Please note:

Yes it's true - Shoegazer is rebranding and moving house! I decided it was time to take everything I've learnt about blogging and create a more coheasive, streamlined blog. I also wanted to create a blog more focussed on supporting the webshop (Lily in the Labyrinth) that will be opening soon: So, Lily in the Labyrinth will now be the name of my shop and blog. Please visit the link and please do let me know any feedback you have about the new layout/format etc etc.

I may still update Shoegazer from time to time with random musings and finds so check back from time to time if you can :) I've loved keeping this blog over the years but really feel ready to move to the next level and combine shop and blog branding.

Comments, followers and contact are always appreciated and welcomed!

Find me on Twitter: @blogshoegazer

Shoegazer x

Friday Finds: 28.1.11

Happy Friday everyone :D I hope you enjoy this week's Friday Finds. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment :)

Above: Whenever I see lots of bees I'm always reminded of the Eddie Izzard quote: "I'm covered in bees!" Find this bee print here.

Above: Gorgeous "drops of jupiter" hairclips from here.  

Above: Vintage frames printed on wide linen ribbon = so many crafting and DIY possibilities! From here.  

Above: A very sweet print, perfect for a new family. From here.

Above: Cupid's arrow pillowcase from here.  

Above: Foxes in love, ornaments from here. (Sweet, and thankfully they won't make the dreadful screaching noises real foxes make when they do-the-sex... anyone else getting freaked out/kept awake by that right now? Horrific!) 

Above: This reminded me of powdered paint we used to have at school. The stone is Lapislazuli and the ring is available from here.

Marc by Marc Jacobs - Saving the Birds!

Marc by Marc Jacobs has done it again. Yet another offering of products I'm finding it very hard to resist spending my life's savings on ... Must. Resist. Must. Resist. MUST RESIST!

Any regular readers will be aware of my soft spot for bird-related items, so all these lovely things from Marc by Marc Jacobs have got me weak at the knees (and purse strings... NO! PUT IT AWAY!)

Let's have a peak shall we . . .

Above: Jumbled Birds Tote = £160

Above: Tossed Birds Umbrella = £55. How cute is that handle?!

Above: Tossed Birds Scarf = £175

Above: Love Dove Necklace = £44.31 (Nordstrom)

Above: The bag I've been lusting over for a year now (see this post) is still calling to me *sigh*. Natasha Bag = £375.

Above: Petal to the Metal Wallet = £195

Above: Green Bird Necklace = £37.79 (Nordstrom)

Above: Miss Marc Jacobs Bird Earrings = £24.76 (Nordstrom)

Above: Donna Shopper in Snow Buntin = £120

So what do you think? Do these birds get your heart all a flutter? They certainly do mine, especially the bags and scarf. Resisting is no good, I might have to save up and treat myself to something . . .

(also blogged about by the very lovely Little Doodles)

I've been tagged!

The lovely and talented Kat of Kat's Limbo tagged me to complete this little quiz so here are my answers :)

1. What is your dream job?

To set up and run my own magazine, bringing together a really creative team and producing something gorgeous to look at, honest, inspiring and unpretentious to read and something that readers love to keep, revisit and re-read!

2. What is your favourite fragrance for winter?

My favourite fragrance for all times of the year is Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche because it smells clean, fresh, light and luxurious! I’m not a fan of heavy fragrances so this one is perfect.

3. How do you take your tea/coffee?

I don’t. The only hot drink to pass my lips is hot chocolate :) yum!

4. What is your most important beauty secret?

Don’t skimp on skincare! Invest in a good cleanser (I religiously use Liz Earle’s Hot Cloth Cleanser); Find out your skin type so you can buy products to suit.

5. If you had an all-expenses paid vacation anywhere, where would you go?

Japan! I would LOVE to visit Japan, especially when all the cherry blossom is out. Also Australia to see what all the fuss is about! But, to be honest, anywhere warm, sunny and nice would do as I haven’t been on holiday since 2006! Argh!

6. If a genie popped up in your lap right now and offered you three wishes, what would they be?

Long, happy, healthy lives for my family and friends (and me please).

Success in my career.

To pass my upcoming driving test!

7. If you could only have breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert foods for the rest of your life, which would you pick?

Hmm, tough one! Lunch I think because of the variety and the fact it can consist of dessert as well (round off your lunch with a little cake or a yoghurt.... WINNER) Heh-heh....mmm, lunch. Om nom nom nom nom.

