HOW-TO: DIY Dream Catcher with an Amethyst Crystal

Once upon a time I said I was going to make a dream catcher. Remember that? It's taken me a lot longer than I thought it would but it is finally finished and I think it was worth the wait! I love it!! 

Dream catchers originated from the Native Americans who believed that they would trap negative dreams in the web whilst letting positive dreams through the hole in the middle and down the feathers to the sleeper below. I love this idea and would love to have a traditional Native Americans dream catcher but the one I have made is purely for decoration. I have not try to imitate any sacred traditions of the American Indians.

It's as bright and colourful as I had envisioned and I really love the little string of sequins :) It makes me so happy to see this hanging in our bedroom each morning.

So what do you need to make one of these?

Y An embroidery hoop - you choose the size

Y Lace ribbon - to wrap around the embroidery hoop

Y Twine

Y Hot glue gun

Y A crystal of your choice -  I chose amethyst because it is a highly protective and healing stone 

Y Wire - I used bright blue jewellery wire

Y An assortment of colourful yarn, ribbon, sequins (optional: feathers)

First step is to wrap your embroidery hoop with your choice of ribbon or lace. Second step is to create the intricate spider-web in the middle. Here is a little mini tutorial on how to do this:

Step three is adding your trim to the bottom using all kinds of fabrics. I used what I had in my ribbon box because I didn't want to spend much money on it (and I knew I had some pretty stuff to use)

Step four is adding your crystal to the middle of the dream catcher. I used a amethyst crystal that originally came from a broken bracelet. This meant that it already had a drilled hole in it which I could put the wire though. However you can simply wrap the wire around the crystal if this isn't possible. Voilà!! You have your very own dream catcher!!

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial.

Rhiannon xxoxx

How-to: A Monthly blog planner

I am finally managing to cross things off my list~ wahooo! These visual reminders I made last month are working out perfectly.

Last week I decided it was time to tackle making a blog planner. It's something I know is going to help me immensely. It will mean regular posts on here but will also allow me to make sure I follow up on previous posts (something I admit needs much improvement)!

I had toyed with using my filofax to plan everything out but I wanted to be able to see the entire month laid out.  Instead I decided to use Kaylahs post-it note idea and create my own. I used a piece of thick A3 paper and roughly drew in columns that would fit my post-it notes (no ruler necessary). It's plain and simple, but effective. Maybe next month I will jazz it up a bit, but to be honest I like it being this easy to read.  This month I have written the dates on the post it notes but next month I will be writing the dates on the paper instead so its easier for me to switch them around if I decide to.

I would love to see variations of this idea.
How do you keep organised?

Rhiannon xxoxx

How to turn a bad day into an awesome day

You know those days; you wake up and you stub your toe on the door frame on the way to the bathroom. You stumble and proceed stand on the tail of your cat who was attempting to hide in the dark and then burn your toast whilst trying to get toothpaste off your new shirt...yes, those days. We all have them and as unpleasant as they are they can get better.

This has been something I have been working on for quite a while now, and while everyone is different I thought I would share some tricks and tips that I have found helpful. The following tips are action based and realistic. I have a lot of tips I use for when I am at home and have the ability to get up and walk away, but more often than not I am out or at work when these days strike. Not everyone can get up from their desk and walk outside for 15mins to clear their head.

Write a gratitude list

I have read about these before but never quite understood what to write. I could only ever think of the obvious: my family, my partner, my cats...and that's where I got stuck. But the more I tried to write them, forcing myself to look around me at even the smallest thing, the more I found I was grateful for. Here are a few examples to get you started; the smell of freshly made coffee, the sliver of sunshine peeking through a cloudy sky, hearing someone's infectious laugh, the fact that libraries exist (borrowing books for free? Awesome!), being given a free sample of something, delicious home-made soup.

♥ Sometimes I notice that I am more interested in listing the things I love, so I do that instead. The idea is to get your mind to start thinking positively, soon enough there will be no room left for negativity.

♥ I would consider Gala Darling one of the queens of gratitude lists but she also does variations like 'Little things that made me smile.'

Steer away from Social Media

When you are in this sort of head space, reading or listening about the latest political/cultural/environmental problem is not going to help you feel better. I found that I was almost seeking out negativity in order to justify my crap mood. When I realised this I decided that the News, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr was out of bounds until I could be a bit more rational.

♥ One idea I really like is having a social media free day. Make a date where you consciously don't go near social media.

Build a small collection of inspiring quotes to keep in your bag/wallet

This is one I have only started this week but have already grown to love. I recently bought a Red Metropol FiloFax  and it has turned into a hub of positivity with quotes, good advice people give me, inspiring images and anything else I can think of. You can use whatever medium you choose. If you have a smart phone or i-phone then you can store quotes on there. If you are a post-it or scrap paper kind of person, maybe find a colourful little zip pouch like one of these to keep it all organised.

Here are a few of my favourites that I take with me everywhere:

♥ "Life is a gift. Never forget to enjoy and bask in every moment you are in." - Celestine Chua

♥ Have a scroll through 101 Most Inspiring Quotes

♥ I love Katie Daisy's Art and quotes!

Keep the music light

This one requires you to plan ahead but it's totally worth it. When things go wrong, I am drawn to listen to music that reflects how angry or upset I am; bands like Slipknot or A Perfect Circle are usually a good sign that I'm not having the best day. What I have since done is create a list (one that I keep adding to) of songs that make me happy, or want to jump up and dance. You can create a playlist on your phone/ipod/mp3 player or listen to them on Youtube if you have Internet access. Just remember that it doesn't matter what it is you listen to; just make sure its your 'feel good' music.

Here are a few which sit on my list:

♥  Aloe Blacc - I need a dollar  ♥  Flo Rida - Good Feeling  ♥  LMFAO - Party Rock Anthem  ♥  

Treat Yourself / Pamper Yourself

This is by far the one that has worked best for me. If your day has not managed to improve despite your efforts, this one is particularly important. Why not have that bubble bath you have been thinking about for weeks but never got around to having? Why not buy yourself that second coffee in the afternoon? I find it's best not to try something new on these types of days. If it doesn't work out it will only feed the negative thoughts in your head. However this is only what has worked for me, you may want to try something new but I suggest to keep it simple. Don't go expecting to learn to knit or paint a master piece in one hour, it wont happen.

If you just too busy, grab a yummy and nutritious lunch instead. If you are short on cash, use that obnoxiously pink nail polish you have and brighten the rest of your day and days to come.

The main thing to take away from this tip is that you must make time to look after yourself, and it is never more important than when you have days like these .

I hope these tips are helpful and just remember - you CAN turn a bad day into an awesome day. It just requires that extra bit of effort, and I promise you it is so worth it.

Rhiannon xxx

photoshop tips/tutorials

i am currently trying to teach myself how to paint in photoshop (again) and i tell you what, its way harder than painting with a actual paint. i found this good little tuorial on youtube though about blending colours together, which is the thing i find the hardest. so thought i would share.



main points:

• you can use the gaussian blur filter with a layer mask to create a "waterlook" effect
• you can use smudge tool but the key is to increase the scatter to stop it looking messy and actually blend (used when your brush doesn't have pressure to fade the edges)

Rhiannon xxx