Tag : washi-tape
Tag : washi-tape
It’s been a whole year since I did a blog post with exactly the same title – and I started that with the below:
“Well, it’s that time again – where exactly has the Summer gone? To be honest, we haven’t had much of an actual ‘Summer’ have we? It’s the 27th August and I am sat here writing this with a hot cup of tea, wearing a warm and cosy woolly jumper looking out on to a grey sky!”
Well, this year – it’s 1st September, and actually it does feel a little like Autumn today with a fresh and crisp start – but we certainly have had some lovely hot sunshine recently! However, the statement of ‘where has the Summer gone?’ still stands. In fact – where has that whole year gone?! Time is absolutely flying by! I don’t think it helps that this year, I am counting down in weeks (and days!) to a very important date (my due date!) – but, it still doesn’t explain why time just disappears. Time flies when you are having fun, right?
As I felt last year, and do every year – I LOVE this month – it definitely feels like the start of a ‘new year’. January – the more traditional associations with a new year – it’s always colder, drearier, damper, the nights draw in even earlier. Christmas – the best time of year for me – has been and gone, and the New Year’s Eve celebrations. Don’t get me wrong, I still do feel full of possibilities and ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ in January, but September somehow seems to beat it. A new school year, a new start. We still have Christmas and the surprises of the festive period to come, we have the colder nights with warming stews, roaring fires and cosy nights indoors to look forward to. And from a personal perspective, as have already mentioned in this, and in several previous blogs – a new baby to look forward to for ourselves!
I have found a few more exciting craft ideas that you could make for the start of a new term – why not try your hand at one of the below ideas!
1. Book Covers
When I was at school, you always had to cover your books. Do you still have to do this now…? Generally just to protect them from damage being flung around in your bags, from the inevitable lunch box leaks but also, really I used to just love how pretty they used to look all covered and matching! I used to use old wallpaper for a hardy, but (probably didn’t realise then!) in fact a very stylish look! This tutorial goes one step further with a lovely fabric cover design. So clever!
2. Washi Tape Pencils and Notebooks
A very simple, but oh so effective way to update your stationery with Washi tape! Washi tapes are available in countless of colours and patterns so pick one you like and just get sticking! I personally LOVE the broad range of designs available from Joe and Flo on Etsy!
3. New Bag?
How about making your own PE kit bag! A very simple and quick sewing project that will have you your very own handmade drawstring bag in no time!
A handmade neon-painted pencil case, what could be better? I love the colours and lining that ‘Dear Handmade Life‘ have used here – but you could pick and choose whatever suits you! Why not even coordinate with your book covers, washi tape pencils and new PE bag as above! A really great step-by-step tutorial including photos for each stage which hand holds you through the project. I wish I needed a new one (I already have 3 on the go at the minute!!) otherwise this would be straight to the top of my ever growing makes list!
Not really a ‘craft’, but thought these were really sweet! What a lovely way to make your little kiddiwink (or other half, or whoever you want!) smile by popping these into their lunchbox. They are free to print – or, if you don’t want to use these specific ones, why not make your own?
They will either think you are cute, or crazy – but they are certainly a fun way to make someone’s day!
Enjoy!
Make. Create. Inspire.
Categories: Crafty Kids, General Craft, Top 5
Following my recent post: ‘The Crafty Lass does…Desk Art – Washi Tape Letters!‘, a friend – inspired by the bright colours and the ability to personalise the idea with her own choice of letters – she approached me to help her create some for a very thoughtful wedding gift! 
So, the Bride and Groom’s initials were ordered from ‘Fred Aldous‘, and after MUCH colour choice and deliberation some specially selected ‘Washi Tape’ via Etsy!
Romantic ‘All you need is love’ and ‘Mr & Mrs’ tapes were selected, of course!
In regards to the other colours, we considered going down the wedding colour scheme route, then favourite colours, then all neutrals… however, we settled on gaining inspiration from a rather fabulous coloured dress that the Bride owns! A very personalised and lovely range of brights and pastels combined.
So, we slowly layered up the colours across the letters, with ‘All you need is love’ on the ‘J’ and the ‘C’, and appropriately, the ‘Mr and Mrs’ tape on the ‘&’.
And here, are the finished results!
An evening of fun, friends, craft and food – good times.
I do hope that the Bride and Groom had a wonderful wedding day and enjoy their washi tape letters!
Categories: General Craft, House & Home, Stationery, The Crafty Lass does..., Weddings
So, that was a little bit of exciting news to come home to! The Crafty Lass has been awarded runner up in the Hobbycraft April ‘Make of the Month’ competition with my ‘C&L’ Washi Tape Letters!
I have even won myself a little Hobbycraft giftcard of £10! Anna Silcox, with her beautiful strawberry tea cosy (deservedly so!) got the top-spot, but – I am chuffed to bits with runner up!
It just goes to show you – that making lovely things, does not need to be difficult! What will you enter into the May ‘Make of the Month’ competition?
Categories: General Craft, The Crafty Lass does...
Well, the official ‘National Stationery Week’ may be over – but in the words of Sarah Millican on Twitter:
“This week is National Stationery week. For some of us, EVERY week is National Stationery week.”
So, why not carry on your love for stationery and get creative with a handmade birthday card! All you need for this simple idea is some blank card, some scissors and the ever popular – washi tape! 🙂
It was recently a special birthday in this house, and my husband’s favourite colour is green…Understandably this card may be a little bright for some tastes – but go with whatever colours your recipient would love of course 🙂
A very simple card and craft, but I think with an effective outcome!
