STICKERS!

The kid and hubby are sick and have passed along their germs to me! I don't have time to get sick! I've got things to make and tutorials to film! Grrrr.

Germs aside... since I have to get some video practice in, I slipped in this quick review while filming today.

In my last design team box from Graphic 45 I received a Xyron create-a-sticker. I love this thing. I love it so much that I went on and on about it until my granny gave me a funny look and suggested that I might need to get out more. Apparently I was not overreacting though, because I showed it to some crafty minded friends last week and they agreed that it is pretty darned cool.

Best of all? That wee thing retails for around $10!

More Spooky Bunting Goodness

It's Sunday, which means that Alpha Stamps is showing off new work! Today on the blog you can spy some loverly Halloween themed buntings made with the October Banner Kit by the AS design team members.  Here's the one that I created with all those goodies.

I adore buntings... but they sure are a pain to photograph!

Some of my favourite items in this kits include these super cute Mini Chipboard Scalloped Frames & Medallions and this Tinsel Cording - Moss Green (which comes in other colours too!).

Also lovin' the A Witchy Encore Collage Sheet. If you're a fan of vintage Halloween images they've got a great selection from sweet to creepy.

I think it's just about that time to pull out all of my decorations and get my spook on for the Haunting Season ;)

Other faeries

I'm so excited to be showing at Impresario Artisan Market in Cobourg in December. I have started created some new works for the exhibit. It's going to be all 'Sugar Plum and Other Faeries'.

These pieces measure 12" x 16", a fair bit larger than most of my work. They also combine my love of art and craft. Each uses scrapbook and other typical 'crafting' supplies (yay! Graphic 45 and Petaloo) and well as painting and collage. I'm pretty darned pleased with them :)

The Frog Prince 

12 x 16 • Mixed media on canvas

 

The Queen Bee

12 x 16 • Mixed media on canvas

The Sparrow

12 x 16 • Mixed media on canvas

Each of the pieces has a painted element on top of the collage work. It was challenging and fun to try and paint on the differently textured surfaces. Here are some 'in-progress' detail shots of a few of the painted elements in the pieces.

Graphic 45, Xyron, Petaloo Blog Hop Day 5 - A Harvest Shrine

Every time a design team box arrives I just want to jump in and play with everything all at once. That’s sort of what happened with this little ode to autumn. The new crafty gadgets, toys and goodies from Graphic 45 and their fabulous, generous partners Petaloo, and Xyron were so much fun to play with!

When asked to create a decor piece with the season in mind for this weeks blog hop, I did not think of pumpkins or Halloween. In our household autumn means “Harvest”. Turning leaves, migrating birds, fall flowers, chilly mornings and blue grey skies. I wanted to create an elegant homage to autumn, the most gorgeous time of year.

 

The base of this piece is an inexpensive wooden key cubby. I dismantled the box, removed the hardware and painted the wood then embellished with French Country papers. I chose the blue hued Provance and Abundance to act as a sort of subdued sky. To adhere the papers I used the Xyron Mega Runner which worked like a charm. (Seriously, I’m a total adhesive dork and this was soooo sticky.) AND to adhere the birdcage cut-out from Gina’s at the top I simply ran it through the Xyron sticker maker!

Adding an assortment of Petaloo flowers and leaves to my shrine, I chose a quiet pallet which compliments the sort of old world, natural feeling of this little hidey place. I really do love the Petaloo flowers and leaves, they look beautiful and are divine to work with.

 

A bit more mixing and matching, a few splotches of paint, some beautiful 12 Days of Christmas birds and my homage to the harvest season is complete.

If you haven't already, you absolutely need to get your bottom over to the Graphic 45 blog and check out all of the amazing projects made with Graphic 45,  Petaloo, and Xyron.

Supplies:

Graphic 45
• French Country > Provance

• French Country > Abundance

• French Country > A La Carte

• French Country > French Country Stickers

• French Country > French Country Chipboard 2

• 12 Days of Christmas > 12 Days of Christmas

• 12 Days of Christmas > Ladies Dancing
• 12 Days of Christmas > Calling Birds

• 12 Days of Christmas >Turtle Doves

Antique Metal Door Pull

Petaloo > Darjeeling Flowers & Leaves

Xyron Create-a-sticker
Xyron Mega Runner

Gina’s Designs

• Birdcage

• Wings

• Gate

Spellbinders > Oval Hatpin

Sheet Moss

Reindeer Moss

Plastic eggs

Pumpkin Pods

Small Wooden Finials
Raw Brass Box Feet

Acrylic Paint
Wooden Key Cubby

Terry Fox and small goals

We don't usually participate in school fundraising. It's not that we don't care or want to help out... it's because we don't have many relatives or people to approach and there is no way in heck we're going door to door to bug the neighbours. 

