Gift Bow Tutorial

The talented Jessica Jones of How about Orange has a wonderful tutorial teaching you how to turn magazine scraps inro beautiful giftwrap bows. Check it out here!

Below is an image from the flicker page of one of her readers that got inspired to make a mountain of bows. Be warned, making bows can be addictive!

Lovely clusters

If you are a fan of beautiful handmade and vintage items like I am, you would have to check out Lovely Clusters. This website is THE PLACE to browse from very creative artists and designers from around the world.

Each item is organised and group by clusters or according to their shop, colour and category. Click on the image you like and it brings you directly to the sellers shop site where you can purchase and find more information. Here are some beautiful objects I picked out to share:

Cream bloom found from the colour beige.
Photography in gorgeous hues by Simply Hue.

Peachy Pearl Earrings by Glitterysah.

(Top-most image above clustered by Blossom)

Textured Walls

I absolutely love the texture of the walls in this derelict house and its contrast with the ornate furnishing. (via plus d'ide que d'argent)

Smoking House

This little incense pot is designed as a house and comes complete with a smoking chimney. Each house is made individually handmade and to achieve a realistic looking surface. Available in the Japanese website here. (via)

One Line A Day

With a blink of an eye, the first 10 years of this new millenia have come and gone. As I look back to take stock of my own life so far, I am amazed by where I am today and thankful to God for seeing me through the ups and downs of the last decade.

Just as we do not feel the earth moving and the seasons changing, so it is with changes in our own lives sometimes. As a New Year's gift to myself this year, I got myself a book called "A Line a Day". This is a journal of sorts with each page specially designed to allow you to record the events of each day for 5 years so that you may revisit these thoughts and memories some day. This book is current sold out in most places but can be pre-ordered here.

Happy 2010!

Dear readers of Laissezfaire,

Here is wishing all of you beautiful people out there a very Happy New Year in advance! Thanks for sticking around this blog and for leaving such encouraging comments each time. I am truely blessed by the friends and the amazing pool of talented people round the world that I have gotten to know through this blog.

I will be taking a break from my usual blogging schedule this week and will be back on Wed, Jan 6th. Looking forward to more inspirational posts in 2010!

xoxo
Su Ling

(image from Martha Stewart.com)

Wall hanging cuckoo clock

Love this wall hanging cuckoo clock in lime printed on paper by decoylab.

Martin Cooper

I chanced upon the work of clothing designer, fine artist and costumer Martin Cooper and was absolutely blown away by his work. A large part of Martin's work revolves round the female pelvis, which Martin find is the most fascinating and controversial bone in the human body.

I was particularly drawn to a series of conceptual sketches he did for ballet costumes. The costumes are designed around 3 chief elements: the corset, ruched tulle, and the mutation of the leotard. Inspired by the classical corseted tutu and fashion from the 15th Century (based on the paintings of Lucas Cranach the Elder), the corsets are boned and laced but is done with a modern sensibility.

Svenska Stylistgruppen

If you are looking for some fresh inspiration for your home, you have to check out style agency Svenska Stylistgruppen.

Cardboard House

Can you believe these adorable houses are made from cardboard boxes straight out of a pantry. View the full How-To Tutorial HERE!

Button paperclips

These button paperclips will make a lovely bookmark. Simple and clever. All you need is paper clips, buttons and a hot glue gun! Via Bella Dia.

Bib Tablecloth

This tablecloth bib sure makes eating and clearing up look so much easier and more fun!

Winner of the Feronia Jewellery Giveaway!

Congratulations to Chong for winning the US$25 gift voucher from Feronia! Clarie is so happy that you like the Snow Pearls and would be honoured if you choose to wear this on your wedding day!

Clarie is also very flattered by all the generous comments to this post that she is giving each person that has left a comment a US$5-voucher. Simply message Clarie on etsy before placing your order.

There is a crazy 50% sale going on at Feronia Jewellery so don't miss out the chance to get your favourite items at this great discount + you will get a free pair of earrings if you spend above US$100!

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If you are looking for some unique handmade jewellery, check out etsy store Feronia Jewellery . Designed and handmade by Clarie, Feronia offers a wide selection from vintage Victorian, bridal to modern designs that will add a sophisticated touch to any outfit. My favourites include Snow Pearls, Blueberries in Twirls, Vintage Spark and Les Iris.

As our new sponsor, Feronia will be giving away a US$25 VOUCHER to a lucky reader who leaves a comment in this post to say which item from Feronia they love the most. Winner will be selected at random and announced on Nov 30th. Good luck!

T-Bag

It's a bag, it's a shirt! Design by Cabracega.

