The day I had one week left...

Evening all - this is my secret for tomorrow, I hope you like it. I have to say (and not to blow my own trumpet but...) this has to be one of my favourite secrets so far. You should all know by now that I love, love, love gold leaf and the effect I have created here is probably my favourite thing to do with it. It is such a beautiful and delicate material to work with that you really need to pay attention to little details. So for this secrets I created a gold leaf background - using a glue stick and my finger to break it up (resulting in the speckled apperance). I then made some letter stencils using both Clemence (my laminator) and my craft knife. The stencils and some red acrylic paint were used to print the message of this secret across the background. Feel free to comment - it always makes my day that little bit better. Have a great day tomorrow and until my next post, enjoy!

The day it could have happened...

Here is my secret for tomorrow - a couple of hours early but I have work tomorrow...again. Anyway, this secret was rather simply created by using a selection of coloured fineliners (I have a rather large array of them) and some white card. I am in the process of making some decorative things to display in my new room in Oxford - I will show them to you if I get a chance. I hope you like my AI for tomorrow. Happy Wednesday everyone, enjoy!

The day I thought about spending money...

My secret for tomorrow, tah dah! I hope you like it. I used a picture frame from an advert in the Metro, some white paper and some textured wrapping paper (which you may recognise) to create this secret. I will be working again tomorrow - another hectic day with impatient and rude students...something to look forward to. Anyway, I need to go and remove my face mask so I will speak to you tomorrow. Enjoy!

The day I forgot...

Okay, so here is my secret for tomorrow - I hope you like it. I am back to work tomorrow, hooray for another week of enrolling bitchy students. It is also a week and a bit until I head back to Oxford to spend a gruelling 8 weeks avoiding work as best as I can. This secret was created with the use of some scraps of fabrics, some green thread, a fineliner and my mother's sewing machine (shhh...don't tell her). Feel free to comment, I always take time out to read them and respond if I can - and it is lovely to hear from people. Until tomorrow, enjoy!

The day I slept forever...

I have chosen this secret as my background on my laptop for the week (this is both the front and the back of the same card). I often direct the message of my secrets towards one particular person - sometimes they are a reader of my blog and sometimes they are not. So the front of the card ('When you read this on postsecret...think of me') struck me as something that is behind almost every secret I create. The other side of this secret appealed to me because the relatability of secrets on http://www.postsecret.blogspot.com/ is something that I have found surprising and exciting for a long while. I often make the message of my own secrets open so as other people can find their own meaning in them. I hope you have had as much fun as I have reading postsecret this week. For the rest of the weekend, enjoy!

The day I prepared myself...

Here is my secret for Sunday. I will be posting my favourite secret from www.postsecret.blogspot.com in a matter of hours, so look forward to that. I have spent the afternoon making secrets for the coming week - this means I will be super prepared and hopefully work won't get in the way. This AI was created by using some coloured paper, glitter pens, gel pens and a fineliner. As always, enjoy!

The day I had the strangest meal...

This is my secret for today. I have finally got a day off where I have nothing to do and I have basically been catching up on sleep. It feels like ages before I have to go back to work but in reality it will come pretty quickly. For now though I can just relax with a cup of tea, the sunny weather and my cats. This secret was created by using the remnants of a paper bag which I accessorized (get it?) with some gold and pink pens. I hope you like it. Have a nice sunny Saturday, enjoy!

The day I went all LFW...

This is my secret for Friday. This was created by using some letter stencils that I made and some red, black, gold and grey pens. I also used some amazing gold letter stickers which I bought a while ago. I hope this really is a secret and not something people have been made aware of through my rubbish blog writing. Work tomorrow - but it means we are one day closer to the weekend. Have a nice day tomorrow, enjoy!

The day I got one step closer...

This is my secret for tomorrow - I hope you like it. I will be working all day again and then I am going out in the evening so rather than depriving you of your AI fix I have posted my secret early. This secret was inspired by the central design which was created by a friend of mine - I used this as a base to make the others which I glued to the paper background. Each design was made by using a combination of fineliners and a gold pen. I hope you have a nice day tomorrow, enjoy!

The day I said goodbye...

This is my second (of hopefully many) guest secrets - it was created by a close friend who I will sadly have to say goodbye to tomorrow. I think this is a really fantastic secret and I like the fact that it is very much his secret and doesn't look too much like one of mine - it is far better. I hope you like this guest AI as much as I do, and if anyone is interested in making a guest secret for me just get in touch. Enjoy!