This year our kidlet was excited about doing the Terry Fox run and even did a bit of 'training'. Terry Fox is an amazing Canadian icon and inspiration so how could we possibly say 'no'? He set a reasonable goal of raising $50.

I posted a quick note on-line and our Pixie-kid raised $110. He was so excited that he actually had a hard time sleeping that night :)

The next day he told me that he had told his teachers about his bit-o-fundraising and they congratulated him on almost reaching the half way mark for the entire school. I was sure that they must have meant the class goal. 

Tonight we went to the school to meet his teacher and see his new classroom and I saw this in the school hallway...

Just a tiny goal of $250 for the whole school! I am SURE that surpassing that number is absolutely doable. That lovely little school has a boatload of heart and the kids are just the greatest. Their run is tomorrow so if you'd like to contribute there's still a slice of time to support them, and a great cause.

Click HERE to hand over your pennies (you can even Paypal!) and help kick cancers ass!

P.S. I pinky swear that I will do a big fat giveaway this weekend to even out the generosity karma.

Fancy French Gargoyle Bunting

When charged with making something nice for Alpha Stamps with their Gargoyle Die-Cut Chipboard I knew that these weren't just any old gargoyles... these were fancy French Gargoyles! Fancy French GLITTERY Gargoyles!!!

Now I know not everyone loves glitter. Some people loath the stuff (they must be crazy!). I adore glitter. I put it on all possible things. My husband often leaves for work with tiny sparkles stuck to his cheek. It’s a sickness really.

If you want to add sparkle to your gargoyles I suggest painting a base colour as close as possible to your glitter colour. In doing this you can get away with using far less glitter (leaving more for other projects!). Also, be sure to paint both the front and back of your chipboard shapes to help avoid curling

Check out the September Gargoyle Kit for the supplies used in making this glittery adornment.

If you hurry over to the Alpha Stamps blog right now, there is a faboo giveaway of papery goods and beautiful charms to make your own gargoyle bunting! Hurry, hurry and best of luck to you!

Goblins

This morning, after saying 'be good at school!' and seeing the kidlet hop onto the bus, I wandered slowly around our lawn, looking for my morning 'bit-o-magic' snap-shot. On my short stroll I saw...

Beautiful droplets, like glass beads, on blades of grass

One last chance to tell the time or blow a wish!

A raggedy mushroom, nestled in a wet bed of clover.

I considered showing off the dog's fantastical obedience skills.

But something caught my eye. A clump. A furry clump! Oh no!

Upon inspection I had a giggle...

What ever got to this must have been mightily disappointed. No meal was to be had here. These were the innards from the kiddos homemade archery target! Just a clump of stinky wool and nothing more. The would-be assassin was diligent because a second clump was found in the opposite direction.

Then again, I'm not entirely convinced it was a wild beast who disemboweled the target. It could very well have been goblins. They are rather messy and are known to leave things laying about (I think my husband has a measure of goblin blood in him!) AND Padfoot has been growling at things I cannot see (I have a blind spot when it comes to those particular creatures) AND it is that time of year when wee folk gather and scrounge for winter clothes.

Yes, yes... it most certainly must have been goblins.

Saturday WIPs

I'm trying to create good habits which includes blogging regularly... even if I don't really have anything noteworthy to say.

Today I thought I'd share some 'works in progress'. I'm scheduled to show at Impresario Artisan Market in December am hustling now to create some new work.

The piece below is actually done (or almost done) but this is the process shot I took before the final touches. I'll show her off when the group are completed.

Two more pieces waiting for attention. Each of these measures 12" x 16" which is HUGE for me. I usually work very small. People will often say "I didn't realize it was so tiny!" when they see my work. I have no idea if they mean that in a surprised good or bad way :P

Below, is a detail of the blue picture at the top in it's current state. The bees and wasps here are flying about like crazy so I've got buzzy things on the brain.

 

And finally, here is a tiny detail of one of the other pieces I'm currently working on.

Sometimes it's hard to find the time to create things that are in my head for creation sake and not to meet a deadline of some sort. When I do make things for the sake of realizing a vision and nothing else, I'm in a much better mood and far more productive.

Happy Saturday!

xoxo

Damselflys and Tags

I know! I know! This is from two days ago.

Yesterday I complained about fruit flies buzzing about the place, today I 'm gushing about another flying thing. Our yard is alive with red bodied damselflies. Hundreds of them flying this way and that. It's rather magical to walk through that long grass and have them zooming past.

Just look at that face! At certain times of the day they get a little dozey and you can even pick the beggers up. Wonderous!

And (also happy and cheerful) here's a tag I made from the gorgeous Graphic 45 Bohemian Bazaar papers for CHA a while ago.

