Peppi Capri

Here are some of my most recent projects...

2010-02-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

These are going over well with the young girls and there sleeveless outfits.

2010-02-08T14:25:00.000-08:00

Sequin top with light fading to dark sequins. Really cute.

2010-02-08T14:24:00.000-08:00

Detail of silk velvet coat with sequins and stitching detail

2010-02-08T14:23:00.000-08:00

Long silk velvet coat with sequin and stitching detail.

2010-02-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

Frilly lace ruffled skirt very sparkly.

2010-02-08T14:21:00.000-08:00

Love, love love this beaded top. It is so pretty and really draws attention from the guys.

2010-02-08T14:20:00.000-08:00

Beaded silk jacket to die for.

2010-02-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

White lace corset style top and striped lace and velvet skirt.

2010-02-08T14:18:00.000-08:00

Beaded top and Skirt with beaded design.

2010-02-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

Gorgeous velvet jacket.

Some of the New Items in the shop

2010-02-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

Beautiful new dress in the shop check them out captivestudio.etsy.com

New Project....Shabby Bride

2010-01-22T06:07:00.000-08:00

I have taken on a new project for the New Year. I have promised myself that I would try to accomplish something that I feel is not obtainable to me. Something that is out of my reach. My daughters gave me some inspiring items for Christmas and I feel the need to act on the feelings that these gifts have opened up to me.
It is funny because this new project will include only old things. I want to create something new out of something old. I decided to make a wedding dress for a submission to a magazine challenge. I hope I can complete this project, lets just say it is not about the dress.
This is a picture of the original dress. I found it in an antique shop and it was not in real good condition but just right for my project.

I wanted something vintage but also wanted it to be grungy and torn and in its own way very beautiful. I want the hanging threads and raw edges, that is what life is all about. I started by ripping apart the original dress. I tore off the sleeves, and all of the lace and netting on the bodice. I left pieces here and there to get the feeling that I wanted.

I had a fun day dyeing to get the perfect vintage color. I had three large pots on the stove. One was tan one was pink and one was color remover. I dipped and plunged the pieces of the dress repeating this process until I had the color that I wanted.

I started with all of the pieces freshly dyed and dried. No iron for me I love the wrinkles it is part of the dress design. I cut a large amount of the fabric from the skirt and started to make the ruffles.

I want this area to be filled in with a soft and beautiful suprize. Lets think about the bride in the front of the church, it seems we see her from the back for the entire ceremony. I felt like the back should symbolize the tiers of her life ahead of her and there are going to be many aspects to this new life.

I will be posting more of this dress in a few days so you can see the progression.

Pink Party Dress

2009-06-29T17:42:00.000-07:00

Ever heard the saying "Buy the dress and the party will come"? I like to think that I bought this little dress for a party. Once again I bought this to cut up. I love netting and especially netting with designs on it. This looked too cute as is and I am very busy with all of my ruffle making. You can save this one too from the scissors for now. This little dress has gotten a ton of hits on Etsy as well as the Orange Paisley dress. I am so surprised that they were not snatched up immediately. I can wait for now to give this dress a little more time and hope that the ideas don't include it right away. If you see it disappear you will no where it went. I am working on some pleated cumber belts and they are turning out great. I also finished the teal lace jacket or bolero. It is really sweet.

Black and Fuzzy

2009-06-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

I guess Black and Fuzzy is not much of a description but I like this dress. It even makes me feel warm and fuzzy. I think that the roses on this are great and a description of fuzzy for silk is really inappropriate. But when will I, or ever be, appropriate. I like to bend the rules and break the law (fashion law that is) I think this was made to be a very elegant formal. I have shortened it and paired it with some funky boots to make it just as casual as an old dress. I don't like names because I don't care what it is, if I like it I buy it. A name of a design never influences my choices. I guess it should but a name is a name is a name. I love the repurposed clothes and the feel of freedom that you can get from combining different pieces. We will be mixing and matching a few pieces on our next photo shoot this week.

Beaded and Beautiful

2009-06-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

This dress was purchased to cut up and use for just about everything I could think of. I bought this piece as a formal and cut the length off to make a mini dress. I loved the red under the black I have always like the two together. The beads just set off a wonderful sparkle. I couldn't do much more and thought and thought what I could add. I know a little bolero jacket would look sweet with this. I can imagine this on someone very pale like a china doll and some odd shoes. I know this dress will look sweet on the right person. Just had to tell you that I could not cut this piece up into all the things I wanted to. It made it past my shears for now. You can find this in my shop for now. It should have the title "save me".

