Creative Guide to Gift Giving

Hello everyone! Sorry that it's been more than two weeks since I last posted but I'm back with something a little different. Today I wanted to share with you something that I enjoy doing every now and then, being creative with gift giving. There have been several friends that have had birthdays in the last two months so I have lots of ideas for you.

This first set of gifts has a bit of a theme. I tried to use lots of pastel colours and a few metallics so the gifts would tie in well together. I handmade some bookmarks that looked like some of my friend's favourite cartoon characters. One of my tips for gift giving is to make some gifts yourself. This means that you can really personalise the gifts and it's fun to see what you can create.

This next set of gifts doesn't really have a theme but there's a few fun gifts here. My next tip for gift giving is to ask a few questions to the person you're giving gifts to. A few weeks before their birthdays, I asked my friends a few things about what their favourite things are. Things like their: favourite sweets, favourite TV shows/programs, favourite accessories and things that they can't get enough of/collect. This helped to inspire me with possible themes or just the sort of gifts they might like. In the jewellery box in the photo, are some handmade earrings. This friend told me they liked Harry Potter and Stranger Things and their favourite accessories were earrings. So I made waffle stud earrings (apparently waffles are a Stranger Things reference) and golden snitch inspired dangly earrings (a Harry Potter reference).

Again, this next set of gifts doesn't have a theme but I used the questions about their favourite things to come up with these gifts. My next tip for gift giving is to try to give different types of presents. What I mean by this is you should try not to give just food or just jewellery or just stationery, etc but instead to give a mix of all of these things. The reason I say this is because everything lasts for different amount of times. Food lasts for a very short amount of time, depending on how tasty it is tee-hee. Stationery lasts for much longer but can eventually be used up. Then jewellery could last for a very long time. BY the way the handmade items here are: the notebook, the bookmarks and the earrings inside the jewellery box. 

 This final set of gifts does have a theme, jaffa cakes. It's a bit of an unusual theme but fun. That's why my last tip is to think outside of the box. Just think, who else is going to give these gifts? I don't think anyone else would (that could either be a good or bad thing, you decide hehe). I used two of the things that they said were their favourite things: jaffa cakes and bath bombs, to inspire me. This was actually quite difficult to put together because there weren't many jaffa cake items in the shops. So I actually bought chocolate orange items from the shops:chocolate orange bath bomb and chocolate orange lollipops. I made the notebook myself and the keyring was handmade too, but not by me. It was made by Heartfelty (see their facebook page here).

I hope that I've inspired you to get creative with your gift giving, it's such a fun thing to do for your friends and family! Just to recap, here's my four tips for creative giftgiving:

1. Hand make some gifts-this can really personalise the gifts
2. Ask the recipient a few questions about their favourite things-again this helps you to personalise their gifts
3. Try to give a few different types of gifts-this means the recipient can enjoy their gifts in different ways for different amounts of time
4. Think outside the box-this makes the gifts fun and unique

So that's all for today's post, remember you don't have to spend a lot of money to give gifts that your friends will enjoy, I just thought I'd share a few creative ideas to inspire you.

Over to you..

Have you given any gifts recently? Or have you been doing anything else creative? Let me know in the comments. Also, what has been your best gift you've ever received?

Christmas Card Craft Idea

Hello everyone! I'm finally back with another post and it's my first Christmas one!I've had lots of revision to do recently so I took a few weeks away from blogging but I missed it so I'm back this week. Today I've got a lovely Christmas card idea for you to craft for your friends and family so get cosy and see how I made a wreath card!

 Firstly I chose a Christmas patterned paper, a plain card, a bow, a doily and a few Christmas washi tapes. You can find all these supplies (or similar ones) at The Works or The Range. These are two of my favourite shops for craft supplies since they sell a wide range of products for good prices. In ended up not using the button you can see in the photo or all of the washi tape but you might decide you want to. As yopuc an see I have quite the collection of Chrsitmas-y washi tapes-I've been collecting lots in the last few months!

