Halloween - Arachnophobia Nest Wreath

True to form, the very first Halloween Tutorial I am going to share with you 

is how to make your own Halloween Themed Wreath to dress up your Front Door 

OR use as a Party/Wall decor. 

I have A few more Halloween themed DIY Party Decorations & Wall Decor Ideas coming your way for the entire month of October, so keep your eyes peeled... 

Arachnophobia Nest Wreath By: Upcy

What you'll need:

• recycled newspapers/advertisements
• scissors
• tape (of any kind)
• Black Feather Boa(s) (the number needed will depending on the size of your wreath - I used 3 to create the one shown here).
• small decorative spiders (can be found at any Dollar or Craft store, or anywhere Halloween decorations are sold)
• Any other decorations you choose to add, I added a small cluster of dark purple Flowers as well as added purple and black glitter detailing to the spiders. 
• hot glue gun
• glue-stick refills

How to Create your Arachnophobia Nest Wreath

Step 1. Building your basic heart shape
Using Recycled news papers/advertisements I create a long tube that I shaped/rounded securing with tape as I went along until I had a doughnut like shape I was happy with! DO NOT stress if this is not a perfect (or even close to perfect) shape just yet, as it will be covered with fabric.

If you would like to see a more detailed step by step break down of how I create the center of my wreaths feel free to do that on a previous Wreath Tutorial 

I shared which you can find HERE 

Step 2. Wrap with Black Feather Boas. 

As shows in the Images below, using a hot glue gun start by adhering the end of your boa at any point on your wreath. You will want to try and separate the feathers & find the small rope on the center and glue this down as it will be very difficult to properly attack the loose feathers to your recycled paper doughnut core.  

DIY Arachnophobia Nest Wreath By: Upcy

Step 3. Continue Adding Boas as necessary
Continue wrapping the boa around the doughnut core adhering it by the center rope as you feel necessary to secure it. When adding your second, third, or possibly forth boas be sure to tuck the end of the new boas under the previous one to ensure a seamless transition. 

Step 4. Add Spiders & Your choice of Decorative Details

Once your entire wreath is completely covered in feathers begin adding the spiders to your wreath in clusters, spread throughout, crawling up one side, however you'd like! 

Note: Before adding the spiders to my wreath I wanted to dress them up a bit so I added dark purple and black glitter to them using Mod Podge for my little touch of glitter - 

*be sure to allow them to dry completely before adding if you choose to do this as well

Step 5. & Your choice of Decorative Details

Don't be scared to get creative with it, & add any touches that you'd like, I decided to add a small cluster of Dark Plum/Purple Flowers to mine as you can see in the photos below, for a touch of colour & to really make the Purple glitter I used on the sliders POP!

Arachnophobia Nest Wreath By: Upcy

I hope you enjoyed this DIY & remember to ALWAYS

Dream Big     Sparkle More      Shine Bright

Betty Boop- (Must try Make-Up Looks to Try This Halloween).

For the month of October I will be sharing Halloween themed #MakeupMondays 

this weeks look is Betty Boop inspired.

Paired with tight pin curls, a red dress, red heals, & gold accessories 

this Makeup look would Make a very simple classic & cute Halloween Costume 

using just the items in your Closet & Makeup Bag

Betty Boop Halloween Makeup
Model: Carly Kimber
Makeup By: Jennie Matthie

Products I Used: 

I tried to keep the number of products to a minimum in the Halloween looks to Simplify & make them easier to re-create! 

• Perfecting Liquid Foundation 

• Concealer

• Bronzer

• SheerGlow Highlighter

• Blush - Blossom 

• Runway Rouge Lipstick

• Black Liquid Eyeliner 

• It's A Long Story Mascara 

Betty Boop Halloween Makeup
Model: Carly Kimber
Makeup By: Jennie Matthie

How To Get The Look!

Face: The cartoon character Betty Boop has a very oddly proportioned/elongated face. Using contouring & Re-Drawing eyebrows we can re-create her funny cartoon face shape!!

Step 1. Apply Primer followed by Perfecting Liquid Foundation over your entire face!

Step 2. We want to raise the eye brow - to about mid-way through your forehead in a very Up-turned shape! Begin covering your natural eye-brows - this will take several layers of this process. Begin by Applying Concealer over your eyebrows, (using whichever concealer matches your skin tone) then set this using a translucent setting powder. 

Repeat as necessary/desired - depending on the darkness & thickness of your brow this will be a bit easier/more challenging to achieve. 

* Note there are cosmetic products on the market designed to cover your eye brows, as well using a glue sticks applied over your brow to glue down the hairs is also effective.- But I like to keep my tutorials exclusively Arbonne Cosmetics.

