Sparkling Beads for baby!

Recently I was asked to create a set of sparkling ears for a baby. Knowing that the rhinestone chain I usually use for such ears might actually scratch the delicate skin of a baby, I suggested that this hat would be better done in sparkling beads. So I chose a bead type that has a square hole lined with silver (like a mirror) to over stitch the name added at the park. But I changed the shape of the "S" because I didn't feel the original cursive "S" would read well in beads. I thought it came out very nice. Of course it sparkled better when moving.

Leather Oswald

I finished a set of leather Oswald ears and forgot to post about them! Silly me.

I had finished them just after I finished the set of Mickey ears for Eric. It was really a way to fix the mistake I had made by putting a "k' on the end of the name before I had added the "Er." Soooo, I was forced to salvage the leather piece by applying it to the set of Oswald ears I had planned on making for my self. Darn, Tee hee.

They went to Badger Flat with me and to Knots Scary Farm with the bears Thursday before Gay Days Weekend.

Spikey Mickey

Finished this hat for a client in Philadelphia.
Wanted a hat covered with spikes; no name just spikes.
Client chose the original felt surface rather than covering with leather
(Extra time to shape and apply leather would have made it impossible to finish before deadline anyway.) I lined it with felt to keep the bases of the spikes from getting caught in longer hair.
So I went with 23 of the 1 1/8 inch spikes.

Mickey's expression is ironic with the spikes.

No name just spikes!

I lined it in red felt.

"Mr. Burning Man", a la "Mad Max" Ears

Front with Flash

Front without Flash

Back with Flash

Back without Flash

the ears before.

I recently finished a hat for a client, Ron, who will be wearing it at "Burning Man" later this month.
He wanted a "Mad Max" feel so he asked for the leather to be distressed. It was a challenge for me to treat the leather roughly enough to cause the distressing, but I sucked it up and made it so. He also preferred not to have a Mickey medallion on the front but rather to have his personalization there in stead. In fact he didn't want any of the medallion shape to show through the leather. I had to use a set of baby blue infant ears as the base to get that smooth shape for the hat. Which meant that the ears needed to be painted first so that they would be the classic black. As an added feature for the windy playa he asked or a set of leather laces to replace the elastic, attached them through grommet holes under each ear.

I really think they cam out great!

Studded Leather Ears for LA's Reigning Leather Stud!

Finished a set of ears for the current Mr. LA Leather, Eric Paul Leu. They came out great!

Front w/Mickey Medallion

Back with Name in Studs for THE stud!

Busines Cards and a New hat to match...

I have had my first run of business cards printed, take a look:

With that card in mind, this hat is intended to coordinate with my business Cards.
The aquamarine rhinestones set in a silver chain were really a difficult find. And they were priced to reflect that!
Still if you love the color as I do, it's worth it.
Since the stones were smaller than my other stones this took more stitches to hold down in place.

As a hint of the amount of work and planning that goes into one of these hats, here's a picture of the hat just under half way done.

Rainbow and Sky Writing, a hat to wear with PRIDE.

Just listed another style of hat on Etsy.

This custom hat features an individually hand applied sequin rainbow arching across the top of the hat. 

Also on the hat is a name or other identifier styled to look like sky writing on the back.

That identifier is completed with an air plane button at the end.

This personalization is achieved with individually hand applied random faux pearl beads in a continuous single line of script.







The hat hasn't actually been purchased yet so the name shown is merely an example of what the name could look like  beaded on a piece of polar fleece to show the basic idea and execution of work.

For additional information and to purchase contact me directly, or check out my listing:
Sequin Rainbow and Pearl Sky Writing Name Mouse Ears on Etsy

Key Chain Size!

My Salesman Sample of the Leather Mickey Mouse Ears has been popular.
So I've calculated the price and have put that style up for sale on Etsy:

Leather Key Chain Mickey Mouse Ears

Leather ears were at Disneyland today!

