Corset Diaries XII: Miss July

Miss July is aptly called Fiery Opal for her gorgeous, eye popping, fiery color. Below is your diary page for this month. It includes a pocket for keeping bits of paper or fabric for use in your project along with a place for notes on either what you learned or how you want to approach your project.

click image to download at full size - 6 3/4" x 9 3/4"

Next month I'll give you a cover for your book and we'll put all 12 pages together so you'll have them all in one place to refer back to later.

In addition to providing inspiration for the corset this month, the video also goes through the assembly of a pocket that's incorporated into your page so if you have any questions about the look of the template, you might want to watch the video for help. Enjoy!

Fiery Opal Paper and Wire Corset

I see Opal dancing playfully on the horizon with a fiery sunset. Energetic yet well grounded and tempered with a cool nature, it is here she feels comfortable enough to set her audacious heart free. Mostly I'm talking about myself. Opal is an expression of my desire to break out of conformity.

wire and paper corset front

The Opal corset is a combination of paper and wire combined beautifully to demonstrate the organic possibility of wire and the architectural power of paper. Each leaf was hand cut, hand painted and hand adhered to a hand twirled piece of annealed wire.

wire and paper corset back

My creative process is such that I don't always know what the finished outcome will be as my muse likes to change direction on me mid stream. Thank the universe she does because I'm always delightfully surprised. This corset has now got me thinking about other ways I could use wire in my paper designs.

Corset Diaries X: May Corset Inspiration

Adding a paper pannier to the May corset challenged me to find a way to add a pretty skirt to this corset while leaving parts of the pannier still showing. I think the effect is nothing short of beautiful. Your corset diary page appears below and was created around the pannier theme.

click image to enlarge and download

The diary page is 7 1/2 inches wide by 7 inches high. The left side of the page is only supposed to be 2 1/2 inches so don't fold this exactly in half or it won't match your other pages. Measure 2 1/2 inches from the left, score then fold. The bottom of the right page is left open for you to write notes or add your own bits of ephemera.

To my horror, shortly after photographing the corset, my cat got hold of it.  Seriously? Did I not believe that hanging strings and curly paper left to dangle from a rod were anything but a cat magnet? Pfft! Fortunately the damage was minimal and easily repairable. Your inspirational video appears above. Please enjoy. :)

Yesterday's Courtier

She lived in the time of kings and queens and associated herself with society's elite. Mostly she led an inspired life filled with joy and optimism yet she often wondered if there would come a time when ladies would be allowed more freedom in their dress.

In the spirit of 18th century vintage, Miss May is aptly called Yesterday's Courtier. Sit for a moment and take yourself back to that time. Can you remember your life? Did you follow the rules or were you a rebel?

I like to imagine myself a courtier. Outwardly I followed the rules but I smiled a smirky smile as my calling card to the world that I kept many secrets. I inspired curiosity about the mystery and intrigue held within. Decadent pleasures await those who dare to reinvent themselves.

Panniers and Paper Corsets

This paper corset has to be one of the more interesting ones I've done so far with it's paper pannier. This is not the finished piece but I had to share.

paper pannier and corset

Did women really wear this kind of thing? It looks like battle armor to me. To say the least, without getting into the history, panniers are fascinating to look at.

18th century pannier via Making History Tart and Titillating

At any rate, I see tattered fabric dripping from this corset and oozing with vintage charm. I don't know though. I'm really at the whim of my muse and what she decides is fashionable.

Note: You can read a little more about the history of panniers at Making History Tart and Titillating.

May Corset Inspiration

I'm always on the lookout for something just a little bit out of the ordinary as far as inspiration for my paper projects go. I mean, who wants to settle for tired and mainstream when you can have unique and unexpected?

via corsets and lingerie on Pinterest

A slight deviation from the ballet tutu in that only the sides are flared out. The panier style similar to that worn under skirts by ladies of 18th century Europe makes this a tasty morsel of a corset idea. It's definitely got a unique charm!

Little Miss April Paper Corset

Light and airy, little Miss April comes on with all the subtlety of a spring whisper. As she tip toes her way through my thoughts I am reminded of life's more ordinary pleasures.

april paper mâché corset

Warm rainy mornings, bird song, rustling leaves on a breezy day, a shooting star on a clear evening, the pleasing sights and sounds of pure nature that I love so much. Miss April embodies all of these and more.

april paper mâché corset back

The edges were left rough, tissue paper was used which gives the pice a little bit of translucency and twirled paper was added as greenery around the bottom. She is indeed a delicate flower.

