5-minute craft: iphone case(s)

As usual I'm supposed to be doing a million other things (like studying for the 8 upcoming exams) instead of crafting. But this is a really easy-peasy DIY that can be done in a few minutes! Changeable iphone covers. Came up with the idea one day while looking at my DIY-ed pens and thought that it could be done with iphone covers as well. Yes I love inserting patterned paper into everything. But I'm not the only one; I chanced upon someone else on Pinterest who thought of this iphone case idea too. Being the fickle person that I am, this is the perfect budget-friendly idea to never getting tired of your iphone cover. And I dare say it can be done with clear macbook covers as well. 

Materials needed: patterned paper, clear iphone case, scissors, penknife, pencil

Trace the outline of your phone onto the patterned paper (note that it has to be traced onto the flip side). Then placing the clear iphone case onto the traced shape, trace the camera hole onto the patterned paper. Cut the paper according to the shape traced and carefully cut out the camera hole using the penknife. And it's done! Cut out as many pieces as you want on different patterned paper and you can change your iphone design according to your mood / the occasion.

Note: I recommend using thin patterned paper instead of thick cardstock, so that your case fits well onto the phone. Depending on the type of clear case you have, the case might not be able to fit as well if thick cardstock is used. I'm using the clear hard case that clips onto the phone. An alternative would be the clear soft / rubber case, which would probably be able to fit thicker paper better.

Bracelets: pinwheel, pearls and an embossed bead

So I randomly made these three bracelets one weekend morning 'cause I was going to go picnicking and kite-flying with some friends and I thought it'd be fun to make some accessories of the day. They're really easy to make - took me under an hour - and I thought it fit the theme of the day well.

And so we went picnicking, but the kite-flying didn't occur 'cause me being me, I brought the kite but not the string (´･_･`) What's new, really. Spent the evening sitting around, eating and watching in envy as other people flew their kites sky high...

Bacon egg cups and sunflower art

So one fine day my girlfriends and I decided to have a cookout/potluck. Everyone had to make a dish, so I finally managed to try a recipe I'd kept bookmarked on my web browser for a long time. Breakfast bacon cups! A recipe that looked really easy and infinitely yummy.

This is how version #1 looked like:

Followed the recipe mostly, but left out the cheese 'cause of one friend's preference. The cups didn't turn out looking as nice as I'd hoped.

Some tips / reminders to self:

- Don't crack the whole egg straight into the bacon cup. Too much egg white might cause the piece of bread at the bottom to float up and the cup will go out of shape

- Use a smaller muffin tray (or bigger pieces of bacon?) so that the bacon wraps more securely around the egg

- If you prefer a perfect looking sunny side-up (runny yolk), change the heating of the oven to bottom-up. If you prefer a yolk that's more cooked just do the usual top-down/bottom-up heating

- Maple syrup can be replaced with honey, it tastes fine

This is how version #2 looks like:

Adapted the recipe and found a new way of making the cups. It became bread flowers instead of bacon cups. Basically I made cuts on the sides of the bread and folded them. Also, instead of the honey/maple syrup butter I used garlic spread. I think black pepper would go well with it. Two bread flower cups can be a whole breakfast on their own; two whole slices of bread, two slices of bacon and two eggs! And there are endless ways to adapt the recipe. Like using ham and cheese instead of bacon. And it is so easy and fuss-free~

Random flower art I arranged and took a snapshot of. 

The sunflower bouquet J got me for my graduation ceremony fell off the window ledge one day and the sunflowers threw down their petals in protest at the uncivilised treatment. Felt so sad about the half-bald sunflowers and I couldn't let the petals go to waste, so they're currently being pressed in a notebook under a humongous stack of notes.

I'm on etsy!

shop pennyforasong

It's been a while. I've been up to some pretty exciting stuff, one of which is to set up shop on Etsy! I've been pretty into making bracelets of late, so naturally they are the first items up on the shop. Only a couple of them are up on the shop right now, but I'll be adding more really soon! 

Braided shoelace bracelets; inspired by a woven bracelet I saw my friend wearing. He was wearing a normal three-strand braided bracelet, made from shoelace. This is made from a single shoelace however, with a beaded drawstring clasp.

Braided bracelets with gold chain; I've given a couple of these as presents to friends, so I thought I'd make a few more for sale. 

They're pretty good for layering with watches and other bracelets or for wearing on their own.

Taken off my friend's Instagram; this was how she matched the bracelet I gave her for her birthday (:

Please do check out my shop! (:

Random crafts

Short update on the couple of quick crafts I've been doing here and there since the start of this year.

Noteboards I updated at the start of this year with newer photos, random scraps of things and quotes I ripped off magazines. Bought the cork boards at Daiso a couple of years ago, along with rolls of fabric tape to trim the frames of the boards. Glancing at photos of loved ones whenever I sit at the desk makes me happy and reminds me of how blessed I am to have these people in my life.

Pen designs that I also updated, out of boredom. They looked like this from a couple of years back. Ikea prints are love. Fancy pens make me happy too.

And this is a photo sent to me by my friend some time back, whose daughter I made the crochet beanie for. How adorable is she?? So glad it fits well (': Babies are such cute little angels, when they don't cry that is.

Inspiration

Not that I celebrate Easter, but these are such cool ideas to decorate eggs:

stamped eggs | napkin decoupage eggs | silk-dyed eggs

I remember back in primary school when we had to do an art and craft project using eggs. Mummy and I dressed up two eggs smartly in clothes made of felt and cardboard. Mr. Egg had a top hat and suit, and Mrs. Egg had a ladylike dress with a peter pan collar and buttons down the front. And they had marker-drawn faces. The teacher took them and displayed them in a glass case in school along with other creative eggs and I never got them back. 

And this is a whole list of things to do with washi tape. 

Source: hellosandwich

Washi tape a car. Wow. Now I know what to do with my future vintage car.

Valentine's Day

happy valentine's day! it's been quite a while. i've been crafting, just not blogging about it 'cause i've been so lazy. so i shall simply fast forward to what i've done for v'day this year~ 

So I haven't done anything for V'day since my girls' school days, when V'day was very much hyped. And I figured this year would be the last year when I'd have the leisure to make something for V'day, what with uni graduation and all. 

Simple handmade cards! With my favourite lace doilies that decorate anything so well. I used them previously for my 21st birthday party invitations. The heart-shaped ones were bought in the US by a dear friend who knows me very well (: So I made a card for the boyfriend and notecards for the girls.

And I baked a tray of brownie. I really wanted to try to make these brownies they are soo cute, but my supermarket failed me; it didn't sell black/white/red icing (whyy?!) (T__T) and it was too late to head to a baking shop to get icing, sigh. 

So in the end I had to resort to making cookie cutter (literally) brownie bites. I used this recipe, but took the advice from other bakers who commented and used butter instead of vegetable oil and cut sugar to 3/4 cup. It was pretty easy to make and it tastes yummy, so I foresee myself making more, just as a snack or something.

Small brownie packages for friends in school, wrapped in baking paper and tied with scraps of ribbon (: