Sweet Easter Wishes

Sweet Easter Greetings to you and thank-you for visiting.

I needed to make a few Easter cards but not spend too long at the table...So here they are...Made in about 1 hour...A record for me...Often lovely papers can just speak for themselves!

(click to enlarge)

Papers: Pion Design and Inkido
Dies: Memory Box (Cross Stitched Rectangles and Corner Bow)
Other: From Stash

Wishing all a very Happy and Peaceful Easter,
Nicola x

I wish to enter the following challenges:
Memory Box Challenge - Blossoms & Bunnies
Allsorts - Easter
Chocolate, Coffee & Cards - Use Ribbon
Aud Sentiments - Bingo - Ribbon, Faux Stitching and Die Cut + sentiment
Crafty Boots - Easter
Inky Chicks - Happy Easter
Crafty Cardmakers - Easter
Little Red Wagon - Happy Easter / Spring
Double D challenge - Easter
Pion Design - Easter (picture inspiration)

Marie Antoinette Shoe

A belated Happy St. Patrick's day to you from Ireland. It's a lovely compliment that so many worldwide enjoy partaking in our special day.

This is a scheduled post so I hope that it has synced ok. Thank-you to everyone for kind wishes on last post.

I'm very happy to feature today over at the wonderful A Vintage Journey with a guest design piece. The remit for both my project, and the current AVJ challenge, is to create a vintage project referencing all 4 of the following:

Substrate – Board (eg - grey board, coaster board, cardboard)
Main Colour – Lilac or pale purple
Technique – Rust Effects (perhaps using rusting or embossing powders or rust coloured paints)
Product – Something metal

I decided to create something in the style of Frank Garcia, Prima Designer, whose work I love. I also took great inspiration from the lovely Terri of Artful Affirmations. Terri has made many Marie Antoinette style shoes and has kindly shared a super how-to video on YouTube. It, and Terri's blog, are definitely worth checking out.

Without further ado, here's my shoe!

The shoe upper is made of Grungepaper by Tim Holtz. This was perfect for holding all the media I applied whilst still remaining pliable. Started off with a coat of gesso. Then built up several layers of seed beads, glass beads, glass glitters (Finnabair violet and silver) and micro beads using 3D gel to adhere. Coated each successive layer with gesso and once that was dry sprayed it with Tattered Angels glimmer mist in 'Lavender Fields'. (Thank-you to Ger who gifted me this some time ago as I don't have much violet to hand). Also splashed on Twinkling H20 in 'English Lavender' and a little watered Distress Ink in 'Dusty Concord'. The top rim is adorned with Rhinestone chain and ruffled lace.

A metal bezel by Spellbinders sits atop the shoe. It was golden but I changed that with some silver gilding wax. Then gave it a little patina with a blend of Pearl Ex pigments. Filled it with lots of violet/silver glass glitter and opted for Finnabair's silver micro beads for the top layer. Set the mixture with Judikins diamond glaze. Finally, positioned Swarovski crystals on the bezel panache.

The ornate 'stand' has been made from cardboard sandwiched between layers of paper by Maja Design and SEI Velvet. These papers have been diecut with a Cheery Lynn die and remain relatively unadorned given so much bling on the shoe itself. There are little rhinestone accents atop each corner. The dangling baubles are by Prima. They were white but I coloured the white velvet with lavender ink to blend them in better. I've also added little silver dots around the perimeters using a Waco chrome pearl pen.

Using Tim Holtz 'Flourish' stencil, I stencilled crackle paste (DecoArt) around the shoe. When crackle was dry, painted on Twinkling H20 in 'English Lavender'. This gave a lovely fabric like shimmer and also served to highlight the cracks.

The shoe's sole has been made from cardboard with thin inner corrugation so as to bend nicely. This is layered between paper by Maja Design topside and SEI velvet paper underneath. The Maja paper has been painted with Silks acrylic glaze in 'Oyster' to give it a silken lustre (although most of this is unseen). Happened to have a stamp by 7 Gypsies (Avignon set) with a date mark of 1764 (during Marie Antoinette lifetime) so had to include same. Stamped date on a little fancy square (Spellbinders Fleur-de-Lys die), coated with crackle glaze and placed on inner sole. Used lace and cord to decorate and to hide joinings.

