Saffron Sugar

art post; queen of pastels

2012-02-02T14:43:00.000-08:00

I've been experimenting with this little piece for ages, but I'm never quite satisfied. I suppose I don't have the right... technique. I prefer traditional media, and I think I always will, but digital is better for web and print. Maybe I'll redo this entirely someday. I'd like to start printing illustrations and designs on tote bags and t-shirts, and perhaps coffee mugs as well... so I'd better get used to working with a computer rather than pencils and brushes.

tone

2012-01-30T05:29:00.001-08:00

tone by saffronsugar featuring summer dresses

Vivienne Westwood summer dress
$720 - viviennewestwood.co.uk

Brian Atwood high heels
$595 - bergdorfgoodman.com

Lulu Guinness quilted handbag
343 DKK - asos.com

ASOS hoop earrings
$59 - asos.com

ESMALTE CHANEL LE VERNIS BLUE SATIN-461- veja isso!!! - R$ 109.90 em...
produto.mercadolivre.com.br

Art Commission - My favourite Pony, Rarity!

2012-01-28T03:59:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! I just really wanted to show you guys the art commission I got from my friend Pahsmina. She's started doing My Little Pony illustrations so I asked her to draw my favourite FiM character, Rarity.

Here's how it turned out!

I really adore her style of illustration, there's always a certain warmth and... a cosy feeling in her drawings. You can check out her pony-only deviantart account here! She has some other illustrations up as well as commission prices ♥

Do you guys like My Little Pony? I do! I recently started collecting them as well, and I never miss an episode of Friendship is Magic. Like I said, Rarity is my favourite - do you have a favourite?

blackened

2012-01-23T14:43:00.001-08:00

blackened by saffronsugar featuring prada shades

High heel shoes
$100 - modcloth.com

Sign the AllOut petition to end forced sterilization in Sweden!

2012-01-16T00:29:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! The sterilization policy concerning legal gender changes in Sweden has reached the petition web site AllOut, where you can sign their petition to help the cause! Please take the time to sign and help our cause!

Click here to sign!

Icons; Wednesday Addams

2012-01-15T13:58:00.001-08:00

I'm starting a series of blog entries where I am inspired by fictional characters, picking out appropriate clothing in an attempt to capture the aesthetic essence of said character. I'll be choosing characters that inspire me personally, but I'd love it if you commented with a suggestion! I'm starting with a childhood favourite of mine - Wednesday Addams.

item list here

Wednesday Addams is the perfect little goth girl, in looks and personality alike. She is dark humour personified. To get her evil little girl-look, go for stark white collars on black mini dresses - a 60's silhouette is perfect. Pair with white socks (the kind with white lace and bows) and mary-jane shoes (black. chunky.). Top it off with a smooth, sturdy leather purse or satchel to store your poison, sunblock and horror novel in, or why not a vintage suitcase with suspicious blood stains?

Wear your hair in strict plaits and avoid sunlight at all costs, shielding your self with large black hats, parasols and circular sunnies. In winter, heavy wool coats, velvet capes and black leather gloves are key.

starchild.

2012-01-14T13:10:00.001-08:00

starchild. by saffronsugar

The latest collection from Starchild is available now!

2012-01-14T12:41:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! You may remember that I have my own jewellery shop called Starchild (by Saffron).

You can purchase my items on etsy and I also have a tumblr where I upload new items and contests and such, and there is of course a facebook fanpage too. Here are some photos of the latest pieces!

I'll be at some events and such this spring, too, and I'm working on a fun collab project that I hope to show you guys soon... it involves spray paint so I have to wait until the snow is gone though (it needs to be done outside)

PS. I also do custom orders ♥

Protest forced sterilization in Sweden!

2012-01-13T10:49:00.000-08:00

It has come to my attention that my homeland has some shady policies regarding legal (aka, not necessarily physical sex change, but a change of gender on your ID and official documents and so on) gender changes for transgender individuals - they are required by law to sterilize the individual. The individual is also not allowed to preserve sperm or eggs before their gender change.

This is disgusting and discriminatory - forced sterilization is a violation of human rights. A trans individual has as much of a right to reproduction as any other human being, and no government should ever be able to take that away. There is no reason for this to go on, so I ask Stockholm residents to join RFSL in a protest on Wednesday. The protest will take place outside parliament between 8 and 10 in the morning - please consider attending!

Things I ♥ Thursday 2012/01/12

2012-01-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! This horrible slob is sorry for the radio silence lately. Truly. I am ashamed. So here is a new Things I ♥ Thursday! Because gosh darn it, it's a start. I'd like to thank the new followers that have joined in the last couple of weeks, too! Thank you!

Well, let's get on with it, shall we?

Things I ♥ This Week...

♥ My new headphones by WESC, designed by Mademoiselle Yulia! I'm in love! ♥

♥ Luxirare's breakfast habits. This lady is living my dream! ♥ Photos of an empty London... ♥ Amnesty International, providers of a fair amount of the holiday gifts I gave last year. ♥ The excellent day I spent with Pahsmina (who runs a figure blog with her boyfriend, here) having brunch and being creative ♥ The comic section of my local library ♥ Sweet Potatoes... mmm ♥ This tumblr, dedicated to hot space babes ♥ US Girl Scouts being transgender allies! Why not buy some cookies to support them? I wish I could have them shipped to Sweden... ♥

♥ New episodes of Sherlock ♥

sweetheart

2012-01-12T08:34:00.001-08:00

sweetheart by saffronsugar featuring a feather tutu

Feather tutu
$330 - cynthiarowley.com

Joomi lim
$135 - openingceremony.us

Hate Hearts, Drop Dead Clothing
$45 - iheartdropdead.com

Socks
40 SEK - monki.com

MINNA black shoes
minnaparikkashop.com

Pink satchel
$218 - asos.com

Nails Ulta.com - Cosmetics, Fragrance, Salon and Beauty Gifts
$6.99 - ulta.com

Asos Faux Fur Racoon Tail
$12 - asos.com

powder

2012-01-07T12:13:00.001-08:00

powder by saffronsugar featuring gunmetal jewelry

Vivienne Westwood platform wedge heels
$88 - thecorner.com

Mawi gunmetal jewelry
£815 - kabiri.co.uk

Gareth Pugh Blackberry Leather Case
€281 - lindestore.com

clean.

2012-01-05T12:03:00.001-08:00

clean. by saffronsugar featuring a black blazer

Black blazer
79 DKK - ginatricot.com

Moschino Cheap Chic black pleated skirt
$388 - my-wardrobe.com

Vivienne Westwood lace up booties
$434 - my-wardrobe.com

MINNA iris shoes
€95 - minnaparikkashop.com

Kate spade handbag
$368 - couture.zappos.com

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Color Colour White Satin No. 459
$27 - izzysbeautyshoppe.com

verameat - VERAMEAT Jewelry : NECK
$270 - verameat.com

neon

2012-01-04T06:38:00.001-08:00

neon by saffronsugar featuring high heels

Miista high heels
$315 - solestruck.com

ASOS satchel handbag
$27 - asos.com

Tarina Tarantino steel ring
$115 - tarinatarantino.com

Black belt
99 NOK - ginatricot.com

Art Commission ♥

2011-12-22T12:09:00.000-08:00

I commissioned this piece by the wonderful LooneyLolita!

Ain't it lovely?

Here's her Deviantart, and her Tumblr.

style inspo 11-12--20

2011-12-20T14:20:00.001-08:00

style inspo 11-12--20 by saffronsugar featuring a pink shoulder bag

Pink shoulder bag
£120 - asos.com

ASOS strap bag
$36 - asos.com

Skull jewelry
£430 - thegreatfroglondon.com

Skull jewelry
£160 - thegreatfroglondon.com

Gareth Pugh For M·A·C Nail Lacquer
$22 - nordstrom.com

Monki - On Sale
250 SEK - monki.com

Monki - On Sale
150 SEK - monki.com

Asos Faux Fur Racoon Tail
68 NOK - asos.com

Monki - Singlet
80 SEK - monki.com

Monki - Accessories
60 SEK - monki.com

Hate Hearts, Drop Dead Clothing
$45 - iheartdropdead.com

Enter the Lockshop outfit contest & win some smashing prizes!

2011-11-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

Good evening!

This is just a quick post to inform you that I am contributing with a mystery OOAK prize item for the Lockshop outfit contest! Please enter with your outfits and spread the word ♥ And good luck!

Outfit post & Some news

2011-11-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

(what do you think about my pink tips?)

Sweater: H&M
Leggings: Black Milk
Bag: Anne van Dijk

The face

This is what I wore last weekend, having tea & some window shopping with a friend.

I felt like being a bit... dark and edgy, for once. With a sweater from the kids' section. Legit hardcore stuff, that.

Anyway, I am writing a bit about what's up in my life right now and what lies ahead... you may have noticed my promises of more posts. I haven't really posted more. I'm sorry... honestly.

Now that my temporary employment has come to an end, I was hoping I'd have more time on my hands to work on projects of my own - like running this blog. Well, I guess that won't happen. My schedule has actually become even more packed with Stuff that Must Be Done. Oh gosh. Well, as you know, I used to have Saturdays off while the other days of the week were internship, school, work and so on. Well, now I'm working Saturdays too, and I've signed up for a rather top secret project (ooh! aah! be impressed.) with my school to do on Thursdays. So that leaves me with not one single day off.

Don't get me wrong - I love keeping busy. In fact, it's when I'm not constantly occupied that I sort of spiral into madness. I'm just telling you what's up, and why I'm probably not going to be posting more like I promised I would. Perhaps I'll have a little more time when the holidays start.

My giant pink hairbow does not make me ignorant

2011-11-07T02:46:00.000-08:00

Looking a certain way, dressing a certain way, having a certain personality or pursuing certain interests influences how others perceive and treat you considerably. I know of this first hand, and I'm sure many of my readers do as well.

I look young (I got mistaken for a fourteen-year old not long ago), I wear cutesy clothing, I read comics and collect toys. Somehow, many interpret these facts as products of my ignorance, and perceive me as shallow and juvenile.

I assure you that this is not the case.

I am aware that many who may read this entry have similar interests and styles of dress as me. I'm sure you've experienced something like this - being talked down to, having your opinions discredited, not being taken seriously as a competent, intelligent adult. It's a constant struggle to prove to your peers that underneath the bows and the lace and the my little pony-collecting, you're a human being capable of critical, independent thought.

I've had to prove to several teachers (and co-workers) that I am in fact well-informed, and I've even had to deal with my own friends thinking my opinions lacked substance just because I choose a certain lifestyle and aesthetic. Being treated like a child makes me angry, but these people don't seem to understand that. I'm not expected to be capable of anger, because I'm just so cute and tiny, d'aww!

Despite what some may think, I am not a cheery little kitten and I most certainly am not my clothes.

I would be the same person if I wore a t-shirt and jeans. This is a fact that is difficult to grasp for, from what I understand, the vast and unfortunate majority. As someone who is perceived as "childish" and maybe even as a bit of an airhead, one has to work twice as hard as others to be seen for their achievements and merits rather than their extensive collection of hair accessories. And that is a sad, sad thing.

It's terribly frustrating to know that no matter what you do, you will not be seen for who you are, but what people expect you to be. You know that you will be the one who is expected to change, and not the other way around. In the 21st century, one would think that the general public would know better than to judge a book by its cover - but I guess that's just naïve.
One can only hope for a change in attitude from the general public.

Do you feel that you've been treated poorly due to your interests, the way you look, or something along those lines? Please comment!

Saffron goes to Amsterdam

2011-11-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

On the 31st of October, I travelled overseas on my own for the first time in my life - to the Netherlands! I'll tell you a little bit about my trip!

I stayed with a friend during my stay in the Hague, which is a town about 50 minutes from Amsterdam, so I took the train to the city every day. My first day was spent at the zoo, where I saw a lot of cute animals...

...like red pandas...

...jellyfish...

...and penguins, to mention a few!

We also visited the red light district & had some very delicious gelato. My favourite was the blood orange and campari sorbet.

The absolute highlight of the trip was the Van Gogh museum. It was incredible to see so much of his work in person - a truly inspiring and powerful experience for me. I got a bit emotional when I heard some other visitors complain about the artwork.

We visited an italian restaurant called Yam Yam, a place that I'd looked up myself beforehand. It seemed like a nice place, and it was! We ordered their special house pizza which was super delicious. We also had some home-made tapenade and a salad that was drizzled with some seriously incredible olive oil! I had some prosecco to celebrate. It was totally yummy! If you're in Amsterdam, definitely check this place out.
(I'd recommend a reservation though, it was full when we visited.)

