Friday, 6 September 2013

IDEAL GEMS!!!

Ideal Gems - Henna Artist | Personalised Gifts | Islamic Canvases

 

So me and my dearest friend and cousin Shamima Begum decided to start our own little business. We are by no means 'entrepreneurs' neither do we have 'entrepreneurial skills' but we realised we had talent, and wanted to share it with everyone. (Vain, I know LOL)
 
Help us out by visiting our pages on Facebook and Instagram, who knows, you might like what you see ;) We both do a bit of everything, we have provided pictures on both sites with the person who created the piece, so if you want a particular design or style then you can suggest which craftsperson you want, so either me or Shamima. Or if you really don't mind, then either one of us will tackle the job :)
 
We are both fairly creative individuals, but more than anything we just love doing anything 'artsy' and really appreciate seeing things that 'WOW' us. Feel free to share any of your ideas with us, we'd love to see what you talented people have got in store. All details of how to contact us are up on both sites. But seeing as I'm feeling pretty 'chuffed' today I'll link everything down below ;)
 
ENJOY!!!
 
Facebook: Ideal Gems
Instagram: @ideal_gems
 

 
 


Sunday, 1 September 2013

Travel Essentials!

It's that time of year again, SUMMER!!!
Well, technically summer is just about over but that isn't stopping people from going on holiday. Whether your coming back or even going on a well earned holiday, one thing you would have got are your top travel essentials. You know.. those things you find cramming into your bag at the last minute because you know your journey would be incomplete without them.

I'm not really flying abroad to an exotic country, just off for a 3 to 4 hour journey or so to Kent and the colourful land of Essex. I found myself in the middle of putting a lot of products in my bag and realising that they are my staples on any occasion. So, I thought I would share that with you lovely people.. Enjoy!!!

Here are my travel essentials...

1) Whenever your out of the comfort of your own home and find yourself staying over somewhere, the one thing that always bugs me is having to wash my face the next morning with random face washes that I find in the bathroom. I tend to take my own face scrub so that my face gets the same therapy that it would get when its at home; because that is when my face is at it's happiest :)

 

 2) I also take my facial gel wash with me, if I have space in my bag that is. If not, then this baby stays at home but I later regret it. ALWAYS! Same with my cleanser and toner, I'll take it with me if I have massive amounts of space left in my bag or if I'm staying more than three days anywhere.




3) During the journey to wherever I am going I ALWAYS and I mean ALWAYS take any sort of lip balm with me. My lips have a severe case of annoyinglydryallthetime syndrome, and until now I was always a Vaseline type of G'al but I've found myself exploring the different types of lip care.



4) In order to smell good either at the place your staying or during the journey. The last thing you want is a stranger sitting next to you on the train and being able to smell what you had for breakfast. Again, if I have a fair amount of space available then I would opt for any of my favourite perfumes whereas if space is limited then I would switch to sample size bottles. They are very small and extremely adorable so they could slip into any corner of your bag or luggage and if you can't find these sample versions or even the roll on types then you could just as easily buy empty spray nozzle bottles and pour some of your perfume into it.






5) Hand cream is essential, mainly for the journey. Whenever I'm on trains I can't help but notice how dry my hands get. I most of the time use my Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream.



6) Keep makeup minimal. I do take makeup with me just in case I want to make myself look presentable but I only ever take one lip product, or if I'm away for a month let's say, then I would take two or three lip products. I also often take one of each colour so the colours are different that way I'm not taking two of the same colour for no reason. I don't see the need in taking eyeliner and mascara and all the other jazz because I feel like once I've applied a pop of colour on my lips then it automatically makes it look like you've put makeup on.




7) In case of a party or an event I sometimes take a little foundation with me aswell. I always end up putting the foundation into little sample size pots; this one my lovely friend gave me :) Thanks Hana! If your someone who needs a fair amount of foundation then it would probably be wise to take the whole bottle with you, but for me I don't really ever wear much foundation so a pea size amount works wonders on me!





8) Don't forget your little snacks for the journey! I can't live without snacking on journeys, even if the journey is only 2 hours or so, I always feel the need to munch on little snacks. The only dentally approved gum that I like is the Extra White Bubblemint flavour and the strawberry flavour. All the others, I find way too overpowering or just plain boring. If I could, I would of course go for the really sugary and sour chewing gums like Hubba Bubba, but I have to control myself. *slaps wrist*


9) Water is a must have! You need to stay hydrated at all times, besides, you need something to wash down all those cheeky little snacks ;)

Sunday, 21 July 2013

Shabby up your room!!

For a person that loves all things vintage, quirky, cute and arty; I would say when it comes to decorating a room I am quite specific. Whether it be a living, dining or bedroom I like to 'pimp up my crib' to suit my personality. I wouldn't say I have the BEST bedroom, but I love the fact its my own space which I have had a heavy input in.
 
Recently what has caught my eye is the little details that make a big difference in a room. I always thought it was about the colour of paint or the right wallpaper that made a room... a room.
To my surprise I realized that it was all about the little candles, little baskets, ornaments that really showed off your personality within the room.
 
So basically, I went all out trying to decorate as much as I could by myself that way it would have me all stamped over it.
 
One of the things that I was eager to give a go are 'hanging hearts'











 I think there so cute and you could hang them anywhere, on a door knob, on the curtain pole.
 
QUICK AND EASY WAY TO MAKE YOUR OWN HANGING HEART!!
 
Step 1) Choose your material
 
Choose any material that you would think works best, I think shabby chic fabric is by far the best. The floral print work against the polkadots and stripes is just so cute.
I opted for a white plain fabric just so that's easier for you lot to see what I'm doing
 
Step 2) Fold fabric and draw a heart
 


 
 If you wanted to, you could of used a heart template, placing it on the fabric and cutting around it. I just drew straight onto the fabric, all the pen lines will be hidden away afterwards.
 
Step 3) Cut around the heart
 
 
You'll find that you will end up with two identical hearts, don't chuck away the scrap material, you'll need it later.
 
Step 4) Stitch the two hearts together
 
The stitching could be any type of stitch you want, as long as both the hearts are securely fastened together.
REMEMBER! Don't stitch all the way around the hearts, leave a gap somewhere, preferably at the top because you'll need to turn the hearts inside out and stuff the heart.
 

 
 
Step 5) Stuff the heart
 

In order to stuff the heart you could buy foam padding or even just wool from any arts and craft shop. However, if you don't have any which unfortunately I didn't, then using the scrap material you had left over cut lots of little squares, strips you name it. This is what you'll use to stuff your heart. After you have finished stuffing your heart (fabric heart that is, not the real thing) carry on stitching up that little gap you left, so that no padding falls out.
 
Step 6) Decorate!!!!
 
 
Decorate with any little bits and bobs you have. Remember the more handmade it looks, the better! Definitely use ribbon so that you can hang it somewhere
 
FINISHED!!!! Hang it anywhere or even have it on a shelf somewhere. Sit back and enjoy looking at your own work :)