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!

Papery love

I think the glue is still wet on this one but I couldn't wait to share. Really it's just a load of fun with paper...

The base of the piece is made from the boxes from the  Layer Cake Paper Mache Box Set. (I swiped the lids for other projects) and you can grab some of those trims, papers and flowers from Alpha Stamps too. The tree at the top is made from twisted brown paper bags.

And here's a nice close-up detail shot of the tiered portion.

I'm really pleased with how this came out. There's a zillion little parts to it, but it looks like a fairy wedding gift.

Happy Monday!

Winged things and missing mail

I've spent the day makin' this troop of winged things...

They're going to part of a new batch of work for greeting cards which (fingers crossed) should be available in a few weeks.

ALSO please note, I'm having a heck of a time with my email. I have no idea what has or has not been going out or coming in but I suspect shenanigans!

If I owe you a message, or you think you've been lost in the abyss of cyber space... I'm sorry and I have pulled out my wand in the hopes the issue (whatever it is) is resolved soon!

New and Improved Pesky Piskie Photos

Thanks to the sunshine (and the realization that my macro setting was somehow turned off) I have some improved pictures of the captured Cornish Piskie!

 

Here she is, sitting still for just a moment. Piskies do not sit still for long. If you happen to capture one, you must act quickly and be very patient in order to get a good photograph.

It was quite dangerous of me to remove the lid, I could have lost a finger! Thanks to BLiSsAngELs for the suggestion that a nibble of cake might appease her for a short while, I was only nipped twice. 

How big is she? Well her box measures just 5" tall, and don't worry, the lid, once again, is firmly in place.

Ode to Stash Joy Shrine

So there's this sad little box that has been in my stash for ages. At some point I had painted it black, gave it glittery yellow interior and some sparkly red trim but it sat in my 'to do' drawer for about 3 years untouched. That is until yesterday when I got a bit 'stuck'. When I get stuck I try to get myself going again by cleaning up my mess. When doing so yesterday, I came across the little black box. I thought that it might be a nice little project to get the mess making juices going again...

 

I just began gluing things down and eventually it became a shrine to the all of the little bits in my stash that never get used. You know, all those beads and sequins and things that sit around and rarely get used and you think "I can't get rid of those! What if I need 10,000 star sequins one day?"

 

Anyway I rather like it. It feels lovely and heavy in your hands. It's a bit of a mess... but a hot mess... and I think it's rather joyous in it's sparkly goodness.

I'm thinking I'll make a larger one next time and REALLY go to town using those old stashy things that have gone far too long without attention.

Sneaky peeky at a pesky piskie

I worked on this piece today. A captured Cornish Piskie.

I was pretty darned pleased until I tried to photograph her. Grrrr. She was pulling all sorts of horrible faces, moving around so that the pictures were blurry, and hiding in the shadows. Here's hoping a good night sleep will do her good and she'll be more photogenic in the sunshine tomorrow.

Fingers crossed she doesn't escape before then!

A goat named Nymeria

I finished up another painting inspired by Missing Willow Farm last night. This one is much smaller than the last at 8" x 6"

I dropped the lamb painting off at Impresario Artisan Market on Sunday and Rebecca commented on the sort of dabby, smooshy kind of painting I do. I didn't always do that. I used to paint like this...

Those studies are pretty darned accurate, but reproducing something is a skill and is only one part of the act of  making. I eventually came to a point where it became more important to enjoy the painting process, to celebrate the little strokes and ticks of colour than to get hung up on perfect rendering.

Now, if you'll pardon me, I think I'll got and get dabby with some oils ;)

Pixie Box

You may recognize the pixie from this piece. She was the gal on the Valentines Day cards I made this year. I'm pleased to say she now has a permanent home in this piece.

It measures 10" tall, the outside painted like the night sky with a few sparkles and stars too boot.