I was in the city very early one day, so none of the stores were open. I took some time to photograph street art that I found, and some seriously crooked houses!

The city is built on clay ground so some of the houses are twisting and leaning and bending because of the unstable ground. It looks pretty cute!

My new bag by Anne van Dijk! It's made from recycled bike tubes and seatbelts. I'm rather smitten. It was a little difficult to find my way in the city without a map, so I didn't really do a lot of shopping. The bag is from this shop, and the picture is theirs too.

And I just have to sneak in this photo of my lunch at the airport before returning to Stockholm... seriously, if you're at Schiphol, go to the chocolate café by the C gates. So, so good.

Rape is not a joke - No, not even when purple tentacles are involved.

2011-10-28T13:36:00.000-07:00

I found out about a product a little while ago that apparently has been showing up at anime conventions in the US. The product is, to my great distress, rather disturbing and offensive. Before I go on I must warn those who are easily triggered; we're talking about sexual assault. It's not descriptive or graphic in any way, but a trigger subject is a trigger subject and I feel that I need to warn you of these things.

Let's move on.

The product is a soda.

It may seem a little ridiculous of me to be this upset over a soda, but I'll show you a picture and perhaps you will understand my concern;

Tentacle grape. You may not catch on immediately. It's a very cheap, very disturbing pun on the "tentacle rape" trope in certain hentai anime and manga. Tentacle Grape. Ha ha.

I'm sure whoever created it thought it was hilarious, but I'm also sure whoever created it has no idea how serious the act of sexual assault is.

And that is pretty horrible.

Let's get this straight - this company thinks that selling a rape joke novelty product is funny. But there is certainly nothing funny about sexual assault. It's not a novelty. It's a horrible crime. And joking about it is just plain wrong.

Let me show you some statistics. These are all from RAINN.

1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape).

17.7 million American women have been victims of attempted or completed rape.

9 of every 10 rape victims were female in 2003

In 2007, there were 248,300 victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.¹ (These figures do not include victims 12 years old or younger.)

Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted.

Only about 6% of rapists ever serve a day in jail.

I expect you, rape joke appreciator, to be shifting uncomfortably in your seat. If not, I probably need to go further - and tell you exactly what is wrong with rape jokes.

I made a list, because that makes it easy for you to process and comprehend the information.

Rape is not funny. It never will be.
Odds are, you know a rape victim. After all, one in six women are rape survivors. Consider their experience. Consider their trauma. Is that really amusing to you? Do you really feel all right with belittling someone else's trauma?
By joking about something, you are normalizing it. It's funny. And funny things are good, right? And if you laugh at something, you will automatically feel more comfortable with it. As I said - normalization. And by extension, perpetuation. Encouragement. Funny things are good, right?
Here is a superior blog post about the issue. Please read it!

I hope that this sheds some light on the situation. My stomach turns at the mere thought of sexual assault. If you have a shred of decency, you should react the same way.

If you would like to help me get this product off the market, please send a message to the creators. You can also protest if you see this item being sold anywhere. Speak to the manager. Tweet, facebook post, blog, post to tumblr. Do what you can to stop this.

Gift art ♥

2011-10-23T02:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a fabulous portrait my friend Pahsmina made for me as a belated birthday gift!

Isn't it just excellent? I printed it out and stuck it on my wardrobe door, so I can look at it when I get dressed in the morning! ♥

Saffronsugar by ~Pahsmina on deviantART

A peek at tonight's Halloween jewellery launch...

2011-10-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

Hi guys!

I'm posting some new halloween-themed jewellery in the shop tonight, featuring skulls and eyeballs (and a space-themed bracelet..)! I hope you'll like them ♥

Here are some sneak peek photos!

Let me explain.

2011-10-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

It's been precisely one month since my last post. I apologise. I feel quite ashamed, having neglected my blog like this... I will try to update more frequently. Twice a week, perhaps, would be a good goal. Over the last month I have been incredibly busy - and I don't mean lazy busy (which is what I normally mean by busy) but actually busy-busy. Here's what's up;

I changed schools to study fashion design, which is great fun. I only have classes two days a week, so studies have not been that time-consuming - it's actually working superbly and I don't feel stressed in the least. I really enjoy my time in class and I like my teachers. My school does, however, have an internship program as well - so I work for Bea Szenfeld two days a week as well. That makes 4 days a week.

On top of that, I finally have a Real Actual Proper Job one day a week, and then one day of freelance tutoring. We're up to 6 days of Doing Stuff.

Saturdays are my day off, or well, were my day off because I've found another client for tutoring. So that makes 7 days. It feels good to be occupied, actually - I always become sort of moody when I don't distract my self. Earning some money is quite pleasant as well - I feel less like a leech knowing that I've worked for what I have.

Of course, I am also working with Starchild as much as I can - I am launching some new items for Halloween in a few days. I think you'll like them - I know I do! I'll be posting more about what I've been up to with my jewellery as soon as possible. I also have some cute new things from Sophie and Toffee to show you, and a new tutorial that I was supposed to make aeons ago.

I hope you're not too irritated with me and feel that it's still worth your time to follow this blog of mine. I hope to write more as soon as I can, because there is way too much exciting stuff going on for me to stay quiet!

Sailor Moon Relaunch: A New Hope

2011-09-09T10:30:00.000-07:00

Note: Whether the Anime will re-launch or not is unknown. There is no word of it. However, I feel that it is highly likely. Still, this is pure speculation! Don't quote me on this.
This post is replacing Things I ♥ Thursday for this week.

If you are a Moonie worth your salt, you are well aware of the Italian franchise relaunch. The anime airs on Italian TV and there are several pieces of Italian-market merchandise available - including a DS game. The series has obviously been quite successful and popular in Italy - and Toei has explicitly stated that their international relaunch would "start" in Italy, implying an expansion.The anime has also been re-licensed in Portugal and a few African nations,

The manga series, previously unavailable in English due to legal issues, is now being released by Kodansha USA in a new special edition - the entire Sailor Moon manga and the prequel Sailor V manga. Furthermore, there have been some Sailor Moon t-shirts popping up at Hot Topic, as well as some new (unreleased at the moment) merchandise from GE Animation.

If you take a look at the official Japanese Sailor Moon web page, it looks quite modern - and apparently celebrates the 20th anniversary of the series.

So:
The anime has been successful in Italy.
There is a ton of popular Italian merch.
The manga is being re-released in English.
There is already new American merchandise and even more to come.
The Japanese web page looks brand new.
The Sailor moon 20th anniversary is around the corner (next year. soon enough.)

This all points to an international franchise relaunch, to me.
That's all.

All images courtesy of Toei and Kodansha.

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-09-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

♥ These incredible video clips of stars being born... it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. ♥

♥ A day off! ♥ Finally got my school computer... ♥ September is here! My favourite month. ♥ Tokyo Expo is soon! So soon! Excitement! ♥ Lemon Curd... mmm ♥ Might open art commissions - y/n? ♥ Income! Amazing! ♥ Wearing ankle socks. Every. Day. So chic. ♥

♥ Wondeful shoes by Minna Parikka! Oh, I'm in love. (hey... my birthday's coming up...) ♥
♥ Man-Ups! Totally perfect. (seriously, take a look at these!) ♥ Applying for an internship overseas. So nervous! So excited! ♥ Thinking about Amsterdam shopping... any tips? (food tips also welcome. I love food.) ♥

♥ The Wacom Inkling is amazing! It's all I've ever wanted! ♥

Sweet Lingerie give-away from Playful promises

2011-09-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

I adore Playful Promises. My favourite undies are from them - and I need more.

They are currently hosting a Give-away on their tumblr - so check it out of you'd like some fancy new underoos! I'm entering in every way possible!

What Women Deserve by Sonya Renee

2011-08-27T06:09:00.000-07:00

Why teach religion when you can teach feminism?

2011-08-27T03:00:00.000-07:00

Next year, my school timetable has a new course to attend; Religion. I will be attending my final year of high school, yet I am to study the personal beliefs of others.

While I fully respect religious people, I do not think that it is at all relevant to set an obligatory course about religion when there are so many more important topics to cover.

We studied religion when I was in elementary school as well, and quite often - we had two very nice ladies from a church visit us every week to act out passages from the bible and do various exercises.

While I'm sure the intent behind placing such a topic in schools is pure, I personally consider religion to be quite low on the list of Stuff You Need To Know.

Much higher on the list are topics like feminism, sexual education (because goodness knows we're all under-educated in that area. It's quite frightening.), relationships, gender studies, body positivity and privilege awareness.

These are topics that, if taught, would benefit all members of society, yet they are largely ignored in schools.

I believe that if kids were taught these things from a young age, society would be a kinder, smarter place.

For example, I was never told about asexuality during "sex ed". I thought I was defective until I was around sixteen and found info about it online. There was barely a word of the mechanics of sex between same-sex partners, in fact not even about any other form of sex than "penis-goes-in-vagina, rinse and repeat".

The emotional aspect was ignored. Nobody talked about relationships, as if it didn't matter.

Furthermore, nobody told me about social privilege.

This is something that I, as a very privileged white cis woman (who should have been aware from the start. truly.) had to find by myself. Nobody told me about non-binary gender identities. Nobody even differed sex from gender. Nobody told me that words like "fag", "cunt", "retard" and so on were discriminatory to minorities (while one shouldn't need to be told, kids don't understand the implications of the language they use. Neither do many adults, now that I think of it...)

It's simply embarrassing that I, an 18-year old girl, has to explain to my own parents what asexuality is. I have to explain to people what non-binary gender identity is. I have to explain what a cis-gendered person is. I have to explain that romantic attraction and sexual attraction are not the same thing. I have to explain that no, feminism is not about crushing men. I have to explain that calling somebody a retard is ableist - then I have to explain ableism. I have to explain why we should be aware of our social privileges - and what those privileges are.

I shouldn't have to.

This should be common knowledge.

The general public knows more about Jesus than they do about the society they live in.

And that is, excuse my French, Royally Fucked Up.

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-08-25T15:41:00.001-07:00

♥ This adorable dress from Mod Cloth ♥

♥ Warm weather, but not too warm ♥ My hair... it is blue. Again. But this time, with a more purple/ultramarine tinge. ♥ Tax return! Praise the lord! ♥ Making some new jewellery. They'll be up in the shop soon ♥ My new teachers & classmates are total sweethearts. yay! ♥ Dijon mustard. On. EVERYTHING. Mmm yes. ♥ Bidding on a lilac leopard print jumpsuit...not even kidding! ♥ FEMINISM ♥

New OOAK jewellery available in the shop + business cards are here!

2011-08-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

I've been going through my jewellery stash lately, making some one-offs to put in my shop to flesh it out a little.

Here is a screenshot of some of the new things... ♥

I also received my business cards from Vistaprint. I am actually not very happy with the order, the print is misaligned and the black ink is nowhere near as intense as it should be. Next time, I'll use a different printer.

Coming soon are more bubblegum bow and crystal cameo necklaces!

Swedes, remember to check in on me at Tokyo Expo in two weeks!

Sophie & Toffee Polymer Clay - a test and a tutorial

2011-08-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

Sophie and Toffee were kind enough to send me some of their new polymer clay.

It's a white polymer clay that you bake in a normal oven at 150c, and it may be dyed with oil paint (not acrylic!). I thought I didn't have any oil paint, but I actually found some so I scrapped my old post and made this instead!

I'll show you how to condition and dye the clay, and also some tips on making marshmallows like demonstrated here.

The benefits of using a oven-bake clay are that most importantly, you may take your time sculpting and don't have to worry about your clay drying as you work. Second, it is very sturdy and durable once baked, far more so than air drying clays. Different clays are of course good for different things - polymer clay is great for smaller objects or jewellery pieces since it is very durable.

Marshmallow ropes have been popular with deco for a while now, and I am personally a fan of them.

You can use these as beads or cabochons, since they're made from scratch it's up to you what size you make them, and you can easily make holes for beads.

I'll make both a mini version for deco projects as well as larger ones for jewellery.

What you'll need :

Polymer Clay

Oil Paint

A knife

An oven

A baking sheet

Parchment paper

So what you need to know about this type of clay, which is similar to sculpey and fimo, is that it is initially quite hard and needs thorough conditioning. The easiest way to go about this is to grab a piece and roll it between your hands to warm it. This may take a few minutes! Don't lose hope. Condition a little at a time.

