{studio sunday} Shimelle in London

Good morning Sunday!  I just love looking at other people’s studios, because they can be so inspiring!  I appreciate that everyone has their own space that works best for them and they are all unique.  Some are small and some are big, some are organized and some are chaotic, but all are great.  That’s why I decided to start {studio sunday}.  I want to have a whole collection of different spaces to inspire others and perhaps give you ideas on making your studio space more exciting! If you would like to take some photos of your studio/workstation, please do and send them to us at info {at} chickiedee.com!

This week for {studio sunday} we’re taking a peek into Shimelle’s workspace.  Shimelle lives and works in London for ScrapBook Inspirations Magazine and she also designs for Banana Frog Stamps and Two Peas in a Bucket. Scroll down for a little Q&A with her.

1.  What got you into scrapbooking?
I discovered scrapbooking by complete accident in 1998 — a million years ago it seems!  I was performing in a play about a family of women who keep an album of news clippings and photos, even when the clippings were tragic things.  As a cast, we wanted to make a photo album about the play as a gift for our director, but none of us knew about scrapbooking at all.  We went to a discount store to find a cheap photo album we could dress up with Crayola pens and such and instead found one of those kits that has a binder, page protectors, a few pieces of paper and stickers and a template or two.  We made that album in our dressing rooms backstage and by the end of the play, I’d discovered the scrapbooking aisle at a nearby craft store and was totally in awe — and totally aware of how I had just broken every rule in making that first album!  I’ve been scrapbooking ever since.

2.  Where is your studio? (In your home or somewhere else?)
My studio is a room in our home – we live in a postwar flat in London and it has a room that works just perfectly for me.

3.  How many hours per week would you say that you spend in your studio?
This is my full-time job so I’m here a great deal.  My desk and computer are just out of sight in these pictures, and it varies week to week whether I spend more time at my crafting desk or my computer desk.  Between the two I am in this room at least fifty hours a week, so it has to be a space I love!

4.  What’s your favorite part of your studio?
This may be very cliched, but it’s the window.  We’ve lived here about three years and prior to that we had only very small windows in every room.  Everything was very beige-toned from the lack of sunlight.  Here the light is relatively light even on a grey London day, and that helps a great deal!  The view is very peaceful and quiet as it’s not open to any streets so if I need to pretend I live in the countryside rather than a big city, I can!  We built the work desk out of kitchen units to stand alone in the middle of the room so when I am working I am standing up and constantly looking through that window.  There is always something I wish I could change about this space but the window is just perfect.

Thanks so much Shimelle, we loved taking a peek inside your studio!  {Images via Shimelle}

sweet little letterpress

I saw this little Deer letterpress card and instantly fell in love.  It’s so cute that I thought I would share with you… Oh! And you can find it at Etsy.

{Humpday Tutorial} DIY Candy Bar Wrappers

I just love this DIY Candy Bar Wrapper idea, because this would be a great way to celebrate any event!  For example, you could make your own candy wrappers for your wedding favors, bridal shower favors, baby shower favors, birthday favors, ect.  As you may already know, my niece was born yesterday, and I think this would be a fabulous way to celebrate her birth.  Perhaps I will make some wrappers with her name on them and hand them out to the family when I see them!  Sooo cute!

The full instructions and downloadable templates are found at the old Creature Comforts site here!  Let me know what you plan to do with these!

{{Things I Adore}} Vol.5

{source}  I just love the all white theme here; its just so clean! Visit Whitney Smith Pottery for more colors.

{source}  Sweet little frog.

{source}  Melting Table… I want one!

{source}  This beautiful painting by Kelly Vivanco.

{source}  Protecting our earths creatures… too cute!

{source}  The foodpod is a great way to cook with style.

{source} Porthole Bath Tub

{source}  Great way to hang your keys…

{source}  Natures amazing beauty…

{source}  More ways to be Green with newspaper… Amazing! Yes, that’s newspaper thread…

Lined With Sweetness…

Cupcake liners are really something these days, because you not only have different colors to choose from, but different prints as well! These are a few that I really like, enjoy!

The Environmentally Friendly Baking Cups (brown) can be found at If You Care.
All of the printed liners can be found at Bake It Pretty.

{{Things I Adore}} Vol.4

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{Humpday Tutorial} Paper Roses

This has to be the easiest way to make paper roses that I’ve ever found!  In just a few easy steps, you’ll have these beauties all over!  And trust me, once you start, you won’t be able to stop!  They would be great for Valentine’s Day and you can make rose garland for a party!  Enjoy!

Flaunt like a Peacock…

I just love peacock feathers and their colors!  Every year I go with my family to the Indian Market and I buy a new peacock feather.  I’m going today actually!  I have so many feathers and don’t know what to do with them.  Maybe I can take a few pointers from the fabulous items below! Oh, and the lady that I buy the feathers from has a peacock farm, if you will, and she just raises them for fun because she loves them.  All of the feathers were collected once they fell off of the males, they were not plucked!  Ouch!  So, no peacocks were harmed.

Click on the images to see where I found them!

Humpday Tutorial {Magazine Pages to Bows}

I stumbled across this today and instantly fell in love with it! How  About Orange shares an easy-to-follow tutorial on how to make these fabulous bows out of magazine pages!  Talk about upcycling for sure!  I love seeing how creative people can be, especially when they reuse materials to create something new and exciting.  You have to check out the full tutorial and make some today!

Check out more great projects here!

Humpday Tutorial {Recycle: Yarn Gift Tag}

Isn’t this such a cute idea?!  A Little Hut was kind enough to share a great tutorial with beautiful images so you can do this at home!  I think it’s a great way for you to recycle and show off your creative skills all at once.  The best part, is that a beginner or an expert can enjoy doing this project.  Hey, it would be great for the kids!  This is not just for the Holidays either, you can change the colors and even use ribbon for Birthday, anniversary, wedding, and baby shower gifts! Check out the full tutorial here.

Image via A Little Hut