Daily Delicious Design - DIY Christmas Gifts 4

Finished!! What next? (Instructions in a previous post).

Daily Delicious Design - DIY Christmas Gifts 3

May, June and July of the DIY Christmas calendar. Please refer back to this post for how it's done.

Daily Delicious Design - DIY Christmas Gifts 2

This is the next installment of my Christmas calendar. Check out yesterday's post for instructions. It went much faster and I managed three months tonight, despite losing March somewhere along the line. Damn you 'save as'!

Daily Delicious Design - DIY Christmas Gifts 1

I always get a sinking feeling around Christmas. I know I should be having a good time and buying fabulous gifts for everybody but there's never any money at the end of the year. Now with the twins it seems even tighter! To make matters worse I have a family that literally has EVERYTHING! AAAARRRGGGGHHH!!! But in an effort to survive this trying period I have decided to make as many gifts as possible. I have exactly a month and it is my mission to be frugal but still give cool gifts! Let the challenge begin!

My first idea is a DIY calendar. I used my biodiversity garden photos and added my favourite pink splash effect. I used the same red throughout for continuity, just adjusting the opacity etc. I used Dubiel Plain font and found a nice quote. Setting out the days was a bit tedious but at least it's set up for the next months. This is January so far. I'll post each month as I complete them.

Daily Delicious Design - Easy Photoshop Tutorials 8

I've done everything under the sun to this photo of me but I think this one is the best so far. I love the way my glasses stay so black while else everything is faded. Also a nice easy Photoshop tutorial.

Daily Delicious Design - Easy Photoshop Tutorials 7

This one was really unbelievably easy and super effective in getting that Instagram look. It's called the Pink Splash effect and I added a circle in a new layer with the same red colour and then adjusted the blending to finish it off. My herb garden revisited...

Daily Delicious Design - Miniature Daschund Puppy

As it's Monday, I think we could all do with a good dose of cute. And in my opinion, nothing is cuter than a Daschund puppy!

Thanks I love Trees!

Daily Delicious Design - Easy Photoshop Tutorials 6

This one looks much more complicated than it really is. It was actually really easy and I even managed to master the pen tool, finally!!

Check out this great tutorial...

Daily Delicious Design - Cape Town through the eyes of Mert

Visitors to Cape Town often find pleasure in things that we take for granted or things we fail to notice anymore. The view from Table Mountain and the colourful changing huts on MuizenbergBeach are iconic cityscapes that are truly spectacular and Mert was suitably impressed, he tells me. But he also likes the mundane and with the Lomo effect he applies to his pictures everyday scenes are given another dimension and a moody, nostalgic feel. Nice! 

On top of Table Mountain

Muizenberg Beach

Playboy

Blind guitarist

Rasta on Longmarket

Daily Delicious Design - Easy Photoshop Tutorials 5

I'm sorry to say that I chickened out of Illustrator. I was trying to sprint before being able to crawl! Anyway, back to trusty Photoshop. I managed to find a great Art Deco tutorial where I learnt some nifty new tricks as well. I changed the colour scheme and font (Raconteur once again) and I think the result is quite fetching!

Art Deco Photoshop Tutorial

Daily Delicious Design - Alfresco Art Deco 2

I'm venturing into Adobe Illustrator and I've fixated on an Art Deco-inspired font project. I think I'm going to stretch myself so who knows how long it will take?? In the meantime I've taken the easy way out for this post...a photo by Steven Snodgrass and Raconteur NF font from Fontspace. Decolicious!

Art Deco Cinema

Daily Delicious Design - Alfresco Art Deco

There is something so distinctive about Art Deco that even an untrained eye like mine can spot the bold design. The reason I like this style is the unapologetic symmetry mixed with quirky detail. Miami Beach has a lovingly restored Art Deco District where the buildings have become an integral part of the cityscape. Andrew Horner shot a beautiful set of photos in full bright colour that really shows off the charm of this area.  