Today the Studded Leather Mickey Mouse Ears I made for Mr. Kevin made it to the park on his head. I suspect he likes them.
There will be more photo's I'm sure.

I just updated all of my photos and listing selling these ears in my Etsy shop.
Take a look,

Rickilt Beman Designs, Etsy

If your interested and live in the greater Los Angeles area, contact me here (blogger) to place an order, we can arrange for direct delivery and cut out the cost of shipping.

Posted a new style of hat to Etsy; Oswald

Oswald was Walt's creation before Mickey.
He lost the rights to the happy rabbit, and was forced to create the famous Mickey Mouse to replace him.

Now that Disney has secured the rights to the Oswald character, they are offering a new version of the famous ears based on Oswald's rabbit ears and the same black felt hat the was the base for classic Mickey Mouse Ears. The machines that personalize the Mouse ears won't work on the Oswald Ears though. But since I work by hand stitching I CAN!

So I am offering the Oswald ears personalized in the way my ears have been personalized, as well as simply chain stitching them like the classic Mickey Ears.

The Oswald Ears 

Personalized Oswaldo Ears on Etsy

Leather Stud

IN PROGRESS!

This hat is commissioned for a long time friend and Disney theme park fan Mr. Kevin.
I knew him first as a Leather Man, so his hat is real lamb leather with 1/4 inch nickel studs to identify him and to show his Mickey ear pride, These ears fit for a real man.

The studs spelling the name in back are 1/4 inch nickle pyramid studs. The Mickey in front is abstracted with round and oval nickels studs. There will be whimsical single nickel spike at the center top to suggest an old school motor cycle helmet.

Fitting a name in studs this large is a challenge (and I am using the smallest studs available.) Even deciding to go with just "Mr." as I address him required careful planning. I tested everything out with graph paper and studs on foam core before I start working on the leather.

Ears like this would never be sold by Disney!

The Studs spelling "Mr." on the leather
 before it's applied to the hat.  

Test of "Mr." in 1/4" nickel pyramid
 studs  on foam core to get proportions
 and placement confirmed.

Test of round and oval studs as
abstracted Mickey Mouse

Chalk Board

IN PROGRESS!

These ears are being custom made to order to be purchased as a gift for an elementary school teacher. They feature hand embroidery that looks like chalk writing the name and a felt piece of chalk placed as if it just finished writing. The look is classic and simple but the process to achieve it is a labor of love.

Over an hour of planing stitching is involved in preparing the area that will be stitched with white thread to give the realistic texture of chalk on a black board. layout lines are stitched in yellow to set up the area that will have the writing, then actual chalk is used to write the name in the prepared space.



This is then outlined in orange thread as a guide. By the time all the edges are defined with orange most of the chalk has been worn off.







The yellow thread is removed and the hat is finally ready for the white thread to start creating the uneven texture of chalk.

Order Now for Holiday Gift Giving.

The December Holidays are rapidly approaching.

If you want to give a pair of beautifully plussed, personalized Micky Mouse ears as a gift I need you to contact me now to discus what you want.

I can add hand embroidery, beading, appliqué, sequins, rhinestones and crystals, and repaint the ears themselves to a new color to work even if we re-theme them completely. I am also prepared to cover the felt portion of a hat completely with real leather, and use studs to personalize with name and picture of Mickey on the front.

I don't say no to ANY nicknames like they do in the park.

As you can tell from my pictures I can really create a unique set for you that is either subtle or over the top, but entirely "YOU."

All ears will be completed with a name, nick name or other identifier on them.

Saint Patrick's Day

Click any photo to Enlarge.

This hat is the most complex I have created so far. The Leprechaun's pot of gold is velvet and stuffed to make it rounded like a pot should be. The gold is created with a mix of various gold, cooper and silver beads. there are three leafed clovers and one four leaf shamrock in the open green spaces. The Rainbow is individually sewn down sequins and the Cloud is made of pears and has a surprise when viewed from a very specific angle.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/169221693/saint-patricks-day-mickey-mouse-ears?