Craft || Simple Homemade Birthday Cards

One of my new years goal was to more craft projects, firstly because its something I love doing but don't do nearly often enough and secondly because I find it incredibly therapeutic. Another reason for wanting to do more crafts is because than receiving something handmade and knowing that someone has gone the extra mile.

Over the festive period I had a lot of extra time on my hands and was able to make my friends personalised Christmas cards and it was great to see the reaction on everyone's faces as they opened them and how something so simple brought joy to both me and them. Since I have some cards spare I thought what better than to continue this joy throughout the year with birthday cards (rather than waiting for Christmas to come back).

So here are a few ideas of some generic and easy to make handmade cards which you can easily customise by using someones favourite colours or prints and can easily be make in one long craft session for your 'card draw/box' or can easily be made last minute.

Basic supplies:

• Blank Cards 
• Glue 
• Scissors
• A Pen

Card 1 (Polka Dot):
Extra Supplies: Felt Tips/Coloured Pencils

                                                                                    

 
This card is the kind you can make in three minutes, literally. Simply take your coloured pens or pencils and randomly draw dots around the card leaving space in the middle for a message and fill this in after.

Card 2/3:
Extra Supplies: Birthday/Cake Candles, Cupcake Case, Glitter

Card 2 (Candle): Take your card and glue 1 (or more, if desired) candles to the centre of the card, add glitter and a message to decorate the card.






Card 3 (Birthday Cake) : Take the same steps as card 2,but this time cut a cupcake case in half and place at the bottom of the candle so it looks as if it is on a cake






Cards 4/5/6/7:
Extra Supplies: Several sheets of wrapping paper/craft paper

 

 

Card 4 (Candles): Cut several thin rectangles out of different sheets of wrapping paper and glue onto the card, draw flames at the top so the wrapping now resembles candles.

 

Card 5 (Balloons): This time cut 3 oval shapes out of the paper that resemble the shape of balloons, arrange these together in a bundle, draw some string on the bottom of these and add a message on the front

 

Card 6 (Presents): Cut 3 short rectangles out of the wrapping paper, they don't have to be perfect but make sure they get gradually smaller, stick these onto the card as if stacked and for decoration draw on a bow and string as if tying the presents together. 

Card 7 (Bunting): First draw some rough guidelines in pencil on the card of how the bunting will hang. Next cut your wrapping paper into small triangles that are similar to bunting, glue these onto the card in an alternating pattern. . Tidy up by either drawing the string in pen or simply erasing the pencil marks and add 'Happy Birthday'

Card 8 (Balloons):
Extra Supplies: 3 or 4 Balloons, String

 

Simply tie the balloons together with the string and leave some on the end like a tail and attach all of these to the card, add extra string if desired and a message on the front.

So as you can see all of these designs are pretty simple, inexpensive and all take under 5 minutes to make and I look forward to making more of these and giving them out throughout the year.


- Cloee xoxo

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New Year Stationery Buys

Sticking to the cliche of January and the New Year being a time to basically give yourself a kick up the bum and getting organised I have purchased some new stationery as it is one of my great loves. One of the most gutting things about not going back to school/uni is not having the opportunity to go on a big old stationary haul and treat yourself to luxurious new pads and pens, so I have done so for the new year instead.

The first item is something I find essential for starting the year is a new diary. There's always something great about sitting down at the beginning of the year/week/month and writing down all the great things you have to look forward to. I know more traditionally this would be done on a calendar but I love having everything portable and still hand written. I got my diary this year from poppyshop.com and has a beautiful print on the cover and back. It's A5, which makes it handbag portable but not to big without being too small and what I love most is despite its compact size it still has a day to day view with plenty of space for writing in your events or notes. As someone who lives by to do lists I find it important to have a lot of room to write in my diary just in case I find myself thinking of things I need to do later or make note of.

Speaking of to do lists my second purchase is something I have been lusting after for a long time (as the queen of to do lists)- a weekly planner pad. This KnockKnock Stuff 5 Days a week pad gives plenty of room for daily lists, with headers and room to put your own dates in. It has 60 pages so lasts just over a year giving time to buy a new one or room for mistakes and ripped out pages. What I love about this pad is that you can set your hopes for the week at the top and review at the end, it only gives a small space for weekend to do's as a time for relaxation and it doubles as a mouse mat perfect for use on your desk.

