Keeping it creative

lifestyle, mental health, self care, wellbeing

Monday Matters: 23 screen free ways to relax and recharge

Posted on Sep 18, 2023Sep 24, 2023 by Laura

This week, I’m sharing 23 ways to relax and recharge, which don’t involve scrolling on your phone, looking at things on your laptop, or staring at your TV screen. Why not make a list of your favourites in your bullet journal or notebook and choose one next time you need a break from modern day technology? (that’s every day for most of us!)

23 screen free activities to help you relax and recharge

Try ‘Progressive muscle relaxation‘ This technique involves tensing and then relaxing your muscles one by one and is a great way to release tension. Check out this link for a straightforward explanation of how to do it.
Curl up with a good book or magazine and a beverage of your choice Depending on the time of year and the weather, you might read outdoors in your garden or local park, in your favourite chair with an ice cold glass of water or under a blanket with a hot chocolate.
Spend time in nature This is one of my favourite ways to relax at any time of year but the autumn months are particularly beautiful to be outdoors in a park, woodland or forest setting. Put your phone in your bag or coat pocket in case of emergencies and use your senses to explore your environment. As long as you’re suitably dressed for the weather, I can almost guarantee you’ll fall in love with the peace and quiet and feel restored afterwards.
Connect with family or friends Choose to connect with people who make you feel good and whose company you enjoy. Activities could include meeting for coffee and cake, taking a walk in a scenic location, having lunch or an evening meal together in a restaurant or cafe or inviting people round for an informal dinner party (or takeaway if the thought of playing host for dinner fills you with dread!).
Arrange a games evening Playing games can be great fun and are often so absorbing that you’ll completely forget about your to do lists and responsibilities for a while. My husband and I love Scrabble, Yahtzee, Rummikub and card games such as Gin rummy or Cribbage.
Pamper yourself Depending on your preferences, this could involve a long soak in the bath, an invigorating shower and an all over body scrub, a face mask, a foot massage, manicure or pedicure or even a much needed lie in. See it as essential me time rather than self indulgence.
Look through a photograph album My husband and I did this on our wedding anniversary last month and it brough back some really happy memories of our special day. It’s also nice to look at holiday photos through the years or albums showing your children growing up.
Do some gardening Get some fresh air whilst giving your flower beds and pots some much needed attention. Even 20 minutes can make a real difference and leave you with an outdoor space to be proud of.
Sharpen your mind with a puzzle Why not unwind with a word or number puzzle, a jigsaw or a brain teaser. I love wordsearches, Sudoku, 1000 piece jigsaw puzzles and letter arrangement games.
Spend time with a pet Playing with or observing your furry four-legged friend is great for increasing your levels of seratonin and dopamine to calm and relax you. I love having snuggles with my hamster Millie, seeing her play in her digging tower or watching her collect treats which we hide around her cage.
Make a foodie treat We often make dishes from scratch but these are generally main meals and often involve time and energy. Making something indulgent for dessert or as an afternoon snack with a cuppa is often easier and much quicker. One of my favourites is malteser tiffin and the hardest bit is leaving it in the fridge long enough to set properly!
Enjoy a meal out with your partner, friends or family Letting someone else do the cooking for a change is a great way to rest and recharge. My husband and I love going for a vegetarian banquet at our favourite Asian fusion restaurant we try to make sure we focus on the food and the company by keeping our phones off the table.
Make time for your hobbies Most of us have at least one hobby that we absolutely love but how regularly do you make time for yours? Doing something creative after a busy day is a wonderful way to unwind and leave you feeling relaxed and ready for bed.
Focus on your breathing Have a look at this simple breathing technique (you don’t need to be feeling stressed to find it beneficial). When I first starting doing focused breathing and mini meditations, I found it really difficult to switch off, but now, after regular practise, it’s so much easier so don’t give up if your mind keeps bobbing about all over!
Listen to music I love to just sit with my eyes closed and listen to my favourite classical pieces or songs. Immersing myself in the music or really tuning in to the lyrics allows my mind to switch off from everything else. The tunes don’t need to be relaxing or soothing ones – anything you enjoy will help you hold your focus.
Do a meditative activity If you find sitting still to meditate difficult, doing a repetitive activity can help you reach a meditative state. Check out this post for 8 ideas to try.
Journal your thoughts and feelings Journalling is a great way to clear your mind by putting things down on paper. You might want to write about how your day has gone, what you’re looking forward to in the future or how you feel you are progressing towards your current goals. If the thought of getting started seems a little taunting, journalling prompts are a great way to get ideas on what to write about.
Switch to audio content Instead of scrolling through content on your phone, tablet or laptop and reading or watching videos, trying listening to audio content. This could be a podcast on a topic which interests you or an audiobook which you can listen to with your eyes closed.
Do something fun which you used to enjoy as a child When I was young, phones and tablets didn’t exist and the only screen time I had each day was watching TV or playing games on our Commodore 64 (hand up if you remember this state of the art machine from the 80s!). Aside from these, we used to make our own entertainment, playing outdoor games, doing creative projects, building things out of Lego, making a den under the dining table or playing with toys such as skipping ropes, space hoppers, dolls and Transformers. Whatever you used to do as a kid, think about how adult you can do the same or similar and make some fun plans for the weekend. You might buy a stunt kite and take it to a local hill on a windy day or buy some bubble mix and have a competition to see how can make the best or biggest bubble.
Sign up for an evening class A few years ago, I did a beginners photography course at my local college (which offered a qualification to go with it) and also a couple of ceramics classes where we made and glazed various clay creations. I thoroughly enjoyed all of these and it was great to meet and get to know like-minded individuals. The ceramics beginner and intermediate sessions were incredibly relaxing and it was so exciting seeing our items when they came out of the kiln. Wherever you live, there’s likely to be a range of creative classes in your local area and if not, you could get together with friends to try something new.
Join a choir Group singing is a wonderful way to de-stress and feel part of the community. There will probably be a range of choirs and musical societies available to join depending on the type of music and songs you prefer. A small cost may be incurred but I know from my own experience it’s a small price to pay for something which is very therapeutic and creates a real high.
Do something arty When we were young kids, most of us enjoyed art activities such as painting, drawing, making collages and constructing from junk materials. That’s because it was mainly about enjoying the creative process and experimenting with different techniques. As we get older, we tend to focus on the finished result and being happy with what we’ve made, rather than having fun as part of the process. So, get out your paints, markers, crayons, pencils and pens and simply explore and experiment.
Be a tourist in your home town or city (or one nearby) You’ve probably already visited a few places and buildings in your local area but do you know their and how your town or city has developed over time? A quick check on Tripadvisor and I’ve discovered a number of ideas for places to go, activities to try and history to read up on where I live in Sunderland.

