Saturday, July 27, 2019

Potterific Magical Fruit Stand

Any time I'm asked to do a project, my mind immediately wonders if I can turn it into something Potter themed. It's an illness. A compulsion. An obsession! I might need help.

AlphaStamps: Nichola, do you want to make a miniature fruit stand?

Me internally: Was there fruit in Harry Potter?

Yes... yes there was.

Magical Fruit Stand - Nichola Battilana - pixiehill.com

But first, the stand. I've taken the Small Peddlers Cart and added a roof to it. Nothing fancy, just some card-stock and then more card as shingles. I've also added a shelf (again, simple card-stock) so that I could achieve height with the products I placed inside. I really wanted to chock this little cart with loads of goodies!

Magical Fruit Stand - Nichola Battilana - pixiehill.com

There's a patch of moss on the roof (because it's damp up there) and a few toadstools have sprouted. The toadstools were handmade with Creative Paperclay and the 'moss' is Green Turf Grass and didn't go nuts with it, a little sprinkling in the corner was plenty.

Check out the "Snow Owl Apples" sign on the front from the Tiny Labels for Crates, Jars, & Cans Collage Sheet. Totally looks like Hedwig!

But now for the goods...

Magical Fruit Stand - Nichola Battilana - pixiehill.com

Look at all that little magical goodness. I will admit to taking some liberties with the fruit / magic / Potter theme to fill out this scene... but I'm pleased! 

Magical Fruit Stand - Nichola Battilana - pixiehill.com

I've included Dirigible Plums, which look like orange radishes. They grow upside-down and are believed to help people believe the unbelievable. Elongated pinched up pieces of Creative Paperclay with a snippet of faux foliage poking out of the top.

Magical Fruit Stand - Nichola Battilana - pixiehill.com

Another Potter specific reference, self-peeling sprouts. Made with tiny balls of polymer clay with small cuts made into the surface. Its the paint doing all of the work here, making these simple balls look very sprouty.

Magical Fruit Stand - Nichola Battilana - pixiehill.com

Poison apples. Ok, not a part of the Potterverse, but being a big part of fairy tale and folk lore I think they should absolutely be included in a magical fruit cart.

Magical Fruit Stand - Nichola Battilana - pixiehill.com

Same goes for toadstools. If I were visiting Hogsmead I would be totally disappointed if a grocer did NOT have spotted toadstools available.

Magical Fruit Stand - Nichola Battilana - pixiehill.com

There's a lot of extra stuff tucked here and there on that cart: lemons (for Snape's lunch), a little potted mandrake, candy apples (which I'm almost certain Dumbledore would have bought on the spot. He did have a sweet tooth after all), pots of jam, little jars of citrus and a pie on top... because why the heck not? Ask my husband, pie is magic.

Magical Fruit Stand - Nichola Battilana - pixiehill.com

I'm quite pleased with that little cart and it's magical goods. There were about a million pieces that went into making it. Below is a list of all the supplies I used, but you can find them all in one place HERE.

*Deep breath* Here we go:

Small Peddlers Cart 
Fruit Paradise 6x6 Paper Pad
Glossy Accents (mixed with red paint and applied to apples for 'candied' effect)
Creative Paperclay


containers: 
Miniature Wooden Crates
Tiny Picnic Basket - Half Scale
Tiny Chipboard Crates - Set of 2
Even Tinier Chipboard Crates - Half Scale

Flat Miniature Bread Basket
Miniature Resin Bowl*
Even Tinier Bottles
Red Jam Mini Resin Jars
Grape Jelly Mini Resin Jars
Orange Marmalade Mini Resin Jars
Ghoulish Green Mini Resin Jars

greenery: 
Spring Green Lichen Mix
Green Turf Grass

misc fruit:
Tiny Resin Strawberries Cabochons

Polymer Clay Lime Cane

Collage Sheets:


You're also going to need a little glue, paint, and extra cardboard

Phew!

Magical Fruit Stand - Nichola Battilana - pixiehill.com






Friday, July 26, 2019

Free Photo Friday

Once a week I share an old timey photo from my personal collection. Feel free to use them in your mess making, art and crafting.

The images are not polished and left in their grungy, smudged and speckled glory. Just how I like 'em! Without further ado... 


Do NOT sell, give, or distribute the images as your own, digitally or printed, alone or as part of a collection, collage sheet or group. BUT DO absolutely make stuff with them and sell the stuff you make. If you share your project, a link is appreciated.

Violators will be turned into toads, given warts, all the bad stuff... I mean it... It won't be pretty. 

Friday, July 19, 2019

Free Photo Friday

Once a week I share an old timey photo from my personal collection. Feel free to use them in your mess making, art and crafting.

