Tea Staining Paper

As far as I'm concerned you cannot beat a paper based craft especially one which uses bog-standard white printer paper. Anything you've got knocking about would do really including lined paper, junk mail, old letters etc. I've photocopied some handwriting on to an A3 sheet of white paper and this looks really effective.

It really couldn't be more simple.
1. Add a teabag to a small bowl of boiling water and brew for ages, the longer you brew the darker your stain. I allowed it to brew until the tea bag was cool enough for me to handle.

2. Squeeze the teabag out directly onto the paper allowing the tea to pool and rub it all over the paper using the teabag or, if you're doing a lot of staining, some cotton wool. (The teabag bursts after about four sheets)

3. An Aga is perfect for drying your paper on but if, like me, you're not blessed with such a beast then a hair dryer is very effective. On a hot day you could peg your paper to the washing line which would look interesting and your neighbours would think you've gone mad but 'hey ho'. Hanging up wet stained paper creates a drippy effect which is quite fun.

4. Make something lovely with it. You could cover a box, make a book cover. tear it up to use for scrapbooking or ...make a flower.

A Cut Paper Paradise Part 1

I blame my current paper obsession on Sarah Morpeth and her wondrous works of papery art. Mr Wild Ink bought me one of her 'hedgerow' Pamphlet books for christmas and I can't stop gazing at it. I'm quite fussy and hard to please when it comes to such things yet all the subtle little cuts and shapes are a joy to behold.

I've found her website really inspiring with cut and folded books which literally look like they are exploding with foliage and wildlife. I realise, being an arty bod, that Sarah's work is thoughtful and conceptual on many levels and she clearly takes inspiration from lots of sources. I particularly like her works influenced by the natural world and, concepts aside, they are visually very impressive.

Old Brown Paper Lust

Love it. Gorgeous and a simple bit of recycling.See decor8

A picture from my garden

Outside our back door is a shelf made from an oak beam. It's mounted onto some beautiful, weathered, iron brackets and there are lots of interesting treasures to be found there. It seems to be fasinating to both adults and children alike. The adults are always drawn to the the old advertising signage and general junk. Part of the appeal to them, I think, is that they probably live in a very tidy house which doesn't have a load of old rubbish hanging outside the back door! Children like the huge shells and pebbles and are instantly drawn to the animal skulls which we found when we moved into the property. There is a badger, deer and rabbit...complete with teeth! yuk! The Big Boy loves showing them to his friends.
The little square piece of slate with a letter 'G' was my first cut letter. I drew it and carved it for my husband. It's quite wobbly close up but doesn't look too bad in the picture.