Tried and Tested Tip Number 31 [Origami Dress]

When I first saw this origami dress over at Forty Weeks and Then Some I knew I had to give it a try, and I thought it would be perfect for a friend's birthday card! The tutorial is over at Inklings and Yarns, and whilst there are lots of steps it was pretty easy to follow and I love the result!

I embellished the dress with a floral sequin and some good ol' glitter glue, and attached it to my card background - I used different types of paper in complementary colours and patterns to reflect the angular qualities of the dress. I love how the dress is "poofy" - it's so full of character!

So yes, I really recommend Inklings and Yarns tutorial for this dress, it came out perfect on my first attempt, and I can see it on many more cards in the future!

Tried and Tested Tip Number 4 [Heart Envelopes]

I think this is such a cute idea! As soon as I saw it I knew I just had to try it - making simple envelopes out of heart shapes!

Image and tutorial by Forty Weeks

Whenever I make a template I place it in a specific folder so that it's ready if I ever need it again... Thankfully when I decided late the other night to give this a try, I had a heart shape I'd made a while ago just waiting to be used!

I cut it out of wrapping paper to match the presents it was to go with, and a few simple folds later...

I had my envelope! So easy, so simple, and from a blog full of great crafting ideas! I held it closed with a small sticker, so that when opened it could be unfolded to see the heart.

If you're finding it difficult to make a perfect heart, try just drawing half on a folded piece of paper and cutting it out - then both sides will be symmetrical :) If you're still struggling, a simple Google search should help you on your way!