Just call me "Flash"

Last night, while watching lightening from the first thunderstorm of the season, I made two little mailboxes. This morning I was excited to get them installed... but quickly came to realize that the ground was still frozen and everything quite damp with the thaw of winter. No worries, they have found perfectly suitable temporary homes.

The mailboxes will occasionally contain miniature mail for anyone willing to open up those little boxes. A little souvenir for the brave and curious. I absolutely believe that those traits should be rewarded once in a while ;)

Speaking of mail. I haven't abandoned those little letters yet but will very soon.
Here's the second letter in the series...

My sweet girl Cedar,

Your uncle and I were elated over the news of the arrival of Little Acorn. What a delightful name! We cannot wait to see the darling for ourselves and have decided that once your Uncle Thistle heals, we will make the journey to your mossy spot for a visit.

Yes, your Uncle Thistle has injured his foot. Mrs. Merryroot was correct, it was a misadventure with the chipmunk that did him in. The facts are rather fuzzy and I suspect that your uncle is attempting to hide details of the shenanigans for fear of my wrath. 

That man is far too old to be playing about, but he is part imp and you know what they are like. They simply will not be stopped.

Give your little Acorn a squeeze from both of us. We will see you as soon as we are able to travel.

With love,
Great Auntie Primrose


P.S. Sieglinde you can find all sorts of free calligraphic handwriting fonts here at dafont.com.  I do find that a lot of them need a little 'help' with spacing and sometimes they don't contain all of the extra characters for punctuation, but once in a while you'll find a gem.

Pixie Postage & A Story in Nine Parts

Dearest Aunt Primrose,

Hope all is well with you and Uncle Thistle. We heard about uncles misadventure with the chipmunk last month when we bumped into Mrs. Merryroot at the market. We were all very concerned about him and made wishes for his rapid recovery. I do hope they worked!

We have some rather wonderful news to share. There has been a new arrival to our little mossy patch. Last Thursday a tiny winged girl arrived. We have named the wee thing ‘Oak’. Being that she is such a little thing at the moment, and the Oak is so very big and mighty, we have taken to calling her ‘Little Acorn’ until she can properly fit into her name.

Perhaps when the weather clears we can attempt a visit to the woods and introduce you to the little one. It has been far too long since we have seen each other.


Much love,
Cedar Nimblewill

The April challenge in the Art Abandonment group I belong to was to abandon a piece that included poetry in celebration of National Poetry Month. Although not exactly poetry, I figured some creative writing wasn't too far off the mark. Here are a series of nine miniature letters, each one telling a part of a little story. They'll be dropped here and there around Brighton over the next week or so.

 
The envelopes are handmade, the paper tea stained, and I even designed the little stamps to go on the envelopes to say "Pixie Post" and things of that sort.

The writing on each letter matches that on the envelope. Each character, or voice, being assigned his or her own typeface. The envelopes are all sealed with wax with a "P" seal.

Rather than bombard you with all of the notes at once, I'll share them over the coming week or so.

AND because I think that finding a little letter would be thrilling... AND because I think letter writing is pretty damned lovely... I'm going to install a mailbox or two at Pixie Hill. Visitors will be able to check for mail, and if they're very lucky, take home a souvenir! We'll install one at 'The Gates' too when the faeries visit my Brighton Arts Council friends this summer.

If you'd like to take part and send a letter (or two... or ten) to the Faerie Folk at Pixie Hill, you can send them to this address...

Nichola Battilana
attn: PH Impish Dept. of Customs
134 Bullis Rd
Brighton, ON K0K 1H0
Canada

A couple of things to keep in mind...

• You cannot actually post miniature mail. You'll have to pop your letter into a larger envelope for it to make it's way here.

• Because the recipient may be a child, I'm asking that you DO NOT seal your little letter. All material will need to go through the PH Impish Department of Customs before being placed.

• In return, I'd like to add you to my Christmas card list so be sure to include your return address :)

*SMOOCHES!*

Captured!

Looky what I captured! When I was cleaning last Sunday, I spied her trying to hide under the sink. After some coaxing (and many cake crumbs) we came to an agreement.

"You can stay as long as you like but you mustn't hide under the sink. You might get hurt! Instead, I'll make you a little nest of moss and pretty baubles."

She nodded in agreement. Living under the sink isn't any fun at all.

