Category Archives: Embroidery &Mixed Media Art

Fairy Unicorn Rainbow Headband, what silliness!

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Holographic glitter vinyl pvc unicorn fairy headdress by Suzanne Forbes February 2020I made this ridiculous rainbow glitter iridescent PVC headpiece so impulsively!

I saw the iridescent headband lying on a shelf in the bathroom just after I’d been admiring some holographic vinyl fetishwear on Instagram. I remembered I had some small sheets of glitter and holographic pvc I ordered as samples in my “sparkle” drawer. I grabbed those out, turned on the glue gun, and started cutting shapes out of the pvc without any pattern, plan or design whatsoever.

Holographic glitter vinyl pvc unicorn fairy headdress by Suzanne Forbes February 2020I had a vague idea I could fold or pleat the vinyl to make fans, and it turned out that was possible.

Holographic glitter vinyl pvc unicorn fairy headdress by Suzanne Forbes February 2020Intriguingly, the pvc could also be manipulated to create curving dimples around the folds. I made some fans and then poked a hole through their bases so I could use wire to secure the pleats as well as create an attachment.

I used my Tack Life mini-dremel to drill three holes in the headband, ran wires through the holes in the plastic icicles, and wired them on, then glue-gunned them stable.

Then I added the fans around them, using their wires and then the glue gun.

It actually worked!

After one has been making stuff for long enough, an invisible DOS of How to Make Stuff just runs in the brain.

I tried to take photos but I am so bad at that, so I made a bad drawing of how I did it!

Vinyl fan how to by Suzanne Forbes Feb 24 2020I was moving so fast I just grabbed a used emery board off the desk top to make a stem or handle for the bigger fans.

I snapped it in half and stuck it between the pleats, then wire wrapped it, which facilitated attaching the pleats to the headband. I used the gluegun almost exclusively for construction, which is bad because glue gun glue is heavy! But I love how fast it is.

Holographic glitter vinyl pvc unicorn fairy headdress by Suzanne Forbes February 2020 detailI did use my UHU alleskleber to attach miniature braid around the edges of each fan, which gave a nice finish.

And I used the Alleskleber to attach the various iridescent and rainbow shift rhinestones. I glittered the silk flowers by swabbing them (literally, rather than using a brush I just grabbed a Q-Tip) with Interference Paint in blue-violet, then dipping them in lavender micro-glitter.

Holographic glitter vinyl pvc unicorn fairy headdress by Suzanne Forbes February 2020 leftThe poufs of glitter tulle and color-shift organza are stuffed with holographic plastic Easter grass I had had since at least the late ’90s.

I can’t believe I finally used it!!! I just secured each stuffed pouf with wire at the bottom to make an enclosed bundle, then gluegunned that on.

All in, this project still took me a good ten-twelve hours. But imagine how long it would have taken if I had thought about it first or made some kind of plan for it! That probably would have added hours! Better to just dive in, for me 🙂

Accessory making project: Hats and jewels!

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Voyeur print accessories by Suzanne Forbes January 2020I love making my own accessories for events.

It’s a simple and satisfying way to make something unique to coordinate with your outfit. For a Weimar Berlin theme, I made myself two hats, a necklace, and earrings. I learned a couple simple jewelry construction principles at my friend Donna’s when I was fourteen, and I have always kept a set of jewelry tools and findings on hand ever since.

Voyeur print pillbox hat by Suzanne Forbes January 2020I don’t have any actual hatmaking skills, I just cover commercially available “blank” bases with fabric and ribbon.

Here I used a teardrop fascinator base and a little pillbox base. The fabric is cut-up sections of lingerie from UK “adult products” superstore Ann Summers, The print is called “Voyeur”, and I have been collecting items made with it for several years, with the idea of some kind of project.

Voyeur fascinator hat by Suzanne Forbes January 2020To attach materials to the bases I use both glue gun and UHU Alleskleber, my “Quick Grab”/”Quick Grip” dupe.

Glue gun is great for stretching fabric over a surface, because it sets so fast, while the Alleskleber gives a more precise control for applying trim because it’s repositionable for a few minutes. I burned myself, as usual. But I always say it’s good to burn yourself with the glue gun, it helps you know you’re alive! The black velvet rose was from the ’90s. It had been waiting so patiently to be used!

Hand and pussycat jewelry by Suzanne Forbes Jan 2020The jewelry was made by tearing apart some ombre pink pearl stretch bracelets I got at like Claire’s for my Edwardian Ball outfit in 2003.

Their elastic was dissolving anyway! I strung the pearls with bits of pink and gray crystal beads floating around from other projects and some lengths of chain-and-pearl necklaces that were from Forever 21 in 2006 or so, The carved pink quartz pussycat is from the gem shop by my EMDR therapist.

MOP earrings assembled by Suzanne Forbes Jan 2020And I ordered these beautiful carved mother-of-pearl hands on Etsy, and my mom brought them to Berlin!

They were the last ones the shop had, and no way was I trusting them to the US-Germany Bermuda Triangle of Mail. The Czech glass links and faux-opal briollettes in brass settings are from this great eBay seller, who I’ve been buying from since 2014 – no problems with shipping to the US!

More jewelry projects here here here and here!