"fab" is the thing with feathers

"it's your turn, heather."

"no, heather, its heather's turn. 

heather?"

"sorry heather."

couldn't help myself.

we're talking feathers today, kids!

i'm sure i'm not alone when i say i have a 

serious magazine addiction. 

i only have two actual subscriptions at the moment, but i could spend endless hours at a bookshop, 

(not a tea person, try as i may...), latte in hand,

pouring over page after inspiring page 

of mag after mag, basking in the fabulousness 

of fashion, travel, food (!), interiors, crafts 

(oh yes, your girl luuuuvs a good craft!), 

art, music, film... need i go on?!

i could do it for hours. 

read, that is. 

when i was re-reading this month's InStyle magazine recently 
(i'm a re-reader a zillion times over; 

my a.d.d., & the fact that i have two kids 

& a life doesn't afford me much time on one subject), 

i came across a fabulous d.i.y. column, with a chic little project that i knew i had to attempt myself.

therefore, without further ado, i give you:

the d.i.y. fab feather clutch!

here's the column

 

(via ispy-diy)

("you blow it tonight, girl, & its keggers 

with kids all next year."

no pressure. and forgive me if you've never seen heathers.)

these are my materials:

* 2 feather dusters 

* scissors

* an old bcbg clutch

*my trusty mini glue gun

*disclaimer: i am a "professional" of many things, but photography isn't one of them. had decent light on this gray day in the afternoon, but the finishing pics had to be taken w flash...and therefore kinda suck. sorry.

first, cut the feathers from the duster as close 

to the bottom as you can get them. 

honestly this is about the hardest part. 

super simple!

i chose to lay my feathers out in advance, so that once i started gluing i would be able to quickly put them on the bag.

i put glue on the bag about 2-3in. up from the bottom, in a horizontal line, only about half way across the first time, just to see how i did. 

 i liked having just a bit of overhang off of the clutch, and i liked grouping similar color feathers together in the same areas in each row to create overall definition. 

(feather segregation! ahhhh!!!)

this is a shot of a couple of rows completed 

on the clutch. 

on our way to awesometown...

one side, then both, done!

now to trim off the top quills & fill in any holes...

and there you have it!

 ("lick it up, baby. lick. it. up.")

well. sort of.

the instyle tutorial finishes off the clutch with 

a nice, fat, black velvet ribbon.

went to one of my neighborhood crafty places this afternoon, but couldn't find velvet. 

which was okay, as i wasn't really feeling it with the color of the feathers that i had, anyway.

so i went with this fun, mustard-colored, 

raw silk ribbon. 

me likey.

thinking about layering a different color over this ribbon if i find one i like better--or better yet, adding some bling!  

i popped an earring onto it to test the look... 

not quite right, but maybe i'll find something along the lines of a cool, antique brooch at scott's or lakewood this month?

thoughts?

("I like it. It's got that what-a-cruel-world-let's-toss-ourselves-in-the-abyss type ambience.")

more d.i.y.'s comin your way...

(check out the moodboard at the top of post; you thinking what i'm thinking? i have leftover feathers...)

but not before we watch some movies 

& make some magic in the kitchen. 

stay tuned. and...thanks.

xo

*ps. i like heathers. and movie quotes.