Want to make your own captured faerie specimen? My 'Winged Things' collage sheet is available exclusively through Alpha Stamps. Even better? Here is the entire list of supplies to make your own!

This weeks newsletter is jam packed with Imps, Monsters and Fairies. It's so bright and cheery and absolutely lovely.

World domination one step at a time.

Zippity-flipping-doo-dah! I made the first round of the Graphic 45 design team auditions!

I am absolutely giddy. Seriously. If you happen to be near the house today don't peek in the windows because I will very likely be breaking out into a song and dance. Although this is most definitely an expression of joy, my dance moves and singing have both been known to cause severe damage. Safety first!

Speaking of safety, my working studio is a disaster! While I do my computer design work in the downstairs studio, upstairs is my little working sanctuary. It's was such a complete hazard that I'm sure it would have required police tape in just a day or two. I spent some time last night revealing the floor and, believe it or not, this is the improved state...

Still shameful but I do know where everything is. It's a sort of messy organization. I can guarantee you that when it's spic and span I'll be unable to find a single pair of scissors.

Anyway, now that I've found the floor, I'm on a mission to see if there's a table under that heap in the middle. Wish me luck!

Fashion Shows and Spring Cleaning

This month, Alpha Stamps is offering up a package filled with items to celebrate French Fashion. Here's the wee papercrafted postcard I created with that theme in mind...

My favourites items? Foliage Bees Epoxy Stickers very cute. I'm sort of on a bee kick at the mo' so I'm all over these. I'm also smitten with these Bluebirds and Flowers Stickers. To be honest, I'm not much of a sticker person, but these are all sorts of sweet. AND the Ambrosia Marigold Scrapbook Paper is very pretty.

Speaking of fashion... Last week I cleaned out my drawers and closet and realized that I don't like very much that's in there. I don't think there's a single item that looks anything like the amazing clothes that I drool over on pinterest. My husband said "Well why do you buy the clothes you do?" To which I replied, "Because I buy what's cheap and fits (kinda)."

Anywho, I'm tired of it. I've got it in my head that within two years I will rid myself of the junk that is currently 'my wardrobe' and transform it into a pin-worthy wonderland. This may very well be a pipe dream and remain on my to-do list forever... but at this moment it's forefront in my mind.

What about you? Is fashion and style important to you? Do you dress for comfort? Do you manage to look good AND remain comfortable? Or do you not give a hoot and wear jamma pants to the Walmart? Inquiring minds want to know!

Snouty Interlude

I'm swamped. I've taken on some extra work, the house is an absolute disaster and I'm running about a week behind.

I'm so far behind that felt a twinge of guilt about going to bed early last night. There was a voice in the back of my mind nagging..."By golly, you really should be doing this or that instead of going to bed!" That lasted the entire thirty seconds it took for me to fall asleep. BUT I'm glad I ignored that voice because it was the best sleep ever with lovely dreams and a guest appearance by Paul Rudd ;)

Anyway, I'm playing catch up today. And, because I don't have a crafty good to show off, here's Padfoot's snout. My shedding, lazy, dim witted pooch... whom I love dearly and think is the most fantastic dog on the planet.

Bask in his lazy snouty glory!

Cheers! Salute! Sláinte!

I've been working like mad to get these cheeky things finished. 

Wine faeries!

They're a sort of paper craft, photographic, and digital hybrid.

There's one to represent pink and bubbly, ruby red and white wines and

then there's this fellow...

A clurichaun is a cousin of the leprechaun. He is ALWAYS male and ALWAYS drunk. Luckily for us, he's a happy drunk ;)

These aren't ready to ship out just yet, but I have sets listed in the etsy shop at special pre-order wholesale pricing until they're ready to go on April 8th. The listing is HERE.

Celebrations!

Two celebrations today. First James C. Wallace II is the winner of my little OZ giveaway. Congrats James! Woo Hoo! I'll contact you shortly.

Second (and this one is a biggy) my granny turns 80 today!

 She's allllll the way in England so I'm missing out on all of the celebrations but I've come up with a little something to mark the occasion...

And if you doubt a word of it...

