New Beginnings...

I'm writing this post to 'get it all out' so to speak. This week is my last week in my current job. I've worked at the University of Leeds for almost 4 years and on Friday I leave for good. Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely ecstatic about my new job at The Hepworth Wakefield and I cannot wait to FINALLY work in an Art Gallery, but I am intensely sad about leaving the place I've come to know as my second home!

I won't go in to detail but my leaving is reluctant, I feel I have very little choice and leaving will help preserve my sanity! I didn't realise I felt so sentimental and sad though until this morning.

My colleague needed a hand taking some stuff up to the room she was using for training, we trekked across campus to the Liberty Building and I decided to take the scenic route back. I wandered past all of the buildings and felt somewhat nostalgic, especially when I ended up outside Baines Wing, the place I worked when I initially started here at the Uni. I was shocked when I felt tears prickle my eyes. I got back to my office and then the tears started (thankfully i'm alone today) so I went to fix myself a cafetiere of coffee and plonked myself down in front of the PC.

I think having been here for so long, having had some major life changes whilst being here and growing a heck of a lot (personally and professionally) its actually a real wrench when it comes to leaving. It feels as though I am leaving part of my life behind, not just the job, and in a way, I am leaving a big part of my life behind as my life is now about new beginnings...

I keep looking at the pluses of my new job and less time spent travelling and being closer to home in an environment that is unbelievably inspiring will be AMAZING! I will be travelling maybe 30 mins out of the whole day as opposed to the 90+ mins that it currently takes to get me door to door on a morning and evening. I will have much more time to put in to the Treasure Chest and get more stock made up. I wont have to battle through commuters at the train station and I'll be able to get home at a reasonable hour!

I'm dreading Friday, my actual last day, but I need to keep telling myself that starting afresh isnt really that scary!

Everyone Loves A Pin Up Girl!

I recently purchased some pin up art suitable for cameo's/glass tiles/magnets etc. I've bought ready made ones in the past, usually from the USA, but as I had everything in to make them from scratch, I decided to have a go!

You get a sheet (or two) of images that you print and then cut out and cover with a glass dome/epoxy sticker. The result, when set in to a setting, is really cool! I'll definitely be purchasing more of these, they are quick, easy and incredibly effective. They make great necklaces or brooches and you can buy loads of different settings to put them in.

I'm a big fan of old skool tattoo's and pin up girls so these designs are great!

On the plus side, they also work out to be really cost effective, so a necklace would be around £10 to buy which is a real plus point and cameos are always a big seller.

Dare I mention the 'C' word? Yes, CHRISTMAS! I'm already making stock! It's a bit crazy really but I envisage these selling like hot cakes!

What do you think of the pin up cameos?

Lipstick Love

I've never been the shy and retiring type when it comes to make-up! My mantra as a teen was 'the brighter the better' and less was definitely not more when it came to my make-up bag. The main splash of colour I used to use when I was younger was in the form of Eyeshadow and I had a hefty MAC collection to choose from!

As I've gotten older I've matured a bit and my eye make-up tends to consist of the same neutral eyeshadow shades and if I'm feeling particularly adventurous then I add a slick of feline black liquid liner to my peepers. The one item that I NEVER used to use when I was a teen was Lipstick. I was a Gloss-a-holic but Lipstick never interested me, until now. For the past 6 months I have amassed a HUGE collection of Lipsticks in all shades and brands (mainly due to my swapping sisters on Beauty Box Swaps) and I have been rocking some crazy colours on a daily basis.

The reason I love Lipstick is that you can have a fairly plain, neutral face and add a slick of lippie and look instantly 'done'. I love the way it transforms you from plain to preened in one slick. They are also more portable than carrying a palette of Eyeshadows (and the brushes et all that goes along with it) and you can throw a few in your handbag so you can change your look as often as you please.

Below I've added pictures (beware they were taken on my iPhone and are pretty pants quality, I must dig out my camera) of my current favourite Lipsticks and the brand/shade if you like the look of them. I'll do a proper review on some of them in future, but this is just an introduction to my favourites!

First up:

Bourjois Lovely Rouge in Rouge Best

This one is a lovely red, its really very classy and I ADORE Bourjois Lovely Rouge Lipstick's. I tend to pick them up from eBay and other discount cosmetics websites fairly cheaply. They wear really really well and last a long time before needing a top up. This shade is a lovely retro matte finish and it reminds me of MAC's Ruby Woo.

Second:

Collection 2000 (now known as Collection) Lasting Colour Lipstick in Pink Shock

This one is a really bright bubblegum pink. I've not really worn it more than twice as I keep forgetting its in my make-up bag. Its quite satiny in finish and it does last well but not as well as the Bourjois lippies I have. Its not expensive and its a fun colour to have in my collection.

Third up:

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Coral

Love love love love this colour! Its the perfect orange/red for me and I like it a lot! Even better, it was a swap from BBS so I swapped something I hadn't and wouldn't use for something I would. My only problem with this Lipstick is that it doesn't last as long as I'd like. I wouldn't buy it full price as I've found a seller on eBay that sells them reeeeeeeally cheaply, but I would repurchase again for sure.

