Making Paper Chains

I took part in the Christmas Good Mail Club late last year run by Sarah from Molly's Maison. The idea was to send everybody on the list a hand-written card and a little something special.  I chose to make Happy New Year paper that could be made into a paper chain.

I printed Happy new Year onto some parchment paper in different fonts - the fonts are from top to bottom - Callie hand, Engravers MT, St Nicholas, Chopin Script, One Starry Night, Angelic War and Eraser.  Most you can download free from DaFont.

I then used a deckle edge blade on my Fiskars paper trimmer to cut the paper into strips.  This gives a slightly crinkled edge rather than a perfectly straight one.

For some I punched stars in between the words.

For others I punched decorative edges.

Until I ended up with a pile of decorative paper strips, which I bundled together and popped into the card I made.

I kept a few for myself too.

You could easily apply any of these ideas to make your own paper chains next time you have a celebration.  They were fun to make.  I remember making paper chains in primary school out of coloured paper to decorate the classroom.  Did you?

To see more Christmas decorating, please visit my new blog DIY Decorator

Gift Wrapping

I have a lot of birthdays in June, and I've started buying and wrapping presents.

I love beautifully wrapped presents, and I thought I'd share some photos of wrapping I like.























Happy birthday to all you geminis.

All photos and credits can be found at the pinterest board - Gifts All Wrapped Up
(I've tried using pinterest embed function to give you the link to each photo but I can never align all the photos properly)

A Sample of Thankful Presents

It's the end of school and there are many thank you presents to be given.

Thank you to the school teachers who have taught and guided my children through the year.

Simply tied with Merry Christmas ribbon and a crystal star ornament.

Thank you to the tennis coach and the dance teacher who have ignited the passion in my children.

Classic red and cream adorned with a silver bell.

and thank you to my children's friends who have shown kindness, support and encouragement.

What child doesn't like a bucket full of sweets?



and to all my blogging friends - Thank you for your inspiration, kind words, and encouragement.  Merry Christmas to you.

What thank you presents do you buy at Christmas time?

Sharing at

Between Naps on the Porch

Paris Box of Cards

Recently I found this pretty Paris box in the discount store for $2.

I bought it, but I wasn't really sure what I was going to use it for.  It is the perfect size for C6 folded cards so I thought I'd make a set of note cards and envelopes as a present.

I went to The Graphic Fairy's site and chose a selection of simple black and white images.  I made a template in Word for the cards, dropped the images in, and ran them through the printer.  It was that easy.  I also sprayed the printed images with a coat of matt acrylic sealer so the ink wouldn't run if it got wet.

I like to give (and receive) cards as a present.  It's always handy to have blank cards on hand.

I also bought this box.

I think I'll make some coloured cards using images of tea cups, cup cakes, handbags and shoes.

Tips - I used white linen textured cards from Riot Art & Craft - 25 for $10

Sharing at The Graphics Fairy - Brag Monday

A Beach Cottage - Good Life Wednesday

Bon Voyage

My Mum is heading off on a lovely European holiday this weekend.  I have nicknamed it her Shirley Valentine holiday as she is going with her two best friends.  Three women hitting every flea market, vintage shop and charity shop across London, Paris and rural France.  How much fun are they going to have?

I decided to make her a travel journal so that she can record all the special places she finds.  I found a simple notebook in Officeworks that was covered in a plain black textured paper.  I decorated the front with an Eiffel Tower from The Graphics Fairy.  Then to cover up the Spirax logo at the bottom, I used the old paper background from The Graphics Fairy and typed the word Travel Journal in Gungsuh font as it was the closest I had to match the Tour Eiffel writing.

Inside the front cover I used a vintage map of France from The Graphics Fairy.

Inside the back cover I used a French postcard also from The Graphics Fairy.

I made a gift tag which can be used as a bookmark from and old french billet from The Graphics Fairy stuck to the back some cardboard cut from a cereal box and thread a piece of kitchen string through the hole.

I covered two pencils and an eraser with some left over 'script' paper I had.

Just a couple of technique tips - I glued all the paper with Mod Podge matt as I didn't want any shine.  I also sprayed all the artwork I printed with 2 coats of Krystal Clear Kote matt so the ink was sealed and wouldn't run when I glued it.

Have a great trip Mum.  Looking forward to seeing all the treasures you find.




How could I not show this to Karen?
Sharing with The Graphics Fairy - Brag Monday

Making Stylish Stationery

I love pretty stationery but boy it can be expensive.  A pretty journal or notebook can set you back $20-30.  I decided I was going to have a go at making some as a gift for my sister-in-law.

I went shopping and found all these items for about $2 each.  In hindsight I would have paid more for the notebook from a stationery shop to get better quality paper.

For the pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser and binder clips I made up templates so all I had to do was cut out some pretty paper and glue it on with mod podge.  I used a pink and blue floral paper from Christina Re.  Tips - for small scale items like this you need a small scale patterned paper.  Also use a binder clip in a colour that works with your paper - here I used white clips.

For the notebook I covered it with some pretty wrapping paper and made a label 'Goals' for the front.  I glued small tabs of paper to create dividers so the book has five sections.  At the beginning of each section I printed out quotes relating to goal setting from here and glued them into the book.  Again, in hindsight I would probably make the dividers a plain colour as the patterns make the book look busy.

I also covered a spiral notebook with paper and made a label for 'Notes'.  As it's too hard to glue paper around the spirals, pick a notebook with a cover that will work with your paper.

I grouped together the stationery I made and a couple of the bought items - the shoe post it notes and the blue bird magnetic shopping list, placed it in a gift basket and wrapped it up in some cellophane. 

To make the 40 card I cut out a template and placed in on top of a blank card.  I applied a thick layer of pva glue with a brush and sprinkled over the seed beads - I used a mix of pearl, silver and white.

Hope she likes it.

Sharing my creation at
The DIY Show Off - Project Parade

Funky Junk Interiors - Sat Nite Special

The Shabby Nest - Frugal Friday

It Made My Day

When you receive an unexpected act of kindness it can really make your day.

It was my birthday last week and when I went to the letterbox yesterday this is what greeted me.

It was from my dear friend Sophie, in Kent.  Can you imagine how great I felt receiving such a lovely present?  It made my day.  Here is the beautiful card ... quintessentially English.

And I can't forget another dear London friend, Paula who sent me a new iPhone cover earlier in the week.

How lucky I am to have such beautiful friends.