Shabby Blogs

Have you been to this amazing website that has the most gorgeous accessories that will help you beautify your blog? You definitely have to check them out....backgrounds, buttons, blinkies, extras....you name it, they got it and best part is, it is FREE!!. I am loving the new "Twitter" and "leave a comment" button that I got from them and are now sitting on the right column of my blog!

Lots of other freebies on their blog too. Like the chalkboard below which is available to download here! .

Thank you so much Shabby Blog! Muaks!

Ukraine's Got Talent!

Amazing and touching sand animation by Kseniya Simonova in Ukraine's Got Talent

Giveaway on Sparkle Thots

I am so excited to announce another fabulous giveaway this week by another of our sponsors, Sparkle Thots. There will not be one but THREE(!) LUCKY WINNERS selected by designer Ruth who will each run away with a gorgeous set of (4) Sparkles Colour Therapy hairpins. (see below)

To stand a chance to win these gorgeous hair clips, simply visit Sparkle Thots and pick out a jewelry item that you like. Then come back here and post a comment in this post with your favorite item, and why you like it.

To multiply your chances of winning, you can also do any or all of the following:

1. Visit Sparkle Thot on the Pupsik Blog and post a comment with your favorite item there.

2. Fan Sparkle Thots on Facebook, come back and leave another comment with your facebook name.

3. Follow Sparkle Thots on Twitter, come back and leave another comment with your twitter username.

4. Heart Sparkle Thots on Etsy, come back and leave another comment with your etsy username.

5. Tweet or blog about this giveaway, come back and leave another comment with your twitter account or blog link.

The contest will run for a week and end on Dec 15th. Three lucky winners will be selected at random to win and announced here on Dec 16th.

psst....Ruth has told me that she will be running a clearance sale starting Weds 25th Nov. There will be a storewide 30% discount so do be sure to visit before everything gets wiped out! Happy shopping and don't forget to come back to post which is your favorite here!

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Congratulations to Ashley, Wei and Deb. You are our random winners for this giveaway!

Embellished

I recently found out about Embellished, a relatively new etsy store that had the most beautiful head accessories. I really love the vintage and rock-inspired pieces that are unique and beautifully put together. Some of my favourites include this unique silver headband and the quirky shabby chic headband (pictured above). Many more gorgeous pieces can be found in Jessica's etsy store so do check it out!

Betsy Dunlap calligraphy

Gorgeous calligraphy by Betsy Dunlap. I have always envied people with lovely handwriting such as this. I was lamenting just the other day how my own handwriting is getting from bad to worse given that I type on the computer all the time.

Paper lace garlands

Learn to make these gorgeous paper lace garlands from Project Wedding.

$75 Giveway from Beaucoup to readers of Laissezfaire!

There were 22 people that took part in this giveaway and we have found a lucky winner!

Congratulations to Boom Boom who has been selected by a random generator to be on the top of our list to win the US$75 giveaway from Beau-coup! Enjoy!

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We have a special surprise for you lovely readers of Laissezfaire!

Beau-coup is offering a $75 gift card to one lucky winner towards anything on their site! Beau-coup carries everything from wedding favors to baby shower favors, birthday party gifts and decorations, and just in time for all the fall festivities Fall wedding & party favors and Halloween party favors!

Their unique party favors are amazing! Check out their fall themed playing cards and gorgeous paper lanterns that will lighten up any fall garden wedding party. Their mini classic gumball machine is bound to make that Halloween treat extra special for kids!

And if you’d rather DIY, their favor packaging is too adorable! I simply love these miniature pails above and miniature watering cans! Just top it up with your favourite candy or seeds to make the perfect gift for your guest to take home and definitely keep! HOW TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY TO WIN A $75 GIFT CARD!

• Post a comment here telling us which item(s) from Beaucoup's website you’d love to get if you win! This is a perfect chance for you to pick up a good handful of unique favours for that special party you have been planning! (psst...you can enter here on my baby blog site too to double your chance of winning!)

• Giveaway ends Thursday, October 29th at midnight PST. Winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Friday, October 30th . Good luck, everyone!!

Foodzie - the food etsy

If you have not heard of Foodzie, you absolutely have to check it out! The food equivalent of etsy, Foodzie is an online marketplace for hand-crafted and artisan foods made by small local businesses. Mostly from farms and home kitchens, the products you find here are free from artificial ingredients and preservatives usually found in mass-produced processed foods.

Besides a wonderful showcase of food that rivals a well-stocked supermarket, you can also find recipes, interviews with producers and lots of other interesting info on their blog. What a wonderful platform to support and discover local food produce in the comforts of your own home!

Famille Summerbelle

Magical Hand (!!) Paper Cut Maps by Famille Summerbelle. (Above) Map of London

(above) Map of New York

Laissezfaire Etsy Pick - Elly Nelly

Interesting wall graphic from Etsy Store Elly Nelly