DIY: Washi Tape Glasses Case Makeover
Etsy Crush: Draft Snake
The draft snake i bought on Etsy has finally arrived.
Ordering from the US is always nerve-wracking as it takes weeks, sometimes months to arrive, and you never know if the item is still in transit or simply got lost. I'm 100% sure that the term "snail mail" was created by someone like me, who had to deal with the slowness of german customs repeatedly.
Anyway, it's here and i love it! I'm thinking about ordering two more for our large double door next fall.
Prior to that we used an old towel. The perfect low-budget solution, but an optical nightmare! I should be super-ashamed to share this photo, but I publish it anyway.
Check out the seller's shop HomeDecorAmour. She has some lovely draft snakes in pretty patterns, and i'm super happy with the quality.
Ordering from the US is always nerve-wracking as it takes weeks, sometimes months to arrive, and you never know if the item is still in transit or simply got lost. I'm 100% sure that the term "snail mail" was created by someone like me, who had to deal with the slowness of german customs repeatedly.
Anyway, it's here and i love it! I'm thinking about ordering two more for our large double door next fall.
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Prior to that we used an old towel. The perfect low-budget solution, but an optical nightmare! I should be super-ashamed to share this photo, but I publish it anyway.
Check out the seller's shop HomeDecorAmour. She has some lovely draft snakes in pretty patterns, and i'm super happy with the quality.
Happy Anniversary
to us :)
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Anniversaries are a bit like New Year's Eve. You have all those high expectations that it has to be the party of the year. But all we wanted today was to spend some time together and have a relaxing day.
So we went feeding the ducks and geese, had coffee and cheesecake, hung up our love lock again ( you can read more about it here, here and here), MisterT got another ice cream spoon, and we had a sub for dinner.
Was it an ultra-exciting day? No.Was it a perfect day? Absolutely!
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Anniversaries are a bit like New Year's Eve. You have all those high expectations that it has to be the party of the year. But all we wanted today was to spend some time together and have a relaxing day.
So we went feeding the ducks and geese, had coffee and cheesecake, hung up our love lock again ( you can read more about it here, here and here), MisterT got another ice cream spoon, and we had a sub for dinner.
Was it an ultra-exciting day? No.Was it a perfect day? Absolutely!
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Pink Paislee Color Crush Challenge
...or why i am very close to throwing my stupid Cameo out of the window!
So, this page was supposed to be a quick and relaxing project after work- i calculated an hour max.
Day 1: No more daylight when i finally came home.
Day 2: I searched my stash for the PP paper i had purchased with my last shopping spree two or three weeks ago. Then, no more daylight. You can't choose paper when you can't see the actual colors, right?
Day 3: Aha, the sun was still shining. Chose the Pink Paislee Nantucket Clam Bake coordinating back as the background paper, grabbed a few rolls of washi tape, and the pack of Silhouette's adhesive cardstock.
Opened my Cameo software to create a loop border. Two hours and much yelling later i was finally ready to insert the cardstock into the machine and cut the pattern. Cut #1 big fail. Cut #2 big fail. Cut #3 big fail.
Why on earth are the default settings completely wrong?? Why the hell does that cardstock tear even on the lowest cutting speed. Why is this the most distrastrous supply ever sold??
Cut #4 came out ok. Then, no more daylight. You can't work on a color challenge properly under artificial light, can you?
Day 4: Hey, why not include some sketches with the new sketch pens? Purchased this pattern from the Silhouette Online Store , and let my machine draw. Draw#1 fail. Looks like the white pen is already dried out. Draw #2 in yellow was ok. I quickly wanted to add the words " beautiful Amaryllis", when the software crashed and the design i had worked on the last hour or so was gone. Damn it, Silhouette! Then, guess what, no more daylight-but this time all i had left to do was sticking and glueing everything to the page.
After 4 days, my one-hour project was finally finished... or so it seemed...