I hope you’ve found today’s blog post useful and it’s given you plenty of ideas for relaxing activities which offer much needed screen free time. I would love to know which one is your favourite and why. And if you don’t feel like you have a space in your day to fit in any of the above, is it because your diary is genuinely completely full or is it because mindlessly scrolling is taking over your life right now?

depression, mental health, productivity, Selling on Etsy, social media, wellbeing, wellness

Monday Matters: The Hidden Costs of Staying Informed: How the News Negatively Impacts Your Stress and Anxiety levels plus other aspects of your Mental and Physical Health

Posted on Sep 4, 2023Oct 12, 2023 by Laura

Last month, I met up with a few of my close friends for lunch and a good catch up. We had a lovely afternoon and there was so much to talk about. We reminisced about old times when we all worked together, talked about our recent holidays and plans for future breaks, shared what we’d been up to over the summer (and how fast the months were flying by) and commented on how children are so different from when we were young. As is often the case when the conversation is flowing, we spent some time chatting about current affairs local and national news. Sitting there listening and very occasionally contributing to the discussion, I realised that I knew much less about most of the topics than anyone else in our group. They seemed to know every detail about a particularly harrowing subject and had formed lots of opinions about all that they had read and heard. When I returned home, I mentioned this to my husband and considered why I was much less informed. I came to the conclusion that the main reason is that I firmly believe that over-consumption of news, particularly of the negative kind, seriously impacts my mental health and so I tend to avoid watching and reading too much. Today, I’d like to share what I have learnt from my online reading on this interesting and thought-provoking topic and present some strategies for avoiding ‘doomscrolling’ and managing your news consumption in general.