The tag is posted on the Graphic 45 blog today BUT you really need to hop over there to see the amazing memory box that my fellow design team member Denise Johnson!

Materials for Bohemian Bazaar tag:

Bohemian Bazaar - Bohemian Bazaar

Bohemian Bazaar - Vivid Splendor

Bohemian Bazaar Tags & Pockets

Bohemian Bazaar Chipboard 1

Regular Tag Album

May Arts Ribbon

Peataloo Flowers

FRUITFLIES!

Today is not about lovely crafty or witchy or magical things.

Today is about death!

You would think that being married to a wine maker would be glamorous. It's not. The piles of wine stained clothes, dinners that steal him from the family table, worrying about him driving home late at night from events, the physical toll of hard and sometimes very dangerous work... and, at this time of year, losing him utterly and completely to the grape. The wives of those who toil in the vineyards and stomp on grapes are known as "Harvest Widow's" for good reason.

My husband's mistress.

He loves that bottled nectar of the gods. He's passionate about what he does. So I smile and do what I can to support him in his bliss. To be honest, having a few extra bottles of wine on hand does ease my suffering ;)

Juicy green hussy!

But there is one thing I really and truly LOATHE about being a wine makers wife... fruit flies. Fruit flies, always and everywhere. Sometimes worse than others but always at least one or two flying around and ALWAYS a pain in the bottom.

Now, I've tried everything and heard every tale for getting rid of the little buggers. Cider vinegar, beer, soap... I've tried it all. But last week I stumbled upon something and did a little kitchen experiment to see if I was right.

I took several glasses and filled each of them with things said to trap/kill/lure the wee beasties. I arranged them in a ring on the counter and waited. Here's the results...

WINE

CIDER VINEGAR

 

BEER

FRUIT & WATER

Each of these glasses had captured just a few fruit flies (between 3-7). One of the tricks I read said to add soap to the cider vinegar, that the bubbles would 'trap' the fruit flies so I tried that too.

CIDER VINEGAR & SOAP

You really can't tell from the photo but there ARE several flies at the bottom of the glass. 

Compared to the others it was a fair bit more successful and the flies did get trapped in the bubbles.

BUT WAIT... there's one last glass.

What's in there? YEAST!

When I was making pizza dough last weekend the fruit flies buzzing around like mad driving me bonkers. That's when I decided to see if I could use yeast to catch the buggy things. Sure enough they seem far more attracted to this than any of the other liquids. Some dried yeast, a pinch of sugar and warm water = fruit fly death trap!

Spooky Little Box

The weather is starting to chill and my mind is turning to thoughts of pumpkins, witches and Halloween. It seems appropriate that today is all about Steampunk Spells on the Graphic 45 blog. I've been placed in fine company because my little altered box is included!

A small wooden dollar store box transformed into a mini Steampunk booth of potions and charms. It rather reminds me of something that might be found in a mad gentleman’s shelf of curiosities.

Aren't those feet amazing?!?! My fabulous junk patron sent me those (p.s. I love you!).

The vertical piece is the top of an ornate key. Those little curly bits at it's base? Discarded brad prongs. Waste not, want not!

Hop over to the G45 blog for more photos AND spy some other faboo projects made with the creeptacular Steampunk Spells collection.

Supplies:

Steampunk Spells - Clockworks

Steampunk Spells - Beware

Steampunk Spells - Witching Hour

Steampunk Spells - Vintage Voyage

Steampunk Spells Chipboard 2

Ornate Metal Key Holes

Stamped Metal Brads

Ornate Metal Keys

Ornate Doorknob

Petaloo Flowers

Mini wooden balsa wood box

Swinging Hook & Latch Set

Mini-spell bottles

Vintage Brass Feet

Milagro Charm

Old cork

A royal visit

This weekend Pixie Hill was bombarded with family. On Saturday we had a big fat meal for a belated birthday celebration for Nan Whit (aka my granny).

Whenever my gran comes for a visit the call goes out "Are you ready for the Queen's arrival?" or "Has the red carpet been rolled out?" We thought it might be a fitting theme for the evenings celebrations and so each of us contributed something to her royal highness. A robe from Auntie Liz, a sceptre from my mum, white gloves from Auntie Kath, and I contributed a paper crown. Here she is in all her glory...

And a better look at the papery crown made with Graphic 45 papers, May Arts ribbons, faux flowers and old buttons. See the complete material list at the bottom.

Paper Crown Material List

Graphic 45 papers
• A Ladies' Diary > Timeless Memoir 
• A Ladies' Diary > Afternoon Tea
• A Ladies' Diary  > Focal Point
• Secret Garden > Secret Garden Banners 
• Secret Garden > Secret Garden Flowers
May Arts Ribbons
Crushed Hydrangeas
Scor-Tape
Vintage buttons
Hot glue
Tacky glue
Ink pad