It's Time for T4!

Excitement levels have reached an all time high here at Elite because only tomorrow stands in between us and T4 on the Beach on Sunday! The clock's ticking away and we are literally counting down the minutes until we're there in our Elite Style Tent for the chance to enter the famous model search competition Elite Model Look But don't feel left out if you're not keen on modelling, we will also have the Warehouse Style Studio, some lovely and free eyelashes from Eylure and lots of chances to win goodies including mobile phones, shopping sprees and tickets to our very glamorous fashion show in London! Or just come and say hi, we're all nice I promise!

Craft This: Oilcloth Table Runner and Accessories

Sturdy, waterproof oilcloth is the perfect material for tablecloths, napkin rings, and utensil holders that combine form and function.

Silverware Caddy

Supplies:
Large yogurt container
Scissors
Acetone-based nail polish remover
Two colors of oilcloth—enough to wrap the container
Pinking shears
Kraft paper
Tacky glue
Clothespin

1. Thoroughly wash and dry your container. If it has a lip around the top, cut it off with scissors. Use nail polish remover to remove any printed or gummy labels on the container.

2. Wrap a piece of kraft paper around the container. Tape it in place.

3. Crease the paper back where the ends meet to mark that place. Push the top end of the kraft paper into the container and crease the bottom end around the bottom of the container.

4. Remove the kraft paper and use the crease lines as a guide to trim to make a template. Cut a piece of oilcloth the same size plus ½” (so the seam overlaps) with scissors.

5. Glue the oilcloth to the container with Tacky glue.

6. Cut a thin strip of your other color of oilcloth with the pinking shears, making sure it is long enough to wrap around the top edge of the container. Use Tacky glue to glue this strip to the top edge of the container. Use a clothespin to secure the trim until it dries.

Oilcloth Napkin Rings
Supplies:
Oil cloth fabric—a small scrap
Rickrack trim—7” per ring
Pinking shears
Hand needles & sewing thread
Tacky glue
Ruler
Pencil

1. Working on the backside of the oilcloth, use a ruler and pencil to mark a 2” x 7” rectangle, cut using pinking sheers to create a zigzag edge.

2. Use Tacky glue to attach the rickrack trim across the center of the runner, 1/4 of an inch from the edge. Keep flat and allow to dry.

3. Round the rectangle to form a ring and hand stitch the ring closed. You can add a drop of Tacky glue for extra security.

Oilcloth Table Runner
Supplies:
Measuring tape
Oilcloth fabric
Rickrack trim
Pinking shears
Tacky glue
Yardstick
Pencil
Clothespins
Painters tape or masking tape

1. Measure your table and determine the appropriate size for your runner.

2. Working on the backside of the oilcloth, use a yard stick and pencil to mark the size of your table runner appropriate for your table size, cut using pinking sheers to create a zigzag edge.

3. Use Tacky glue to attach the rickrack trim around the edge of the runner, 2 inches from the edge. You can either eyeball the 2” measurement or place small pieces of painters’ tape 2” from the edge at regular intervals to serve as a guide.

4. When you get to a corner, fold the rickrack over at a 90-degree angle (rather than cutting it) to create a mitered corner. Secure with a clothespin for a few minutes, if desired. Keep flat and allow to dry.

Make This: Poker Time Plates and Dice Stir Sticks

Poker time plates are a snap to make. For this design we used Mod Podge to attach the paper cards to the back of a clear plate. To give the plates a silver shimmer we used metallic spray paint.

Supplies:
9” or larger clear glass plates
Laser color copies of playing cards
Mod Podge
Disposable paintbrushes
Silver metallic spray paint
Clear spray varnish
Scissors

Steps:
1. Trim the around the laser color copies of the cards.

2. Flip the glass plate over and apply decoupage glue to the front of the card copies. Place the color copied card (color side down) onto the glue in the desired position. Apply more decoupage to the back of the card. Use you finger to press out any air bubbles. Use the same technique to add additional cards to your plate if you desire.