The concept of ‘doomscrolling’ and issues with easy access to news media

The term ‘doomscrolling’ came into regular use during the Coronavirus pandemic and is the act of spending an excessive amount of time reading and consuming large quantities of negative news online. This, coupled with 24 hour news channels on the TV, sensationalist headlines being so easily accessible and the negativity bias of media outlets can mean that the news is seriously harming your health and wellbeing. Some of the detrimental effects include:

increased anxiety levels
difficulty concentrating, completing tasks or relaxing
worsening symptoms of depression
elevated stress levels and trouble sleeping
obsessive worry and fear
gut and stomach problems
muscle tension and pain
poor productivity levels
feelings of helplessness or paranoia

So, why do people involve themselves in ‘doomscrolling’ and excessive negative news consumption?

According to my research there are several main reasons why people engage in this kind of behaviour:

having a natural negativity bias that makes them pay more attention to bad news than good news
wanting to feel in control and prepared for potential threats in a world that seems chaotic and uncertain
being addicted to the dopamine rush that comes from getting new information, even if it is negative
because they wrongly believe that they are keeping themselves safe by doing so

What strategies can I try to prevent ‘doomscrolling’ and over consumption of negative news media?

Limit your time Set a time limit for your news consumption and stick to it
Make use of mobile apps and your phone settings Use apps or tools that block or limit your access to social media or news sites
Look for the good news Seek out positive or uplifting stories that balance out the negative ones
Consider better alternatives Choose to engage in activities that make you happy, such as hobbies, exercise, meditation, or spending time with loved ones
Seek help or support Talk to a therapist or a trusted friend if you feel overwhelmed by the news or your emotions

Final words…

I hope you’ve found today’s post thought provoking and useful. Remember, staying informed is important in terms of feeling involved, knowledgeable and connected to others and is a valuable way to learn and grow. However, taking care of yourself is of equal importance so make sure you control your news consumption rather than letting it control you!

Wishing you good health and wellness,

art, bullet journal, Bullet journaling, creativity, Planning and journaling, stamping

Setting up my bullet journal for September 2023: Arts and crafts theme. Plus tips on using stamps and ink.

Posted on Aug 30, 2023Aug 30, 2023 by Laura

This month, I debated doing an autumnal theme using my own stickers. However, I’m yet to give sticker making a go on my Cricut Joy so I’m going to save this idea until October. For September, I decided to create my pages using a range of stamps from a set I got with a craft magazine a few years ago. The images feature a range of crafting tools, many of which I use myself when I’m journalling. This is the first time I’ve used stamps in my bullet journal and I’m really pleased with how my spreads turned out. Today, as well as showing my September set up, I thought I’d also share some tips on using ink stamps effectively.

Front cover

I started my cover page by stamping September in the centre using typewriter style alphabet rubber stamps from Hobbycraft, and then adding the year underneath. I then took the larger of the stamps and added the images in pre-determined spaces. After this, I filled in with the smaller stamps. I used StazOn black ink throughout as I’ve found that this produces crisp images and doesn’t soak into the page. Following the drying time, I coloured in using the brush tip of some of my Tombow Dual Tips and also added a box around the month.

Photo credit: Laura Jones for Keeping It Creative

Calendar pages

This is my usual calendar set up for the month with the grid drawn out using a 0.3 Pigma Micron and a 0.05 for the numbers. Again, I planned where to put the larger stamps and them filled in the gaps with smaller images.

September finances record

Again, this is my usual finances record of my income and outgoings with some decoration using the same stamps set.

Weekly plan for the first week

As I have quite a few appointments, a training session and hopefully some university sessions next month, I will be creating a weekly plan as well as my usual rolling to do list. I’ve got the first one ready and will make the others as and when I need them.

