If you didn't already know, I started out a little challenge for myself over two months ago. I call it my "Share A Thanks A Day" and you can find it on Instagram under the hashtag #shareathanksaday. (Come on and join me!!) It's a combination of the 100 days of happiness challenge that's going around the internet right now and the doodle a day thing I've seen on Instagram.

You have no idea how big a smile you've all put on my face each time you've let me know one way or another that you can relate to my little doodles and daily odes of gratitude. Thank you :)

Some days are harder than others to come up with something to be grateful for, or something that made me smile... but I guess that's life for you with a roller coaster of ups and downs, eh?

I've gotten to the point where some of my doodles resonate with me more than others, and I've decided to turn some of these into thank you cards. After all, isn't it nice to feel appreciated and get cards telling you so.. just because? :)

This is a sneak peek at one of the designs I'm working on for the cards. I love that you can decide what you'd like the card to mean. Like this one.. it could mean "Thank you for... being my rock." Or for... grounding me. Or for ...never letting go. And more! Which ones would you like to see join this series next?

After a huge delay, here's the How.Do fingerprint bunny tutorial thatI showed a screenshot of before... just in time for Easter!!

A few people have mentioned that they'll be making bunny tags for their Easter gifts, and even birthday gifts and I'm so excited just thinking about bunnies galore :) So much so, I decided to add to the bunny mayhem with a free bunny & egg printable!

Everyone's heard of finger painting, but what about finger stamping? I was first introduced to this awesome activity as a kid, when my mom bought me a how-to book full of finger-stamped creations. It was great for everyone - my mom got some peace and quiet, and I sat at the dining table making a mess of my fingers with inky goodness and didn't get in trouble. Win-win!

Like with all trends, this is starting to pop up more frequently on Pinterest lists and other online places so I had a bit of a dabble again. Just to relive a bit of my childhood :)

If you'd like to follow along, here is what you'll need:

You might find it weird I've got the thumbprint stamp there for a finger stamping DIY when I've got 10 perfectly good fingers with oodles of fingerprints on hand (hehe, see what I did there?). Call me paranoid, but I don't really want my thumbprint online, anywhere, on the Internet. Not that I think this will go viral or anything, but I've come across a fair share of creepy Internet encounters and value my thumbprint. So hence, I found a thumbprint stamp. (Do you know how hard it is to find one of these?! I was really surprised. You can get yourself one at Guest Tree.)

So, back to finger stamping! It's relatively straightforward and you doodle in the details to create your masterpieces. Here's how to do a stripey egg with fun borders you can cut out of scrap paper or washi tape (what can't you do with this stuff?!). I found it tricky to cut the washi tape but liked that it stayed put, making it easy to stamp on. Feel free to experiment with different materials like pieces of lace and doilies too!

You can also try to layer different colors and patterns like this:

Once you're happy with your colored egg, you can add in the details with markers or a fine-tipped pen.

You can also add specific shapes, like bunny ears to your finger stamped creations like this:

How was it? Would you, or have you finger stamped creatures before? There are a ton of things you could do with your finger stamped creations.. like decorate a book cover, create your own wrapping paper or mark your work with your unique thumbprint if you're so inclined! Hope you had a bit of fun getting your fingers all messy and dirty!

Sometimes, wonderful things come from fiddling around! Like this heart-shaped envelope I discovered the other day. It came about from trying to fold origami, and I'm not very good with printed origami instructions so it was a lot of trial and error. Seeing so many bits of smooshed paper made me sad :( 

It's much easier for someone to show me how to fold something than for me to follow 2D instructions - I'm not sure why :(

Anyway, I realized that some of the early steps of my origami looked like little teepees and with a few snips with the scissors, could turn into a heart envelope-sleeve thingies that could hold candy and notes. Just in time for Valentine's Day! So this is for all of you, especially those of you that need a last-minute V-day card or decoration. You're in luck ;)

First of all, download the template here. The rest of the pictures might make more sense ;)

You'll notice a set of dotted lines that are marked "Valley Fold" ... fold these in the opposite direction as your other two folds so you can "tuck" them in as you can see from the pictures below. This is the trickiest part, so if this is a cinch for you, you'll have no problems making these little paper heart envelope sleeve thingies :)

If you decide to use the little hearts and insert a message, you'd follow these pictures here. Punching a hole is also optional, but I liked mine so much, I threaded some of my fuzzy cherry red twine through to hang it up as an ornament. 

