Capricious Creativity: Barefoot Sandals - DIY "How to"

Remember when I decided to make the "shoes" for myself and my bridesmaids? Well, I made the demo set's and then mailed them all around the country to my girls so they could figure out which ones they wanted for their fabulous feet.

UPDATE: I actually wrote this ages ago (like October!) and for some reason, never posted it! Whoopsidaisies!

A few months later... I've got everyone's choice... and only 1 set of measurements. I had a couple of girls tell me "my foot's a size 9". ummm... Great. I can go BUY them shoes, but I can't make them!!! Click HERE to be reminded of how surprising it is that I have figured out how to make these in the first place.

Well, I have to start somewhere, so one set of measurements it is! Thus began my Saturday... and now begins my first attempt at how to DIY!!

Note: This makes the grand total of TWO pairs of these I have made. There may be better ways to do this, and I know there are better ways to photograph and explain this... but you aren't on Martha's blog, you're on mine... so bear with me! If you have any questions for clarification - just ask! (All photos courtesy of me!)

Start with a fixed end, a la use a crimping bead. See how it looks like I'm using fishing wire? Its actually not, I used "stretch magic" because I wanted these to have a little give to 'em.

Continue adding beads in whatever pattern you like until you have a large loop that is twice the circumference of the ankle this is being fitted for. Add a clasp to the other end and you've essentially made a big ol necklace. Its the next step that makes it a shoe!
(Contrary to the picture, this doesn't have to be done need an apple keyboard. Though in my house, you are never that far from an apple keyboard. ) :)

Next up, you are beading a single line with a toe loop at the end. I always started with the toe loop because its just easier that way.
Notice JUST below the big dark blue bead is a crimping bead. When I had enough tiny white beads for the toe loop, I crimped it off so that it was done and I didn't have to worry about it anymore. Plus, then I can put it on my foot and figure out how long the top part is/needs to be. Hint: Always use little bitty beads for the toe loop - much higher comfort quotient!
Continue beading the straight line that will run up the top of your foot until you have the desired length. (I think this length is the most crucial to get right.) Just because I thought it looked nice, somewhere in the middle of each top line, I added a much larger bead to stand out. End this line wiht a crimping bead - DON'T CRIMP IT YET - just string it on.

So now you have a big 'ol loop, and a small loop at the end of the straight line of beads. Put the loop on your ankle with the clasp towards the back. Find the beads that will be at the front of your ankle. This is where the top line will intersect and be hooked to the loop. Lightly stretch the beads apart so you have space take the tail end of the straight line, loop it around, and back through the crimping bead.
Now crimp that bead and everything should be connected!

And this is what the finished product will look like.

Ta-da!

Ok - so my instructions sound confusing when typed! Just take it step by step and it really is pretty simple.

UPDATE: So as it turns out, its a zillion times easier to make one with the foot actually there with you. This ended up being the only pair I made by measurements. The remaining four I made within a month of the wedding, and the last pair being finished after the rehearsal dinner. While I had originally given them several options of style choices, I realized that I needed the foot in front of me, and this was the simplest style. So while each one was unique in beading etc, they were all this style. Rae captured such a cute shot of them all and it was even featured on Weddingbee.com's Gallery Photo of the Day!

Anyone else find that the actual DIY is much more simple than explaining it?!

Bedazzled Bride

Remember before I blogged about trying to make decisions on jewelry?
Here and here and here.

Well, its now a few days prior to the wedding, and I still haven't decided on anything - oh, and I've added two hair flowers to the mix from Lauren Lee Designs.
(Click on the flowers for links.)

Oh, I've also added a necklace that I got from a great Etsy seller:

And my sisters-in-law have brought along their collections to see if there is anything out of it that I should wear. Too many options!
So it ended up being me, my mom, and newest sister-in-law trying to figure out what combination of hair thing, earrings, bracelet, hair flower, and necklace would work best. I wanted to wear something of my mothers, but as you saw before, we have very different tastes, and her necklaces end up being chokers for me. I wanted to be beautiful bridal, but I still wanted to be me.

So I donned my dress and veil and let mom and Ang play dress up with me. They came up with some very beautiful combinations.

Feather + Etsy Necklace +Mom's Pearl Bracelet +Sentimental Sapphire earrings

Feather + Mom's diamond solitare necklace + Sentimental Sapphire earrings + Mom's diamond tennis bracelet. Obviously, I'm feeling dramatic and silly.

Those combination (and a few other elegant ones I don't have photos of), looked beautiful and put together and elegant. But for the most part, I just kept thinking, can I take this off now?
So then we decided to see how things did with the orchid flower instead.
Orchid + Etsy necklace + Sentimental Sapphires + Mom's pearl bracelet + Sparkly veil comb

Same as above but without the sparkly veil comb thingy.

And then we started trying a few to see what would go best with Mom's wedding dress that would become my after-party dress.

