DIY: Phone Case

Who wants a cute phone case? You can DIY yourself a cute, new one in minutes using only washi tape! Personally I love buying new phone cases, I like having lots of different ones to choose from. But the problem is usually that I choose ones with big bulky accessories or chunky bows/diamonds/Hello Kitty icons on, lol. Great on the eyes, but not on the pockets. Trying to fit those bad boys in your jeans is tough. So I decided I needed a cute, simple phone case option too.

And enter washi tape! Washi tape is adorable. You can do so much with it, and instantly make everything prettier. I'm sure you'll be seeing more washi tape posts soon. So anyway, I decided to use it for a phone case diy post, because then this way you don't have to spend a penny on a new case! You can simply give your old basic one a little face lift.

Step 1. Choose your tape. For now I'm using plain coloured ones, but you can buy pretty patterned ones too :)

Step 2. Apply as you wish over your case. Think about shapes/patterns you can create using different colours. Also be careful not to cover your camera or any mics/speakers!

Step 3. Carefully cut the edges off, as straight as you can. I used a craft knife but I tested with scissors and this should be just as easy and effective.

And there you have it. A cute, colourful new case made in five minutes.

I'm quite happy with mine :)

Here are some other cute examples I found on Pinterest:

Let me know if you try this!

Super Cute Book Page Printing

Today's post is a really easy DIY for making your own Art without having to spend a penny, yay!

I had some old books I wanted to get rid of, and before I donated them to the charity shop I wondered if there was anything else I could use one or two of them for. That's when I thought of printing on some of the pages. Obviously this has been done to death before, but I wanted to suggest it to people who may not have done it, or wanted a new way to 'spruce' up their drawings/etc.

Okay so first of all, find an old book or two, and carefully tear out a few select pages. I went for a book with yellowish pages, so give it a nice vintage feel. And don't worry if your edges aren't torn out perfectly straight, I mean you can cut it out precise with a craft knife if you wish, but personally I prefer ripping it myself and having that torn style down the side.

Okay so now you want to decide what images you want to use. I loved these illustrations done by Tabitha Emma and quickly changed the colours slightly and played about with them a little. I will be dong my own drawings and printing those in the future, but for now her beautiful work will do! A good tip is to try use an image with a white background, because otherwise that background will also print out too, and might not look great, (Or it might, what do I know!?).

Once you have adjusted your printer settings to the page size, or as near as you can, you're good to go! I'll be honest, I didn't get too specific here with mine, I just risked it and thought they turned out great.

My favourite is the bunny tea cup party!

You could use this method to print off photographs of friends & family, or use a page from a journal for the background; Anything really to personalise it a little more! And what a gorgeous present this would make! Or just frame these beauties for yourself :) I know I'll be doing both!

So what do you think? Will you be trying this?

Let me know your thoughts please, I love hearing from you!

New Week New Look

Just a very quick note to mention my new blog look, as some of you may have noticed. I decided to get rid of lots of clutter taking up space on the main page, and I'm also a lot happier about having two sidebars now. I always am a sucker for symmetry. You can find all my post categories down the left hand side, under fancy new labels which I think makes it look more appealing, and easier to find (hopefully!). I'll be adding more of these in the future so there'll be lots of content to choose from. I also added my link to Pinterest on here finally! I only joined a few months ago but I've been pinning away and have lots to share with you now, so pop over and follow my boards! So what do you guys think? Is this look better?  Is there anything you find easier to navigate now, or is there anything you think needs altering? Let me know :)

Art Journal Project Pt 3

This week's submission is a very simple one. I figured the past two entries I did were so busy and using so much different media, it was time to simplify the next one. I've kept it SO basic, using only a found drawing (from a Frankie magazine) and added some cute heart prints using a rubber stamp. I wanted a simple stamp pattern repeated to fit in nicely with the repeat doodles on this woman's skin.

NOTD post

Just a quickie to show what products I've been trying on my nails this week, and what I have on today. I love seeing NOTD posts, so be sure to leave a link if you do one! :)

Thanks!

I've been trying out MUA's nail varnishes, since they are such a bargain at £1 each.

I went for 'Natural Days', 'Red Rose' and 'Clear'.

Not a lot to say about these, they're pretty alright. You get what you pay for I think.

They are definitely nice little additions to my collection and I'd happily get more. But I know I'd happily pay more for polishes that have a longer wear, too.

Quite happy with these little beauts. As I say, not the most amazing polish in the world, but I didn't expect that from a budget brand anyway.

I'm sure I'll be adding more colours to my collection soon.

What do you guys think about MUA nail varnish?

Why Caitlin Moran is my Spirit Animal

‘Do you have a vagina? And do you want to be in charge of it? If you said 'yes' to both, then congratulations! You're a feminist.’

