was a scientist... a ninja scientist... who also happened to be a turtle... yes, my first crush was Donatello. Yes, as a child I lusted after a well educated cartoon turtle. And no, I am not the first to have fallen under the spell of that purple mask!

As you can imagine, I was somewhat awestruck upon finding an entire box full of these handkerchiefs! I limited myself to 2 of each turtle... for the bargain price of £0.50 for all 8. Oh happy day. Now... what to do with them?...

Next is this Kookai pillar-box red wool mini skirt. And mini, it is. With a mini price of £2.50. I think this little baby will lend itself fantastically to 60s styles, I am particularly fond of the oversized buttons and unusual seaming. Roll on Autumn, woolly tights and mini's are a-callin'!

Here we have the prettiest little table cloth I ever did see (well that wasn't entirely white... nothing beats a hand embroidered white tablecloth after all!). My lack of a table to put it on seemed extraneous considering the £1.50 price tag!

And finally, naturally, consistently... a hat! This beauty really was a brilliant find. Sturdy brim, (I have so much bother from my other oversized hats and their overwhelming desire to maintain relaxed!), delicious mushroom brown hue, and ambrosial zig-zag stitching... on the inner brim as well as the outer. And all for a mere £2.00. I think that makes roughly 10 hats thrifted in the few months I've been back from LA. Let's pretend for a moment that I don't have a vast secret collection of headwear stored in California!

Happy Thrifting!

Love, Love

Ps be sure to take a look around the new Sweet Nothings pages by clicking on the tabs at the top! And feel free to like us on Facebook!

Desktop Clearout: Inspiration

2011-08-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday! I thought I'd share with you some of the things I have recently dragged to my desktop while I'm doing a clean up (most days my desktop is an unimaginable mish mash of files piled on top of one another... whoopsie!)

First up is this adorable little saddle shoe DIY courtesy of Bleubird. Click the link for the full DIY. I can't wait to have a play around with this one!

Next are these amazing skulls made out of nout but herbs and spices, via The Kitchn

Thirdly are these precious little Skull Cameos (I seem to have been on somewhat of a Skull kick of late... ok maybe it's all the time!) which can be found on Cathys Jewels. Funnily enough I have been doing a little bone related jewellery crafting myself the past week.... and these are certainly inspiring!

Next up is a pretty little nail art design from Temporary Secretary (although I doubt I will ever have the patience for this... not to mention that my nail polish never lasts more than a day due to my hands on crafting approach!)

And lastly are a couple of shots from Marie Claire... I just adore the styling!

Oh and the new layout comes courtesy of a 70s wallpaper pattern I came across during one of my random googling binges. I hope that you like it!

Love, love

Sculpting: Dino Girl Puppet Part 3: Costume!

2011-08-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

I was having a little trouble deciding how to costume my Dino Girl, (constraints such as puppet strings were severely limiting my creativity!), hence her absence from my blog. However, this morning I had one of those delightful wake-me-up cups of tea that shroud you with inspiration... which led to me spending almost the entire day needle and thread in hand...

Here is my completed Dino Girl costume (although I still need to tackle her shoes... and possibly a head dress... haven't decided if it it necessary yet)

As I mentioned before, my Dino Girls waist measures a mere 2cm.. so this sewing project required a very high level of patience! But I am pleased with the outcome!

Next is shoes... maybe a head dress (if I go ahead i'm thinking something Black Swan related) and then finally... STRINGS!

Can't wait to string her up and put her in front of the camera!

Happy crafting!

Love, love

Thrift of the Week!

2011-08-10T07:58:00.000-07:00

This wk has been very fruitful for thrifting! So much so that I think I will save a few of the items for next week, as I surely went over my thrifting budget this week... and considering my 3 day trips to the same store, I'm surprised they have anything left!

This week it's another video!

Untitled from jessica biddle on Vimeo.

The jacket is a 1960s wool blend.. I'm so in love with the colour and the style! £5.00.

Cotton white skirt with sky blue zig zag detail. £1.75

Belt (which came with a darling skirt i'll post next week!) £2.00

And finally....

3/4 sized Viva acoustic Guitar (my new love!) £10.00

Hope you enjoyed the video! I couldn't resist keeping in the part where my cheeky broken B string kept lifting my skirt!

The song playing is God Moves on the Water by Blind Willie Johnson.

