Tag: beautiful

La Vie en Rosé

On By ResaIn Gowns105 Comments

Were you ever inspired to embellish an Art Gown with 300  wine corks?

Shot in natural diffused daylight
Shot in natural diffused daylight

Tip #1 – Do not attempt to drink 300 bottles of wine all in one night. Spread them out over a few days.

OR

Shot in Magic Hour with Incandescent lighting
Shot in late afternoon with Incandescent lighting

Tip #2 – Share them with friends.

OR

Shot in Magic Hour with a Flash
Shot in Magic Hour with a Flash

Tip #3 – Read a romance novel by Imelda Evans while you sip luxuriously

La Vie en Rosé is inspired by and dedicated to Imelda and her latest novel “Playing By The Rules”

 

Imelda2- k

OF course I would have to attach all the corks somehow so I bought 110 meters of old gold soutache. It was easy getting else wise creative with that soutache.

Imelda2- fImelda2- gI wanted more creative fuel for  so I asked Imelda,

“If you could put 1 color to Kate & 1 color to Josh what are those 2 colors? Not that I will use them, but what would they be?”

Imelda’s answer:

“Okay, this was a mind-bender for me, as I don’t think this way normally (although I’m going to do it for all my characters now).

Imela2-?Imelda2-iKate is a rich, autumn brown. If it were shiny it would be burnished bronze. Josh is a bright, apple-y green. I have no idea why!”

I couldn’t resist buying some new yardage

I found this gorgeous tie-dyed (the pattern does not repeat)  stretch velvet.

In the warm lighting of the store the colors were a perfect  bronze/brown with a kind of apple green coming though.

As I was paying for it, my eyes caught the most enchanting brown/bronze organza ribbon so I grabbed 20 meters of that.

Imelda2- nImelda2-m

When I set up in the”Art Gown” room which is filled with natural light the colors appeared to be burgundy and teal. When shot with a flash the green magically appeared.

The gown is a chameleon!

This is why I opened with 3 similar shots of La Vie en Rosé I was completely at a loss for what was more beautiful.

Imelda2- o

destiny_playingbytherules_cvr-smallI loved Imelda’s first book, “Rules Are For Breaking” 

As “Playing By The Rules” is a prequel. I just had to ask,

“Was it easier to write the second book having already developed the
characters in the first book?”

Imelda’s answer:

“That’s a bit of a tricky one, as this book was actually written first!   I did rewrite a lot of it after I published the other one though, so I guess I can still answer that.

Yes, knowing the characters first makes it much easier to write their stories. But I get to know the characters by writing their stories, so it’s a bit of a catch 22! Not sure what comes first, sometimes, the story or the people!”

Imelda2- j

Both of Imelda’s books are available on Amazon.

imelda2-e123

Playing By The Rules

and

Rules Are For Breaking

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Oh! If you want to know how the French title and wine corks tie in, you’ll have to read the book. I hope you do!

La Fin

Imelda2- p

“Art Gown” La Vie en Rosé designed by Resa McConaghy _ January – 2014

All photos of La Vie en Rosé © Resa McConaghy – January – 2014

Imelda2- d

Atlantis Mermaid Love-in

On By ResaIn Gowns111 Comments

Did you ever get the urge to design an “Art Gown” who could swim the oceans & seas spreading love and peace?

HM #1Well, then you know she’d have to be a mermaid, and speak a lot of languages.

Le Drake Noir, as you speak 8 languages (reading and writing in 4), and are constantly posting pics of or from oceans and seas, This “Art Gown” is for you.

HM #2bMy personal challenge with this “Art Gown” was that I could only use what I had in stock. I was not allowed to buy anything.

HM #20I found:

Blue Crushed Velvet yardage

3 white T-shirts, of my design, and 2 boxes of purple dye. I immediately tie-dyed 2 of the t-shirts, thinking of hippies in their tie-dyes and velvet bell-bottoms.

When it comes to “Love &Peace”, the Hippies were full of it.

HM #22Scraps of $200.00/yd. French Lace

Blue and purple acrylic paint.