Corset Diaries IX: April Corset Template

Corset Diaries for the April corset comes with a change in the template offering this time. I've created two styles for you to choose from. One is free and the other is not. The free template appears below. To find out what you're missing with the other template, visit the Kell Belle Boutique.

corset diaries template for April

The diary pages are meant to be beautiful additions to your journals in a Practical Magic kind of way. Remember the book of shadows the aunts kept in that movie? That was my inspiration for the second diary page found in the boutique.

The inspirational video for assembling the April corset includes instructions for putting your paper violet together and hopefully offers some ideas about what you can do with the petals instead of making the whole thing the same color. Enjoy the new offerings this month.

Mysterious Ivy Corset

Is she shy or simply guarded? When I speak with her I get the sense that she prefers to stay out of the spotlight, remaining ever on the edge between sleep and wake, where the meadow meets the forest.

mysterious Ivy paper corset

Her wisdom is profound and yet as fleeting as a dream. You can't hold on to it with thought but the feeling of it permeates your soul. This is the stuff of magic.

mysterious Ivy paper corset back view

March has come and gone but she reveals her gifts to us in her own good time, right now. I give you Mysterious Ivy and she has a message for you. To retrieve it, center yourself and look within.

April Corset Inspiration: Violet Surprise

April's corset inspiration is nothing more than the color violet and this exquisite violet flower. I'm in uncharted territory here and will be creating the April corset entirely from my own imagination. This would be the surprise part of the inspiration.

via 66 Square Feet (edited)

You know those wonderful but tricky little muses just love to get playful and this month I've turned over my creativity entirely to them. What will they come up with? All I know is the April corset will be the color of wild violets and made with translucent paper.

Corset Diaries VI: January Corset Template

Miss January absolutely came forth kicking and screaming like a petulant child! Whoa! So, looks like I'm pullin' double duty for February. Your template for January looks a little bit different this time. I think you'll really like it. I know I do.

template 7 1/2" w x 7" h - click to download at full size

The flap on the right can be folded over toward the opposite side of the page and glued at the bottom to make a pocket for storing paper bits and ephemeral inspiration for your corset or diary. You can also fold the flap to the left toward your template. I'll be providing at least one more of this type of page to help add some visual interest to your book.

January is a magnificent combination of the November and December corset. Feel free to alter it to suit your needs. The lacing is made by doubling a length of crochet thread. I think it gives the corset a more polished look which suits our Miss January perfectly. Enjoy!

The Ostentatious Snowflake Corset

Miss January was a rather ostentatious sprite to deal with. She made it very clear that her presence here is entirely her own idea which is why it took her so darn long to make her appearance. Now that she has emerged we would almost rather she disappeared, back from whence she came.

You know the type. Those clean, crisp lines that ooze with polished sophistication. She knows it, you know it and yet she still feels the need to antagonize us with her uppity inclinations. We wanted to be her once, to feel what it might be like to walk in her shoes even if for just one day but we looked the other way pretending she meant nothing.

She does mean something. She has awakened something within us that begs for our attention. That ostentatious part of us we buried long ago now stands before us demanding nothing more than our acknowledgement and love. Thank her for being part of you and watch her melt into the pure positive light she is.

February Corset Inspiration: She's no Tramp

She doesn't have to take off her shirt to be sexy, in fact, it's far more exciting to leave a little something to the imagination, something to look forward to unwrapping later. What a perfect way to merge two ideas into one in a paper mâché meets traditional paper kinda way. Curious yet?

gold corset via Corsets & Lingerie

With February and the season of love fast approaching I think we'll forego the traditional Valentine's Day revelry and try something a little racier. Ha! Really? What could get racier than a corset on Valentine's Day you ask? How about a corset made for carnival season!

Corset Diaries V: Sugar Plum Fairy Template

Your sugar plum fairy corset template and diary page appear below. The dotted lines are meant to be used as cutting guides to extend the bottom of the corset in preparation for the tutu. I'll talk more about that in the video.

paper corset template - sugar plum fairy

Let the instructional video act as a spring board to help you formulate ideas for creating your sugar plum look. Feel free to add your own creativity to the mix and use whatever materials inspire your inner muse.