Happy Thrifting,

Love, love

How To Throw a ballin' Birthday Party for a Teenager!

2011-08-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

This week my little Niece Taylor turned 13 (oh how the years fly!) To mark the occasion I decided to throw my heart and soul into giving her a party she'd never forget (after all, a girl only turns 13 once.. and being a Summer baby I have missed countless Birthdays of hers due to my back-and-forth-LA-lifestlye).

So here is my guide to throwing an original Birthday party (and on a budget)!

Step 1 - The Invitation!

Being your typical 13 year old, Taylor naturally wanted to have a sleepover for her Birthday... but of course we needed something to entertain the girls before bedtime! So we chose a Beauty Bar theme (with a retro twist!)

When it comes to invitations, I have always believed that the personal touch is best! Pre computers I remember spending hours crafting ones for my own parties... however as we live in a time where technology is unavoidable, I opted to create this particular invitation digitally (plus it's free!)
I drafted the design on powerpoint(?!) using photos I found that suited the theme.. then adjusted the hue and added aged effects.

The great thing about creating your invitations this way is that you can email them or print them out! No excuses for not receiving your invite :) (Or alternatively you could use it as the main photo on an invite website such as evite or if you are so inclined, a facebook invite).

Step 2 - Decorations!

Being creatively inclined (and also on somewhat of a budget!) I decided to make my own decorations... again this makes for a much more individual setting!

I made bunting and paper chains using handmade paper from the pound store (surprisingly they have a very impressive crafting section). The "Happy Birthday" bunting I made from a recycled book, using a permanent marker to draw the letters.

When it comes to paper chains, the more you use the better the effect. We were limited for space to hang them, so I decided to create a little archway above the door. For an extra personal touch I also made labels for the food & drinks

Step 3 - Nourishment!

When it comes to Birthday parties... traditional party food never misses (after all what's a party without cheese & pineapple...)
However, some fancy little embellishments were made (such as fresh fruit kebabs, teensy burgers and mini red velvet cupcakes)

For virgin cocktails, you can't go wrong with fruit juices and some good ole fashioned lemonade... let the guests get creative and come up with their own fruity concoctions!

Step 4 - Activities!

Ok, so now you have your invitations out and before long a group of teenage girls will be descending on your doorstep. Oh heavens! But fear not! For the secret to avoiding those charming teenage strops and blood curdling squeals is so simple - keep them entertained!

Naturally being a beauty parlor themed party, mini makeovers were planned for the girls... but before that they needed something to prevent boredom turning into chaos!

I pre-prepared 3 different craft activities for the girls... super easy, relatively mess free projects that all tied in with the rest of the day.

I cut out hundreds of different coloured feathers & love hearts in different sizes, which could be used for all 3 crafts (again the paper was from the pound store!)

I then made instruction sheets for each one... (as well as examples of what they could create)

The crafts were:

Decorate your own cocktail goblet (I bought plastic goblets, again from the pound store!) using permanent markers, ready to be filled with the selection of yummy virgin cocktails available
Decorate your own drinking straw
Make your own name tag corsage (this served the purpose of being fun and also making sure everyone knew each others name... as with most gatherings, not everyone had met before)!

I provided glue dots to attach the designs together to minimize mess, and safety pins for pinning them to the girls.

After all the crafting and food was out of the way... it was time to turn to the main event of the day.. the makeovers! Unbeknownst to my Niece, I had planned a surprise activity to coincide with their new looks... one which I was certain any group of girls would adore... a photoshoot in the woods, complete with a box of costumes and props (some of which I had made in advance for the party)

It's amazing how such a simple idea can create so much excitement and enjoyment! And for next to nothing in terms of cost. (The food and drink was probably the most extravagant purchase made).

Here are a selection of my favourite photos from the shoot...

We were so blessed with the weather... as well as being incredibly lucky to live in an area surrounded by beautiful countryside.. perfect for photos at sunset!

I'll post some of the more personal photos at a later date... the grown ups had themselves a bit of fun with all the props later on in the evening!

Oh, and I should mention that this party idea is not limited to teens... if someone threw me a party like this I would be in my element!!!

Keep creating!

Love, love

A week in the life of...

