Project: Doodle A Day ~Bloom~

Day 5: Bloom

I started off making a postcard with this one. Three little pots in the process of blooming (seed, roots/stem and a plant) but it felt flat and a bit unloved so I decided to do a bloom with flowers as Spring is supposed to be in the air! I did think of bloomers, bloomin' marvellous....

Kerri Smith 100 ideas ~layers~

I decided to create a flat entry of layers, I used 5 different designs in paper, 2 different tapes to layer on top of it. My rubber stamp border, Russain doll and the layers on her. I then created a second doll as a tag to write on the back why I created that layered effect. If I'd thought of it earlier I could have turned the first doll into a card or pocket and wrote inside her. Its why I should sometimes think things through but I'm one to work on things as I they come to me when decorating.

Do you plan things before you start doing anything?

Keri Smith 100 ideas~86. Write an entry in code~

After weeks of talking about it I finally got around to starting my Keri Smith 100 ideas journal. As I mentioned I wanted to do as much of it in notebook form as I can so that I'm able to have it there in my hand to see. I couldn't take to my last journal at all and since my niece had told me she wanted a new notebook to mark make in I decided to let her have it. I've now ended up with this one.

Its simple and the pages are great quality so it makes it all that much nicer to write in. I actually wanted this notebook from Wilkinsons but our local store didn't have it and I thought it was too much just to set up an account and make an order for one book even though it has quite a few of my loves on the front.

I started by decided on what exactly each letter/number should be in the easiest way possible as I'd have to draw quite a lot of the letters a few times. For some of them it was actually really hard. Of course I could think of animals but eventually they would have all looked the same. I'd already regretted the milk one as I couldn't for the life of me draw that properly when the time came.

Here's what it eventually looked like....

Maybe you'd like to try and crack it as quite a few of the words are the same. It actually felt like writing a foreign language in picture form and it was easy to pick up. Its just a shame that my pictures ended up quite untidy towards the end.

Did you ever end up writing secret messages as children?

Project: Washi Tape

Last month on someones blog they posted a link to a video on You Tube on how to make your own washi tape. At that time I owned 2 rolls so I decided it would be fun to make my own to try out.

I saw one video where the lady used masking tape to create her tape strips. I tried this one first by sticking the tape to accetate and then decorating it. I used rubber stamps, shape punches and my pro markers to decorate it.

It all looked great on my acetate but when I peeled it away I didn't like the texture but also the ones I used the shape punched shapes on they all fell off when I peeled it away. So that was such a waste of time. Still you may have noticed I used them on my Project: Inspiration envelopes.

This one I wouldn't recommend at all.

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My second attempt was this weekend. I created these washi tapes by sticking tissue paper (I only had pink) to double sided tape and cutting off what wasn't needed.

I then used my pro markers (cupcake), distress ink (leaves) and pigment inks (flowers) on each strip. My favourite has to be the distress ink as it seems to have a really nice soft effect to it.

These felt so much nicer and didn't get any wrinkly bits in it. Due to the double sided tape it ended up thicker and much easier to manage then the masking tape.

This one I would recommend if you want to try it.

The last one I did see but refused to buy incase it didn't work is tape that you use for First Aid, the translucent type. I'm wondering if the surface may still be too shiny as with the tissue I ended up using the rough side. You maybe willing to try it.

Since then I have bought some washi tape but I'm still tempted to occasionally make my own for a more unique design and style.

Have you ever made your own washi tape?

Project: Inspiration

Here is the last of my envelopes, I can't believe July is over and we are moving in to August. It doesn't feel like summer at all as the temperatures have dropped once again and I need my wooly socks.... brrr.... I am sad to end this project but who knows I may do it again one day... lets wait and see.

I left this envelope at an ATM machine today, weirdly there was no one behind me when I did it and as I was walking away a lady shouted 'excuse me', I turned round to see her flick it to one side. So this ones probably going to end up in the bin... oh well!

From this project:

• I was able to test my creativity by doing something a little different.
• To end up being reckless towards the end and not really caring anymore who was looking or who was not. I would have put this at the ATM even if there were people behind me.
• To learn from my mistakes.... use a plastic wallet, wait until the right moment to do a project as July was just too hectic for it.
• That people in Bradford do not get excited by creative envelopes and will not get in touch. Unfortunately I'm here to stay so Bradfords my only creative outlet.
• I loved doing it and I can't wait to create more random projects like this.

Have you enjoyed this and would you attempt something like this yourself?

Project: Inspiration

I think I may have left two envelopes together in one of the last couple of photos because I have no idea where I left this one and I would have had a photograph if I had left it anywhere. So this one is somewhere out in the world but I've no idea where.....

I have created one last envelope which hopefully I shall leave somewhere today to take it up to 31 days but my mind keeps thinking of new places to leave an envelopes so I may keep a list and when I think of another 30 or 31 places then I'll do it all over again.

Have you ever had a memory lapse as to what you have done with something and for the life of you it never comes back to you... what was it?

Project: Inspiration

This was a suggestion by Jo-Anne to leave an envelope under the windscreen wiper of a car. Hopefully this person agreed that they were prefect!

What have you done recently that was perfect?

Project: Inspiration

The envelope I left at the post office I was meant to leave inside this knickers and bra set. It doesn't matter though as in the end I left everything in such a random place regardless of what they said or meant. I just wanted to get as many of my envelopes out there for people to pick up. This one I had intended to leave in the craft section with all the buttons but I kind of forgot that that was my intention until I walked passed the store and realised I had no envelopes left to leave.

I can't believe that I'm 26 days in to this project already, of course it feels like such a life time ago that I started it and all the rain we've had, you wouldn't imagine it now with the heatwave we are having at the moment. Its like I'm in a completely different month with how much things have calmed down and the weather has changed.

