Archive for the 'DIY' Category

Oh I take waaaay too many photos that I never do anything with, so I am determined to finally get them out of the depths of their memory cards and dig them up from my hard drives and actually make a feature of them in my house as we get closer to decorating. You know what it’s like though, so many plans you never actually get round to, so I’m really thankful that Epson asked me if they could send me a Epson Expression Photo XP-960 Printer to try. How did you know, Epson?!

I already have an A3 office printer for my business which is a huge beast, so I was really surprised that the Epson XP-960 is quite compact for an A3 printer – it actually fits neatly on a shelf and all it’s extremities tuck away when it’s not being used.
It’s really easy to set up, especially with Mac as you don’t need to use the installation disc, you just download the driver from the Epson website. They also have an app for your smartphone which connects up over the same wifi connection your printer is set up on.

I want to use the printer for large prints to decorate my walls at home and also for making small prints and printing my Instagrams for scrapbooking. If you’re printing one photo, the Epson iPrint app is super easy. Just a quick click opens your photo library and another to select the paper size.

A3 paper is actually fed in one sheet at a time from the paper feed at the back of the printer. Flip out the cover and extend the paper feeder, but wait until you’re prompted on the LCD screen before you put the paper in. Load the paper print side up.

I used Epson Photo Paper Glossy and chose the ‘best’ setting for my print. You can select from a huge range of different papers so the printer knows how to best align with the product.

I used a photo I took on my DSLR that I had uploaded to Google Drive so I could access it on my phone. The print quality is absolutely excellent, I was seriously impressed for such a large print and it’s definitely good enough to frame and hang on the wall or give as a gift.

Scrapbooking wise I wanted to print multiple photos onto the same sheet so I could trim them down to go in my scrapbook. I found it frustrating that the iPrint app doesn’t let you do this, but there is an Epson Creative Print app that you can download to make a collage and you can even connect it directly to your Instagram account. That’s what I’m talking about Epson! Nice work.

Again the print quality is excellent for scrapbooking! Here are my top five tips for creating an awesome scrapbook using your photos:

// Use a guillotine to trim down your photos – they’re a bit more expensive that scissors, but so quick and easy to use to cut your straight lines!

// Prepare your layout before you glue anything down! If you’re really unsure, try using blu – tack and setting out each page before you commit to using your photos and craft supplies on a specific page. You can even buy photo corners that your pictures just slip into.

// Leave space for little notes that remind you of the moment you took the photo. You can get great papers to write on and glue in alongside your photo or you could use washi tape that can be written on too.

// You don’t just have to use photos, you can use clippings, beer mats, receipts and anything you’ve collected on your travels in your scrapbook to really bring it to life.

// Try making a scrapbook for each holiday you go on and line them up on a shelf at home, or even make a scrapbook of your time together with your partner as an anniversary present or a gift for your bestie on their birthday.

I think the Epson Expression Photo XP-960 Printer is a great choice for home photo printing and a great accessory for scrapbookers! You can currently get the printer on Amazon for £179.99 and there is also an A4 scanning function that I haven’t managed to try out yet.

Loves x xx

We’ve been doing tonnes of work behind the scenes transforming our old lounge/dining area into our dream kitchen diner/bar and I’m almost at a point where I can start sharing progress with you guys. I’ve learned a whole lot, mostly that things take so much longer than you think and that what seems like an easy job is actually bloody hard work!

There’s a lot of everyday sexism in renovation and DIY and even though I make a joke of it, I’m sick of hearing about how much our Dad’s “can teach Stu” about working on the house, despite being clearly more interested in learning stuff than he is.
At the moment Stu is limited somewhat due to some medical issues, but my Dad was adamant that Stu should be climbing some steps to put some filler around the ceiling, despite medically not being allowed, rather than me do it. Even the guys at the local tip treated me like some sort of lesser being when I was taking an old lawn mower to throw in the skip. “Oh I’m sorry love, I though you’d have someone with you.” It’s frustrating for sure!

Slater Gordon asked me to share their infographic about the dangers of DIY with you guys and it’s actually so interesting and useful (so many aren’t!) if you’re a DIYer or about to embark on a project at home, even if it is really simple! Thanks for doing the research for us Slater Gordon, I’ll definitely be more careful with MDF as I had no idea it was a health risk!

I wasn’t at all surprised to hear that only 5% of women would tackle the electrics or plumbing. There’s not enough encouragement or education for women to learn to do these kind of jobs in their own homes and I think fear of the dangers of DIY has a lot to do with it.

I was shocked that only 4% of people think it’s extremely risky to replace an old shed or garage. When we had our home buyers report done before we bought the house we were told there was a high risk that the garage roof was made of asbestos and you honestly can’t tell by looking at it that it could be incredibly dangerous!

If you are working on a project at home, always make sure you know exactly what materials you are cutting into, what’s behind the walls and turn the electric off before going anywhere near sockets, switches and cables. Wear gloves for almost all jobs and invest in a couple of goggles and face masks to be extra safe – a few times I have been so thankful for my glasses when something has flicked off the wall towards my eye!

The risks of DIY definitely don’t put me off, but as a woman I do wish there were more chances to learn about the art of renovating your home.

Have you got plans to do any projects at home this year? Make sure you double check the dangers of DIY and if you’re unsure, always give it a quick Google!

Loves x xx