It's been one of those days...

Some kinda planner loooove

I am now a planner addict.   Coloured pencils and keeping a diary were probably where it all started for me as a 10 year old watching The Snorks on TV.   Since then I've been a scrapbooker, a Project Lifer, a Blurb photobook maker, a tassel necklace maker, a jumbled-book-of-photos-and-pictures kinda girl but finally I've found my groove.  

Yea people, it's a MAMBI product, the Create 365 planner.  I know, calm down  It's kinda scrapbookey huh?

So it comes like this.  A planner.  About 24 x 20cm (9x7").  Heavy duty rings, laminated cover, a few different designs but I liked this one.  

Sitting on my desk, this is the perfect inbetweener.  You know, inbetween checking facebook & picking up the kids.   Inbetween paying the bills & making lunch.  Just whenever I have 5 minutes.  I write what I like, seriously who cares what it is, there's no judging here, these are my memories, it is the most guilt-free thing ever.

I even missed out a block through winter where I lost the plot a bit and had to dig myself out of a bit of a mental hole.  Many of us go there sometimes, right?  I rolled with it.  Those pages are blank, no guilt, remember? 

So there ya go.   It's been 2 years since I scrapbooked, but I'm still keeping memories.  I enjoy it and I've tracked down my planner for next year too.   I watched so many YouTube videos on the different planners, Webster's have them (a HUGE range, actually!), Heidi Swapp have some gorgeous options and even Prima has a planner now - with an instagram account dedicated to plannery stuff.  You can't get much better than that.  

Anyway,  it's nearly my birthday and I've chosen my new planner in true-I'll-buy-my-own-present kinda style.  I went for the MAMBI version again, so sitting lonely under my husbands office desk is a package with my name on it.  Good shopping huh?   He should just think himself lucky I didn't go with all the extension packs, the fitness tracking stuff, the recipe stuff, the stickery, plannery, clippy kinda stuff.... 

Laters
  

A little welcome

Hey there!   If you're looking for new posts, scroll down!   If you've come here via the Pinterest pin that went viral (guys, that's crazy, literally millions of views!) welcome, there's over 600 posts here, enjoy browsing my arty, crafty, mixed media, journaling, scrapbookey kinda groove.  

I'm just a girl that had a hobby that took her places teaching her papercraft.  I had small children and a love for writing and papercraft, and this blog was my home for all of it. I no longer contribute regularly, but there is so much to see here. From stories of parenting small children (the joys!) to accounts of my overseas adventures teaching papercraft, to details of the amazing retreats we used to hold here in New Zealand. The couch is comfy, settle in, there's lots to see :) 

 

Tags, cards & other gorgeous tag projects

Creating mixed media tags can be additive, but what to do with the tags?   I've used them as stand-alone gifts, on the front of cards and in frames.  Some of my favourites have made it to a prime spot on the front of a scrapbooking layout.

Step-by step instructions for creating a tag can be found here.   If you've been creating other papercraft projects and have leftovers or a pile of scraps in your 'one day' pile, you need to gather that gorgeous stuff together, click on that link and get creating.  

Then of course the possibilities are endless. We all get caught out without birthday cards, easy fixed, tag on a blank card!   My tradie hubby just loves them pinned to his lunchbox in the morning.  (I wish you all could feel my sarcasm!).  At least I'm happy creating, right?  A favourite example below of my tags on layout from a class taught a few years ago.  Ahhhhh timeless creativity.  Enjoy :) 

Supply List: White cardstock, Prima paper, Prima Letters, Resin heart & metal trinkets by A Dozen Ideas, Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels, Perfect Pearls Mist in gorgeous Turquoise #whereistheIloveTealHashtag

(As usual, all sharing, pinning and spreading the love about my little website much appreciated :) 

Trinkets & Treasures Tag

This super easy method for creating this impressive tag can be used in so many ways. Originally designed for jewellery making, the trinkets & treasures featured at A Dozen Ideas are used just as commonly in mixed media artwork.  I choose to design on tags because they are small, they are FUN, and they can be incorporated into a card, a layout or a home décor piece.  Love, love, love tags! 

Materials: Working base, paper scraps, flat embellishments, resin heart, paper flowers, A Dozen Ideas trinkets & resin pieces, gesso or white paint, coloured sprays.

1. Choose a canvas, tag or other small working base and add layers of small, flatter embellishments such as canvas pieces, papers or chipboard shapes.
     
2. Build up clusters of embellishments.  Start big in the middle and tuck smaller embellishments around the edges.  I have used a resin heart, two large flowers, trinkets cut into half, leaves, smaller flowers, and resin pieces.  Remember that colour does not matter, we will colour it all anyway!  You could try using old clock parts, watch parts, electrical bits and pieces, trinkets, paperclips, can tabs, laces, mesh, fabric, washi tapes, and all our trinkets & treasures in the store are perfect!  
   
3. Paint any resin pieces and trinkets with gesso and let it dry.  This allows the colour to stick, where it would usually run off.
   
   
4. Use coloured mists and sprays to apply a light colour first.  Then add other colours, concentrating quite close in different areas rather than thin layers of different colours all over.  My favourites are Glimmer Mists or Perfect Pearls mists.  End with a black spray just in the middle to add grunge.  Finish with some metallic rubs or perfect pearls powder if you have it - rub on to the raised edges for extra dimension!

Tip: Don’t overthink this – it’s all about creative play, remember!  Don't forget to support us by pinning this project on Pinterest (button below!) and visit A Dozen ideas on Facebook, we'd love to hear how your own projects go!