It's the little things...

There have been loads of requests for a tute on my little handmade books... especially after my Graphic 45's An Eerie Tale Potter-ish trunks. Seeing as it's fairy ninjas who come and make them in the middle of the night, there will not be a tutorial. I've also had lots of requests for a download of the covers... which seemed a bit silly if you couldn't make the books. So, I've been working hard with Leslie from Alpha Stamps for a solution to this particular delemma.

I've created this collage sheet...

To fit perfectly with these new Alpha Stamps mini books!

Put the two together and looky what you can make!

The "Little Library" collage sheet includes Potter-ish books, spell books, fairy titles, blank covers... and by extra special request, several Jane Austen titles.

Now go on and make yourself an awesome Little Library with those adorable Alpha Stamps mini books!

P.S. Hurry over to the Alpha Stamps blog and you could enter their amazing giveaway, it closes tomorrow!

An inspired cocoon and little books

I created a set of sweet little sleeping faces a short while ago and I was a tad stumped as to what to do with them.

I'm not one for jumping on bandwagons or copying other people's original ideas but I couldn't help but be inspired by the little cocooned fairies I've seen on pinterest. The little faces kept nagging... "But we want to be hugged and cocooned!" and so that's just what I've done.

Again, absolutely not an original idea... and I wish I could tell you who did it first to give them credit, alas... In any case I think they are sweet and there's loads of other lovely fairy cocoon makers online if you care to have a little search.

ALSO, a number of people asked about the availability of the Potter books.

I'm taking orders for sets of handmade first year Hogwarts textbooks until the end of the day. This will be the only time I will be making them so if you'd like a set made by my stubby fingers please get your order in quick as a bunny. The listing can be found HERE. P.S. There's no shipping charges for the set.

Now, I'm off to camp in the yard with my kid. Not looking forward to the mosquitoes... but I am looking forward to giggles in the tent and marshmallows :)

A shabby crown for Tresors de Luxe

A pretty project made with goodies from my friends at Tresors de Luxe today.

If there is one thing that I have learned throughout my 40 years it's 'Sometimes a girl just needs a crown.' It's true! On days where nothing seems to be going right, when it's time to clean the house and you're not feeling terribly glam, and even when you DO feel a bit oh-so-pretty... a crown makes everything better. I usually find myself wearing crowns on Sunday while folding laundry. 

And because you can not possibly have too many crowns, here is my newest one...

I am smitten with the pretty thing (if I do say so myself!). I do not think this is a chore crown, but suspect this is a lazing in bed and reading a good book crown. If anyone should come into my room and see me wearing this lovely thing, they will immediately know that I should be left alone and quietly leave the room without disturbing me (unless they come bearing tea and biscuits).

This headpiece was created with a length of Ivory Guipure Lace which was tea-stained and starched. To the front of the crown I added Ivory Lace Applique then embellished the heck out of it with Dusty Rose Fabric Shabby Chic Roses and White Fabric Shabby Chic Roses before sewing on a slew of pearls in various coordinating colours to finish it off.

I highly recommend making and wearing a lace crown... maybe even creating a whole collection, one for every occasion!

Supply List:Ivory Guipure Lace GL-013
Ivory Lace Applique AP-042
Dusty Rose Fabric Shabby Chic Roses PF-018
White Fabric Shabby Chic Roses PF-016

Good Ol’ Sport cards with Graphic 45

Lately, when my creative juices have felt a little low, I’ve been making cards. I grab a piece of 12” x 12” Core'dinations Cardstock chop it into three pieces of varying sizes and set to work. 

For this sporty set I used Antique Moss as my base and then used coordinating papers from Graphic 45’s Good Ol’ Sport to embellish. 

Inside, I’ve attached a piece of plain bond paper for writing, and added restrained embellishments. In no time at all I’ve got some useful cards and my paper crafting mojo is back!

For more card inspiration hop over to the Graphic 45 blog and check out the amazing creations by Romy and Ginny

SUPPLY LIST:

Play BallBig ScoreVictoryChampionNumber 1 FanGood Ol' Sport BannersGood Ol' Sport StickersGood Ol' Sport Alphabet StickersAntique Moss Core'dinations Cardstock
Plain Bond Paper

A Hatless Hatters Tea

Our open house was today. It was a sort of mad dash because the weather has not been entirely cooperative and a slew of rain cost us a boatload of setup time. Consequently... unfortunately... loads of Alice details were missing from our Mad Hatter's Tea. It's disappointing because I KNOW that the details are everything.

