#make pretty things

Craft Layout – Make Pretty Things

Make Pretty Things

This cute 8×8 layout is the perfect size for a traveler’s notebook or pocket page notebook. They usually come 8×4, so this having a double page layout spread is a great alternative to the larger more common 12 x 12 scrapbook layouts

This little spread came together using only a couple of products in my stash and as I’d recently received the Crafters Gonna Craft Stamp Set…

When I was 15 years old, I took a job as a dish-washer --because it meant I’d never interact with the larger public. At 22, I took a job as an overnight janitor --so I’d never have to interact anyone at all for a ten-hour shift Then I taught for a while, thinking I could interact with only people that were kids --so, before they became horrible adults.

Well hello there, new blog design. Don't you look... pink. And simple. And not sparkly. I was extremely fond of the old design. It was a real labour of love for me, but it was also more than two years old, and times they have a-changed. For starters, the template I used wasn't mobile-friendly, so I had to resort to Blogger's default mobile option and that thing is U-G-L-Y. With more than half of you now using a mobile device to visit the blog, this really matters. As for the design itself, well, it was quirky and "handmade" and glittery and oh so 2013. It really was time for an update. It's about more than just aesthetics, though. Honestly, when I launched the last redesign, the whole thing was geared towards some arty, writer-y, lawyer-slash-stylist persona that all fell completely to pieces when my mum's health went downhill. I'm just not in a glittery mood these days, and my "portfolio" was a big bag of nothing. In short, the blog needed a change. So I changed it. Boom.

I've streamlined things a bit; hopefully it should be pretty intuitive to navigate. Most things are still there, but might be in different places. The chronological archive is now in a separate page, while the option to subscribe to receive new posts by email has moved to the sidebar (underneath this post if you're reading on your phone). There's a fancy new slider thing on the homepage that highlights a mixture of recent posts and some of my rotating favourites. I'll probably bring the portfolio back in some shape or form - there's plenty of stuff I'm proud of, and perhaps as I figure out this mothering thing I'll have more space in my life for being creative again - but for now it's taking a break.

Don't worry though! I haven't completely given up on cringe-worthy self-promotion! I started a Facebook page for the blog, which you must all like immediately so that I'm not just talking to myself over there. I'm planning on taking a leaf out of Offbeat Families' book and shamelessly plundering my four years' worth of archives to share stuff that's relevant, not just stuff that's recent. I promise I'll try to make it interesting and current and not totally lame. Same goes for the blog, actually. Some reassurance for the change-averse: the instant happiness button remains intact (it's basically a public service at this point) and the glittery gold anchor is still hiding somewhere. Because who wants to live in a world without glitter?

SEE ALSO:

→ Someone had to tell my blog her outfit just wasn't working. And that person was me.

→ Three ways to jazz up your blog → Three small steps to blogging happiness → An unhealthy amount of web design inspiration and resources

Images via Stationery Compositions (essential viewing for my fellow stationery dorks)

If, like me, you have failed to prepare for Valentine's Day in any way and feel kind of guilty about it, but not guilty enough to leave the house, this is the DIY for you. Make your loved one laugh/cry/recoil in horror with your very own Valentine's version of Cards Against Humanity. (Cards Against Humanity, for those who have not yet had the pleasure, is a card game where the goal is to be as funny as possible. Bonus points for being profoundly offensive. In a nutshell, there are black cards containing a question or phrase with part left blank, and your job is to complete the blank by choosing from your selection of white answer cards. The goal is to give the funniest answer. It is much more fun than it sounds. You can buy a proper version or download it for free, as well as get a better explanation of what the hell I'm talking about, on their site.)

So! Now that you all know what I'm talking about, here's the romantic DIY part. Using this awesome Cards Against Humanity custom card generator, I made a set of romantic question cards to pair with the existing answer cards. All you need to do is print them off and share them with the object of your affection! You could choose specific answer cards for each question and tuck them inside a traditional Valentine's card, or initiate a little two-person game of Cards Against Humanity (I'm sure you could come up with an appropriate prize for the winner).