– Print out, or draw the ‘3 and 0’, or a letter, or even a short phrase! (backwards if possible so that no opportunity for lines to be seen when on the card) – cut out, turn over and wrap in washi tape!
– Cut out a rectangle of card, in whatever size and shape you would like – and score down the middle so that the card folds nicely in half.
– Cover the front of the card in alternative/contrasting tape to make sure you can see the numbers/font clearly and just trim neatly at the edges.
– I used some Sellotape sticky foam pads to then attach the numbers to the card so that they stood out slightly, but you could just glue straight on.
– ‘Et Voila!’ one personalised, handmade birthday card! 🙂
Categories: Birthday, General Craft, Stationery, The Crafty Lass does...
I love stationery. If I really have to admit it – I am a stationery addict… I have drawers FULL of felt tip pens and pencils and biros, and fun and quirky notelets and post-it notes, the list goes on… I am sure enough to open a small stationery shop.
However, amongst the quantity there are some particular quality items I would be lost without… really! Some are old timers that I have had a long time, some are new additions that I now can’t be without – but here, for National Stationery Week are my cherished items!
National Stationery Week runs from April 27th – 3rd May 2015.
http://www.nationalstationeryweek.com/
1. So, to start with – we have my ‘The Crafty Lass’ notebook from a beautiful shop in Sri Lanka. ‘Barefoot’ is full of hand woven fabric products, you name it, it is in there made out of fabric. But despite wanting to bring back the whole shop – the covered notebooks I was particularly drawn to, full of lovely cream recycled paper. It has my notes, ideas, to-do lists for setting up The Crafty Lass. It doesn’t leave my side!
2. My Cath Kidston pencil case. How many adults do you know that take their own pencil case to work….? Well, I do. When I was about 11 years old, I took my Mum, Dad and Auntie on a shopping trip while on holiday in Perth, Scotland to find THE perfect pencil case for the new school term. It is still talked about to this day that it took MANY shops, MANY hours to get the right one… It was important! Recently my fountain pen leaked in the case, so there is now a large blue stain inside, and you can just see that through one of the cream spots – so, it’s not perfect, but it is still my lovely pencil case.
3. My Parker fountain pen. This was a gift 2 years ago from my brother and sister for my birthday. I have always wanted a lovely proper ink pen, and now it is pretty much all I use! I love ordering extra ink cartridges to ensure it never runs out… sounds sad! But, I love that my handwriting always looks better in this pen, and it is very ‘traditional’ to put proper ink to paper.
4. When not using my fountain pen, I mainly use my pink fineliner – I was always taught in school that I should only ever write in Black, or Blue. Red was strictly reserved for teachers. However, now that I am an adult – I happily write in every colour and whatever colour suits me that day! But I consistently go back to this pink fineliner… it is starting to run out – so, soon I will need to find a new favourite, but until then, I will continue to write in whatever colour I want…!
5. The old traditional highlighter. I am abit of a ‘list’ person – for what I need to get achieved that day, week, year, lists on my fridge of long term life plans, lists of shopping for whatever is needed in the supermarket, lists of lists… A highlighter is my friend as I can highlight stuff off my to-do list only when it is DONE.
6. Car and truck rubber bands. These, are actually my husband’s, but they have conveniently ended up in The Crafty Lass office. Fun! When being used, they obviously don’t keep their shape! But, I know that they are shaped like a car…
7. Birdie paperclips. These are a very recent addition to my stationery collection – a gift from my lovely sister. Just how great are they! They certainly brighten up bundles of paperwork…
8. Giant pushpins. These, are also a new addition, again a gift. I love that they are so bright, and huge! I need to buy a corkboard simply just to use them!
9. Read, urgent, later clips. Bright, helpful, organising stationery! These will be much needed in the coming weeks once I no doubt have more paperwork to be organising…
10. ‘LOVE’ Washi Tape. What is not to love about this?! I have this design in three colours (pink, green, black) and are all from IKEA. Some Washi tape – although all beautiful can be rather expensive. IKEA has jumped on the bandwagon and gone all out with fun and quirky designs, but at traditionally low IKEA prices! Why use cellotape when you can use something as beautiful as this!
11. Vanilla smelling cupcake rubber. Yes, that is exactly what it is. It looks like a sweet, it smells like a sweet – but it is for rubbing out pencil errors! 🙂
12. Cartoon post it notes. These really get the message across!
13. Star pencil sharpener. This came from a Christmas cracker about 5 years ago – but it is pink, sparkly, and actually works pretty well! I love it, as it is the sort of thing I would have loved just as much when I was 5 years old – but I love it just as much as an adult!
14. Old, but beautiful scissors. These, used to be my grandma’s. When she sadly passed away – I was given her sewing box – full of lovely old silk threads, needles, little unfinished projects – and many pairs of scissors. Although rusty, they do still work. I owe them some TLC with some WD40 and a clean up – but I love them just as they are.
What are your favourite and cherished stationery items?
Categories: Stationery
I knew I wouldn’t be able to leave my lovely blank and pristinely white ‘The Crafty Lass’ ‘C’ and ‘L’ alone for long… When I bought them, I had intended to simply paint them – one in hot pink, and the other in bright green – but instead, inspired by some new additions to my ‘washi tape’ collection – I went for a crazy ‘layered’ look.
The blank letters, can be found at Fred Aldous (and many other art/craft shops) and the tapes… well you can find them ALOT of places… Google ‘washi tapes’ and you’d be surprised just how many variations there are!
It’s vibrant, it’s a simple craft to try, and I think – looks GREAT! It’s certainly an inspiring bit of desk art! 🙂
Categories: General Craft, House & Home, Stationery, The Crafty Lass does...