The images are not polished and left in their grungy, smudged and speckled glory. Just how I like 'em! Without further ado... 

Do NOT sell, give, or distribute the images as your own, digitally or printed, alone or as part of a collection, collage sheet or group. BUT DO absolutely make stuff with them and sell the stuff you make. If you share your project, a link is appreciated.

Violators will be turned into toads, given warts, all the bad stuff... I mean it... It won't be pretty. 

Friday, July 12, 2019

Boil & Bubble An Occult Shop Window

If I had a slew of money I'd open a fantastical magical occult shop. I'm not rolling in dosh so I have to settle for making a little version (for now).

Boil & Bubble Miniature Occult Shop Window - pixiehill.com

The skeleton of this piece is this 10" Bay Window with added bits of cardstock as trim. The base is a wooden wall plaque with eggcarton cobblestones. The overall size is approximately 7" wide x 5.5" deep (with base) x 11" tall.

Boil & Bubble Miniature Occult Shop Window - pixiehill.com

I've opted not to put 'glass' in those windows. I just wasn't feeling it and the plastic 'glass' seemed to blur the wee things inside too much for my old eyes. Besides, I figure any dust that gets inside will just add to the atmosphere.

Boil & Bubble Miniature Occult Shop Window - pixiehill.com

The sign is a Mini Crest Sign with a printed something I whipped up. I asked for name suggestions, and there were some great ones, but I went with this old bit from the Macbeth witches and an old woodcut image.

Boil & Bubble Miniature Occult Shop Window - pixiehill.com

Inside the wee space is chocked full of novena and figure candles, bottles and vials of herbs and elixers, tiny tarot cards, and loads more!

Boil & Bubble Miniature Occult Shop Window - pixiehill.com

I'm delighted with the wee Ouija board sitting a top a stack of books.

Boil & Bubble Miniature Occult Shop Window - pixiehill.com

And to make sure you know what you're getting into when you enter the shop, a sign sits outside with a listing of all the goodies inside.

Boil & Bubble Miniature Occult Shop Window - pixiehill.com


Boil & Bubble Miniature Occult Shop Window - pixiehill.com

If you'd prefer to make your own version, here are (most of) the supplies used in this piece:
wooden plaque
cardboard
glue
acrylic paint
eggcarton

1:24 Antique Brick Wall Sheet*
various charms
plastic skull bead


Free Photo Friday

Once a week I share an old timey photo from my personal collection. Feel free to use them in your mess making, art and crafting.

The images are not polished and left in their grungy, smudged and speckled glory. Just how I like 'em! Without further ado... 


Do NOT sell, give, or distribute the images as your own, digitally or printed, alone or as part of a collection, collage sheet or group. BUT DO absolutely make stuff with them and sell the stuff you make. If you share your project, a link is appreciated.

Violators will be turned into toads, given warts, all the bad stuff... I mean it... It won't be pretty. 

Friday, July 05, 2019

Free Photo Friday

Once a week I share an old timey photo from my personal collection. Feel free to use them in your mess making, art and crafting.

The images are not polished and left in their grungy, smudged and speckled glory. Just how I like 'em! Without further ado... 

Do NOT sell, give, or distribute the images as your own, digitally or printed, alone or as part of a collection, collage sheet or group. BUT DO absolutely make stuff with them and sell the stuff you make. If you share your project, a link is appreciated.

Violators will be turned into toads, given warts, all the bad stuff... I mean it... It won't be pretty. 

Saturday, June 29, 2019

Honey Bee Shadow Boxes

While I can often be seen running, arms flailing, yelling "get lost" to wasps (in not so lady-like language) honey and bumblebees are welcome visitors in my garden.


Just look at that buzzy bum in the chive blossoms!


Inspired by my pollinating visitors, I've made a couple of sweet honey bee shadowboxes.


With Fold Up Oval and Fold Up Box Rectangle boxes as my base, I've added beautiful yellow papers from Graphic 45's Floral Shoppe. Inside there's a pretty image of a vintage lady, a pinch of moss and paper flowers.


For the exterior I've used Honeycomb & Bees. The bees have been painted and have Transparent Wings added. A tiny bit of black fuzz finish off these chippy bees.


The interior background is vintage music paper with a splash of white and blue acrylic paint.


Want to make your own? I've created a video walk through for you to follow along and create your own. You can find it over HERE


And here are all the bits you'll need:

Graphic 45's Floral Shoppe
Paper flowers
Moss
Vintage portrait images (These are the ones I used)
Glue
Foam spacer squares
Black flocking

Note on the flocking: Don't buy a pound of flocking for this project!  You really only need a very small amount. A few pinches! If you can find it, "Ultra Fine Flower Soft" will work well for the bee fuzz. Or search for miniature landscape "scatter" or "static grass" and you should find something suitable.