Yippee!!

I finally have summer holidays starting today! Of course I didn't spend it so far in the best way by visiting the doctor as my feet are super duper swollen. I wondered if it was the medication but it didn't help that we have had a serious whopper of a heatwave and then to top it off I had to clear out the area I work in for building work in the summer... which of these was the culprit! I had painful ankles but not swollen ones before but the culprit showed its nasty head yesterday. I was sat down all day and my ankles were throbbing like mad so I had them up on a chair, they were at their worst at the end of the day (absolutely huge!), I hadn't been sat in the sun so the only option was the medication... it also confirmed it in the evening when I had pains all over in my stomach and I was struggling to breath. Now I'm back to square one (major bawling session here!). The doctor says that the reason is that the medication hasn't been working, I might as well stop it and in 2 weeks give another sample and from there they will choose another course of medication.  I'm so upset of course I just wanted to feel much better but it just means that from tomorrow I'll be joining majority of the muslims taking part in Ramadan and it will mean that I only need to make up 16 of the fasts later. It probably won't be December until I can do this though as the medication course is a month and a half, then you need 4 weeks to see if it has worked. Also in mid September I have my blood pressure test so lets see what happens there also....

 

Now that I've got that bit out of the way and my washing machine is doing its job I might as well show you why I have been quiet the last couple of days...

I did this blog post a couple of weeks ago about filling up a wine bottle with lucky stars. I had no idea what to do to fill the rest but then I had a light bulb moment (ting!). I decided to visit Staples, buy their lowest quality paper in yellow and cut my own strips. When I went they had multi-coloured packs of coloured paper and fluorescent so I bought both! I then tried cutting my strips on my paper cutter, what a mess it didn't work, in the end I bought an A3 cutting mat and individually cut each strip and filled my bottle.

There are roughly about 600 stars in that bottle. I did end up swapping the pink with the blue and it looked so much better.

As well as the bottle I'd purchased an international smash journal and washi tape....

I then wrapped it all up to look like this...

With the journal I had wanted to use my calligraphy pens but I honestly don't know what's wrong with the set I bought as the ink doesn't flow easily and it stops working. This meant I used a normal pen which to me didn't get the effect I wanted but the lady I gave all this to liked it so at least it was effective.

 

I did want to share more with this post but it will end up seriously long so I'll save that for tomorrow.

Filled with Stars

Sometimes I wish that my brain wouldn't think up such insane ideas. A lady at work is retiring in the summer and I had intended on making her a survival kit only someone did that for her birthday so I decided it would be such a dull thing for me to do considering she had something similar already. I ended up buying her a gift online but I also wanted to make something which is when I thought of lucky stars. I made some lovely shiny ones with Hello Kitty Stars but then I thought someone else would enjoy them more and sent them to that person.

 

I made a huge purchase last month of star strips and decided to use those. All of a sudden the idea to use a wine bottle popped in to my mind and I decided to ask a lady at work if she had one could she give me it which she did... yipee! I started making my stars and 360 stars later it looks like this...

My problem now is that I don't know which stars/colours to use to fill the rest of this bottle up. The ones that I bought contain 2 of the 3 colours in the sets so I can't mix another design with them. Anything bright will look weird. Also I only have 2 weeks and 3 days until my holidays start and if I order something its not guaranteed that I'll receive it in time as there just doesn't seem to be a UK website that sells lucky stars strips.

I did think about these stars, I wasn't sure so made them up and I can now tell they definitely won't go with them.

 

I'm sure things will work out by that time but it will be disappointing not to be able to use that bottle.

Lollipop Anyway?

I've attempted a few times this week to write a blog post but I never made it and this is the reason....

  

As you know its the first proper tree I've made. I got the proportion all wrong as it was only supposed to be a mini version but turned out to be huge. It meant I couldn't work out how many lollipops I needed so it resulted in many visits to the shop. I decided to use a candle holder instead of a plant pot but it wasn't such a great idea as my plaster of paris didn't stick to it and ended up moving around, resulting in me mixing more at 6am this morning! Also the bottom of the candle holder wasn't equal flatness so it rocked... to be honest its due to the weight as it weighed a tonne (after all there were over 300 lollipops), I really struggled to pick it up and it was so awkward which didn't help with the un-even ness of it.

 

Now though I have such a better idea of what to do for next time especially the size issue. Also so many people were impressed with it that they are thinking of birthdays etc... they want me to make them one for. I know of course they will never ask as for some reason my things though admired never sell. It's not just me but a family thing since my mum and sister are the same.

 

Oh! I ended up putting those stars in the base as well as putting some in a bag to give, originally they fitted but with the extra plaster of paris I didn't have enough space left.

Lucky Stars....