The day I misplaced a friend...

So this is my secret for tomorrow - I hope you like this one. I created this secret by using coloured paper and pens. I am pleased that my boat actually looks like a boat - I wasn't sure when I was drawing it. Feel free to comment me, I will happily respond when I get a chance. An exciting development....a second guest secret will be loaded in a few minutes! For now, enjoy!

The day I posted it...

This is my secret for Tuesday - I hope you like it. It was created by using pink tissue paper (from when Accessorize gift wrap something you buy) background and some pink glitter. The words were written with both a gold gel pen and a black fineliner. This is a quick post as I have been sewing all evening and my back is killing me. Enjoy!

The day I mopped up again...

This is my secret for tomorrow - I am back to posting them early again as I have another week of work. This secret was created by using some black card, a silver gel pen and these really great silver stickers I bought a while ago. I think this has to be one of my favourite secrets thus far - I love the simplicity of the design (I didn't spend hours agonising over it as I usually do). I hope you like this secret as much as I have liked making it for you. Enjoy!

The day I went to meet a kitten...

This is my secret for today - I hope it was worth the (not so long) wait. I will shortly be going to visit my friend's kitten which will undoubtedly be extremely cute. This secret was created by using a blue biro and some white paper. Another week at work coming up so I might make some secrets in advance so as not to be caught short. Anyway, enjoy!

The day I relaxed...

This is my chosen postsecret for today. I will have it as my background on my laptop for the week and hopefully it will help me get closer to a point where I can make such a positive change in my own life. I will be posting my own secret soon, so look forward to that. Enjoy!

The day I reflected...

So here is my secret for Saturday...sorry it is a couple of minutes late (I have had a hectic few days). I created this secret by cutting leaves into tiny little squares and sticking them with pva glue to some white card. The letters were written with a combination of black marker and a gold gel pen. I am looking forward to relaxing tomorrow with postsecret and a cup of tea. I will definitely try to be more organised next week - not much time before I go back to Oxford. Anyway, for now...enjoy!

The day I didn't come home...

This is my secret for Friday. I will be going straight from work tomorrow to stay with a friend, so you might have to wait until Saturday for my next secret. This AI was created by cutting several images found in a magazine into triangular shapes and the message was scrawled across the secret with a black biro. I am going to bed now, goodnight all. Oh and...enjoy!

The day I worked late...

This is my secret for tomorrow, I hope you like it. With each post I am becoming a little more open to revealing difficult or painful secrets - but as always there are secrets which I don't feel ready to share. This secret was created by using a pair of lips from a magazine (Sophie Ellis-Bextor, if you are interested) and a pink fineliner. Time for bed now, enjoy!

The day I left a little bit later...

This is my secret for tomorrow. I am posting them a little bit earlier this week because of my new job. This secret was created by using a paper bag from a shop as the background, a silver pen to draw over certain areas and a black marker to write across it. I hope you like it - if you ever want a secret explained then leave a comment (by clicking on the title of the post) and I will do my best to respond and tell you the meaning behind it. For now though, enjoy!

The day I worked 9 til 5...

So here is my secret for tomorrow - I hope you like it. Another early post, I know, but I am no longer a jobless student which unfortunately means I have to go to bed at a reasonable hour. This secret was created, rather simply, by using an image found in a magazine ('Where's Wally?' doing a Tropicana ad - would you believe?) and a black biro. Time to get some sleep now, enjoy!

The day I started my new job...

I know, I know...it is very early, a day early BUT I start a new job tomorrow and I couldn't possibly make tens of thousands of people wait a whole 24 hours for the next installment of my life in secrets. It would mean you would only have a few hours to enjoy the secret, but more than that, it would be cruel. Anyway, this secret was created by using a shiny blue star sequin, a blue glitter pen and a blue fineliner. Here are the answers to my celebrity secret:

1) Cheryl Cole (nee Tweedy) - forehead
2) Helen Baxendale (of Cold Feet (and Friends) fame) - eyes
3) Jessica Taylor (of Liberty X fame) - nose
4) Emma Watson (the skanky bitch) - mouth
5) Jane Danson (of Coronation Street fame) - neck
6) Drew Barrymore (of crappy films fame) - forehead
7) Victoria Beckham (of Major fame) - eyes
8) Emma Watson - nose
9) Cheryl Cole - mouth
10) Keisha Buchanan (of Sugababes fame) - neck
11) Keisha Buchanan - forehead
12) Cheryl Cole - eyes
13) Helen Baxendale - nose
14) Jessica Taylor - mouth
15) Victoria Beckham - neck

Well done to those of you who guessed, and even better to those of you who guessed correctly. Have a nice day, enjoy!

