Thursday, August 31, 2017

Elegant in Gray

Gray is one of my favorite colors and I have incorporated it into my entire house. Gray and grey can be used interchangeably and that is okay by me. I wanted to make an elegant gray top hat that is more feminine and had some lace and frills. Here is the end result.  
I was lucky enough to be asked to be a guest designer at Xanderous Crafty Stash again and have used metal pieces from there. All of the metal pieces were heat embossed using a mix of white, gray, and silver embossing powders. I layered the metal pieces to create a flower look and used a brad for the middle. 
The hat was painted silver gray in layers. I wanted to make sure the hat had a nice even coat of paint over it. The inside of the hat was painted as well. The lace was adhered to the hat with hot glue and shaped to form around the base of the hat.
The little rivets that are on the top of the hat with the bands are made using a hole punch and glued with glossy accents. This hat was meant to look crisp, clean and ready for a photo shoot.
The largest feather was curled using some tricks I have learned about working with feathers. It creates such a wonderful added dimension to the feather cluster. And feathers can also be colored using food coloring (more about that later).
This mini top hat is the most frilly hat I have designed so far. I do have to say that I like the overall look and feel of the hat. Using quality lace was a must. I don't like that itchy lace stuff!
The back of the hat (above picture) features another metal flower cluster. The lace was gathered in the back and draped over the edge for a nice Victorian feel. And that lace is so soft!
The top view of the hat shows the "rivets" better. Just a regular old one hole punch produced these rivets. You don't need anything fancy to make em.
This side view of the hat shows the gathering of the lace around the base of the hat. Because the hat has a curve to it, I had to figure out a way for the lace to lay flat. By gathering the lace at the back of the hat and only gluing the bottom of the lace, I was able to form it better. Trial and error. Haha! I so enjoy making these hats and trying different designs. The sky really is the limit for my designs. I hope you enjoyed!

I would like to share this altered mini top hat with these amazing challenges:






7 comments:

  1. What a totally gorgeous creation. Wow, just fantastic. Hugs Valerie

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  2. Oh my goodness, this is absolutely jaw-dropping amazing, Niki!! Wow!! I don't even know where to start!! I love the lace around the brim!! The rivets on top are awesome!! The gathered lace in the back is so beautiful!! The feathers are perfect!! I just absolutely love, love this!! You truly are the hat queen!! Spectacular, my friend!! Have a great day!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  3. You really are the hat maker extraordinaire Niki, your hat is stunning and so feminine, I just love it. The feathers give it such an elegant feel. Truly, truly stunning! Hugs, Red xx

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  4. This one's my favorite, Niki! I love grey/gray too, and you have done it elegant justice on this stunning tophat! Love the ruffle! I am sure you are going to sell a ton now that Halloween is on the horizon! Hugs!

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  5. Beautiful lovely hat, so elegant. Thanks for joining us at Day Dreamer Challenge #2, cheers Sue N (DT Member)

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  6. Oh WOW love you hat, its amazing.
    Thank you for joining us at Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge.
    luv
    Debby

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  7. I think you must love to make hats like I love to make little houses. I love seeing all your techniques and color combinations and embellishments and everything.

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