The 'heel' has been made from 2 pieces of white polymer clay by Scrapberrys (glued back to back). I applied silver gilding wax and patina as done on bezel. Also dabbed on slight touches of faux rust using embossing powder and Distress Ink in 'Rusty Hinge' as well as Distress Glitter in 'Rusty Hinge'. Heated mixture to set.

The stand's 'feet' are made from diecut chipboard (Sizzix 'Hardware Findings' die). Each 'foot' is made from 2 adhering layers of chipboard (including that crooked one that needs to be reglued!) These were aged and rusted similarly to 'heel', with some dabs of yellow and green inks for variation. Centred pearls on back and front of each.

C'est ça!

Terri from Artful Affirmations has kindly attached a printable template for this shoe to her YouTube video. Thank-you very much Terri for sharing.

Finally, thank-you so much to the very talented team at A Vintage Journey for including me today. Wishing all there a Very Happy 2nd Birthday this month.

Warmest wishes,
Nicola x

I wish to enter project to the following challenges:
Vintage Cafe Card Challenge - Neo Vintage
Rhedds Creative Spirit - Anything Goes
Creative Carte Blanche - Triple Trouble (Corrugate (hidden within sole), metal, lace)
The Craft Barn - Dictionary R for 'Reine de France'
Collins French Dictionary states Reine is feminine form for Queen, Épouse d'un roi (wife of King). Also states 'La petite reine' can mean 'the bicycle'.
Mixed Media World - Vintage
Card and Scrap - Lace
Creative Artiste - Anything Goes
Scrappiness - No cards, pocket scrapping or layouts
Scrappelyst - Substance or Thread

Springtime / Easter

Hi there and thank-you for visiting!

I'm not able to craft very much at the moment but am hoping after further medical work to my neck that situation will improve. In the meantime, I've made this vintage card and it was so lovely to get back to my craft table.

Papers Pion Design 'A Day in May' collection
Flowers 'Wild Orchid Crafts' and 'Jeans'
Resin Embellishments Prima and Melissa Frances
Metal Embellishments Corners and key (painted) from stash
Stamping Tim Holtz 'speckled' stamp
Media Distress Ink in 'Tea Dye' and white acrylic paint for more random splatters
Other Moss, lace and pearls from stash. Wooden heart from lovely Lynne

Thanks so very much for stopping by. When my neck improves I hope to be able to make more frequent visits around blogland.

Wishing all a lovely week to come,
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges;

Pion Design - March Challenge - Easter Greetings (Card inspired by theme)

Ribbon Girl - Spring / Easter or Anything Goes
Live & Love Crafts - Signs of Spring
We Love Vintage - Vintage Easter / Spring
Cards und More - Spring
Card & Scrap - Shabby Chic / Vintage
Frilly & Funkie - Layer It Up
Creative Inspirations Challenge - Pretty Projects
Inky Chicks - Ribbon and/or lace
Fussy & Fancy Bingo. Something old -moss, something new -frame, lace, pearls

Birdsong

Greetings to you and to 2016!

I'm delighted to start my first post of the year with a guest design spot at one of my very favourite blogs Frilly & Funkie. The theme there for Cec's challenge is 'Sing, Sing, Sing' which is a nicely adaptable kind of theme if you are like me and finding it difficult to get your mojo going right after Christmas. (Receiving a Radio Frequency Ablation to my neck last week hasn't helped either!).

(Click pic to enlarge)
The bird itself is diecut using Sizzix 'Bird Scroll' die. He's been decorated with Frantage embossing enamel in 'Shabby White', blue Frantage fragments and glitter in 'Steel Blue'. A little bell adorns his wing to match one affixed to grosgrain bow. The three gold music charms are from stash. Branch is made from brown velvet ric-rac and Magnolia and Memory Box diecuts using Bazzill 'Chocolate' cardstock. Outer rims are edged with 'Tea Dye' distress ink.

The layer below is a music paper by Pion Design cut using a beautiful Joy Crafts die ('Square and Chandelier'). I tried edging this square with 'Tea Dye' distress ink to tie in with other layers but it didn't look great so have left edges clean on this one. Stamped the paper with Tim Holtz 'Speckle' stamp using 'Potting Soil' archival ink and applied some 'Shabby White' Frantage. Dotted pearls around the musical square too.

The blue layer below (by Pion Design) has been cut with my new Martha Stewart 'Eyelet Lace' punch. Again, stamped with 'Speckle' stamp and edged with 'Tea Dye' DI to bring consistency through the layers. Sprinkled on some 'Shabby White' Frantage and 'Steel Blue' glitter.