Once your clay is soft enough to sculpt, you may start adding colour. I'll make marshmallows. To do this, divide your clay into three or four equal chunks and roll them into balls. Flatten the pieces you will be dying, and dab a little paint on them.

I'm making the classic white-blue-pink combo, so I'm only dying two of my three clay pieces.

Don't put too much paint on your clay! I recommend using a strong, concentrated colour. I used cadmium red for the pink and ultramarine for the blue. If you want a cooler tone blue, use cobalt or just add a tiny (I mean TINY) amount of green (viridian should do). If you want a warmer red, add some yellow.

Again, use TINY amounts of paint. Note how little I'm using in the picture!

Once your paint is added to your clay, start folding it up like a mille-feuille. Once you've folded it a few times, start rolling it like you did when you conditioned it. Once you've rolled it into a length, fold it in half and roll it again. Keep repeating this until the colour is even. At first, your clay may seem like it needs more paint but this is usually not the case - just keep blending it in until it's even!

Repeat for the other colours. You should now have three evenly coloured pieces of clay.

Now, you may roll them into long.. sticks? Let's call them sticks. You don't need to make them very thin - I made mine about 5mm in diameter. Once they're all even in thickness, line them up and trim the excess bits. Set those aside, and stack your three clay sticks like a pyramid. Nearly done!

Here's the fun part! Once they're all stacked, start twisting them all together. The more you twist, the thinner the marshmallow will be! You can keep them at a relatively large scale, or make them super tiny. I made super minis as well as bigger ones. Keep an eye on the rope to make sure it's even.

Now, let them rest for a while. Wash your hands - oil paint likes to stick, and you do not want to get it on your clothes.

Remember how hard your clay was before you conditioned it? Well, it'll go back to that somewhat if you leave it alone for a while. In order to cut even, straight marshmallows, it's best to do the cutting when the clay has hardened a bit. If you want, you can make heart shapes or maybe stars out of the soft marshmallow rope!

Once your clay has hardened sufficiently, start cutting the marshmallows! You may get quite many out of this, I ended up with lots. I only used about 1/3 of my clay packet!

Use a needle or a skewer to make holes through your marshmallows, if you want them to be beads.

Set your oven to 150c and get a baking sheet. Put a parchment paper on the baking sheet and place your unbaked clay on top. How long to bake your items depends on thickness - about 15 minutes for 10 mm.

My pieces were between 3 and 8mm thick, so I baked them for 10 minutes

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-08-11T15:19:00.000-07:00

Things I love this week...

♥ Fabulous shoes by SENSO - my dream shoe for fall.. ♥

♥ Cleaning my room thoroughly! I feel like a real adult! ♥ I'll admit it... I made a second batch of lemon blondies... ♥ Watching the first and third Harry Potter films with my dear friend Elli - oh the nostalgia! ♥ More materials on the way. You'll see what I'm up to in due time... ♥ Brand spankin' new underoos... frilly ones! (what, too much?) ♥ Drawing at ungodly hours. I just can't ignore creative urges! ♥ BLACK BLACK BLACK! ♥

♥ This smashing necklace is by Tarina Tarantino ♥

♥ Destashing my jewellery materials. I have so much stuff that I don't need! My tastes sure have changed. Feels good to get rid of it! ♥ The sweetest pumpkin pie in the universe, Sarah, sent me some candy (read: a lot.). I've been pigging out all week. Thank you, baby! ♥ Finding old drawings from when I was 14... so hilarious! (but embarassing. needless to say, I'm destroying the evidence. ♥

♥ My theme song right now! Wicked Annabella by The Kinks. So wonderful. ♥

back to black

2011-08-10T07:11:00.001-07:00

back to black by saffronsugar featuring heart shoes

MINNA heart shoes
€205 - minnaparikkashop.com

MINNA silk shoes
€140 - minnaparikkashop.com

Prada shades
$290 - net-a-porter.com

peter pan collar
350 SEK - monki.com

Giraffe & Elephant Vectors

2011-08-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

I made some vectors of Angelic Pretty's Elephant and Giraffe characters/mascots a while back and totally forgot to post them here! Since these are the intellectual property of Angelic Pretty, I take no credit for them. I'd also like to ask you not to use them to earn money by for example printing stickers, appliquéing on items to sell or making jewellery based on them. These are for private use only.

Starchild links and info ♥

2011-08-05T14:55:00.000-07:00

I have quite a few websites to represent Starchild, so I thought I might as well do a proper post!

The Starchild web shop may be accessed through etsy. Please click here to be directed there. There is also a preview box in my sidebar to the right, right under the Sophie & Toffee banner!

Starchild also has an official web site slash blog on tumblr, which you can access through here. All contests will be on tumblr, though I will of course advertise it here, on twitter and facebook. The tumblr also has an open askbox.

Finally, I opened a third site today - a facebook page. Social networking is, in my opinion, a great way to keep updated about, well, everything. Please check out the page and "like" it!

I do not plan on opening a Starchild-exclusive twitter; however starchild related tweets from my main account (@SaffronSugar) will be tagged #Starchild.

If you have a handmade label that you would like to cross-promote, please contact me and we'll sort something out!

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-08-04T14:02:00.000-07:00

♥ This incredible Star Trek XI replica science officer uniform (for ladies) by Anovos ♥

♥ Nespresso ♥ I got in to the school I wanted to switch to! Yay! ♥ Chocolate Pudding! This stuff is so under-appreciated... tastes like my childhood! ♥ Cartoons ♥ Making little gourmet meals as a late-night snack ♥ Reading restaurant reviews and drooling... ♥ New US Sailor Moon merch! So excited, I can only hope that this means the show will start airing again. ♥

♥ Finally launching my label! Feels good, man. ♥ Adding all my favourite restaurants & cafés to my phone GPS - Now, when I'm in the city, I'll be able to find food in my immediate area! ♥ Star Trek. Yep. I'm combing through every season of every series... ♥ It's settled! I'm dying my hair pink in time for school! ♥

Starchild Launches! Enter to win a Sweets Deco DS Case!

2011-07-31T15:01:00.000-07:00

It's August 1st, and that means that I've finally launched the Starchild site!

Note that the website and the webshop are separate - the tumblr site will be used as for news, customer questions, previews and info about events I'll be attending to sell and promote, while the etsy page will be used as a store. I hope you'll check them both out!

Happy shopping, and don't forget to enter the launch contest!

This nintendo DS Lite case decorated with lots of fake sweets can be yours!

Here's how you can win it;

1. Follow this tumblr, and reblog this post.

and/or

2. Post on your non-tumblr blog (like blogspot or wordpress etc) about this contest, including a link to the Starchild tumblr page.

and/or

3. Tweet about this contest!

"@SaffronSugar has finally launched Starchild! Enter to win a deco DS case! http://starchildbysaffron.tumblr.com/"

Once you've entered, send an e-mail to miss.saffronsugar[at]gmail.com with links to verify your entry/entries.

The winner will be selected at random.

Each of the above is valid for ONE entry each - that means if you do all three, you get three entries and a higher chance of winning! Open worldwide.

The winner will be announced on August 14th - that's two weeks!

Starchild launches August 1st.

2011-07-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

I've finally set a date for the launch of my accessory brand - August 1st.

I will launch my brand web site, as well as my etsy shop for you to enjoy!

There will also be a launch contest... soon, my sweets!

for science

2011-07-29T14:22:00.001-07:00

for science by SaffronSugar featuring wide platform shoes

Senso wide platform shoes
$290 - solestruck.com

Black bag
199 SEK - ginatricot.com

Black belt
99 NOK - ginatricot.com

Black Milk — Silver Spartans
$90 - blackmilkclothing.com

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-07-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

"The Platypus's Garlic" by Ursula Vernon

♥ The breakfast wrap I made today! To tasty I couldn't believe it! I'll give you guys the recipe soon! ♥ My cat's pathetic meowing... it's not even a meow, just a squeak! ♥ My beads finally arriving after 4 weeks of waiting ♥ Octo Vinaigrette on everything! EVERYTHING! ♥ Aaaaadventure Time! ♥ Positivity! OH YES! ♥ Contemplating dying my hair pink, soon... blue is my true love but I might as well use the pink dye I have left from before... ♥ Shooting some promo shots for Starchild next weekend!!! ♥
♥ A comparison of male and female breasts - not so different after all. Courtesy of this tumblr. ♥

♥ 2NE1's latest video... I feel that this song is incredibly relevant to what many people feel. I know many of uscomplain about the way we look, want to look like somebody else or change something about ourselves. Society expects us to strive for what others find beautiful, not what YOU think is beautiful. I used to be like that too, but I realised that I'm me and if I'm going to live with me all my life, I'd better start loving myself, too. ♥

Shop with a 10% discount at Sophie & Toffee!

2011-07-27T08:49:00.000-07:00

My favourite supplier of deco materials, Sophie & Toffee, have granted me this special discount code for my readers to use!
Enter the code SAFFRON10 at checkout on their web site, and you'll have a 10% discount!
The image below links to their shop.

Happy shopping!

The Elegant & Flirtatious ways of Minna Parikka

2011-07-26T08:05:00.001-07:00

I'm a shoe nut, and I'm proud of it.

One of my favourite suppliers of extravagant footwear is Finnish designer Minna Parikka.

Above: The SS11 Campaign, Rosea Vulgaris

I first came across these wonderful creations while browsing a favourite shop - Pom Pom Parlour in central Stockholm. Focusing on a combination of sex toys, fetish items and retro apparel, the shop carried a couple of rather fabulous shoes and gloves from the Minna Parikka label.

I fell head over heels, if you'll excuse the pun.

Above: The "Ginger" purse

As someone with a penchant for the frilly cuteness of Lolita, I'd always found Lolita-specific shoes rather awkward-looking and unflattering (chunky heels! cheap materials! Somebody help me!). Minna Parikka designs footwear decorated with heart cut-outs and scallop appliqués, dainty heels and girlish colours - matching the Lolita land of pastel and pastries perfectly.

Above: The "Melty" pump

Her pieces manage to be either cutesy, sexy, or both, as her shop carries ladylike gloves embellished with bows as well as the rather extravagant sexual connotations in footwear inspired by the art of Japanese rope bondage, Kinbaku (Some may know this as Shibari).

Above: The Kinbaku-inspired "Veronica" shoe

I've always had trouble finding the right shoes - the right kind of cutesy with an edge to contrast the naïve innocence of Lolita fashion. Finding Minna Parikka was salvation. While I do enjoy pairing my Angelic Pretty with chunky goth boots or simple bright pumps, sometimes my feet just long for the flirtatious and sweet.

Above: The "Cat" leather mask.

Being a proper designer brand (she's even been honoured with her own post stamp in Finland!), Minna Parikka items are made from high-quality materials (real leather, so not vegetarian/vegan-appropriate, I'm afraid!) in Spain and will cost a fair bit more than the cheap heels we all admit to owning, but it's a naughty but nice treat that I know I deserve.

Minna Parikka products can be found in her web shop.

Deco Lesson 3 : Making beaded chains

2011-07-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

When making your own deco items, you may also want to turn them into jewellery... this is where working with metal findings comes in. Beaded chains are very popular for deco jewellery, and today I'll show you how they're made! It's a pretty tedious process, but the result is very pretty and it's not difficult to do.

You will need:

Needle-nose pliers

Beads

Eye pins

Wire cutters

A tray for keeping everything tidy is recommended as well.

You can use pretty much any type of bead for this. For larger beads, you'll need longer eye pins.

First, take your eye pin and put your bead on. Then, trim off the excess from the end without the loop.

I usually don't measure my pins, but you may if you wish. Usually, 2.5 times the diameter of the loop plus the diameter of your bead is a good length to leave on your pin.

Once your pin is trimmed, you may trim other pins at the same length to make sure they're uniform.

Then, using your needlenose pliers, curl the end of the pin into another loop, roughly the same size as the factory-made loop. Now you have a chain link! Continue this until you have as many beads as you'd like. I like to keep going until I run out of either pins or beads!

Now that you have a bunch of chain links, you may put them together however you like. You can use alternating colours, sizes, types of bead to create cute and unique jewellery chains! When connecting the beaded links, open the factory-made loop as it is generally easier to keep it in a nice shape. You should open the loop like you open a jump ring, and attach it to the next link. Naturally, it's best to attach the factory loop to the next hand-made loop, so that the factory-made loop is always the one to be opened.

Here is the chain that I've made! You can use all sorts of beads, and also add certain metal findings between links, like jump rings and spacers.