If you haven't heard of Caitlin Moran before, then let me introduce you. She is a British Broadcaster, Writer and all round hero of mine. She is a columnist for The Times and has had four books published so far. My first introduction to her was late one evening browsing Waterstones for my next literary obsession, and boy did I find it.

The Top 3 Bloggers I could never hang out with

Bloggers, Vloggers, whichever they may be. Here I have compiled a short list of the top three I could never in a million years hang out with. But here's the thing. That sounds like I don't want to doesn't it? Well that simply isn't the case. I have nothing but good feelings about this bunch :) Let me explain. These are the guys and dolls who I find so fabulous, so hilarious and generally lovely, that they would intimidate the hell out of me! I'd be terrified of meeting them, so hanging out with them would cause a constant state of panic I'm sure.

So here we go..

1. Zoe Sugg

She's a very well known and much loved blogger because of her natural charm, honesty and sweetness. But when I first heard of Zoe I'll admit I wasn't that keen at first, and I feel horrible about that now! It wasn't anything about her personally, it was me being weird. She is so astoundingly pretty and always seems so lovely, I think I assumed it was an act. Of course after a few weeks of checking out her videos, reading her blog, following her on Instagram, I came to realise I'd made too quick a judgement. Of course as fans/readers/obsessive stalkers (lol jk), we only ever get to see snippets of this person's life, and only snippets they choose for us to see, so we never really know them. But I can honestly say what I've seen shows me this is a person sharing her life/experiences/thoughts in a totally real way & I'll admit, I've fallen a little bit in love with her.  You can check out Zoe's blog here, with all her Youtube links and such. 2. Elise Blaha

Oh my gosh I dare you to visit Elise's blog here, and not be inspired. I found this blog a long time ago whilst randomly searching for cute crafts and diy posts, and I'm so happy I did! Elise's blog shares her life with her husband and daughter, and showcases her craft work. She is constantly taking beautiful photographs, making something awesome I'd never have thought of or just writing about what she's been up to. She has created her whole blog as a brand and a business, and upon visiting you really do feel like her blog shares her whole world with you. It's a beautiful place, and brings out creativity you never knew you had. So yeah, hanging out with Elise? Pfft. I'd trip over my words, feel nowhere near like I'm living life to the fullest and I'd probably take terrible Instagram photos that pale in comparison to hers. Seriously, her Instagram is lovely. Visit here. 3. Kate Gabrielle

Kate's blog is by far the prettiest of all the blogs I regularly visit. It caught my eye a few months ago because of how *super* girly it is and how beautiful she presents her life in photographs. Be warned though, you may leave with serious style envy. Oh and her cats? Yeah you'll love 'em.

Basically we could never hang out because I'd feel an ugly hot mess next to this girl. She's too perfect and her whole life is more put together than my playlist.

But you should definitely visit her blog, here. Trust me, its a beaut.

And there you have it. There are obviously so many more bloggers out there that I adore, but these 3 are my ultimate inspiration and therefore the 3 I'd find most intimidating to meet! And if it hasn't been made clear already, I mean this as the highest of compliments! Well done ladies. You've scared the sh*t out of me x

Art Journal Pt 2

So continuing on from last weeks post, I've been filling up this new journal of mine in an attempt to boost creativity and put together something that inspires me. Above you can see that I got around to the front cover, and decorated it a little. It looks much better now and goes well with the content I'm filling it up with inside.

I like that it has a scrapbook/collage style to it because I love collages and will be doing many in this journal, as well as other media. Also adding the cute button on the front makes it a little more adorable!

So here's what I added inside this week;

Lady in Red

I've had two lush lip products find their way into my collection this week.

1. Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Lip Liner in Indian Pink - £2.99.

2. Clinique Chubby Stick in Super Strawberry (I got mine free with Glamour magazine this month!) RRP is £17 though.

So I've spent some time using both products, separately and together.

The product that surprised me is the lip liner to be honest. I never usually use any lip liner at all, like ever. But I was getting tired of having to apply lipstick every five minutes, and I basically got bullied by a friend to give in to lip liner, because "it would give better staying power and less smudging outside the lines"; apparently. Hmm.

So I was surprised because when I applied it, it was super soft and the colour didn't seem too bold or scary, haha. I did as advised by lining my lips, whilst ever so slightly exaggerating my top lip, because it is truly non existent unfortunately. I hate smiling in photographs because my top lip instantly disappears! So using the liner helped this a little, and I felt better.

I then applied the liner all over my lips, building up colour to act as a base.

The reason I chose the Indian Pink shade by the way, is because my most used lipsticks are dark pinks and reds. I found this would match most quite well so it'd be a nice addition to my makeup collection, for my first lip liner!

