Garden Memories ~ A little handmade Album

Hello lovelies,

After a lengthy hospital stay / rehabilitation I am finally back home recovering. As much as I wish I could jump straight back into my blogging routine and create art tutorials for my YT channel - the energy level isn't there yet. Plus we're having heatwave after heatwave, which is physically demanding. Besides, most people in Europe are on holidays in August, so I've been  making the most of this downtime by leisurely crafting a little photo album from scratch just for me. I find paper crafting a meditative activity. There's just something about the simple act of cutting and sticking down pretty papers that calms my mind and soul, while simultaneously keeping my hands busy. I found a cute paper pad with enchanting animals called "Amongst the Hedgerow" created by illustrator Karina from Karinartspace. I used this as a background for my front and back album cover as well as the inserts. I made sure to provide space for journaling about cherished garden memories. Throughout, I embellished my album with paper flowers, shiny brads and whimsical chipboard ephemera depicting cute animals and cozy garden scenes from the same range. I created flip books, secret pockets and photo cards to hold my garden photos, and to finish, I decorated the album with lace and ribbons. The following pictures show my finished creation. Enjoy! 

Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful day!

Create an envelope with pockets with one sheet of paper & Make a Mixed Media Tag

Hi everyone!

The title of my blog post is a bit long today - it's because I'm actually sharing two art tutorials. In part one I'm sharing how to make a tag envelope from one sheet of paper using a stencil, and in part two I demonstrate how to create a colorful tag, which can then be stored in the envelope.

* this is not a sponsored post. Studio Light stencil bought and paid for by me.

The stencil I used to make the envelope fits perfectly on an A4 size sheet of paper. You can use craft paper, scrapbooking paper or in my case, a gelli print, with prints on both sides. The reason I printed on both sides is simply so I do not have to add matting to the inside. I like to keep things simple!

After tracing the stencil lines I simply cut out the shape and scored along the folding lines.

I proceed the same way with the pockets using some leftover gelli prints. On this stencil there is a choice of three pockets in various sizes. I went with medium and large. Sorry about the glare on the plastic stencil - it's the reflection of my overhead light.

To assemble the envelope I simply fold along the previously scored lines and glue the pockets in place using a sticky tape roller.

You can watch the full video here:

I love making tags! They have all sorts of fun uses, like gift tags, a colorful addition to journals or if they are larger, used as bookmarks! You can watch me make a tag from scratch in the video above.

I used a pre-cut plain white tag and used distress inks and a floral stencil to create a background design. 

After the ink has dried I adhered bits of collage with gel medium and let this dry again.

Next I added some fun postage stamp images with a stamp set that is coincidentally also from Studio Light. I guess I'm a fan 😀 I also made some marks with crayons.

I added a focal image - a butterfly - and a little sentiment. The envelope easily fits six tags in different sizes. A fun project for a winter afternoon. A detailed supplies list can be found in the description below the video. Check it out.

Thank you for reading along and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Please pin / share this project:

Minimalist Christmas Cards with Paste & Glitter

Hello everyone!

Every once in a while I create video tutorials specially for my lovely blog readers. With Christmas around the corner, I thought I'd share a fun card making project. These cards are easy to multiply with a few simple steps and can be modified to whatever stencils and embellishments you have on hand. I've cut a sheet of mixed media paper to postcard size pieces, however, a set of blank postcards are fine, too.

I actually placed my cards in a row and worked on each of them simultaneously, e.g. add the stencils to all cards, add the watercolors to all cards, add the paste and so forth. Tip: when working with glitter place a sheet of paper with a crease in the center underneath. You can then gather the excess glitter in the fold and tip it back into the jar. I've chosen a minimalist style for these cards, but if you wish, you can choose a different color palette all together. As with most of my tutorials I share an idea that you are welcome to customize. 

Enjoy watching the 4-min-video tutorial here 

Easy Mixed Media Tags

Hello crafty friends!

Making tags is one of my favorite paper crafts. Type "gift tags" in the search bar at the top right of this blog and plenty more tag tutorials will show up.

Today I am creating my tags from scratch or rather from one of my gelli prints. The paper I used is 160 gsm, as I find this is a good weight for making tags. Scroll down to watch the video, which also explains how I made the gelli prints. Be sure to read the info in the description box as well. Today's craft is all about layering. I adhered tiny paper scraps including ticket stubs, which I found in the back of a drawer the other day. Looking at the date...wow, they are so old :)

Here's a step-by-step instruction - unfortunately it was an overcast day, so the photos aren't the best.  Scroll down to watch the video, which is a lot brighter.

Step One: measure a rectangle 7 x 14 cm on the gel print, mark with a pencil and cut along the lines. 

Step Two: flip the tag over and using a set square align the top edge with a parallel line and until the corner meets the edge. Mark with a pencil and snip off. 

Step Three: Add stamping

Step Four: Add marks with crayons

Scroll down to watch the video in full.

Step Five: Glue down pieces of collage.

Step Six: Embellish with a focal image (leaves, flowers, animals, words etc.)

Step Seven: Loop a ribbon through the hole

Tip: Plan a gelli printing session a day or two beforehand, then flatten the prints with a stack of heavy books. This way they are ready to go when you decide to make those tags. Happy crafting!

Make your own Mother's Day Card

I had my Mom in mind when I made this card. She might be over seventy, but she still loves all things girly like me! Here's a super easy way to create a card with scraps of fabric and any embellishments and ribbon you have on hand.

*

Meine Mutter mag zwar über siebzig sein, dennoch mag sie immer noch alles was mädchenhaft und sweet ist (so wie ich)! Diese Muttertagskarte habe ich speziell für sie gebastelt. Sie ist ruckzuck mit ein paar Stoffresten, Schleifenband und was man sonst noch so vorrätig hat gemacht.

You'll need / Man braucht

Cardstock

border punch / Bordürenstanzer

scraps of fabric / Stoffreste

pinking shears / Zackenschere

glue / Kleber

embellishments / Dinge zum Verzieren

sewing machine / Nähmaschine

 

Step One to Four / Schritt Eins bis Vier

Cut the card size required from the card stock. Fold in half and punch both edges.

With pinking shears cut as many small triangles from the fabric as necessary to make the bunting. Stick on to the card front. Stitch in place. Make sure you stitch from one edge of the card to the other in one continuous line. Add ribbons, tags, stickers - anything you like to make it a special Mother's Day card!

*

Gewünschte Kartengröße aus dem Cardstock schneiden. Zur Hälfte falten und beide Kanten ausstanzen. Mit der Zackenschere so viele kleine Dreiecke aus den Stoffresten schneiden wie auf die Karte passen.In der gewünschten Reihenfolge auf die Vorderseite der Karte kleben. Die Wimpel mit einem Geradstich verbinden, dabei von einer Seite der Karte bis zur anderen durchgehend steppen. Zuletzt mit Schleifchen, Sticker, Tags verzieren - fertig ist eure einzigartige Muttertagskarte!

Happy Crafting!