blah to TADA!

26 September 2016

A Cascade of Paper Flowers

A little start of the week eye candy:

I spotted this inside Anthropologie where one can always find inspiration.

It's a trellis of flowers. Even if they're not real, they look lifelike.

They're made of cupcake liners and the edges are dyed with either watercolor or diluted food color. TADA!

19 September 2016

Luscious Lemon Curd

Hello there! I don't know about you but citrus fruits make me happy.

The colors evoke sunshine and depending on the fruit, so does the taste.

If life gives you lemons, I say make lemon curd.

Top it on yogurt or baked goods like scones and pound cake. Put it in a pie. Make it part of your frosting. It's a little bit sweet, a little bit tangy. TADA!

12 September 2016

A sign on display at a craft store said, "Crafting is cheaper than therapy." In many ways, I think it's true. Crafting keeps you focused, mindful and the repetitive motion calms you down. If you craft with like-minded folks, even better -- you can chat while you craft! And the finished piece is a reward in itself.

That's the reason why I take time to craft.

Here's an easy one that can be accomplished in one sitting.

It starts with some fabric. It doesn't matter what kind. Even fabric remnants will work. Be sure to use an iron to get the wrinkles out.

Mount the fabric tightly on an embroidery hoop and trim the excess.

Draw some of your favorite prints. I chose these simple botanicals.

"Color in the lines" using embroidery thread.

Play around with different colors and stitches. It doesn't have to be perfect.

And here is my hand-stitched art ready to be put on display. TADA!

05 September 2016

Decorated Tins

Let's start this week's craft with a photo collage:

I love how these tins are decorated with painted swirls and flowers. Even

if they're mass produced, the packaging still gives a handmade touch.

I'm using these as inspiration for turning some tea tins from blah to TADA!:

Such a shame to throw these away now that they're empty.

Gift wrap (or a pretty print torn from a magazine), scissors and

double-sided tape are all we need to give the tea tins a fresh look:

Aren't they cute?

I would use them as storage for treats like candy.

Or for crafting tools like pens and craft stamps. TADA!

29 August 2016

Wooden Gift Tags

Hello and thank you for dropping by!

I found these wooden gift tags on clearance at a party store. I know they're a good foundation for some blah to TADA!

They come in different shapes and sizes.

I tinted each one with paint.

I used watercolor for a light wash and let the colors bleed into each other.

Aren't they pretty?

Once dry, I wrote some messages on the tags with a felt-tip pen.

And here they are, adding some personality to brown paper packages:

Have a colorful week everyone!

22 August 2016

Visual Inspiration

Hey, hey, nice to see you today!

Instead of crafting, let me share some beautiful images I stumbled upon:

via Aloke Design

I hope these illustrations inspire you -- to travel, to draw, to do something creative. Have a nice day!

15 August 2016

Good Friend, Good Gift

The girls I call my BFFs (Best Friend Forever) live many miles away from me. "Far" like you need to ride an airplane (sometimes even two or three more). There are days I wish I could hangout with them -- have a long lunch, get our nails done, go shopping. It's tough, but thank goodness for technology! It makes keeping in touch a breeze.

On special occasions, I like to send my dearest friends some snail mail. Of course there's some blah to TADA! involved.

I instantly liked this empty box.

It has a window and a pull-out tray.

I erased the label printed on the window with some nail polish remover.

Do you know where this is going? My box is already looking like a picture frame.