Other useful metal findings are ring bases, pendant bails and hat pins.

Pendant bails are flat pieces of metal with a loop for threading, which makes it easy to create pendants. Use a very strong glue when attaching things to the bails, so your motif will stay on securely. The same thing applies to rings - and don't forget to varnish your item, if it's made from clay, to ensure durability and protection against dirt. Hat pins are like eye pins, but they have a stopper instead of a loop - this makes them useful for attaching dangly beads and even charms.

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-07-21T15:32:00.001-07:00

Things I ♥ This Week...

♥ Do you like my self-portrait? ♥

♥ The positive feedback I'm getting for my jewellery! I'm so flattered and grateful! ♥

♥ Veggie wraps! Just pan fry some veggies that you like, add a few spoonfuls of plain yoghurt, tomato paste and taco seasoning & use the veggie goo as filling in a wrap! Super delicious. Oh, and don't forget to add some cheese. ♥ Workin' my butt off making new jewellery... really! ♥ Last week's Lolita meet! Such lovely company. ♥ My new stuff from Sophie & Toffee! More on that soon. ♥ My nails are still painted with Slytherin pride... ♥ Revolutionary Girl Utena ♥

♥ Treating myself to this cute tsumami-style hair elastic... Isn't it pretty? (unfortunately, the shop I bought it from closed today) ♥ Rice paper rolls! The only thing I can eat when it's hot out. ♥ Kopiko cappuccino candies! ♥ Fantasizing about science fiction hats... ha! ♥ Sentimental Circus by San-X! Super cute, my favourite is the elephant. ♥

A sneak peek at Starchild by Saffron

2011-07-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today, I took these sneak peek shots for you kids!

All of these pieces will be available in my shop once it launches!

I did intend to have it launched by now, but my suppliers are giving me hell with late shipping (as in, four weeks late...) so it's a slightly longer wait than expected!

Please enjoy these photos of some of the available pieces ; )

style inspo FW11 1

2011-07-16T15:39:00.001-07:00

style inspo FW11 1 by SaffronSugar featuring black handbags

TopShop floral maxi dress
$170 - topshop.com

CALYPSO ST BARTH long shirt
$49 - calypsostbarth.com

Top
$25 - thinkgeek.com

Jeffrey Campbell platform high heels
$175 - solestruck.com

Black handbag
€215 - unitednude.com

Eddie Borgo gold bangle
$233 - boutique1.com

Tarina Tarantino claw ring
$170 - tarinatarantino.com

Joomi Lim pearl earrings
$105 - openingceremony.us

Metal earrings
$20 - topshop.com

LAQUE BRILLANCE EXTRÊME Extreme Shine Nails Lacquer - CHANEL - Nails -...
£18 - selfridges.com

Adult Astronaut Helmet - Adult Space Helmets
$33 - halloweencostumes.com

Gina Tricot - Leopard bangle Assorted
€17 - ginatricot.com

Sophie & Toffee Giveaway!

2011-07-15T06:22:00.000-07:00

This summer, Sophie & Toffee are doing a giveaway for customers who spend 40 SGD or more in their shop!

The prize is this rainbow Hello Kitty iPhone 4 case. Check out their webpage for details!

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-07-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

Things I ♥ This week...

♥ Spreadsheets! ♥ Painting my nails slytherin colours... ♥ Last night's movie! My heart is broken, but it was amazing. ♥ Cute tumblr messages ♥ My cat trying to eat my toes ♥ Almost all my supplies have arrived... ♥ New books ♥ Cooking healthy, delicious meals every day... ♥ Making beaded chains until my hands are all red and achy ♥

♥ Mawaru Penguin Drum! It's so cute I might faint! (gif courtesy of etchedskulls)♥

♥ Flatbread from up north ♥ Have I mentioned that I love this webcomic? ♥ Joseph Gordon-Levitt... hubba hubba! ♥ Craig Ferguson doing a lap dance... he's totally my favourite talk show host! ♥ Neopets.. no really! add me! ♥

♥ The trailer for the upcoming Sherlock Holmes sequel! SO excited! ♥

The End + Outfit ♥ Snap

2011-07-13T16:35:00.000-07:00

Today, I witnessed the end of Harry Potter.

Did I cry? Lots.

Did I spill my popcorn when I got too excited? Indeedy.

Did I get a lot of confused stares from (hissss) Muggles? Yep.

This is what I wore:

(I know you love my ridiculous magical girl poses!)

Slytherin sweater: Habber & Dasher

Slytherin tie: Habber & Dasher

Shirt: H&M

Skirt: My old School uniform skirt!

Socks: Offbrand

Shoes: Offbrand

Wand: Phoenix Wands

What did I think of the movie?

Well, I'll say what I always say about Harry Potter: Freaking amazing.

Go see it.

Bring tissues, and a friend to hug.

Trust me, you do not want to be wiping your eyes with popcorn-salty hands. I really wish I could've attended the midnight premiere but unfortunately, all midnight screenings were in 3D, which triggers my migraines.

(I do wish they'd stop this 3D silliness.)

Harry Potter has meant a lot to me (and will, for the rest of my life.)

I grew up with my nose always stuck in the latest instalment of the series.

I grew up alongside Harry, Ron and Hermione.

I feel like I know them, and I think all Harry Potter fans feel the same way - we know these characters like they're our nearest friends.Thinking about how the series is now ended... makes me very sad. I don't think most will live to see a more successful and enthralling franchise.

I do hope I'll see all of you lovely readers on PotterMore this fall!

Outfit ♥ Snap & Updates

2011-07-09T15:08:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! I haven't posted in over a week. I even forgot about Things I ♥ Thursday! For shame.

So here is a post, and some updates on what I've been up to!

First off, today was the birthday celebration of my friend Jasmine. We had bbq ribs at Hard Rock Café, which was yummy, but our waitress was awful. Oh well. Here's what I wore, and my face! I'm gonna try to do more outfit snaps, It's difficult for me to do them because my cam software doesn't have a timer, but I'm gonna try to find a new one.

Bodysuit: Black Milk Clothing

Jeans: Forever New

Shoes: Jeffrey Campbell

Now, let me tell you a bunch of stuff that's been going on lately!
First off, I've been working on my upcoming accessory brand. It's going good!
I'm having a little trouble with materials arriving when they should but other than that... brilliance.

I will post some sneak peek shots of finished pieces in a bit! Just be patient! I'll also be giving away some pieces for the launch. I'll also show you the amazing bubble mailers I'll be using!
They're so pretty I want to keep them to myself...
Other than that, I'll be selling some of my wares at Tokyo Expo, which is another fun thing that's going on!

Let me tell you about it...

...Tokyo Expo is a free japan-centric event this September, and it will be held in Häggvik, Stockholm.
There's all the info you need on the web page and facebook page, so check it out!

I'm on the arranging/planning team, and we spent a day checking out the venue, printing fliers, speaking to shopkeepers about promotions and so on... super exciting!
I'll keep you posted about the event and I hope to see you there.
Did I mention that it's free?

I will try to post more and do more tutorials soon (next up - beaded chains!), so please keep reading ♥

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-06-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

♥ The covers for the upcoming Sailor Moon re-release... and even more exciting, Sailor V!♥

♥ Peace and quiet... ♥ Video games, all day, every day!!! ♥ Fresh, new comics... ♥ Closet cleaning ♥ The wonderful picnic last tuesday! ♥ Having a lovely brunch with some even lovelier ladies yesterday ♥ Eating wild strawberries ♥ SPF 50 ♥ Cold noodles with chili & cucumber ♥

♥ 2NE1's new single ♥

I AM THE BEST

2011-06-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

One of my favourite groups, 2NE1, released their latest music video not long ago.

2NE1 is a South Korean pop/hip hop group comprised of four ladies - CL, Bom, Minzy and Dara. They were first seen in "Lollipop" together with Big Bang (a boy band) and then released their first single, "Fire", in 2009.

2NE1's music is a mix of hip hop and pop paired with reggae and RnB vibes. They pair this with a very striking and memorable visual look that changes often and dramatically video to video, but there's an overall "bad girl" theme going on, from the Balmain leather jackets in "Lonely" to the delicate but sinister garb of "It Hurts".

They're currently working on an international debut together with Will.I.Am, so I'm very excited!

spf one million, please

2011-06-27T13:32:00.001-07:00

spf one million, please by SaffronSugar featuring a white ring

TopShop corset shirt
$40 - topshop.com

Alice In The Eve pleated skirt
$90 - generalpants.com.au

High heel pumps
£38 - office.co.uk

Eddie Borgo triangle necklace
£565 - net-a-porter.com

White ring
£81 - kabiri.co.uk

Things I ♥ Thursday (with extra images this time!)

2011-06-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

♥ Prada's FW11 campaign is gorgeous! ♥

♥ Stocking up on my favourite food - mainly white miso! It's a miracle ingredient! ♥ The Kinks ♥ Mini jelly cups ♥ Drawing pin-up girls! ♥ Inverted cross rosaries... yummy! ♥ Not having to do aaaanything... ♥

♥ Martin Freeman as Bilbo in The Hobbit... he's so cute I might die!!! ♥ Game of Thrones finale... holy cow! Eh, or maybe that should be "holy dragon!"? ♥ Chocolate with sea salt ♥

♥ The Poster for Brave is out! I am so excited, you guys. For the first time, we get to see an animated film with a strong female lead. I love the concept art I've seen so far, and this poster is gorgeous! ♥

♥ ... and here is some fabulous concept art, too! (fff, I love Craig Ferguson's character already. I have a little crush on him [Uh, craig, not the character.], is that ok?)♥

IT by Kavindu "Kavi" Ade

2011-06-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

I found this to be quite relevant concerning the issues I discussed in my last post.

This video appeared on my tumblr dash just now, and I think it's worth a watch.

Why I'm boycotting Himecon

2011-06-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

Note: this is a wordy post. No pictures. If you're part of the Swedish convention-going community, I would very much appreciate you reading this or at least checking the screenshot of what went down.

Plans for a new convention in Sweden were announced a while back.

The basic idea is that a convention by women for women would be held in the future - "Himecon", which literally means "Princess con".

Here are some translated excerpts from their facebook page and blog post;

"A weekend free from guys, group pressure, alcohol and drugs. And no angst!At himecon, we'll focus on japanese-inspired all-girl fun!"
"p s s t.. [...] And.. girls only!"

You can already tell what my problem with this is.

While I'm all for cutesy, girly things, being supportive and staying off drugs and alcohol, I found myself irked about the no boys rule. Why exclude boys? Can't boys like girly things too? And I asked myself - what about transgender individuals? Or non-binary individuals? What are the rules pertaining to them? So, I applied to the facebook group - (Yes, you have to apply. You can't just join. You need to be approved to see what the event is about.) and got accepted.

I posted on their wall as follows;

Me: Hi.

I'm pretty "into" all sorts of nerdery [note: this convention is marketed to anime/Japanese pop culture fans] and have found that many events and companies ignore the female fanbase, aiming most things at teenaged boys.

I don't think that's good.

However, doing the complete opposite - limiting oneself to an entirely female demographic is not very good, either. I don't think this is the way to involve women in the "geek" community. For there to be a "man ban" is not something that I can respect.

If somebody identifies as male, or rejects both female and male gender identities, but likes typically "girly" things, I feel that it's wrong to exclude them from the event. The geek community is already gender and heteronormative enough, and extremism from both sides is a backwards mentality to me.

HimeCon: I understand your point of view, absolutely. But Himecon does not aim to entertain the geek community. Unlike the majority of pop culture events, Himecon aims to give confidence and support to young

ladies. What's important is not that you like girly things, but that you were born a woman.

Let's start out with this statement: "Himecon does not aim to entertain the geek community".

Here is an excerpt from their facebook page:

"We are girls who read manga, watch anime, play video games and cosplay"

These activities are all part of the anime fan community.

And I'd say anime fandom is pretty geeky, or am I mistaken?

Furthermore, the worst of the statements thus far is this:

"What's important is not that you like girly things, but that you were born a woman."

Wait, what? What's important about the event is that you're a woman? And born a woman? By that, I'll assume you mean that you're a member of the physical female sex. In other words, a cis woman.

I questioned this statement further.

Me: That you're born a woman? You mean that your sex is what matters most? What about trans women? Women who weren't born in the right body? And what about those who do not have a set gender identity?

