Tips on paper bag decorating (Part 2)

Hello friends! Back in November I shared Tips on paper bag decorating (Part 1), here is Part 2! :)

1. Go for dry adhesive for adhering patterned paper to your paper bag.

Wet adhesive tends to wrinkle your patterned paper when you adhere it to the base paper bag. Especially if your patterned paper is thin.  I like to use my Xyron Creative Station for an even layer of adhesive or plain old double-sided tape. I might use some wet adhesive just at the edges for reinforcement.

2. Try making your paper bag into a single-handle one for added design interest.

All you have to do is cover up the original holes of the paper bag with patterned paper, then punch a hole in the front and back. Have a little fun with the width of the ribbon too! :)

3. Keep the elements flat when decorating a lightweight paper bag.

A typical brown paper bag is quite lightweight so keep your decorative elements flat and light so that you can maintain the integrity of the paper.bag.  Fussy-cutting patterned paper elements and piecing them to create a fun collage would be a viable approach. Here on this paper bag, all the elements are flat which also makes it super easy to store.

4. Extend the patterns on the paper bag with your decorative elements.

Sometimes we might get a printed paper bag that already has some patterns on it. Take advantage of the pretty patterns and add some dimensional elements to extend the design and make it look even better.

5.  Treat your paper bag like a (bigger) card.

I like to think of my paper bag like a card and just create fun collages on it...and add a sentiment or two. 

There you have it...tips on paper bag decorating (Part 2). There might be a Part 3. *winks*

Do you have any tips to share?

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Mixed Media Monday - an eye drawing!

Haven't done one of these mixed media eye drawings in a long time. Just a play with my Faber Castell Polychromo coloured pencils with highlights using Uniball Signs white gel pen. 

Happy week ahead friends! :)

 P/s: Playing catchup on blog visits this week! 

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This week's upcycled decorated box using scrap bits

 

Meet this week's upcycled decorated box using scrap bits. :)

I started with this lovely sturdy box from Tom Ford (yes, your gal got spoiled by her cousin at Christmas!).

It was one of those "let's keep it simple" projects that went out of hand as usual. Because someone just likes to add stuff!  *winks*

Yes, even the sides of the box were not spared! 

I did try my best to stick to a limited colour palette to simplify the process for myself. :)

Currently into pastel colours for makeup and clothes...and apparently, it has spilled over to my creative projects as well...*LOL*

I really like how the final product turned out. What do you think?

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I made my first soy scented candle!

So I've been an avid Sephora (Zoom-based) workshop participant during this whole pandemic. The ones for Gold members are less about product pitches and more about wellness. I've attended HIIT, yoga and pilates classes, how to create a spa at home with face massaging techniques and making relaxing teas. I've learned about floral arrangement and floral painting with watercolour (which incidentally started my current obsession with abstract florals). And my most recent workshop was making my own scented candle! :)

It was so easy! I think some people might be getting scented candles for Christmas this year! *winks* And I definitely will not be buying any more overpriced scented candles.

What about you? Have you tried making soy scented candles? Do you have any tips for a newbie?

 

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What I learnt from cooking for my family for almost 2 years (Part 2)

What I cooked for Reunion Dinner 2022

Well my friends, it's been almost 2 years since I started cooking for my family and 9 months since my last update (see Part 1) *dramatic music plays in the background* As you know, initially I was cooking just ONE meal a day (lunch) for my family but after mum's stroke, I'm now cooking both lunch and dinner (5 months in and counting). 

At first, it really stressed me out because the actual cooking was fast but the prepping and cleaning up was so time-consuming. I have a few hours after lunch to do my own stuff before I had to start cooking dinner. Every single day. My sister would help with the washing up sometimes and the nephew when he's at home. But most of the responsibility was on me.

I can look back now and laugh at how silly I was. But at that time, I was thinking about food before going to bed and thinking about food the moment I got up. Now, I'm down to an hour for food prep and cooking. And maybe 30 minutes for cleanup because I clean as I go along.

Here are some things I learnt from my second year of cooking for my family.

1. Stick to what works. Especially when pressed for time.

The family is very happy with the current way I cook my steak so I haven't tried anything more fancy yet. And I like cooking steak because the actual cooking is super fast and when the meat is resting, you can do some cleaning up. :)

Do I want to make something more complicated like a beef wellington? Of course. But maybe when I have more time.

2. Mix it up.

My family members love variety. So having a wide selection of produce makes it easier to "mix and match" my veggies...which I cook in one of 4 ways - in a fresh salad, oven-roasted, stir-fried or in a soup. I try to vary the methods throughout the week so that they don't get bored. I get an organic produce box once a fortnight so there's always something new to try. :)

3. One dish meals are totally necessary to maintain your sanity.

Some days I have early morning meetings out and have to rush back by 11am to cook lunch and that's when I do my one dish meal like a stir-fried noodle. Usually, the protein would have been cut up and marinated so I just need to cut up the veggies and do a quick stir-fry. FYI, we are all watching our carb intake so it's mostly protein and veggies. *winks*

4.  Try something new every week.

Cooking can get boring sometimes for me so I like to stretch my creativity by trying at least ONE new dish every week. Sometimes it works out and I put it on rotation. But then, I might tweak it again to make it better.

