DIY Rhinestone Ear Cuff (from an old necklace)

I've been wanting an ear cuff from the moment I saw them popping up on Pinterest. I couldn't find anything I liked that was affordable, so I set out to make my own. So, this project has been on my to-do list for ages. It took me a while to figure out how to make it. Then, I had one of those lightbulb moments when going through a box of miscellaneous items. I found this vintage rhinestone necklace I got from my Grandma. There were some rhinestones missing, so it had become unwearable. I love that I could give it a new life. Every time I wear it, it reminds me of my Grams. I love things that have a story to tell! And the end result looks simply stunning, non?

Here's what you'll need to make your own:
♥ Old rhinestone necklace or separate rhinestones
♥ Wire cutters (if using an old necklace)
♥ Earring studs and backs
♥ Strong gel adhesive (like E6000 or similar)
♥ A simple nose ring

A little tip for glueing the rhinestones together. After adding the adhesive, I'd recommend placing the earrings on plastic to dry. There's going to be some glue residue on the back and the earring will stick to  whatever you place it on. Plastic is more inconspicuous and easier to remove once the adhesive has dried.
After you're done with the above steps, glue the earring studs to the back of the earrings and let dry. Finally, glue the nose ring to the back top part of the ear cuff. It should be positioned so that you can attach the nose ring to your ear. This makes the ear cuff stay in place. Without the ring it'll just fall down because of it's weight.

I hope this tutorial helps anyone wanting to tackle an ear cuff DIY.

Favorite Things: Just breathe

I've been trying to be more present in my life lately. It's so easy to get lost in the bits and pieces of everyday life, that it can quickly feel like time is just passing us by without us even realizing it. I don't want to someday wonder where all the time went. The only time we have is right now. We should make every day, every moment count. It's all we have.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

Why do I blog?

It seems that Elsie's post about blogging sparked a discussion in the blogosphere. For me, it couldn't have come at a better time. I've been asking myself some hard questions lately, one of them being "Why do I blog?". Not an easy question to answer as it turns out. Elsie and Melissa both wrote about some interesting points that made me dig deeper into the question of why. So, to organize my thoughts, and maybe spark yours, I thought I'd write about my own blogging journey and the reasons behind it.

the design of my first blog is still a little embarrassing

I started my very first blog back in February 2008. I shared my craft projects on a very popular Estonian crafting site that brought together a community of like-minded people, and I really wanted to be a part of it. I remember the anxiety and excitement before hitting the publish button for the very first time. Will people like what I do? Will anybody comment? Will I be accepted into the community? I couldn't check my comment form often enough to see whether someone had noticed me.

Fast forward to 2009. I got some attention, but I wasn't really happy with my blog. It just wasn't inspiring me anymore. I craved change, a wider audience, and a fresh start. So, I created my second blog Hapa's Eco Renewals (not the best name, unfortunately) and started blogging in English instead of my native Estonian. That's when I really dove into the blogging world. I started following other creative bloggers and blogging more and more. A year into my second blog I first started to think about maybe someday turning my blog into some sort of business venture. At that time I wasn't really sure about my university studies and I couldn't seem to find my true passion. I loved making things, so why not make that my career?

Then, in 2011 I decided to go for my childhood dream of becoming a singer. From the first lessons I was hooked and I felt I'd found my true passion. That feeling has not changed. All the while I kept blogging and even with my passion for singing, my multi-passionate mind couldn't let go of the idea of creating a successful blog. So, in 2012 I created Pearls & Scissors.

Finally, after all these years of trial and error I created something I was proud of. I worked very hard on this blog, at the same time getting my Master's degree in psychology, and studying singing full-time. It was a crazy year, but I managed to juggle it all. Then life happened and I had to put the blog on the back-burner. Now, I finally feel settled again and I find myself at the cross-roads, again - do I continue blogging as just a hobby, or do I turn it into a side business?