Those imperfections are hard to swallow. They stress me out. They make me short and gruff with the kid. My amazing kid! This kid who was such a tremendous help and makes me so so proud.

Those imperfections make me crazy! I wonder how disappointed visitors are. I dwell on the things that didn't make it out of my head. I have to tell myself "It's a nice afternoon. It's free and family friendly. Do the kids that visit care?"

Nope. They're pleased as can be to look at houses in trees...

To discover sleeping baby pixies cocooned in old stumps...

 

To spy fairy tea parties...

To peek at the Mud Pit ...

 And hopefully get some fairy mail too!

The most important people, my littlest visitors, didn't care one bit that my Mad Hatter's Tea was completely hatless :)

 
If you'd like to visit the studio or wander the fairy garden it'll be set up through September. Just shoot me a message to let me know when you'd like to stop by. I'm usually available but it's best to make sure I'm not in pajamas when you arrive. At least 48 hours notice is required if you'd like fairy mail waiting for you.

Potter-ish Trunks

EDIT: All supplies for this project are listed at the end of this post. There have been a lot of requests for the little books >>> PLEASE SEE THIS POST for info on making your own.

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I've had a pair of Paper Mache Treasure Chests sitting around here for ages. I had an idea what I wanted to do with them, but it took the arrival of Graphic 45's An Eerie Tale to kick my butt into gear.

 

Pretty cute, eh? And inside is packed with even more awesome...  Each of those magic little trunks hold all sorts of goodies fit for any first year Hogwart's student!

Inside each trunk you'll find the required first year textbooks, wand, scrolls, quill, mandrake, pumpkin pods, tiny owl bead, winged key, vials and bottles and scrolls and even a wizard painting (which is a mini copy of a wizard painting I did AGES ago) and more. For size reference here are the textbooks...

Now, those little trunks were a load of fun to create and I KNOW there are a few magically inclined, not-at-all-mugglish types who might want to make their own, so.... 

I created this "Little Potions" collage sheet for Alpha Stamps with a SLEW of miniature potion labels and mystical scrolls and parchments that you can use to make these...

... to fill your own Potter-ish chest, wizards room or potions diorama. Just remember, it's leviosa not leviosa.

Quick link to supplies

Supply List:
Little Potions Collage Sheet
Paper Mache Treasure Chest

Lightweight Keys
Small Ceramic Horned Owl Bea
Even Tinier Bottles
12 Tiny Glass Bottles

Metallic Mini Brads in 2 Colors
3mm Brass Flat-Back Rhinestone Studs

Pumpkin Pods
Pink Rose Garland
An Eerie Tale
Grand Illusion
Unsolved Mystery
Captivating Characters
An Eerie Tale 6x6 Patterns & Solids Pad
An Eerie Tale Banners

A Book Nook

It's a busy week. Today I'm helping to setup the "Birds of a Feather" show at the Gates that I'm taking part in with an amazing bunch of ladies. Saturday is our Open House / Mad Hatter's Tea. Sunday is Horizon's Homes, Garden, Music and Fairy Door Tour. I'm feeling overwhelmed and in dire need of a fairy godmother to do all the stuff I will forget.

Because I'm so busy it makes complete sense that I'd squeeze in some extra projects. That's what I do. Procrastination through productivity of things that I aught not be doing. Here's one of the projects I did when I should have been doing 23 other things.

I've used a Graphic 45 ATC Book Box as the base. I love G45 boxes... they are incredibly sturdy! All of the papers used in this piece are from the Come Away With Me collection.

The window frame is chipboard from Maya Road, and the little flowers are Tiny Paper Roses and Mini Rose Buds from Alpha Stamps. I've accented the awning with some black dresden. But what IS it?

A book nook! A teeny weeny reading spot for fairy folk to hide and sneak a cup of tea and few pages. As soon as I completed the larger Godefroy's Book Shop I knew I wanted to created a smaller, intimate bookish space.

Inside there are stacks and stacks of tiny handmade books. A champagne wire chair and Miniature Potted Red Roses. 

Above, the little space all opened up. Below a quarter for size reference.

The wee book nook is listed HERE. Or if you'd like to make your own, here's the supply list:

ATC Book Box
Shabby Chic Ornate Metal Brads
Shabby Chic Ornate Metal Keys
Come Away With Me
> Look Out World
> Pleasure Trip
> Travel Odyssey
> Vintage Voyage
> Come Away With Me Decorative Chipboard
Miniature Potted Red Roses
Black Dresden
Tiny Paper Roses
Mini Rose Buds
Chipboard Window Frame
Miniature books
Champagne wire chair