Layer below that is cream cardstock. I cut a square slightly larger than the blue paper layer and using it as a mask dabbed 'Tea Dye' ink around rim of a larger cream square so that a border of 'Tea Dye' ink formed right around. Then randomly stamped some music using a Katzelkraft stamp and 'Potting Soil' ink. Sprinkled around blue Frantage fragments and added little blue crystals to corners.

Lowest blue layer has just had its edges inked with 'Tea Dye' and pearls dotted at corners.

So why don't you make something musical and enter the Frilly & Funkie challenge. There's a great prize to be won and in any event you're guaranteed to find lots of great ideas from the talented design team there. Huge thanks to all at Frilly & Funkie for inviting me to guest design for them today - it's always a privilege.

Just one more thing, apparently the lovely people at Google Blogger are going to bring about some changes (again!) to the Blogger Follower Gadget. You must be signed up to Follow Blogger blogs (including mine) using a Gmail account - if you don't use a Google account you will be dropped off into the cyber nether. For more details please hop over to the ever eloquent Alison who explains it more clearly here - thanks Alison! (Anyone Following by Email or Bloglovin' should not be impacted).

As always, very many thanks for your visit.
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Anything But Cute - Ring Out The Old, Bring In The New - new punch
Live & Love Crafts - Something New (new punch)
Tuesday Throwdown - Add Dimension
Shopping Our Stash - Something New - new punch
Die Cuttin Divas - Tweet, Tweet, Use A Bird
We Love 2 Create - Anything Creative / Mixed Media Goes
Craft For The Craic - January Blues
Scrapy Land - Anything Goes using brand carried by Scrapy Land (Memory Box)
Stamps & Stencils - Oh So Blue
Noor Design - Anything Goes

Merry & Bright

Hello!

This is my last post for 2015. Wishing all a very happy and peaceful Christmas and only glad tidings in 2016.

Very many thanks for your visits, comments and support throughout 2015.

Warmest wishes,
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:

Memory Box Challenge - Season's Greetings
Scrapy Land - Holidays (Use any brand die carried by Scrapy Land - Memory Box)
Craft for the Craic - Christmas Cheer
Card Mania - Christmas
Scrap & Craft - Anything Christmas
Inspiration Journal - Tis The Season
Simon Monday Challenge - Winter Wonderland
Country View Crafts - Create A Scene

Joyeux Noël

Seasons Greetings! Thanks so much for taking the time to visit.

I have some other Christmas posts ready but may not get them published, though I expect everyone is mighty busy now anyway with Christmas preparations. I received more injections to my neck yesterday so my online time must be very curtailed.

This pretty image is taken from a paper napkin available here. Isn't she lovely.

Following the Servietten Technique I seperated the top layer of napkin and glued it to white cardstock using Ranger multi-medium matte. Once completely dry, die-cut and embossed the image using a Marianne Design die. Sprinkled on a pinch of white Frantage and stencilled some stars using a Heidi Swapp stencil. Coated the stars with clear rock glitter before the paste dried. Rubbed silved gilding wax to die-cut edge and burnished it well with cloth.

The lowest layer has been embossed with a Sizzix music folder. Again gilded the edges silver. Cut a round doily in half and adhered to base layer. Die-cut some glittery silver paper with Memory Box 'Star of Wonder', Memory Box 'Elegant Scrollwork' and Magnolia 'Sprawling Ferns' dies and arranged on card. Die-cut little stars from this glittery paper using offcuts from a Sizzix Triplits balloon die so some of the stars are white and some silver.

Added lace trim and tinsel trim to the left and placed a Swarovski crystal on star. The berries are by Magnolia and I've added some white stamens from stash too. Stamped the Joyeux Noël sentiment using a Stempelglede stamp set. Finally, sprayed some seam binding to a matching shade of blue and affixed. C'est ça!

Hope to pop around blogland in another couple of days. In the meantime, enjoy the happiness of this season and Stay Calm!

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
We Love Vintage - Vintage Children
Simon Monday Challenge - Just a pinch (of Frantage)
Anything But Cute - You've got Happy Mail
Scrapy Land - Holidays (Use a die brand carried by Scrapy Land)
Scrap & Craft - Anything Christmas
Inspiration Journal - Tis The Season
ABC Christmas - Y is for Youngsters
Sparkles Challenge - Die Cuts for Christmas
Creative Inspirations - Merry Christmas
Alphabet Challenge - V for Vintage

A Victorian Christmas

Greetings from a dark and drizzling Dublin - the reason for awful shadows in picture. Thank-you for visiting, especially during this busy Christmas countdown.