8. If you were Hello Kitty, what colour hair bow would you wear?

Purple or Gunmetal coloured.

9. What is your biggest make-up pet peeve?

Over-plucked / over-drawn eyebrows and thick, clumpy mascara.

10. If you could wear only one piece of jewellery for the rest of your life, what would it be?

That would be awful! I LOVE jewellery. Why... why would you ask me this? WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE WORLD? Won't somebody think of the children... *eherm* Probably the silver bracelet I never take off.

11. What one talent do you wish you had?

Dress making / bitchin’ sewing machine skills.

(can't use a sewing machine? just wear a sewing machine round your neck instead... we're all winners here.)

12. Which product will you continue to purchase?

The Liz Earle product I mentioned – since I started using it I have converted both my mum and boyfriend to using it too (well, bf uses the male version)!

13. If you could look into the future, would you? And what would you want to know?

I don’t think I would, I might see something upsetting.

14. Who is your biggest celebrity crush? Include pictures

I quite liked Sam Riley in the film Control and the Burberry adverts he did. ULTIMATE MIND-CRUSH = Robert Smith of The Cure.

15. What made you start a blog?

I wanted a place to log my creative projects and all the inspirational things I found on my web adventures and to be able to share them with other likeminded folk.

THE END

I hope you found that vaguely interesting and appologise if you didn't!

Thanks to Kat for the tag :)

I tag anyone and everyone who reads this...

x

Shoegazer Haul: Fox brooch

I was lucky enough to get this sweet little fox brooch for Christmas from one of my best friends. It had been on my radar for a while but was a complete surprise when I got it as a present :) The face is made of painted polymer clay, whilst the ears and tail and corduroy and the whole thing is attached to antique-style brass setting. These were available on etsy from Helis, but the shop has since shut whilst the owner has a baby.

Shoegazer Haul

Here is a roundup of some of the lovely things I’ve come into the possession of recently – whether through receiving them as presents or treating myself to them . . .

Antique wooden peg doll (late 1800s/early 1900s?):

As I have mentioned here before, I have been on the lookout for an antique, wooden peg doll since I was a little girl and used to love watching a little cartoon called Pinny’s House which told the story of a little peg doll that came to life and had adventures. Having had no luck whatsoever finding a peg doll in the many antique shops I visit, I decided to turn to eBay and my luck was in. I won an auction for not one but TWO antique peg dolls, one of which I kept and one my mum now owns as she had been looking for one too. Naturally, my doll is called Pinny :) 

Goat figure:

In October 2010 my brother and his partner moved to Hong Kong following my brother’s promotion at work, so for Christmas I was treated to some unusual little finds they had come across in a shop they said would be right up my street. Firstly, this little goat is a very good representation of a real goat (but hopefully not made of real goat fur?? THE HORROR!) and my brother said he couldn't resist getting it for as goats were my favourite animal when we were little.

 

Green Chalcedony Ring:

LOVE! I got this faceted Green Chalcedony ring as a Christmas present and have rarely taken it off since! The aqua tone of the green is beautiful and the unpolished silver setting gives it an edge.
Jointed wooden bear:
This jointed wooden bear (which reminds me slightly of the Black Forest bears) sits quite happily wherever I chose to place him and is a lovely addition to my collection of homeware and ornaments. He was another gift from Hong Kong.
 

Antique typewriter (1920s?)

I got this amazing piece of vintage writing machinery for my 25^th birthday back in September 2010 as a present from my parents. I love it, but it is incredibly heavy! I can't wait to find the perfect place for it when I get my own place :)

Hope you enjoyed that round-up :) x

Fractured humerus - Clothing tutorial!

Please note: This post is out of character for this blog, however I thought it might help someone out there. Please excuse the awful diagrams/illustrations - like I said - it's not a usual blog post but rather a straight-forward step-by-step guide for possibly non-crafty people.

On Christmas Eve, my boyfriend slipped on an icy pavement and landed with his full weight on his left arm, snapping his humerus bone clean in two! *Shudder* Aside from all the other misery this is causing him, it is hard to find clothes that work with his current situation. He has to wear over-sized t-shirts that fit over the entire arm, leaving his broken arm under the t-shirt, in the sling, against his body.

Having the sling, hand and lower arm constantly against his body was beginning to rub him, so I put my thinking cap on and came up with a solution – a vest which could slide up under the arm/sling and be fastened on the shoulder - a bit like a baby grow.