2011-07-31T16:20:00.000-07:00

I just had one of those delightful Sunday afternoon naps... one that could only have been perfected by a thunderstorm... now I'm catching up on my blogging and listening to the Mermaids sound track (I adore that movie... if you haven't seen it.. look it up!) and I'm sleepier than I was before! It's funny waking up as the sun is setting... especially when falling asleep to True Blood! My subconscious clearly is willing me to become a creature of the night :)

Post nap-ready-for-bed-again face

I've had a catastrophically busy week. . . particularly for one that was meant to be blissfully stress free with nothing but time to spend as I willed... alas, it was not meant to be... so not much time for crafting :( although I did spend a large portion of my Sunday at the sewing machine.. making alterations to the mountain of vintage clothes that always seems to grow and grow... and grow before I get around to stitching!

Oh! And I believe I told a little white lie just now, for I spent most of Wednesday covered in paper and glue. I can't divulge too many details just yet.. as it's all in conjunction with the 13th Birthday Party I am throwing my Niece on Tuesday.. and I don't want to spoil the fun! But here's a sneak peak...

More on that later (I plan to do a post on the whole party.. because if things go to plan, it will be worth sharing!)

So what has been keeping me so busy this week? (Aside for work and party planning that is).

I started with a much needed catch up with my dear friend Emma (check out her phenomenal travel and inspirational lifestyle blog here ) we opted for a night of staying home drinking gin.. which of course led to a certain amount of wig playing photoboothing fun!

Free fun with fantastic friends is always best :)

I fell so in love with this little curly wig that I do believe a play with my curling tongs is in order!

Next in my busy-week-photo-diary is a day at my Grandma's with sister #3. We lounged in the garden absorbing the rare British sunshine, drinking tea, munching on home made shortbread (my grandparents are Scottish), reading through our Great Aunts collection of antique Mable Lucy Atwell postcards and eating sweet peas from Grandmas vegetable garden

I also spent a great portion of the day following around the peacock that likes to wander around the garden,despite my utter hatred of the things... a deep routed childhood fear of their tail feathers which I have never overcome. However, with the exception of their tail feathers, I am somewhat dumbfounded by their markings... the intensity of the blues and greens.. and in particular their mottled black and white feathers... nature at it's finest. This peacock was shedding.. hence my attention to his movements... with every scratch I collected a new feather (just one of my examples of how to craft on a budget... stalk a peacock!)

My Grandma had picked this love heart from her tomato plant earlier in the day... I couldn't resist having a little photoshoot with it. She offered it to me but I insisted she kept it herself, convinced good luck and happiness would be brought to whomever indulged in it's divinity!

I spent the rest of the week cooking, baking, cleaning, planning the party and spending time with my sister and my childhood friend, whom I had stay with me for a few nights.

And now we start another week! I'm so excited for the party... but almost equally excited to have my free time back! My guitar practice has taken a serious back seat this week. As has dino-girl.. although now I have altered some of my recent thrifts, I believe I have enough fabric scraps to fashion her a new anti-tangle dress!

Hope you all had a good week!

Enjoy this little ditty from Mermaids

Love love

Thrift of the Week!

2011-07-31T15:05:00.000-07:00

Ah, the last thrift of July! Not terribly exciting I'm afraid (At least not after last weeks melodic miracle that is!)

Seem to be having a "blue" week (maybe it's all the bluegrass I've been playing haha)

Feathers, feathers, feathers! I love the ridiculousness of this hat... a giant swirl of different blue feathers mirroring the decadence of an over indulgent sundae..for £2.50. I feel like some fantastical childrens movie villain... or Mary Poppins... or a crazy lady housing a nest of birds atop her barnet ha.

I also picked up this shirt for 1.75 (gingham and I have had a steadfast love affair for many years)... which is one of the things I was altering today (it was mahussive!)

And lastly, this dainty little apron... (90p) which was put straight to work making red velvet cupcakes!

And that's that for this week!

Happy thrifting!

Love, love

Thrift of the week... Musical Edition!

2011-07-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

Hello, hello, hello! This weeks thrift of the week comes crooning to you like the harmonious expressions of a 60s supergroup.

This week has been all about patience... patience when sewing clothes for a 4cm waist... patience when applying minute eyelashes to a miniature... and patience when relentlessly strumming the same 4 bars of a bluegrass song for hours... and hours... and hours, rising above the pain of tender fingertips as I commit to giving myself my first guitar lessons... a goal that has been on my list since I picked up this guitar at a thrift store 4 years ago.