I still haven't made up my mind. There are pros and cons to both ways of blogging. But, no matter what road I (or you) take, the most important thing is to remember why I started in the first place, and why I keep on blogging. Here's my top 3 reasons:

1. It's fun! For me, this has always been the point that brings me back to blogging, even if I've lost the drive for awhile. I think it should always be fun. Even if you're monetizing your blog, blogging should still bring you joy. Without the fun factor, it can feel like just a lot of hard work (which it is). That's also the biggest concern for me when it comes to monetizing my blog. I wonder if I'm still going to feel the excitement when I know I have to create posts to keep my promise to my sponsors? Will I have enough creative energy to keep this blog thriving? And, above all else, do I really have the time to give it my best? I wouldn't want to compromise my dream of becoming an operatic singer, because that is my ultimate goal. But, that is a longer discussion for another post.

2. I love to share and interact! Connection is the second key concept in blogging for me. I wouldn't be blogging if I just wanted to document my creative endeavors. I wouldn't be creating tutorials, if I didn't want to share my knowledge. I wouldn't be commenting if I didn't want to connect. Without you to share my thoughts, inspiration, ideas, and projects with, this blog would be worthless to me. So, thank you for sticking with me for a shorter or longer period! I value every single comment and e-mail you've sent. And I'd love to connect even more in the future.

3. I want to inspire! Seeing that somebody is inspired by my tutorial or has used it to make something for themselves is like a high for me. I love helping people, so it's such a thrill to see that my knowledge and ideas have helped someone bring more creativity into their lives. Because, creativity is the best therapy, right? I truly believe in that, and I hope I can keep on inspiring.

Now, I'd love to hear from you - Why do you blog? 

Thank you for reading!

Friday favorite reads

It's Friday, my friends! I've been down with the flu for the past couple of days, just kicking it back, drinking lots of tea and getting plenty of rest. I'm already feeling so much better and can't wait to get back into the swing of things around here. Before I get back to drinking more tea, and tackling my to-do list, I thought I'd share some of my favorite articles around the interwebs this week for your weekend reading pleasure (there's still time to use your get-March-for-free coupon to get your hands on this month's DIY Lifestyle Mag).

image via ohdeardrea

Andrea from Ohdeardrea recently wrote about a subject very close to my heart - living a happier, more fulfilled, and sustainable lifestyle. This is something I believe very strongly in, and her writing resonated with me. My parents have thought me to live within my means and to be conscious of my spendings. It's part of the Estonian lifestyle, I think. Most of the people in Estonia don't even own a credit card. So, we never spend money we don't have. And that helps to create a more meaningful relationship with the items you buy as well. When you know you're spending your hard earned cash, you probably think twice before buying something you don't really need. And valuing the things you have is the corner stone of sustainable living. I could go on and on about this, but that will have to wait for another post.

image via A Beautiful Mess

Elsie's post about blogging as a young industry sparked so many thought in me. I spent an hour reading through the comments. It was really interesting to read other bloggers' opinions and struggles on this subjects. I've also been thinking a lot about the direction of Pearls & Scissors recently. I haven't reach any conclusions or decisions yet, but I've done a lot of dreaming and scheming (trying to see the forest behind the trees).

The last thing I want to share today is the Wardrobe Architect series over at Colette Patterns' blog. One of my goals for this year was to work on building my dream wardrobe. A closet full of clothing I would love to wear. I hate standing in front of the closet and thinking I have nothing to wear, although it's backed with clothes. I have a lot of clothing that I have outgrown, but have trouble parting with, and clothing that fits badly, but I love otherwise. I'm looking forward to diving into the wardrobe architect series. It's full of great tips.

I hope you'll have a wonderful weekend!

Refashionista: Choker/halter neckline makeover

This blouse sat sadly in my to-refashion pile for quite some time. I loved the beaded neckline, but not the fact that it was a choker and a halter, which made it a bit uncomfortable for me. Not to mention the neckband was attached in a way I just couldn't figure out how to wear. It just didn't look right. However, I really wanted to make it work because the color is this lovely burgundy, and the beading on the neckline is simply to die for. And, I got it from a friend, so I couldn't let it just sit in a pile unused. I finally figured out a simple modification that would change the whole game.