So for anyone out there with a broken upper arm and a sore torso due to a rubbing sling or too much flesh-on-flesh contact, here is my step-by-step tutorial on how to make the vest:
Tutorial:  

Step One: Get a basic vest (I got a pack of two from Primark for £4.50) 

Step Two: For which ever arm is affected (in my boyfriend's case it is the left arm), cut through that shoulder hoop of the vest straight across - you are not removing any fabric, just cutting a line straigh across. Follow the shoulder seam and you can't go wrong.

Step Three: You chould now have separated the front section of the shoulder hoop from the back section across the top of the shoulder, along the seam. In the illustration I have moved the cut line forward slightly just to show the straight cut. 

Step Four: Blanket stitch along the cut edges on the front and back parts of the shoulder hoop. Find a blanket stich tutorial here - it's a very fast and easy stitch! Then, sew corresponding parts of popper closures (aka: snap fastenings / press studs) where the blue dots are.

Step Five: Snap the poppers shut and you vest is complete! 

Step Six: To wear, open the poppers to widen the top of the vest then step into the vest and pull it up over your body then feed it under the sling and up to the shoulder. Fasten the poppers and VOILA! (You could of course also put the vest over your head and pull it down past your sling then under and up to the shoulder if you prefer)

Step Seven: Enjoy the relief from rubbing (and please excuse my truly awful drawings of your troubles!)

I really hope that helps someone out there, please let me know if you have stumbled across this blog post and found it useful as it would make my day. 

Claire x

Found images

A little browsing this morning lead me to click-and-save a whole trail of inspiring images on Pinterest, so I thought I'd share . . .

Above: What's not to love about this desk set-up? 

Above: Sticks never looked so hot-to-trot. 

Above: Be joyful? Okay :) 

Above: Such a sweet idea for little ones, a playhouse table cloth! Genius! 

Above: A paper mobile (since found out you can buy these from zibbet) 

Above: Vintage wedding dress <3 

Above: Do it! 

Above: Colour colour colour!

Above: The Colour Study locket is amazing. Since found out you can buy these from here.

My first piece of Jonathan Adler

Here it is, my very first piece of Jonathan Adler pottery! I've been wanting something by Alder for a few years now ever since I saw his Love, Hate etc storage jars from the Druggist range, but the pieces are often pretty pricey and, as he is an American designer, not that easy to find in the UK. So I was incredibly happy to spot this lovely item entitled This Is Not A Pipe in the Heals sale:

It's a tealight holder made from translucent porcelain meaning that when you light your tealight the bowl of the pipe glows softly. What's more, it fits in beautifully with my homeware theme of "English Eccentric" which I have blogged about in the past :)

Friday Finds: belated finds from 7.1.11

.:* PRINT & PAPER *:.

Above: I Love My Piano - print by NanLawson

Above:  "Poncho" by Sol Linero

Above: "Harlequin" by Belafontesbunsa

Above: Vintage style poster for The Shining - by Swelser

Above:  Feathers - by Groundwork

Above: Creature Comforts' FREE 2011 calendar. Download HERE.

.:* MISC *:. 

Above:  Happy Helper wine bottle stoppers from thesmallobject

Above:  Another item from thesmallobject, this time a super cute candle holder for cupcakes!

Above: I think every sewing box needs a Flossy to hold thread! Adorbz! From SugarCookie

Above: Tapir plushies! Super cute and unusual. From Olula.

Above: Tiny crochet skulls from DeweyDecimalCrafts

.:* HOME *:. 

Above:  French postcard cushions? Oui merci! From LisaWineStudios

Above: Sandwich Defender plate from JimBobArt

Above: Gorgeous wooden sculpture of a bird in flight - by JasonTennant.

Above: Bear hug! This "Bears in Love" ornament is from KGrandey

.:* JEWELLERY *:. 

Above: Silhouette necklace from LuckyMeBeads

Above:  Bicycle with hearts necklace from LuckyDuct

Above: Set of four leather rings from Kjoo

Above: This necklace is made from chopped up colouring pencils! What a cool idea :) From Huiyitan

Above: I couldn't resist sharing these colouring pencil earrings from the same etsy shop.

Note: I prepared this post on Friday but didn't get a chance to actually publish until Monday. Also, where I have linked to etsy sites I have used their seller names rather than shop names.