Step 3. Apply concealer below the eyes down to mid-cheek this will be the beginning of the process of lowering her cheeks & then follow with sheer glow highligher in the same shape, as seen in the photo above.

Step 4. You will be applying your Bronzer slightly lower than you normally would to re-contour your cheek (think the top of your jaw bone as opposed to the natural contour)

Step 5. Finish off your newly shaped cheeks/face by applying blush in an obnoxiously round shape below your natural cheek bone in place of where you would traditionally contour!

Eye:

Step 6. Re-Draw your new BOLD BLACK Eye-brow using liquid eyeliner midway up your forehead in a very upturned fashion as shown in the image above of cartoon Betty Boop. 

Step: 7. Extend the natural - to create your new cartoon eye, using liquid eye liner, above and below your eye. as seen in the photo above *being sure to line your waterline as well. 

Step 8. Apply It's a long story Mascara to your lashes to blend them into the Black liner/your new eye shape.

Step 9. Apply False Eyelashes onto your eyelid to finish off your new eye shape. You can also draw on a few lash sweeps as I have done using your liquid eyeliner to really open up & enhance the eye!

Lip:
Step 10. Blend the outside portion of your lips out into your face using concealer and perfecting foundation!

Step 11. Re-draw your kissing/heart/duckface lips extending above and past your natural lip line using Runway rouge lipstick as seen above and below.

Betty Boop & The Queen Of Hearts
Model(s): Carly Kimber & Aly Dandach
Makeup By: Jennie Matthie

A Huge Thank You goes out to these beautiful, fun loving ladies 

for allowing me to share the photo's from their Halloween Transformations !!

Wishing you All a Happy Thanksgiving !!

Dream Big     Sparkle More      Shine Bright

Queen of Hearts - (Must try Make-Up Looks to Try This Halloween).

Halloween is the One Day of the year when absolutely EVERYONE, no matter the age, can dress up and as something or someone else - To get scared, and a little bit silly & really embrace our inner youth!! There is literally a NEVER ENDING list of costume ideas and themes that you could go as for Halloween, I have chosen a few of my favourite ideas on Cosmetic Halloween Costumes, and will share them with you over the month of October to illustrate how Cosmetics (on men,women,adults &,children) can take your costume to that Next Level!! 

The first Look I am going to show you is something a little different, 

& was inspired by The Queen of Hearts!

 (From A Card Deck, Not the Movie! Though that would certainly be a fun look to do as well!) 

Queen of Hearts Halloween Makeup
Model :Aly Dandach
Make-Up By: Jennie Matthie

How To Get The Look!

Products I Used: 

I tried to keep the number of products to a minimum in the Halloween looks to Simplify & make them easier to re-create! 

• Perfecting Liquid Foundation 
• Bronzer
• Eye Shadow in shade Peace (A white with slight gold under-tone)
• Runway Rouge Lipstick
• Black Liquid Eyeliner 
• It's A Long Story Mascara 
• Eye-Shadow Pencil in shade Candle Light ( Metallic GOLD)

Queen of Hearts Halloween Makeup
Model :Aly Dandach
Make-Up By: Jennie Matthie





Pulling this look together is actually VERY simple to achieve in 10 easy steps!

Face: 

Step 1. Apply one shade of Perfecting Liquid Foundation over your inter face!

Step 2. Using the Eye-Shadow Pencil Draw a Heart around your entire face! 

Step 3. Colour in the ENTIRE heart-shape with Peace(white) Eye shadow. 

Step 4. Apply Bronzer to wear you would normally contour your face - Stopping at the gold line. 

Step 5. Using your black liquid eye liner draw a small heart on your cheek/face kind-of like a vintage beauty mark. 

Eye:

Step 6. BOLD your Eyebrow- using either your liquid eyeliner, regular black eyeliner, or even a black eye shadow - whatever you use you just want to insure it covers your natural brow extremely well! 

Step: 7. I used the Bronzer in place of Eye-shadow in this look to bring the warmth back to her face a bit, by sweeping it across her entire eye lid!

Step 8. Apply A traditional Winged Eyeliner using your liquid liner!

 this product gets used a LOT in this tutorial!

Step 9. Apply Two or Three coats or It's a Long Story Mascara (allowing a few seconds of dry time between coats)
OPTIONAL. Apply False Eye-lashes

Lip:
Step 10. Apply Runway Rouge Lipstick & you're on your way!!

Queen of Hearts & Betty Boop - A Sneak at next weeks look!

I hope that you are all getting into the Halloween Spirit as much as I am & Remember, You don't need a huge elaborate or expensive costume to get into the Spirit of Halloween, you can achieve so many different looks using what is already in your makeup bag!! 

