Jollymaker's Toy Store Window

It's December and I am not prepared for the holidays. Not one little bit! Despite not being holiday ready, I managed to churn this bad boy out.

Jollymaker's, a wintery toy shop window.

The base for this piece is a 10 inch bay window (available from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts) which has been turned upsidedown. Although it's intended as an add-on to other pieces, I thought it was a great stand alone option for creating a piece both smaller in display size and a smaller creative commitment.

And this piece did come together relatively quickly! The brickwork is simply THIS scrapbook paper. Absolutely no fussy about on this one.

The fancy iron work that borders the top of the piece is Half Scale Widows Walk Fencing.

Inside I've made shelving and packed it with all sorts of sweet little toys. (That rocking horse is amazing btw! Like an old fashioned iron toy.)

The Jester Jack-in-the-Box Toy there is pretty sweet too!

The windows are transparency sheets cut and looks rather lovely and frosty... as a winter window should!

No toy store window would be compete without a Toy Plane and Sailboat Set, Teddy Bear or Train Set. There's all that and more in that little space. It's amazing how much you can fit in a small area with a little organization.

Approximate overall size of this piece is 10.7" tall, 6" wide, 2.5" deep.

Jollymaker's is available HERE.

Want to make your own toy shop? Here are some of the bits I used:

10 inch bay window
Classic Christmas Chimney Bricks Scrapbook Paper
Half Scale Widows Walk Fencing
1 Inch Iridescent Snowflake Ornaments
Fluffy Winter Snow
Frosted Mini Green Sisal Trees
3mm Brass Flat-Back Studs*
Tiny Wrapped Gift Box Ornaments - 1/2 Inch
Wrapped Gift Box Ornaments - 3/4 Inch**
Miniature Clay Dough Peppermints
White Iridescent Snowflake Garland
Mini Holly Leaf Garland
Jester Jack-in-the-Box Toy
Miniature Red Wagon*
Painted Rocking Horse
Miniature Toy Plane and Sailboat Set
Mini Clown Jack-in-the-Box
Tiny Resin Teddy Bear
Tiny Train Set
Xylophone Pull Toy

Peg Doll Angels and Fairies with Tutorial

It's that time of year again when I itch to make some adorable little peg dolls. Honestly, how sweet are they with their cute striped legs?!?!

Normally I stick to fairies but this year I've mixed things up a bit by adding angels into the crew.

I'm not normally an angel person... but I can't resist a sparkly pipe cleaner halo.

Looking for wings? Might I suggest the following collage sheets?

Fairy Wing Collage Sheet

Butterfly Wings

Angel Wing Collage Sheet

I really like using tufts of wool roving for the hair. In a pinch you could use some cotton batting, heck you could use a cotton ball! You might even unravel some yarn or use some moss for their locks.

Just don't get hung up on making these perfect. I think they're so much more fun and charming with their imperfections. It gives them personality.

One word of caution: I use black gel or ink pen to add detailing. There have been times when certain inks react with certain paints. Save yourself some potential heartache, make a sample doll and ensure your ink/paint like one another and don't bleed, run, blur.

AND although I am aware of how brilliant you are, if you need help putting these adorable girls together I've created a video tutorial you might find useful. It's HERE over on my youtube channel. Go, watch, help me earn a fraction of a penny.

On to the list of requirements!

Wooden clothes pegs
Acrylic craft paints

Black gel pel or fine tip liner pen

Wool roving (or other hair substitute)

Wingy things such as:

   Fairy Wing Collage Sheet

   Butterfly Wings

   Angel Wing Collage Sheet

Acorn caps
Silver Pipe Cleaner

Tulle trim
Embellishments

Hot glue

A Plethora of Presents

I absolutely love Christmas and gift giving. If I could, I'd buy something lovely for every single person I know. Alas, my bank account is firmly against this.

BUT I had a nice little idea! I saw the Set of Pre-Cut Drawers intended for the Advent Calendar Shadowbox and thought that they'd make a sweet little base for tiny tokens of holiday cheer. Super simple to assemble and sold as a set of 25 they just lend themselves for en masse making.

AND!!! AND!!! A strip cut from a 6" sheet will wrap around the boxes just so, with just a sliver needed to be trimmed. So, you only need a 6" scrapbook pad to cover these cute wee things. These boxes have all been covered with papers from Authentique's Vintage Christmas. The items I've used are all inexpensive but festive.

Covering the boxes with different papers and embellishments, like Miniature Bookplates or decorative brads, make the tiny gifts feel personalized and not mass produced. Filling the boxes with a variety of dodads and treats makes each little box feel like a unique present.

The items I've chosen to fill the boxes are all inexpensive but festive. I think they're rather sweet.

Some ARE filled with sweets! Then a bit of celophane and a simple tie. If you want to be extra fancy, you might place a single gourmet truffle inside. 

Pieces from the Snowflake Shape Set or Winter Shape Set also make sweet little embellishments.

Or perhaps you'd like to top your box with Christmas fairies or angels.

Or send a little holiday message.

While these little tokens have a decidedly Yuletide feel, these could easily be adapted to any theme as party or wedding favours. 