Once everything was done, the paper kept sticking to the cutting mat. My precious expensive paper. Not only did the mat ruin the pretty pattern, but now the page is super curly as well. Aaaargh!
I truly love my Cameo, but there are just too many flaws. The software has glitches, many of the settings are wrong, that adhesive cardstock is a catastrophe and the cutting mat is simply ridiculous. Either waaaayyyyy too sticky, so that it ruins the paper, or not sticky at all and the paper just keeps sliding around during the cutting process, which of course ruins the paper, too. Silhouette, please come up with a better solution real soon!
Anyway, i like how the page turned out. Wonderful colors!
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DIY: Papier-Maché Heart Makeover
In four days, on Monday, we are celebrating our 2nd anniversary. I probably sound like a broken record, but wow, time really flies! Isn't it only a few weeks ago that i wrote about our first anniversary?
To keep up our tradition, i had to create a new number as a photo prop. I wanted to reuse the giant papier-maché heart i made for Valentine's Day, and then throw it away afterwards. It's simply too big to keep it as a permanet decoration.
So when i saw this photo on the Paper Crafter's Corner blog
i immediately knew i had found the perfect inspiration.
Removing the black tape partly damaged the surface- the perfect chippy background for my makeover.
And with some acrylic paint and Mod Podge, the giant heart now looks like this:
I even included our wedding date.
The photos are terrible- it looks so much better in reality.
Fun! Can't wait to use it on Monday.
To keep up our tradition, i had to create a new number as a photo prop. I wanted to reuse the giant papier-maché heart i made for Valentine's Day, and then throw it away afterwards. It's simply too big to keep it as a permanet decoration.
So when i saw this photo on the Paper Crafter's Corner blog
i immediately knew i had found the perfect inspiration.
Removing the black tape partly damaged the surface- the perfect chippy background for my makeover.
And with some acrylic paint and Mod Podge, the giant heart now looks like this:
I even included our wedding date.
The photos are terrible- it looks so much better in reality.
Fun! Can't wait to use it on Monday.
No more shopping!
Inspired by this blog post by Nancy Ray, i decided to quit shopping for three months. Yes, 3 full months!
I already made this decision last week, at the end of March, and have been following through since then.
And you would not believe how many pretty items i have seen in the last few days. Just yesterday at TK Maxx: a super cute bird sculpture, a scrapbook paper pack, a chevron dinner plate, and an adorable three-tier cake stand printed with birds and flowers.
But i did not buy any of these. Did i want them? Sure. Do i need them? No. Not at all.
There are a few exceptions to my "no-shop" rule though:
- food and beverages ( obviously, we don't want to starve)
- expenses connected with our upcoming trip to Marseille ( again, food and beverages, as well as taxi, postcards and a little souvenir)
- the first flea market of the season at the end of this month. I don't intend to buy anything, but i might. However, 10€ are the maximum i allow myself to spend.
- gifts for birthdays and other special occasions.
Aside from those exceptions, I not only want to stop buying, but also having; in other words hoarding.
I have so many things in abundance, it just isn't necessary to purchase another item just for decoration, or a third set of dinnerware just because i like the pattern ( when i can simply paint the white plates i already own).
This almost desperate "want-to-have" and "keep-it-all" behaviour surely is a result of the year 2011 and the first half of 2012, when money was so extremely tight that we could not afford anything- we barely had enough to buy food.
I kept every tiny snippet of everything. Eventually, this was the only way to be able to create items for my shop, and it surely was a good thing back then.
But now that we are better off, there simply is no need for keeping empty jars, tin cans and bottles, or every single scrap of paper, twine, washi tape or fabric. Now i can afford to buy a new sheet, or spool, or roll or fat quarter ( if necessary (!) to fulfill a custom order).
That does not mean that i am giving up recycling items and reusing them. But i am not hoarding anymore, i am suppressing this "must keep" compulsion. Can i reuse certain items? Sure. Do i actually reuse them? Rarely. And so they just contribute to clutter up our precious little space.
