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!

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.

Intrigues of the Corset

Created by Belinda Durrant, this magnificent rose corset both captivates and intrigues me greatly. The subtle translucency of the corset suggested by the softness of the light and juxtaposed against the unexpected surprise of thorned wire is a visual bedazzlement.

Belinda Durrant Rose Corset

I am unable to tell what this is actually made of nor can I seem to find any detailed explanation on Belinda's website. I think it might be paper and if it is it makes the work that much more intriguing to me. This corset is so gorgeous that it inspires me to attempt something like this with our paper corset project, without the thorny wire of course.

Corset Diaries VII: February Corset Template

February's corset is wonderfully different from any couture project I've offered to date and lends itself well to a world of possibility for those who dare to imagine it.

paper corset journal page 7" x 7 1/2"

Your journal page appears above. Click to download at full size. Ideas: Fold the half page over to the right, glue the bottom and make a pocket for your ephemeral bits.

The video gives instruction on how to use the guide to make a pleated, more dimensional corset than what you are used to using. Feedback is always appreciated if you have a moment. 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.

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!