Artline Monday - World Meditation Day

Tomorrow is World Meditation Day, a time to focus on yourself and your wellbeing.  I have been thinking about ways I can unwind recently so when I discovered this day it felt a little serendipitous!  I am definitely going to give it a go tomorrow and if it helps me it might become part of my daily routine!

World meditation day - created with Artline pens

The best way to celebrate this day is by making an effort to relax and clear your mind, whether that is by finding a quiet spot and sitting there while you try to calm the thoughts whizzing around your brain or by doing some yoga or other physical activity that helps you find peace.

If you can, take some time tomorrow and find a place where you feel at ease and relaxed.  This could be outside in your garden or somewhere with a nice view or you could sit in your lounge or lay on your bed.  Then get into a comfortable position, close your eyes and focus on your breathing, slow your breathing right down, inhale for 7 seconds, hold it for 5 seconds and then exhale for 7 seconds.  Try to let go of all your thoughts and clear your mind.  Even if you don't master the art of mediation straight away you should feel more relaxed and less tense after you have spent some quiet time focusing on yourself and your breathing. 


Do you already meditate or are you thinking about giving it a go?  I'd love to know!

Artline Monday - Birthday tracker for your bullet journal

It feels like it has been a while since we have done any kind of bullet journal spread so I thought I'd show you a nice and easy birthday tracker today.

Birthday tracker

I know you can add birthdays to your monthly log but if you have a place to record all the birthdays together it is easier to plan ahead for buying cards, presents and arranging celebrations too.

I started off by writing "birthdays" across two pages of my bullet journal with a Supreme brush marker, in magenta if you are trying to place the colour, and then drew six boxes with pink and magenta Artline 200 fineliners.  I halved the boxes so I had space for all twelve months and the wrote the first three letters of each month at the top of these sections.

To make things look a little more interesting I added backgrounds to the boxes by drawing a second shape behind them, either a little bit higher than the first box or a little lower and then drew diagonal stripes across them.

I also doodled a little banner on the right hand page and wrote "celebrate" inside it and then added a flora sticker in a small space I had left over.  

Now all that is left to do is for me to fill in the birthdays of all my friends and family!

I have written quite a few bullet journal posts over the last two years, including how to set up your own journal if you wanted to get started.  You can find all my previous post here if you are looking for some more inspiration.

Thanks for stopping by!

Send a letter day with Artline

Today is the last day of National Stationery Week, it's send a letter day and the Sunday before a Bank Holiday, how perfect!  

If you've been here before you might know that I love to decorate the envelopes of any cards or letters I send so they cheer someone up before they have even opened them.  I had an idea about a vintage style letter and envelope the other week so I thought I would give it a go and show you how to make your own.

Writing paper, envelope and Artline pens

You will need:

• Writing paper and an envelope
• A used tea bag
• A little bit of coffee
• Artline Supreme brush markers in brown or dark brown
• Artline fineliners in brown and dark brown

Ageing the envelope

I started by adding some colour to my white envelope with a cooled, used tea bag.  Make sure you squeeze out most of the excess water before you start as you don't want to soak the paper!

You can cover the whole envelope in tea or just sections of it, get started and see how you like it.

Adding teacup stains

The next thing I did was add a splash of hot water to a teaspoon of instant coffee powder and stirred it.  Then I dipped the bottom of my teacup into the super strong coffee mix and added some ring stains to a couple of corners on the envelope.

Distressed with stains and splashes

I also added a few splashes with the coffee and then I dried the whole thing out with my hairdryer.  I could have left it to dry on it's own but I was eager to continue!

Adding some doodles

Once the envelope was dry I doodled a little birdcage in one of the corners with my brown fineliner. 

Drawing a butterfly

Next I added a butterfly in the top left corner.  I used a dark brown fineliner for this as I think pairing two different shades looks more interesting that doing it all in the same colour.  I also drew an old fashion style key on the flap of the envelope.

Addressing my letter

I addressed the envelope with my Supreme brush marker and then use a sticker that looked like a vintage stamp.  I placed it next to the spot where I will add my real postage stamp so I wont need to hand deliver it.

My writing paper has vintage style Alice in Wonderland illustrations on it so I think it already goes well with my newly decorated envelope but if your paper is just plain white then you could repeat the process to make a matching stationery set!