Have a beautiful Tuesday, Thank You for Browsing & Remember to ALWAYS...

Dream Big     Sparkle More      Shine Bright

Halloween Decorations, Costume & Party Preparations!

Halloween Decorations & Party Preparations - Upcy

With today being the first of October I decided to share a little Halloween decoration prep, Party planning and inspiration! This is one of my absolute favourite months of the year, my Birthday, Thanksgiving & Halloween, Lots of time spent with Family & Friends, Amazing FRESH Food, & certainly no shortage of sweet treats, what's not to love!?
For most people is seems to feel like the beginning of the years end, for me  it always gives me that feeling of turning the page, a Fresh Starts! & has me itching to take on.start something new!
I can remember when I was little, As SOON as the Costumes started to make their way into Stores, my brothers & I would be at my Mom to drag out the MASSIVE Tickle-Trunk like Box filled with various costumes & funny old clothes collected & saved from years prior (despite this collection I remember my mom taking us out every year to get a new costume or in my case as a child, switch out anything that needed from my almost steady streak as a Princess!!) We or at-least I would spend pretty much every day after school dressing up in various costumes, Halloween wasn't just a one night thing for us!!
Though my love for anything old and tattered is fairly obvious I tend to navigate towards the more natural or even bright colours paired with a LOT of neutrals in my Day to Day life, in almost all aspects from Home Decor to Makeup & Fashion, but I do have an almost secret obsession with Dark/Gothic so I pretty much jump on the opportunity at this little window of time when extreme Creepiness' is socially acceptable! 

As you can see/read I plan on DIYing ALL of my decorations, I have shared a few of the different textures I plan to use (though I don't want to give away my intentions with them just yet). Lots of cob & spider webs.  Black on Black EVERYTHING with little touches of orange & white thrown in & of course a tun of Chocolate & homemade treats!!!
Though I wouldn't say I have my theme completely finalized, - which is fine because I still have weeks worth of Horror Movies & Halloween Specials ahead of me to help spark my creativity & imagination; Below I have shared my mini Inspiration Board so far.  I am so excited to share the DIY Decorations, & Halloween Makeup tutorials & ideas I have been working on with you guys this month!! 

I'll close this post with a beautiful picture, Welcoming Fall - shot by the lovely and talented Julia owner of Julia Patrick Photography that features a custom Tassel Garland by yours truly that you can find listed on the UpcyShop.

Julia Patrick Photography

Get Out & take advantage of the beautiful Fall weather we have been having while it's here & Remember to...

Dream Big Sparkle More Shine Bright

DIY Upcycled T-shirt Headbands

Diy Upcycled T-shit Headbands 

If you are anything like me you are probably guilty of holding onto old or tattered items a little past their wear, or maybe you just have a big pile of clothes that no longer fit, Or maybe you just have hoards of scrap clothing from previous DIY's - I am guilty of ALL of these. Over the next few weeks I will be sharing a few different tutorials on great ways to re-use those old shirts/clothing items & thought I would start of with something simple like headbands, that everyone could do & find useful.

DIY Upcycled T-shirt Headbands By: Upcy

Supplies:

• recycled clothing

• sewing machine/needle & thread/ hot glue gun (whatever you have/feel most confident using)

How To:

I have shared pictures of a few of the different styles I created while playing around with this idea & the clothes/fabrics I had on hand (a turquoise zip-up sweater a pink shirt, purple & white tank tops, & some left over black cotton-jersey from a previous DIY) But they are all created using essentially the same concept - just with some different embellishments. 

Turquoise, & White - Just cut a strip to the desired width & length, create the flower/bow, and then sew/hot glue together. 

The Wee White one on the end is probably my favourite of all, though it is not for me, it was made for a friend of mine who is expecting a little girl quite soon!

Black - This is literally just a really long length of fabric (about twice the size of the average headband) that can be wrapped/styled a variety of different ways! 

Purple - take two lengths of your cut-up fabric, cross in the middle & attach at the back.

Pink - Cut three thinner strips of fabric & and braid them together. 

Cut a small square of the same fabric and use this to secure the back. 

     Like I mentioned before, this is the first of many tutorials to come on How To

           re-purpose/use old clothing & fabric ...so don't get rid of those scraps ;)

Thank you for browsing & remember to always 

 Dream Big     Sparkle More      Shine Bright

DIY Distressed Denim / Boyfriend Jeans Tutorial

 I had been slacking MAJOR over the summer on my DIY up-cycled tutorials to say the least! With everyone looking for creative ideas/activities to do inside now that the weather has cooled off & the holidays are starting to roll in I am feeling much more in the creative spirit! 
You can expect to see many more DIY Home & Party Decor, Organization, Cosmetic & Fashion tutorials here in the near future!!