Do you ever feel like that, like time has gone slow and then speeded up?

Project: Inspiration

This postcard I stuck to the post office window near the door because I decided if there is a sudden queue someone was bound to pick it up. The only problem is that I accidently left the wrong postcard here as this one was meant to be for a different location. Never mind though, just as long as it cheers someone up thats the main thing.

I hope that you believe that you are beautiful, inside and out :).

Project: Inspiration

Its the weekend again and my holidays are well and truely on their way. I always think I've got so many wonderful weeks left but in reality it will end in a blink of an eye. I'm hoping to complete a couple of projects this holiday at least as there are so many things I want to do. I have complied a list so hopefully this year I'll get to complete it.

I left this envelope in WHSmiths as I often take photos of the stationery there so I really had to give somehting back.

Have you come across any fun projects lately?

Project: Inspiration

As you can see this envelope I left in the toliets, I really wanted to leave it in a disabled toliet but there was a lady struggling with her wheel chair trying to access it and I would have had to wait a long time. I decided I would make another envelope at some point to leave in a disabled toliet as I still need to create 7 more to make it to my target of 30.

This envelope I was supposed to leave in the flower area and that one in this toliet but in my haste I left this one first. The toliet was empty which made it so easy to take this photo. These Polish stamps have to be some of my favourites that I have seen so far.

Are you also curious like me to know what people think of these envelopes I've left around?

Project: Inspiration

I love the envelope of this one but not so much the way I ended up writing the quote but it was so lengthy that I was worried about it not fitting. I was supposed to put a different one here but ended up getting mixed up with them in my haste to put them out and about. It doesn't matter though as the main thing is someone gets them and feels a little cheery by the decoration if not the quote.

We went to the other end of the supermarket and came back, I saw a lady standing right in front of this spot and I thought that she had opened the envelope and was looking through it but it was her shopping list and she didn't even acknowldge the card. The downside to placing them in such places is that people end up thinking they are part of the display.

I'm curious to know if you are green fingered. Someone bought me a plant recently and its the first time I knew about repotting so I did and it is blooming so much I can't help but think wow every time I see it. It needs repotting again as its grown that much but I guess when winter comes it won't be flowery anymore... at least I know I can keep a plant alive for more then a month at least... still I haven't ever bought any plants in my life time.

Project:Inspiration

You are Beautiful!

What more can you tell a person who is drinking this stuff? I actually put this on the shelf whilst my sister had her back to it, I quickly took a photo and wondered if it would fall off but it seemed to stay for about 10 minutes. Then I guess someone walked passed and it fell down, I was at the counter and could see it from where I was, I thought someone had taken it so quickly only to realise it had fallen. At that point a man and his partner were walking down the aisle, I thought he was going to wheel his trolley over it and flatten the seal, thankfully he saw it, picked it up and.......put it back on the shelf! Goodness! He didn't even really look at it, wouldn't you be quite curious seeing an envelope decorated like that with stamps? I know I would, I'd flip it over and look at both sides. Ladies make your men more curious about such things :).

The thing is though when this idea came to me, I had really wished that we had £1 notes instead of coins as I would have loved to have put a note in to each envelope and told that person to treat themselves because they deserved it. Sadly we don't and putting a £1 coin in would have made it too bulky but still imagine if I'd put a life changing amount of money in that envelope and this man just put it back on the shelf. I wish someone would give me a life changing amount of money, I'd continue doing projects to make peoples days!


Are you lucky enough to have a flowery garden at your end of the world? Unfortunately any bit of blooming the plants here wanted to do have been drowned by all the rain and blown away by high winds when there is no rain. Can't win either way really!

Project: Inspiration

I was meant to post this before my gambling one but in my excitement I got carried away and forgot which order I was doing things in.

When I went in to the city on Saturday I parked my car right outside this newly painted door. I loved the colour but also everything about the style and colour of the door. I was so attracted to it I had to post an envelope through the letter box super quickly as I could hear creaking inside and was worried about someone stepping outside whilst I was doing my deed. I'm really curious to know if this letter box is in use as there was one on the side also but I'll never know as I haven't had an e-mail.

I haven't actually had any e-mails yet and the curiosity is killing me of whether or not many of them have been collected since some are not in very obvious places and it could take months for someone to find it.

I did go to the supermarket today and check the book I had left an envelope in and it was still there! The thing is though I'd bought it home to change the e-mail address and had put it in a plastic wallet before putting it back. Someone had taken it out of the book, took it out of the wallet, ripped the seal off, read it and put it back minus bag and seal! The seal wasn't even on that hard as it had the tiniest amount of double sided tape on for that purpose. What really baffles me is that if you go to such an effort to open it then why would you not just slip it in your bag or pocket and take it home away from preying eyes.

Another envelope I haven't blogged about I checked that out today too and that one is still there a couple of days later too.... goodness...

Do you have a fancy front door?

Project: Inspiration

I decided to continue with the theme of clothes and popped this envelope in to a cardigan pocket  in the shop. Its a ghastly looking cardigan but I've seen people wear them and they look so good. Anyway as I walked away a lady picked up another nasty looking cardigan on the same rail so I hope that she noticed this envelope in the process. It's fun thinking of un-usual places but they are also not very obvious ones so can take people some time to find and even then they may not want it. I should be going to the supermarket on Wednesday so I hope to take a peek into the book to see if that one has finally gone.

Do you have any favourite quotes?

Project: Inspiration

This envelope as you can see I left in a shopping trolley. I came back and it was gone. I love how this one turned out and I especially love these postage stamps, I do however really need to look into getting some new postmarks in a variety of countries. This one I'm using is only for France.

I've really enjoyed working with these small square images, I've had them for such a long time that I think I may have to think of a project to use them.

Do you have any ideas?