Now I am ready to start writing my letter, I'm going to sit down with a nice cup of coffee and drink it this time instead of using it as part of my craft!

Will you be sending anyone a letter today?

World Stationery Day with Artline

Happy World Stationery Day!  I think today is always my favourite day of National Stationery Week because absolutely anyone, anywhere in the world can join in with the celebrations!  If you are looking for ways to join in with the fun today you can try some of these ideas!

Ways to celebrate World Stationery Day - created with Artline pens

Send a letter

You could send a letter or card to a friend today or write a love note or message for someone special to find!

Write in your journal

Don't have a journal?  Start one today!  Already use a journal?  Great!  Spend some time recording your thoughts and feelings!

Make a wishlist

What shiny new stationery do you need (or want!)?  Make a list of all the things you have been dreaming about!  Also check out all the new Artline products here!

Get creative

Break out your paints and brushes, find your colouring books and pens, grab your sketchbook and pencils, today is the day to do something you love!

Treat yourself

Buy something off your wishlist!  There can't be a better time than World Stationery Day to treat yourself to some lovely new bit and pieces!

Share your favourites online

Get online today and tell people about your favourite pens, pencils & paper etc!  Use the hashtags #worldstationeryday, #natstatweek, #nationalstationeryweek, #stationerylove and #stationeryaddict to find other stationery fans to talk to.  You might discover something new to add to your wishlist and you could inspire someone else to try one of your favourites!

I hope you have a great day and enjoy the rest of National Stationery Week!

Artline Tuesday - English Language Day

Today is English Language Day, a day to reflect on the all the things we love about our language and celebrate the written and spoken word.  I thought the best way I could do this would be to select some of my favourite quotes written by British authors and create a spread in my journal to mark the occasion!

Celebrating English Language Day

It feels like it has been ages since I have done any lettering so I dug out my Supreme brush markers and Artline 200 fineliners and started creating my pages.  For the title and date I used a blue fineliner to write the letters and numbers first.  Then I went back over the down strokes with my brush marker in the same colour blue ink to make them look thicker.  Doing the lettering this way was a good way to easy myself back into it as I haven't done any calligraphy practice for a while now and I'm definitely a bit rusty!

If you are just getting started with hand lettering this technique will give your writing the look of calligraphy while you are still learning all the strokes and what pressure to use for them.

Some of my favourite quotes by British authors

My second page is dominated with a quote from JRR Tolkien, I used the same trick to create this with my brush marker and matching fineliner and I'm really happy with how it turned out!

I decided to add a few doodles to the pages before I filled in the remaining space with lots and lots of quotes.  Some of them are from my favourite books and some I found while researching British authors.  I used lots of my fineliners to write the quotes and add some extra colour, I also wrote some of them in different directions to make the whole thing look a little more interesting.

My full spread celebrating the English Language

Have you heard of English Language Day before?  Will you be doing anything to celebrate today?

Thanks for stopping by!

Artline Monday - International Scrapbooking Day

Today is International Scrapbooking Day so it's the perfect time to get crafty and creative while recording your memories!  

Scrapbook and pens

It has been years since I have done any scrapbook projects but knowing this day was coming up I felt inspired to get started again!  I don't have any special kits anymore but I do have plenty of papers and embellishments like tags, note cards, twine and washi tape so I decided to use these to make my first spread. 

Making heart decorations

I wanted to make some decorations using my Artline pens so I sorted out some different kinds of paper and a stencil.  I drew heart shapes onto linen card, watercolour paper and on a page out of an old book and then coloured them in using my Supreme highlighters and brush markers.

Blending the inks

Then I used a wet paint brush to blend and lighten the inks.

Watercolour hearts

Hearts on a page from a book

Once the papers had dried completely I cut them out carefully and then it was time to make my spread.

My heart embellishments

I started by adding strips of washi tape to my pages and then glued in a photo, some of the hearts and a note card for me to record my memories on.

Starting to decorate my pages

I used my brush marker to write Family on a little yellow tag and tied some matching twine to it before I glued it into place.

Family tag with matching twine

Then I arranged the rest of my hearts around the pages until I was happy with how it looked and glued them down too.

