A new layout

Hi

It's back to school today so off to do some packing- and hopefully pick up everything of mine that is littered around the house!

I want to share a layout I made over this holiday. I love kraft paper so really enjoyed making this layout. The lace effect background is hand cut and was really easy to do. Inspiration came from here.

These are some of my favourite october afternoon papers that have featured on several layouts- apologies!

Hope you have all had a lovely week- posts may be a bit here and there from now on what with school computers! Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxxx

DIY notebook

Hi all.

Hope you are all having a lovely week. I want to share a little make with you today. Three of my friends are getting confirmed at school next half of term. I wanted to make them each something little just to celebrate the day.

This is a really simple style of notebook. The book is based on plain pieces of cardstock and small envelopes. The envelopes were 3.5x6 inches so I cut out four pieces of cardstock that size with one side scalloped to add a pretty touch.

I then alternated the book with an envelope and a piece of cardstock. The front covers were made with card slightly larger than the pages. I covered these in my favourite patterned papers and a strip of contrasting paper on the left. I also added the recipients initials.

I punched four holes in every page and front cover, then using a simple lacing technique with handmade braid, I laced the books. (i'm sure there is a more effective binding technique, but this worked just fine for me!!)

The next step was the best bit-filling the pages. As it was a book to celebrate a confirmation, I pasted Bible verses on the blank sides of each piece of cardstock, leaving the patterned side plain. Each envelope was labeled and filled with something.

This is such an easy style of book to make and looks lovely and neat! I am tempted to make others and fill them with photos and memorabilia!

What have you been up to recently?

Thanks for stopping by

Abi xxxx

DIY fabric bangles

Hi

Today I want to share a quick make. At the moment there are loads of pretty fabric covered bangles in the shops. I bought one a few days back in our local fairtrade shop. Looking at it, I figured it really wouldn't be that tricky to make. So...

1. take your bangle. I used some old ones of my mums which she didn't like but you could just as easily buy cheap ones from a charity shop or supermarket. Its best to choose bangles that are smooth for ease of covering!

2. Cut out a strip of fabric. I used patterened fabric. I cut a strip just under a metre and about an inch wide.

3. Start winding around the bangle. Don't worry too much about the loose end, try and tuck it under the first fold. The key is to wrap tightly and keep the fabric smooth.

4. Wrap all the way around, once you meet the beginning tuck the ends under each other and secure it with a dab of strong glue.

5. These do tend to fray and I can't really work out a way to stop this unless you hemmed it, which would make it much harder to wrap. Hey ho! Also remember that the bangle will be tighter with the added material so get one that is roomy to start with!

(the bangle in the middle is the one I bought, the other two are made by moi!)

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxx

Creative endevours

Hi All

Back home for half term. Its' lovely to be back and have lie-ins! It's also nice not to have too much work so I have plenty of time for scrapping and other crafty projects.

Speaking of which I have a few to share with you. Yesterday the boys of the household went out to look at a few cars in the showrooms whilst me and my mum sat down to make a new skirt! A rather steryotypical afternoon then!

There is a lovely material shop near to school which I visit in term time and stock up on pretty material. My Mum is a genius at making up patterns and has taught me a lot. I wanted a skirt that was high waisted with a fixed waistband and buttons down the front. It was very simple to make and took only a couple of hours, the longest bit to do being the hem! (mum insists that I hand sew it!)

So..this is the finished result. I love how it turned out. The material is so pretty- almost a liberty print. It came with a contrasting panel so I used this to make the waistband and cover the buttons.

 My next project was to make a cowl. I have seen loads of these in the shops and after a bit of close examining I figured they wouldn't be very difficult to knit. I chose a lovely chunky wool and size 10 needles. It was so simple. I cast on around 110 stiches and then knitted in garter stitch till I was happy with the height. I joined the two ends by sewing and voila! A lovely warm cowl for those chilly days!

What have you all been up to other the weekend?

Thanks for stopping by

Loves xxx

Spring Ball

Hi All

Back from a manic week of coursework and rowing. It's been a lot of fun though! This weekend was our annual spring Ball. There is always a large amount of drama surrounding it, not least because the girls get asked to go to a ball with a guy! Thankfully I didn't have too much to worry about there!

The theme was a red carpet affair so plently of baloons and little mini oscars given out as awards! The evening was made up of a meal and a party. The music was great and there was a sweet chill out area for when my legs got a little bit tired!

As usual I took plenty of pictures both on the SLR and on my lomo which I need to get developed. The lighting in our school however is never that good so a bit of editing was in order!

A ball wouldn't be the same without the picture of the boy and I all dressed up!

I just love the expression on the boys face!

This pair were just adorable. Don't they look gorgeous?!

The brother and I! Mum needed a picture of us all dressed up together!

And I'll leave you with a picture of this handsome man.

What have you all been up to this weekend?

Thanks for stopping by.

Loves xxxx