 Now that you've got the basic supplies you can now choose all of the embellishments. You'll use these to decorate the wreath so you'll want small, festive embellishments. The ones you can see in the picture are: silver star stickers, enamel dots, crystal stickers, a range of Christmas stickers and Christmas phrase stickers. You probably won't sue them all on one wreath but I just got out plenty of embellishments so I could choose what looked best. I actually went with the crystal stickers, stars and mini candy cane stickers for the wreath. I also used a Christmas phrase sticker elsewhere on the card. I liked how the red crystal stickers looked like berries, the yellow crystal stickers looked like flowers and the green crystal stickers looked like sprigs or leaves. The enamel dots would have given the same effect but I wanted to give a sparkly effect to the card! By the way, some of these products were from a subscription box last month called Birmbles Box.

Here's the final result! started by cutting a strip of patterned paper and glueing it n the left side of the card as an accent. Originally, I was going to make a background with it but I think it would have been too overpowering. I cut the middle of the green doily out so that it looked like a wreath. Once you've glued down the patterned paper and green doily you can personalise it however you want! This is where the embellishments come in! I spread out the crystal stickers, stars and candy canes evenly around the wreath. After decorating the wreath, I created the ribbon. In chose a washi tape and cut a small section of it to go above the wreath, To give the impression of a real wrath, I then put a bow on top of the washi tape. I used double sided sticky tape for this. To finish off, I used washi tape and a phrase stcker in the centre.

There you go, that's how I made the wreath Christmas card and I love how it turned out! It's such a unique card; I thought of it when I was looking at my Christmas craft supplies, I knew I wanted to use a doily but I didn't want to just stick it down so I did this instead! So now you're ready to make your own Christmas cards, let me know if you make any.

PS: I've changed the background for Christmas now. Do you like it? I created it with the PicMonkey overlays, sorry that I didn't draw any of the elements this time round. Hopefully my next background will have some of my drawings.

Over to you...
Have you made this card idea or any other Christmas cards this year? Tell me about it in the comments. Also, do you have any Christmas blog post ideas? I'm looking forward to writing plenty of Christmas posts!

Creative Ways to Come up With a Post Idea

Hi guys! Today I will be telling you some ways to come up with a blog post idea! But instead of giving you some simple tips, I'll be showing you some more creative ways to come up with an idea. Hopefully since they're more creative tips, they will help you to write more creative posts too! Keep reading to see what I have to say about blogging ideas!

Start with something BORING
This idea may seem weird but hear me out! Starting with something you find boring when writing a post can make people intrigued and want to read your post. Think of a topic you find boring (perhaps homework or something else) then use your writing style to make it exciting! Giving people tips on how to have fun with a topic you find boring will draw them in and make them want more.

Ask yourself what you would like to read
Think of you! What type of post would keep you hanging on every word? Wanting more? Well start here! Whatever your passion is: cooking, drawing, writing, whatever-make a post about it!  You could probably go on about it in real life for AGES so why not create a post that shows off your hobbies? Your personality should radiate from the reader's screen making it a better post!

Take a look at blog post ideas-then don't use the ideas
This certainly sounds strange since it seems totally illogical, but I do this often. I think to myself 'hey I haven't made a post in a while, better look for some inspiration' so I trawl through some blog post ideas before leaving without doing any of the ideas suggested. However, this time wasn't wasted! Oh no! I really do get inspired by these posts but none of the ideas jump out to me. Why? Because they'e not from me, they're not my style. But, I do 'recycle' the ideas. What I mean by this is that I see an idea and add to it to make it my own! Perhaps I'll see see a generic idea then decide to put my own spin on it to make it unique.

If you still need some ways to come up with blog post ideas after the more creative ideas...here are my extra little tips for you:
.Take a look at this blog post generator for ways to start your blog post titles
.Keep reading blogs (especially ones that write about similar topics) to get inspired
.Take a look at your stats to see your most popular posts then write new posts inspired by them
.Ask your readers for ideas, after all, they're the ones reading(but don't do their idea if you don't want)
.Keep a blogging notebook to write your own ideas for posts and keep any notes that inspire you

So I hope this post has inspired you to get creative when coming up with blog post ideas and has given you a few extra ideas to help you along. Let me know your best tips for blogging down in the comments!