I am really happy I bought this. The texture is super soft and smooth, and applies so easily. Even for beginners like myself. And for £2.99 it's a bargain. I'll definitely find more of these for the future.

Now, onto the Chubby Stick.

Sorry, but every time I hear the name now I think of rather rude things. It's all the fault of Gary, my boyfriend. Ever since I've gotten this and mentioned it he's found it hilarious. He's taken great joy in asking me before we leave the house, "Do you want your chubby stick? I have it here for you!"

Oh ha ha. I'll let you guys imagine why he finds that one funny. He's childish, I know. And sorry if you're even still reading this.

But anyway...

ITS B-E-A-UUUTIFUL. As Jim Carrey might say. If he's a Clinique fan.

I pretty much knew I'd like this anyway, because;

1. Clinique do awesome lips! 

2. I heart anything that's halfway between a balm and lipstick.

It is seriously the softest, prettiest thing. The added bonus is that the colour is a little stronger than I thought it'd be too. Other similar products on the market do tend to be much clearer, and I haven't found them worth the money. Just buy a balm if it's going to be without colour totally, eh?

But this darling product, I mean, look at that swatch.

That's just one quick layer of it and you can see it quite clearly.

I found that if I apply more than one layer you can guild it up quite well too. I'm so happy with this. Getting it free was a fantastic bargain, and a great way to try out a new product. But I can assure you all, I'll happily be paying the £17 when it runs out for another.

Maybe I'll even get a collection of Chubbies.

Okay, LOL, stop.

^ This is the end result using both the lip liner & chubby stick.

Not at all bad in my opinion. I even have a top lip!

What do you guys think?

Would you buy these, or have you tried them already?

Let me know! :)

Mwah! x

July Blush

We're midway though this month already and I've been trying out some of my beauty products that I don't use much. I do have a huge collection of makeup, but tend to stick to my usual staples which I know is boring.

While hunting through my blush collection which is particularly generous, I stumbled upon my Avon Marbleised Powder blush in Self Discovery.

Usually my favourite blush colours are very sweet candy pinks, or coral hues. This rose gold tint has a slight shimmer to it, and does appeal to a summery/bronzed look. Even for pale ladies like myself!
I have to say, after forcing myself to try it, I've very much come around. It's beautiful, and so subtle. It compliments my contouring well, and seems very suited to a wide range of skin colours. I purposefully tried this on a friend who is much darker skinned than myself, and it looked amazing.

I'm not saying I've completely gone off my pink/coral blushers forever, but this is basically my new favourite. I will definitely be on the lookout for more rose gold hues to add to my blush collection.

I'm hoping this photograph of a quick swatch of the blush on the back of my hand, is showing up well enough for you guys to see. It is really subtle, but just enough to see a gorgeous tint of colour with a slight shimmer.

Have any of you guys tried this blush?

Avon prices it at £8 and if you would like some for yourself, 

you can find it here.

I loved it!

Let me know what you think :)

Art Journal Project

So I'm starting a new Art journal and I wanted to make it into a weekly project to encourage regular creativity, hopefully! I'll do a post each week and show my creations here for you guys. It could be any media, as long as it goes into my journal and is creative.

Sometimes it may be based on a theme, other times it could just be whatever has inspired me or taken my fancy that week. I don't like to stick to very strict posting days, as I like my posting to be free and unrestricted with my schedule. So I can't say what days I'll definitely be posting these on, but it will most likely be at the weekends, or on a Monday. 

So, my first entry to start this journal is based around the theme of time.

I love making scrapbooks or collages and really thought this technique would fit well to represent 'Time', as memories are often remembered through photographs, letters and small collections of physical things.

I quite like this as my first page, and I especially like the posting prints with the date on the letter. It gives it a vintage theme which I love. What do you guys think? I'd seriously appreciate any feedback, and any themes/ideas you'd like me to try out. If any of you do anything like this, let me know! I'd love to see some other journals! Have a lovely day!

DIY Keys

Being a little bit creative and adding some colour can make your boring keys look less mundane, and only takes a few minutes. It's a super easy DIY idea that anyone can do :)

All you need is the keys you wish to funk up, and some nail varnish.

Okay so..

Step 1: Use tape to cover up the part you don't want coloured.

Step 2: Use the nail varnish to paint in the area you want filled. I recommend painting the brush away from the tape, as there is less chance of your straight line being ruined then.

Step 3: Wait for the polish to dry, then do the reverse side.

Step 4: Add a clear varnish over the top if you wish, and once dry, remove the tape.

Voila! Colourful keys so you never get them confused again.

Bonus points if you add polka dots or stripes!
Would you like me to do more super simple DIY posts? Let me know in the comments below ^_^