Covering up a big mistake

Sometimes, even when you’ve spent a while planning a page, an ink stamp print messes up completely and can’t really be fixed. When this happens I like to use my correction mouse to cover over the printing and then find something pretty to cover the page. I found this positive message as a free download and resized it to A5. I then printed it on sticker paper and stuck it in.

TV series watched record

I’ve just completed my first TV tracker so I made a new one for the rest of the year. Not only does this serve as a reminder of what we’ve watched, it’s also good for TV series recommendations to give to others. As this is not part of my September pages, I chose a pretty floral stamp to finish things off and then coloured the images using a dusky rose colour Tombow.

Tips for using ink stamps in your Bullet Journal

Stamps are a great way to quickly decorate your bullet journal pages but they take a little getting used to. Here’s some beginner friendly tips to help you get the most out of your stamping experience:

choose good quality ink I love the StazOn ink, and although it’s more expensive, you get what you pay for and this one prints beautifully creating a thin and crisp image.
dress appropriately Stamps can be quite messy and it’s easy to get ink everywhere. I recommend putting on an old top before you start. I have several tops and pairs of leggings which I wear whilst doing any form of crafting and there are various marks and cuts on them
allow drying time When you print, the ink sits on the page and so takes a while to dry. This means you need to allow time for it to dry. If you don’t, you may smudge your images and make a mess of your page.
make sure your BuJo has thick paper If you don’t want bleed through or ghosting, I recommend only using stamps in BuJos with thicker GSM paper. My current notebook is 160 GSM and is the perfect thickness
test and practise Before I use the stamps, I always test them out on scrap paper. This gives you the chance to see if there are any areas of the image which tend to not print properly and need a little more pressure. Testing them is also a good opportunity to practise and refine your stamping skills
plan your page and stamp placement Spend some time planning out your page and where you want to put your stamps before you ink them up. Visualising your finished page before you start is the best way to create a spread you love.
ensure the whole of your stamp is covered in ink Getting your stamp fully inked but not too covered takes some practise, but after a while, you will become more confident in doing this. This is another reason why I love the black StazOn ink because the pad is firm which means you don’t end up over-coating your stamp.
place and lift your stamp carefully Again, this takes practise but you want to ensure the stamping block presses on evenly and that you remove the block slowly and precisely.
fill in any unstamped bits If there are small areas which didn’t quite print properly, use a thin fineliner to draw them in (make sure you wait for the ink to dry first!). Always make sure your pen is waterproof if you plan on colouring in the images. I use a Pigma Micron in a 0.1.
use water based pens to colour in I use Tombows to colour in my images. Again, it’s best to practise as you may find that some smudge the ink. For example, despite being water-based Zebra Mildliners are notorious for smearing.
clean your stamps Always take the time to clean your stamps and place them back on the storage sheet. This means that they won’t get lost and you have an image guide for each stamp
cover up Don’t forget to place the lid firmly on your ink to prevent it drying out.

Final words…

Thank you for taking the time to look at and read about my pages for September – I would love to know what you think of them. If you’re keen to try out ink stamping, I hope my beginner tips prove to be useful. If you have any more questions about stamping, drop them in the comments and I will try to answer them as best I can.

Wishing you all a lovely September,

lifestyle, mental health, self care, wellbeing, wildlife

Monday Matters: 5 ways to get yourself ready for Autumn 2023

Posted on Aug 20, 2023Aug 21, 2023 by Laura

Photo credit: Johannes Plenio for Unsplash

Some of us look forward to Autumn and the prospect of wearing warm clothes, spending cosy evenings in watching great TV and snuggling up with a hot drink and a good book. For others, it is less appealing, signifying fewer daylight hours and colder temperatures. However you feel about the coming months, here are five ways to get yourself ready for the season and plan some enjoyable and mood boosting activities.

