Free Download | Red and White Christmas Garland

This is the garland when its printed! I just attached it with double sided tape to some red ribbon. I printed out two copies :) 

 Click image to visit link!

Have you anything to add to the Flickr Group? Send your creative lovelies here and i will pick a few favourites weekly!

Preparing for Christmas | Organizing | Embroidered Holiday Planner!

All my organising cronies.. hello! How are you? How are you preparing for christmas? 

As some of you may have read, I joined up to Aby Garveys Get Organized for the Holidays class and part of the class was to create a planner... this is a little A5 Binder but im putting everything in here and i plan to use it for a long time!!

I think i might need more storage boxes for storing decorations and planners for next year :p  I need to create some A5 size dividers in here... its fab for storing photographs too. I have an A4 binder with all of my class notes etc and will be adding in magazine cut outs etc in there. its not practical to keep every inspiring xmas magazine because theres a lot of crap you can filter out :) 

 

Have you anything to add to the Flickr Group? Send your creative lovelies here and i will pick a few favourites weekly!

Weekend DIY | Coffee Filter Snowballs!

 These big ruffled snowballs are very easy to make!! Here I used about 50 coffee filters for two. 25 each.


You need


Scissors
Ribbon
25 Coffee Filters per pom pom (ruffley ones obviously)


Step 1.. stack about 25 together and flatten down so you can cut.
Step 2.. Cut down each side into the middle leaving about 2.5" (inches) in the centre
Step 3.. Tie your ribbon to secure the centre of the coffee filter stack.
Step 4... Pull apart individually... at this stage they looked fairly uninspiring - you need to squeeze the paper together towards the middle.. it does stiffen up properly and more easily after a couple of layers of this.
Do this down each side and voila.. done and done.
Easy as that! Just time consuming separating the layers :) 

Have you anything to add to the Flickr Group? Send your creative lovelies here and i will pick a few favourites weekly!

Preparing for Christmas | Felt Christmas Decoration

I have been cutting and stitching like crazy which is why I am slightly quiter on the blog front recently! I am preparing for christmas :) there are so many things to do :) I have a special little treat for you guys coming soon. A decoration for your home!

 I always want my living room to be a different colour in the winter... its too bright!! but in the spring and summer i love it...
I know, i cant have everything :) 

 

Have you anything to add to the Flickr Group? Send your creative lovelies here and i will pick a few favourites weekly!

Preparing for Christmas | White Pom Pom Garland

I am getting very very excited!! I have been making pom poms, baubles, crochet snowflakes, pipe cleaner snowflakes.... paper snowflakes... Im a crafting machine! I just love christmas time and all the decorations! its my excuse to go koo koo bananas! 

This garland took me about 6 hours to make - i settled with season 5 of House and lots of tea. I originally used two cardboard circles - you know the traditional way of making pom poms.. it took forever!! I invested in a clover pom pom maker on ebay for £5.99... totally worth it! i can knock out a pom pom in about 5 minutes! I got the large and extra large.. this garland is about 65mm in pom pom size speak. 

I have to make a couple more of these... I am thinking for the dining room and my bedroom.. but im also working on other garlands. The wooly pom poms can be quite heavy. I will need to get those removable hooks - I saw some advertised on the tv where you can put them up and remove them without leaving a mark... Can i remember the name or find them anywhere?! no!  Anyone know what im talking about? 

Have you anything to add to the Flickr Group? Send your creative lovelies here and i will pick a few favourites weekly!

December Daily 2010 | My Cover

Who is excited? Are you guys taking part in December Daily 2010 over at Ali Edwards Blog? I am still working on my inside pages and have a few items to print out but I am very pleased to share my Cover with you,

I have used a Bazzill basics 9x9 Chipboard album - painted white. 
Back page is a peppermint twist K&CO 12x12 Page and a corner rounder punch
the pink hatch page was from Peppermint Christmas Party pack I got on ebay
Red and white stripe crossgrain ribbon with two white headed pins
White marabou feather trim.
 1 Red 3" Felt heart I cut out using my Sizzix and a Nestabilities Die
A Large Glitter Snowflake I got off ebay - measuring around 15cm across
the little poinsetta detail is from making memories mistletoe felt stickers

 It turned out a lot better than I thought and I am really pleased!! I am thinking of adding some glitter Red numbers on the spine possibly. 

I have to work on the inside as my paint job was messy.... and it would be best to be covered! I cant wait to see everyone elses!! 

To see my december daily from 2009 you can check my Flickr or Previous Blog Posts :) You can also see my Christmas 2008 Scrapbook here. 

Have you anything to add to the Flickr Group? Send your creative lovelies here and i will pick a few favourites weekly!

Guest Post | Christmas mood board | Stylizimo

Hello everyone! I'm Nina from Stylizimo blog, and I'm very happy to be a guest blogger here on Heart Handmade today! Claire wanted me to share some ideas on how to make mood boards, and I will gladly give you some tips.

There are no rules of course on how to make a mood board. Many prefer to have them on the wall where they collect all the inspiring things/pictures they find over the years, or you can for example collect your inspirational finds in a book. It's up to you!

