New Stuff Happening in the Shop

I've added some new things to my shop - working with some new fabrics - of course I can custom make any of these designs in any fabric I have!! Check the shop for other designs - I'm also getting ready for a big sale in a couple of days - watch my facebook page for the special code! www.facebook.com/wdesignsbydianne.

Dalek fabric utility aprons

Batman cooking aprons

Day of the Dead utility apron

Exploding TARDIS trail bag!


Where to find me this year

I have some new shows on the schedule and am no longer doing one longtime show.  You will see Heart of Lancaster is no longer on the list. I am sure that some of my patrons will be disappointed but here's the deal. For the past few years I haven't done very well at that show. Lots of customers come in, make lovely comments, chat and hang out with me, but very few sales. So it's clear to me that I can no longer afford to do that show. I say this not to make anyone feel guilty but to make customers aware, that while we enjoy your company and your compliments and look forward to seeing you every year, if the sales aren't there - eventually we give up and seek other avenues. I seem to do much better at my smaller geeky events overall and will be pursuing those venues. As always, if you're local I'm always open to you stopping over by appointment. I'm here on Fridays and most evenings. I enjoy my hometown patrons, you are the people who supported me at first and I am forever grateful. So when you travel to your local craft shows, keep this in mind, support your local artists, think of them first when planning your gift giving for birthdays, holidays, graduations, etc. It makes a whole lot of difference to us.

I am also taking a break this year from Steampunk World's Fair to experience that fine event as a patron. One of my favorite authors is going to be there and we are celebrating my daughter's graduation from college. I can believe four years has gone by so fast.

There are a few events not listed here that I will be attending just as a patron, the con schedule gets busier and busier every year, so look for me at Wicked Faire, The Greater Philadelphia Comic Con, The PA Ren Faire and possibly a couple of other events. As always, if you need me to bring some jewelry along for delivery at these other events I'm more than willing. Commissions are open as well, so if you have a piece that needs to be made, let me know!

 

2015 Shows and Events

 

March 14-15 Central PA Comic Con - Holiday Inn, 2000 Loucks Rd York PA http://www.centralpacomiccon.com

 

March 27-29 Zenkaikon - Lancaster Convention Center - Downtown Lancasterhttp://www.zenkaikon.com 

 

April 18 Pocono Comic Expo - Bartonsville, PA www.poconocomicexpo.com

 

May 9-10 Byers' Choice American Artisan Showcase - Chalfont, PA  www.americanartisanshowcase.com

 

 

September 26 Landis Woods Outdoor Fine Art Show - Neffsville, PA www.landiswoodsartshow.org

 

October 16-18 Steampunk UnLimited Strasburg PA http://www.strasburgrailroad.com/train-schedule/events/steampunk-unlimited/

 

 

January Projects

My goal to finish a piece of jewelry a week is going well. I started with some spiral stitch bracelets using seed and bugle beads. Now I love bugle beads, I have them in all sizes but have trouble finding them in a project I like. until this, I love these bracelets. This is the original from the June Wiseman kit I bought, but I made it in Silver, Black/Brass and the one I'm working on now, Lavender/Periwinkle.

 

I also have a couple of sewing projects started - Mrs. Hughes dress from Downton Abbey

 

 

And for Steampunk World's Fair - Countess Nadasdy from Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate - McCall's 6097 for the pattern and I'll probably add some black satin and lace to the fabric below

 

 

So that's what I've been up to. I hope to feature the bracelets in the next post and then move on to those awesome components I told you about!

 



New Year, New Challenges!

This last year presented many challenges, my usual shop on shophandmade - W Designs kept going down so I've opened a new shop at W Jewelry Designs to take over. It's taking me a while to get everything moved over because I've been so busy but it must be done. The new shop is linked directly to my square site and hopefully as the new changes take place it will be even more secure than paypal.

I made a lot of new jewelry last year, really inspired by a more vintage look;

 

 

My challenge this year is to make new jewelry every week (and photograph and list it!!) - I am starting off with some components from the Joyful Muse as she so kindly offered to send out components to see what I would make with them. I am looking forward to a productive year jewelry wise and keeping up with my sewing as well.

 

Over the past couple of months I have added teapot cozies to my line of wares offered at shows, they are adorable and very vintage looking!! Photos to come. The next show I have isn't until the end of March at Zenkaikon so until then, watch my shops and this space!!

 

New Ideas, New Venues, New Stuff!!