Do some seasonal meal planning

In the Summer time, we tend to opt for lighter meals such as salads and juicy, fresh fruits such as watermelon, strawberries, mango, peaches, nectarines and raspberries. However, as we head into Autumn we start to crave heartier meals and warming foods such as soups, stews, pies, risottos, curries, root veggies (e.g. sweet potato, onion, turnip, leek, swede, parsnip, carrot and celeriac) plus other wholesome favourites (e.g. squashes, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbage and chard), seasonal fruits (e.g. apples, pears, cranberries, elderberries, damsons and plums) wholegrains (e.g. wholemeal pasta, brown rice, quinoa, oats, bulgur wheat and wholemeal breads) and legumes (e.g. beans, chickpeas, lentils and soybeans).

As we head towards the new season, I like to use a page in my bullet journal to make a list of warming dishes that we already enjoy and will want to make again this year. I’ll also spend some time searching recipes books and online resources such BBC Good Food, Olive Magazine, National Trust, Sainsburys Magazine and Tesco Real Food for some new ideas to try, marking pages with Post-it index tabs and sharing webpages to Notion to place in my recipes section.

Prepare your home

This year I’ve treated myself to a beautiful Autumn wreath for our front door and added to my little collection of decorative pumpkins with some small plush ones I found in Hobbycraft. I’m really looking forward to putting them on display.

As well as changing up your decor, here’s some other ways to get your home ready for the autumn season:

sort out your wardrobe and drawers -remove vest tops, shorts, cropped trousers, summer skirts and dresses, thin jackets, caps, sunhats and summer swimwear and put them into storage to make room for thicker coats, jumpers, cardigans, tights, thicker trousers, jeans, hats, scarfs and gloves. Consider donating anything which hasn’t been worn in a while.
deep clean your home – we often associate spring with the time to clean but the autumn season is ideal too. Search ‘fall deep cleaning checklist’ on Pinterest for comprehensive lists of what to tackle.
swap your thin summer duvet for a slightly thicker one and layer with a blanket at the bottom of the bed or place on a chair for chillier nights.
add layers of soft furnishings such as throws and blankets to your sofa and chairs. You might also like to transform your space with new cushion covers in autumnal colours such as deep oranges, rich reds, golden browns, plum tones, muddy greens and mustard yellow.
treat yourself to a new home fragrance such as a candle, reed diffuser, pot pourri or air freshener. Popular scents for autumn include cinnamon, apple, amber, pine, cedarwood and spiced pumpkin.

Go outside

As temperatures start to drop and it gets a bit wet out there, it can be tempting to stay indoors, but Autumn is a beautiful time of year and, as long as you dress appropriately for the weather ( e.g. layers, waterproof coat, wellies, comfortable shoes or boots etc.) nothing beats a wonderful, mindful walk, appreciating all that nature has to offer.

My husband and I try to plan to go somewhere different each weekend, choosing a scenic location such as a forest, park, garden or woodland where we can completely immerse ourselves in the atmosphere. Here’s a few suggestions for making the most of your time outdoors:

use all of your senses to really appreciate the environment you’re in, pause regularly to notice the sights, sounds, smells, textures and maybe even tastes if you take a warm drink or a snack with you!
take your camera along to record some of your nature spots such as trees changing colour, different types of fungi, squirrels collecting nuts, the sun peeping through the branches of a tree, moss and lichen, fallen leaves on the ground, flowing water, nuts and berries, different views etc
collect autumn things such as acorns, conkers, different shapes, sizes and colours of leaves, pine cones, sycamore seeds, feathers etc
find a place to rest (preferably somewhere quiet and peaceful to sit or stand depending on the weather), take a few deeper, calming breathes before closing your eyes to. Take time to really appreciate the various sounds of nature, bodily sensations such as the sun, wind or rain on your face or the feel of your clothes against you skin and how you are feeling right now
when you get home, try doing some reflective journalling about today’s walk and how you feel about the Autumn season – the things you love and the things you don’t

Make the most of the light

As well as scheduling in time for walks in nature, try to find other ways of soaking up as much of the autumn light as you can. This might mean slightly changing your routine and going to bed a little earlier so you can enjoy the morning sunshine, taking your lunch outside or going for a short mid-day walk, moving your chair or workspace to a sunny spot in your home or using mirrors to reflect sunlight from your windows.

