Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Time to Flourish Calendar box with Graphic 45

Graphic 45 is posting an absolute extravaganza of tutorials and gift ideas for the holidays on their blog. This week it's calendars, and today you'll find this calendar box that I created with Time to Flourish.
This calendar box is deceptively easy to create. I simply combined matching monthly elements from the Time to Floruish 8” pad and embellished with tags, stickers and chipboard. 
Graphic 45 Time to Flourish Calendar by Nichola Battilana
You can be as elaborate or simple as you please with your embellishments. 
Graphic 45 Time to Flourish Calendar by Nichola Battilana

The mixed media box is decorated with papers from Raining Cats and Dogs but any neutral papers from Graphic 45 could be used in their place.

Graphic 45 Time to Flourish Calendar by Nichola Battilana

Graphic 45 Time to Flourish Calendar by Nichola Battilana

Graphic 45 Time to Flourish Calendar by Nichola Battilana


Supply List




To make your own follow this Snapguide Tutorial
Graphic 45 Time to Flourish Calendar by Nichola Battilana

Monday, December 15, 2014

Altered rusty tart tins

I stayed up very late and completed a slew of the rusty altered tins I've been working on. The caption link will go to the etsy listing for each tin.

Altered tart tin - Nichola Battilana of Pixie Hill
Altered Tart Tin - A rusty hanging thing-a-ma-bob

Altered tart tin - Nichola Battilana of Pixie Hill
Altered Tart Tin - A rusty hanging thing-a-ma-bob

Altered tart tin - Nichola Battilana of Pixie Hill
Altered Tart Tin - A rusty hanging thing-a-ma-bob

Altered tart tin - Nichola Battilana of Pixie Hill
Altered Tart Tin - A rusty hanging thing-a-ma-bob 

Altered tart tin - Nichola Battilana of Pixie Hill
Altered Tart Tin - A rusty hanging thing-a-ma-bob

Altered tart tin - Nichola Battilana of Pixie Hill
Altered Tart Tin - A rusty hanging thing-a-ma-bob

I'm really pleased with how these came out and think I'll need to pick up a whole whack of little tins next time I see them at the grocery shop :)

Friday, December 12, 2014

And the crowniness continues

STILL on my crown kick... and these won't be the last :P They really are a joy to make.


Again I've used the A Gilded Life - Petite Monarch Crown Long Die to create the pointy cut bit. If you're attempting to make your own with this die and having problems like tearing, try these Double Dot Vintage papers. These seem to work particularly well.

Above I've embellished with Petaloo Botanica blooms and a length of Star Tinsel


And the second head topper with a big vintage brooch and some large star tinsel I spied in the holiday aisle of my grocery store!

Thursday, December 11, 2014

Paper present toppers with Petaloo & Graphic 45

I've created this little set of doo-dads with Graphic 45's Twas the Night Before Christmas and Petaloo's "Victorian Children" Vintage Dazzlers. They would look adorable with a bit of string as ornaments, but I will be using these to embellish my holiday gift wrap.

Paper rosette present toppers - Nichola Battilana

Making these was oh so simple too! Simply cut narrow lengths of paper and acordian fold them. Fan them out to create the round shape, using hot glue to hold in place. For the 'star' effect I simply clipped a folded corner on an angle... as you would a paper snowflake.

Paper rosette present toppers - Nichola Battilana

A Graphic 45 tag, a Botanica Berry cluster and a Burlap Trim bow and it's ready to gussy up a gift!

Paper rosette present toppers - Nichola Battilana

While it's fun to add a bazillion blooms to projects, sometimes just one or two little flowers is all you need.

Paper rosette present toppers - Nichola Battilana

I really do like how cheery and festive these are and I think they'll be a big hit with the people on my holiday list :)

Chantilly-VelvHydrangeas 1272Burlap Trims 1483Berry Clusters - 1104
Vintage Dazzlers - Victorian Children 1420-112
Graphic 45's Twas the Night Before Christmas
Twas the Night Before Christmas Chipboard Tags

Be sure to check out all of the great projects on the petaloo blog

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

GUMDROPS!

Very quick post because I made gumdrops today and was so thrilled with them I made a second batch.

I saw THIS recipe for gumdrops on pinterest ages ago and wanted to give it a try. It didn't make the holiday treat list last year but this year I made it a priority.