PS: Yes I took the picture at the the top of this post and edited it in picmonkey!
PPS: I just changed the template of my blog for Spring, hope you like it!

Cardmaking- my tips

Hey guys! There are so many great occasions to give a card for: birthdays, anniversaries, Valentines Day, Easter, Christmas and more! So today I'll be showing you my tips on how to make your own cards. When you create your own cards, they're more personal and show that you have put time into sending a special message! If you want some inspiration for your own cards then take a look at the photo of a card I made myself for an anniversary (at the top of this post)!

Here are my card making tips:


Tip #1- Use sparkly gel pens- These sparkly gel pens can make small details glimmer on your card. I used a gold gel pen to draw a heart in between the elephants!





Tip #2- Use embellishments- You can buy card embellishments from any good craft store but I have used something slightly different! I use gold and silver bindis to embellish my card because I love the way they look on the card. I prefer them to the normal sticky gems that I use every now and then.




Tip #3- Use shaped hole punchers- If you want to create different layers on the card then you can punch holes using a shaped hole puncher. I used a heart shaped hole puncher to fit with my theme, but there are plenty of shapes for any occasion out there! After this you can put something on the inside of the card such as a patterned piece of paper that will show up on the front!

Tip #4- Stick with a theme- Like I said earlier, one of the great things about cardmaking is that you can really personalize the card!  Therefore, you can choose a really specific theme that the receiver will love to see! Instead of choosing Easter as a generic theme, for example, you could choose chocolate as a more specific theme. For my card, instead of choosing anniversaries as a generic theme, I chose  the 14th anniversary in particular to be a more specific theme. The two symbols for this particular anniversary were gold and ivory so I tied these into the theme with the colour scheme and the elephants! Have an idea in mind before starting your cardmaking!

Tip #5- Fill the spaces well- To create a professional looking card you should fill spaces well. This doesn't mean that you have to fill every gap, it just means that you should have a balanced looking card where spaces are used well. For example, if your card looks quite bare you could fill a space with zentangle designs like I have done with my elephant. Not every part of the card is filled but this looks tasteful.

I hope my tips have helped you out with your next cardmaking project or have inspired you to get making! I really enjoyed designing and creating this card, what cards have you made in the past or are planning to make? Let me know in the comments! :D

PS: Do you like the photo at the top of this post? I took time to layout the props, take the photo and to edit, I'm proud of the results! Do you think my improved photography is improving the overall blog? I'm aiming to include at least one well finished photo in most of my new posts!

How And Why You Should Write Letters

Hi guys! As more and more technology is developing, it is so easy to instantly contact someone. Although this is a great thing, this means that letter writing is fading away! This is a big shame because it is such a lovely thing to do! As a blogger I love writing, so I often write letters to people! It is such a creative, fun activity to do! I think you should write letters because it is more meaningful in my opinion than sending a text because you have taken the time to write about all that is going on! It is so nice to receive a letter in the post. I am one of those people who rush to the door when the postman arrives, it's so exciting when an envelope arrives with your name on! If you're that sort of person then letter writing is for you!
      One of the best things about letter writing is that you can really personalize your letters! So when I am saying this is 'how you should write letters' I really mean these are my tips for being creative!

Tip#1. Create small gifts- Why not slip in a little gift like a bookmark, hairclip or some stickers? You can easily craft these yourself and they can make someone's day! Unless you are OK with paying extra postage, you should keep these as flat as possible! I've always thought that I should start making lots of little gifts and keep them for the future but I've never got round to it!

Tip#2. Include sketches- If you are an arty person you could add in your drawings instead of a gift! This can help you to practice your art and the person who you send it to could even help you with some feedback on your art!

Tip #3. Use cute stationery- I am a big fan of stationery so I suppose that's the best part of letter writing for me! I get to use all of my favourite paper and washi tape and pens and EVERYTHING! Hehehe! :'D Most of my letter writing sets are from Paperchase , which is one of my favourite shops! There are so many different designs to choose from so you can choose which one (or two or three or four...) suit you best!

