Wallpaper, tea cups and wagons

It has been sweltering here. The hottest days of summer. The heat must have affected my brain because I thought this would be an ideal time to paint. Painting doesn't just mean painting... it's stripping wallpaper, cleaning wallpaper paste from the walls, repairing plaster, sanding, cleaning dust, moving furniture... then there's the painty bit at the end. 

The results? I won't bore you with them because they're just clean white walls... a VAST improvement over the peeling and ripped wallpaper I've been living with, but a little dull.

Instead I'll show you some of the pretty bits I've been working on for a custom order.

A slew of tea cup towns/fairy gardens. HERE is the link to the little flowers available from Alpha Stamps.

And here is one of several wee paper wagons I've also been working on. The paper is from Graphic 45, the leaves are Prima and the amazing wheels are from Gina's (the link goes to the straight cut spokes).

Hope you're keeping well. I'll be back and properly into the swing of things quick as can be. xoxo

A Fun Fairy Door for Gina's Designs

A wee fairy door project to share today for Gina's Designs. Isn't it cute as buttons?!

To create this adorable fairy entrance I've used Gina's Fairy Door 'Deann', Faux Metal Number Plates and Keys & Plates Shape Set.

In this example I've used the stone door frame piece that comes with the Fairy Door as a stencil and applied a layer of spackling to give the texture of a stone doorway.

To create the illusion that the door is made of wooden planks, I've scored the chipboard with a stylus before painting. If you don't have a stylus, you could press very hard with a ball point pen to create the grooves. A light wash of dark paint allowed to seep into the impressed lines will emphasize the effect.

The 'hinges' are created by cutting a large keyhole in half, applying to the door and trimming.

Fairy doors are pretty dang adorable and an excellent way to include a bit of magic in your household. Be sure to get creative with them by adding a little plant, a welcome mat and other accessories... great curb appeal will be sure to entice the wee folk into your home ;)

Fairy Door 'Deann'

Faux Metal Number Plates

Keys & Plates Shape Set

Acrylic paint

Small metal brads

Spackling

Glue

Artist Trading Block Clearance

Just a quick note today. I've added a bunch of Artist Trading Blocks to the Clearance section of the etsy shop. Here's a peek at what's available...

Listing for this item is HERE

Listing for this item is HERE

Listing for this item is HERE

Listing for this item is HERE

Listing for this item is HERE

Listing for this item is HERE

Listing for this item is HERE

A Poison Tin for Alpha Stamps

After months of airy fairy crafting it was a delightfully creepy surprise to get some spooky goodies from Alpha Stamps. And so, I'd like to present, a perfectly peculiar poison tin. 

 

I've used supplies from the Magic Potions Kit and a few other bits and bobs. (The supply list can be found at the end of this post.) You'll notice that the front of the wee tin is lovely and ornate. I've achieved this look by layering Brass Feathery Scroll Filigree*,  some Flower Washers, and a few bezels... none of which were the same colour!

(Isn't that eye brilliant?! It's a 12mm Glass Cat Eye.)

Want to create a similar effect? Here's the process I used...

• Gather some flourished elements and start layering them, building a composition. Don't worry if their colour doesn't match... we'll help them to get along.

• Glue all of your pieces to the surface of the tin and allow to set. 

• Paint with a base coat of black paint. **Hint: multiple thin layers, given time to dry between coats, will work much better than a single thick layer of paint and preserves the details of the pieces.**

• Apply some silver acrylic paint. You may want to gently sponge off any excess.

• Apply a wash of dark paint to tone down the silver, allow it to pool in the crevices giving an aged look.

• With your finger, rub a little fresh silver paint to the highest areas.

The finished effect should allow you to combine different coloured elements to create piece that looks cohesive.

Let's take a look inside now...

Teeny tiny poison bottles! 

I do have a sneaky trick to share to save you some aggravation with those shelves. Instead installing the shelf then fiddling around to fill it in that small space, consider gluing the little bottles to the shelf first. Once dried, use the back surface of the bottles to glue into place rather than the small edge of the shelf. If using this method, be sure to consider the depth and height of the space you are filling.

And if you're itching for a supply list...

Magic Potions Kit
Brass Feathery Scroll Filigree*
Flower Washers
12mm Glass Cat Eye
Round Antique Bronze Filigree*
40x30mm Halloween Poison Cameo* 
Sheet Moss* 
E-6000 Adhesive*
Acrylic Paint

And a quick link to all the products used.

Summer Fun Altered Canvas with Petaloo

I have loads of fresh photographs from our misadventure camping trip last week and I'm celebrating our "Summer Fun" with Petaloo by creating this altered canvas. 

I'm not really a scrapper, but I wanted to celebrate the memeories from our misadventures in camping so this altered canvas was an ideal option.

 

I know that summer fun often means bright, vibrant colours, but in this instance I'm using the DIY-Mini Mix in Teastained Cream just as they are to compliment the understated colours in the photograph. They add just the right amount of texture, and they pair so well with the natural burlap trim.

Supplies:
DIY-Mini Mix Teastained Cream ITEM: 1650-024
Burlap Trims Natural SKU: 1483-000

Canvas
Neutral scrapbook papers
Gel medium
Acrylic paint
Feathery Flourishes Set

The Fortune Teller

I finished up this piece I've been tinkering with for ages.

The piece measures just a smidge under 13", which is a bit larger than I usually work in. The Gypsy fortune teller inside is free sculpted from polymer clay.

She has a wee crystal ball and some tiny tarot cards too.

This gal is listed HERE. She's likely to be the only Fortune Teller Booth I'll be doing for a while, and definitely one of a kind.

Partial Supply list:
16mm Clear Glass Marble
Silver Cup Box Feet* 
Gypsy Coin Mix* 
Silicone Mold - Architectural Flourishes* 
Baroque Dresden Borders - Black 

Tall Garden Cottage Tutorial

Every month I create a project with a tutorial for GinasDesigns.net. This month it's a biggy...

There are loads of steps and it'll take some time to complete (especially when you factor in drying time), but I think it's worth it.

Created from Gina's 3 Story House, you could customize the contents to your own whims and tastes. Filled with little mementos, keepsakes and small photos it would make a wonderful gift for someone special. 

Mine isn't quite so sentimental and will be home to little gnome and elf figures and collectibles :)

Don't feel rushed with this project. Enjoy the process of making it 'just-so' and the challenge of filling it with lovely little bits and bobs.

I only had one piece of Honeycomb Fleur Cardstock from The Robin's Nest to cover the house, so I'll show you how to be a little sneaky if you're short on paper.

You can find the full video tutorial HERE. 

If you have any questions or are unclear about anything, don't hesitate to ask.

Gina's Supply List:

3 Story House

Cottage Windows Small

Stackable Labels Shape Set

Faux Metal Number Plates

The Robin's Nest Supplies:
Calamity Jane Diagonal Glitter Cardstock
Honeycomb Fleur Cardstock

Cathedral Specialty Paper

Other Supplies:
White Tacky Glue
Spackling (I used one that goes on pink and dries white)

Various Petaloo Botanica Flowers
Moss
Thin Fleur Dresden Borders - Gold 

Garden Gnomes Resin Embellishments*
White Acrylic Paint

Flower and Leaves Dresden Borders - Antique Gold 

Colorful Butterfly Buttons* Miniature Garden Tools - Rake & Shovels  Wood Birdhouse Buttons* Antique Bronze 3D Rabbit Charms* Fly Away Resin Birds Set*

*And a quick link to all of the products used available via Alpha Stamps