HimeCon: I'm fully aware that we are speaking Swedish and that we are in Sweden, but Sweden and our extreme view on gender neutrality is quite small compared to the rest of the world Still, there are a lot of Swedish meet-ups in the business, education and media scene. HimeCon is a meeting place and we seek to unify girls born as girls, yes. Why can't there be a girls-only event in Sweden?(Note: this statement does not make sense to me either.)

Here, it is argued that because there are other events that only accept female guests.

This does not make their gender-exclusive policy acceptable.

Himecon: I completely understand where you're going with this, it's awful that some people lack a gender identity. But Himecon is made for a different purpose. HimeCon will be the first japan-centric event onlky for girls, there are already many conventions where everybody else is welcome. Why is this such a problem for you?

Let's take a look at this statement; "It's awful that some people lack a gender identity".

I'm sure I don't need to point the issue out for you, but I will - here, this person claims that there is something awful about not being part of the gender binary. This is bullshit, plain and simple. How can you say that somebody's gender identity, or lack thereof, is awful? It's not a problem, HimeCon. It's just as normal and healthy as any other gender identity. Adding to that, saying that "there are already many convention where everybody else is welcome" is a horrible thing to say - so it's acceptable to gender discriminate just because those who don't fit the required sex and gender can always go someplace else?

Frankly, I'm disappointed that this event is getting so much positive feedback. I'm disappointed that an event that supposedly aims to be about having fun and being supportive of girls is gender-exclusive, sexist and transphobic.I hope that at least some of us will know better than to support such organizations.

Here is a screenshot of the conversation (In Swedish - unfortunately the first part got cut off, and I actually kept on arguing about this but left the group before remembering to take a screenshot. Eep!), and here is their facebook page.

Everyone was new, once

2011-06-21T15:53:00.000-07:00

Note: This post is absolutely not aimed at a certain individual or group. It's a general post about an issue that is present in nearly all lolita fashion communities. I'm sorry if this seems self-important/white-knighty or suchlike, it's not my intention if it comes off that way.

I was a newbie Lolita, once.

So were you, if you partake in the fashion.

Not everybody does it right from the start - in fact, very few do. There's nothing wrong with that. However, there is something very wrong with how new Lolitas are treated by the community.

Being new to Lolita means many things - you don't know about what silhouette is appropriate, you don't know what to pay for what, you don't know how to buy things with a shopping service. So you ask the Lolita community for help, advice - perhaps buy a second-hand dress that another Lolita doesn't need any more.

As an experienced member of the community, you mustn't exploit or discriminate these girls.You were in their shoes once. I've seen so many horrible things happen to newbies in this fashion - Tricking a girl into thinking she got a total bargain, only for her to find her new dress permanently flawed. Leaving malicious comments on people's personal blogs, just because you don't like their outfit. Ignoring girls at meet-ups where everybody else is already friends. Telling somebody that they shouldn't wear what they like because of their body type, gender identity, sexuality or race.

This kind of behaviour is bullying, and bullying is employed by the weak and the insecure.

Do you really need to mistreat others to feel good about yourself?

I'm not telling you to be best friends with everyone. I'm telling you to act like a decent human being. Be courteous, be honest. Be a bitch if that's your style (it sure as hell is mine), but don't be a petty bitch.

Because that's just sad.

A self portrait

2011-06-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Decoly - Japan's answer to Etsy?

2011-06-17T02:47:00.000-07:00

A new web page called Decoly has been launched!

It's like a combined handmade works gallery and store (for those who want to sell).
You can add each other and "like" one another's items, like a mix between poupee and etsy.

Click here to go to the page!
It's in Japanese, of course, but I've found that google translate works great to make sense of all that kana.

I just made an account so I hope I'll see you there!
The page was made by the ex-director of Poupee Girl, so maybe you will recognise the style of the page.

the witch

2011-06-16T13:54:00.001-07:00

the witch by SaffronSugar featuring dome rings

Alice In The Eve sheer dress
$120 - generalpants.com.au

Shoes
sirenshoes.com.au

Tarina Tarantino dome ring
$115 - tarinatarantino.com

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-06-16T13:41:00.000-07:00

♥ Vintage Lemon dress! Vintage lemon dress! ♥ The bright and beautiful prospect of fashion design school this fall!!! ♥ Making jewellery all day, every day ♥ Wonderful ripe strawberries...mmm ♥ Zucchini! Totally one of my favourite veggies. ♥ School's out!!! ♥ Ankle socks, oh yes ♥

♥ Making cute bling bows ♥

♥ Whoa momma, Young Justice (the tv series) is back ♥ Fantasizing about shiny pink baroque crosses, skull cameos and pyramid spikes... ♥ Working on the web page for my brand!! SO EXCITED! ♥ Summer reading ♥ MLP: Friendship Is Magic - Rarity is my favourite ♥

♥ This incredible short film based on H.P Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness ♥

Deco quick tip #1

2011-06-15T07:49:00.001-07:00

This is the first entry in a deco mini-series that I'll be posting from time to time called Deco Quick Tips!

Today, I'll share a tip on how to make stackable ice-cream scoops.

You will need:

Clay - I'm using hearty

Acrylic Paint or whatever colour medium you prefer

A mold - if you don't have ice-cream scoop molds, use measuring spoons! My mold is by floree and was sent to me by the darling Sophie & Toffee, where I buy most of my materials.

I'm also using mold oil, a paintbrush and a small spatula.

First, colour your clay the way you like it. I make a lot of marbled ice-cream scoops, so I'm dying 1/3 of my clay a darker colour, then I knead and twist the different coloured clays together gently to make a marbled effect.

Press the clay into your mold and remove the excess around the edges. You should end up with something like this:

Now, here's the smart bit! Grab a small spoon, spatula or even a finger, and scoop out the center bit of the clay. If you have ice-cream scoops of the same size already made, you can press them into the clay to make sure you've dug out the right amount of clay.

Use a spatula or again, a finger, to smooth out the indent. Make sure the edges are all even. Be careful not to dig too deep or make the edges too thin, or the scoop will rest too low when you stack them. Let dry, and pop the scoop out and you have wonderful stackable ice-cream scoops!

Once your pieces have dried, you can stack them like towers. Remember to glue them together. For something like this, I'd recommend a thick gel glue or even silicone to glue them together.

Deco Lesson 2 - How to use Cabochons & Crystals

2011-06-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

When you're making sweets deco items, you may want to use various parts to add a little extra oomph. This is where making and purchasing deco parts comes into the picture!

Cabochons

Cabochons are (usually) flat-backed plastic pieces that come in all sorts of cute shapes. You can use cabochons for adding extra decorations, or simply glue them onto jewellery findings to make smaller items. Larger cabochons can make great pendants or keychains. Most of mine are from Sophie & Toffee and etsy.

You can easily make cute and simple jewellery using plastic cabochons; here are some I've made. The image above displays my materials - glue, pendant bails, cabochons, a ring base and earring base studs.

By brushing a little bit of glue onto the metal components (the one I use is fast-drying and super strong, but use whatever glue you prefer.) and then pressing the cabochon to the component for a few seconds, you can quickly and very easily make some very nice pieces.

Crystals

There are usually two types of crystal used in deco - flat-backs and chatons. Most people use flatbacks because they're easier to find and cost less, but I prefer to use chatons for threedimensional objects. Flatbacks are really great to have too, of course - they're excellent for attaching to flat or hard surfaces like your cell phone, a pen or a pendant.

You can find crystals in many cute shapes like these, other than the regular round shape. The star is my favourite, I have them in pink too!

I used plastic crystals for this deco case, both chatons (in the whipped cream) and flatbacks (on the bottom part of the plastic case)

You also have the option of choosing between glass crystals and plastic crystals. Glass is of higher quality, is heavier and reflects light with more brilliance than plastic. It is of course more expensive as well. A lot of the time, plastic works fine and it's easier to get hold of. A popular type of glass crystal is Swarovski, which is quite easily available and comes in lots of colours.

Next time, I'll be showing you some cute deco parts that you can make yourself!

Space Demon

2011-06-09T12:05:00.001-07:00

Space Demon by SaffronSugar featuring peep toe heels

Christian Louboutin peep toe heels
$1,195 - barneys.com

Comme des Garcons star bag
$267 - tobi.com

S'mores Pie & Kiwi Custard tart

2011-06-09T10:24:00.001-07:00

I made two yummy treats yesterday!

Both have a digestive biscuit pie crust; I made it by mixing digestive biscuit crumbles with a little melted butter (about half a packet of biscuits and 100 grams of butter) and pressed it into the pie pans with the back of a spoon. The crust is then baked at 175 degrees celsius in the upper part of the oven for 5-8 minutes.

Kiwi tart

This is a very simple and delicious tart that is great in summer. I used about 8 kiwis for a large tart, and 1 1/2 cups of custard. I cheated and used powdered custard - be sure to make it extra thick! Use a spoon or spatula to evenly distribute it over the pie crust.

Peel the kiwi and cut it lengthwise, and slice the kiwi halves into 0.5 cm slices. Arrange the slices around the tin to cover it completely. Chill and serve with a big ol' cup of lemonade!

S'Mores Pie

This thing is downright filthy and is probably best enjoyed in the colder months since it's so heavy. I used the digestive biscuit crust for this as well, but baked it with the filling. Sprinkle a thin layer of chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips over the crust, then cover the whole thing with mini marshmallows. This pie benefits from being baked at the very top of the oven so that the marshmallows turn golden brown and crispy on top.

Serve minuscule slices of this or you probably won't feel too good after eating it.

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-06-09T07:39:00.001-07:00

♥ Kiwi custard tart ♥ Star trek manicure! Totally cute ♥ Last day of school is tomorrow!!! ♥ Lovely new comic books ♥ Turkish yoghurt with fresh fruit ♥ Greek salads! I live off these things during summer. ♥ Finally taking my school projects home ♥

♥ These incredible superhero swimsuits! I'd like the Cap one, please! ♥

♥ Feeling inspired and creative - summer's off to a good start! ♥ My evil plans to launch a brand of my own are brewing... and may soon be reality! ♥ Feminism! Well, I always love that but I'm extra feminist this week for some reason! ♥ Four King Hell ♥

Tokyo Expo - A free Japan-centric event this fall!

2011-06-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

My dearest friends and enemies! This fall, The Majestics are arranging a wonderful event in Stockholm - Tokyo Expo.

The event will be held in suburban Stockholm in early September and will include vendors, concerts, a fashion show, exhibits and all-around fun. It will focus on Japanese pop culture such as anime, manga, j-rock, video games and street fashion.

Please visit and say hi if you can!

The event will not have an entry fee, though certain parts may require a small fee (and vendors obviously aren't free, heh)

For all the info you need, visit the home page (which is obviously in Swedish)

The New Shoes

2011-06-07T14:02:00.000-07:00

My new shoes are here... beautiful, cherry red "El Carmen" platform sandals by Jeffrey Campbell.

I've been warned by many to be careful when I walk in these. I've never understood the concern, though it's appreciated - these aren't as steep as they are high. Light and easy to walk in, they're perfect for summer. Now I just need to buy some matching clothes, too! (Oh no, not more shopping!)

Making a Sweets Deco DS case ♥

2011-06-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

I'll start of with a plastic case for the DS Lite.

This one is pink and has glitter in it!

I glued on some fake chocolate and clear rhinestones - I don't have photos of this since it was so long ago but I basically used hot glue and deco glue respectively.

Then, I squeezed some silicone into a piping bag with a small star tip and got to work!

My favorite brand of silicone is Casco, but the hardware store didn't have that brand so I bought a random one. I've found that Casco is easiest to pipe, but it dries very slowly. This one was a little thicker and the surface dried very quickly. It's a good idea to purchase different varieties to find your favourite.

I made a sort of frame around the chocolate squares, covering the edges. As you can see, there were some rather high peaks on some of the dollops - fear not! This is no biggie. You can easily fix them by either tucking them down with a q-tip or if you're using other deco parts, press them down on the peaks.

Here's the finished product!

The decorations I used are;

handmade mini macarons (using this floree mold)

handmade mini cookies (using this and this floree mold)

Carousel Horse cabochon (which you can probably find on etsy - I bought these so long ago I don't remember which store it was!)

Jelly bean cabochon

Round pink rhinestones

Star rhinestones

Faux mini pearls

Padico Deco sauce in Strawberry

I'm pretty happy with the result, as this is the first time I've decorated something of this size. have you decorated your own game and phone cases? If not, I hope you'll try it!

Things I ♥ Thursday - Friday edition!

