Happy Monday - Everything happens for a reason

Freebie Friday - Xmas Art

If you like me cannot help but thinking today is 1 month till Christmas...well, this free printable is for you! It will make a quick decoration to set the theme in your house...I simply love it!

Thanks to the lovely girls at Eighteen 25 for sharing it!

 You can download it here.

Happy Monday - Everything is going to be alright

Source: pinterest.com via Alicia on Pinterest

N is for Natalie

Today we joined our friends Paul & Dawn to celebrate their youngest daughter's Christening. It was a double celebration as today was also their oldest daughter's birthday, Matilda, who is 2 years old.

As a gift for Natalie, I wanted to create something special that could stay with her as a keepsake to enjoy for years to come, so I went on making an alphabet print that highlights her initial and I added her Christening date, then decorated with little sparkling gems. I also made a matching card.

Freebie Friday - Birthday Tags

I am taking the inspiration for this week's freebie from a few birthdays I've got coming up, I found these adorable printable labels and tags by Elephant Shoe, I hope you like them as much as I do!

You can download them here. Enjoy!

Tidy Thursday - My Dream Studio

I don't know about you, but I am always looking for new ways of organizing, tiding and storing.
There are always bits and bobs round the flat because they don't really have a place of their own...or even the essential things, sometimes they are never easy to reach!

So I have been looking for some inspiration on how to improve storage, especially by recycling things like tins, jars, boxes...just wanted to share some of them with you.

great way to reuse tins!

Source: blogs.babble.com via Ilaria on Pinterest

Source: craftgawker.com via Claire on Pinterest

see everything at a glance

Source: designtraveller.blogspot.com via Ilaria on Pinterest

I dream of having my own little corner where to craft, all nice and tidy, in a bright lit room, but at the moment I'll have to make do in the living room, on the dining table. One day hopefully I will have my own studio and work place, for now I keep dreaming looking at these pictures!

Source: Uploaded by user via Ilaria on Pinterest

Source: dottieangel.blogspot.com via Ilaria on Pinterest

A cupboard like this one would be ideal to hide everything when craft time is over!

Source: organizingmadefun.blogspot.com via Ilaria on Pinterest

One Day At A Time

Today has just been one of those days, so how surprised was I when my hubby arrived to pick me up from work with a pretty bunch of flowers...well, that made it all OK again :-)

Tell me why I don't like Mondays.

Print by Hannes Beer

Freebie Friday

This week's freebie Friday is made of something pretty and useful at the same time, it was love at first sight for me when I found these gorgeous printable recipe cards.

The great thing about them is that you type directly onto them on your computer then print them off and keep them forever or why not use them to share recipes with your friends?

Designed by Tie That Binds, you can download them here.

Thursday Love for...All that's Christmas

Dear All, how are things with you? Hope you are well and rockin'!

Are you feeling that Christmas feeling yet? Some of you may think it's a wee bit early to think about it, but I just can't help it! I usually like having my tree up by the 1st December so I can enjoy it during the whole festive period (and it's there on my birthday!) and I am looking for clever and unusual ways of decorating the flat...Today I thought I'd round up a few of my favourites finds.

I am loving this Christmas tree made from recycled wood by Wood & Wood Stool...




I really want to try and make a fabric wreath similar to this one by Emily On A Sunday, so pretty to brighten up any Winter day.

I was completely mesmerized by this Christmas tree wall art by ATLITW...amazing!

I know my hubby would love me to make him a special advent calendar like this one by Amy Gretchen

 Dear Father Christmas, pretty please, I want them all !!!

Happy Monday - Today is a New Day

SF Girl By Bay

Freebie Friday

I have always been looking forward to Fridays and now even more because I get to share a fab freebie with all of you!

You already know I have been busy getting organized with Christmas cards, I have to confess I am a bit behind with my Christmas shopping but I do hope to handmade quite a few pressies this year...and I will need some gifts tags and labels, because I think a nicely wrapped present makes your heart bit faster!

I found these cute  Christmas labels designed and illustrated by Erin from InkTreePress, free to download for your own personal use.

ideal for your handmade gifts

for homemade jam and cookies

print off and attach to your presents with a pretty ribbon

Download these pretty labels here. You can choose to download them as they are or with room to insert your own text.

My Christmas DIY project

Every year I tell myself I am not going to leave it too late to make my Christmas cards...but every year November always comes so quickly and here I am with no Christmas cards made yet! Better get a move on!

I have been making my own cards for about 5 years now, always try to make some extra as well just in case I need one last minute...through the years I have collected quite a big stash of Christmas goodies like embellishments and decorative papers...I just recycle whatever I can, ribbons, wrapping paper, tags..that way I never really have to buy anything, apart from blank cards, which I buy in bulk so it's quite inexpensive really.

This year I wanted to go for a different style of cards, just wanted some simple but still warm an christmasy...what to do, what to do? Sometimes I just need that little bit of inspiration to get me going, I was looking through the house trying to find something, anything! Until suddenly, there it is: I found a bunch of Christmas gifts guides and catalogues sitting there on the coffee table..I get loads through the post and I always keep them, just in case, to browse through looking for gifts ideas.

I was inspired by the lovely pictures on them and I thought aboout using them on my cards, so I started cutting off the images I liked the most..

 There were so many lovely ones, it really got me into Christmas mood!

Because I have so many cards to make, I wanted to keep the layout simple so it would be easy and quick to make each card. I choose some cardstock in various shades of red and stuck each image to it so to frame the picture nicely. On some of them I used small foam pads to stick them onto the card, to give it a 3d effect.

I then glued the images on the blank card, sometimes adding a little embellishment at one corner, sometimes drawing some fake stiching on the frame with a silver or gold glitter pen.

And what about you, have you got any Christmas DIY projects on the go? Let me know what you are up to and post some pictures of your creations on my Facebook page!