Project: Christmas Postcards

Well here's the last of my Christmas postcards,

I hope you enjoyed looking at them all,

maybe even found some inspiration

but most of all

I hope that you are having an amazing Christmas Week!

Enjoy yourself!

Project: Christmas Postcards

I can't believe it is Christmas Eve already, Where have the days and months gone? Next week we'll be starting a New Year! That is really quite scary but hopefully it will bring a lot of luck, happiness and good health for everyone!

 

What has been the highlight of this year for you?

Project: Christmas Postcard

Have you noticed I'm quite a bauble freak? I could honestly spend a day in a shop looking at all the amazing designs and styles. My brother-in-law had one hanging in his car and I always thought of doing the same but have never actually got around to buying one. Maybe I'll see that one bauble that I really must have even though I'm tempted to buy all of them.

What Christmas item can't you help but buy each year?

Project: Christmas Postcard

Can you believe its the 10th December already, the time just seems to be flying by so quickly, before we'll know it we'll be seeing the new year in. At least its nice to know that there is only next week left until my holidays begin but of course for some of you it means the start of the Christmas celebrations :)... joy!

Project: Christmas Postcards

I know I need to be more creative with my titles, well I think I should anyway but its just so easy to put what project it is.

 

I'm almost done with posting all my packages and cards out... I was almost asleep last night when I remembered two people I put on my list but haven't got around to sending their cards out yet. It turned out that I didn't have any cards left that I'd made... oops! I was going to send a shop bought one to both of them but then thought its not fair that I've sent people on make my day one who never acknowledged receiving anything or reappearing again a handmade one and my actual friends a shop bought one as they put such effort in to their letters which is why we write such insanely long ones (between 15- 30 pages). I started making them when my niece turned up so I stopped and made some with her instead as I still have 2 blank cards for her. She's always insisting that we bake or create something but I really lack the energy and at times the motivation to do things. Its why I'm so glad I made these Christmas cards in September.

 

I'm slowly getting Christmas presents through now too and its so tempting to open them! Are you good at saving things for  Christmas day?

Project: Christmas Cards

I have such a soft spot for Wreaths I don't know why, I even have a file dedicated on pinterest to them I'm that bad but maybe one day I'll actually make one myself to decorate a room or just for fun... I'll have to see! Its a project worth adding to my list.

 

What do you have a soft spot for?

Project: Christmas Postcards

Its lovely at this time of year to see all the sweets/candys, nuts and mince pies but for some of you I bet you love some of the Christmas ales.

Project: Christmas Postcards

Today I managed to post nearly all of my postcards. I just have a couple left that I need to send with letters etc... but hopefully I'll get those sorted by the weekend.

 

Do you buy a stocking to fill?

Project: Christmas Postcards

I've blogged about 6 postcards so far but I haven't even posted one of them yet! I went today and asked the man at the post office for some airmal stickers. He got me one sheet... erm... Can I have some more please! He looked at me really weird so I explained how I'd made my own Christmas cards this year and that I'd bought my stamps online as I know he doesn't stock that many. He just went thats so true as I use the printable labels more these day and I could have found a way to stick them on your postcards... yikes!!... they are half the size of the postcard so he would have had to stick them on the front the way I'd written the addresses. Also I already couldn't believe that he had stuck the postage label for my lovely letter on my cat when I'd actually left a space...he stuck the air mail sticker there instead. The only reason I know this is because my partner had posted a photo on her blog. I'm not there when he sticks the labels on as he does it all later when its much quieter, the women do it whilst I'm there and are usually really good with my stuff. He's a really nice man and so good with my niece, I haven't taken her for some weeks now and he keeps asking about her.

 

Do you have good postal workers?

Project:Take Some Love

I saw this on someones blog and decided to do my own version. Being me though it can never be simple. I started with just the love along the bottom but it looked plain so I added the hearts and then decided to add the feel good words....

1. Disabled Toliet door 2. A sculpture 3. ATM machine (someone has taken one) 4. Handmade in Bradford Door.

5. A lift 6. The bus 7. A pillar 8. I asked my older brother if he'd let me put it in his car but he said no... I thought he'd be up for it. I now need to leave one more.