One side of my scrapbook spread

I love how each set of hearts have turned out differently depending on which kind of paper or card I used to make them.  I think the watercolour ones are my favourites but they all add a nice splash of colour to my layout.

The finished design

Are you an avid scrapbooker?  Do you have any hints or tips for me as I fill in this new book, please let me know!  

If you've never done any kind of scrapbooking do you fancy giving it a go?

See you next time!

Artline Monday - Self care ideas

January is a great time to get into some new good habits and indulging in some self care is definitely on the list of things I want to do more regularly this year.  I realised at the end of last year that I hadn't really been looking after myself or taking the time to do the things I enjoy so I decided to change that in 2019.  If you feel like you have been neglecting yourself a little then I have some easy and inexpensive ideas for you to try!

Self care ideas - created with Artline pens

If you are super busy then it can be hard to find the time to look after yourself and recharge your batteries but if you can squeeze in one of these activities once a week or even better daily then they should help you feel a little more pampered or refreshed.

Relax and unwind

Have a shower or bath

Whichever you prefer or can fit into your day, use a squirt of your favourite shower gel and wash your worries away!

Movie night

When was the last time you sat through a whole film without keeping one eye on your phone and scrolling through Facebook or other social media?  Grab some snacks, put your mobile out of reach, turn off the lights and pop on a film.  

Music

Play your favourite song or album, sing and dance along if the mood takes you.  There's nothing like escaping into music to bring a smile to your face.

Be kind to yourself

Read

Discover a new book or revisit an old favourite, take the time to sit and devour a chapter or two.  A good book is like a mini holiday if it sweeps you away to a different world or life.

Take a nap

Honestly naps are the best! Twenty minutes or half an hour curled up on the sofa is my ultimate treat.

Enjoy your favourite hot drink

Grab a cup or giant mug of your favourite hot drink, sit down, sip slowly and relax, warm your hands and your soul.  

Get warm and cosy

This is just for the next few months while it is still pretty cold outside, invest in a pair of think, warm socks to keep your feet nice and toasty and wrap yourself in a jumper or cardigan to chase away the chill of winter!  If you are at home you can add a blanket around your shoulders or a dressing gown, bonus points for a hot water bottle too!

I used lots of Artline products to create this spread including fineliners, metallic markers and Stix drawing and brush pens, lettering and doodling are another couple of things I like to do during my "me time" so this was a fun way to spend my morning!  

If you would like some more ideas to help you relax or battle through the rest of January then you can read my Ways to relax and January motivation posts for a bit of inspiration. If you fancy taking up a new hobby then check this post out for some ideas as well.

Artline Monday - How to start planning

So it’s a brand new year and the perfect time to get organised!  If you got a lovely new planner for Christmas or treated yourself in the sales then I have some tips for you today to help you get started on your planning journey.

My planning tips - created with Artline pens

No matter what kind of planner you use the basics of planning are the same: 

• Write down any important dates and reminders 
• Take time to check and use your planner daily 
• Follow through with your plans (it's no good writing things down & then not doing them)
• Utilise to do lists 
• Colour code

For this post I will be showing you how I plan my month but you can also use these tips for planning your week or day too.  

A blank month ready to be filled in

The very first thing I do is decide what colours I am going to use for my colour coding, having a set colour for certain things means it is easy to spot the information I need even when there are a lot of notes on my pages.  

For January I am using dark blue for birthdays, light blue for my children, royal blue for my blog, grey for me, black for my husband and a blue highlighter for any bills or payments I need to make.  I made a note of this in the long, thin box down the right hand side of my page but as the month goes on I usually remember what each colour is for anyway.  Then it was time to fill in the month with my important dates and reminders.  

All my dates and reminders

I also add any money that will be coming out of my account by drawing a thick line with my highlighter and writing over it which bill it is for.

Adding bills & payments with a Supreme highlighter

I like to use a little bit of space to write down my goals for the month (or week or day depending on what I am planning) so I used a Supreme brush marker to create my own header for this and then added them to my notes section.   

Goals for the month

I also made another header for my monthly to do list.  These are usually things that I need to get done over the course of the month but not on a specific week or day.  On my weekly pages I have daily to do lists that include things like tasks and errands.