She's already made her way to Impresario Artisan Market in Cobourg. Hopefully she'll find a nice home quickly. If not I'll have to sneak her back and adopt her out myself ;)


AND... If you're living in the Great White North, HAPPY FAMILY DAY! No idea what I'm talking about? Family Day is a new holiday here, smack dab in the middle of the winter blahs. Some people belly ache over it, saying it's a silly made up holiday, but I say anything promoting a day with the family is a good thing. The Pixie family plans? ROCKBAND! The hardest decision I plan on making today is drums or vocals.

Exploding carousel box

I've been working really hard the past few days. As usual there are three million works in progress in my studio but I was determined to get at least one or two done this week. So I've worked my fingers to the bone and managed to complete a number of projects.

One of the items completed this week (which is a little bit of a fib because it'll get a few more finishing touches still) is this exploding carousel box from alphastamps.com. Laura over at Artfully Musing created a Valentine masterpiece with the same box and even has a tutorial.

 When the lid is lifted, the sides fall open and reveal another compartment inside.

(I really like that this lid comes off completely.)

There's gorgeous paper flowers and a little house in there.

Really, the possibilities with this box are endless...

... but I am partial to butterflies and moss ;)

Favourite products?

  

Gardenias - Mixed Pink: Absolutely scrummy. So good it's the type of thing you're tempted to hoard and save.

Olde Curiosity Shoppe Butterfly Specifics Scrapbook Paper  I adore this paper and use those lovely butterflies at every opportunity.

Little Lamb Painting

One of my favourite crafty peeps is Connie at Missing Willow Farm.

If you haven't visited her blog, YOU MUST GO NOW!

At this very moment there are posts galore of gorgeous baby animals. I'm pretty sure if I lived there I'd be making a right fool of myself baby-talking and cooing over all the little lambs and kids.

Connie was kind enough to let me use her photos as reference for a painting or two. Here's the first completed.

He's far from perfect, I know, but he's rather sweet and a nice size at around 31" x 21".

This one was done with acrylic and I think I might try the next in oils. I'm sure I'll regret that decision after about three minutes.

P.S. Just 2 days left to bid on a personalized 'Borrower's Box' The auction is currently at just $11.50 so get over there and START BIDDING!

Snow day!

We're in the middle of a snow storm. I don't mind.

I rather like snow. It makes everything look beautiful and clean. 

There are different types of snow.

There's the sort that is quite damp and dense. It makes a lovely crunchy sound when you walk on it and it's particularly good for snowballs and snowmen. It's also very heavy to shovel.

Today's snow is light and fluffy. It does not make snowballs but it is much easier to clear and fun to walk through.

Some snow falls as tiny white balls, sometimes it's flakes, other times the flakes stick together and large chunky bits fall from the sky. When it falls in flakes it's fun to catch them on your mitten and admire the pretty patterns. It hardly seems possible that each one is unique. When they land on your skin the heat from your body melts them away quick as can be, which is sad and somehow magic all at the same time.

When it started falling last night, it looked like glitter being sprinkled from the sky. Sometimes, when the light is just right, it really does look as though a band of brownies has distributed tiny diamonds across everything.

When my auntie visited from Ireland she showed us photos of a snow storm they had. There were 3 inches of snow and she was stuck in her house for days. It made us giggle :)

Does it snow where you live?

Fairy real-estate

I know the poll still has a day or so left but I think the best solution for the Borrower's Box is to abandon it. When I was making that particular box I wasn't thinking about shipping and the thought of it being bounced around frightens the bejebuz out of  me. Plus, I think the postal carriers are in training for soccer season at the mo'.

BUT...

I thought that auctioning a custom Borrower's Box might be an even better idea! This way I can keep shipping logistics in mind when creating it. Someone gets a custom piece of art, the library gets a cool piece for the kidlets, my mind is at ease about shipping. Win for everyone!

