Fashion - Pocketful of Joules

Brit Kit: A Necklace Made out of Zippers?!

For my third craftinista* post of the week, Brit + Co sent me this fabulous Brit Kit to make your very own zipper necklace.

That’s right… a necklace made out of zippers. It sounds incredibly weird and honestly the directions intimidated the crap out of me. But I thought that if my finished necklace turned out even half as cute as the one that Brit is wearing on the website, it would be worth the time I spent on it.

Here’s what came in the kit: 3 black zippers, 4 colored zippers, gold findings, glue, 3-in-1 pliers, black backing and the instructions.

Here’s how the project went:

The kit supplies. Are you kidding me with this? I’m supposed to make a necklace out of THIS?!

Ok, I cut the extra fabric off the zippers.This is do-able so far…

Then I glued the zipper tabs on each end and glued on my first zipper. Not too hard…

More gluing. I’m actually doing a pretty good job!

Holy guacamole, I just MADE this out of zippers!

Impressive, right? Who would have ever thought that I’d end up with something so sassy when I started with a desk full of zippers?! If you’re interested in this kit for yourself or a fashionable friend, it’s available on Brit + Co’s website for $24.99.

Would you like to win this necklace? I’ve decided to give away this zipper necklace, as well as the Joan of Arc necklace I made in this post. All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me which necklace you’d like to win! I’ll draw the winners on Wednesday, January 15th at noon.

Disclosure: I was provided a Brit Kit for free as a ‘thank you’ for participating in the Brit Co-Op. I was not required to review the kit, recommend it or even blog about it at all. I just loved it so much that I wanted to share it with my readers!

* If TJ Maxx can call someone a Maxxinista… I can certainly call myself a craftinista!

1/15/14 Update: Winners have been picked and I’m thrilled to announce that Erika has won the zipper necklace and Cathy C has won the Joan of Arc necklace! Emails will be going out to the winners today so that I can pop your prizes in the mail by the end of the week. Thank you to everyone who entered and keep your eyes pealed for more fun contests and giveaways in the near future.

It’s a Holly Jolly Stitch Fix

I guess I’m a Stitch Fix addict at this point, because this is my forth Fix in just as many months. If you’re interested in checking out my other boxes, you can find my first three Stitch Fix boxes here.

This month I tried to mix it up – instead of expecting them to read my mind, I gave them a little more direction in what I wanted. Since Christmas is coming up and my Fix was due to be delivered the week before, I asked for a holiday dress and some ‘fun’ tops.

I also totally cheated this month and checked my Stitch Fix account once the order was sent. Then, I googled each item so that I had a ‘heads up’ on what not to buy when I went shopping the other day. What’s funny is that I made snap judgments on each item and was then shocked when I actually liked them on me in person. Oh and this was the first time I’ve actually had the same stylist – Claire, who styled my Fix last month, did this one too!

As much as I love posting my pictures on here to get your feedback on what I should buy, this month I had to return my package by Monday… and there is no use posting a blog on a Friday because pretty much NOBODY stops by. So I put the pictures up on my Pocketful of Joules Instagram page and emailed a couple friends to get some feedback before making my decisions.

So what did I get?

Kensie Benzer Mixed Material Sweater – $78. To say that I hated this shirt would be an understatement…I really HATED this shirt. Do you see the bottom of the sweater? That white part is like an old-school dickie sticking out the bottom. BLEGH! It just looked SO CHEAP, which is ironic because it was almost eighty bucks! Verdict: Hell NO!

Papermoon Wynn Ikat Print Front Pocket Blouse – $48. I really liked the color and pattern on this blouse. I even liked the tab sleeves and the peekaboo see-through-ness of the top. What I didn’t like is the fact that it did absolutely nothing for my figure. It was just kind of boxy, but somehow at the same time it was a little tight across the shoulders. Verdict: Nope!

41Hawthorne Freddy Sleeveless Chiffon Dress – $58. So when I first saw this dress, I hated it. I googled around and saw how it fit on other bloggers and was convinced that there was no way I’d like this dress. Even when I pulled the dress out of the box, I was still thinking grinchy thoughts. But then I put it on… and still didn’t like it much. It was only when I took the outfit picture that I was like, hmmmm this is actually kind of cute. Weird, right?! I even got a lot of great feedback on my Instagram page, so right up into the moment where I was packing up my returns I was thinking I might keep it. But, it’s a lightweight chiffon dress. And it’s DECEMBER. The dress is cute, but somehow doesn’t look so hot with a blazer or sweater for work. And really, where else do I really go in life besides work and Target? Verdict: So close, but no cigar.