2011-06-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

Hi all! I was far too lazy yesterday to post, so here is my Things I ♥... er, Friday!

Artwork by Boris

♥ Dulce de leche - so delish! ♥ Making my own strawberry ice pops for summer ♥ New shoes! Yes! ♥ Speaking of shoes - ALDO has opened a stockholm store! Yay! ♥ Tube tops, yum yum ♥ Vowing to become a yoga babe ♥ Bright, beautiful colours for summer ♥ Being home alone for a while, it's so relaxing ♥ No more classes until fall! Can I get a halleluja? ♥

Sailor moon .gif found on tumblr

♥ My parents bought amazing Turkish sweets when they were in Istanbul... Helva, Lokum and beautiful hazelnuts... middle-eastern food culture is so amazing and rich, it's a shame it's not appreciated as much in the west! ♥ New pastel markers ♥ Webcomic updates - I feel so spoiled with all these amazing free comics... ♥ Wonderful warm weather ♥

♥ Ah, Childhood memories... ♥

♥ This terrifying thing... ♥

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-05-26T02:23:00.000-07:00

Things I love this week...

♥ Mermaids ♥ BBC's Sherlock winning two BAFTAs! ♥ Drug or Pokémon? ♥ Raspberries and yoghurt ♥ Letraset Promarkers ♥ A Game of Thrones! It's sooo good ♥ Born This Way ♥ Pastel Goth ♥ Thai Green Curry! Probably my favourite food right now... ♥ Cosmo Jarvis - If you haven't heard of him, it's about time you did! ♥ Fantasizing about bubble tea... I haven't had it in ages... ♥

♥ Clumsy kitty! So adorable! ♥

raspberry mint liquorice

2011-05-23T12:41:00.001-07:00

raspberry mint liquorice by SaffronSugar featuring platform shoes

Yummie tummie
75 GBP - my-wardrobe.com

Sretsis pants
maximillia.com

Jeffrey Campbell platform shoes
$116 - lorisshoes.com

Clutch bag
$94 - lodis.com

Pamela Love geometric earring
$255 - openingceremony.us

Prada logo sunglass
$245 - nordstrom.com

Hair Chronicles

2011-05-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

I've gone through quite a few hair colours these last couple of years - so I decided to make a hair displaying my long and winding journey from natural mousy brown to electric blue!

Fall 2009 - Au Natural!

This is my natural mousy brown colour. Snore!

Winter 2009 - Hot Hot Pink

I fulfilled one of my life dreams - to have pink hair. It was a lot of work to keep it looking good, though.

Spring 2010 - Chocolate Brown

I decided to dye my hair a warm chocolate brown. It looked really cute, and I kept it for a long time.

January 2011 - I wanted to have blue hair. I used Blue Velvet by Special Effects but it turned out very purple on me. It looked pretty adorbs, though!

April 2011 - I had a very brief affair with Special Effects Fish Bowl. Mermaid hair!

May 2011 - I found my true love - Special Effects Electric Blue. It's amazing and perfect and it was meant to be.

Deco Lesson 1 - Making a macaron

2011-05-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! It's time for the first lesson in making Sweets Deco - making macarons!

Macarons are very popular all over the world, not just in Sweets Deco. You can make all sorts of colours and sizes of macarons to use for decorations or jewellery - here's how I make mine.

You'll need:

Clay that works with a mold (I use Hearty)

Acrylic paint

Clear silicone

A mold

You may also want:

A needle

Mold Oil

Jewellery findings

Rhinestones

Start off by taking a piece of clay - size depending on how much clay you want to use. I'm going to make just a few macarons so I didn't use a big piece. Then pick your colour - I'm going to use blue - and dab a tiny amount onto your clay. Work the paint in with your hands, adding more if you want a darker colour. Roll your clay into a ball and set it on your working surface.

Now pick the mold you want to use - I'm using a clear flexible mold by Padico. Pinch off a piece of clay big enough for the mold and roll it into a ball. Remember to use a release agent in your mold! I use Mold Oil that I apply with a sponge. Starch powder or moisturiser works fine, as well.

Then set the ball in your mold and press it in.

Be careful not to be too forceful if you're using a flexible mold as your item may be warped. Scrape excess clay off the surface and let it dry for a little while. After a few minutes, take your item out. You can use another piece of clay, a piece of tape or some blu-tack to pick it up.

Tada! Your item is molded!

Now that you have a base macaron, you can either leave it as is or add some texturing to the "feet". I like to do just that to make it look realistic. It's a very mundane activity, but I think the result is nice. Carefully rip the outmost layer of the "foot" off while the macaron is drying. Use a needle and lightly prick the surface of the macaron's foot all the way around to achieve a realistic texture.

Ok! Now you may set a rhinestone or such in your macaron if that's what you like. I recommend tip-end/cone-backed rhinestones because they add more sparkle than flat-backs. When setting your rhinestone, I recommend putting a drop of strong glue onto the surface of the area where you'll set the stone. This will help the stone stick to the clay.

Now set your macaron halves to the side while you whip up a filling. For fillings, I think clear silicone looks best because a macaron generally has a ganache filling, not whipped cream. Clear silicone takes colour well and looks very glossy - you can make pretty much any kind of filling with it. Squeeze out a bit of silicone and mix in acrylic paint in your choice of colour to acheive the desired colour. I'm gonna make a dark blue with a little crimson in it.

Once mixed, you can either apply the filling with a piping bag or a spatula, or just a stick. I'll use a q-tip with the cotton removed because I don't feel like wasting a whole piping bag for some macarons. Just smear it on, and don't put it on too thick or it may spill out. Once the filling is applied, put the top half of the macaron on. At this point, I like to twist the top shell a little to evenly distribute the filling.

There you have it - an adorable macaron. I'm going to glue mine onto a ring base, but you can also make a charm or necklace pendant out of it by inserting a screw eye pin (like the example with the rhinestone) into the silicone while it cures.

Good luck!

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-05-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

♥ These super cute antler wall sockets by Nendo♥

♥ Salads.. I can't eat anything else when it's this hot out! ♥ Green nail polish ♥ More sweets deco! I'm revamping my style a bit. Stay tuned! ♥ Angelic Pretty's upcoming Milky Planet chiffon dress... it's covered in rainbow shooting stars! So 80's and so cute! ♥ My hair is blue! All is well! ♥ Nutella fondue! Best thing ever, oh lordy ♥ Webcomics - honestly one of the best things ever. Free comics? Yes please! ♥ Exclamation marks!!!! ♥ This amazing thing! ♥

♥ Nicki my queen! ♥

♥ This amazing Batgirl PSA ♥

synthesis

2011-05-17T05:09:00.001-07:00

synthesis by SaffronSugar featuring summer bags

Sass bide
23,100 JPY - mirabella.jp

Gareth Pugh slit pants
650 EUR - luisaviaroma.com

Miu Miu retro round sunglass
130 GBP - liberty.co.uk

Finally Blue!

2011-05-14T11:39:00.000-07:00

My hair is blue again!

My friend Camilla offered to dye my hair so we did. I'm so pleased with the result.

It feels as if blue is the colour I was supposed to have... like being born with dirty blond hair was just a genetic error. I feel like me with blue hair. That sounds very cheesy, but it's true! It's like it was meant to be! I am so very happy and I think It'll take a long time before I tire of it.

I used Special Effects Electric Blue which was mixed with some conditioner (about 1 part dye and 1/3 part conditioner) to make application easier. It was in my hair for about an hour before being rinsed out and the result was a beautiful vibrant midnight blue.

I'm in love.

Models wanted for Japanese street style fashion show!

2011-05-11T12:48:00.000-07:00

I've been asked to arrange a fashion show for an event this September - so I thought advertising on my blog would be a great idea! This is of course an event in Sweden. The fashion show will be part of a two-day event in Stockholm and will be held on September 3rd.

Entries are due by August 10th so get your entries in on time!

You are allowed to enter as many outfits as you like, so get that noggin' working on some fabulous outfit ideas and send them in. We are looking for all sorts of Japanese street style, but we'd like to focus on less famous styles like Mori Girl, Neo-Japonism and Fairy Kei.

For full rules, terms and details (in Swedish) and the entry form, please check the webpage.

You may e-mail me with any questions at miss.saffronsugar@gmail.com.

Sweets Deco 101 - Introduction & Supplies

2011-05-11T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

To celebrate my becoming a Sophie & Toffee ambassador, I am starting a series of sweets deco tutorials. If you're unfamiliar with deco-den, I'll explain:

Deco-den is short for Decorated Electronics (den = denki = electricity). This can be anything from cell phones and USB sticks to portable gaming consoles and television sets et cetera.

Deco is also applied to household items, stationery, accessories - anything you can imagine.

The umbrella term for all types of decorated items in this style is simply Deco.

above: a skullcandy earphone case I've decorated with rhinestones. This is what you might call "regular" deco.

The "regular" kind of deco is basically blinging up your stuff with lots of rhinestones in different patterns and colours. There are also different deco styles like traditional Japanese, super heavy and over-the-top piled on deco and so on.

The type I will be writing about is Sweets Deco.

Sweets Deco is making fake sweets such as macarons, cupcakes and fruit tarts and using it to decorate. Some like to apply this style to electronics and other items, and some make their creations into jewellery. Some do both. Common for this style is using different types of clay to create realistic-looking pastries, using silicone caulking to emulate whipped cream and embellish with food-shaped cabochons. Lately, using plastic resin and polyurethane foam has become popular as well.

Above: Some silicone whipped cream items set out to cure.

To start off making Sweets Deco items, you will need supplies. It can get very expensive, so be warned - this is not a cheap hobby! A lot of girls who make their own Sweets Deco items sell their creations - so if you make a few sales it can actually pay for itself after a while.

Anyway, here's what you'll need to start off;

I like to buy both small squeeze tubes (for gluing and quick fixes, jam fillings etc) and caulk gun cylinders (for general use with piping bags)

Silicone caulking

To make fake whipped cream and similar gooey and creamy decorations, you'll need silicone. A lot of Japanese brands sell "deco whip" ready to use but the price is very high. You'll save tons by going to your local hardware store and buying your silicone there. I recommend buying both white and transparent silicone. You can use the white to make whipped cream, mousse and similar items that are supposed to look dairy-based. The transparent silicone is great for making faux jam, ganache fillings and glazes.

Plain white Hearty clay is a good base clay to start off with.

Clay

To make all those cute cupcake bases and donuts and macarons, you'll need some clay to mold. There are different types of clay out there for any budget. I recommend Hearty to begin with, as it's very easy to use and takes colour well. It also air dries and is very light so it won't add unwanted weight to your items. There are many different clays to choose from, though, so don't limit yourself to the one if you want to have varied textures and looks to your items. Other recommended clays are Modena, La Doll, Fimo, Oak and Mermaid Puffy.

My acrylic paints are unnecessarily fancy. Buy cheap ones, it doesn't make much of a difference.

Colour

Most deco clays are white. You probably want to make different coloured things, and luckily this is very easy. I recommend using acrylic paint in bold basic colours (don't buy pastels) and use tiny dabs to get the shade you want. You can blend just the way you would blend the paints on their own. You can also use ground oil pastels or oil paint for some products, but acrylic is cheaper and easier. After your clay is dry, you can paint the surface as well, if you like. Some clays, like Hearty, are available in several colours for blending but I think investing in big packs of basic white is cheapest and easiest.

An assortment of molds - The clear one in the back is from Debika, the clear one in front of that is from Padico, the small white one is from Floree and the blue one is handmade. You can tell that the handmade one is cracking a little.

Molds

It's very time-consuming and difficult to sculpt every piece individually. The more you handle a clay, the dirtier and oilier it gets, too! That's why molds are so very handy. Molds come in many different sizes, types and motifs for you to choose from - brands like Padico, Floree and Debika make sweets deco molds that work well. You can also find handmade silicone molds (and you can even make your own this way!) on etsy, but I don't recommend purchasing those unless you absolutely must have it - I've used such molds and they crack and break if you flex them too much. When using molds, I recommend greasing them to help release your items. You can use vaseline, starch, lotion, talc or special mold oil.

Above is an assortment of other supplies for sweets deco. The top green tube is deco sauce/glaze from Padico - you can make a similar product yourself by mixing clear silicone with paint. Below that is, from the left: Mini faux pearls, a sliced kiwi fruit cane, ring bases, a pineapple fruit cane that has not yet been sliced, mold oil, a carousel horse and a candy cabochon, pink cone-back rhinestones and necklace clasps.