5. Trust your tastebuds.

Initially I was a stickler for following recipes exactly as described. But over time, I've learned to trust my own tastebuds, especially since I've been lucky enough to have eaten some really excellent food in Michelin-starred restaurants in my travels (pre-Covid). 

There you have it...what I learnt from cooking for my family for almost 2 years (Part 2). 

What about you? Any lessons from your second year of stay-at-home cooking?

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Is it a tag or an envelope?

 

So I really wanted to use this pre-cut patterned tag as a base for my decorated tag. But the paper was really thin so I dug through my stash to find a "mat" for it.

What I found was a small white envelope (holder for restaurant receipt) so the project became a tag on an envelope instead. Which is quite handy to hang on a gift bag with a handwritten note in the envelope. :)

I went all out here...with gold misting and Stickles on the text. *LOL*

P/s: Update on the CNY shenanigans. Got the baked goody bags for the neighbours out on the eve of CNY. Prepared a feast for reunion dinner that same night (yesterday). And cooked lunch and dinner for 10 today! Only chipped the polish off 2 nails so I would call it a win. *triumphant music plays in the background*

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Friday's Workspace - the race to bake cookies

 

My first batch of 20 melt-in-your-mouth peanut cookies

Well my friends, your gal is officially in panic mode because she has 3 days left to bake her CNY cookies. She was taking her own sweet time because no visitors except for her brother's family was coming. So she was planning to make a small batch of cookies of various flavours. 

Except that she didn't factor in that neighbours will start giving her CNY gift bags of baked goods. And now, she has to quadruple the amount she planned to bake. And think of creative ways to whip up yummy stuff that is less labour-intensive so that she can actually survive the next 3 days. And did she mention that she still has to cook lunch and dinner for the next 3 days as well? Including the feast that is the reunion dinner? And that she has the teeniest oven and can bake like 20 cookies each time? *LOL*

Yep. *insert dramatic music*

Happy weekend friends! :)

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Workspace Wednesday - still obsessed with the blurry look

 

So I haven't been able to sustain the daily painting practice I've been hoping for as I navigate my schedule for 2022. But I've been able to do it every other day. Which I'm going to claim as victory because doing something is better than doing nothing right? *winks*

Just a work-in-progress piece...still obsessed with the blurry look. *LOL*

Hope you are having a great week so far friends! I bought all my baking stuff today so the CNY baking starts tomorrow! 

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Tuesday's quick decorated paperbag

 

So it's exactly ONE week to CNY 2022 and your gal hasn't even started baking yet. But of course she had some cute stuff lying on and around her desk (no butt getting out of chair movement required...*LOL*).

And a sturdy paperboy to upcycle.....

As usual, I had fun putting the random bits together. :)

Happy Tuesday friends! :)

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Make Stuff Monday - a layout using packaging as inspiration

 

In today's Make Stuff Monday, I'm sharing how I used packaging as inspiration to pull the pieces of my layout together. Can you tell which is the packaging on my layout? *Go look...I'll wait for you.*

Maybe a little closeup will help a little??? *winks*

Yep...it's the cardboard packaging from an eyeshadow palette (nobody is surprised...*LOL*).

And here's the palette in case you were wondering...yeah bright vibrant colours are so up my alley...:)

Anyway, back to the layout...My sister's friend sent her a bunch of purple balloons for her birthday so I had the right prop for the photo background. Which went well with the harlequin design on the packaging. Then I just pulled random stuff from my stash to finish up the layout.

I think it turned out quite lovely, eh? *winks*

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Friday's desk- real life versus fantasy life

 

        Me: I want to have a desk by the window so that I can paint in natural light. 

        Also me: Plant babies take up half the desk space.

Yep, my friends. Real life is a far cry from the fantasy life *LOL*

Happy weekend friends!

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The one about steak day

 

It was my sister's birthday and she brought the folks out for lunch to celebrate. So it was just nephew #1 and me. Well, you know how I love to spoil "my" kid.

We had a steak day! I also tried out a recipe for baked potatoes (crispy skin and fluffy insides) which I served with butter and melted cheese. And lots of veggies (gotta have a well-balanced meal).

Of course, I got the obligatory kid smiling at the camera photo too. :)

The kid was very happy with his steak and mine (he ate 1/3 of it...). Yep, teenage boys are expensive to raise because they eat so much. (Later that night, we had roast chicken, a cheese plate and a birthday cake to celebrate my sister's birthday....no prizes for guessing who ate the most...*LOL*),

Happy Thursday friends! :)

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