Eat Drink Chic

I first introduced you to my origami heart engagement party invitations in this article here. Well, after a working weekend of printing, cutting, folding, sewing, stuffing, addressing and stamping... phew... my fiancé and I have finally mailed out the little cuties!

Hand-stitching the edges of the translucent pocket was the most time-consuming part of the project. To ensure accuracy and quicken the hand-stitching process, we first measured and marked out (with needle pricks) the intended placement of the stitches.  To save time, we only did 5 stitches on each side.

The actual origami folding, thankfully, went a lot quicker than expected! However, the duration of the the final phase of the project- addressing and stuffing envelopes-  was sorely under-estimated. Having said that, we are both very proud of the effort that we put into creating unique, hand-crafted invitations for what will hopefully be a memorable event!

Special thanks to my hard-working fiancé, who whole-heartedly supported this crazy little project of mine. I am thankful that he shares in my desire to make this event as special as possible! Thanks also to our beautiful mothers for their contribution!

You can read more about these origami heart invitations here. Download the template to create a love note to someone special.

Love the labelled jars for homemade jam, marmalade, chutney, pickles and home-grown herbs from Burgon & Ball.

Sigh... I had all these plans to create a plethora of DIY Valentine's Day projects for Eat Drink Chic. However, plans for my impending engagement party have taken up so much of my time that I've had to put these ideas on hold.

A few days ago I created these little origami heart invitations for our engagement. They open up to reveal the invitation message inside and have an attached string so that guests can also use them as a keepsake decoration. They also sit snugly in little translucent paper pockets with sewn edges.

However, in a last ditch effort to get at least SOMETHING up for Valentine's Day (as last-minute as it may be), I've removed the invitation text and provided them for you to download to write a little love note to your Valentine. In fact, you could even use this to surprise your significant other at any time of the year with an unexpected love message.

Continue to read more about the project and to download your freebies!

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Last minute holiday freebie- a printable reindeer gift tag in two sizes. Hope you enjoy! Continue for your free download!

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Mail-themed holiday gift tags designed by moi and perfect for little white packages tied up with red and white twine. Continue to download your free printable tag!

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Also appearing in my Borders window display is this jumbo-sized gift tag which utilises the same motif as my Holiday Treat Bag. Continue for your free download!

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As part of my window display at Borders I designed these paper goodie bags -  perfect for home-baked goods, candy or any kind of small-sized gifts. Continue for assembly instructions and to download your free printable bag design!

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Borders recently gave me the amazing opportunity to design one of their windows!! This morning, my fiancé and I went down to Borders, Jam Factory to set it all up. The window includes a handmade poster that I designed and some new holiday freebies and DIY projects that will be appearing on Eat Drink Chic over the next couple of weeks leading up to Christmas.

The display will be up until Christmas so if you're in Melbourne, please come down to Borders at the Jam Factory in South Yarra and check it out!

This was my first time designing a window display and I had a lot of fun! Thank-you to Borders for the wonderful opportunity! And special thanks to my awesome fiancé for all his help throughout the whole project!

Thanks to all who entered the Speedball fabric screen-printing kit giveaway from Eckersley's!

Today I randomly selected a winner from the comments.

And the winner is...Kim who commented "so awesome. i want to make a bunch of grocery bags."

Congratulations Kim! I will be in touch soon. Thanks again to Eckersley's for the fun prize!

Step right up, girls and boys, for the very first Eat Drink Chic Giveaway!! I'm proud to announce that the kind and generous folk at Eckersley's have offered Eat Drink Chic readers an amazing prize to help get the DIY creative juices flowing just in time for the holiday season. This giveaway item would also make a great holiday gift for a loved one with creative flair! Continue to find out the mystery prize and to leave your comment for a chance to win!

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One of my favourite blogs of all time is A Field Journal. I'm sure many of you have seen it before and are well aware of just how truly inspiring it is! Through her breathtaking photo-styling and the most adorable creative projects, Livy conjures up a perfect little world in which to get lost.

Last week was 'Apple Week' where Livy provided some tempting autumn-inspired apple recipes accompanied, of course, by her signature gorgeous imagery.

Feast your eyes on these: Apple Cider, Candied Apples, Caramel Apples and Apple Crisp. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Very cute table design with recipes and free printables including these little flags in a multitude of pretty patterns from Morning by Foley.

Get all the details for how to re-create this exquisite blue and white, winter themed dessert buffet presented by The Inspired Bride and Bake it Pretty.  Check it out here! (Via Erin Vale Design)

Whether used for favours or simply as a cup that guests can use to collect their own selection of treats from your party's candy buffet, the festive colours in this cup design allow for use at any occasion- parties, weddings or even the upcoming Christmas and holiday season. "La Dolce Vita" - Italian for "The Sweet Life" is a somewhat fitting title for a cup with a solitary life purpose to contain lots of delicious candy- No? Continue for more pics, ideas and to download your free paper cup cover design!

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Recently a couple of good friends of ours had a little baby girl. To welcome little baby Violet into the world we got her a bright red teddy bear- a simple and classic gift but with a modern twist. Instead of adorning the gift with the usual congratulatory card to the parents, I thought it would be an unique idea to write a letter to Violet that she and her parents could keep, for years to come, as a memento of her birth.

So we wrote a little letter to the newborn, slipped it into a mini envelope that I had customised from a previous project, then tied it up to the teddy with string.

Continue for more details and pics!

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As promised- more free printable goodies! Hope you'll find good use for these decorative gift tags I've created for you. Continue to see the whole set and to download your freebies!

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I hope you enjoy this whimsical set of printables I've created for you to download. Included are designs for a greeting card, letter-writing paper and an envelope. Ideal for Birthdays, Christmas or whatever!

Continue for more pics and to download your freebies!

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Love these fun, home made printers block stamps by The Upcycler.

Wooden thread bobbin handles- how inspired!! Check out the article here. Such a great DIY idea!

Also love these Toothbrush Holders found at Baileys Home and Garden (via Follow Studio)

In the past I've received quite a few requests for home made jam labels. I finally thought it was about time I took on the challenge!

Home made jam makes a great gift with a personal touch. It also works well as a party or wedding favour, especially for an event with a bit of a 'crafty' vibe. Part of the fun of creating the presentation of your jam jar is searching for interesting fabrics and ribbon! To facilitate this, I deliberately kept the design of the labels quite simple, allowing for more freedom and variety in your decorating choices.

Read on for more pics, ideas and to download your freebies!

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Inspired by Jordan Ferney's brilliant wedding concept for an Old Fashioned Soda Bar, I set out to create these fun, retro-inspired label designs for soda bottles that hark back to the glorious era of soda fountains! These can be used for your party or wedding to create your own Soda Shop or to add a gorgeous beverage stand to your Ice-Cream Parlour theme. Guests can select from a brightly coloured array of flavoured sodas to make their own delicious Ice-Cream Sodas!

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