What I like to do when I need to find inspiration, is to make a mood board on my dining table and take pictures of them. (This way I can practice on my photography as well.) I like the mood boards to have a colour theme, so the first thing I do is to find everything that I have in the colours that I want to make a mood board out of, and I start to make a frame with the paper that I'm using. Then I place the other items around on the paper, building it up until I'm happy with the result. It's such a great way to give you creativity a challenge!

Sometimes I paint or make drawings that I add to the mood board if I feel that something is missing. Just try to think of everything that you can use to make the result you want. Get creative!

You can see two of my earlier mood boards here and here.

Do you like making mood boards / inspirational boards?

I would love to see them, so if you like you can upload pictures of your mood boards in "Heart Handmade Flickr group" right here.

Good luck!

Oh, and since I'm here, I would like to invite you all to be a member my newly launched website Stylizimo.com. Come and have a look at least - It will give you a lot of inspiration!

I hope to meet you all there :)

xoxo

Nina

Learning To Crochet | Crochet Snowflakes

woohoo!! I mastered it :) Are you guys ready for snowflake mania?

 

I created these guys by following Lucys at Attic 24 Snowflake Pattern! It took several attempts and a few cups of tea for me to master it but I stuck with it and I am so glad I did.. as you can see I havent stopped!! Mine look different to Lucys... I didnt stretch my wool that much.. I might start...

I also reccomend getting a Spray Starch as it makes the snowflakes a little more solid as they will be curled up etc when you finish it. Dont worry if you follow the pattern and it doesnt look exactly like those shown.. I had to put pins in the pointy bits to stretch out.. and sprayed with Dylon starch, covered with a tea towel and ironed. I plan to make a garland so i wanted them more solid for hanging!

Have you anything to add to the Flickr Group? Send your creative lovelies here and i will pick a few favourites weekly!

Preparing for Christmas | Laura Ashley

As you all know... (and probably have also been preparing for)... Its almost christmas! I have been working on lots of different projects and getting my dose of xmas magazines and inspiration.. I am so excited to show you the laura ashley christmas collection!! Its gorgeous!

 I adore this Gift Cushion

How cute are these cupcakes? In case you havent guessed.. its 3 for 2 at the moment!!

These Noel votives are stunning and would look perfect in a zinc and white dining room! (Im dreaming.. also living in hope for this christmas!) 

I want this apron!! I also need to remember to wear aprons while baking... there are many many pairs of jeans that have floury hand prints on the backside!

I want these tupperware tubs!!want want want :D

I think I should make myself a cushion like this... or get some other christmas style cushions for the living room! What do you guys do?

am I the only one getting really excited?




 

Learning To Crochet | I NEED AFGHAN HELP!!

heeeeeelp!!! Ok so you guys saw last week I posted my first crochet blanket! Well.. Im working on another... well about to begin to work on another for christmas. Just for me to schnuggle up to in the winter when im watching tv and drinking tea. I have narrowed it down to two patterns....

The dottie angel blanket...

 I would be doing poppy red and white squares with possible snowflakes on the red ones.

OR


Lucys Neat Ripple Pattern...

I will be using only two colours (match my nordic christmas living room) Poppy Red and White. 

Dottie Angel i can do all stitches no problem

Lucys pattern.. I need to learn how to decrease properly in a ripple.. Ive never done that before but i persevere :p I want to know what you guys think?

Which to choose? Keep in mind its only two colours!!  

I seriously will probably end up going majority vote because ive no idea. I really want to make the dottie angel multi coloured anyway but the christmas one i need to start asap!

Cant wait to hear your thoughts lovelies!!

xo 

Have you anything to add to the Flickr Group? Send your creative lovelies here and i will pick a few favourites weekly!

Weekend DIY | Cupcake Wrapper Carnations

I discovered this gorgeous DIY from Sasha (Gilded Bee) over at oh Hello friend and I fell inlove. Im very tempted to make lots and lots of white ones for Christmas decor :) 

  

Free Downloads | Instant Art | Feed Your Soul Project

I discovered this site some time ago and I am more than happy to share with you guys! The feed your soul project is a fabulous site where artists have contributed some instant art free downloads for you guys!

 

There are loooads to download and those are a few of my favourites!! Visit the site here :)  

Have you anything to add to the Flickr Group? Send your creative lovelies here and i will pick a few favourites weekly!

CSN Stores | Another Fab Opportunity!

Im very lucky to be able to do another review with CSN Stores soon and im so excited :)  I really love the stores and now they have fantastic bedroom furniture!! I have been browsing the site all morning and some of the items are absolutely fantastic!


At a perfect time when I am hoping to redecorate (somewhat) my dining room :P  a lick of white paint and a new side table! But things need moved. I want to get a moodboard on the go now. 


Have you guys shopped from CSN recently? What have you reviewed?
 

Have you anything to add to the Flickr Group? Send your creative lovelies here and i will pick a few favourites weekly!

Shop Focus | An Angel At My Table | Christmas Wishlist

I discovered this store last week.. and almost every single item they have in stock!

How perfect are these?

 I want this coffee pot... every item in this shop makes me want to redecorate and have white loveliness everywhere!

 

I will have any of these items please and thank you! You can visit the site here

Have you anything to add to the Flickr Group? Send your creative lovelies here and i will pick a few favourites weekly!