Other items you might want to use;

Jewellery findings

Decoratable objects

Cabochons

Nail art canes

Needles for texturing

Strong glue

Beads

Mold Oil

Rhinestones

Sweets Deco is a really fun hobby and I hope you'll give it a try!

Most supplies you'll need are available from Sophie & Toffee, but pages like etsy and ebay as well as your local craft and hardware stores are great places to find useful materials!

fowl

2011-05-07T06:10:00.001-07:00

fowl by SaffronSugar featuring furla bags

Tutu skirt
$365 - cynthiarowley.com

Yummie tummie
90 EUR - my-wardrobe.com

ESMALTE CHANEL LE VERNIS BLUE SATIN-461- veja isso!!! - R$ 109.90 em...
produto.mercadolivre.com.br

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-05-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

♥ Leonard Nimoy being a perfect individual! ♥

♥ Finding my cat curled up under my blanket when I get home... so cute! ♥ Bunnies bunnies bunnies ♥ Deco materials on the way ♥ Abney Park ♥ Shibuya-kei ♥ Ritter Sport with whole almonds - my absolute favourite chocolate bar! It's really delicious and I love how the bar is perfectly square ♥ Shopping at the hardware store ♥ Steak & Ice Cream with some lovely ladies last weekend!! ♥ Make Up Forever's upcoming Aqua Liners... I think I'm gonna need all of them! ♥ My new citrus & vanilla lip scrub from Everyday Minerals - it smells so yummy I might perish! ♥ Smiggle ships overseas! Why didn't I find that out sooner?! ♥

♥ Givenchy Haute Couture SS/2011 Making Of ♥

Private Sales Etiquette

2011-05-04T00:41:00.000-07:00

I've found it necessary to write this little post about how to properly buy and sell privately, mainly within Lolita. It's shocking to see so much dishonesty in a community. So here are some guidelines on how to behave when you are buying and selling online.

As a seller:

♥ Don't try to hide flaws in your item, or lie. It's horribly dishonest and you will have a bad reputation. Nobody respects a petty liar.

♥ Don't try to overcharge for an item that is obviously not worth it. Nobody gives a damn about how much YOU paid for it. Charge realistically. No, you can't sell your used clothes for more than the original price unless they're particularly sought after (and even then, it's a little ridiculous). It should be fucking pristine for such pricing to be justified.

♥ Don't take advantage of the inexperienced. Stop trying to trick newbies into buying your overpriced crap - you'll earn nothing but enemies that way. You were a newbie once.

♥ Be on time if you're meeting up - and be courteous. If you're meeting anyway, why not grab some coffee and have a chat? Be decent. Show the customer the item, tell them about fit and measurements and fabric. Show them the detailing to make sure they know what they're buying.

♥ Don't sell a dirty item. You can sacrifice a few bucks for dry cleaning if you're getting 250 dollars for that dress. If you can't get stains out, prepare to drop the price enormously.

♥ If you are charging above the average - consider what would make the customer buy from you rather than the other sellers. Those extra 50-100 bucks have to be made up in service. This means that you have to be a god-damned angel, you ship your item well packaged, write personal notes and maybe even include a small gift. Perhaps offer free shipping.

As a buyer:

♥ Don't whine about the pricing of handmade items if it really isn't ridiculous. How come you're willing to pay 50 bucks for a piece of Angelic Pretty plastic, but 10 bucks for a handmade item is too much? Consider the work and creativity behind handmade.

♥ Be on time if you're meeting up. For heaven's sake. Don't make your poor seller wait for an hour, it's rude and will get you a bad rep.

♥ Don't be fooled. Some sellers are vicious, unfortunately - they can lie about or hide flaws in their item. Don't be too trusting! Make sure you know what you're paying for! This is not just the seller's responsibility.

♥ Leave proper feedback - don't be afraid to leave negative feedback if you feel that you've been treated poorly or if your item is flawed. But don't forget to leave positive feedback where it is due.

Say hello to my new title: Deco Ambassador!

2011-05-03T07:29:00.000-07:00

I have some great news!

You may be aware that I dabble in deco-den and crafts, and I've ordered from so many sellers it's ridiculous - but my all-time favourite for deco and jewellery materials is Sophie & Toffee.

You may notice that I've added their banner to the right.

Each year, they select a group of ambassadors for their store - and this year, I entered and got a spot. This means that I'll receive various benefits from the store, in return for advertising them on my blog. This also means that I'll start doing more craft posts and tutorials for you kids to check out - so stay tuned for deco posts!

Lolita Flea 2011

2011-05-02T11:47:00.000-07:00

So, as you may be aware, the Swedish Lolita Forum hosts a flea market once a year. This year it was held on May 1st. I went with my dear friend Elli, who let me style her for the event.

She wore metamorphose, I wore Angelic Pretty - I haven't found pictures of us yet but I'll upload them. I'm considering drawing our outfits too - I've been drawing my polyvore sets on various hot ladies lately. A bit of a description of what I wore is a miracle candy one-piece with a bright blue PVC belt, mickey mouse ears and platform buckle boots. The belt over the dress was made possible by my seam ripper - I ripped the front bow off because it was in my way. I don't miss that bow. But now I have a huge-ass (bold text for emphasis) stripy bow lying aroung, and I don't know what the hell to do with it.

Maybe I could stick it on a bag or something?

About half of the line - ridiculous, right?!

Anyway, we got there about an hour before opening. We waited to get in for two hours.

It was pretty cold (which was ridiculous because it's been really hot and sunny lately) but we lived. We had the pleasant company of Yami and Agitha of The Majestics, so at least we weren't bored. Just cold. So cold. I made the right choice when I opted for the boots rather than the pumps that morning! I got a lot of stares for the boots. I'll just assume they were stares of jealousy.

Here's a photo of me (first on the left) and Yami and some other girls being as creepy as possible outside the window. Hurr. Photo courtesy of Alice Café.

This year wasn't as good as last year, I'll admit. I bought a buttload last year (and the year before that!). I bought only three things this year. What changed? Is it my taste, or is it the supply? Who knows. All I know is that the things I did want were a little overpriced and I'm not dumb. Sorry to say that, but I am not paying twice the original price for used goods. Especially if they're in poor condition (in fact, I am also writing a post on sales etiquette! It'll be up tomorrow or tonight, we'll see).

Anyway - what I did buy was this:

An Angelic Pretty hair accessory, some nail chips (that I might deco) and a handmade bracelet. I'm actually proud of how little I spent! Now I have money for other things.

After the flea market, I had to work for a bit so Elli had a nap at my house and then we went back in to meet some girls for a post-flea meet-up.

I don't go to a lot of meet-ups because I'm a bit strange (understatement of the year, anyone?) so I'm selective about what meets I attend. I feel that I need to hang out with people who share my illicit interests, and won't choke on their tea when I say something unladylike. Ho ho.

Anyway, what we did was go eat steak and ice-cream at Jensens Böfhus, which is a Danish family-style sort of place. Way better than sitting in some park eating awful home-made macarons, in my humble (ha!) opinion. It was a nice night! I had a garlic steak with fries which I slurped down at warp speed. So. Delicious. I love going to restaurants for meets!

Here's the aftermath:

(two servings of ice-cream followed)

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-04-28T08:11:00.001-07:00

Things I love this week...

♥ Beautiful androgynous male models... I feel like a bit of a dirty old man! But they're just so gorgeous! The above model is Cooper Thompson. He looks positively ethereal! ♥ OCC Lip Tars - I think I'm addicted already... ♥ Hazelnuts! Super yummy and good for you too ♥ Baking cakes - Sometimes I just turn into a 50's housewife... ♥ Amazing migraine pills that actually work ♥ Glee is back on! Yes!! (Santana and Kurt are my faves.) ♥ Thor Thor Thor! I am excite and I must go see it asap!!! ♥ Having tea parties for myself in my room... I found the teapot, finally! ♥

♥ Nicki Minaj speaks the truest (unfortunately) of words! ♥

♥ This amazing thing! Can this just please happen now? (actually, Good omens is hopefully turning into a TV series!) ♥

Other peoples' sex lives are none of your beeswax

2011-04-26T15:30:00.000-07:00

(Ruh-roh.)

Some things about human sexuality bother me.

Gender-based clichés.

Assumptions about how the relationships of others work.

This is kind of a weird topic considering that I am, in fact, an asexual virgin.

But I think that my personal disinterest in sex allows me to have an objective view of it. It's like grocery shopping or doing laundry (interestingly, I'm not super into those things either. huh.).

I think that people who are sexual sometimes connect to sex in a way that makes them feel that it's too personal. Well, my involuntary celibacy has eliminated that problem.

Let's get the hell on with it and stop talking about me. Gosh.

First of all - I am sick sick sick and tired tired tired of people obsessing over "gender roles".

Why does it matter? Do we really need to label people in that way?

I can understand wanting to identify with a gender. I identify with a gender. But that doesn't mean that the clichés surrounding said gender identity have to define your character, or other people's understanding of your character.

There's this weird thought that some people have (no names mentioned, no fingers pointed) that being masculine or larger or physically stronger automatically defines you as sexually dominant, and being feminine or smaller or physically weaker defines you as sexually submissive.

This is, if you pardon me, redonkulous. (Yes, it's a word. Spell-check lies.)

It's also a terribly outdated way of seeing things, don't you agree?

You don't know who is the dominant or the submissive unless you peek through their bedroom window while they're doing the nasty (or the nice, depending on what you prefer!).

You don't know if either party even likes to identify as dominant or submissive.

Maybe they don't.

And you know what?

You have no god-damned business making that assumption.

You have no damn clue, and you have no damn right.

One may use the classic "who is top and who is bottom" thing that people like to ask gay male couples as an example. Or even worse; "so who's the girl?" (sorry to break it to you, but there aren't girls involved at all. Try the lesbians.).

There we have being the "girl" being synonymous with the submissive party.

Um. Did you just ask someone if they prefer to be sexually dominant or submissive? And phrased it in a completely crude and heteronormative way? No. Stop. Go sit in the corner and think about what you've done. Jesus.

I feel that society would benefit from not making assumptions about peoples' sexual preferences, or snooping around other people's sex lives, or making silly connections between gender and clichéd roles that do not necessarily apply. Maybe we could use our leftover energy to do something worthwhile. But what do I know.

Saffron Makes Things

2011-04-22T05:41:00.000-07:00

I've started a new tumblr blog - a sort of online portfolio (sort of) where I post things I make.

I'll post every kind if Thing One Can Make there - be it clothing, paintings, photographs, jewellery, sculptures, sketches and so on. Please have a look - it's quite empty right now since I just made it, but I've set up a queue to post one thing a day for the next month.

neon planet

2011-04-21T15:28:00.001-07:00

neon planet by SaffronSugar featuring platform high heels

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-04-21T03:39:00.000-07:00

♥ New make-up ♥

♥ My new Professor Layton Revoltech figure... I wish there was a Luke fig as well! ♥ Cleaning out my closet... feels good man! ♥ Having the house to myself for a few days ♥ Sugarpill Cosmetics ♥ Shibuya-kei ♥ Bodysuits! And lots of them! ♥

♥ This gorgeous Louis Vuitton clutch ♥

♥ The Big Bang Theory... one of the few shows that makes me cackle like a crazy person! ♥ Takarazuka musicals ♥ H.P Lovecraft and strong tea ♥ Peach yoghurt! num num ♥ JUDAH-JUDA AH AH ♥ Channeling T'Pring when I get dressed in the morning... ♥

♥ The Lazy Song... is this song written about me or what?! ♥

♥ Orion girls ♥

Saffron somehow makes a business card (though not for herself)

2011-04-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

I recently did a simple banner and background design for a friend's blog (though the original banner doesn't have the striped background) - and last time she met, she showed me that she had the design printed on her business cards!

Pretty cute, huh?

I've been thinking about business cards for a long time - it's so difficult for me to settle on a design because there's so much to consider - what impression do I want to give? What's the appropriate colour scheme? Embossing? What paper do I choose? and so forth.

I'll have to come up with something.

It's extra hard for me because I love so many things - minimalism, maximalism, monochrome and colour, glossy and matte... it's so hard to decide because I like all of it!

Have you had business cards made?

Did you do your own design or did you hire someone else to do it?

How did you decide on a design, and what does your card express?

Saffron's favourite places - Stockholm

2011-04-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

A reader asked me about some nice places to visit in Stockholm. So I thought what the heck, I'll write an entire entry on the topic!

Stockholm is nicest, in my opinion, from May to late September.

