Tutorial: Scrap Paper Bunting

Hi everyone!

Today is Saturday so that can only mean one thing.... The Waste-Paper Bin Challenge! This is the first tutorial in the WPBC series where I will be showing you how to make something creative from what is essential junk, every Saturday for the next 5 weeks.

I thought I would start off with something that is easy to make but still looks really pretty when finished; Scrap Paper Bunting! This bunting is a great way to use up all those left over scraps of paper and can be used as a unique and money saving way to decorate for a party or to spruce up your craft/art studio.

Anyway, enough talking, lets get creating ;)

• First, rummage through your waste paper bin and find scraps of paper, card, old bits of ribbons etc that you can use to create your bunting. Below are some of the items I came up with.

• Prepare your scraps by cutting them to the size and shape you want, folding them in half  to create a crease and applying a generous coating of white glue (such as PVA) on to the inside. Place the scrap over the string in the position that you like it to be. Fold over and press down firmly, trapping the string on the inside.

• Once the glue has dried a little you can then use your scissors to carefully cut a small triangle shape in the bottom of the scrap. This creates the illusion of a flag instead of just a piece of paper.

• You now have the basics of creating  Scrap Paper Bunting! Once you have the paper scraps in position you can alter or decorate them how you wish.  Why not use a paper punch or a deckle scissors to add that extra bit of flair to your bunting? Just let your imagination flow!

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• You don't have to be limited to just paper for this project though.  As I have shown above among my findings was a dried out wet wipe that I used to mop up paint and ink spills.  To my delight it looked like it had been Tie-Dyed!  So I cut it into rough strips and tied it in a knot around the string. I was really impressed with the results

    And there you have it, Scrap Paper Bunting! Done.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial, let me know if you give it a go, send me your photos I'd love to see your take on it!

Stop by next week for WPBC no 2 - Scrap Petal Artwork

Have a happy + creative day!

Ciara

xoxo

Announcement: New Tutorial!

Hi everyone!

Question for you, does your waste- paper bin look anything like the above photo, bursting at the seams with scraps of millions of different kinds of paper, assorted off-cuts of ribbon + fabric, and other odds + ends?
Well in case you haven't figured it out already that waste-paper bin above is my waste-paper bin and it makes me sad.
Sad you say? Yes my friends, sad. All that paper, all those trees!!! I am a bad person for being so wasteful!
Okay, maybe a bad person is a bit too far but that is what I was thinking when (much to my annoyance) I knocked over my, quite full, waste-paper bin last night and had to get down on my hands and knees to pick up confetti style scraps of paper off of the carpeted floor, which might I add is harder than it sounds. I now have a new found respect for the job my poor Hoover has.
However, while I was down there tediously picking up after the mess I had made it got me thinking about uses for the contents of my waste-paper bin and so the Waste-Paper Bin Challenge was born!
Each Saturday for the next 5 weeks I am going to show you a creative project using some of the contents of your waste-paper bin! Creative and thrify! And we are doing our bit for the environment as well so really we can't go wrong can we?
So tune in tomorrow Saturday 4 May, for the first Waste-Paper Bin Challenge! It's going to be lots of fun!!

Ciara
xoxo

May You Be: Lucky

Hi everyone!

Did you know that today, the 3rd of May is said to be a lucky date?  I didn't! 

I sure hope that its true though because I have an important meeting this evening which, if it goes well, could open up a few possibilities for me.  So, fingers crossed! And there you go, another lucky symbol, crossing our fingers. Where did it come from? Apparently early Christians would cross their fingers in order to invoke the power of the Christian cross for protection against evil. Simple! 

So on this lucky day, with my fingers crossed (makes it hard to type) I've put together a list of my favourite lucky charms + superstitions.:  

1. The Black Cat

Credit to fineartamerica/Paul Lovering

Depending on where you are in the world a black cat may mean good luck or it could mean bad luck.  For me, having grown up in Ireland a black cat brings good luck, especially if it runs across your path.  Gifts of black cat symbols are often given to a bride to bring her lucky in her marriage. It is also believed that a strange black cat arriving at your home means prosperity and that a female owner of a black cat will have many suitors.

2. Bird Poo

Credit to normasdailypainting

Not the most pleasant of lucky signs I will admit but still it seems to be universally agreed that a bird dropping his "do-do" on you is a lucky omen.  The exact reason for this is unclear however, some think that it is the fact that the chances of you getting hit by birds droppings are as high as say, winning the lottery and because it happened to you in particular must be a good thing.  Others take it as a sign that there is wealth of some kind coming from heaven.  I have heard variations of this superstition over the years and it seems that it doesn't necessary have to be on your body that the birdies lets loose but on your freshly washed clothes blowing on the wash line or even your car will suffice. 

3. Throwing Salt

 

Credit to fastcodesign.com

This is a tricky one because it's not so much about bringing you good luck as it is avoiding bad luck. The belief that you should throw a pinch of salt over your left shoulder if you happen to spill salt comes from the Last Supper. In Leonardo Di Vinci's depiction of the last supper you can see that Judas has knocked over a salt cellar. This created the connection between salt and treachery + lies. Throwing a pinch of salt over your left shoulder is said to blind the devil who is waiting there.