I shared a picture at the start of Fall wearing a pair of Distressed Boyfriend Jeans that I DIY'ed and since have been receiving a lot of requests for a tutorial , and with how permanently on trend they are throughout the changing seasons; 

I decided what better place to start than teaching everyone the basics of distressing denim & revamping an old pair of jeans would be the perfect place to start back up for fall! 

Supplies 

• denim jeans
• sandpaper/cheese grater 
• utility knife/scissors 
• tweezers

How To:

Step #1.  Rub sandpaper or cheese grater (depending on the level of destress you want - the sand paper will create a much more subtle effect) continuously over the area you would like to add distressing to.

Step #2. Cut straight horizontal slits into the jeans roughly 1/2-1" apart to the sections of the denim where you wish to have the rips/where you went over it with your cheese grater/sand paper.
(Tip: Add a piece of cardboard or backing of some kind inside theleg of the pant while your are making your cuts to insure that you do not cut through to the backside of the jean). 

Step #3. Using the tweezers, in areas where you cut slits, pull the indigo fibers, leaving ONLY the  white horizontal fibers.

Step #4. Once you have a layout that you like, throw the denim into the washing machine using cold water. Then, fully dry in the dryer to create a more natural looking distress. 

Optional Step #5. You can take this look a step further (as seen in the first picture of a second pair I made for a dear friend of mine) & truly personalize your jeans by sewing in patches of scrap colored or patterned fabric(s) to cover the holes & really take your pants & style to the next level!! 

Thank you so much for browsing & ALWAYS 

Dream Big Sparkle More Shine Bright

Up-cycled DIY Fall Wreath

Fall is fast approaching, seemingly already here one day, but gone the next & with the cool crisp weather slowly creeping in I am finding myself in the mood to bake & decorate, to welcome the change of seasons! One of my absolute favourite things about where I live is the Well Rounded Seasons we get, - though some parts of Canada have already gotten much colder than others it is still quite warm in Ottawa... for now & I am absolutely NOT complaining! As I will be the first one to complain when the snow falls! .

 I find that I grow tired or bored of being surrounded by the same colours after a while.

 There is something spectacular about every season & am always excited to be given the chance to begin again so to speak; To turn over a new leaf & face the new season with a fresh perspective! 

 I finished my Fall wreath the other day & decided to put together a little tutorial so you all could make your own. I will apologize in advance for the terrible quality/lack of photos. Late night photos are always the worst, and this seems to be when I get the most creative-work done!! 

Fall Wreath By: Upcy

Here is How I Created It!

Supplies

• Old Magazines / Recycled Newspaper/  Flyers / Phone Books / Whatever you have laying around unused! 

• Hot-Glue Gun

• Glue Refills 

• Scissors 

• Tape - of absolutely ANY kind (it will be covered) 

• Fabric - OR Burlap is also another great, inexpensive and very popular option for fall

•  Branches/ Pussy Willows / Cat Tales / Flowers (dried or artificial)

• Ribbon / Hemp / Fishing wire (this is the option i chose to hang mine as I wanted a very minimal 'floating' wreath - but you could use whatever Ribbon you'd like - & really make a statement! 

Step #1.  After you have torn up your magazines/ prepared your papers; Very Similarly to what was done in a previous tutorial to create The Valentines Glitter Heart Wreath - Using your tape to adhere as you go, you will want to start molding a long tube that you will form into a circle/Doughnut shape as seen below. 

Step #2. Cut Fabric/Burlap into strips roughly 2' long / 8" wide.

Step #3. Glue on your fabric/Burlap using your hot glue gun to what will be the back of your wreath & begin loosely twisting the fabric as you wrap around your recycled doughnut, tucking the new pieces of fabric under neath as you progress completing your wreath as shown in the images below. - Be sure to always be adhering your new pieces to the back to insure it is seemingly seamless. 

Step #4. After your wreath is completed it is time to get creative with whatever you have chosen to decorate/adorn your wreath with!!!

I wanted to create a very natural looking wreath - and found inspiration & supplies while walking through this cute little forested/swampy area just around the corner from our home! - I absolutely love stumbling upon little untouched pieces of land especially in this concrete covered jungle of a city! I also tossed in a few faux-flowers I thought complimented it, that I just happened to find rummaging through my art supplies. & then finished it off with a massive bow I made using 

20-strands of hemp twine! 

  

I took these photos right after I hung it, at about 1am.. so I apologize again for the horrible quality!

Creating this wreath got me so inspired & excited to start several other Fall DIY Projects & Decorations so keep your eyes peeled for future posts! 

Dream Big Sparkle More Shine Bright