Shopping

Old Touch

Address: Upplandsgatan 43

Nearest subway station: Odenplan

Old touch is an antique and vintage shop that is quite literally stuffed full of amazing items. Pricing is ridiculously cheap, and you can find some real gems - there are gorgeous vintage gloves, stoles, coats and interior objects that are completely irresistible.

Saturn Return

Address: Tyska Brinken 32

Nearest subway station: Gamla Stan

Saturn Return is located in a gamla stan (old town) cellar, and focuses on clubwear and rave gear - so expect brands like cyberdog and stargazer. The staff here is so, so lovely. Truly. It's worth a visit even if it's not your scene!

SFBokhandeln

Address: Västerlånggatan 48

Nearest subway station: Gamla Stan

This is Stockholm's big bad nerd store. I go there a lot. They have two floors and a rather extensive stock of both domestic and foreign literature, films, comics, merchandise, even clothing. Staff here is very lovely and helpful, and sometimes arrange events in the store like cosplay competitions and workshops.

Pom Pom Parlour

Address: Fridhemsgatan 45

Nearest subway station: Fridhemsplan

Pom Pom Parlour is a sort of high-end fetish shop. That also happens to stock retro clothing and accessories alongside their crystal-encrusted whips and latex garter belts. If you're into burlesque, or just adorable retro fashion, visit! This store has the nicest staff ever, super adorable items (like Minna Parikka shoes and Tarina Tarantino jewellery) and a very luxurious atmosphere. If you're a little, uh, sensitive to seeing sex toys and BDSM instruction books, perhaps you should avoid it. Still, it's one of my absolute favourites.

Nordiska Kompaniet (NK)

Address: Hamngatan 18-20

Nearest subway station: T-Centralen or Kungsträdgården

NK is a very old, very fancy department store that was built in 1902. Therefore, it's a very beautiful building! You can find food, clothing, jewellery, interior objects and even toys here, both high end and cheaper alternatives - though it's mostly designer items. Even if such luxurious items aren't your cup of tea, it's a worthwhile experience to just walk around and admire the grandeur.

Beyond Retro

Beyond Retro stocks retro and vintage clothing in massive amounts - they have four stores in Stockholm (the most accessible being on Drottninggatan 77, they have other stores though that may have better stock!) that are totally stuffed with clothes. You can find some real gems here, but it takes a while to comb through everything. Pricing is a little higher than other vintage stores.

Food

Ki-Mama Sushi

Address: Observatoriegatan 13

Nearest subway station: Odenplan

This is my favourite sushi bar, hands down. They open late on weekends (which is when I go), but it's worth the wait - they have a delicious menu. They don't just serve amazing sushi (If you order their 30-piece assortment you can get some really unusual pieces!), they also serve other dishes like Yakiniku (which is delicious) and Gyoza (which is served with chili oil and divine Japanese mustard that's reminiscent of Dijon mustard). The pricing is quite reasonable, as well.

Ki-Mama Ramen

Address: Birger Jarlsgatan 93

Nearest subway station: Tekniska Högskolan

This is obviously a ramen joint, and it's the only one I know of in the city. Eating here, you really get a lot of food for a very low price - portions are huge and totally delicious. This place tends to be a little quieter than the sushi bar (noodles aren't as popular as sushi, which in turn is super popular in Stockholm - there are sushi bars everywhere!). If you like noodles, go here. Please. The food is very cheap and very good.

Petite France

Address: John Ericssonsgatan 6

Nearest subway station: Rådhuset

While there are many nice places for "fika" (a tradition of coffee and cake-breaks that is as close to religion as Swedes come), Petite France is my favourite. It's not in a very central location and can be a little tricky to find, but it is so, so worth it. It's a french bakery-slash-café-slash-deli sort of deal and I pretty much live by their baked goods. They sell amazing sourdough bread, french pastries and macarons at rather reasonable prices.

Fondueboden
Address: Vanadisvägen 42

Nearest subway station: Odenplan

This is where my family goes for birthdays and similar celebrations - Stockholm's only fondue restaurant. They have a sparse menu of one meat, one cheese and one seafood fondue. We usually go with the meat and the cheese. The staff is very lovely and they will bring out as much food as you can possibly eat as you go along. Each fondue comes with tons upon tons of sauces, meats, vegetables, olives, capers, pickles and so on. It's truly delicious. The only downside to this place is that it gets a bit noisy, but the food is worth it.

asphalt

2011-04-16T09:10:00.001-07:00

asphalt by SaffronSugar featuring glass shades

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-04-14T06:15:00.000-07:00

Things I ♥ This week...

(this is the back btw, the front is basically the same)

♥ My wonderful new Black Milk swimsuit!!! I love it!! ♥

♥ Juicy Pear Jelly Bellies ♥ Almost being over this cough, yay ♥ Easter holidays next week, praise the lord ♥ Baking ♥ Chocolate Cappuccino ♥ Shoes, shoes, shoes! ♥ Deep-sea creatures! I watched Disney's Océans and now I'm more obsessed than ever ♥ The School café is getting a makeover! Unfortunately I had no say in the design so I have no idea how it'll turn out... ♥ Black rhinestones - I want to bedazzle everything... ♥

My thoughts on Lolita, and how it changed my view of fashion

2011-04-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, 13-14ish, I thought fashion was stupid

I thought spending money on clothes was idiotic. I hated the mainstream ideal, I hated trends.

Then, Lolita came along.

Perhaps you've seen Kamikaze Girls.

If not, you should.

There's a scene in there where Momoko is shot by a mannequin, and reborn as lolita.

That was a little like my situation - what I thought I knew about fashion turned out to be completely untrue. Lolita differs from mainstream fashion, there's no doubt about that.

And I loved it.

Lolita rejects the mainstream ideal - and that spoke to me. My inner punk rocker loved the rebellion against the norm. And being a fantasy geek since I was little, I loved the way the old-fashioned silhouettes, lace and velvet reminded me of fairy tales, like the hidden worlds of my favourite books. Lolita was, to me, a little like the wizarding world in Harry Potter - coexisting with the "real" world, but so different. In a frilly dress, I could escape to a world where you could sip tea all day in a pretty dress, without the slightest care for anything else.

Vivienne Westwood's Mini-Crini is considered one of the inspirations for Lolita

And once I became a frilly, there was no going back. My hunger for clothing grew.

Soon, I looked into the roots of Lolita - I found sister subcultures like Otome and Mori girl.

I discovered Vivienne Westwood's Mini Crini and Rocking Horse shoes - and thus, I found my first favourite non-Lolita designer.

I started to realize that clothes were a fantastic way to express yourself.

If I felt like a fairy princess one day, why shouldn't I dress like one?

And if I felt like a vampire the next, did anything stop me from painting my nails black and tying elaborate gemstone chokers around my neck?

Nope.

And so, I became obsessed with clothing.

My initial dislike of fashion turned out to be an alternative entry point - my rejection of trends and ideals somehow introduced me to a different way of seeing beauty.

A different way of expression, even.

I'm still rather enamoured with the Lolita style - Though my personal style of Lolita strays a fair bit from the traditional styles - I can't stand to limit myself to the strict "rules" that some insist on following. I'll pair my Angelic Pretty with corset cinchers and black nail polish and sheer pantyhose rather than the classic knee socks and puff-sleeved blouses that are the norm.

I still refuse to buy full sets of anything (seriously, how unimaginative can you get?!).

And I will scream if you try to make me wear a pair of Tea Party shoes.

But give me those poofy dresses covered in cakes and lace any day.

Spring Style - what I love, what I need, what I want to forget

2011-04-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

Spring is officially here.
After many, many months of snow and darkness and depression, the sun has showed up and it's such a relief. We had an unusually long winter, and most people (including yours truly) were begging for it all to end around three months ago.

So, I suppose that it's time for some spring style inspiration.

What I'm into : Retro styles (think 60's rather than 50's), Granny Smith green, cherry red, chunky platform shoes, big colourful bags, pale & eerie gothic styles, simple silhouettes, retro futurism - think 60's and 70's science fiction illustrations.

What I'm sick of: Sailor themes - every god damned spring, they throw the sailor trope at us. Enough already! Ballerina flats make my stomach churn. Pastels and florals are still OK in miniscule doses. And I do mean miniscule!

retro / future / nymph by SaffronSugar featuring a mini skirt

photo courtesy of this tumblr

Retro has kind of been invading my life lately. I find myself wearing bright red lipstick and having weird urges to wear bandannas in my hair, polka-dot bikinis and brightly coloured dresses. Though the previous retro trends of pencil skirts and poofy 50's cupcake dresses have taken a (very small!) step back for the bright, happy 60's minis that you can imagine some upper-class 1967 schoolgirl on holiday would wear. I blame all of the The Kinks songs I've been listening to lately! Check out this tumblr for some sweet 60's fashion.

Jane Fonda as Barbarella

While we're on the topic of the 60's, you may know that I am mad about Star Trek. Which has actually been my inspiration for style #2, retro futurism! If you've ever seen an episode of Star Trek, you probably know what the alien ladies of the show usually look like - metallic mini skirts, huge poofy hair, silvery boots and again, lots of bright colours. I love it - what the future looked like in the past is always ultra cute! Think The Jetsons, Star Trek and Barbarella.

If this moth were a girl, what would she wear? Photo courtesy of estrangedfossil

Lastly, there is always a little bit of goth in me. Rather than cloaking one self in black velvets and silks, I thought hey - imagine some moth-like forest nymph sorta deal, all pale and eerie. Seafoam, nudes and off-white combined with black and grey tones, soft fabrics and hostile metal accessories. One of my favourite jewellers, Blood Milk, makes some perfect necklaces and rings for this! My favourites are the Ritual Claw necklace and the hummingbird skull ring.

An ad from Stretsis

I think pastels are A-Okay if you offset the cutesy by wearing something completely badass to match. If I feel that the forces that be are telling me to wear a pink floral dress, I'll do so, but combining it with some badass accessories - like enormous platform boots and studded collars.

Moby Dick original print dress by Morrigan NYC

As for the cliché sailor styles, well, perhaps it's time to try a nautical look that has more to do with deep-sea creatures than the people sailing the surface? Like moby dick prints, poofy jellyfish skirts, giant squid motifs... scary and cute, right?

What styles are you into this spring? Are you planning on updating your wardrobe, or have you already?

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-04-07T11:35:00.000-07:00

Things I love this week...

♥ Baking lots of cakes ♥ my new book! I think I'm in love... ♥ Watching Easy A for the first time... loved it!!! ♥ Our new espresso machine... I think I want to marry that thing ♥ Roast beef ♥ Only having one legendary left on Pokémon White ♥

♥ These adorable Mickey Mouse soap pumps ♥
♥ Andrej Pejic - he's gorgeous! ♥ Wearing Lolita with platform buckle boots ♥ Tax refunds! Praise the lord! ♥ Ordering some new stuff... you'll see, you'll see! ♥ Assam tea, my favourite! ♥

♥ The English version of Can't Nobody by 2NE1!!! WERK!! ♥

aqva

2011-04-06T13:51:00.001-07:00

aqva by SaffronSugar featuring platform sandals

Seaweed Scarab

2011-04-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

So I've dyed my hair again.

While I was planning on dying back to blue, I thought I'd try out a different colour beforehand - so I ordered Special Effects Fish Bowl, which is a deep aqua/turquoise/teal or whatever you want to call it.

I left it in for super long (an hour), hoping for a super dark and intense shade like my last blue dye. This colour did not work in the same way!

On my brown hair, it turned out a lot greener and lighter than expected.

Not that I mind, it looks pretty cool - like a scarab at the roots, and then kelp, and then scarab again... since my hair has some natural highlights, the colour is different on different strands.

It's very grunge mermaid chic, I think!

Things I ♥ Thursday

2011-03-31T11:23:00.001-07:00

Things I ♥ this week...

♥ Asumiko Nakamura - Lolitas may be familiar with her art through the Gothic & Lolita Bible ♥ My hair dye is here! It's back to blue for me... but before that, I'm trying a new colour! You'll see! ♥ Pokémon White... finally it is mine! I picked the grass starter and named it Spock (what? it's green and bitchy... I made a logical decision) ♥

♥ The new Emily Temple Cute bunny print is so cute... ♥ Not being broke! It's a miracle! ♥ I hear it's gonna get much warmer soon... about time ♥ The flea market last weekend! It was great! ♥ Feeling tall in my platform boots ♥ Getting the history test over with... and I have a good feeling about the result for once ♥