Wee Pocket Folk Art Shrines

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I know I've posted already, but I feel like this is my first REAL post of 2018, posted without any sort of obligation.

Are you excited about this year? I'm so excited. Last year (the year that shall not be named) was an absolute bastard right to the very bitter end. But 2018 and I are going to be BFF's. Already I've learned how to play Happy Birthday on the ukulele, and how to tie a bow tie, and I finished this sweet batch of tiny wee shrines...

Here's a better look at some of them.

Listed HERE

Listed HERE

Listed HERE

Listed HERE

Each of the wee things has a chipboard base which has been lined in vintage papers inside and decorative scrapbooking papers on the exterior. Inside, the bottom is lined with natural moss. The wee house is made of clay and was fired in a pit in the back garden at Pixie Hill. The toadstools are spun cotton and the flowers are paper. Each one measures around just 2" or so.

I'll blog the tiny paper fairy shrines tomorrow, but you can sneak a look at them if you're a peeker like me.

I'm off to drink coffee and enjoy my day. I hope you have an amazing day too. 

P.S. I've missed you xoxo

Old Glass and Another Apothecary

This is a much smaller version of the Fairy Apothecary I showed off earlier in the week. I had a couple of requests for a tutorial and an AlphaStamps deadline looming so... ta dah!

This is probably about 1/4 the size of the earlier version, but crammed with just as many wee jars and bottles and vials. Overall size is approximately 3" x 5.7".

I've skipped over the box assembly in the video tutorial. It's easy peasy and you can look at the old vids on my channel to see how I generally stick stuff together and cover with paper.

Instead I've focused on recreating the look of authentic old glass. It's not over the top grungy... but it absolutely replicates the appearance fairly accurately.

So hop over to the tutorial HERE

And grab all of the supplies you need HERE

Or here's all the bits listed separately:

English Fairy Garden Collage Sheet

Fairy Apothecary Collage Sheet

Mini Cigar Box - 3x4

12 Tiny Glass Bottles

Amber Even Tinier Bottles*

Amber Resin Potions Bottle

Bruised Pink Antique Scrapbook Paper

Corked Vials

Even Tinier Bottles*

Large Clear Resin Potions Bottle

Mini Mason Jar - Large

Pickle Jar with Lid

Small Amber Resin Potions Bottle

Small Clear Resin Potions Bottle

Small Metal Box Feet - Tree Bark

Tiny Round Bottles*

Mrs Pickle's Pumpkin House

There are many different types of fairies. Most of them are quite cheeky. Some of them are fairly dastardly. And others still are of the helpful variety. This is the home of Mrs. Pickle, a helpful house fairy.

Her pumpkin is quite cheery, with flowers and moss and butterflies too.

This plate appears above the entrance. I think it must be her lucky number.

 There is a bright window that the sun streams through in the morning.

Inside is everything she needs to help the household she chooses to assist.

Don't think for a second that fairies will help just anyone. 

Even the nicest fairies are picky and particular.

If you're very fortunate one might choose you! They'll help with the gardening.

Mrs. Pickle keeps meticulous notes about the what has and has not been done. Today is dusting day... which is actually the opposite when a fairy does it. Fairies distribute it rather than sweep it up.

She also mends small holes and snags and replaces buttons you didn't even know you lost.

She's an accomplished laundress too. Her stain removal skills are second to none!

And all she requires in return is to be left to her own devices...

and an occasional thimble of sweet wine and jam.

Mrs Pickle's Pumpkin House is listed HERE

Supplies and notes for Mrs Pickles Pumpkin:

Small foam pumpkin from Michael's
Wooden window (HUGE pain to add to the curved surface)
Flower Soft - Sweet Pea
Mini Rose Buds - Ivory*
Mini Rose Buds - Medium Pink*
Moss
Snail shell
Acorn
Handmade toadstools
Faux foilage
Bark (used for interior floor... will NEVER use again. Totally uneven!)
English Fairy Garden Collage Sheet
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Word Bands - Incantation
Prima Marketing Junkyard Findings Water Pipe Parts
Mini Ceramic Garden Gnome Beads (not exactly what I used, but close)
Miniature Milk Bottles in Crate
Miniature Table & Chairs Set*
Miniature Metal Wash Tub
Iridescent Glass Spheres (used with Diamond Glaze to create bubbly wash water)
Coal Scuttle Set
Black Parlour Stove
Fancy Bronze Mirror Frame Setting
25x18mm Plastic Mirror
Orange Pumpkin Teapot
Miniature Vintage Sewing Machine
Silver-Plated Spoon
Pennies
Thimbles
Spools
Pins
Glitter
Small vial
Paperclay
Paint
Love
Magic

The Collector's Room Box

This month's theme at AlphaStamps.com is "Collector's Room". The kit features a chipboard window to create a little scene within... but I've gone rouge err... rogue and created a collector's room with the new
Small Frame Shadowbox.

