SPRINGTIME PASTELS.

It finally feels like spring around here. We're still getting the odd grey day but more and more we are getting beautiful bright, sunny skies and I love it. All the greys and pale pinks hanging around my desk have been replaced with these lovely springtime pastels. I can't get enough of that aqua.

How about you? What are some of the colours you're loving this spring?

(clockwise from left) pretty ribbon waiting to be attached to gift tags, practicing painting spots with new aqua nail varnish, pastel crayons crying out to be used in more of these and leftover handmade paper from Easter crafts.

DIY WASHI TAPE PENCILS.

I decided these plain wooden pencil crayons needed brightening up. After all, who wants boring when all you need is a little patience and some washi tape.

Simply decide on a pattern, wrap it around, press firmly and you're done. Easy, right? You could even tie them up with some ribbon or string and give them away as a present. I think they'd make a sweet gift.

THREE THINGS.

Three things I love right now.

1. Decorating my old picture frames using washi tape . Thanks to Decor8 for the idea.

2. Steaming hot cups of tea on chilly mornings.

3. Next on my reading list, Judy Finnigan's Eloise.

How about you? What are you loving right now?

PRETTY THINGS.

A few things found lying around on my desk. Orange and turquoise with a hint of gold.

Sweet words from Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator. Get your own printable quote here at Oh Joy!

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN NOTEBOOK.

I may have mentioned my love for stationery a few times already. I have a soft spot for anything paper, especially notebooks. The problem with this is that I think they're all far too pretty to use. Making my own might be the solution.

Things you'll need.

1. A stack of pretty papers, card stock or envelopes. I made my own pockets by taping two pieces of the card stock together.

2. A selection of washi tape.

3. Scissors.

Layout and trim all your pages.  Don't forget to use card stock on the outside to act as a cover.

Line up the cover and first page. Stick down your strip of tape, remembering to leave a small gap between them so the pages have room to fold. The great thing about washi tape is it can be easily peeled back and repositioned if you make a mistake.

When adding the other pages I found the best way was to stick a strip of tape to your page, fold it over to make a hinge and press the next one on top. Keep going until you have as many pages or pockets as you want.

Remember to try and keep all your edges as straight as possible.

To make the spine of your notebook stick a third of the strip of washi tape to the edge of your bound pages, press down firmly , wrap around and press down again. Don't forget to trim the edges and you're all done.

Now to be brave and start filling it.