Art Deco Hotels, Miami Beach

Art Deco Hotel, Miami Beach

Art Deco Hotel, Miami Beach

Daily Delicious Design - Easy Photoshop Tutorials 4

A photoshop initiation. Cheesy but fun. Had to be done!

Another great tutorial from Melissa Evans

Daily Delicious Design - Miniature Chocolate Daschund

This is a combination of two of my favourite things...chocolate and daschunds.

Thanks Brian Hathcock

Daily Delicious Design - Converse Chuck Taylor

I'm definitely not a fashion victim. I have very set ideas about what I like and what I'll wear. I appreciate well-dressed and fashionable people but don't follow the latest trends or even buy fashion magazines. Often something appeals to me that is simple yet with a small detail or quirk. I'm also attracted to iconic pieces and designs such as the black leather bomber jacket, the breton stripe and the Converse Chuck Taylor. This shoe appeals to me on every level. The design of the shoe is functional and they're damn comfy. Simple, check. You can get them in fantastic colours and with interesting designs. Quirky, check. They were first designed in 1917. Iconic, check and check. Below are some of my quirkiest pairs...

Daily Delicious Design - Easy Photoshop Tutorials 3

I had great fun doing this vintage effects tutorial. It was well-written and easy to follow and I think the result is fantastic! And I've finally found a new profile picture...

Vintage Effect

  

Daily Delicious Design - Easy Photoshop Tutorials 2

I had so much fun with these Photoshop effects! The 'lomo effect' was quite hard and the tutorial isn't that clear but I just muddled along as best I could. The Lichtensteinesque pop art tutorial was so well written and clear that it was a breeze. My only piece of advice is to get a photo that is light for a more dramatic effect. Delicious design indeed!

Me looking serious again!

The LOMO effect

Pop art

Daily Delicious Design - Easy Photoshop Tutorials

Having fun with Photoshop! Check out these easy tutorials to add a little zing to your photos...

Me looking very serious!

Making colours 'pop'

Changing eye colour & Retro colours

Daily Delicious Design - Heart Attack

Fuzhou City <3

Tivoli, Denmark <3

Big Heart of Art <3

Daily Delicious Design - Craft Ideas (aka Cockeyed Crafts)

I dream of being a master crafter. I dream of being able to throw together a stick, a piece of gum and a feather to make an awesome dream catcher or to transform my old jeans into designer cushions. But alas, this is not who I am. Don't get me wrong, I always try my damnedest but things are never quite perfect. Hence the name 'Cockeyed Crafts'. This is crafting for us mere mortals, for real women, for the far from perfect. Enjoy the asymmetry!

My first project is the transformation of an old table. I started it a while ago and lost interest, as I tend to do. Then I bought some gorgeous fabric and a staple gun (LOVE IT) and now I've finally completed it. I think it's the perfect toddler-safe table. The table cloth is attached to the top because if you have a toddler you know that a table cloth is simply irresistible! This is how I did it...très simple!

• I painted the table. I used Plascon Velvaglo because it's really easy to use and very hardy. The only thing is that you should leave it for quite a long time so that it dries properly and stops smelling.
• I turned the table upside down when it was dry and placed it on top of the fabric (the underside facing up). Then I drew a circle around the table top plus a couple of centimeters extra.
• I cut out the fabric.
• I used the staple gun to attach the fabric to the table top.

Voilà! Not perfect but I love it!

Daily Delicious Design - Greenpoint Park and the Biodiversity Showcase Garden

Today was a beautiful day in Cape Town so we took the kids and dogs down to Greenpoint Park. It's such a lovely spot with lots to look at and do. I took a stroll with Dominic through one of the diversity gardens and he was thrilled with all the interesting plants. They're all indigenous and for those who don't know, the western Cape has one of the smallest but richest floral kingdoms in the world. Have a look at some of these beauties. Aren't they the epitome of diversity?