Tip#4. Create your own paper- If you don't want to spend too much on writing sets, you can create your own pretty paper! You don't have to have pretty paper, but it helps! :P You could use stamps or washi tape to create designs on plain paper! Perhaps you could doodle a border? There are so many possibilities for this tip!

Tip #5. Only write when you want to- Talking about nothing is a real skill, so I recommend that you wait until you have something to talk about before you write! One week you could be staying at home doing nothing and the next week you could be going out on several day trips or doing lots of fun projects! Don't feel pressured to write back straight away if you don't have anything to say! Things you could talk about are clubs at school, things you do online (such as blogging), where you have been recently, what you did on a special occasion and whatever else you can think of!

I hope you have enjoyed this post on letter writing and that it has inspired you to write letters to your family, friends and penpals more often! Letter writing is one of my hobbies that not many people can relate to but as a creative audience I hope you like this idea!

PS: I hope you like the photo I took at the top of the page! It took me a quite while to get the layout right and to edit it! :) I was inspired by missamrunaway's background ideas for blog photos post here . Hopefully you'll be seeing more better photos from me soon.
PPS: Have you seen the new layout/theme of my blog? It's for valentine's day that's coming up soon! If you didn't already know, I change up the look of my blog every now and then depending on teh season or special occasions that are going on at the time!

New Year's Essentials 2016+How to Keep Resolutions

Hi guys! Currently, it is New Year's Eve where I am and I'm very excited! A new year means a fresh start and lots of new opportunities! So it's time to make the most of it! Write down your resolutions so you can achieve great things throughout the year and celebrate! I have a few recommendations for products to buy to prepare for the new year so grab a blanket and cosy up for a blog post!

My first recommendation is the SprinkleofGlitter Diary for 2016! I absolutely love this diary! The design of the pages and cover are gorgeous! I love the unique style of the diary! I think it's great that there is an activity on the left page and normal diary pages on the right, it adds an extra something to your normal every day organisation! There is a great space for writing your new year's resolutions and the best thing about this feature is that it reminds you halfway through the year to look back on them! This is great because if you haven't done so well in the first half of the year, you can still have a go!
 




My second New Year's recommendation is the Chocolate Box Secrets book by Cathy Cassidy! It follows on from her book series but you don't need to have read her series to have this! I also love the design of this book, just like the diary but I also love how creative it is! This book has DIY projects, recipes, tips and more fit for every season! I love that there are projects for you to do whenever you are bored during the year! Seasonal arts and crafts are my favourite to do because they are great ways to celebrate the passing of the year!





Now it's time for my tips on keeping resolutions! I know how hard it is to keep resolutions but this year I'm determined to keep at least one of them! These are quite simple but hopefully they'll work for you!
Tip #1. Reward Yourself:
Sometimes all you need is a bit of motivation! How about reward yourslef for milestones in achieving what you want in 2016? Rewards include things such as treating yourself to something you've eyed for ages, watching one of your favourite programs (that would be Friends for me), meeting with a friend or something that sounds totally great to you! Remember this reward shouldn't clash with your goal. For example don't treat yourself with some gummy bears when you've been doing so well with your healthy eating/exercises. This would just tempt you back into your old routine.

Tip #2. Keep on Track:
This sounds SO obvious but it's an important one! Don't miss your chance to do well for your resolution. What I mean is if you have a schedule for your resolution (for example do gentle exercise once a day) don't skip a slot unless you need to. Even if you persuade yourself that you can do it the day after, it is very tempting to give up something once you have had a break. Think about how you feel after a school holiday, you don't want to go back do you? It's like this when you have a break from the progress of your resolution!

Tip #3. Come Back to Your Resolutions:
Like I mentioned in the recommendation section, I think it's great that in the diary it gives you a chance to look back at what your goals were! Even if you don't have the diary, you should do this! This is because you get reminded of what you wanted at the start of the year so that if you didn't do so well, you can still try your best to have a come back! This doesn't just have to be in the middle of 2016 either, it can be several times through the year! Also, to help you even more you could write where you're going wrong with your resolutions (i.e if you have a trouble with keeping to schedule or if you get distracted) and any other small goals you have to be even better at this!