I've used papers from the lovely Prima collection 'A Victorian Christmas'. Placed the robin in a faux layered nest and then magnified him with a Prima Memory Hardware Antique cloche that was rather tricky to photograph. The holly branches are cut using Creative Expressions 'Holly Sprays' die. All the holly has been glittered. Edges are variously inked with Prima chalk edger and Stickles 'Memory Glass'. The outer edge is torn in places and Prima lace trim 'Snow' is placed beneath the tears. I've also done a little random stencilling using Finnabair white crackle texture paste - it's meant to represent some snow swirling around a weary looking Santa! The banners (cut with MFT Fishtail Flags die) are coated with Glossy accents to highlight them and then edged with stickles. Added 'berries' with a Waco pearl pen. Finished with a copper star atop tree.

Thank-you so much for stopping by and warmest welcomes to those who have recently signed up to follow.

Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:
Prima - 12 Days of Christmas (Day 1 'A Victorian Christmas' and memory hardware)
Anything But Cute - You've got Happy Mail
Craft for the Craic - Christmas Cheer
Frilly & Funkie - Tis The Season
Scrap & Craft - Anything Christmas
Sparkles Christmas Challenge - Die Cuts for Christmas
Country View Challenges - Create A Scene
Simon Monday Challenge - Just a pinch - I've used tiny amount of crackle paste
Inspiration Emporium - Tis The Season

Shhhhh! Look who's inside!

Hi there, I hope your weekend is going well. A quick post today ...

Papers: Pion Design 'Christmas in Norway' and 'Silent Night'
Dies: Sizzix/Tim Holtz 'Window' and 'Mini Reindeer'. My Favorite Things Borders - 'Scallop' and 'Mini Scallop'.
Stencil: Memory Box 'Tiny Snowflakes'. Texture paste has been glittered with clear rock whilst still wet.
Other: The window was painted with cream DecoArt paint and liberally frantaged with both cream and white embossing enamels. One deer is painted with clear crackle and the other has been glittered with clear rock candy. Little jingle bells adorn their necks. I've painted an Idea-ology snowflake cream, dabbed it with red stickles and placed a red swarovski crystal in centre. Punched some 'foliage', glittered it and lined along base. Punched little snowflakes and gave them pearl centres. Completed with addition of red sparkly trim.

Wishing you a lovely weekend and very many thanks for stopping by.
Nicola x

I wish to enter card to the following challenges:

Pion Design Challenge - Christmas Wishes - Inspiration photo below

Scrapyland - Anything Goes - Use a die brand Scrapyland carries
Frilly & Funkie - Tis The Season
Inspiration Emporium - Tis The Season
Craft For The Craic - Christmas Cheer
Dies R Us - Christmas
Scrap & Craft - Anything Christmas
Sparkles Christmas - Die Cuts for Christmas
Little Red Wagon - Snow Much Fun
Anything But Cute - You've got Happy Mail

Matching sleigh for 'Cosy Little Christmas'

Hello! It's lovely of you to stop by. Thanks so much for all your kind comments on Christmas house in my post below. I've now made a matching sleigh and deer to complete the set.

Papers: Pion Design 'Christmas in Norway'
Dies: Sizzix/Tim Holtz 'Prancing Deer', Sizzix/Tim Holtz 'Sleigh Ride'. (Made the deer and sleigh cardboard centres for reinforcement. Painted some corrugated cardboard cream and adhered it between sleigh sides for centre of carriage).
Stencil: Wendy Vecchi 'Vintage Quilt' - not seen very well but the 'ground' is stencilled and sprinkled with lots of clear rock glitter
Other: Idea-ology Tree that has been sprayed with various golds and whites to make it match the house. Deer are harnessed to sleigh via Idea-ology screw eyes. Distress Dry Glitter 'Clear Rock'. Stickles 'Gold' and 'Mercury Glass'. Gesso and Snow-Tex. Woodware tiny snowflake punch. 'Metal' part of sleigh is gold embossed. Tinsel, pearls, gems and bells from stash.

We've had awful rain and wind in these parts over recent days so I hope this post finds you well and warm wherever you are based. The warmest of welcomes too to the lovely people who have signed up recently to follow, it's great to have your company.