In closing, I'm excited to tell you about a new enhancement to the paper corsets that will happen next month. I think you're really gonna love it but I don't want to ruin the surprise by saying anything more so you'll just have to check back. Enjoy for now! :)

The Artiness of a Sugar Plum Corset

Speaking through the voice of my creative hands the muse of the sugar plum fairies comes forth in a swirling parfait of feathery, pleated and crumpled paper.

sugar plum fairy paper ballet tutu - front

She teaches me artful lessons about life and about myself. She is a reflection of my inner soul dancing on Swan Lake to a tune that only I can hear. This is the creative process.

sugar plum fairy paper ballet tutu back

I've learned a lot while making this corset. Some of it I'll repeat in future work and some I'll kindly leave. Mostly I'll offer my gratitude to once again be an instrument of creative expression.

Beautiful Scraps Journal Pocket Freebie

Torn and cut. Crumpled, stained or aged, we begin to see life's sacredness in an ordinary piece of paper. I love holding on to bits and scraps because I never know when I might find a use for them.

beautiful scraps journal pocket shown on a corset diaries page

Mingle these old bits together and they can lead you to wondrous combinations you may not otherwise have thought of. This is the beauty of the creative process, the sacredness of beautiful scraps.

Confucius beauty quote

As part of the Corset Diaries series I'm giving you this little journal pocket to use to start your beautiful scrap collection. Keep fabric swatches, paper bits or other ephemera here to help inspire you along your creative way.

journal pocket template - click to download at full size

Add an eyelet to your pocket by using the extra discs. I separated a strand of 2 ply jute to make a tie closure for my pocket giving it a more rustic look. When selecting decorative paper, be sure it coordinates well with the template pattern. Enjoy!

Corset Diaries IV: "Nellie" Corset Template

After nearly a week of internet connection issues, Kell Belle is up and running again. Yaaaay! November's paper corset template is way late but here she is. I'm calling this one Nellie which is the perfect country name for our peasant corset. Did you know that the name Nellie was one of the top 25 most often used girl names in 1880? Just a little bit of trivia for ya.

"Nellie" paper corset template for November

I've done something a little bit different with the diary page this time. Notice the Inspiration page instead of the note page. I've got a little free goodie for you to put there that I'll post about tomorrow after you've had the chance to digest your corset template. You're gonna love it!

As always, your instruction/inspiration video appears above. If you create the project I would love to see your work. Feel free to leave a link in the comment section so we can come have a peek. Hope you are enjoying the Christmas season so far! Enjoy!

Kell Belle's Charlie Brown Christmas

Kell Belle Studio is not only in transition to a new computer but also experiencing internet connection issues due to failing equipment.  This means no uploads. Trying to download anything (including mail) at this point is painfully redefining the term "glacial pace." UGH! I'm chomping at the bit to get the latest corset template to you and also a pretty freebie for your journals so please stand by.

my Charlie Brown Christmas tree

In an effort to cheer myself up I got out my cute little feather Christmas tree Sunday. I carefully wrapped the lights around it, placed it in the cubby over my electric fireplace and plugged it in. Only the lights you see here came on. Perfect! This about sums up the essence of my technological challenges over the past two days. *sigh*

Corset Diaries: Miss November

Finally! Our Miss November makes her appearance. I'm not sure what to call her but I'm leaning toward something simple and country. Daisy, maybe? Not quite but it's in the neighborhood. My muse seems to be silent at the moment. She never fails me though so I'll be patient.

paper corset miss November - front

I said something about adding panties to this corset but it occurred to me that lacing the back might become a challenge so I went with faux panties instead.  Notice the slight fold of fabric and paper in the center of the front which suggests we've got a little bloomer going on here. I rather like the look.

paper corset miss November - back

I should have a diary page and template for you this weekend plus a little free bonus to help you pretty up your pages. Feel free to throw out some names if you are so inclined. Maybe it will spark something. Think peasant, simple, and country. Toodles for now!

You Never Looked so Good Pilgrim

This pilgrim is looking downright shabby chic in a corset ensemble made using my own digital collage papers. I like this look a lot although I do think it defies that simplicity I was going for originally but what the hey! The muse says go with the pink roses.

I haven't cut this to the final shape yet as I'm still waiting for the inside to dry before I start carving into this beauty. This corset was made a little bit longer to allow for the panties and garter straps at the bottom. Oooh! Isn't this gonna be fun!