Five Things for January

A fond farewell 2023 and Welcome 2024!

Endings and beginnings are a pile of mixed emotions but what's important is that we always overcome the messy parts and find encouragement in the joyful ones.

Dear friend, whether you're a regular visitor to this blog or just stumbled upon it, THANK YOU! I appreciate that you're hanging out with me and I hope you'll discover different ways to turn blah to TADA!

Here are a few things that fit that category:

A Bullet Journal...TADA!

One of the ways that has helped my productivity is a bullet journal. It's based on the method developed by Ryder Carroll. I  customize the pages to include my appointments for the day, my To Do List, a Gratitude List, and lots of room for thoughts, reflections, and notes. It is a system that I've used for years and I love that I can flip through my old bullet journals to look back on my memories. 

A Gratitude Journal...TADA!

Maybe you have a different method to track your days like a digital calendar or an analog planner. May I suggest having a gratitude journal? A simple notebook or the notes section on your phone will do. Start or end your day with at least five things you are thankful for such as: (1) a warm bed, (2) the scent of freshly brewed coffee, (3) the bus that always comes on time, (4) all who keep us safe, and (5) living a life of purpose. Roald Dahl has a saying, "Life is a series of thousands of tiny miracles. Notice them." I couldn't agree more. 

A Clock Timer...TADA!

There are times I cannot help but multi-task such as getting some writing done while dinner is cooking on the stove. I always set a timer so I don't forget to check on the food! A timer is also helpful when I want to break tasks in small intervals. For example: tidying-up for 15 minutes or creating art in 20 minutes. When the alarm sounds, it's time to move on to the next item on my list.

Cozy Socks...TADA!

I got these as a Christmas present and I'm relishing the softness and warmth on chilly evenings. Do you have a similar inexpensive indulgence?

A reminder to fully live this one precious life...TADA!

May grace, goodness, and gratitude fill your 2024!

Lettering with Light and Shadow

We made it to this day, the final day of 2023. I hope that for all the "blahs," you were rewarded with even more "TADAs!" 

Before we crossover to the New Year, I'm here to share an easy craft. All we need are paper, a pencil, pens, and watercolor.

Let's do some hand lettering! I learned this technique at the Summer Creative Retreat, taught by Melinda (@mellie.zee). The use of color, light and shadow turns plain penmanship from blah to TADA!

We'll do two kinds of lettering.

First, we'll need some paper. These are just recycled cardboard (from empty food boxes) trimmed into rectangles (about 4.5 inches by 3.5 inches). You can use copy paper, watercolor paper or cardstock, too.

With a pencil and ruler, I drew a few lines to indicate the center point and use as guide lines. 

I chose the word "possibility." I wrote it on both cards, one in a thicker style and another in regular style. 

I erased all the lines I initially made.  

I added some watercolor for the background.

I followed the pencil marks using a brush pen.

I made the lines heavier, especially the downstrokes, using the same brush pen. 

I added shadow using a gray dual brush pen, as well as some highlights using a white gel pen.

This technique adds vibrancy and dimension to my handwriting...TADA!

For the second kind of lettering with the thicker style font, I also erased the guide lines. I used a dry paint brush to get rid of the eraser "crumbs" from the paper.  

I filled in the letters with watercolor, using a different color on each letter. I let this dry for a few minutes.

Then I made an outline around the letters with a fine-tipped black pen. 

I added shadow using a dual brush pen in gray and highlights using a white gel pen.

Here is my handiwork...TADA!

I wish you "Possibility" --  the belief that everything is possible, especially in the New Year.

Thank you for your regular visits and comments to my blog! See you again in 2024 and if you'd like more crafty ideas delivered directly to your inbox, please subscribe here. 

Merry Christmas To You

It's Christmas Eve and I want to wish you the best of the holiday season, however you celebrate. Here is a card that I made:

It's a blank card decorated with watercolor and brush lettering...TADA! And I really wish this for you and to all you hold dear.

I also want to say THANK YOU for keeping me company on this blog all these years. Knowing that you are there to read my stories and craft along with me fills me with warm, fuzzy feelings. I appreciate your presence here.

I wish your holidays will be less "blah" and more "TADA!"

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Holiday Pompoms

Hello guys! I'm glad you could stop by today.