So we left it with the options narrowed down to fancy and well put together, or mishmashed combination of things I like. Little did we know, Adam would make that decision easier for me!
Stay tuned!

Pebbles and Gold and Rings Oh My!

So as promised - Adam's Ring!'cause why should I be the only one with the bling?! =)

What do you think?
Like it?

Oh, in the name of all things Holy I hope you know I am KIDDING!!!
heheheheh. Sorry. It is Friday, ya know.

Last April, we got invited to the launch party of Southern Wedding Style Magazine. Oh yeah, those are the Bliss Event Group girls and now Southern Wedding Magazine and Blog.



There, we ran into our friend, Susan, of Susan Campbell Jewelry, which I've talked about before.
She had her array of unique wedding rings from an array of different artists. We each found rings that we loved. I was pretty much sold on mine. Adam thought his was great, but wanted to keep looking... and looking... and looking...
There is picky... and then, there's my Adam.
I love you sweetie!!!! :-D

So after many many moons of looking at rings and me finding lots of different options, different metals, different designs and levels of intricacy, he finally said "Its cool, but I like my ring better." DONE AND DONE! I stopped looking for alternatives and options, and shortly thereafter, we ordered his ring.
(his real ring this time. ;-) ).

WITHOUT the black diamond - just the band with the Pebble etching.

This beautiful Pebble band will be white gold and is made by Sarah Graham, a great jewelry artist.

HOORAY!!!!

Whatcha think?

Gift Idea: Uniquely Creative Jewelry

I love this idea for gifts... if you've got the budget for it.

But first, so you don't think this is just an advertisement (cause my blog is soooo popular and people want to pay me for that.... errrr.. maybe not), a little personal back story. ('Cause really, otherwise, I'd just send you to the artist's website!)

Last weekend, Adam and I ordered his ring (!!) at our favorite local jewelry boutique, Susan Campbell Jewelry. This place might sound a little familiar to you because it was one of the stops along my Scavenger Hunt Proposal.

If you look REALLY REALLY closely, in the bottom middle pane of the door on the right, you can see a little white card, which was my next clue!

Anyway, we love this shop. We love the owner, we love the wide array of artist's work she carries, and we love that its a little local boutique and not a big chain. We knew we were getting our rings from here. Last weekend, during the Great GulfCoast Arts Festival (have I mentioned that we are festival nuts and I have a google calendar of booked weekends during festival season?) Susan had a Heather Moore trunk show.



SOOO FUN! Each and every piece is meant to be a custom design. You can pick letters or words and which font you do or dont want. You can have them engraved on the front, or the back, or along the edges - whatever! You can do a single charm, or a whole cluster of them. You can all little gemstone charms or gold links. It can be round, or square, or a mix of whatever you'd like.

Obviously, you can also swirl the text and embed little stars or hearts or whatever!

You can personalize every inch of it so your bridesmaid / mom / MIL knows it was specifically for HER.

Like different colors? No problem.

Don't like the charm look? No worries. Just personalize the links!

And, there is something for the guys too!!

I like this cufflink idea better than just your initials or date.
Its more personal with a twist of funky!

Or keychains or belt buckles! Whatever floats your boat.

Only drawback? These babies ain't cheap.
Granted, they are good product and great craftsmanship giving you a high quality beautiful piece. If I only had 1 or 2 Bridesmaids, I might consider it. We are still tossing this around as an idea for the moms, but really, we'd be getting them a VERY basic first piece that they could add to as they liked.

Since I've been teasing you about it for a while now.. I'll post about Adam's ring next! (Maybe mine too!... Though I have no photo pf mine yet.... hmm.. might have to wait on mine.)
Anyone else find a boutique store they love? Or a great gift idea that's just a bit out of range?

Noaki Knockout! Earrings vs Necklace

I've blogged before about trying to decide on my wedding day jewelry. Remember how I was trying to figure out what necklace to go with the neckline of the dress? (Adam - you click those links, you die.) Well, searching for jewelry and hair ornament ideas led me to Noaki Jewelry. Well, Noaki being the uber creative wonder that she is, has agreed to help me with the hairpiece! Woohoo!! Hooray for planning ahead because she has plenty of time to scour her resources for the right elements. In the mean time... she sent me a link that she knew I've love..... HER NEWEST LISTING!!

B-E-A-UTIFUL right? Wait - look closer... oh yeah those are stars and moons!!!!!

"These earrings feature vintage rhinestone pieces in the shape of a moon and star. I've attached swarovski crystals and small glass droplets. The chain and earwire are sterling. The earrings measure 3 3/4 inches long and the moon measures 1 1/4 inches across at its widest. Just lovely.

"If you're interested in a vintage one-of-a-kind piece, please visit my etsy shop and convo me with the details. My website is www.noakijewelry.com and blog is www.noakijewelry.blogspot.com"

LOVE LOVE LOVING THEM!!