The first modification I did was to take the blouse in from the back seam. It was a couple of sizes too big. After that I moved on to the neckline alterations.

As you can see from the picture above, I removed the neckband, and then cut open the top of the blouse. That seam was totally baffling to me, so I solved the mystery by simply cutting it open. Now the neckline made much more sense to me. I decided I didn't want the neckband to tie in the back. So, after re-attaching the neckband in the front, I tried on the blouse, and pinned the ribbon to the sides on the back, creating an open back look. Finally, I cut off the leftover ribbon and attached the straps in the back. The sewing on this one was all done by hand.

I'm totally in love with the new look of the blouse! It's more functional and sophisticated. Not that the original neckline was that bad, but this is just more me, I guess. This project is the perfect addition to my performance wear. Since one of my sewing goals for this year was to create more performance attire, I'm especially pleased with this one. And, I already have the perfect skirt to pair it with.

I think I need to make a beaded belt to tie together the blouse and the skirt. Another project to add to my list. You finish one and another steps in its place. That's how the crafty mind works, my friends!

(Thanks to Mari Krõõt for the photography)

DIY Two into one t-shirt on Oh Everything Handmade

I always try to make time for sewing on weekends, but, I must admit, there's never as much time as I'd like. Sometimes I only have 20 minutes to spare. That's when this super simple refashion came into being. You can find the tutorial and more pics over at Oh Everything Handmade.

Have a creative weekend!

Featured on DIY Lifestyle Magazine and FREE March edition for you

Happy Friday, my friends! I don't know about you, but I'm in dire need of a weekend. I'm so looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow, having a big cup of tea and snuggling with a magazine or two.

But, before I'm off to enjoy my weekend, I have a treat for you. I've been featured in the DIY Lifestyle Magazine, a digital magazine available for iPad full of great DIY ideas and projects, and they're offering all Pearls & Scissors' readers the March edition for free!

For your free trial, download the magazine here. Click on SUBSCRIBE and then CURRENT SUBSCRIBERS. Enter in promo code: march1free to get the current issue for free (go here, if you're having trouble downloading). Get it soon because the coupon is only valid until April 13, 2014.

Enjoy!

If I was a doll

I was going through some old folders on my computer and I stumbled on these pics we took a little over a year ago with my girlfriends. We experimented with different styles and just had some fun. I've shared all the other scenes from that photoshoot before (here, here, and here), but somehow the doll scene had gone unnoticed.

I had so much fun dressing up as an actual doll! It was rather difficult to keep a straight face and an empty look, though. The pics turned out pretty cool. This gets me inspired to create more fun photoshoots.

Refashionista: Black long evening gown

Refashionista is finally back! It's been too long since my last refashionista post. Not that I haven't made anything, but it's taken me awhile to get things photographed, and I've also been sewing from scratch more these days (those posts are coming as well).

Now, on to this beauty I made several months ago, actually. One of my goals for this school year was to add to my performance wear. I desperately needed a simple, yet dressy concert gown. I made myself a gorgeous, but super fancy concert gown last spring, but I needed something more subtle. What would be better than a classic and elegant long black evening gown.

For this dress I used two old garments from my refashion pile (pictured above). The first a simple black velvet dress that was a couple of sizes too big and an odd length. The second my Mom's old lace blouse she wasn't wearing anymore. The best thing about these two garments was that they were both stretchy, which meant no zippers and an ultra comfy dress. It's like performing in your pj's!

The velvet dress was exactly wide enough to become the skirt part of the new dress. I cut the upper part of the velvet dress off, just below the armholes and attached it to the underlining of the lace blouse.

Then I used the pattern on the lace to cut out a new uneven hem for the blouse. I attached the blouse hem to the velvet skirt with pins and sewed it on by hand adding small seed beads along the way as embellishment. I did the same cut out hem with the sleeves of the dress. I think it gives it so much more sophistication, although it's a very simple modification.

This could be the easiest evening gown ever made. It turned out exactly as I hoped and I've been getting a lot of wear out of it already. A very successful make in my book!