Happy birthday Nanny Whit! We'll have a drink (or two) in honor of your birthday tonight. Heck, we'll even pull out the good stuff ;)

The Embroidery Clock

If you follow this blog you may remember that a very short while ago I held a little auction to raise a few dollars for the Pixie Project. I was going to create a Borrower's Box for the auction winner. The winner was a very sweet lady who happens to live not TOO far away and she actually dropped off a fair few bits and bobs to include in the piece. I tried to include as many of those sweet little things and snippets as I possibly could.

After a fair bit of ho-ing and hum-ing I managed to complete the task and the winner picked up her wee 'house' today. So, I can now safely show off what I've been working on :)

This clock has been in my stash for quite a while. Sometimes when I'm stuck creatively I'll clean... when I came across this I knew it would be the perfect base for a little creatures home.

The inside is hollow and made a pefect (albeit small) space. Here you can see the roof top terrace where a someone has enjoyed a spot of tea.

Here's an overview of the inside. It's quite tight in there, but filled with nice little things.

A detail shot of a little table with a bowl of a rose petals and a clothes peg bench.

A fireplace with a gorgeous little cast iron cauldron and metal button she supplied.

 

Upstairs there's a match stick ladder leading to a sleeping loft.

You can see a stack of handmade miniature books and a birthday candle at the end of the bed.

 

Pretty things at the bottom of the ladder.

A matchbox bed with blankets made with vintage lacy bits. AND check out the size of that dolly. Believe it or not the limbs actually move! Plus, look at the mico-embroidery provided by the client.

Finally, here's a little spot for a little embroider. Filled with spools, needle and thread, lace and some very sweet vintage french stamps. And, if you look in the upper right corner, you can see that the flooring is held up by snails!

It was such a pleasure creating this little space and a great honor to use little heirlooms to make it even more special.

Celebrate Oz 2013 - Altered Oz

The fabulous Oma Linda is hosting a Celebrate Oz blog party and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to join in the fun!

I remember reading the Oz books as a child but I don't remember many details other than the absolutely terrifying illustrations...

Illustration from my childhood copy of Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz

Scary stuff! But I also recall that land of Oz extends far greater than that classic film with the rainbow song.

This March break, the Pixie family went to see the new Oz flick which explores more of that world and the great wizard himself. One of the best parts of the new film was the fantastic balloon ride our hero goes on. Because I've been admiring the light bulb hot air balloons I've been spying on pinterest for a while now, I decided to make one as my contribution to the blog party.

And so, here is my vintage Wizard of Oz in his altered hot air balloon...

AND because I kinda like munchkins and wee folk of all sorts I'm giving away a set of my new "Winged Things" Mini cards. Just comment below and you'll automatically be entered (just make sure I can contact you). I'll pick a random winner next Friday, March 22nd.

 

Now, hop over to Oma Linda's Olde Baggs n' Stuft Shirts and check out the rest of the fabulous  bloggy fun!

March Break and a Tiny Reading Spot

Sorry it's been a little quiet around here but it's March break and I've been distracted. Not only is the kiddo home, but Mr. Pixie took the week off too. I'm sure you can appreciate that very little is getting done. We've got a few little things planned (today it's sushi and karate!) but mostly we're just hanging out.

One thing that I thought I should mention... I'll be at the Brighton Public Library making paper crowns and wishing wands this Friday, March 15. At just $2 per kiddo I'm not sure how many spaces are left but you can contact the library directly to find out 613-475-2511 [email protected]

One thing I have managed to finish up is this little dome.

I started off with this Plastic Dome from Alpha Stamps and created a base using this 3 Inch Tall Candlestick Holder and Egg Cup.

I've cut out some brownies from the Queer People Collage Sheet and they're hiding throughout the mossy mound.

Where are those wee creatures going? At the top is a tiny handmade chair and some itty bitty books with dog-eared pages and bookmarks too boot. What better place for a read than the top of a fairy hill :)

xoxo

Speaking of design

This issue has come up a couple of times and I'd like to address it.

When you hire a seamstress to make a dress, you are paying for the dress... not the rights to the pattern. Her services are paid for, she provides you with a final product. Easy peasy.

When people hire me as a designer, the same thing applies right? They request something, I design it, hand over the finished piece, and we're all good. But wait! What if the client wants the working file? What if they want the bones of your work? The graphic design 'pattern' you created.

I do NOT provide working files to my clients and there's a good reason for that. Let me put it to you like this...