I wanted to create a space filled with bits that might have been collected on adventures, an assortment of oddities. A sort of kooky gentleman's library, or study.

Every gentleman's library needs books. These shelves are filled with them! Well... not really... they're simply facades cut from the Window Card Cabinets Collage Sheet.

Another 'must have' in a real gentleman's study is a stag head and the Mini Deer Head Trophy is perfect!

There are A LOT of amazing little oddities in my collectors room. All of the products used are listed below but some of my very favouites that deserve and extra shout out: Miniature Flying Bats, Pewter Candlesticks, Ceramic Gargoyle Bead and perhaps my favourite little bauble of all the wee Ceramic Red Devil Bead.

This wee American Crow ain't so bad either!

Here's the full list of supplies if you want to create your own collectors room, or if you just see something you might fancy.

Small Frame Shadowbox
Kitchen Wall Shelf Unit - Chipboard
Amber Resin Potions Bottle
Set of Metal Ginger Jars
Set of 4 Metal Apothecary Jars
Mini Black Resin Sitting Cat
Miniature Flying Bats
Pewter Candlesticks
Mini Metal Shadowbox
Mini Deer Head Trophy
American Crow
10mm Clear Glass Marbles**
Small Ceramic Skull Bead
Ceramic Gargoyle Bead
Ceramic Red Devil Bead.
Clear Stemware - Set of 6
Bronze Binoculars Charm*
Antique Bronze Bird Skull Pendant*
Miniature Red Wine Bottle
12 Tiny Glass Bottles
Even Tinier Bottles*
Tiny Round Bottles*
Window Card Cabinets Collage Sheet
Antique Leather Book Spines Collage Sheet
Architextures 8x8 Paper Pad
Vintage Toys Collage Sheet
Mini Old Windows & Doors Collage Sheet

Day 9 - A Winter Cottage

Look at the glistening snow! Aww, it's all melted now, but I've got all my fingers and toes crossed that it will return soon and that we'll have a proper white Christmas this year.

This itty bitty was made (mostly) with the  Chipboard House Ornament Kit from last month.

The house itself measures just 2-3/4" tall, 2-1/2". It's itty!

My favourite part of this little doodad is the tuft of raw wool smoke coming out of the chimney. Can't you just smell the wood fire?!

Hope you're dandy. Big love to you.

Day 3 - Tiny snowy house

Just something small and sweet today.

I think this will be a perfect thing to abandon with a note of holiday cheer.

The dome has been in my stash for quite a long while. THIS little tree was coloured green and dusted with some faux snow. The house is one which was pit fired in my back garden. And the gold is a snip from one of these dresden trims.

On top, a little bow with ribbon from THIS set, with a tiny snip of green and some colour from this Fancy Red Holly Berries Mix.

Ta dahhh! How's YOUR holiday cheer chugging along?

Day 1 - Zombie Ornaments

I had this ridiculous idea that I'd try to post a project a day, a sort of bloggy advent calendar for the month of December. I've got a good stockpile of projects here, so hopefully I can coax 24 blog posts for the month. Who knows if it'll happen but we'll give it a try, eh? ;) 

Some of the projects will be gifts. Some will be abandoned for strangers to spread some holiday cheer. And very few will be for sale if you want to gimme your pennies.

Let's get to business.... Zombie Ornaments!!!!!!

I did some miniature zombies not tooooo long ago, and so when someone mentioned their 'creepmas tree' these things had to happen.

I mean, just because it's winter doesn't mean that there are no zombies right?

I bet that there are even Christmas Day zombies!

I made a VERY small batch of these. There are only 8 for sale and I won't be making more.

If you require some Christmas Zombie magic HERE is the listing.

P.S. Love you loads and bunches! Hope you're having the BEST day.

A Floo Network Fireplace

I interpret "Do you want to play with a fireplace?" as "OMG, MAKE A FLOO NETWORK THING!"

That's exactly what happened.

I've made a number of pieces inspired by the Weasley's (my favourite magical family) lately, so I wanted to do something a bit different with this piece. It occurred to me that it might be fun to create a something as if I lived in that magical world! And so, here is what I imagine my floo network fireplace might look like...

I'd have framed pictures of my magical relatives above the mantle. Stacks of books with magical titles, a Round Tin of tiny buttons, Cookies and a big bunch of Rose Buds too.

Of course I would read the Daily Profit regularly, and there's a stack on the floor. (Hint: A google search will provide you with several printables.)

You can't have a Floo Network fireplace without Floo Powder. There's some of that sparkly green stuff ready to go in a Tiny Glass Jar. And, because I'd be a mess even in the magical world, some powder has spilled and swept into the corner.

There's a lot going on this piece, but it's not ENTIRELY jumbled. It really does remind me of home with it's just-the-right-amount-of-clutter but not hoarder-level mess.