Last but not least is this notebook I purchased on Etsy, from Emma Frances Designs. Once again it's pretty compact and perfect for taking on the go is my blogging notebook. Inside is great quality thick blank paper perfect for just jotting down ideas or drafting out full posts as I can draw in where I want to put in photos/photos I want to take. As it cost only £. including postage it was really affordable and the design is just lovely. 

-Cloee xoxo 

Hello 2015! Lets get stuff done

For me 2015 is probably the first year where January has actually felt like the start of a brand new year properly. Having been at school/university for the majority of my life September being the start of the school year has been a more significant starter, despite it being extremely cliche this month marks a fresh start. Although I've always viewed the new year as somewhat lame and resolutions to be a bit pointless (as more often than not they're broken) I'm taking this as a chance to set myself some goals and things I'd like to achieve this year instead.

2014 was a pretty big year for me, and proved that no matter how old you are you constantly experience first times both good and bad, from turning 21, graduating university and breaking my leg pretty badly it was certainly a roller coaster year. 

Hoping that 2015 will be bigger and better here's 10 things I aim to achieve this year:

1) Get a Job 

My main goal for 2015, having graduated uni in the summer and spending a lot of time searching, applying everywhere for work experience and then not being able to search I definitely need some sort of routine and 'normality' in my life 

2) Explore London more

I live on the outskirts f London so go pretty often, but more often than not I find myself in the same d paces time and time again. There's absolutely nothing wrong with Covent Garden or Camden and they are definitely two of my places to go and just hang out, but London is huge city with tonnes to do for free or on a budget . One of my musts is to take advantage of the great number of free museums that aren't the Natural History Museum or the Science Museum.

3) More Craft Projects
I LOVE craft projects and during my time at home after breaking my leg I used crafts as a distraction and something to do on a daily basis at least seem like I was doing something productive, and spent a lot of time pinning things to do on pinterest. 

4) Experiment with my Baking 

 Baking is my favourite hobby, no only do I find it incredibly therapeutic and a great way to relieve stress, but you get a tasty snack at the end (hopefully). Whenever I'm in the mood I find myself either just making simple cupcakes or cookies, which I cook perfectly but are a save option and even if I just branch out from vanilla and chocolate that's a success.

5) Write More Often 

I decided in 2014 that I would start a blog and clearly from my lack of posts that didn't go brilliantly. Now I don't have uni essays to worry about, I oddly miss them as the main time I spent writing. So this year I'd like to write more whether its this blog or a journal or whatever. Ideally I'd like to post on here at least 50 times throughout the year (which is just once a week) which should be achievable.

6) Take a Proper Holiday 

I don't think I've taken a proper holiday since before I started university, which is slightly depressing thought. Instead I've made a habit of go to at least one music festival a year, which I love but isn't the same as relaxing on the pool side or on the beach doing literally nothing (with the exception of drinking cocktails and reading trashy books). Especially since now when going to festivals I work them so it would be nice to have no limits to what I can do and when (and enjoy the sunshine without mud). 

7) Take at Least One Driving Lesson 

This was again one of my goals for 2014, but due to constantly putting it off and then breaking my leg it something that never happened unfortunately. Despite the fact I want to work in London so will spend a lot of my time dependent on tubes, trains and buses it would be nice not to spend my weekends and evenings worrying about them too, mainly because if I had £1 for every time I'd I myself "I wish I could drive" whilst standing at the bus stop then goal one would not need to be on my list. 

8) Travel Somewhere New
I am very untravelled so would like to change this by exploring the world more, especially after seeing some friends go on great post uni adventures whilst I spent the summer working.

9) Learn a New Skill

At the moment I'm thinking of learning to play and instrument, possibly the guitar or the ukulele since its smaller, but I'm prone to changing my mind so this might not stick. Although I have always wanted to know how to play an instrument.

10) 50 Book Challenge

It is an understatement to say I read a lot, but in the past I have always had a list of books that I have been required to read so I don't think I've ever done this so why not have one goal I know I could achieve. Since I have now discovered the joy of good reads its easy to record whether I do this or not.

Minor to do's:
Here are some other things I'd like to achieve during the year but aren't big goals like the above

• Stay off my phone when with friends (Because whatever it is can wait)
• Drink more water (Because its good for you and makes you feel better)
• Re-read the Harry Potter series (Just because)
• Don't let fear and negativity control you (Be more impulsive and enjoy it)
• Do more giving (time, money, whatever you can) 

-Cloee xoxo