In my JanetStores order post I mentioned I'd purchased some lucky star strips on Etsy, they took some time to arrive as the owner never obviously mentioned that she had just had a baby so was only posting mail once a week. This wasn't a problem for me though as I wasn't in a hurry to send them anywhere but if you are its worth keeping in mind. I've purchased from origamipalace before and she's usually good.

The Tare Panda and the black strips I will keep together and the Snoopy ones I will hopefully mix with the ones I bought from Janetstores but I first need to see if the width is the same. Don't these Snoopy ones look so cute, they were so much fun to make as the paper is so much lighter and wider. The rest I just loved. I wish I could find somewhere close by that sold strips as I'd buy them often :).

 

My spending unfortunately hasn't stopped. I've never spent so much as I have done these last 6 months before but they are all things I have needed (so I say anyway!) but I do need to calm down.

 

Are you having more luck then me in not spending?

I couldn't help it....

I had to get a few things in a box again....

 It all started because I decided to order...

some origami lucky star strips. I was surprised at how small these containers were but they are still so cute. I was disappointed that there weren't all that many different designs of strips that I liked so I ended up making a purchase on Etsy for those as I've been making stars a lot lately and hardly have any strips left. I decided to order these plain ones as they'll look great mixed in with pattern ones.

 

Since I was ordering anyway I might as well get some stationery too....

I guess I have a thing about bears, some of these have been in my wish list for some time now so I'm glad that I now finally have them. The last one is a letter pad and its one of the cutest I've come across, I actually wish I bought 2 but I'm going to really enjoy writing on this one.

It wasn't all bears though as these 2 sneaked in too.

Again though my size bearings were out as I assumed the hello kitty bags were the little ones but these are big... its turned out ok though as I'm sure I can use them for something...

The brown ones I received as a free gift so someone will probably get something in it one day.

Lastly I couldn't resist

getting some stickers too...

I only hope to make one more tape purchase (I know I have a lot already but I have a voucher to spend) and then that will be it for this year if I can help it.

 

I'll have to apologise as always for my seriously bad photos but I'm sure some of you can understand how bad the lighting is still at this time of year... still this morning when dropping my niece off at school it was nice to walk her there in the sun even though the darkness has a special feeling to it also.

 

Have you made any great purchases lately?

With Love....

On Instagram I have received a couple of offers from people to write letters but unfortunately I haven't been able to take people up on it as I worry about not being able to write back. One person though I decided to become a postcard pen-friend with as I've read about it on a few blogs and liked the idea. We agreed to create our own postcards but to send them in an envelope which meant I also had to decorate that which is fun.

As you can see I decided to follow the theme of what I created for make my day with this one too as I was having so much fun. I can't wait to think of new themes to create for her if she decides to continue with these exchanges.

This postcard is smaller then the ones I created for make my day but it didn't matter with the word being shorter... I nearly cut up these tickets to remove the words but now I'm glad that I waited before doing it. I really wanted the tickets but didn't like the choice of words on them which I didn't pay so much attention to when buying it. These rubber stamps are now half price compared to when I bought it (£3 a complete bargain if you ask me). I have since bought some blank tickets so won't be chopping these ones up.

I managed to squeeze only a small amount on the back about myself which was hard as I'm used to rambling for England in my letters but it also makes it quite a challenge to see what unfolds over time in our postcards.

I decided to go a little further and add some extra love in the envelope with these origami hearts and some half made origami lucky stars which she'll have to squeeze herself to create the stars. All those stars are one of each design of my paper strips that I own. I will soon need to buy some more strips as I'm starting to run low but I'll wait some time before doing that as it will only tempt me into buying some stationery from Janet Stores.

 

If this goes well that I may ask some of you if you'd like to do a handmade postcard exchange too on a regular basis.

Do you do a regular postcard  exchange?

Russain Dolls

In July it was my birthday and I received alot of wonderful presents. One of my friends though sent me presents in a Rose theme. Today its her birthday so I'm finally able to share with you what I got for her birthday in a theme of Russain Dolls which started with this....

As soon as I saw it in the shop around March time I thought of her and bought it but then I debted about keeping it or sending it and in the end I decided because I bought it with the intention of sending it to her she should get it. After all she loves books a lot and Russain Dolls too. Once I received my themed gift though I decided to create one too but I do wish I went for colour instead of the theme of a russain doll because it was so hard to find items... I even bought some things on ebay and the seller didn't even have them in stock! Why on earth would you list an item you don't have in stock? Anyway here's what I got....

I had to have some stationery of course!

Salt and Pepper Shakers... so cute!

My friend loves to look good so this was prefect.

A cup I saw that matched a Russain Doll ornament that I had so I sent both.

I finished it off with a touch of handmade... 340 stars and a Russain Doll postcard. I used my circle punch to create buttons incase my friend decides to frame it. I could have honestly have kept everything for myself.

 

I hope that she had a wonderful birthday.

Are you celebrating anything soon?