Fourthly:

Bourjois Lovely Rouge in Fuchsia Adore

This is actually my favourite Lipstick of all time, its also incredibly difficult to get hold of now which drives me crackers! Its the perfect blue toned pink and it lasts on your lips FOREVER. I've gone on many a night out, removed my make-up at the end of the night and STILL had bright pink lips in the morning. I found Shu Uemura cleansing oil is the best at removing it but even then you're still left with a slight pink stain on your lips. I bought this Lipstick when I was in my early 20's and have bought it constantly for around 8 years! That is how much I love this product. Also a tiny dab on your cheeks makes a fab cheek tint!

Last but not least:

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in Harlot

I love OCC Lip Tar's. I'm pretty new to them, having acquired 2 (Harlot and Anime) in swaps over at BBS. Harlot is a coral toned red. OCC Lip Tar's don't disappoint and I have to say, they are flipping awesome! I now have 4 and another 2 on the way (Harlot, Anime, Beta and Strumpet and Queen and Pretty Boy are on the way) I have to say I think I love them more than actual lipsticks, the only downside being you need to apply them with a lip brush as a little goes a long way so that makes them slightly less portable (imagine trying to apply in an inebriated state...) They last a long time on the lips but are a pain if you get them on your hands/skin/clothes as they stain! I love that they are cruelty free and suitable for Vegans and the range of colours is amazing! I buy mine over at CutECOsmetics as the customer service and price is superb!

All in all I'm sorry for rambling about Lipstick and the self indulgent pose-y shots of my mush, but I hope you enjoyed reading about some of my fave lippies.

I'd love to hear what are your favourite Lipsticks and why?

Why handmade Millinery is so expensive!

I'm new to millinery. I don't proclaim to be an expert, and I still have a lot to learn, but I'd like to take you through the process of making a fascinator base.

You can buy fascinators in most shops these days, they are mass produced and unpersonalised, but they are pretty cheap! I've bought fascinators before, and I've never spent more than £24. It's only since I've actually learnt HOW to make a base that I realise why the price of bespoke millinery is justified.

Some people just use ready made bases, I don't do this, as generally you can only buy round ones and you can pretty much make any shape you'd like.

Firstly, we start with the sinamay. Handmade millinery normally has 3 layers of sinamay, as opposed to the mass produced one or two layers (if you're lucky).

This is cut on the bias, 3 layers are pressed together and then you can cut your shape.

Once you've cut the desired shape, you sew wire around the outside of the shape.

This is a pretty time consuming job, as you need to use a special stitch to secure the wire.

Once the wire is secure, you need to create the binding. You can buy this, and I won't lie, when I have the money I will, but I've made my own here.

Then once the binding is sewn round the outside of the wired base, you have a finished base ready to decorate!

Don't be fooled by my basic instructions. This base has taken me around 4 hours to complete. Imagine you're paying yourself £5 an hour (less than the minimum wage) that's £20 without even factoring in materials or the time taken to decorate and finish! You can see why bespoke millinery is so pricey now can't you?

I love doing this, its therapeutic and the possibilities are endless shape wise, but even taking in to account that this is a small base, it's time consuming and expensive.

I'm waiting for the materials to decorate this to arrive, so there'll be another post on putting it together as a whole.

When you consider you can pay up to £100 on the high street for a generic run of the mill fascinator, would you now consider buying bespoke?

Cabin Fever!

Ok, so on my way out to work yesterday I was rushing and managed to fall down the stairs of my Victorian house. Ouch. Suffice to say, I hit the bottom with a bit of a thump (and every stair on the way) so I've been pretty much housebound with a very sore shoulder and a broken little toe. Other than being in pain, I feel ok, but I've had to take sick leave (as opposed to working from home, my preferred option!) So after a full day of doing nothing but resting yesterday, I've been bored out of my brain today.

I found some bits that hadn't been shifted to the attic studio (obviously out of bounds with my foot the size of an elephants!) and after throwing a couple of painkillers down my neck, I decided to play around with some materials. This resulted in the below necklace, which all in all, I'm amazingly happy with!

I've spent a fair bit of time using up some charms that have been lying round, I finally made use of the cameo settings I ordered a while back and I've added some glitz in the way of pearls and crystals. So see, skulls can be pretty, ladylike and sophisticated without being scary or too 'gothy' (for the record, I dig 'gothy')

I'm loving the style of this necklace. It's really pretty and very cute. At least I haven't wasted today. (I also repressed some eyeshadows and a blusher that had shattered using alcohol gel. A post for another day!)

Chain and Charm Cameo Necklace - £15 The Treasure Chest

Skull Love

The Treasure Chest is all about skull love! Check out this beauty! He's a decanter but doesn't have a stopper so I'm using him as a decorative piece in the house.

Here he is with a button bouquet I made and a multi coloured mosaic candle holder in my bay window.

He'd look pretty cool with a candle in too! I'm hoping to get a few more of these to decorate and sell on. I'm thinking day of the dead themes!

What do you think?

Goodbye Timeline, Hello Blogging!

My first post, well, hello and welcome! I've decided to set up a blog to give you a bit more insight in to The Treasure Chest, my life and how it fits together. Now Facebook has kicked the page on to the dreaded timeline, its harder to keep in touch with my fans and followers so after musing on it a while, I figured I'd start a blog and you can keep up with me that way! A blog is a bit more personal and I can fill you in on stuff other than The Treasure Chest so you can really get to know me and hopefully see where my ideas come from! So yes, hello, welcome and here's to my foray in to the world of blogging!

PS) Just to clear up any confusion, I will still be using my Facebook page and you can contact me via Facebook or my email the_treasure_chest@hotmail.co.uk

Ciao for now!