Oxmo Dawson Split Neck Heart Print Blouse – $48. When I first picked up this shirt I thought, “eh” and then I slipped it on and it fit perfectly. It looked okay untucked, but looked super cute in an “I’m a naughty secretary” way when paired with a high-waisted pencil skirt. I came SO CLOSE to buying it… but it’s almost $50 and it’s a sleeveless top in DECEMBER. It looked fine under both a blazer and cardigan, but it also looks like a shirt I can find at ANY store ANYWHERE… and probably for less money. Honestly, it was cute and fit nicely, but there was nothing SPECIAL about it. Verdict: Nope.

HoneyPunch Payge Striped Cross-Back Sweater – $48. When I saw this sweater online before my package came, I knew that it would be true love. When I tore into the package and felt its silky-smooth fabric… I sighed with the anticipation of putting it on. I slipped it on… and I LOVE IT! This sweater is exactly the reason I use Stitch Fix. I wouldn’t have ever picked it up on my own, but now that I have it, I can already think of a ton of outfit pairings that will work for work, home or a date night. Admittedly, my husband thinks that the back is weird, but I’m blinded by love so I don’t even care. Verdict: LOVE IT and want to make sweater babies with it!

This month was a tough one – I came REALLY REALLY close to buying three items and hope I don’t regret putting the dress and blouse back in the mail. I’m in love with the one sweater I purchased though and I might even wear it for our full-day of Christmas brewhaha!

For my next Fix, which will be coming in mid-January I asked for a particular blouse that I’ve seen other bloggers receive, a work-appropriate dress or outfit, and maybe even a flannel shirt. I can’t wait to see what I get!

What do you think, did I make the right choice? Or should I run after the mailman to get the dress and heart blouse back?

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Stitch Fix, I pay for the $20 styling fee and any clothing I purchase with my own hard-earned money. I do have a special referral link though and if you decide to click through and sign up I will receive a small referral reward. Here’s my link. So thank you for anyone who chooses to click through and support my shopping addiction.

Psssst…Do you love checking out what other people received in their Fixes? I added quick links to every single one of my reviews on my Stitch Fix Reviews page!

Reviewing Project DIY: Joan of Arc Collection

Wow, I think that this is just going to be a full DIY week.

I had the GREAT REVEAL of the DIY Challenge yesterday, three of my favorite blog friends (aka the Glue Crew) also posted their DIY Challenge results, and then I have today’s subscription kit…which happens to be called Project DIY!

YAY for DIY and being crafty. Not the sneaky kind of crafty though… the kind covered in glitter and glue.

M&J Trimmings sent me their Project DIY: Joan of Arc Collection box which included their starter kit of tools, as well as everything I needed to make a Joan of Arc inspired cuff and necklace.

The first thing I noticed was that the quality of the kit was quite impressive. The chain, bracelet cuff and all the details were quite heavy and well-made. I was initially disappointed that the instructions were online (and not provided in the kit), but once I visited the link I found the instruction breakdown and images really helpful.

The first project was the Joan of Arc necklace:

Necklace - 1 — Here are all the pieces that need to magically come together into a necklace…

Necklace - 2 — First phase done, the pendant and tube beads are attached to the chain mail.

Necklace - 3 — I tried a few different variations until I came up with my favorite… and then changed it again when I broke out the glue.

Necklace 4 — Look, I’m gluing. You guys smile when you’re gluing right? Maybe not Katie though, who has a history of glue gunning stuff to her face.

Necklace - 6 Joules — I let it dry for 30+ hours and here’s the finished look!

Then, I tried my hand at the Joan of Arc cuff bracelet:

Bracelet - 1 — Only a few pieces needed for this project. YAY!

Bracelet - 2 — Once again, I tried out a few different designs only to change it all once I started gluing.

Bracelet - 3 — It’s like Wonder Woman’s cuff — don’t mess with me!

I think that this kit was definitely high on the ‘coolness’ scale. Each collection is based on runway and street styles, so this would make a great fit for the crafty fashionista friend that is hard to buy for.

I also really like that they included a starter kit with needle nose pliers, a wire cutter, chain nose pliers, a jump ring opener, assorted clasps, earring hooks, jump rings and chain extenders. It’s a nice little package of everything you really need to start with this type of jewelry work… and much better than trying to wrap the wire around a pencil or wrench or something.

If you are interested in trying out a subscription for yourself or purchasing one as a gift, check them out here .

Disclosure: I was provided a Project DIY kit to review; however all thoughts and opinions in this review are my own. I am not rewarded or compensated in any way if you click through to purchase a Project DIY kit.