It's not much, but I needed something to learn on... no complaints here!

but back to THIS weeks thrifts...

As I committed to an empty handed exit from my favourite thrift store, a scarlet tinted troubadour sang out to me from amongst the chorus of cut class and unassuming bric-a-brac.

That's right swee-no's... a working-order, cute-as-a-button Rosedale electric reed organ... the perfect addition to my growing collection of odd and intriguing musical instruments. I'd been in search of a keyboard/ organ of sorts for quite some time, having taken piano lessons for many years growing up...(and also to aid in my completion of one of my Summer Goals.. and life goals.. project MAKE MUSIC!) My newest band mate produces the most fantastical reedy tones, her short two octave finger board aided by the 6 "chord buttons". I am very excited about this one... and promise to share her vocals with you in due time.

So say hello to Rosie... the ingenious little piece of 1970s musical heaven that agreed to room with me for the slender price of £3.00. Ah serendipity... you snuggle up to me when I need it most.

Keep strummin'

Love, love

Sculpting: Dino Girl Puppet Part 2: Painting/ effects

2011-07-20T12:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Humpday y'all! This past week I've been working on painting my lil dino girl...

I opted for acrylic paint (predominantly as this is all I had beside water colours). I was a little unsure of how it would react with the clay... but as luck would have it, it worked very well!

I used a dry brush to apply the acrylic, as the clay is water based I didn't want to risk softening it and ruining all my hard sculpting work
First I mixed the colour I wanted for the base of my sculpture, a very pale greyed yellowy bone like hue, and applied this all over
Then I worked in detail, applying basic SFX make up techniques to highlight the high points and shadow the low points, to intensify the sculpted detail.
I found that, because of the texture of the clay, the paint was really easy to blend (when it came to blending, I did dampen my brush and dry it slightly on tissue before applying the paint)
The only other advice I would give is to make sure you use even brush strokes and really work the paint into the sculpture, so as not to leave brush marks. For detail/ blending I stippled the paint on for a more aged bone effect

Then I added some lashes! (I have a store of false lashes in my make up kit, for my dino girl I used one corner lash, (by NYC), cut in half. I evened out the length by feathering the tips of the lashes with scissors before applying them with a thin strip of super glue

As you can see, I've now begun work on her outfit! Thus far she has a little bandeau to hide her modesty and the beginnings of a gown. However, after spending hours frustratingly stitching ribbon together, I realized if I am to add strings to this puppet of mine, a ribbon skirt would be a big mistake (think of the tangling!!!!) And so, I suspect I will have to redesign it. But, this is a learn-while-you-craft experience after all!

Until next time...

Love, love

Sculpting: An intro to my Dino Girl Puppet

2011-07-16T05:08:00.000-07:00

Hello my lovelies! Today I would like to share with you a project I have been working on in my free time for the past few weeks... it started out as a doll, but once I had finished the limbs... I decided that she has such great mobility, a puppet may be more fitting... plus puppets are infinitely more fun!

Of course, my Dino love shines bright in this project!

Here is stage one:

The great thing about this project is how inexpensive it has been thus far (granted I do have a moderately well stocked box of crafting items/ bits and bobs I have saved for their apparent useful qualities) but really, everything I used, minus the clay, was either free or next to nothing in cost.

But i'm getting ahead of myself, as I am planning a separate post on being thrifty-crafty :)

The clay I used is Fimo Air Light, which was around £7.00 from my local garden centre (that has an immensely impressive craft section!) It can be found online for a little less here.

I have worked with regular fimo before, but this project required something lighter and easier to work with:

It air dries, which apart from being more convenient, ensures that your project won't crack or spoil during the baking process!
When dry, it weighs practically nothing as it has an almost foamy quality to it
It's durable: due to the texture, this clay is a lot less brittle than other clays I have tried, which makes it perfect for doll making (I also intend to see how it weathers as jewellery)!
It's easy to blend and build upon, even when dry, as it is water based. Therefore if you let it dry, and decide you want to alter the shape, all you have to do it wet the surface and either rework it or apply fresh clay as desired (wetting the surface ensures new pieces will adhere)
It's actually a very inexpensive way to sculpt, as you use so little of it! The instructions suggest that you use scrunched up aluminium foil as the "skeleton" of your piece, using the clay merely as an outer shell for you to sculpt into your project. This means the amount of clay you use can be very little, depending on what you are making. (I didn't have foil so I used different sized drinking straws for the main body/neck/limbs and a small styrofoam ball for the head). My entire dino girl only took around 1/3 of a pack to complete :)