The day I cleaned the kitchen...

This is my chosen postsecret for this week - please go and check them out at www.postsecret.blogspot.com. Frank has done something quite exciting this week as he has included some of the very first secrets in his post. It is really interesting to see how the secrets have evolved over the years, as I am sure it will be interesting to see how my own style will change during the next year. This secret stood out to me more than any other this week. I post a secret everyday and sometimes it is difficult to accept ownership of something that is hard to admit. Some of the time getting it out there and telling people relieves some of the pressure, sometimes it can make things seem worse. I have chosen this secret because I think it is really important to remind myself that while this blog is about sharing secrets with the people close to me (and strangers too) it is also about being more honest with myself. I am hoping that staring at this secret everyday for the next week will force me to consider how I should go about changing the reality of some of my secrets. Lots of posts for you to get through today, I hope they are worth the reading time - oh, and remember to guess the celebrity. Anyway, I am off to eat chutney and be merry, enjoy!

The day I had my first guest secret...

So here is something very exciting - my very first guest secret. This was made by a close friend, he used some crystals, sequins and a fineliner. I have been asking friends who read my blog to create their own secrets for me to post. So hopefully this will be the first of many guest secrets to come. Anyway, postsecret tomorrow. Goodnight for now, and for once you can spend time thinking about a secret created by someone other than me, enjoy!

The day I went to a chutney party...

So here is my secret for today. I will be going to a very exciting chutney party tomorrow - yes, that is right...chutney. This secret was created by using some coloured paper, pictures from Closer magazine and a fineliner. I am also giving you the opportunity to guess the faces - just leave a comment below with your guess and the number of that bit of the face - 10+ points for any of them that you get right (you can enlarge the picture by clicking on it). Good luck! Oh and don't forget to, as always, enjoy!

The day I cooked dinner...

So here is my secret for today. I will be attempting to cook a three course meal in a few hours (wish me luck). This AI began by me using a blue pencil to colour in the background. I then used a blue piece of foil (from a packet of soft mints - yes, I am that thrifty) which I cut out and glued down to the card. I used a craft knife to cut away the middle section which I then glued a scrap of white paper behind. The final flourish was to add the words which were written with blue fineliner. My scanner seems to have decided some pieces of foil should be darker than the others but they are all the same colour in reality - it must be the reflective quality of the material. I hope you like my secret. You have a whole day to take it in so as always, enjoy!

The day I realised it wasn't going away...

This is my secret for today. I think this is probably one of my favourite secrets so far - because it took a few weeks of planning for it to all come together. I made this secret by taking some flowers from my garden and pressing them between two sheets of baking parchment and some very heavy books - I left them for about two weeks to dry out. I used tea to stain the background and then glued down the flowers (coating the whole secret with pva glue to seal it). I then used a fineliner and wrote my secret over the design by hand. Although it took a while to bring together all the different elements of this secret I think the simplicity of the end design is what makes it really beautiful. Anyway, I hope you like it as much as I do. Enough from me, enjoy!

The day I counted...

This is my secret for today, you will be sad to know that I have not yet recovered from death cold (as it shall be known from now on). I will be looking after kids soon and therefore hopefully not infecting them. My secret today was created by using an image from a magazine, a mixture of pens and a set of letter stencils. This is secret number 52 which is quite exciting! Well done to everyone who is sill checking in to read my posts. Enjoy!

The day I hopefully recovered...

Here is my secret for today - I hope you like it. Sorry about the drunk post last night...it seems to be recurrent problem (I honestly don't drink that often). My AI for today was made by layering acrylic paint onto a postcard sized piece of card. I mixed red, black, blue and yellow to create the background. I then used some letter stencils which I made (by laminating a sheet of letters and cutting then out with a craft knife) and some yellow paint to write the message across the layers already applied. I think the effect is really quite beautiful and also a little bit different from most of my secrets so far. Thank you for reading, enjoy!