Aurelia's Memorial is today, She will be missed by all of her friends

2009-06-28T10:05:00.000-07:00

Aurelia's fashion was always questioned in my mind. For years I always wondered how someone could go through life wearing cat ears. None of her friends judged her for it and many of them embraced her for it. Her leather wrist cuffs always looked hot to me. I could not understand that either. Aurelia was a fun loving, free spirit and she never seemed to care what anyone thought. Aurelia was herself. She will be remembered for all of the crazy things that she would get others to do, stuffing her car with people, jumping off the bunk beds and creating a good time wherever she went. You have been on my mind quite a bit Aurelia, I didn't know you well, as a mother I used to drive you to events with my daughter and you were just another laughing child in the back seat. In high school you hung out with my daughter and her friends. You were the one at the high school ceremony who got wonderful scholarships. In collage you were the one who would show up on campus to visit my daughter, again with her friends and make the weekend fun. You came to my daughters collage graduation and I enjoyed seeing you there (with your cat ears on) you made my daughter happy. I wish I knew why you needed to leave us, we all wish we could have been there for you. Rest in Peace Aurelia....

Orange Crush Skirt

2009-06-25T08:42:00.000-07:00

This skirt turned out so cute and just in time for our photo shoot. I was up late that night finishing things. This skirt is a size 13, my heart always wants to include items like this since I spent so many years as a large woman. I had a really hard time finding fun things in a larger size. Its not fun when you really want to look special and everything is a size 3. I will offer these when I can. This is made from a formal that I cut off and redid the petty coat to peek out the bottom. I love it. I can make these in other colors but will not be the exactly the same. My model had to use some cloths pins since she is small but it looks great for the pictures.

Rumba Ruffled pants

2009-06-25T05:15:00.000-07:00

Just got these finished. My fingers are still rather grey after all the dying of the lace. Completely up-cycled all the lace and fabric is used. I didn't like the pure white and thought that it would be sweet to grey up a bunch of my laces. I was very happy when they took the dye in different ways to create the different grey color hues. Stuffed a ton of lace into a ball jar with the dye and left it for a while. I have been spending a lot of time as of lately trying to create my own fabrics. I have taken vintage fabric that are too fragile to hold together on there own and fused them onto dupioni silks) they are turning out fabulous. I am making some of it into corsets. I have also been ruffling my heart out with found fabrics and dying the laces that I find.

Perfect Paisley

2009-06-25T04:41:00.000-07:00

I love paisley and as of lately I love the color Orange. You heard it from me the color of new is Orange. I even want those silk curtains that I saw and they are Orange. I heard that is the only word that you cannot find anything rhyming with. I know a few of you will take that one on. I found this dress and loved it and my model said " I don't even want to put this on" she is young. This dress is sweet and I think would look good paired with something really strange. It was all I could do to get her to put it on for me so I could take a picture. I guess I could not push and have her wear something over it. Now on my etsy shop captivestudio.etsy.com

Violet in Vintage.

2009-06-24T11:51:00.000-07:00

Great Vintage dress, kind of small but perfect for the right person. It is a size 3, at least that is the size of my model and it fits her like a glove. I love the violet satin fabric with the little specks of purple. The rhinestones just give it the extra bling that it needs. Visit my shop later this week and see more special vintage pieces. To get a closer look remember to click on any of the pictures listed in this blog. Captivestudio.etsy.com for more of my design items.

Vintage Velvet Shrugs

2009-06-24T04:33:00.000-07:00

These velvet shrugs were too sweet to pass up. I was at an antique shop looking for lace and came across these in a friends space. She told me she was cleaning out her stuff and found these in a box that was from the day she had bought them over 30 years ago. They are in mint condition. I love this old velvet and lace. These will be in my shop later in the week.

Ruffled Top with Beaded Skirt

2009-06-24T04:17:00.000-07:00

This top turned out really sweet. I love the fact that there are raw edges on some of the adornments, the shabby really plays off of the fancy. This skirt is just beautiful in all of its monochromatic splendor. Both of these pieces really catch the light. I will be listing these for sale in my online shop so keep in touch there is more to come. For a closer look you can click on any of the pictures. This skirt has sold but the top is still available that is why it is still pictured.

Fringe and lace

2009-06-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

This piece is adorable, it has a lot of vintage stuff on it. The fringe is actually off of an old drama curtain that I found years ago. It hangs beautifully around this lace and satin ruffle. I added a few bables with the vintage earring broach it is removable for dry cleaning. Every thing in this piece is up-cycled for new use. I think it turned out great. Check back for more items I am tired and quitting for today.

Just finished this dress...