You can hop over to the Bakerella post for the recipe but here are a few 'tips' that you may find helpful.

1. Use a bigger pot than you think you'll need. The mixture bubbles up when cooking. I was THIS CLOSE to boiling over a couple of times. Thank the kitchen gods that did not happen.

2. I lined my containers with plastic wrap. I think it helped contain the mess and made removing the jelly easier. This stuff is STICKY.

3. Sugar coat everything. Did I mention this stuff is STICKY? I spread a layer of sugar on top of the jelly before cutting. I cut the jelly into slices then pulled the slice away from the plastic wrap and immediately put the jelly strip in sugar to coat it. Then I cut the strip into squares and coated in sugar again. I also sprinkled my final surface with sugar. You will use a lot of sugar.


4. If you prefer stronger flavours add more extract. I messed up and added twice as much flavouring as called for... it wasn't over powering at all.

Can not wait to gobble these up :)

Tuesday, December 09, 2014

Making rusty bits

While grocery shopping last week I saw some little tart tins, 4 for $2. They were bright and shiny and I had an immediate urge to rust them up! I've only tried rusting a few times, so I am no expert but I'll give you a rundown on the process I used.

Make sure your item is clean and free of grease. Even oil from your fingers can disrupt the process.

Put a healthy dose of vinegar and a good sprinkling of coarse sea salt (regular table salt is ok too) in a shallow glass dish. Place your item in the dish and sort of splash the liquid all over. Leave it for an hour or so, then turn the item over and splosh that salt and vinegar all over it again. Do this a few times, then leave overnight. My tins were tarnished, but not rusted at this point. Note: If you look at the sides of the tart tins below, you will see a shiny band. This should give you some idea of how much liquid I used.


The next day I added hydrogen peroxide to the vinegar/salt mix. This time I brushed the liquid on and let it dry, brushed more on, let it dry... and so on until I achieved the desired effect. The ones pictured below have about 4 coats of the solution and were left to 'age' overnight. Note: You can also use a spray bottle to apply the solution. 


A few words about the process. Safety first. You might want to wear gloves, and avoid getting the solution near your eyes, nose or mouth. Over the counter hydrogen peroxide is generally pretty safe BUT even domestic-strength solutions can cause irritation to the eyes, mucous membranes and skin... so be careful! DON'T add other ingredients if you aren't sure it's safe. Heaven forbid you start some kind of chemical reaction in your kitchen! Keep your area clean and make sure it does not come in contact with items you do not want to be rusted.


And there you have it! Instant old ;)

Monday, December 08, 2014

Media Box Wonderland for Graphic 45

I love the Graphic 45 Mixed Media boxes. They are just the right size, the little window is sweet as can be, and the inside depth is practically perfect for little dioramas (which I love to make!)
Snowy Media Box for Graphic 45 by Nichola Battilana

For this wee box I've embellished with G45's Twas the Night Before Christmas, which is a lot of fun with charming classic holiday graphics.

Snowy Media Box for Graphic 45 by Nichola Battilana

I’ve added a slew of chunky white glitter on just about every surface but kept the edges clean to ensure that the box closure could still function.

Snowy Media Box for Graphic 45 by Nichola Battilana

Last winter went on for an eternity so I thought that a winter theme (rather than Christmas) would give me an excuse to keep this piece on display for an extended time ;) 

Now let's peek inside!

Snowy Media Box for Graphic 45 by Nichola Battilana

Snowy Media Box for Graphic 45 by Nichola Battilana

Snowy Media Box for Graphic 45 by Nichola Battilana

Snowy Media Box for Graphic 45 by Nichola Battilana

Annnnnd  here's the complete supply list if you'd like to make your own:

Shabby Chic Door Pull
Shabby Chic Ornate Metal Keys
Twas the Night Before Christmas
Up on the Housetops
Long Winter's Nap
Twas the Night Before Christmas Chipboard
Twas the Night Before Christmas Stickers
Raining Cats and Dogs 6x6 Patterns & Solids Pad
Glitter
White Acrylic Paint
Retro Bottle Brush Trees
Holly Berry Garland*
Red Stamen
Mini Red Pip Berry Garland
Rusty Star Ornament Set
Ginas design Snowflake Shape Set