Friday 28 August 2015

MAKE IT COOL!

Two creative readers share their arty ideas for customising basic items to make a super-cool fashion statement! Ana and Ellen tell you how…

Ana says:
I had to get white canvas shoes to be in a production of GREASE this summer. It was great, because I've been wanting white shoes for ages, but my mum wouldn't let me get them - she said they'd get dirty too easily. Anyway, when GREASE was over I had the idea of drawing on them to brighten them up and personalise them! They took about two hours to do. I just used normal permanent markers - which just so happen to be on special offer in Tesco at the moment! Even the shoes weren't expensive, just £7 off ebay or amazon. Sadly the artwork is probably not waterproof, but you can't have everything!

Ellen says:
Mum asked me if I would label my PE kit for school - she suggested that I use the laundry pen to write my name on things. Somehow, I don't think this is exactly what she had in mind! The t-shirt was £7 for a pack of three… Mum likes a bargain and got them in a sale. They're all different - but this one was plain and needed a little something extra! So, Mum asked me to mark up the t-shirt… she is trying to get me to take more responsibility for things now I am eleven, but I'm not sure she'll be asking me again! I just started writing my name and then found myself doodling… I didn't plan it and I didn't think too much while I was doing it. It was a spur of the moment thing. I used to have a teacher who would tell us to 'take our pencils for a walk,' and let our imaginations control our pencil. I think that's what I was doing! When I finished I realised it looked a bit like a cover on a book I have. I love art… it means FUN to me… F for fantasy, U for unique and N for nonsense. I love playing with words…lettering is cool. I like using lines and sometimes I use symmetry too… you can do a lot with lettering! Go for it… buy a laundry marker pen and let your imagination loose. It deserves it!

Cathy says:
Wow… both Ana and Ellen have talent to spare… and a great sense of design! Awesome. Have YOU ever customised your own clothes or  made something unique to make a fashion statement? COMMENT BELOW to tell me more!

8 comments:

  1. I love Ana's shoes, and I think Ellens idea would be good trying it with different words. I'd personally like to see a yellow shirt with emoji written across it!

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  2. even if the colours do run in the shoes it'll make an awesome, crazy pattern!

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  3. I have used fabric markers to design some of my plain t-shirts! It is so fun and I would recommend doing it in your spare time! If it doesn't work out, you can always use your customised top as PJs! I've been thinking about designing my own white canvas shoes for a while, maybe I'll try it soon! Cool post! :)

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  4. When I was 12, I had a pair of black Converse shoes. I loved them. But after a while, they started to get faded and battered and I thought they could do with livening up. I had a silver pen for reasons unknown to me so I wrote song lyrics all over my shoes. Because why not? I still had the pen when Toby gave me his old schoolbag after mine broke. It was beige. I don't like beige. So I wrote and drew on the bag with the silver pen too. I have an army jacket that I got from a surplus store that my friend helped me customise. He sewed 6 patches on the back and put a skull stud through the lapel and I added a bunch of safety pins and badges. I got more patches after he stopped being my friend and because I don't have a sewing machine, I had to hold them onto the jacket with safety pins. I have a couple of other customisation projects lined up - I want to customise a denim jacket I have and I want to make patched jeans. I'm going to have to ask a friend to help because I am not good at patching!

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  5. I love these ideas! The shoes and top are amazing! 😍 x

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  6. Cathy, I have emailed you a couple of blog posts. I didn't hear anything back, and then I re-sent them three times. Could you please have a look or at least reply here to let me know? Thank you so much! :) Also what is Icecream and Dreams about?

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    1. I am currently v behind with emails, one of my immediate family is very ill. Email again now and remind me so I know what I am looking for… I have so many blog related emails pending. xxx

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  7. hey! remember in angel cake when frankie and anya painted anya's white runners black with silver marker stars in art class in angel cake? I thought that was really cool!

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