Autumn is also the best season to watch beautiful sunrises and see spectacular and vivid sunsets. Plus, there are many physical and mental health benefits including better sleep, improved immune system, stress reduction, boosted mood, appetite regulation, feelings of gratitude and the chance to slow down and focus on the here and now.

Make an Autumn bucket list

This is something I did in my bullet journal a good few years ago now and it’s something I’m going to create again this year to make sure I get the most out of the season. Some ideas to add off the top of my head include:

photograph signs of autumn e.g. changing leaves, squirrels storing nuts for the winter, fungi in the woods, crunchy fallen leaves, squashes appearing in the supermarket
go on a woodland walk
buy or make a piece of Autumn décor for your home
visit a pumpkin patch (book early as it’s a popular activity)
learn more about the science of leaves changing colour
do an Autumn craft – I plan to make an Autumn leaf garland using cardstock and my Cricut Joy and hope to create some Autumn ephemera for my TN journal too
develop a collection of squash recipes and try out at least two of them

Final words…

I hope you’ve found today’s post useful and it has given you some ideas on how to prepare for the changing season. If you have a tendency to feel anxious or down about the advent of autumn, maybe it’s time to work on reframing your outlook and start thinking about all the things there are to look forward to like beautiful walks in nature, wonderful wildlife to spot such as squirrels collecting nuts, noisy, honking geese in a large v in the sky heading south, new arrivals to the UK including fieldfares, redwings and waxwings, plus waterbirds like barnacle geese, water pipits, pochards and pintails, starling murmurations and rutting deer, wearing warm clothes and snuggling up under blankets, creating a cosy atmosphere in your home, eating comfort foods like soups, stews, crumbles and pies, plus lots of gripping TV dramas to binge watch.

Wishing you all a fantastic and fun-filled Autumn season,

crafting, creativity, lifestyle

My new crafting tool – the Cricut Joy: first impressions and trying beginner projects

Posted on Aug 17, 2023Aug 17, 2023 by Laura

I’d been wanting a cutting machine for ages and always spent time looking at them during each visit to Hobbycraft. However, both the cutter itself and the materials seemed very expensive and I wondered whether it would become extremely costly. I primarily wanted to use it for making customised stickers to go in my bullet journal and to create die cuts, shapes and stencils for my traveler’s notebook journalling and figured that I could do this instead of buying things online.

When my husband asked me what I would like for my birthday, I mentioned the Cricut Joy and the starter kit I’d seen online. Again, we talked about cost but I decided I really wanted to get one so we searched for the best deal and my husband made the purchase. I set my machine up just over a week ago and I absolutely love it. I’ve also become somewhat addicted to watching YouTube videos showing beginner friendly projects too!

Today, I thought I’d share my initial impressions of my Cricut Joy and what I’ve learnt so far. I’ve already bought a few more items from Amazon – two more insert card sets, a longer standard grip mat and I put my £5 off at Hobbycraft birthday voucher towards a tool set (spatula and scraping tool) which I feel is an essential having done a few projects. I also bought another set of 5 permanent vinyl pieces which is known as the ‘Beachside Sampler’ and contains tulip pink, mint, teal, coral and tangerine colours.

What is the Cricut Joy?

The Cricut Joy is a small cutting, drawing and writing machine that can be used to create a range of personalised items such as greetings cards, labels, decals, stickers, iron on designs for fabric, paper flowers and much more. You can work with a range of materials including cardstock, smart vinyl, paper, infusible ink, faux leather and faux suede, adhesive backed paper, iron on vinyl and foil.

First impressions

The Cricut Joy is the first cutting machine I’ve owned and was the cheapest and smallest option so I felt it was a good one for me to try as a beginner. The Joy itself is super compact and so it doesn’t take up much storage space in my craft room which is a big bonus for me. It’s also fairly light (although heavier than I thought it would be for its size) and portable, so would be good for crafting on the go.