4. Four Leaf Clover

Credit to littleleezard

This has to be the most common lucky symbol in my opinion. Four leaf clovers are traditionally a lucky symbol to the Irish and the Celts but I think the world round people recognise it as one of the luckiest things you could find. However, don't go purposely scouring the fields and valleys for one as four leaf clovers are only said to be lucky when found by accident. Clovers commonly have only three leaves and there is estimated to be 10,000 of these to every 1 four leaf. In the early days of Ireland, the Druids believed that carrying a shamrock or a four leaf clover gave them the ability to see evil spirits coming, thus giving them time to get away. Nowadays each leaf of the four leaf clover has a different meaning; Faith, Hope, Love, Luck.

5. Horseshoes

Credit to bolou

A horseshoe is another lucky charm given as a gift to a newly married couple. There are many different reasons why a horseshoe is believed to be lucky. In Celtic mythology, Faeries were repelled by iron and seen as a horseshoe was a easily available source of iron they were hung above the door to prevent any unwanted guests from entering. Another reason horseshoes are thought to be lucky is because in the past they were made by blacksmiths who were considered to have a lucky trade. Blacksmiths were believed to have magical powers and be able to heal the sick.

Surely with all this talk of luck the outcome of my meeting later will be a good one! 

What are your favourite lucky beliefs?  Do you carry a lucky charm with you at important events? 

Do you believe in luck at all?! Let me know, leave a comment below.

Have a happy, creative + LUCKY day!

Ciara

xoxo

May You Be: Fruitful

Hi everyone!

May brings so many lovely things among which are strawberries! And being a Wexford girl I know a good strawberry when I see + taste it.

Credit to Polly Painting

There is nothing tastier than a big, juicy organic summer strawberry. In a crumble or a cobbler smothered in warm custard, chopped up to decorate a tangy cheesecake or simply scoffed straight from the punnet! I have to say, those sour, crunchy, pale looking excuse for strawberries that can be found in the big supermarkets all the year round haven't a patch on them.

Unfortunately the real deal can be harder (and more expensive) to find + the easier option may be to pick up those GMO strawberries.  Don't get me wrong they will probably satisfy the strawberry craving alright but given the option I would go for the organic ones every time, hands down.

Driving on the outskirts of Wexford town and dotted along it's country roads at this time of year you will start to see strawberry sellers popping up with their little trailers, usually with a comical looking strawberry character sporting a big smile painted on the side of it.  In this case, for people from or visiting Wexford and the surrounding areas, it is pretty easy to pick up a punnet or two of these shiny red delights (and will probably go away with a sack of spuds thrown in for good measure) but for those like myself who perhaps live in a city, finding that perfect strawberry is not so easy.

So what can we do about it? Simple solution = grow our own! 

It is easier than it sounds and I believe it is one of our duties to be fruitful in life. Be Fruitful + Multiple!

Credit to The Telegraph

The good news is you don't even need to have much of a garden and if you are like me having NO garden at all still isn't an excuse.  You can grow strawberries in window boxes and hanging baskets!

I have done a little research on how to go about growing your own strawberries for all us garden-less green finger enthusiasts and here is what I have found:

• Use the deepest garden box that you can find.  This prevents the compost from drying out.  Put about a 1 inch layer of gravel or pebbles in the bottom to help with drainage.
• Fill the box with compost until you reach about 2 inches from the top.  Compact the compost as tightly as possible and make sure its is fairly damp.
• Put the strawberry plant into the box + spread out the roots or if you are growing from seed spread them out evenly.
• Add compost to about an inch from the top and press in firmly around the plants.
• Water generously.
• If you are growing from seed make sure to keep the box in a warm place until the seeds have germinated. Once they sprout the box can be introduced to the outdoors.
•  Keep the plant box in the sunlight as often as possible as it will benefit greatly from the sun. No north-facing walls allowed!!

Other things that can be grown well in window boxes are:

• Lettuce
• Some peppers
• Tomatoes
• Radish
• Small carrots
• Almost all herbs

So do you think you will give it a go?  Do you keep some variation of a window sill garden already?  Have you got any tips on keeping a small veg patch?  If so, or if you have anything else you would like to share, please leave a comment.  Also if you are interested in showing off your window boxes email me a photo or two and I will show them off on here for all to see :)

Happy digging!

Ciara

xoxo

May You Be: Yourself

Credit to Andrea Doss etsy

Hi everyone!

Since today is the 1st day of May I've decided to post a inspirational post everyday this month starting with the words May You Be + ending with a different word each day.

Today I have chosen:  May You Be Yourself

You are Unique + You are Important.  You are Rare! There is no one else on this earth that is just like you. Isn't that amazing?!! You are the only one! 

Credit to picturequotes.com

Sometimes we all get caught up trying to be someone else, someone that our parents want us to be, someone our friends want us to be, someone our school, church, workplace, our society wants us to be.  But I believe that we are far more valuable to the world by just being our true selves.  Think about it. 

Take time to discover who you are.  You can't be yourself if you don't know who that person really is. Finding out who you are may be the most important + valuable discovery of your life.  But don't fret if it doesn't seem to happen over night, uncovering the true you is a marathon not a sprint. 

Don't let an event or moment in time define who you think you are.  You are always changing. Change is good. If you spend your life trying to be the person you were in that snapshot of the past you will stunt your growth metaphorically speaking.  Learn to let go! Any mistake or choice you made throughout your life is all part of the amazingly, precious puzzle that makes up you.

Credit to lifeposters.org

Be honest with yourself + others about the person you are.  Don't hide away!

And one final though I have before I sign off, when everything else in the world seems difficult, tumultuous or confusing, the one thing you can depend on wholly + completely is the fact that you will always be you.

Ciara
xoxo