And so, to raise funds for the Pixie Project I'm offering a custom Borrower's style fairy box house. The winning bidder will be sent a questionaire and I'll create a fairy abode based on the answers.The best part? It's a true auction starting at just a penny.

What are you waiting for? Jump over to the WebStore listing and bid! Bidding ends February 14th.



P.S. Why not eBay? I haven't sold on eBay in years. They take a rather large portion of the pie AND are a huge pain in the bum while doing so. WebStore had the second highest comparison rating of the largest bidding sites and offer free listings. It may not be pretty, there may be ads, but it does the trick.

Down the rabbit hole

"In another moment down went Alice after it, 

never once considering how in the world she was to get out again."

Poor little Alice begins her long fall down the rabbit hole and her adventure begins.

Have I ever told you the story of D and the rabbit?

I distinctly remember that it was a drizzly spring day, the sort of day that reminds one of rural England: damp, green, lush. We were visiting a small winery and little D was with us. He was quite young at the time, perhaps 3 years old. While we stood tasting wine at the bar, he was looking out of a door which opened into a sort of small cobbled courtyard.

Suddenly D became very excited, exclaiming "Mum! Mum!" and I followed as he rushed out the door. He toddled around a corner following a low hedge leading to an open lawn. When he reached the end of the hedgerow a rabbit rushed out and dashed across the grass.

"You found a lovely rabbit." I said to him.

"No, it was an elf!" D corrected me.

When I asked why he thought the creature was an elf he told me, quite seriously, that he had seen elf ears, an elf nose, elf coat and hat. He explained that when he saw the creature and began to chase it, it had jumped into the hedge and changed into a rabbit.

Being that children see far clearer than most grown people, I fully believe him.

Moonwort and Japanese Teacups

I am continually amazed by my two acre world and the new discoveries and small joys it provides. This morning, on our walk to the bus stop, I spied something in the snow. A branch from a Silver Dollar plant, also called Moonwort. AlchemyWorks says that it is good for keeping away monsters and gathering midnight, moon charged dew. How lovely!

We went thrifting a few weeks ago and found some tiny Japanese tea cups. The fairies immediately took up residence in them...

And for sizing reference, here's one of the tiny cups beside a normal dainty teacup.

The Borrowers Box

What does a fairy lovin' mess maker create for craftster.org's challenge no. 83, a shoebox makeover?

THIS!

Yeah, not so exciting... BUT WAIT! Some things are not as simple as they appear... THIS box is a Borrower's Box!
 

The box as it was made completely with stash, junk, and found or free objects. 

(P.S. THANK YOU to all of my fabulous crafty patrons who send me stuff xoxo)

 A bed made from an old sardine tin with a mossy pillow. The nightstand is a checker piece with bead feet.

The ladder is made from two old paintbrushes and matchsticks. 

Notice the 'nerf' dart to the left? Yeah, there's about a zillion of them hiding all over my house.

 A spool chair and a table made from a button and matchsticks.

(No wonder my bird feeder is empty. It's borrowers!)

The bottom floor is filled with necessary borrowing supplies like twine, pins, thumbtacks, birthday candles and, of course, super glue.

Here's an 'in progress' shot of that same area where you can see how it was built. The upper floors are made from an old game board that has been sliced up. The floor rests on clothespegs that have been taken apart. The springy part of the pegs were then bent and are now hooks for hanging things. And, you can also see the bottom floor has a cozy rug made from a burlap rice bag.

The only inkling that there's anything 'different' about this box is this tiny window on the back.

Other than that, all closed up, it's just a regular old shoe box.

_________________________________________________

Now, what to do with that box?

Should I put it up for auction to raise fund for the Pixie Project?
(although shipping the thing scares the bejezus out of me)

OR

Abandon it for my local library, with a note that it should be kept in their childrens section?
(Our library is TINY... itty bitty even! I don't think it would incur too much damage.)

Any other ideas? Comment below.

There's a poll on the top right of the page. Vote away!