Have a super week,
Nicola

I wish to enter sleigh to the following challenges:

Pion Design December Challenge - Christmas Wishes.
Here is the inspiration photo, why don't you give this a try, there's a wonderful prize on offer that I was lucky enough to win last month

Live & Love Crafts - Sparkle
A Vintage Journey - Vintage Christmas
Frilly & Funkie - Tis The Season
Scrapyland - Anything Goes - Use die brand that Scrapyland carries
Country View Challenges - Create a Scene
Dies R Us - Christmas
Scrap & Craft - Anything Christmas

Cosy Little Christmas

Welcome! Thank-you for visiting.

I needed to make another Christmas house and it seemed apt for a number of challenges so without further ado here is yet another altered Melissa Frances chipboard house.

The papers are by Pion Design, most from the new 'Christmas in Norway' collection but some from their 'Flower Frames' and 'Winter in Swedish Lapland' collections too. I've also used a gold foil paper (reinforced with backing cardstock) for accents.

The papers have been well frantaged (with both white and cream enamel) and some parts of house are crackle glazed. While the glaze was still wet I sprinkled on Melissa Frances glass glitter and Ranger 'Clear Rock' glitter for plenty of sparkle. Other elements are completely coated with Ranger Glitter. Used pompoms, lace and tinsel to decorate some edges. Other edges and window frames were inked with Krylon 18 kt gilding pen although I went and covered up a lot of this when I added Snow-tex to edges. The windows are adorned with venise lace and cream tulle as well as those little munchkins peeking out. I've painted and crackled a Kaisercraft wooden street light and it's illuminated by a Tim Holtz battery lantern. Used a Decoart cream paint on several of the surfaces.

Dies used to front are; Magnolia 'Old Swedish Lace' and 'Tilda Lace', Sizzix 'On the fence' decorative strip, Sizzix 'Mini Reindeer', Sizzix bigz 'Stars' and Sizzix 'Crescent Moon'. Thanks to Lindt for the little bells around the deer!

Turning to one side you can see Santa starting his climb to the chimney. There is quite a snowstorm going on with all those punched little snowflakes and plenty of stencilled snowflakes too - made using Memory Box 'Tiny Snowflakes' stencil and Decoart texture paste.

The word 'Joy' is diecut with a WPlus9 die. The gold snowflakes throughout project are by Nunn Design.

Let's see the Christmas Tree around the other side. Used Sizzix 'Woodlands' die to give outline for tree shape and then cut 'branches' using Magnolia and Creative Expressions dies. Inked the 'branches' with Distress Inks and coated them with Ranger Glitter. Added stamens and pearl dots with a Waco pen. A Prima resin angel sits atop the tree - she has been gilded with 'White Fire' gilding wax. Some glittered cones are at tree base.



Finally to the rear we can see the little munchkins checking out what's inside Santa's sack.

I've added lots of charms from stash and arranged them and some wrapped presents right around the house. When I was assembling the house one of the wall joins wasn't very clean so I diecut narrow gold strips and adhered to all 4 edges to make it neat and tidy. Ditto at roof ridge. The 'Let It Snow' is from a Memory Box die. You can see several punched bow shapes - done with Sizzix / Holtz bow punch. You can't see from photos but the 'ground' area is also well glittered and snow stencilled. Added pearls, stickles and swarovski red crystals for eyes just to ensure optimum bling. Finally mounted it all on painted Idea-ology Box Feet.

If you would like to see any of my other altered chipboard houses you can find them here, here, here and here.

Thanks so very much for stopping by - it's much appreciated.
Have a lovely weekend.
Nicola x

Today is the deadline for Pion Design's November challenge with theme 'Fluffy Friends' so I'm glad to get this posted just in the nick of time. Lots of fluffiness around project from the fur on the little peoples' clothes and on the dog and deer to the front. Here is their inspiration photo:

I also wish to enter house to the following challenges:
Live & Love Crafts - November Tic Tac Toe - Glitter, Snow, Star
Anything But Cute - It's Ornamental (tho' it is kindof cute!)
Frilly & Funkie - An Altered State
Craft For The Craic - Something Glittery
Try It On Tuesday - Create a Scene
Vintage Cafe Card Challenge - Home Decor
Alphabet Challenge - Tis The Season
The Ribbon Girls - Use Any Image
Papertake Weekly - Let it Snow