Clipping it to your present or card with a wooden clothespeg is also kind of cute, don't you think?

And there you go! Print as many of these little hearts out as you'd like for your personal use and hope you have an awesome Valentine's Day (even if it just means you get to stay home and chill out.. like what I'll be doing!)

If you missed the template link at the beginning, here it is again. Enjoy!

Hello, friends! I've got some wonderful news to share, especially for those of you in Sydney!

Gloriousmess! is partnering with Sew Make Create to run a pre-Valentines Day social workshop this Friday and I can't be more chuffed :) In fact, I was so excited I created a mega sticker pack for the workshop! If you're in town, sign up and stop by - I'd love to say hi to you!

We'll be making personalized cards for Valentines Day (or any other occasion you wish, really) along with a felt alphabet plushie. Yes, you do all the work, and yes, you will walk out of there with awesome creations in hand regardless of whether you know how to sew and card-make or not. More importantly, you'll walk out with a smile and maybe a new friend or two because this is, after all, a social workshop :)

For those of you who aren't nearby, don't fret! You can also make your own cards and felt alphabet plushies in your own time. Here are a few of tips and resources for you:

• If you don't have any idea on your card design, lay out your bits and bobs and play around with different combinations first. Without sticking them down, you can arrange & rearrange to your heart's content without worrying about ruining the card!
  
• You don't need a wall full of supplies to make an awesome card! All you need are the basics - good quality cardstock, sharp scissors and/or craft knife and adhesives that will actually stick
  
• Card layout ideas can be found at the now-defunct Card Positioning Systems website. You can also look at greeting cards you like and observe where they put all their graphics and words - are they all in one corner or all spread out? 
  
• Add texture and height to your card for visual impact, especially when using simple or plain design elements. Ribbons, twine, origami, glitter and 3D glue dots are all good friends. So is a hot glue gun.
  
• Stickers and die-cut or punched shapes can make your life easier!
• Play with different media - you don't just have to stick with markers and pen. Scrape an old toothbrush dipped in paint against a popsicle stick and create some awesome splatters! Dab areas of your card with inked sponges or stamps for cool effects! 
• Clean, crisp shape edges can be cut from felt using sharp scissors and a template. There are different ways to trace your pattern onto the felt for cutting such as using freezer paper or tracing cardboard stencils.
• All you need is the whip stitch - simple, fast and pretty. Consistency is the key and futuregirl has a great pictorial tutorial showing you how to do it.

You can find some of the stickers from our Mega Pack in their own original packs in store. These include our Candy Hearts, Doily Hearts and Banner Banter sticker packs. Hope you have fun with all of them, and if you make any cards or plushies of your own, I'd love to see what you come up with! Just tag us on Twitter or Instagram with @sharethemess, or upload them onto our Facebook page :)

Our nerdy Valentines' Day anatomical heart illustrations just came through as mini-notes and postcards, and we're pretty excited about them!!

Of the six designs, two of them will not make it to the store due to barely-noticeable (but still present) printing imperfections :( BUT!!  You can still get your hands on these two designs at half price and free shipping if you'd like.. Just drop us an email or give us a holla at any of our online homes (Facebook, Twitter or Instagram). At AUD$2.50 per mini-note and $4.50 per postcard, they're quite a steal! If you place an order, your card(s) will get slipped in with it and shipping will be as per your order. If you just want a postcard or mini-note, the free shipping applies and you'll get a PayPal invoice.

Each of the mini-notes and postcards are made from Mohawk Superfine Paper at a hefty 600gsm (your photocopy/printer paper is usually between 80 to 100gsm) and consist of 2 layers of red sandwiched between outer layers of white. Quite an eye-catching paper, even without our illustrations!

Mini-notes are business card sized (84mm wide x 55mm tall, or 3.3" x 2.16") and come just by themselves (only for these 2 designs). The other 4 designs can be found on our Etsy shop and will come to this online shop soon).

Postcards measure 148mm wide x 105mm tall, or 5.82" x 4.13" and again, come just by themselves (only for these 2 designs). The other 4 designs can be found on our Etsy shop again, and will be here soon).