Charlie Tamara Piper

Another special gift wrapping edition! I've got a Star Wars-loving friend with a birthday coming up, so I went with a full Chewbacca theme for the gift wrap job. Here's how I did it: The Gift Bag As usual, I turned to Google Images to find a cartoon version of Chewbacca that I really liked. I spent some time creating a grid of the image which I used to create a layered background for a gift bag. I mounted the Chewie image onto bronze glitter paper. I used some coordinating orange card stock and a stamper to create the perfect birthday wish note! I used a brown ultra fine tip Sharpie to bring out the lettering a bit more. Once the image was complete, I mounted it onto a brown gift bag. I finished the package off with some bronze ribbon that I tied into a bow on the handle. I finished the edges of the ribbon by folding each tail in half and cutting upward on a 45 degree angle to create a triangle cutout. The Card I love coordinating cards t...

A Sunday crafting session...there's no better way to spend the day in my book! I have a Batman fan of a friend who's got an upcoming birthday and I wanted to do something really special. Here's how I did it. I started by wrapping the gift itself in plain blue paper. I then searched Google Images to find some great high resolution images from the 90's era of Batman The Animated Series.  I found this super cool photo of Batman with lightening bolts behind him and loved the way he towered over the city from his perch. I played with sizing and perspective a bit until I got everything at the right size. I printed two copies on card stock and, after sandwiching two pieces of heavy card stock at the base of the photos, pasted them back to back. The picture was then placed them under paperweights to keep the hold. I then found this cool collage of Batman's foes and spent some time sizing it so that each square would be roughly 4 cm to create a checkerboard...

Curly haired folks, you get me - finding the right products to make your hair look its best can be a struggle. Curly hair requires special attention in order to hydrate and define curls in the right way.   I've tried a number of products over the years and I've come to rely on a handful of products that get the job done effectively. Here are my favorite products for giving my curls life! Shampoo and Conditioner: There are a number of great shampoos and conditioners out on the market but I come back to Mixed Chicks because it works well for the price. I don't have to use much product in order to clean my hair and give it a great conditioning. Their Sulfate-Free Shampoo gives a thorough but gentle cleansing that doesn't strip my hair of good oils. The Detangling Deep Conditioner is a must for curly hair as curls tend to get knotted and tangled pretty easily. My fingers and combs slide right through my hair when I place this conditioner in my hair.  ...

I've always had problematic nails. They chip and peel pretty easily which I addressed by keeping them short. For as much as I wanted to grow them out, I just couldn't figure out the best tricks to get length. I wanted to see if I could turn my nails around and, thanks to some research and putting together a great routing, I feel like I finally found products and a routine that really help my nails out.  Nov. 6 - Starting point Here are my nails at the starting point on November 6. My skin gets very dry in the fall and winter and my nails were certainly feeling it the most. I had peeling on my right ring and middle fingernails that I had to address. Here's how I started treating my nails: - I switched my nails to a rounded shape. For as much as I love square or squoval tips, a round nail shape does the best job at preventing snags and peels on nails. It's a great protective shape, particularly as I was trying to grow out damaged nails. ...

Gift wrapping projects are my favorite crafting projects! I so enjoy picking out gifts for loved ones and wrapping them up to make them all the more special. I think this year's holiday present recipients will get a kick of the gifts they're getting and the beautiful packaging. The Stuffed Animal There aren't too many ways to wrap up a stuffed animal, but I think a festive bow can really create a thoughtful presentation moment. I made a large bow around this little kitty's neck with some metallic fabric ribbon.  If you can tie a shoe, you can tie a bow like this. Tie a large bow and tighten the knot so the bow is secure. Then make another bow using the first one as a guide for how to properly shape the loops of the bow. Once you've completed the bows, take the longer side of the tail and wrap it around the knots to hide them. Secure the tail with a single tie (not a knot) and the bow will be perfectly secure until it's time to remove the bow, whic...

I love giving away baked good as gifts. It's a low-impact gift to prepare that has high impact for the person receiving it. Today I decided to make a batch of brownies to give away as a gift. And since I love gift wrap so much, I wanted to give it a little extra special touch with the packaging. The photo above are all the tools I used to create the special gift packaging, and as you can see, it's quite simple. I purchase cellophane bags from Target and use some yarn, card stock, decorative edging scissors, and a metallic marker to bring it all together. First, I made my thank you note. I used two different edging scissors to cut my card stock and nest them together. A simple glue stick does the trick. I used my metallic Sharpie to write a quick note of thanks on the card. Once dry, I used a hole puncher to create a hole for the yarn to go through to affix the card to the package. I placed the brownies inside the bag and tied the yarn and note around th...

I've been on a major foundation kick lately. As I get older and my skin changes, I'm always in the hunt for a foundation that'll work to meet my needs and the look I'm going for. Above, you'll see my foundation collection - and I'm completely aware that I have way more foundation than any one person possibly needs. I'll discuss them from left to right with my favorites highlighted in bold. Laura Mercier Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation : This foundation is great for more natural days. I don't tend to grab for it too often because it does dry to a tacky finish which I immediately set with powder to stop my skin from feeling that way. Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide : While the shade range leaves something to be desired, you will find this foundation provides great coverage and blurs imperfections. I tend to use this foundation when I have a breakout I'm looking to hide. Laura Mercier Silk Creme Oil Free : Laura Mercier reform...