The day I thought about you...

This is my secret for today - I am a little bit drunk (and also a little bit in love with Peter Allen). I created my AI for today by using a combination of felt, buttons, thread, a silver pen and a purple fineliner. It was inspired by a day which I spent making t-shirts with some children that I look after. I hope you like my post for today - I know that most of you really appeciate the effort I put into my blog and I really enjoy the fact that so many people are following it. Have a nice day and as always, enjoy!

The day I had no sleep...

Here is my secret for today, I hope you like it. I have had very little sleep and I hope this compensates for any incoherence that may follow. This secret was created by using red paper, a gold pen and some exciting gold stickers which I bought the other day. They were incredibly difficult to peel off the page and I had to resort to tweezers to complete this secret. My plan for today: sleep. Night night, enjoy!

The day my room became a little bit cleaner...

This is my chosen postsecret for today - go and check them out at www.postsecret.blogspot.com. I have picked this postsecret because it links in with a post I made a while ago about having no regrets. I always try to live by the philosophy that the mistakes you make in life shape you into the person you are - and as my close friend would say 'everything happens for a reason'. Anyway, I think it will make me happier looking at this secret all week. So for today, enjoy!

The day that things got better...

This is my secret for today - I hope you like it. It was created by using blue paper, some glitter, a gold pen and a blue fineliner (all done by hand). Hopefully today will be a day of new beginnings. The plan is to reorganise things and basically make an attempt to de-clutter my life. I will also be choosing my favourite postsecret from www.postsecret.blogspot.com to have as my background for a week and to share with you. Anyway I am sure you have better things to think about than what I will be getting up to. Have a nice day, enjoy!

The day I cleared up...

Here is my secret for today - sorry to those who were waiting for it at midnight (I was out and therefore unable to post it any sooner). I had quite a lot of fun making this secret as I was finally able to use my extensive collection of coloured pens which were used to draw the design of this AI. I have had really great feedback about AmeliaIs... from both friends and fellow bloggers - it really is fantastic knowing that people enjoy what I am doing and it definitely encourages me to keep it up. The current plan is to maintain it for at least a year, which would be brilliant. Anyway, I hope you like my post today and look forward to my secret tomorrow. Enjoy!

The day I finally had some time off...

Here is my secret for today. I spent all day looking after children and am totally exhausted. I have been excited about going to bed all evening but had to stay up to post my AI. I plan to do some shopping to find a dress for my evening out - hopefully I can find something pretty. This secret was created by using fineliners and black paper. I really like the design of it being a crossword - as it takes some effort from my readers to figure out the meaning of my secrets, or a meaning which applies to their own lives. I couldn't quite contain it within the normal postcard sized template I use - so this secret is a little bit bigger than the others, but hopefully you can't tell. I will speak to you again tomorow, for now though: enjoy!

The day I almost got to sleep in...

This is my secret for today, I hope you like it. Thank you for the comments regarding my new haircut, I am really glad you all like it. The only slight downside is that I discovered I look far too much like Lady Gaga when I wear any of my bow hairbands - and I am not quite ready to ask strangers if I can take a ride on their disco stick just yet. This AI was made by using some blue paper, a mixture of silver and blue star sequins, a silver pen and a blue fineliner. The scanner can't quite cope with the reflective quality of the sequins so you can't really see that they are different colours - but they are. Anyway, enjoy!

The day I had the most fantastic shower...

So, two very exciting things for you to have a look at today. The first of these is my secret - created by using some black card, beautiful wrapping paper (which you will no doubt be seeing more of at some point) that I cut up and a fineliner. There is something strangely magical about a birdhouse, well I think so anyway, and I have always always wanted one. The second of these two very exciting things is a picture of my new haircut. This is an opportunity for those who haven't seen it to appreciate the shortness and the fringey-ness of it. For those who don't know me it is a chance to put a face to a blogger. Either way I hope you like it - it is a bit of a drastic change for me (it still feels like a wig) and encouragement of the comment based variety would, as always, be much appreciated. Anyway boys and girls (and anyone in between), enjoy!

The day after my new haircut...

This is my secret for today. I have a busy day of looking after kids ahead of me, roll on Friday. This secret was created by zooming in on a photo of some coins (I took the photo myself...and those are the coins in my cow bank), printing off the image and then using tipex and a fineliner to write the secret. Night night, enjoy!