DIY / Sharpie Mug

I've see this tutorial around the web few times - Instagram especially - so I decided to give it a bash too and I have a few Ikea cups that are the perfect blank canvas for this project. 

You need:

- Sharpie marker

- Mug/Cup

- Pencil

First of all, wash the mug with soap to remove any greasy residue and try to touch it the less possible because also the oil on the skin can interfere with the ink;

Start off with a pencil to trace your decoration and have fun and be creative!

Once you're happy with your design, retrace with the Sharpie. You can also use different colours and really come up with a unique and original piece.

I'm not great at drawing, myself... but I'm pretty please with my wee puppy :) I took inspiration from Gemma Correll - the queen of pugs illustrations.

Finally, place your mug in the oven and then turn the oven on at 200/220 degree Celsius. Putting the mug inside the oven when it's still cool, will prevent the glaze from cracking... and 'cook' for 30 minutes;

Once the timer is up, again wait for the oven to cool down before removing the mug - same reasons as above.

TADA! You new mug is ready for the first cup of tea!!!

Tips:

- if you make any mistake, you can use an earbud with some alcohol to remove the marker;

- these glossy mugs are actually not the best for this project. Ideally, you should use a matte ceramic item which has a more porous surface so that the ink can really penetrate.

- obviously, don't start scrubbing with a kitchen scourer and your drawing should hold pretty well!

Have you tried this DIY before?

What's in my Travel Bag / Amsterdam

I've just returned from a couple of days in Amsterdam.

It was our first wedding anniversary last week, I still can't believe the time went soooo fast so we decided to have a mini break away to celebrate! :)

Here is what I took with me - I packed pretty light and I'm actually surprised with myself; all the make up fitted into the small Elemis beauty case and I shared the bigger washbag with my husband... I mainly took sample sizes which of course helped.

Make up: 

Skincare:

I took my fake Borbonese bag as hand luggage; It has 3 compartments and it's great for travelling because got easy access to my camera and stuff when doing touristy things. ;)

I love the iconic print of these bags... hopefully, I'll be able to afford the real deal one day.

I also took the Topshop clutch for night time.

Accessories:

I went for the rose gold and purple combo

The weather wasn't too bad; still chilly and just a few degrees more than Glasgow but the sun was warm and at least, it was dry.

I did enjoy the city a lot - quite laid back and loads and loads to see. I will definitely need to go back because most of the museums close at 5pm and we didn't manage to see everything that we wanted... expect some major queues too.

Of course the canals and bikes are extremely charming - although I feared for my life a couple of times. ;)

I posted some pictures on my Instagram... if you fancy a look, I'm princess_leica

xxx