Now, this "keep less but don't buy either" might sound a bit contradicting, but it does indeed make sense. This action is not only about spending less money. It is also about having less in general.
Let me quote Lara Casey: All we need is LESS. Less "me me me" and less "bigger, faster, smarter".
Lara said these words in a different context, yet they still match perfectly. I want to have less. Less stuff, and more space to breathe and live. Finding joy in the small and non-material things.
So, no more hoarding, and even more important, no more shopping just for fun until the end of June.
In addition to that, i finally convinced MisterT that it makes sense to have a joint household fund, to which we both now contribute in equal parts. Until now, my husband has paid most of the groceries, whereas i spent my money on supplies for my shop, other items i thought we might need ( home decoration and such), but most of my money is mainly used towards paying off my debt as fast as possible. I'm excited to see how we are going to manage our finances from now on. I'll keep you updated.
But for now, who wants to join my "no-shop" rule? Anyone brave enough?
I already made this decision last week, at the end of March, and have been following through since then.
And you would not believe how many pretty items i have seen in the last few days. Just yesterday at TK Maxx: a super cute bird sculpture, a scrapbook paper pack, a chevron dinner plate, and an adorable three-tier cake stand printed with birds and flowers.
But i did not buy any of these. Did i want them? Sure. Do i need them? No. Not at all.
There are a few exceptions to my "no-shop" rule though:
- food and beverages ( obviously, we don't want to starve)
- expenses connected with our upcoming trip to Marseille ( again, food and beverages, as well as taxi, postcards and a little souvenir)
- the first flea market of the season at the end of this month. I don't intend to buy anything, but i might. However, 10€ are the maximum i allow myself to spend.
- gifts for birthdays and other special occasions.
Aside from those exceptions, I not only want to stop buying, but also having; in other words hoarding.
I have so many things in abundance, it just isn't necessary to purchase another item just for decoration, or a third set of dinnerware just because i like the pattern ( when i can simply paint the white plates i already own).
This almost desperate "want-to-have" and "keep-it-all" behaviour surely is a result of the year 2011 and the first half of 2012, when money was so extremely tight that we could not afford anything- we barely had enough to buy food.
I kept every tiny snippet of everything. Eventually, this was the only way to be able to create items for my shop, and it surely was a good thing back then.
But now that we are better off, there simply is no need for keeping empty jars, tin cans and bottles, or every single scrap of paper, twine, washi tape or fabric. Now i can afford to buy a new sheet, or spool, or roll or fat quarter ( if necessary (!) to fulfill a custom order).
That does not mean that i am giving up recycling items and reusing them. But i am not hoarding anymore, i am suppressing this "must keep" compulsion. Can i reuse certain items? Sure. Do i actually reuse them? Rarely. And so they just contribute to clutter up our precious little space.
Now, this "keep less but don't buy either" might sound a bit contradicting, but it does indeed make sense. This action is not only about spending less money. It is also about having less in general.
Let me quote Lara Casey: All we need is LESS. Less "me me me" and less "bigger, faster, smarter".
Lara said these words in a different context, yet they still match perfectly. I want to have less. Less stuff, and more space to breathe and live. Finding joy in the small and non-material things.
So, no more hoarding, and even more important, no more shopping just for fun until the end of June.
In addition to that, i finally convinced MisterT that it makes sense to have a joint household fund, to which we both now contribute in equal parts. Until now, my husband has paid most of the groceries, whereas i spent my money on supplies for my shop, other items i thought we might need ( home decoration and such), but most of my money is mainly used towards paying off my debt as fast as possible. I'm excited to see how we are going to manage our finances from now on. I'll keep you updated.
But for now, who wants to join my "no-shop" rule? Anyone brave enough?