While these are super simple to create, I do have a video tutorial for you. You can pop over HERE to see just how easy they are!

The list of bits I've used:

Set of Pre-Cut DrawersMiniature Bookplates

Snowflake Shape Set
Winter Shape Set
Victorian Corners 2
Banner Border Strips

Authentique's Vintage Christmas
Wrapped Gift Box Ornaments
Tiny Wrapped Gift Box Ornament
Retro Bottle Brush Tree
Fancy Scalloped Gold Dresden Borders
Little Sweeties Collage Sheet
Angel Wings Collage Sheet
Brads
Fake snow
Moss
Candy
Tissue Paper
Cellophane
Ribbon

Pink Starry Angel Shrine

 Another angel shrine, pink and glittery and starry.

I've been asked about angels for a while but I was always preferred to stay in the fairy realm. And while I'm not really a big 'angel' person, I am rather fond of classical angelic beings.

This piece is created in a chip board box base, lined with vintage papers and glitter. Fluffy clouds and Tinsel halo, paper wings and Pink Thin Looped Dresden Border finish it off.

This original piece is available HERE

Paper Fairy Shrine

Another shrine and how cute is she?!?!

Paper flowers, cotton spun toadstools, vintage buttons... swoon!

This piece measures 4.5" x 5.5" x 2" and has a mix of new and vintage supplies.

The base of the piece is a  Deep Open Front Shadowbox. The vintage gal is from thegraphicsfairy.com, the word band is a Tim Holtz product, the wings are from THIS collage sheet and printed on a transparency sheet.

And if you'd like to purchase this original piece, she is available HERE

Little Angel Shrine

I had a request a short while ago to create an angel wing collage sheet. So, collage sheet complete I figured I'd best make something angelic.

I'm sort of smitten with the wee gal. It's just packed with sweetness. Gold dresden. Tiny colourful stars. Fluffy clouds. It ticks all the boxes.

Looking to make your own wee angel (Christmas angels are the best angels of all btw) the collage sheet is available as a downloadable PDF file HERE.

The other bits?
Gold Dresden Shell Border Strips
2.5mm Multicolor Star Sequins
Vintage paper
Self adhesive crystal embellishments
Faux Metal Number Plates 1 to 25

Glitter

And if you'd like this wee angelic shrine, it's available HERE.

Chipboard Christmas Ornaments

I've got a butt load... A BUTT LOAD!!! of chipboard ornaments to share with you today. So get cosy, and lets look at the wintery goodness.

Instead of using the elements in the new ornament frame sets as a single layered piece, I've used each piece as individual ornaments. I think I might give these sets as holiday gifts. Each set has a different style so it'll be fun to match the personality with the design of these decorative bits.

The first set is woody vintage with muted colours and jute twine.

I've edged them with Twinklets Diamond Dust... because I like to live on the edge and "Danger" is my middle name. Seriously though, this product is crushed glass and you really do need to take care when handling it. But holy heck is it pretty!

I've layered the vintage images with paper cut using Spellbinders® Nestabilities® Decorative Elements “Royal Circle” die, but Alpha Stamps has Chipboard Fleur Doily sets that you could use instead. I like to add a bit of space between the layers by simply using adhesive foam squares.

And instead of filling that framed area with an image, I've created a wreath with a Mini Pine & Berry Garland and Mixed Matte Red, White & Burgundy Berry Sprigs that I've made look frosty with some of the ultra dangerous Diamond Dust.

The next set is sort of a classic Christmas feel. I really like the non-traditional pastel pink and blue and greens of the papers.

Again I've used my trusty die and then just layered the bits with some simple foam squares. Because the ornaments are double sided, this also makes them lovely and chunky.

These particular ornaments remind me of a christmas candy shop.

 I think the chubby bearded guy would approve.

The final set is really sweet and retro.

Again using sort of non-traditional colours... but look at how cheery they are!

I think they're just adorable and would make a darling colourful addition to a swag of greenery or mantle boughs.

 ... although they'd look mighty sweet atop a brightly wrapped present or hanging from a wine bottle too!

Are you ready to make your own chippy ornaments now? Inspired to get your Christmas on? Here's the list of goods:

Juniper Pick - Silver
Mini Pine & Berry Garland*
Mixed Matte Red, White & Burgundy Berry Sprigs
Ornament Frame Set - Bauble
Ornament Frame Set - Round
Ornament Frame Set - Star
Ornament Frame Set Kit - November 2017
Retro Christmas Collage Sheet
Snug in their Beds Collage Sheet
Tiny White Snowflake Buttons
Twinklets Diamond Dust - 3oz Jar
Winter Kids Collage Sheet
2017 Christmas Ornaments Ribbon Set
Lacquered Holly & Berry Picks*
Miniature Pinecone Picks*
Celebrating Christmas 6x6 Paper Pad
Wired Pine Needle Stems*
Flat Back Clear Iridescent Snowflakes

Spellbinders® Nestabilities® Decorative Elements “Royal Circle” die
- alternative, Alpha Stamps Chipboard Fleur Doily