Its great to ahve someone on the "inside." It might actually be quite mean of me to post this... because I might be snagging these! :-)

So here's the question... can I pull these off with a necklace? Should I skip the necklace? Should I keep the earrings for the big day simple and sang these for fun? :-)

Oh, and if stars and moons aren't your thing, do yourself a VERY BIG favor, and go check out her Etsy shop to find whatever floats your boat. Don't see it? Guess what - SHE DOES CUSTOMS!!! Did I mention Noaki rocks?

Noteworthy Noaki!

Part two of my new favorite Etsy jewelry queen Noaki! Lots of great stuff at her shop and on her blog... but as the obnoxious mind numbing song goes.... These are a few of my favorite things! And all photos are from Noaki and if clicked, lead back to her!

(Yes, I really do find that song annoying and yet Its a Small World or the Gummi Bears theme just make me smile. Deal with it.)

How fun is this? I can say I've seen a bazillion bridal photos and never seen anything like this; and frankly, thats just a shame.

Lovin this comb!

Something oh so beautifully blue

Me? Post a star shaped piece of jewelry? Only every chance I get! I just might rock this bracelet come next April.

For the pearl girl who's only stud is the one she's marrying!

And the perfect earrings for all those brides going with the bird theme. I hate birds, and I like these.

Don't forget to check out the Zenadia contest for Noaki's jewelry!
Also, if you see something you like, and you have a blog, post about it! Unleash the power o' the bridal blogs! =)

Anyone else up to their eyeballs with favorites marked in etsy for potential wedding day jewelry? Any tips for how in the world to make a decision!?

Blog Bliss: Zenadia Design to Noaki Jewelry

I was scrolling through my blogs on day... in the very marry month of August....

hmm - ok doesn't quite have the same ring to it, but oh well. (That is my absolute favorite video clip from Apollo 17. Actually, I think its my favorite clip ever... and it happens to be from Apollo 17. It and other video clips are available here. Did I mention I am an astro-geek?)

My google reader alerted me to a new Zenadia Design post. So I read, commented, followed the links, and ended up falling in love with some beautiful bridal jewelry options.
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Monday, August 25, 2008

Giveaway by Noaki Jewelry

I am so excited to announce that Noaki Jewelry is sponsoring a giveaway here on Zenadia Design's blog! One lucky reader will win a $70.00 credit to Noaki's online shop. Good for one of her beautiful pieces of jewelry, or a custom made item!
If you are not familiar with Noaki's jewelry, you are in for a real treat. Each piece is handmade using heirloom quality vintage pieces which are recycled into beautiful works of art. We featured Noaki a while back here on our blog, and since then, she has added so many stunning pieces to her collection on etsy.


To enter the contest, all you have to do is leave a comment here and answer one, or both of the following questions:

1. What kind of wedding jewelry are you as a bride looking for to match your dress (Chandeliers, Tiny drops, Pearl necklaces, Bracelets, etc.)?
2. Any suggestions on how Noaki might better reach out to brides.

If you are not a bride, or are a past bride, answer the question(s) with your own advice. Maybe what kind of jewelry you look for for everyday wear. The contest will be open until Friday, August 29, at midnight. We will then draw a winner at random and announce the winner here on Zenadia Design's blog on Monday, September 1. Good luck!

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She has so many B-E-A-UTIFUL options, and this post is getting long, so I'll start with some of my favorite necklaces.

With partial thanks going to Carrie of Sex and the City, peacocks and feathers seem to be all the rage. I will be going for a slightly more traditional bridal necklace, but I know there is some bride out there to rock this necklace in high fashion style.

This just seems like a GREAT destination wedding necklace. All the makings of a traditional bridal necklace with a fun funky twist.

I've said it before, (and I will probably be bridal blog flogged for saying it) but I am not into the vintage trend. Even my "something old" doesn't exactly fit the vintage category. That being said, I still think this Deco necklace is a BEAUTIFUL addition for anyone going the vintage route.

Loving this one. Old Hollywood meets something blue. It wont work for my dress cause I've got a lot of beading going on up top. But I've seen so many beautiful brides to be with bead/adornment free dresses that this would look so beautiful with!

Another beautiful deco style unique beauty. With green and white being such a popular color scheme I can imaging this could be STRIKING. ooohh... striking - that is definitely a word I want associated with my overall look!

If anyone is surprised that this is my favorite.. you apparently missed the title of my blog. LOVE LOVE LOVE the shooting star. Hate hate hate that it would definitely be too much for my dress.... which leads me to LOVE LOVE LOVE etsy! Noaki does custom designs so soon something like this will become my hairpiece! (But the hairpiece search is a WHOLE other etsy filled post.)

In case you are too impetuous to wait for my further posts on Noaki's creations... add her to your blogroll too! www.noakijewelry.blogspot.com

Stay tuned for more great jewelry!