Lets say you go to a fancy restaurant and order a magnificent meal. You think to yourself "Hey! I'm pretty handy in the kitchen! I have a stove and some pots. I'll just ask for the ingredients and recreate this at home!" The chef smiles and tells you exactly what goes into his dish. He even winks and whispers the secret ingredient in your ear.

Bonus! You're cooking for a date the following week and this will be perfect.

It's date night. After you gather your ingredients and begin to attempt to recreate the dish, you realize there's a problem. You don't know if you purchased the right cut of beef, how he prepared the peppers, the amount of cumin that was added, the temperature it was cooked at or for how long and you don't even remember there being carrots in it at all! The result is edible, but it's nothing like the gourmet meal prepared the week before.

Your date asks where you got the recipe and you give her the chefs name. She smiles and nods but makes a mental note not to eat at his restaurant.

It takes more than fancy software to design something well. Good design requires care, skill, knowledge, sensitivity, and experience to mix space, colour, shape, line, images, type and text into something effective and visually appealing.

I care a great deal about the work I do. (As both a designer and an artist.) Time and time again I have seen design work ruined because someone with limited experience altered original working files. Honestly,  I'm not being a meanie by keeping the files. By NOT distributing original working documents I am ensuring the integrity of my work and my reputation as a designer.


Now go and hug a designer! We need some lovin' ;)

A Busy Bee

I've been keeping myself busy lately but I don't have much to show for it just yet.

The whip has been cracked and I've been doing some graphic design work. I have a love hate relationship with graphic design. When a job goes well it's pretty darned satisfying. When it doesn't there's a blue streak spewing from my mouth ;)

Designing puts me in a different state of mind than other forms of making. Although it's all creating, I just FEEL different doing it.

Anyway, here's a couple of little projects from a couple of weeks ago that I don't think I showed off here. They are both currently at Impresario Artisan Market in Cobourg.

AND I'm so thrilled to be able to say that the Pixie Project has reached more than 50% of it's goal. I know I said I would only make the single plea on here but I fibbed... BUT just a little! I've updated the indiegogo page with a video of me ummming, ahhhhing, fidgeting like a tick and looking a general wreck, all for a good cause. Hop over, share the link and I'll blow some fairy kisses your way.

xoxo

Thinkin' Spring

There's still snow on the ground but I can feel spring peeking it's gorgeous head around the corner.  Alpha Stamps is currently offering an "Easter Parade Kit" filled with beautiful springy things. I made this little eggy book from Chipboard Egg Die-Cuts and held together with  Metallic Mini Brads.

There are also some sweet new collage sheets and absolutely stunning new Dresden scraps on the site, so quick like a bunny and check it out for yourself.

Speaking of spring... I'm thrilled to announce that I'll be vending at The Mother of All Craft Shows in Corbyville/Belleville on May 5th. I don't do many shows but this one looked like fun and it's for a good cause, Fixed Fur Life. If you're around stop by and say 'Hiya!"

I'm really looking forward to the event and showing off some of my shiny new card designs which have been shipped off to the printer. I'm especially giddy about my new sets of  'Winged Things' mini-cards!

I have a feeling that this Spring is going to be a dandy :) Here's hoping it's filled with wonder and good things for all of us.

Graphic 45 Design Team 2013 Audition

A little bit of excitement today as Graphic 45 announced their design team call for 2013! If that makes you a little tingly too, check out the full details HERE.

Being a bit of a paper hussy I could hardly let the opportunity pass. So, I'm tossing my craftin' hat into the ring, crossing all of my fingers and toes and hoping for the best. Here's a few of my favourite projects from the past year, I hope you like them too :)

 

Laying low

The planets must be jumbled because everything seem rather sticky and messed up at the moment. I think the key to surviving the rest of the week will be to lay low and try to avoid anything truly disastrous. Hopefully everything will sort itself out sooner rather than later because I could really use a bit of goodness.

It's been nose to the grindstone here. I've been working on some cards for spring (just the thing to do on a snowy winters day). Here's a sneak peek at one of the new designs...

Not entirely sold on the words... but we'll see what happens.

I've also been working on some new full moons. While I usually create my moony faces in paper clay I thought I'd do a series in polymer clay so that they could be worn as a brooch. The first one listed can be found here.

I also made two mandrake brooches! One is already listed here.

Ok, I'm heading back into the studio to keep out of troubles way. Wish me luck!