Make Stuff Monday: repurposing some old projects

Well friends, sometimes I repurpose stuff thinking that I would use them once they are made "pretty". But I don't. Usually because of some design flaws that I discover only after the makeover.

The decorated biscuit tin

Like this decorated biscuit tin. Because I spray-painted the tin and added the washi tape to the lid of the box, it made it really difficult to open and close the box. I had to be really careful to not tear the washi tape or scrap off the gold paint. Which meant this box never got used as a storage box....you know, too much effort...I still stacked stuff on it though...*LOL*

Mixed media tag for LESSology

Also, I made a LOT of mixed media tags over the years that were just sitting in a box, waiting for someone to use them. Like this pretty little thing.

So I adhered some pearl trim along the edges of the lid and added this gorgeous vintage embellishment to the top and bottom (thanks Mitra!)

Then I glued on the tag. I did add 2 gold sequins to "update" the tag.

Here's how she looks from the side....

And how she looks on my gallery wall....perfect for that narrow unadorned nook. *winks*

As for the main box, it is now a planter box for my plants.

Yep, still using plastic packaging planters. :)

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This week's super quick Christmas box

How about a super quick Christmas box today? Like 5 minutes? *winks*

I started off with this black YSL box. Since the rest of the box was plain black, I cut a piece of plaid patterned paper just for the top of the box, ran it through my trusty Xyron creative station for an even layer of adhesive, then glued it on the box.

Then I just went in with some vintage Christmas stickers to jazz it up a little. 

The main sticker was long enough to drape over the sides of the box which made it appear more "sophisticated" than it actually was. *hahaha*

I finished by glueing on some bling for that extra sparkle.

There you have it...a super quick Christmas box. Perfect for the person who just heads straight to open the box without admiring your gift-wrapping effort....we all have some of those people in our lives, eh? *LOL*

Happy weekend friends!

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Workspace Wednesday: August 2019 edition

Hello friends! Haven't shared my workspace in a while. Right now I'm working to complete this gallery wall where my desk is. You can see that the 2 latest eye paintings are already up there. Been shifting things a little here and there to accommodate my plant obsession in the midst of it all...as if I don't have enough things already. *winks*

I've also been working on creating another painting area on the opposite side of that wall. It's just the side of a built-in cabinet that shares a wall with my en-suite. I created a mixed media canvas gallery on the top portion, then added a huge clipboard for my standing painting area. There was a little space in-between so I went with a little self-love...and plastered my name all over. *hahaha*

And I finally found some real use for this giraffe with pockets that my sister gave me years ago....paint brushes and palette knives. And yes, there are some cosmetic brushes in there too. Basically, if it's too scratchy for my face, it becomes a paint brush. *high fives all around*

And I have my Rashult cart along with some mixed media canvas paintings at the bottom.

P/s: It is a narrow walkway between the door to my room to my bed so it's a little challenging to get a full-length picture.

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An attempt at a matching paper bag...for a box I decorated previously *winks*

So I had to make a matching paper bag for a box I had decorated previously...

Another decorated Kikki K box

Here is the said box.

The challenge was that I didn't have many of the elements I used in the previous box project left except for the base paper and some little bits like the mum resins and the "New Year, New You" resin. Plus I really didn't want the paper bag to upstage the decorated box.

I kept to the same colour story...fussy-cut some patterned paper blooms and just added little flat-back elements to the paper bag.

I think using the same base paper really helped to create some cohesiveness...and not make it seem like the paper bag was an afterthought (even though it was! *LOL*).

Here's how they look together. What do you think? :)

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This week's quick upcycled project (tutorial)

Hello friends, these days I'm really into quick decorated boxes so that I can

1. Upcycle my pile of boxes.

2. Use up my little bits and bobs.

3. Be totally ready for last-minute gift boxes.

Here's this week's quick upcycled project using a TWG tea box.

I love the sturdy cardboard box so I just cut a piece of patterned paper large enough to cover the logo at the front and the side panel at the back. I went with a patterned paper with embossed glitter so that I can minimize on the embellishments.

Then I went into my remnant lace trim box and picked out some black ribbon blooms too.

Then I took out my hot glue gun and adhered the trim along the sides of the box.

For the front opening of the box, I went in with a silver tassel, tied some lace trim around it for extra textured interest and the ribbon blooms.

There you have it...a quick upcycled gift box. I think it turned out really elegant. What do you think?

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A page from my recipe planner: frangipane tart

When it comes to baking, making tarts from scratch are my fave. It is super time-consuming (dough needs to rest before rolling and rest again before baking) but the joy I derive from the whole baking process is totally worth it. I mean, you know you are going to get a good tart when you take it out of the fridge and see the formation of lovely layers in the dough (flakiness=yumminess).

Plus the folks love a good tart. :)

I love how my recipe planner is coming along...and that I get to use all the little bits and bobs from my stash. :)

What about you? What is the one thing you love to cook/bake/eat?

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Mixed Media Monday: Another painted eye on canvas

Hello friends! Here's another mixed media eye painting on canvas.:)

I used another one of my eye sketches from #the100dayproject as my reference image.

I wanted to keep it in muted pastel colours but clearly my dominant hand and left brain had other plans. *winks*

Happy week ahead friends!

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This week's quick decorated mooncake box

Hello there friends! I'm in Sydney, Australia this week and I wanted to share a quick decorated mooncake box I made for my Aussie mate. I got invited to her home for lunch and my box matched the napkins her husband laid out! :)

This mooncake box had some lovely gold embossing on the edges and gold chipboard piece in the center. I just added some chipboard Christmas pieces and called it done!

I didn't mess match with the cover because it was covered in silk material and looks really lovely on its own.

Here's a side view of the box.

And here is my friend celebrating Christmas in July. Any guesses to who she might be?? *winks*

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