Garden Memories ~ A little handmade Album

Hello lovelies,

After a lengthy hospital stay / rehabilitation I am finally back home recovering. As much as I wish I could jump straight back into my blogging routine and create art tutorials for my YT channel - the energy level isn't there yet. Plus we're having heatwave after heatwave, which is physically demanding. Besides, most people in Europe are on holidays in August, so I've been  making the most of this downtime by leisurely crafting a little photo album from scratch just for me. I find paper crafting a meditative activity. There's just something about the simple act of cutting and sticking down pretty papers that calms my mind and soul, while simultaneously keeping my hands busy. I found a cute paper pad with enchanting animals called "Amongst the Hedgerow" created by illustrator Karina from Karinartspace. I used this as a background for my front and back album cover as well as the inserts. I made sure to provide space for journaling about cherished garden memories. Throughout, I embellished my album with paper flowers, shiny brads and whimsical chipboard ephemera depicting cute animals and cozy garden scenes from the same range. I created flip books, secret pockets and photo cards to hold my garden photos, and to finish, I decorated the album with lace and ribbons. The following pictures show my finished creation. Enjoy! 

Thank you for visiting. Have a wonderful day!

Easy One Sheet Mixed Media Booklet

Hi everyone!

Weeks ago I had prepared this blog post, but not quite finished editing it. So, it's been sitting in draft and then this happened. I've scheduled this post for today, but I won't be able to reply to any comments as I am currently in the clinic. Just fyi. 

Anyway, on to a happier topic!

I've been making these little mini booklets for years. They are a simple and fun paper craft with endless variations. All you require is one sheet of paper. I like using drawing paper of 160 gsm weight. I tried a heavier weight, but then it gets tricky when folding. Besides, since I apply mixed media techniques it's going to get a little fatter anyway. 

I started by creating a textured background on my A4 size sheet paper. I covered the entire sheet, alternating applications both vertically and horizontally for a non-directional result. For full instructions on how to fold this sheet into a booklet you can watch the video below. And if you're there, I would so appreciate a "thumbs up", as my channel that I have worked so hard to build hasn't seen much traffic since I've been absent.

Thank you so much 💕

I like to decorate my booklet covers with some collage fodder. I had some pre-made mushrooms in my stash which added a pop of color to the blue-green background. I created two tags to slide into the openings and used a simple binder clip to close the booklet. Now it's ready to be filled with journaling, photos, doodles, tiny art or whatever else you desire! 

Thank you for stopping by and reading along! And thank you for your kind comments re my health issues. I am doing everything in my power to recover and get better, so that I can get back to blogging again. Just know I appreciate all of you 😊 Hugs!!

Please pin / share this tutorial

Emergency Room

Hello lovely blog friends,

You may have noticed my long absence in the blogosphere. A couple of weeks ago I wasn't feeling well. I didn't think too much of it. I went to bed with an Ibuprofen and hoped I would sleep it off, whatever it was. However, around midnight I woke up with chest pains, shortness of breath and I felt feverish. Those who have been following me for a while know that I despise hospitals and I usually avoid those places like the plague, but a niggling voice in the back of my head told me to call an ambulance...which promptly whisked me off to the dreaded hospital where I spent around 5 hours hooked up to machines, given scans and had my bloodwork taken. They immediately pushed intravenous medications. It turns out I narrowly avoided a heart attack. A heart attack omg. Retrospectively, I'm glad I did listen to that voice in my head! I spent a week in ICU and then was transfered to a specialized hospital where I spent another two weeks. All the while I was thinking of my blog family, and hopefully you can forgive me for not responding to any of your lovely comments or checking in on your blogs. In my weakened state it was simply impossible.

I have been released home and in a week I will start rehabilitation. Frankly, this very stressful experience has left me completely exhausted. It is just going to take time to recover from this. Please bear with me. Thank you all! Take good care of yourselves ~