I soaked the lace in watered down acrylic paint.

When it dried it had become plastic-like, and looked like fan seaweed.

I found I could cut around the lace patterns and it didn’t run. What fun!

I also found a bottle of glue, which I used to adhere the cut out seaweed pieces to her.

The thing about mermaids is, if you were under the water and saw one, she might be swimming under you, or over you.

As I don’t have a glass floor, I climbed a ladder.

HM #6b

It looks like she’s swimming up at me.

HM #5bWhat a beauty!

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I usually do a Black & White here, but this “Art Gown” has a lush glamor that precedes the glamor of the 1940’s, so I antiqued it!

HM #26Le Drake Noir, I enjoy your blog, and I know you’ll look great in this gown!

HM #25

Flora Blanca

On By ResaIn Floral107 Comments

Did you ever have to move a bevy of jaded “Art Gowns” to a new “WordPress” site?

It would be easier to transplant a garden to another city!

Penn test

That’s why this “Art Gown” is inspired by and dedicated to my beloved niece Sherrie. She is the only person I know who would actually help me dig up an entire garden, lug it then replant it.

Penn #2b

Hence, I decided to do a Garden themed “Art Gown”

Penn #5_2

Of course wool and paper popped immediately into my mind.

Penn #12Not just anyPenn #10 wool, but a pure, fine and all natural wool, fit for the Pope’s cassock.

Not just any paper, but pictures of Roses, Begonias, Peonies, Lilies, Orchids and Poppies by “Irving Penn”.

Yes, I cut up the entire book. It is a true labor of love cutting around the beads of dew, thorns, intricate ruffles and fine hairs of “Mr. Penn’s” photographs.

Penn #8

The GownPenn #9

itself is

based

on an

Orchid.

I used 2

bottles

of clear

drying

craft glue . If I made this on a display Judy, it could be varnished and made into a decoupage type sculpture.

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 “Art Gowns” remind me of the mid nineteen hundreds Hollywood Movie Glamor. That’s why I love the Black & White treatment.

Penn #15Dearest Darling ♥♥♥ Sherrie ♥♥♥

Thanks for helping me move my garden!

Penn #16

Dream of Love

On By ResaIn Floral, Romance161 Comments

Did you ever design a gown about falling in love, and dreams of romance?

Mango #6

Well I did, because “love rules”!

So it makes total sense that my “Art Gown” #5 has been inspired  by Imelda Evans of  Wine, Women and Wordplay.  Imelda is an author, and her first novel out is an EBook romance, “Rules Are For Breaking”on the “destiny Romance” label.

Mango #2

Having read the book, the first thing I was inspired to do was make 4 dozen silk organza flowers in shades of Mango.

Mangoflower #1 To prevent fraying, I cut strips of true bias in five widths (2-6 inches) then made squares.

I fan layered 4 squares of the same size, ran a large hand stitch through the center to give me a point from which to pince, twist and secure with a few hand stitches.

Each flower came out different. I used a wired organza ribbon in green to mock leaves.

I saw the flowers on a black velvet gown with a cut silk velvet asymmetrically draped, creating subtle lines.

When the gown was finished, I had to ask it a question about Imelda.

Mango #1b

 “How did Imelda feel when she found out she was a 2012 finalist in Australian Romance Reader Awards”?

Of course Dream Of Love had a direct quote.

“In answer to your question, my initial reaction to being a finalist was shock.  I truly got chills.  It honestly had never occurred to me that I would be on the list.  So when I came across my name and my book, at first, I hardly believed it.

Mango #3

I closed my eyes and opened them again.  Then I scrolled up to the top of the page to make sure that I was really reading the list of finalists.  Then I went back and looked again.

Mango #4

Then I went back onto facebook and found someone I knew who was online (it was quite late) and got them to confirm that I wasn’t hallucinating.  And through it all, my skin was clammy with the shock.

Mango #5

Since then, whenever I think about it, it has made me so happy.

