Sunday, April 12, 2015

One Little Thing - Candy!

This week's prompt is 'Candy'

Even if you aren't a fan of the sweet stuff, you can certainly appreciate the vibrancy of it technicolour packaging... maybe there's even a memory or two of nibbling sweeties as child.

Enjoy creating!


Saturday, April 11, 2015

Petaloo Trinket Box with Marion Smith Papers

When I first saw the Marion Smith TIMEKEEPER papers in my design team box my immediate reaction was to create a masculine steampunk something-or-other... 

Trinket Box for Petaloo - Nichola Battilana


 ... but the pretty ANTIQUE EMPORIUM tugged at my imagination and said "No! Make a frilly something for a steampunk lady to hide her treasures!" I know better than to argue with the voice of my inspiration.
Trinket Box for Petaloo - Nichola Battilana

And so I present this funky lady's box. The base is aTrinket Box from Gina's Designs. I've fussy cut ANTIQUE EMPORIUM so that those floral elements remain in all four corners. Believe it or not, that handle is a broken chess piece. I applied a small element from the TIMELESS collection and applied a glossy accent layer to make it shine and give it a finished look.
Trinket Box for Petaloo - Nichola Battilana
The interior and sides of the box are embellished with papers from Marion's Junque Gypsy 6x6 paper pack. They Gypsy papers pair well with the Timeless collection and add a little more femininity to the piece.
Trinket Box for Petaloo - Nichola Battilana
Now to add a slew of pretty sugared Botanica Mocha Blooms and leaves and some Chantilly Velvet Hydrangeas. The edges have been covered with an amazingly thin 3mm thin striped washi tape.
Trinket Box for Petaloo - Nichola Battilana

Although you can't see them, there are four tiny feet under the box, giving it a bit of 'lift'. The piece is finished off with a bit of Petaloo's natural burlap trim and a few ornate keys affixed to the handle of the lid.
Now I just need to hunt for some treasures to fill my lady's trinket box!
SUPPLIES:
Marion Smith Papers>
Timeless Collection > Antique Emporium

Junque Gypsy 6x6 paper pack
Other>
Gina's Designs Trinket Box

Graphic 45 Ornate Metal Keys
3mm Thin Gold Stripes Paper Tape
12mm Wooden Box Feet
Glue
Ink
Acrylic Paint
Hop over to Petaloo's blog to peek at all of other fab projects using Marion Smith papers.

Thursday, April 09, 2015

Altered Window Shadowbox for Graphic 45

With this piece I wanted to create a sort of pretty window, maybe something you’d stumble upon in an abandoned cottage, maybe something you’d find in an old gardeners home.
Time to Flourish Ivory Window Frame #graphic45 - Nichola Battilana
The base is one of the new Wooden Window Shadowboxes from Graphic 45
Time to Flourish Ivory Window Frame #graphic45 - Nichola Battilana

Time to Flourish #graphic45 - Nichola Battilana

I’d imagine those small bottles to be filled with seeds and essential oils. The labels on these vials are various stickers from the Time to Flourish collection. 

Time to Flourish Ivory Window Frame #graphic45 - Nichola Battilana

I’ve sandwiched some elements between the provided layers of vinyl which gives an wonderful ‘floating’ effect.

Nichola used our Time to Flourish Tags & Pockets to add beautiful details to his altered window frame #graphic45

You’ll notice that I’ve placed the window box on a stand (which is simply a rectangle of cut thick masonite). This creates a more stable base and allows me to add these fabulous claw feet! 

Nichola used our Claw Feet Staples and Ornate Metal Keys and Keyholes to give this altered Time to Flourish window so much personality! #graphic45

Be sure to hop over to the Graphic 45 blog and check out the current giveway!

 Supply List

Sunday, April 05, 2015

One Little Thing - Bloom

This week's prompt is "Bloom"

Feel free to explore this as a noun or a verb ;)

I know you'll make something great!

Saturday, April 04, 2015

An Upcycled Rapunzel Tower

I made this...

Upcycled Rapunzel Tower - Nichola Battilana

Ever since coming across this pin ages and ages ago I've wanted to create my own sort of fairy tale tower from a Pringles can. Pringles were on sale the other week. I ate all the chips. There was no excuse not to forge myself a Rapunzel tower.

Upcycled Rapunzel Tower - Nichola Battilana

The bricks are created using egg cartons. The little flowers and vines are from AlphaStamps.com. The mushrooms are handmade. The roof is paper. The base is wood with a black Thin Fleur Dresden Border.

Upcycled Rapunzel Tower - Nichola Battilana

One of my favourite bits is the little stained glass window.

 Upcycled Rapunzel Tower - Nichola Battilana

I have several more Pringles cans laying about. I'm sure there'll soon be an entire kingdom of Rapunzel towers at Pixie Hill :)

Friday, April 03, 2015

Fairy Dust Bagatelle Boxes

I'm pretty excited about my first project for GinasDesigns.net. Being a sucker for small things I was keen to play with the Bagatelle Boxes. I had a few ideas but the fairies were demanding and I ended up with these fairy dust shrines.

Fairy Dust Boxes with video tutorial - Nichola Battilana

Don't they look like they just came out of a fairy godmother's cupboard?! The boxes come in six different sizes and can accommodate various sized bottles and vials. You can purchase a set of bagatelle boxes containing two of each size, or buy them separately.

Fairy Dust Shrine with video tutorial - Nichola Battilana

For this blue bagatelle I've chopped up a plate from the Keys & Plates Shape Set to create the feet. You can see a demo of how this is done in the tutorial video listed below.

Fairy Dust Shrine with video tutorial - Nichola Battilana

This one uses the Stackable Labels Shape Set. I've used the the Miniature Bookplates Shape Set on some of the other boxes.

Fairy Dust Shrine with video tutorial - Nichola Battilana

And just in case your handwriting is a little bit iffy, I've created an entire sheet of little labels of Fairy and Pixie Dust to fit all manner of little bottles and vials.

There's a video tutorial for this project, and I really hope you'll try your hand at making some magic ;)


The Supply List:
Mercury Glass Stickles
Wooden Candlestick Holder 
Mod Podge Dimensional Magic
Sandpaper
Krazy Glue
White Acrylic Paint
Aleene's Tacky Glue

Wednesday, April 01, 2015

Two small somethings

Small Thing Number 1
I've created an entire collage sheet of teeny Fairy and Pixie Dust labels which are available exclusively via AlphaStamps. The sheet contains over 100 labels in a variety of styles and sizes to fit all sorts of little glass vials. Some of them are extremely tiny. A great buy (if I do say so myself) if you're planning on making multiple fairy dust pendants as gifts or for sale.

Fairy and Pixie Dust labels for miniature vials - Nichola Battilana

These cute little vials will be featured in my first project for Gina's Designs this Friday. If you believe in magic I think you'll like what I have in store! Be sure to check back for the adorable project and step by step video tutorial.

Small Thing Number 2
I jumped at the chance to play with the new Little Rococo Boxes Collage Sheet. The sheet includes miniature boxes suitable for tiny fancy hats, fairy crowns, shoes and cakes. Being a fan of sweets I opted for the latter.

Miniature cake boxes and paper & bead cakes - Nichola Battilana

Believe it or not, those cakes are made form paper. I simply made a sort of stubby tube, capped the end, and applied tiny beads and acrylic accents. A healthy slathering of Diamond Stickles for the icing and you've got yourself a fancy fairy cake ;)