Even though it's not in complete disarray, there are loads of details to be found. Little stories within the scene, like this mouse keeping watch over the biscuits. That tea cup on the mantle and haphazardly placed pair of sparking red shoes clearly show what a busy witch I would be. (BTW I would wear those shoes every single day.)

I am quite smitten with this piece and think I'll keep it in view to remind me to strive for magical living in this world, and as evidence that a little mess is just fine and dandy.

Want to make your own? HERE is everything listed in one place and below is a list of the supplies I used:

White Undecorated Fireplace
Dark Blue Porcelain Tiles
White Porcelain Tiles
Blue Ceramic Urn
Corner Room Box
Coal Scuttle Set
Set of Miniature Books
Tiny Glass Candy Jar
Tiny Grey Mouse
Mini Silicone Mold - Cookie or Biscuit with Filling*
Mini Rose Buds - Red*
Mixing Bowl Set
Chamberstick Candle with Glasses
Doll Buttons - 6mm Mix
Domed Apothecary Bottles*
Miniature Round Cookie Tins
Simple Cups & Saucers Set - Set of 12
3-3/4 Inch Wooden Posts
Pumpkin Pods
Blue Damask Wallpaper Scrapbook Paper (outside of piece)
Wonderfully Wicked Haunted Scrapbook Paper
Little Library Collage Sheet
Something Witchy Collage Sheet
A Witchy Encore Collage Sheet
Glitter
Handmade shrunken head
Tiny sparkly shoes!
Paint
Glue
A crap-ton of love

Altoid Advent Calendar

Are you ready to be bombarded with pictures? This is a biggun'. Well, the actual thing is quite small... but it's almost epic in it's awesomeness!

I've thought about creating an advent calendar in an Altoid tin for a very long while, and finally set my mind to it. I'm really, really proud of how it turned out and I'm so excited to share it with you.

The outside is sweet and jolly lovely. A wee wreath made with a snip of Wired Pine Needle Stem with the teeniest bow and Star Sequins. The corners are frosty with layers of glitter and faux snow. That little gnome can be found on this Santa is Outside Collage Sheet.

But the inside... oh the inside!

*Gasps! Claps hands! Jumps up and down* LOOKY AT THAT! Can you even stand it?!

Get a load of all those little drawers. Each one with a little surprise tucked inside.

I'm going to be honest. This was an enormous pain in the bum to make. It took a gazillion times longer than I had anticipated. I'm a disaster for measuring and straight lines, so those little boxes were a nightmare. And, because it's sooooo tiny, any wobble or imperfection throws everything off (and believe me, there are imperfections a-plenty here.)

But let's not focus on the rump pain. Let's look inside... 

Once the drawers were created, the next issue became what the heck would fit inside them. Some of the drawers contain dollhouse miniatures like the tiny tankard above. 

One of the drawers contains a small collection of lucky charms. (Three is when something becomes a collection, right?) If you decide to tackle a similar project, charms and beads are a great option for filling those small spaces.

Another drawer is filled with shiny stars.

There's an itty book of sketches.

And a chocolate kiss made with a chocolate chip and snip of foil! 

(Confession: in reality I'm distraught because it's a butterscotch chip inside. The horror! The fairies must have eaten all the good and proper chocolate ones.)

Of course I couldn't not include glitter. This glass vial was from a vintage set that contained the tiniest watchmaker gears you can imagine. Even though it was already so very small, I still had to cut and file it down to fit it in the drawer!

Considering the recipient is helpful for ideas too. This piece is on it's way to a fellow who once made a giant circus peanut, so I've included handmade fairy sized versions.

I also included a teeny weeny Altoids tin...

Perfect, no?!

Finally, on the last day of the count down, the little doors are popped open to reveal a message of seasonal glad tidings.

What do you think? Do you love it?! I love it! I'm so damn pleased with myself it's obscene. Ha!

Thinking of making your own? I don't have a tute, but here are some pointers:

• Give yourself a lot of time.  A LOT. I mean it. This thing was nuts to make.

• Be as organised as you can be with your materials.
• Keep your working area clean (ha! I know.)
• If possible, gather more items than you need for the drawers. Having many options is really helpful.
• A small snip of tissue tucked into the drawers helps to keep small loose items in their place.
• Creating drawers of differing sizes not only adds visual interest, but allows you to include items of various sizes.

• Tweezers. Get some. Use them. Love them.

Other supplies used in this piece:

Narrow Gold Fleur Dresden Borders*
Tiny Dot Dresden Borders - Gold*
Wallflower 12x12 Paper Stash
Flat Brass Drawer Pulls - Set of 16
Old Fashioned Grocery Rectangular Tins

Be sure to let me know if you create your own version of this project and show off your mad skillzzzz. Start now and you may be done by next Christmas ;)

I love you THIS much!