TUTORIAL - Swallowtail Paper Bunting

Make this super-cute swallowtail bunting in a snip using materials you've probably already got laying around (win!). Perfect for weddings, parties or just to jazz up your home. Read on for the full tutorial, all images can be enlarged with a click - Enjoy!

Materials:

•     Patterned card stock (I used 12x12" but any size will do!)
•     Scrap card (for your template)
•     Pencil
•     Ruler
•     Scissors 
•     Hole-punch
•     Transparent reinforcement rings (for strengthening hole-punched documents)
•     Twine, Ribbon or String

TUTORIAL - Paper Mushrooms

These. Are. Awesome. Big and little paper mushrooms perfect for table decorations at weddings, parties or for your mantle. So VERY easy to make too - read on to find out how!

TUTORIAL - Bunting Note Cards.

My first full day back home after my wonderful break in Dorset, sat in my studio surrounded by boxes, bags and drawers of all my 'stuff'. Aah precious 'stuff' how I missed you! Day four's project for 30 days of creativity was a simple set of bunting note cards. 

They weren't exactly rocket-science to make, but as I'm feeling generous today I thought I'd write you a tutorial so you can make your own.

Origami Butterfly Garland.

Day two of 30 days of creativity was slightly more thought out than day one. For a start, I sort of knew what I wanted to do, all I needed was a sheet of wrapping paper and some string. Sounds simple, right? Do you think a single shop in Wareham sold string? Twine? Cotton? Shop keepers were looking at me as though I was asking for magic beans and by the time I'd rushed around all the shops being told I wouldn't find any string there, it was too late to buy wrapping paper as all the shops had shut. So I went back to the house minus my two vital (and only) components necessary for my project.

Raking around in the house looking for inspiration again, I managed to find a little brochure with pretty images throughout it's pages and found a needle and thread in a drawer. Excellent! I poured myself a glass of wine, sat out in the garden admiring the beautiful view with the sun setting to the wonderful sound of birdsong and Daughter.

 

I cut out nine squares from the pages of the brochure and started folding little origami butterflies. I've never really tried origami before, but I wanted to try something new and I'm so glad I did!

After all nine butterflies had been folded I hand stitched through their middles one by one creating a little garland to hang in the house/garden etc. I was really pleased with how this project turned out given the failures earlier that day trying to gather my materials!

♥ Origami

Antique Edwardian scrapbook giveaway winner announced!

It's that time again. Time has flown by and April has vanished into the past already! Time to announce the lucky winner of my treasured antique Edwardian scrapbook!

And the winner is.. *Drumroll*.. Rebecca of Cauliflower Cupcake Scrappin' Designs! Congratulations Rebecca! Please email over your address to DearestJackdaw@googlemail.com so I can get this in the post to you ASAP! 

Until next time ♥

TUTORIAL - Vintage Style Decoupaged Mannequin

I picked up this female torso at a car boot sale a few years ago and she's been hanging around in my wardrobe ever since just waiting for the perfect project to come along. I don't know why, but last week I suddenly had an overwhelming desire to try out decoupage and what better project to try it out on than this?

Like it? Read on to find out how to make your own!

100 followers marks the start of ANOTHER giveaway!

All I can say is Wow. Over the past 2 days my blog has crept to over 100 followers! I can't tell you all how grateful I am that you all enjoy reading and seeing what I'm up to. Thank you so, so much ♥

Back in January I promised that once my blog hit 100 public followers I would launch a giveaway.

So to mark this miraculous moment, running simultaneously with my Vintage Clothing Giveaway, I present to you my Antique Edwardian Scrapbook giveaway! 

Please note that because of the weight of this scrapbook, this giveaway is only for UK readers. However, if you are outside the UK remember you can always try for the Vintage Jacket which is equally as beautiful!

ISN'T. IT. STUNNING?

Amongst the pages you can expect to find all sorts of ephemera type goodies, much of it is over 100 years old! Fantastic for any scrapbooker, paper-crafts fanatic, lover of curiosity, inspiration hoarder, collector.. Ideal for altered journals, all paper-crafts and even mixed media artwork (non-digital and digital), there are some real gems in there ♥

If you want a chance to get your hands on this lovely book, all I ask is that you follow me on my Blog, Facebook or Twitter and leave a comment on this blog post (let me know who you are if you're not a blogger so I know how to contact you if you win!). Simple as that!

This giveaway will run until the end of April 2011 after which I will write all entrants names down, fold them into teeny squares and then pick the winner out of a hat (to keep it traditional!)

♥