Remember you can download the original Cards Against Humanity here (including a UK edition), or if you want to make it even more personal, create your own answer cards. If you want to use the question cards I made, you can download them by clicking the link below. They are entirely free to use. Knock yourselves out.

And one more because I just can't help myself.

MORE HOW-TO POSTS:

→ How to get people to like you

→ How to make invisible business cards

→ How to tell the internet you're pregnant without being a dick

Last month, I signed up for a hand-lettering class on Skillshare. I'll never be an artist, but I secretly love drawing and it seemed like a good opportunity to exercise a different part of my brain. The first step of the project was to choose a phrase or quote to draw. This step took me approximately one million years. I couldn't think of a single thing I liked enough to commit to paper. Eventually I grew frustrated with my paralysing inability to make even the most minor decision and told myself to just fucking write something. So the phrase I decided on was "Just fucking write something." Naturally.

Today, I wanted to share my final, beautiful, hand-drawn phrase with you. Except, inevitably, I haven't fucking finished it. I powered through the next few steps of the project (you can see my half-arsed attempt here, if you like) then came to a sputtering stop. Clearly, I should have picked "Just fucking draw something" instead.

SEE ALSO:

→ A productive weekend

→ Thoughts on self-discipline

→ Dreaming of a creative life Inspiration images for my project found mainly through Pinterest and saved to my hand-lettering board. I know I should credit every single one but, frankly, life's too short.

Back in April (yes, April. I've been taking my sweet time), I was invited to a book launch in London. Fancy schmancy. It was an event stuffed to the rafters with pro bloggers and wedding industry folk, so naturally I felt like a complete fraud and double checked five times that the invitation was actually addressed to me. Once I'd decided that, yes, I was actually invited and, yes, I was going to take half a day off work and make an 800-mile round trip to attend a party at which I would know precisely two people, I figured I'd better get organised. I've read enough Alt Summit recaps to know that when large herds of stylish female bloggers come together, it's only a matter of time before they begin to engage in Competitive Business Card Behaviour (Exhibit A, Exhibit B). I don't have a business, so I don't have cards. But as the date drew nearer, I began to panic. What if someone wanted to know about my blog, or follow me on twitter? What if someone gave me their card and I had nothing but my awkward smile to give in return? What if I was unmasked as a fraud and ushered out of the door without so much as a paper pom or a book-themed cupcake? I needed cards, and I needed them quick. Here, especially for you, is my foolproof guide to making DIY business cards in one day out of random bits of stuff. You're welcome.

1. Search on Pinterest for DIY business card inspiration. 2. Discard anything involving letterpress, online ordering, glitter, pom poms, spoons or plastic animals, i.e. discard 99% of DIY business card inspiration. 3. Find a couple of options that seem vaguely do-able. 4. Visit every stationery shop within a three-mile radius of your flat. Discover that it is literally impossible to buy glassine envelopes or sheets of kraft card in the entire city of Edinburgh. 5. Go back and buy the stuff you saw in the first shop you went to, five hours ago. Cut up some cards you already had in your flat. 6. Decide that customisable stamp thingies are the best thing ever invented. 7. Realise that customisable stamp thingies are also the most fiddly and annoying and stupid things ever invented. 8. Take a five-minute break. Wine optional, but recommended. 9. Decide that washi tape is actually the best thing ever invented. Stick it on everything. Congratulate yourself on your originality and ingenuity. Finish remaining wine.

10. Put business cards in your bag and take to fancy blogging event. 11. Talk to three people the whole night. Make sure that you already know two of them, and that the third one has a lurcher and is therefore guaranteed to be nice. Do not take the business cards out of your bag at any point. 12. Take business cards home again. For bonus points: blog about it seven months later. Ta-da! P.S. In the spirit of making things, I also made that text overlay up the top there: here's how.