2009-06-23T17:52:00.000-07:00

This dress turned out really cute. It is a little big on my model but she looked so cute in it. This is a size 8 and it is all up-cycled fabric and lace. This was one of my first projects since I dug out my sewing machine. We had our first photo shoot today and it was really fun. Hope you enjoy these and there is a lot more to come. I will be posting these for sale in my shop captivestudio.etsy.com

Jewelry Boxes

2009-06-19T05:09:00.000-07:00

These jewelry boxes and cupboards turned out soooo cute. I just love them I have sold quite a few on Etsy and people have given them as gifts. They were so ugly when I started on them and so sweet after I am done. Check out more at my etsy shop captivestudio.etsy.com

Perfect little clutch

2009-06-19T04:55:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't this little beaded clutch look perfect with a pair of jeans. I guess I like the bling along with the shabby. I found this at an antique shop and just could not resist. It is in my Etsy shop captivestudio.etsy.com

Whispering Wisteria In Washington D.C.

2009-06-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

I could take pictures all day in D.C. there are so many beautiful things. I took this the day of the Post Secret exhibit it D.C. It was a good exhibit but much too small. We loved the room with the cards and the thumb tacks where you could post your own secrets, and we did. Thank you to the guy who let us park, he told us we were on private property and we could not park there and then when Alison opened her door he took one look at her and said, "you stay right where you are I will take care of you". I have had so many nice reactions to her disabilities, you go girl. One time she asked the flight attendant if she could see the pilot area, and then the flight attendant asked if she would like to sit in first class. Wow that was an unexpected upgrade.

Met the girls for lunch in D.C.

2009-06-18T17:06:00.000-07:00

Visited the Post Secret exhibit in Washington D. C. and had lunch a few blocks away in Dupont Circle. Saw this sign at the Moroccan Embassy and the building was really in bad shape. But the lawn was free of dog droppings.

Great Fascinators made from Vintage items

2009-06-18T06:08:00.000-07:00

These fascinators turned out so pretty. I have used quite a few vintage items on these pieces. I was down in my studio ripping off the netting from dead hats and scrounging through my vintage earrings to find the perfect items to include in these. Any of the items can be purchased in my etsy shop captivestudio.etsy.com

Collar on my new model

2009-06-18T06:01:00.000-07:00

This is the exact same collar that you can see below. I decided to take more pictures with my new model. It is so pretty when it is on a pretty person.

Beautiful lace collar...

2009-06-18T05:44:00.000-07:00

This collar was made from a vintage collar and I added laces from my stash. I love the way it lays on the neck it is soooo pretty.

Cuffs turned out great!

2009-06-18T05:42:00.001-07:00

Some of my newest items.

2009-06-18T05:29:00.000-07:00

These cuffs turned out beautiful. They are made from re-purposed items in my inventory or stash as I call it. I really enjoyed making these although they are not real funky like I usually like to do. It has been a very long time since I used the sewing machine and I need to get back into the swing of things. I have a lot more items to come so keep posted.

Beautiful Urn Washington D.C.

2009-06-18T05:26:00.000-07:00

The need to move on

2009-06-18T05:14:00.000-07:00

After much thought and through the process of organizing my environment I realized that I have everything right here to continue on. I have collected beautiful items my whole life. Items that I never really new what I would do with them. Items that just spoke to me. Items from around the world. I have horded fabric and hats, shoes and jewelry, clothing and even bridal gowns. I started unpacking these items and realized how beautiful these items were and they have been packed away in boxes where no one could enjoy them. I have always loved the funky and the different, the quirky and the unusual, the weird and the wacky way to express ones self through fashion. Then it came to me that through fashion I could use these items to re purpose clothing and accessories that would be wonderfully excepted. I decided to continue on with the desire to create. To use the items that I have collected over the years. I could re purpose these and turn them into fashionable creations for those of you that love handmade and something different than anyone else can have. My couture items are one of a kind, even I cannot create more than one. I have picked items from my collections and remade them into one of a kind creations that some of you will love. I know that these kind of clothes are not for everyone that is why they are so special. Each one will be specially made for the person who decides to own them. I kind of feel like I know the person who will buy the item before they even know that they want it. It is an expression of myself along with the items that have been chosen and the personality of the person who wants it. Does that make sense? It does to me.

I have been enjoying many of your blogs and wish that I was as young and talented as most of you are. One person in particular has really encouraged me to do this and maybe one day I will tell her. I don't know her, I read her blog every day and love the stuff that she picks for her wardrobe. She is across the ocean from me and is truly talented. I know she feels that people don't understand her form of expression through her wardrobe but I love it.