I hope this post has been helpful for you! Have a great new year and achieve everything that you want most! Let me know what your new year's resolutions are in the comments and let me know if you have the two products I mentioned in this post! Remember to just have fun! Happy new year! :D

My Terrific Ten Art Tips-Guest Post with 5 Star Artists

Hiya! I’m Kenza, author of 5 Star Writers and 5 Star Artists, an enthusiastic writer and artist who enjoys… you got it, writing and drawing! XD Today I’m hosting a guest post collab with Megan, which we’ve been really excited to share with you guys and hope you’ll enjoy!! :D For my part of the collab, I have decided to share ‘My Terrific Ten Art Tips’ . This is my first detailed art tutorial, put together especially for this collaboration, so I’ve done my best to choose art tips that would help all those artists out there willing to draw something awesome!

Be sure to check out Megan’s post, ‘What’s In My Sketchbook’ which is now featured on my art blog! You are guaranteed to like it!

If you’re interested in this post, please do check out my art blog, 5 Star Artists for more. I always do my best to share things that’ll interest my watchers. :)

Enjoy! :3

1) Start with the Eyes: When drawing characters (animated character fanart especially), I recommend you start drawing the eyes before anything else. (However, don’t of course go into detail until you’ve drawn everything else.) Not only does it help get the proportions right, it also helps you draw the eye in a more accurate way. Moreover, eyes are known to be what define a character’s appearance.

2) Play Music: This isn’t absolutely necessary, but I find that music makes drawing feel less time-consuming. When I draw, I’ll find a track that best fits the thing I’m drawing, say Let It Go when I’m drawing Elsa, Zen Ball Master when I’m drawing Po, I Can’t Wait To Be King when I’m drawing Simba, etc. … it doesn’t even have to have lyrics. Another interesting thing is that lots of artists out there are inspired by music to draw something. It’s cool!

3) Practise Drawing Hands: Hands are known to be one of the most complicated body parts to draw, according to most artists. They have a random form that is hard to copy. The best you can do is practise drawing them. Every so often, when I have the time, I’ll think, okay, I’m going to draw some hands again. I’ll get my spare art book (I totally recommend getting a spare one – it doesn’t even have to be heavyweight) and I’ll sketch some different hand shapes, either hands of animated characters (this is a good way to start) or of real hands. Try Elsa (Frozen) if you can – her hands always make interesting shapes and the good thing about it is that it gets you practising the easy way.

4) Draw Hairstyles: I personally find drawing hairstyles one of the most fun parts of drawing a character. Why? Because you can get really crazy and creative with them. I would also recommend practising them. When drawing hair, be sure to start at the parting. It helps a lot. Furthermore, if you draw a manga character, be sure to draw a hair line. This helps get the hair in an accurate position.

5) Use References: Almost all artists use references when they draw. References are there for everything… to inspire, to get things accurate, to help you develop your own style, and so on. Honestly, I don’t recall doing any good art pieces without using a reference. Bear in mind, there’s no restriction to how many references you can use. The more you use, the better!

6) Try Different Ranges Of Pencils: Okay, so this really does help when you draw, believe me. There are lots of artists out there who just use an HB pencil (I don’t blame you if you do, though, because of course a lot of people only have HBs as they’re also handy for writing. XD). You can get different ranges everywhere (good quality ones include Faber Castell, Royal & Langnickel and Derwent Academy). I recommend a set of 6B-5H if you can, but 3B-2H at least. Most people start their drawings with a 6B because it’s softer and easy to rub out. I, personally, then use a 2H (sometimes I even start with a 2H when doing fanart, haha) and a 5H for extra details. When you’re doing eyelashes, try a (sharpened!) 2B – it works better. Whatever you do, *SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS*. (Okay, I think I’d better stop my lecture on pencils now… XD)

7) Go Over In Ink Pens: I could go on forever about ink pens, but for now I tell you, not only do inks pens make your art stand out, they also preserve it for longer. If you don’t, you’ll soon find that the pencil lines smudge (Especially 6Bs. Most definitely.) When doing thin lines or eyes, I use a very fine tip, either an XS Calligraphy Pen or an ink pen of 0.05. When doing thicker lines, I use an S Calligraphy Pen or an ink pen of 0.1+.