The machine itself comes with the cord, power pack and plug. You also get a welcome envelope which includes a weblink for setting up your Joy and downloading Design Space. The package also contains one standard grip cutting mat, a sample of vinyl and a piece of deluxe paper, plus one 0.4 black pen which can be used in place of the cutting blade. The instructions are very straightforward and easy to follow and I was good to go after just a few minutes and I’d created a vinyl label and a speech bubble message with the card . I was pleased that I chose the starter kit as it included a set of insert cards (plus the mat required for cutting them), a weeding tool for removing bits of paper from the cut work, a set of 5 permanent smart vinyl pieces, some transfer tape for easier aligning of designs on your products and a small set of three 0.4 pens for use in the machine. Without buying the extra bits and pieces you wouldn’t really be ready to do any projects with your new toy unless you used cardstock you already had!

The Cricut Joy connects to your computer, tablet or phone using bluetooth and everything is done through the Cricut Design Space app. There are no buttons on the machine and as soon as you plug the Joy in the light comes on to show it’s ready to use. Having downloaded the Design Space App, I spent a few minutes looking through a range of different designs, fonts and projects. I learnt pretty quickly that if you want to make good use of your machine and use a range of designs, font and even 3D projects, you really need Cricut Access which is free for the first month and then costs £7.49 a month or £71.88 a year until cancelled. You can purchase designs separately which would be best for a light user but as I intend to use my machine regularly, I’ve opted to pay monthly.

Making insert cards

Making cards is super easy and there are so many designs to choose from. The first one I made was a thank you card for my husband in which I wrote about how much I loved both of my birthdat presents – The Cricut Joy and a simple DIY bat detector for use in our back garden where we see a small number of the cute, little creatures collecting moths at dusk.

I also made my friend a birthday card using the cream set with matte gold inserts. Unfortunately, it was a last minute thing and I forgot to take a photograph of the finished project.

Personalising my water bottles

I thought a good, beginner friendly vinyl project would be to personalise the water bottles I have for the gym and on my craft room desk. I decided to put my name on my gym bottle and then add the word hydrate on my glass container. Unfortunately, when I examined them both, the plastic one had a small crack in it (probably from rolling off the passenger seat in my car) and some of the iridescent effect on the glass one had worn off so I ended up replacing them (yet more expense but I wanted them to look good when I’d finished them.

I chose a simple font for my name and decided upon silver vinyl. The Cricut Ioy was quick to cut the text out and my weeding tool was useful for removing the middle from the a letters.

For my glass bottle, I chose a lovely peachy colour vinyl and a cursive font. However, you’ll notice that the finished item has mint vinyl on it, and that’s because the peachy vinyl got torn when I was removing the excess where the thinner parts and flourishes were. I was really disappointed as I didn’t have enough material to try again, but I’ve learned that you need to be super careful when peeling away the surrounding vinyl. I also had issues with getting the word firmly stuck to the transfer tape and had to repeatedly go over bits of it with the scraper tool.

I’m thrilled with how they both turned out, and I couldn’t wait to photograph them and share them both with you. I wonder if anyone will notice my personalised gym water bottle when I go to Pilates tomorrow?

Creating stickers i.e. what I mainly wanted my cutting machine for

At the beginning of today’s post, I mentioned that one of my main reasons for wanting a cutting machine was so that I could make stickers for my BuJo and travellers notebook journals. However, I’ve since discovered that the Cricut Joy does not support print and cut like the larger cutting machines do. There are quite a few videos on YouTube which share a hack for it but it looks like quite a lengthy process so I wanted to wait until I had more time and had become more familiar with the design software. I’ll probably share another post when I’ve got to grips with what you have to do.

Final words…

I hope today’s post has been useful for anyone who is tempted to buy a cutting machine for their crafting. Even if you’re not a craftaholic like me, hopefully you enjoyed seeing my designs. I’m really loving my Cricut Joy so far and exploring what it can do. I’m looking forward to trying out lots more projects and techniques in the near future.