Some years ago, I took this photo:

It's from an Anthropologie holiday display. I was attracted to it because of its simplicity -- just lights and handmade pompoms...TADA!

From a distance, the pompoms resemble Christmas balls. Up close, they look like flowers.

They can be made in different sizes and a variety of materials. Experiment with color combinations like red and green or non-traditional black and white.

In this pompom tutorial, it's easy to make pompoms out of yarn. 

It's also no effort to make pompoms out of cupcake liners as I've shown in this paper pompom tutorial.

These pompoms are made from white plastic bags...TADA!

You can also make big pompoms out of small store-bought pompoms like what I did with this bag charm...TADA!

 

Pompoms make cute additions to handmade gift tags like I did with these reindeer noses...TADA!

Then carry over the pompom theme to your gift wrapping:

Forego the gift wrap and use a pompom corsage to accentuate a gift...TADA!

Or embellish a gift bag or reusable bag with a pompom garland...TADA!

Just a few crafty tips if you want to do a little D.I.Y. this season. These pompoms will grace your holidays for years to come, turning your interiors and gifts from blah to TADA!

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Turn Cancelled Postage Stamps into Gift Tags

Hello! Do you enjoy receiving Christmas cards as much as I do?

Every year, I collect all the cards I receive. As I've mentioned in this post, I punch a hole on the corner, gather them on a book ring, label them with the year, and then I put them in a plastic storage bin. 

I usually shred the envelopes as a safety precaution (since names and addresses are printed on them) and also to save on storage space. 

But a pang of guilt arrives when I see these pretty postage stamps. How could I shred Saint Nicholas or The Mother and Child? That would instantly put me in Santa's "Naughty List"!

So I cut out the postage stamps and used them to make some crafts: 

I made these gift tags...TADA!

Here's how:

I used some blank tags (you can make your own using card stock) and the other parts of the envelope like the area with patterns and shiny foil. 

I made a collage using the strips of paper and attached them to the tags with glue.

Using seasonal stamps and an ink pad, I printed these messages on the clean side of the envelope. I tried to keep my waste to a minimum...TADA!  

Then I added the messages on the gift tags with more glue:

No need to shop for gift tags! Why buy when we can D.I.Y.?

You can use this idea to make other gift tags depending on the postage stamps you have on hand: hearts for Valentine's, spring flowers for birthdays, or trains/vehicles to say "Bon Voyage."

Here are other ways I've used cancelled postage stamps for crafting:

To make fridge magnets...TADA!

To embellish a plain paperclip tray...TADA!

To decorate brown paper package tied up with string...TADA!

And to turn a plastic box from blah to TADA!

What are the creative ways you've used cancelled postage stamps? Let me know!

   

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Recipe Exchange

Hello guys!

Who doesn't love a recipe, especially one that is a family heirloom, passed down from a grandma, mother or an aunt?

This is one of many recipes from my mother-in-law. She was a great cook and isn't her penmanship pretty? 

These are from my dear friend Veronica who printed some recipes on her postcard collection and sent them to me when I was a newly-wed. I have used and kept them to this day.

These ones are from a recipe swap I participated in one Christmas. The top photo is from my swap partner Anjel and the bottom one is what I sent to my swap partner Morgan.

Recipe cards can feel quite outdated given that so many recipes are available on-line. But what I love about these recipe exchanges are the stories behind each one and how the cook has tweaked it to their liking (ex. less sugar, more lean meat, etc.). Plus points if they are handwritten, because lots of time and care was put into filling out these cards!

"Recipe exchange" is the theme for today's craft.

It's also inspired by this book that I got as a present many years ago.

Inside, there are a bunch of perforated recipe cards in cute pastel colors. I'm still deciding what recipes to jot down. But instead of just giving the stack in an envelope, I thought of a unique way to package the recipe cards.

I'm turning this tin container from blah to TADA!

It's empty inside.

I'll add a nest of shredded paper.

Then I can add the recipe cards once I fill them out.

The book also has these adorable tags.

I tied on some ribbon and they can become cookbook markers or gift tags...TADA!

These are what will go inside the tin container.

Oh, the book has a variety of food-related stickers, too!

I picked these to decorate the lid of the container.

A recipe exchange with bonus features any foodie will love...TADA!

Happy eating, happy crafting and if you'd like more crafty ideas delivered to your inbox, please subscribe here.