Basic White Bread
Ingredients:
330 ml milk
330 g flour
2 tsp baking powder
2-3 tsp salt
Instructions:
- mix the ingredients
- grease a loaf pan or line it with baking paper
- pour the dough into the pan
- bake for 20-30 minutes at 200° C
Let cool and enjoy!
DIY: Washi Tape Spring Vase
Happy Good Friday everyone!
With six days off from work, this is going to be a long and fabulous weekend for me- with losts of crafting, cleaning, working on custom orders, perhaps creating some new items for my shop, but most of all spending precious time with my wonderful husband.
For starters, here's a super quick and easy craft i just made with a clear vase, paper flowers and my favorite washi tape.
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Sketch Challenge: Sweet Little Friends
Yes, i know what you're thinking: "Another scrapbook post, really???"
Sooorry! I swear there will be "normal" DIY's real soon, so please don't leave me ;)
This month's Scrap365 sketch by Sian Fair is such a cute way to cherish family moments, if you have a house and well, a family.
We have neither; it's just us and the screechy-birds ( the last four of them), so i included a birdcage instead of a house.
This page is dedicated to our beloved sweet little feather balls, who, due to illness, spread their wings and left us to live a peaceful, happy and healthy life in rainbow-land.
Thank you for being our friends, Charly, Chaplin, Cookie, Schlumpfi, Freddy, Finni, and Rocky.
Paper: Glitz Design Sparrow Bloom ( the ccordinating back of this one)
Birdcage: Silhouette Online Store here
Frames: OTC
Ornate sticker: Ebay ( it was white; i stamped it with an aqua, pink and yellow inkpad)
Birds, border and alpha's: Heidi Grace
Sooorry! I swear there will be "normal" DIY's real soon, so please don't leave me ;)
This month's Scrap365 sketch by Sian Fair is such a cute way to cherish family moments, if you have a house and well, a family.
We have neither; it's just us and the screechy-birds ( the last four of them), so i included a birdcage instead of a house.
This page is dedicated to our beloved sweet little feather balls, who, due to illness, spread their wings and left us to live a peaceful, happy and healthy life in rainbow-land.
Thank you for being our friends, Charly, Chaplin, Cookie, Schlumpfi, Freddy, Finni, and Rocky.
Paper: Glitz Design Sparrow Bloom ( the ccordinating back of this one)
Birdcage: Silhouette Online Store here
Frames: OTC
Ornate sticker: Ebay ( it was white; i stamped it with an aqua, pink and yellow inkpad)
Birds, border and alpha's: Heidi Grace
Happy Sunday
1. I cut my hair.
I had bangs back in 2008-2009, and i was in the mood for that look again; and so i just did it. My inspiration:
Oh, she is so pretty! And this is me:
A really good result, considering that it is a DIY.
2. Mmmmhmmm, Grünkohl! The last one this season
I had bangs back in 2008-2009, and i was in the mood for that look again; and so i just did it. My inspiration:
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| Photos via How Does She |
A really good result, considering that it is a DIY.
2. Mmmmhmmm, Grünkohl! The last one this season
3. Now that we bought a new TV for the living room, we moved the old one to our bedroom. We haven't had a TV there for five years- it's awesome!
4. I had my first customer from Ireland. Dublin, to be specific. It's a lovely city and definitely on my "must-visit-again" list
5. I have a Wonderbra- it's great :)
6. We booked our hotel in Marseille. It was the first time ever that we booked in a travel agency- and definitely the last time. Such a weird experience.
7. Once a month we allow ourselves to order food. Our dinner tonight: Mister Hang- the best chinese food in town!
Happy Sunday!
4. I had my first customer from Ireland. Dublin, to be specific. It's a lovely city and definitely on my "must-visit-again" list
5. I have a Wonderbra- it's great :)
6. We booked our hotel in Marseille. It was the first time ever that we booked in a travel agency- and definitely the last time. Such a weird experience.
7. Once a month we allow ourselves to order food. Our dinner tonight: Mister Hang- the best chinese food in town!
Happy Sunday!
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