I use to do lists to help me achieve my big goals too.  Sometimes a goal can seem really far away and hard to reach so I try to break it down into smaller steps that I can complete and it feels less scary and more manageable doing it this way.

Monthly to do list

Now I have all this information in my planner I need to open it up and check it daily!  Every night before I go to bed I look inside to see if I need to prepare anything for the following day and then I check again in the morning to make sure I know what I need to do or where I need to be.  I also need to add more notes and reminders as the month goes on and things change or crop up, setting aside 5 or 10 minutes a day to do this really helps me to keep on top of everything!

My month so far

If this post has inspired you to start planning but you don't have a diary or planner then you can use a notebook and pen to get organised, check out my Bullet journal basics post for some more ideas and information.

Artline Monday - Christmas planning countdown

Eeeeek there's only five weeks left until Christmas!  Have you started getting ready for the holidays yet?  If not don't worry, I can to help you with my handy Christmas countdown.

My Christmas countdown created with Artline pens

This is my Christmas bullet journal, I set it up last year and I use it for planning, lists and memory keeping.  You can find my previous post about it here if you would like to see how I use it for recording our holiday memories.  

This year I have planned out my timetable for getting everything ready using my Artline Stix pens and fineliners.  It starts today and has a checklist of things I need to do each week in the run up to Christmas. 

My checklist for weeks four and five

You might have already completed some of these steps or you might find it easier to do them in a different order so if you make your own list think about how to make it work for you.  I like to do as much as I can early so it is out of the way and then I can get on with enjoying the season so I might complete some of these steps before they are due but I have added them to the week I want to get them done by at the latest giving me some wriggle room.

Week five

This week I want to think about gift ideas (for the people I haven't already brought for), making sure I have all the postal addresses I need for cards and presents, checking when I need to order my Christmas turkey by and the date I can prebook my online food shop delivery and finally buy Christmas cards so I can get ready to start writing them.

Week four

I'm going to put my tree up and look for the best prices for the presents I want to buy.  I will get everything I need to wrap the gifts including paper, ribbon, sticky tape, bows and tags and I'll also work out how many stamps I need for my cards and buy those too.

Three weeks and counting

Week three

By this week I want to finish buying the presents and get them all wrapped and posted for the people I won't be seeing before Christmas. I will also get my cards into the post so they arrive in plenty of time for the holidays.  The last couple of things I want to do is start buying (and hiding!) the Christmas snacks and treats and look around for the best deals on the drinks we like too.

Week two

This week is the perfect time to visit friends and family as it is close to the holidays but not when everyone is crazy busy getting ready for the big day.  It is also when I will finalise my Christmas Dinner menu and before I buy half of the supermarket I want to make some extra room in the fridge and freezer.  At some point this week I'll want to do the BIG Christmas food shop so I will have everything we need apart from the fresh items that I will buy the following week.  There's one more thing to do, sort out some entertainment for while we are all home like DVDs and board games we can play together.

Week one 

Okay, for the last week before Christmas I just have a few things left to do.  They are do any food prep I can get out of the way early, collect my turkey and buy any fresh ingredients that I couldn't get before.  The finale thing I have on my checklist is to relax and enjoy the holiday, which I have to say is my favourite step!

I hope this helps you with your Christmas planning!

Artline Monday - Roald Dahl Day 2018

Ever since I was a child I have absolutely loved Roald Dahl's books so I couldn't let Roald Dahl Day go by without doing something special to mark the occasion!  It falls on his birthday, the 13th September and it is a day to celebrate the wonderful characters and worlds he created and the love of reading he inspired and is still inspiring in generation after generation of children.     

There are so many great Roald Dahl books that is hard for me to choose a favourite but I have always loved this quote from The Twits so I thought it would be nice to write it in my notebook using my fineliners and Artline Supreme brush markers as a little reminder to be kind and have good thoughts.

Roald Dahl quote with Artline Supreme brush markers

Mixing different styles of lettering, pens and colours creates an interesting look and adding extra outlines, swirls and spots shakes things up a little too! 

Okay, now let's move on to the craft project I have for you today, we are making dream jars from the BFG!  If you remember the BFG is a big, friendly giant who makes nice dreams for children by mixing good things together, capturing them in a jar and then blowing them into the ears of sleeping children using his special dream blower.  These jars will also make a sweet nightlight for little ones who are afraid of the dark as well as being fun to make! 

