DIY Hand Printed Wrapping Paper for your Christmas Gifts

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Welcome Spring

This weekend I decided  to spend some time with my loved ones in the countryside since I wanted to share the experience of the advent of spring with my newborn angel! Seeing the world through his pure, inexperienced eyes I, for once more, realized how much beauty lies in the small manifestations of the blooming nature. We, people of the city, rarely have the opportunity to capture the magnificence of the fact that we live and breathe on this amazingly beautiful planet...Sometimes we let ourselves forget and diminish our existence to the tolerance of a repetitive habit.

But spring is here! Not letting us forget! What a wonderful world this is! What a beautiful, fascinating, colorful world this is! 

My boyfriend shot this video with his mobile phone. So, here is a small sparkle of magic:

Some photos from the same day:

Self-portrait in bloom!

I gave my self a small photo project that day. I was to create and send a bright message to my friends everywhere for the advent of spring. I started by photographing the letters one-by-one on a white piece of paper...

Then I placed them on a white background in Photoshop and carefully erased their edges...

With some filters and frames I ended up with the image on the top of this post!

Have a wonderful spring everyone!!!

DIY Flower hoop for May 2015...Let's do some stitching!!!

 Spring is here! Flowers are beautiful and the traditional flower hoop for may is a must! Nonetheless, each year I like to make a second, "long-lasting" flower hoop to keep the memory of the glorious, blooming nature alive!

This year I made an embroidered hoop. I'm not much of an embroidery expert but there are some very fine "how to" videos for beginners on YouTube. If you want you can check out the following links -but there are many more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff9-1ZPAdSs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qs7eOH5Uac

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09L9o5IMxoU

Step 1:

Using some masking tape, stick on your window's glass a piece of paper with the phrase that you want to embroider.

Step 2:

On top of the paper stick (again with the masking tape) the piece of fabric that you are going to use for your hoop. Then trace the phrase from the paper to the fabric using a tracing marker that goes away with water or air.

Step 3:

Embroider the phrase on the fabric using any kind of line stitch that you like: split, chain or stem. I used the split stitch.

Step 4:

Give some volume on certain areas of the flower pattern by using the satin stitch.

Step 5:

Paste the fabric on the wooden hoop using some contact glue. Cut around the extra fabric.

Your 2015 may hoop is ready!!! Have a beautiful spring!!!

For my little angel...

It's been so long since my last post but I have the best excuse of all time. Life as I knew it has changed completely since the arrival of my little baby. My days are now filled with love and laughter, dedicated entirely to taking care of this little magic creature! 

Nonetheless, I have found the time to take some pictures of one of the things that I made for the nursery room. It is a colorful mobile with flying objects made out of paper-mache. Actually, I had posted some work-in-progress photos of this mobile a while ago. 

With the hope that my baby boy is going to enjoy it in the years to come...

...and in more detail...

For my angel who came and brightened up my life...

Finally some progress with the articulated paper mache doll!

I've been very busy lately, trying to prepare everything so as to welcome my baby in a beautiful and fresh environment. The nursery room has been my main preoccupation day and night!!! The end result is really satisfying! Of course, I will post some photos to share the joy with all of you!

Now that everything is set and I'm ready to "pop" in a couple of days, I have the time to go back to some older projects, specifically my articulated paper mache doll. So, here are some photos that show the slow but evident progress of that creation. 

I painted the body and face -not yet finished with the facial highlights and the eyelash lines- and assembled the body parts. Furthermore I pasted the eyelashes and chose the color of the hair. I decided on the fabrics for the dress and even sewed her underwear. 

Hopefully by Tuesday I will be a mom so I won't have time to continue this project!!! It will be a sacrifice that I will most willingly make!!!