9 tag ideas

Hello friends! You know how I love to make tags whenever I have some cardboard laying around. *winks* Ever wonder what is the inspiration behind each tag? Read on to find out.

Mixed media tag for Imaginarium Designs

This is the heaviest and possibly the most blingtastic tag I ever made....because I went a little crazy and covered the whole background with texture paste, glass beads and shimmering paints.

Mixed media card for The Crafter's Workshop

This was the one where I wanted to make a card but it ended up looking like a tag so it became a tag card. And it's all pink and girly because I really wanted to use the pig button! ;)

Tips and tricks for altering stuff

Ahhh...this tag brings back memories of my gold-obsessed days. Don't get me wrong, I'm still in love with gold but I've run out of my Golden Gold Mica Flakes...hehe.

I scored some textured fabric

Well, check out that incredible gold leather-like texture which I achieved using a piece of textured fabric!

Super quick tag

This was when I was really into those book corners that I got at the textile centre.

Quick projects from paper scraps

This little fella fell out of my scrap pile and said, "Use me!" and I did!

When I went crazy with my Maya Road dies

Of course, this tag came about after an overzealous die-cutting session. ;)

The cardboard Christmas tag

Here I wanted to play with neutrals and a pop of colour.

Vintage-inspired birthday tag

I really wanted to use that vintage image that was in my stash for a really long time....so I built a tag around it. Yep, it is a rather big tag.

There you have it...9 tag ideas and how I was "inspired" to create them. Which one is your fave?

P/s: Here are links to Need some tag ideas? Here are 6! and 10 more tag ideas if you need more tag inspiration. :)

April 2018 desk view

Back in January, I shared that I was reorganizing and decorating my creative space. Here's how it's looking in April 2018.

The main components are still the same - the Muji acrylic drawers and the Philippe Starck lamps- but I've changed up the contents in the drawers so that all the art supplies get a little love.  Or at least if I see them, I might use them? *winks*

What I have done is lined all the drawers and filled them with art supplies that were previously still kept in their original boxes....and never got any love. 

I've also decorated the "wall" (it's a white cabinet) on the right side of my desk with some old mixed media canvases (I kept the ones I liked the most and reused the others) and jazzed up my noticeboard.

Real plants have also been added to help keep the air clean.

In case you were wondering, except for the wall that the bed is against which is a vibrant blue (you would have seen that in some of the Gangster Gang's photos), the rest of my room is white walls and white cabinets (with no visible hardware). Which is why I am not afraid to add colourful bits. :)

Happy weekend friends!

Recent eye drawings from the sketchbook

After a year of using my beloved Holbein Artists Colored Pencils in my art-on-the-go kit, I finally swapped them out for some Prismacolor Pencils instead because I was getting too comfortable with them. And you know, as an art supply junkie, I need to give love to ALL my art supplies, right? *winks*

Plus, I also have a gazillion pencils cases/pouches that need to shown some love. You know how when you go shopping they tell you to top up your purchases to a certain amount so that you can get the free pouch/box etc? Yeah, I'm the sucker that always tops up. *LOL* Would you like to see my pencil case/pouch collection????

Anyway, I've totally digressed...here's my new art-on-the-go setup. :)

For this one, I went a little crazy with the highlights. For highlights, I usually use a Posca Paint Marker (acrylic paint) or Faber Castell Pitt Pen (india ink) or Stabilo All Pencil (it works on every surface).

This was the one I did when debating if I should go for a swim before dinner and saw a bunch of screaming kids in the pool and decided to draw instead. I generally like having the pool to myself to swim uninterrupted laps (very early in the morning or late at night). 

Anyway, not a lot of blending on this eye because I was going for the "artsy" eye. Looks like a bruised and bleeding eye with all the purple and red, huh? Hahaha.

This eye is more my regular style. But I'm still assessing the colour choices in my new art-on-the-go kit...I may need to add some warmer toned colours.

Hope you are having a wonderful week so far my friends. 

Will I ever get a nice photo?

Yep. Will I ever get a nice photo? That is the question.

You would think that with all the "stringent" training all these years by the overzealous aunt the Gangster Gang (aka niece and nephews) would all know how to pose for photos right?

Case in point:

1. Nephew #2 thinks that over-smiling makes a nice photo.

2. Nephew #3 refuses to look at the camera.

Nope. 