SEE ALSO:

→ How to spraypaint a vase

→ How to make friendship bracelets

There's nothing I enjoy more than agreeing to do things that seem like a good idea at the time even though it turns out I'm lacking the time, energy and organisational capacity to actually do them, so when Zoë asked me back in the spring if I would take over the Edinburgh chapter of Blook Club, naturally, I said yes. Fortunately Zoë has even less spare time than me, so it took us a good six months and drafting in an extra person (hi, Amy!) to finally organise something. But now the wait is over, and the next Blook Club gathering is just a couple of weeks away. So far, I've designed a pretty graphic and sent one or two emails. All that's left to do is organise a venue, set a time, figure out how to charge my Kindle after I threw the cable away in a fit of decluttering insanity and, oh yes, read the books (note the plural). Did I mention it's less than a fortnight away? We've been putting the word out on Twitter, but it occurred to me that some local readers might fancy coming along. The only rule for joining in is that you have a blog or that you're a blog reader with a Twitter account, so we know you're not a creepy stalker who just happens to be really into women's fiction. Here's the aforementioned pretty graphic with all the details:

Yup, there's a Back to School theme, which made a lot more sense in August when we picked it. You can sign up for Blook Club here and the two books are Paper Aeroplanes by Dawn O'Porter and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. It's not exactly Dostoevsky, but (a) this is supposed to be fun, and (b) we're saving Dostoevsky for next term. We also thought it might be interesting to do a little compare and contrast (JUST LIKE SCHOOL!). I've already spotted some good reviews on Twitter from Blook Clubbers who are clearly way more organised than I am, so I'm looking forward to reading the books. When I find my Kindle cable. If you're not in Edinburgh, don't despair. You can still join in, either by signing up for the London Blook Club or reading along and joining in the discussion online. I can't think of a snappy way to end this post, so maybe I'll finish with a question, like they teach us in blogging school: do you ever feel nostalgic for school? The structure, spending all day with your friends, learning things? Or is it just me?

SIGN UP FOR BLOOK CLUB HERE

SEE ALSO:

→ What not to wear to Blook Club

→ Back to school

→ On reading for pleasure

Image: Beyoncé channelling drugs mule chic. Blook Club graphic by yours truly. So proud.

Life has been a little overwhelming lately. My thoughts, and my words, have been elsewhere. I'm trying to find space to write something for you that's not related to poetry or chocolate, and in the meantime you can find me in one of two places:

LOVE MY DRESS

First, the lovely Annabel has been plastering me and my nonsense all over Love My Dress in the last few weeks. A couple of months ago (alright, it was April, I've been busy) she was kind enough to invite me to a party celebrating the launch of her new(ish) book, Style Me Vintage: Weddings. I basically spent the entire evening in a corner talking to the three people I already knew and drinking rum, but that's my idea of a good time, so I thought it was fabulous. Annabel shared a film of the event here, in which the eagle-eyed among you might spy me, my amazing skirt and my terrible posture. Really should work on that. Then a couple of weeks ago, Blonde Bridesmaid's wedding was featured in all its glowy, wintery magnificence. Those of you who followed my obsessive pinning sprees might recognise a few of the details. I'm especially proud of the purple cows. (There are actual purple cows, that is not a description of the bridesmaids, JUST TO BE CLEAR.) And remember this sneaky peek? Well, you can see the whole shebang on Love My Dress right here, along with an extremely waffly description from me of every tiny detail. I'm nothing if not an overthinker. In case you can't tell from the post, I'm ridiculously glad to have been a part of it. Everyone involved put so much effort into making the shoot something really special. Yay Edinburgh.

A PRACTICAL WEDDING

And now, APW UK is happening, and I'm in charge. Which might be why I'm so tired. And have so few words to spare. For those who don't know, APW is A Practical Wedding, a huge American indie wedding blog. I may have mentioned it once or twice. While everyone stateside is doing whatever it is they do to celebrate Independence Day - fireworks? Aliens? Who the hell knows - I'll be making sweeping generalisations about British people and quietly panicking. The party starts on Thursday at 7.30am. Send help. Images: 1. Golden geometric hearts papercuts card by Owly Shadow Puppets 2. Lauren McGlynn Photography 3. Hart & Sol West, taken on the Brooklyn stop of the APW Book Tour

SEE ALSO:

→ Me on East Side Bride

→ Me on Any Other Woman

→ Me on Rock My Wedding