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!

My Winter in Photos

 Hiya everyone! During Winter (so far) I have taken lots of photos! Some of them are quite good but others didn't make it to this post! I'll be showing you some of my favourites in this post, not all of them are amazing quality but I quite like them all!

This Winter I have been enjoying cuddling up in front of a movie with hot chocolate and popcorn! It's a fun thing to do when it's cold outside! It's a nice treat occasionally, but I don't do this often! It's been snowing in the past few weeks so I snapped a pic of my snacks! I've been watching films such as Frozen when it's frosty out and I recommend that you do the same when you have nothing else to do! These pictures weren't a very good quality originally but  edited them for a while and I'm happy with the results! 



Here is a photo of my Christmas nailart! I am really bad at painting my fingernails (like most people) so I got someone to help me with this. I don't normally do nailart but I think this glitzy deisgn looked great!



When my sister and I were decorating the tree (and our living room) for Christmas, I couldn't resist taking pictures of some of the decorations! Our family keep Christmas decorations for years, even through generations, so there's a story behind every ornament. these two decorations however, are ones that we received during my lifetime. The wooden star decoration was created in front of me at a school fair and the frog prince on the left was a table present form a few years ago. The lighting from the lamp really helped create this beautiful photo but I really took my time to edit it too!

 And last but not least, here is a photo I took in the past few days when it snowed where I live! I went on a walk and took lots of photos in the Winter wonderland but this one was my favourite! You can really see the detail when it is large and up close. My wellies sank deep into the snow and with every step the snow made that satisfying crunching noise! The walk was so picturesque so I thought I would share this you.

So have you enjoyed Winter so far? I just love the cosy nights in, pretty walks in the snow and all the joy that Winter brings! Which was your favourite photo of mine? Let me know in the comments. :) I edited all of these photos on picmonkey, a really great resource for bloggers who want to improve their photography. I've been testing this website out recently and I really enjoy it! One of the best bits of it is that most of it is free and you don't HAVE so sign up. Yes, there are some things that are limited when you don't have an account but there are still plenty of things you can do to your photos. See for yourselves the results I have achieved! I hope you have a great new year and continue to enjoy your Winter! Bye for now!

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!

Read With Your Cuppa' #5

Fashion Trend                                   




A big trend this Spring will be primary colours! These bright, bold colours make your outfit pop! It's perfect for brightening up Spring! It makes a great change from the pastel colours of Easter eggs! Mix up your look!






Youtuber to Watch




If you are interested in art then Baylee Jae is a great youtuber for you! She shows you the method of her art, tutorials, challenges and more! I enjoy watching her videos for inspiration and guidance in my drawings!





Inspirational Quote




This post's inspirational quote is about making dreams a reality. Make your dreams goals and make plans for how to achieve them! Always try before saying you can't do something! You should always give something a go!





Recommended Website





www.topmodel.biz is a great website for budding fashion designers! On this website you can share your designs, create new ones, enter contests, play games and more! It is an awesome community of young designers joined together in one place! There is always something going on!






Snack to Try



A long with the new year, lots of people are trying to be healthy and cut down on snacks! So for this post I'll be showing you a healthy snack! Frozen grapes are a refreshing, delicious and quite healthy snack for you to try out! Just pop some grapes in the freezer for a few hours (or over night) then enjoy them as a more fulfilling alternative to normal grapes!



I hope you have enjoyed this Read With Your Cuppa' post. Please leave suggestions for next time in the comments, write what you want to see and I may make it happen! Thanks for reading!

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

How to Draw an Elf

This picture is a link to my tutorial on How to Draw an Elf on scratch! Click on it to see howto draw the picture above!I hope you enjoy this Christmas drawing tutorial! Check out my other projects on my scratch profile! Also, if you like this drawing tutorial, you should check out this studio of all my tutorials!

3 Gift Ideas for Girls

Hi guys! Christmas is just around the corner and I know that a lot of you are in need of some gift ideas...and fast! So today I'll be showing you 3 great gift ideas for girls. I've decided to stick to the gifts I know best so this post is only for girls that you need to buy for but you can easily change some of these ideas to suit anyone you know! Here are the ideas:

Idea#1: Gift Sets: Gift sets are an easy yet ever so good way of getting a gift for a special girl in your life! I particularly like gift sets from LUSH because not only are they beautifully packaged and full of surprises, but they also have a wide range of different prices so you can spend as little or as much as you want! If you would like a slightly different gift set you can find loads of beauty gift sets in Boots, so it's worth a look!

Idea#2: Filled Jars or Baskets: I see jar and basket gift ideas all over pinterest when searching for gifts! They may be a very common gift to give but they be easily personalised to suit whoever you give them to! If they have a hobby (such as baking, art or beauty) you can build the gift around that! For a baking jar/basket you can fill it with icing, cake decorations, cookie cutters, baking tools, cake mixes or whatever you think they would enjoy! For an art themed jar/basket you could fill it with high quality pens/pencils/paints, artist rubbers, good paintbrushes, chalks/pastels, sketchbooks (depending on what you use-jar or basket), etc.  For a beauty enthusiast you can fill the jar/basket with lipbalms/lipsticks/lipglosses/liners, mini eyeshadow palettes, eyeliners, etc. Another idea for filling jars or baskets is to chose a colour and buy anything and everything of that colour! It could be their favourite colour or perhaps red and green (for Christmas)! Yellow is a popular colour for the jar/basket filling because it symbolises happiness. If you can't think of a theme, why not do a hot chocolate jar with hot chocolate mix and toppings?

Idea#3: Book Package: If you know someone who loves reading then you can create a book package for them! Start by buying them a book that you don't think they will have (or one they have asked for) and then build the gift around that! You could buy or make them a special bookmark and slip it into the book for a surprise! Another idea is to put a set of slim sticky notes on top of the book before wrapping it so that when the receiver opens it, they can see them and use them to mark important parts of the story! As an extra gift, a gift card to a book shop could be put inside the book with a little note so they can buy more books! You can look for quirky reading accessories in many highstreet shops that a bookworm would love, so have a look around to see what you can find!

I hope I've helped you with my 3 gift ideas for girls! Let me know what you are giving to people at Christmas so we can all share ideas! What is your favourite idea from this post: 1, 2 or 3?  I'll be posting more things for Christmas in the upcoming weeks so keep checking back!

PS: Do you like my new Winter template? I'll be changing it seasonally! :)