The final one at a parking meter.

 

I had wanted to make 10 but mis-calculated when creating them and decided that actually 8 would be plenty. I may make some of a different design later.

 

I've put my e-mail address on the back of each strip since I had created one for last time so maybe this time I'll get people getting in touch.

If I do what type of e-mail do you think I should leave in return? Something to do with love and maybe a quote do you think?

Project: Handmade Writing Paper

I have always said I wanted to create my own paper to write letters on but in reality its impossible with super long letters as I would need way too many sheets and would spend my whole time decorating instead of writing.

Someone saw my Project: Inspiration envelopes and mentioned how they'd love to receive one so I agreed to make and send one. I then decided to write a letter where I've created my own paper too, to go with the creative envelope.

As I recently bought a lot of tapes and haven't had the chance to open all of them yet, I decided to put them to good use by decorating my paper with them. I decorated both sides of the sheet but I need to really find thicker sheets as these seem to have bleed through.

Some are a little creative and others are plain and simple but it makes for a fun letter when reading it and I tend to use different colours too to write with.

This photo is taken by the person I sent it to using my handmade washi tape.

Do you tend to decorate your envelopes for friends letters?

Project: Notebook

I went in search of a notebook last month to take part in the Kerri Smith 100 idea's that I've seen on quite a few blogs but I discovered around the time I came across her Wreck This Journal. I wanted a notebook that wasn't spiral bound which proved to be difficult as I couldn't find one.

On the way back to my car I decided to pop into one last shop and I found this journal which was so me so I bought it. It was covering in a plastic wallet so I assumed the writing was a sheet of paper put in as that is often the case, not this time though it was actually printed on the book. I thought to take it back but then decided it would be fun to alter even though I personally didn't have any ideas then and people gave so many suggestions which were great.

It wasn't until last night when I couldn't go to sleep that I thought of this idea so as soon as I got up it was the first thing I did. Only problem is when I started sticking the tape down you could still see the writing underneath as washi tape is still quite translucent. I stuck an address label on but it was too thick for the thin washi tape so I peeled it off and tried correction tape. The correction tape showed through too so I had to go back to using a sticker which you can really notice despite all the tape. By this point I'd fallen out with this journal and have decided my nice can use it for her doodle as the pages are really nice quality too.

The reason I decided to do this style is that when you look at Kerri Smiths journals they are really basic and all the fun is inside. Also I didn't want to take your eye away completely from the background by doing something fussy which I am the queen of. I would have then got my rubber stamps out and stamped 100 ideas on to the actual tape.

Do you also find it a pain to find exactly what you want sometimes or are you lucky enough to find exactly what you need?

Back much much later with a second attempt

I think its got something missing but I'm not sure quite just what yet. Still at least the label is no longer obvious. Now it can be the 100 ideas travelling journal that it is meant to be even though my niece told me today she needs a new notebook because her other one has finished.

Which one do you like best?

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.

.

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

You'll be happy to know that towards the end of this project I started to get reckless and not care that people were around me so close whilst I was leaving my envelopes. There was a lady with her family to the side of me trying on shoes, there was someone behind me and all around me really but this envelope went so well with these sandals that I couldn't help but leave it here. So in it went, I took the photograph and moved on.

Its really weird as up until my last 7 envelopes I didn't want people to see me or see what I was doing with my envelopes but with these last ones I really didn't care anymore. Maybe its just the fact that one or two of my envelopes are still where I left them and also the fact after leaving so many envelopes I haven't received a single e-mail its made me reckless in the hope that someone will if they spot it straight away or wonder what I'm doing. It hasn't worked as all 30 envelopes are out in the world. I've actually decided to create one more to take it to 31 so that there is one for each day even though I left most all in one go as it difficult to make an effort to go out daily.

Live Simply
Dream Big
Be Grateful
Give Love
Laugh Lots

Have you bought any fancy sandals this summer?

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 :).