So much going on -
Next year I have several confirmed events starting in March with Zenkaikon and Central PA Comic Con, then April with Pocono Comic Con (not confirmed), May with Byers' Choice and then June with CapitalCon. If you have any ideas of places that you'd like to see me let me know. I'm open to all kinds of things. I'll be at Steampunk World's Fair but taking the year off from vending. I'll be at Wicked Faire as well but did not get accepted to vend this year. So if you need something or want to place a special order be sure to let me know.
I'm working on updating my shop over the next few weeks. I won't be having an open house this year, just too much going on but those of you who are local are always welcome to drop by on a Friday when I'm minding the studio.
This week I concentrated on earrings - so here are some new items I have up -

Winterthur Museum and Downton Abbey

So last Friday I had the good fortune to be able to see the Downton Abbey exhibit at Winterthur Museum outside of Wilmington Delaware.  So I'll just leave some pictures here -

This lovely dress features a hand beaded vintage front panel -

I loved how they had photos of the actual show and scene in which these costumes were worn



One of my favorite of Lady Mary's outfits -
I love this style and think I have the pattern
for the jacket, the Skirt is a simple gored skirt -
This looks to be a linen type of material.

I took lots of detail pictures for the costumers - love this delicate
feature of the ribbon on the sleeve and collar -




A perfect little hat to complete the ensemble

When Lady Sybil came out in this I gasped! The fabric is genuine
vintage fabric and was disintegrating on the actress as she
wore the outfit and had to be sewn on to her -

 

I loved that you could walk around some of the costumes
and get pictures from all angles.

 

This is one of Lady Edith's lovely dresses, I loved the
colors and the detail

A close up of the back detail

 

There are many more pictures to share. I have some up on my personal facebook page and on the Lady Gotham page. I'll also do a post just on Winterthur, the grounds and the house - Wow, to live in such opulence!

 

 



Other People's Details

Enough about me - what do I notice on others' costumes? In other words, what inspires me?

Seriously, look at this both from the front and side, a rat - holding a little lantern! Little details like this really make your costume stand out.  Okay, this isn't little, it's the standout detail in the entire outfit.  You really don't need anything else.  He could have worn pajamas and I don't think anyone would have noticed because THAT HAT!! Adam Kline made this and he does some taxidermy, he says he's just started but I find that hard to believe. He's made some genius pieces, slightly disturbing maybe, but I love rats and taxidermy with a twist and he's just a little twisted!!
 



I've shown you Karen before but here's a close-up of her headdress at Wicked Faire 2014 - just beautiful, and the other little details, the makeup and the choker - all works but the real star here is the headdress and she doesnt' let anything else overwhelm it.



Lady Vader from Steampunk World's Faire 2013.  She made the mask and it's just perfect. 

What can set off a costume better than a great set of wings - Look up the Tangible Artist on Facebook to see more of Mercury's detailed work -

So that's a roundup of some detail you can add to your costumes, concentrating on that ONE thing, the had, the wings, the mask, the headpiece.  The costume where there is one detail that everyone wants to see, and needs to take a picture of - Next up - massive details that keep you looking at someone's costume for as long as they'll stand there!!

 





Woodland Goddess Details

 

Didn't want to completely overtake the last post with pictures so I saved the details of my woodland goddess for today - Above you can see the headdress I made from silk flowers, leaves and yes, there are a couple of birds in there! I'm here with my friend Karen who also made her headdress and outfit - great minds think alike, we both planned these costumes independent of each other and wound up mirroring each other much of the weekend!

 

Close up of my belt bag with added fringe to match my skirt! And did you notice the fairy-guy attached to my belt? Willow's Creations- look for them next at Steampunk World's Fair!

 

Here you can see the Chatelaine I made and how I wore it suspended from a d-ring from my corset, below you can see the details but in this picture you can see the added bottle of woodland creature bones, mementos from dear friends - The detail of the fabric you can see here - silk with embroidered vine/leaves - one of my finds from a local craft/reuse store I frequent, and this is why, I picked up 3 yards of this fabric for $2 a yard - I go once a week and I managed to snag some of this in a brick red background too! 



On left, leaf pendant from Suburban Girl Studio suspended from a hand dyed silk ribbon.  I tried to keep the materials as nature as possible.  The belt bag has a leaf motif and between that and the corset is where I got my initial inspiration.  On the right you can now see the chantelaine more clearly - including the tree of life motif clay bottle, and the clay charm with the wind on one side and the sun on the other. 

 

 So a timeline of how this idea started - I received this great corset in a grab bag from Damsel in this Dress - she does these every year for Black Friday - I traded the fairy skirt -

I was almost bummed but then I remembered I had this fabric -

 

And then the belt bag fabric - and then I bought the shirt fabric from Joann's with a coupon, the lace for the sleeves came from the PA Fabric Outlet, with plans for Victorian cuffs but it worked perfectly for sleeves - One thing leads to another and you have all the details that add up to a well thought out planned and put together outfit.