3. Once dry, use blue painters’ tape to tape off the edge of the plate to the front only to prevent any overspray when you spray the back of the plate.

4. Working on old newspapers, turn the plate upside down and apply 3 coats of silver metallic spray paint. Allow to dry and top coat with a few coats of clear spray varnish. Allow the varnish to dry. Remove the painters’ tape.

5. Not suitable for a dishwasher. Please hand wash with care and don’t soak in water.


You can make skewers or stirrers for your party by using the same dice drilling technique we used to make the dice bracelet to thread dice and beads onto a cocktail stirrer or skewer and secure with glue.

Drink charms can be made with laser copies of playing cards that have been shrunk down or with small cards found at toy stores. Laminate them, add a small scrapbooking eyelet, thread them onto circular ear wires or cocktail charm blanks, and add some beads.

Drilling dice is easier than it looks!

These dice bracelets are sure to bring good luck.

Supplies:

5 Dice
Drill and 1/8" Drill Bit
Vice grip small strips of felt
E6000 glue
Jewelry stringing wire
Lobster clasp
Two crimp beads
Crimping tool
Jump ring
Seed, bugle, and crystal beads
Wire cutters
Round nosed pliers

Steps:

1. Attach the vice grip onto your work surface. Use E6000 to glue small strips of felt to each side of the vice to protect your dice from scratches.

2. Place one die into vice grip. Drill through the die with the 1/8” bit. Keep the bit straight and perpendicular to your work surface , and don’t apply too much pressure—let the bit do the work. Remove the die from the vice grip. Repeat until you have drilled all the dice.

3. Cut a length of stringing wire that is 6” or so large than your wrist. String one end through one crimp bead, through the lobster clasp, and back through the crimp bead. Crimp using a crimping tool.

4. Add some seed beads, bugle beads, and glass beads to the string. Be sure that the first beads hide the end of the wire. String on the first die. Add additional string and bugle beads and another die. Continue the same pattern until all the dice are strung and the bracelet is long enough to reach around your wrist.

5. Thread the end of the stringing wire through a crimp bead, through a large jump ring, and then back through the crimp bead. Crimp with the crimping tool. Thread the end of the wire back through the last few beads and cut away any excess wire with the wire cutters.

6. The same dice drilling technique can be used to create dice beads to be used in earrings and necklaces.

Our Diamond in Dior

These brand new pictures of  FeiFei Sun have caught the eyes of all of us here at Elite London.  Posing in head-to-toe Dior for the July edition of Vogue Korea the black and white photographs have a distinct nostalgic presence about them, evoking a sense of mid-twentieth century fashion, mixed with a an extra splash of sexiness.

Our stunning FeiFei strikes poses that scream elegance, class and mystique while these gorgeous garments are making us crave Dior like never before!

Yesterday's Creative Juice on HGTV

Yesterday's Creative Juice on HGTV

Handmade Lotion Bars

Paper Clay and Distress Ink Gift Bags

Gold Leaf Chocolates and Fruits

Silk Flower Gift Bows

Beautiful 'Boogie Nights' Nostalgia

Elite's own Katy Dron looks amazing in this shoot inspired by the film 'Boogie Nights' and is without a doubt the perfect model for the job! With A fur coat by Maison Martin Margiela and stockings by Jonathan Aston, the essence of the film, set in the late seventies and early eighties, is captured perfectly. 

Photographer Alice Rosati has said that she and Stylist for the shoot Roberta Venturini were determined to use Roberta's own rollerskates (seen in the picture above) for the shoot after deciding on the 'Boogie Nights' theme, but found it difficult to find a model to fit the bill. That is until our Katy came along. 

 So take Katy's lead... just a few staple designer pieces can be paired with finds from the market and those old necklaces you thought you'd lost, and before you know it you'll have a great outfit with a vintage feel which has been brought bang up to date!