You will need:

• a glass jar - storage, mason or an empty jam/pickle jar
• Artline poster and/or paint markers
• stickers for decoration
• LED tealights
• Glitter glue or glitter paint (optional)

Supplies

In the book the dreams look like little colourful clouds and when they are caught in the jars they shimmer and shine which is why I added the LED tealights to mine to make them look extra magical but before we get to that part we have to decorate the outside of our jars.

Adding colour with my poster marker

You can decide with your children what kind of colours and design they would like on their jar, I started by painting the bottom of mine with one of the poster markers and then added some big, glittery flower stickers.  

Embellishing around the stickers

The base dried very quickly and then I used more poster and paint markers to create a whimsical pattern around the jar.  Both sets of pens work really well on glass and will stay in place once they are dry.

Drawing flowers

When my pattern was finished I wanted my jar to look more cloudy and less see through so I painted the inside of the glass with gold glitter paint (but you can use glitter glue if you like) and then left it dry.  

Pink and flowery dream

The last step was to turn on the LED tealight, pop it inside the jar and put the lid on.  Because the tealight is so small and battery operated the jar will not get hot whilst the light is on so it is safe to use overnight.

For my second jar I decided to deviate from the description in the book and I drew a woodland scene instead.  Again I used the poster markers to decorate the jar and this time I added some cute animal stickers too.

Creating a scene 

I think it looks like a perfectly nice dream to have!  

Woodland dream

Here are my finished dream jars, I can't wait to see how they look tonight in a darkened room with the lights flickering inside them!

My dream jars

I shot this short video of the jars with the lights on so you can see how they look when they are finished and lit up.

 

Please let me know if you have a go at making your own dream jars, I'd love to hear how you got on!  Also if you are on Facebook or Twitter tell us how you will be celebrating Roald Dahl day, you can find Artline here and here and I'm @Shes_Eclectic.

Thanks for stopping by!

Artline Monday - Monday motivation

Do you hate Mondays?  I know a lot of people really dread this day of the week and we could all use a little #MondayMotivation sometimes so I thought I'd show you how I try to embrace the worst day of the week in my bullet journal.

Monday motivation in my bullet journal

I use my bullet journal to get organised and as a kind of art journal,  I create my own planner spreads for each day and month and then add doodles and sketches when the mood takes me.  You can see how I set mine up here if you are a BuJo beginner or if you would just like a peek inside in my notebook.

I like to have a positive quote or two to start the week with, looking at Monday as a new beginning instead of something negative helps me face the day in a better mood.  I chose a couple of bright Artline Supreme brush markers that remind me of summer days and fields of buttercups to write this quote so every time I open my bullet journal I will be greeted by something cheerful!

Bright & cheery - Artline Supreme brush markers & fineliners

The second page of my spread is where I plan my day.  As Monday is the start of a new week I have a section for my weekly goals and the things I need to get done that day.  Some of the tasks are simple but I write them down anyway for two reasons, one is so that I don't forget to do them and two is because checking things off my list gives me a little fizz of satisfaction that is definitely needed on a Monday!

I have another section to keep track of my fitness and well-being, back in January I said I wanted to increase my daily move goal and get more exercise so this is where I record how I am doing each day.  Seeing the figures in black and white (or in this case green and cream) helps me focus on my goal and motivates me to keep going those extra few minutes or distance.

My plans for Monday

Tips for a better Monday 

• Do as much as you can on Sunday evening to prepare for Monday morning, having your outfit, shoes, bag and other bits you need already to hand on Monday morning helps the day start smoothly and with less stress.
• Wake up early enough to have a relaxed breakfast and fuel up for the day ahead.
• Wear your favourite clothes, colour or scent to cheer you up. 
• Make plans to do something you love after work or school, whether that is spending time at home with a good book or meeting friends for some fun.
• Think of Monday as a fresh start and try to keep things positive.
• Read my Artline Monday posts.
• Smile, it will soon be Tuesday!

Do you have any ideas to help increase Monday motivation?  Let me know in the comments below so I can give them a go too!

If you want to see more of my bullet journal posts and spreads you can find them all here.

Have a great Monday!