ARRAImelda #2

I know my book isn’t the best book of 2012, but to be someone’s – anyone’s – favourite anything is so humbling and delightful.  It is so encouraging!  I can’t please all of the people all of the time, but if I have pleased even one person that much, I’m very, very happy.”

Well, I’ve read Rules Are For Breaking and if you love love the way I love love, you might want to read it, too.

IMG_33411234Mango #10

 

Love,

Resa

♥♥♥

 

“Art Gown” Dream of Love designed by Resa McConaghy – March, 2013

All photos taken by Resa McConaghy – March 2013

Test shot of "Dream of Love before she was finished.
Test shot of “Dream of Love before she was finished.

AS “LIKES” DID NOT TRANSFER TO MY NEW BLOG, I TOOK A PIC OF THEM.

doldol2

Blue Venus

On By ResaIn Goddesses118 Comments

Did you ever feel like sculpting a gown, but marble and clay aren’t materials you work with?

Venus #1e

I faced that exact conundrum when designing my fourth “Art Gown” which is inspired by Robyn  from THROUGH THE HEALING LENS

Robyn’s Photos combined with her poetry are soothing, loving experiences.

Venus #2

When I asked her about color, she replied that she loved earth tones, and blue like the sky. I also thought of water, as many of Robyn’s pictures are from the beach.

I found a piece of stretch fabric that made me think of deep blue water.

To keep with a sculptural art theme, I stretched a two-piece sarong reminiscent of a 1940’s glamor cut over Judy.

Venus #3

I then began draping a piece of fabric I found in Affordable Textiles, a store on Queen West, pretty close to Qe.

When I saw it on the bolt, I blurted out that it looked like a sky with clouds. At that point the proprietor informed me that I was looking at the wrong side of the fabric.

Venus #4

Draping in the spirit of ancient Rome or Greece was a lot of fun.

Using the wrong side of the fabric, I split it lengthwise, divided one of the lengths into thirds then slashed up for about 2 feet.

 I braided the thirds into a front strap, and did the same for the back.

As an amateur photographer, I rely on natural light. I wanted a sunny day to take the pics of Blue Venus, so the sky with clouds effect would be perfect. The sun peeked out only a few moments. I did my best, and over exposed when things got too, dark.

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Well, that’s my Blue Venus. Thank you Robyn !

I think I’ll say good-bye in Black and White.

Venus #12Venus #13

Venus #3b

AS “LIKES” DID NOT TRANSFER TO MY NEW BLOG,

I TOOK A PIC OF THEM. ACTIVE “LIKES” ARE ON PERMALINK

bvbv2

Ballroom Lux

On By ResaIn Gowns94 Comments

Did you ever design a magic gown that seemed to light itself?

ABC #1

Well, this “Art Gown” inspired by Carolyn from ABC of Spirit Talk turned out to do just that.

I love Carolyn’s “Reflections” and she has been a joy to me for almost a year now.

When I realized she enjoys Ballroom Dancing and loves a Waltz, I saw flowing white swans.

After she told me gold was a favorite color, I saw this modern fabric called Liquid Lamé. I decided to combine it with the most delicate of traditional white netting, shimmered and dotted with gold. Would these diametrically opposed fabrics work together?

ABC #2

As usual, I began by draping the bodice. The ruching down the center back took about 30 pins to hold in place. I was thrilled with the outcome.

I draped the underskirt in Lamé, added the over-skirt in net, and took a making of shot. I repositioned Judy, and shot the front. It was then I saw the dynamics of light with this creation.

ABC #3

I took off the over-skirt, threw a sash around Judy’s waist and made the tails into rosettes. I shot the gown in this state then re-attached the over skirt, and shot some more. Here’s what happened.

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It’s incredible what the gown revealed. Sometimes the net even looked like clear plastic.

“N” said if the pics were in black and white, it would look like it was from another era, another place in time.  I couldn’t resist. Sure enough, Carolyn’s gown is not only lux magic, it is lux mystic.

ABC #12

Carolyn’s gown welcomes us in one place then says farewell from another.

Much like Carolyn, her gown is divinely enchanting!ABC #13