Not even the promise of Ferrero Rocher got me nice photos that day. These are 2 of the best shots...*LOL*...seriously.

Just a fun layout using lots of paper scraps. :)

Playing along with the mood board challenge at The Studio Challenges.

The self-portrait from my sketchbook

They say the hardest thing to draw is your self-portrait because you don't see yourself the way others see you.

Which is true...because apparently, I think I have bigger lips than I actually do (see my initial sketch)

Here's the reference photo I used. What do you think? Does my self-portrait look like me? *winks*

Someone got an At for floral arrangement...

So the other day nephew #3 came home very pleased with his At for floral arrangement. Never mind that 19 of his classmates also got an At. The other 16 in his class got a miserable A or Bt. *LOL*

Of course, any achievement deserves a scrapbook page in the family album because as you know, life is short so we celebrate everything! *winks*

Just a fun layout with bits and pieces from my scrap pile. :)

Happy week ahead friends!

This week's quick paper bag makeover

Here is this week's quick 15 minute paper bag makeover...

1. Measure and cut red gingham patterned paper to fit front and back of paper bag.

2. Remove existing ribbon handles from paper bag.

3. Run the paper pieces  through  the Xyron Creative Station for an even layer of adhesive.

4. Plug in the hot glue gun.

5. Adhere papers to bag.

6. Adhere lace trim to bag with hot glue gun.

7. Adhere floral and leaf embellishment to bag.

8. Punch holes in bag and add ribbon handles.

Doesn't it look much prettier after its makeover? *winks*

10 (more) ways to use up your scraps

Back in January 2015, I shared 10 ways to use up your scraps. Evidently, the scrap pile has grown so here are 10 (more) ways to use up your scraps. :)

The story about the cheese tarts

1. Create a paper weave

This is a great way to use up quite a bit of your scraps. Cut them into strips of equal width and create a paper weave out of them to use as a focal point or fun mat for your photos. You can mix and match different colours and patterns. Keeping the widths the same creates a cohesive look.

This little fella

2. Try a limited colour palette

Decide on a colour scheme then pick out your scraps to match. Sticking to few colours creates a streamlined feel that is pleasing to the eye.

The Yam circus

3. Punch them out into shapes

Use the punched out pieces and the negative piece as design elements on your layout. 

Let's take a stroll

4. Mix them up to create a whimsical "scene"

Have a bit of fun with your fussy-cut bits.

The layout with lots of stuff

5. Create a "messy" mat of fishtails for your photos

This is a great way to use up the paper strips in your stash.

Someone had an ice-cream birthday cake

6. Play with shapes

Shapes can bring dynamism to your projects. Here I played with rectangles, circles, hearts and stars.

My version of pocket letter

7. Use your scraps to make pocket letters.

The fun little bits are perfect for decorating pocket letters to send to pals.

The pile it on card

8. Run your scraps through a die-cutting machine

Every few months or so, I spend an afternoon running my scraps through my die-cutting machine so that I have a ready-supply of fun die-cuts to use on my projects...like on this fun card.

Paper scraps and rub-ons on an envelope

9. Tear them up to create a paper collage for a decorated envelope

Mismatched patterns and a gazillion small pieces? Glue them on a recycled bubble envelope and give them some mixed media love. The subtle patterns peeking from underneath all the media makes your project appear even more artsy fartsy.

One tip on the envelope if you want to actually mail it out: leave a blank space for the stamps. The lady at the post office had to give me a postage label because my design "overpowered" the stamps!

Japan travel pages Part 1

10.  Use them to decorate your travel notebooks

The little scrap bits are perfect for adorning your travel pages.

There you have it.  10 (more) ways to use up your scraps. What is your fave way to use up your scraps?

P/s: Like these Tips posts? Click here to get links to more Tips!

An embellished tag for Maya Road

So I got hit by one of those 72 hour bugs and spent my weekend in bed partially sleeping and binge-watching designer fashion shows on YouTube. Any little attempt at exertion like making my bed, resulted in an avalanche of drippy nose and teary eyes so *insert dramatic music* of course, I didn't make my bed! *winks*

I did however, attempt to make something pretty, like this embellished tag for Maya Road. :)

I started off with two pieces of cardboard (from packaging) which I glued together to create a sturdy base for my tag.  

And then I just went in with my hot glue gun and embellishments.

P/s: Happy week ahead friends!