(I just noticed how the light shifts from day to night in this series of photos.. ha.. clearly when I have the time I tend to over indulge in my projects)

I should also explain that although I have never had instruction in this form of sculpting, there was a great deal of larger scale sculpting during my Advanced Prosthetics course at Joe Blascos, which I was able to call on for certain aspects of my Dino Girl creation! But for the most part, I am self taught; if I can do it you can too!

I intend to do a more detailed post on how I constructed Dino Girl,(sculpting techniques, making joints etc) as I feel I have saturated your brains with enough information for one post!

Next up sanding the legs, painting/ paint effects.

Keep creating!

Love, love

Thrift of the Week!

2011-07-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

This week I decided to try something different and create a little video to show off some of todays thrifts! I'm still learning so it's definitely not a masterpiece... but it sure was a lot of fun!

(despite my best efforts is has still loaded in very low definition)

Thrift Of The Week Vlog1 from jessica biddle on Vimeo.

I did have a few chuckles when I realized I was infact spending my afternoon filming myself shakin' my butt in a bathing suit. All in good fun though!

So what do we have here then?

I've Been having a pretty wild love affair with green of late... so naturally this cheerful little lady leapt right into my hands! I'm most likely going to remove the chiffon bow and replace it with something a little more to my liking in the near future.

I've actually had this dress for around 6 years. I dug it out of the $1.00 bin at Ragg Mopp Vintage on Sunset one Summer but had never worn it until today! The dress originally had blousen sleeves that would not have looked out of place on the set of Little House On The Prairie... and was a good 6-8" longer. However, this week I was struck with inspiration, and so I set about altering the sleeves, shortening the length and repairing the hundreds of scattered holes on the skirt (I suspect the previous owner had had a run in with a bonfire due to the nature of the holes!) I'm very happy with the results! Oh.. and it's GREEN! I'm so glad I never parted with it :) The fabric is actually a green "graph paper" check, although it's hard to see in these photos!

Oh! Hey butt! (woopsies haha)

I am always on the look out for bathing suits... I actually found these in the childrens bin (hence the price!)! I initially thought them to be little boys trunks... but suspected that they may fit .. however on closer inspection I believe that they are in fact ladies bikini bottoms. I can't wait to get back to LA and soak up some pool party rays in these :)

Broaches and rings are something else I always am seeking. I was undetermined whether the second one is a J or a T, but as I was with my Neice, Taylor, it hardly seemed to matter, because it was equally as appropriate! (From the angle in the photo it certainly looks more T like!)

Oh and the shoes in the video... <3 a mere 2.50 for square toed chunky heeled patent mary janes with rounded silver buckles. Hello hello!

And that's it for this weeks thrifting! Hope you enjoyed my first vlog!

Love, love

Happy 4th!

2011-07-04T15:44:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I am not Stateside for this years 4th... and so I bring you photos from last year... which was a dreamy, blissful blend of pool parties, BBQs, dancing and of course, the trusty Hyperion Porch

I hope that you are having a peachy day with those who make you smile!

Love, love

Sweet Nothings

NEW BLOG ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Jurassica Christmas Cards now available!

Hereeee's Jurassica!!

DIY: Upcycled Organizers!

Thrift of the Week!

A Point of 'Pinterest"

Crafting: Travel Map Postcard & Pen Set

Who's that girl?

Look back to look forward

Thrifty Gifty: Tips for Gifting on a Budget

Missing you.

Sculpting:Dino Girl Diary: Headpiece & strings

Painting: Maps: Skulls: Doodles

Thrift of the Week!

Desktop Clearout: Inspiration

Sculpting: Dino Girl Puppet Part 3: Costume!

Thrift of the Week!

How To Throw a ballin' Birthday Party for a Teenager!

A *week* in the life of...

Thrift of the Week!

Thrift of the week... Musical Edition!

Sculpting: Dino Girl Puppet Part 2: Painting/ effects

Sculpting: An intro to my Dino Girl Puppet

Thrift of the Week!

Happy 4th!

A week in the life of...