8) Perfect Your Artwork: Once you’ve finished what you’re drawing, perfect it. Just try. Correct the proportions, add on more details, etc. Anything, anything at all that makes your picture look better. You’ll be glad you did it, because if you race ahead and colour, there’s a good chance you won’t be happy with the results in the end and it’ll be too late. Lesson learned (the easy way). (excuse the handwriting in this one)

9) Use A Manikin: If you’re drawing a person, and you aren’t copying something, then use a manikin. They help a ton, believe me. You can easily twist the wooden body parts into the shape you desire (jumping, sitting, waving, the splits, a pirouette, anything). Just copy it, draw the outfit on top and then rub out the manikin shapes. I know it sounds a bore, but it’s easier done than said! You can buy them in shops like The Works. I’ve got a small one and a big one (personally, I think the big one is better).

10) Compare Your Artwork: If you ask me, comparing artwork and looking back at your old pieces is an important thing for an artist. We all improve by learning from our mistakes and the only way to do that is facing our mistakes (even our worst fails). If you do fail an art piece, don’t rub it out. It’ll help you improve looking back at it in future. I don’t mean to be superior about my artwork, but I’ll admit I’ve improved a lot over the past year. (As for the old ones in this picture, I drew them over a year ago).

I also have some bonus tips to share with you guys!
1) Try reflecting your artwork (all you need to do is hold your artwork in front of a mirror and all the mistakes you haven’t noticed will show up – it’s a really cool life hack!)
2) Sharpen your pencils (yes, I’ve mentioned this in tip #6, but I just need to emphasise how much this helps when drawing)
3) Buy a heavyweight art book (they may be higher in price, but they’re absolutely, totally worth it… otherwise, get an art book over 139gsm… you see, if you don’t, it’s easy for pens/paints to sink through the paper or rip when you keep rubbing out – and we all know that’s totally annoying.)
4) Start with a rough sketch without pressing hard (otherwise, you might find later that you’ve made a mistake and can’t correct it easily)
5) Doodle (true fact: it gives you ideas and even helps you think, Zentangles especially)
6) Don’t be afraid to make mistakes (if you don’t make mistakes, then you won’t improve, so it’s perfectly fine if you do!)
7) And most importantly, KEEP PRACTISING! :D (whether you decide to follow any of these art tips or not, just keep practising… you want to draw a complicated mansion, a detailed dinosaur, a beautiful background? Just keep going at it and you’ll be a master of it in time to come.)

Thanks for reading! It’s been a pleasure to write for Megan’s blog and I hope you artists out there learned a thing or two from this! :D Keep drawing and keep your imagination racing!

Note from Me:

It was lots of fun writing with kenza and for her brilliant blog-so please check out 5 Star Artists to see what other amazing posts she has come up with! You can find my guest post 'What's in my Sketchbook' in her blog too! I hope you enjoyed this collab! Let me know in the comments what your favourite tip of hers was! Also, please check out the giveaway going on at the moment on my blog, by clicking here.

How to create a Good Mood Board

Mood boards are really helpful sources of inspiration for any sort of creative project such as making a cushion cover or designing fashion. However, you need to remember some of these helpful tips I have come up with to ensure that your mood board prepares you well for the project you will be making. You won't have to come up with any more inspiration sources for your designs if you do this well. Here's a list of the elements that you need to include in your mood board:
.Images (you always need these on a mood board but it isn't enough you also need the other elements to back up your inspiration ideas)
.Fabric samples
.Ribbon cuttings
.Interesting Buttons
.3D elements (I have included bindis and beads)
.colour schemes
All of the elements have to be relevant to the theme you are aiming for in your designs. I am creating a mood board for school as inspiration for an Indian themed cushion cover so as you can see I have researched things with that theme and have used other elements that remind me of the culture. You can take a look at my mood board below for ideas.