Sunday, December 06, 2015

Fairy Footprints, Blessings & Curses

I am fortunate to have a good relationship with the fair folk. It is a relationship built on respect and deference. A relationship that has spanned years and across miles.

Fairy Footprints from Pixie Hill - Nichola Battilana

These little fossilised footprints appeared in my studio a while ago but I've been hesitant about posting them. 

An old fairy nudged me tonight and whispered in my ear, "When are you going to show them off? When will you show off what we have done?!" I sighed and told him that I was reluctant. I explained that I didn't want people to steal our work, our ideas, and call them their own, but that it made me sad not to share what we created together.

Fairy Footprints from Pixie Hill - Nichola Battilana

"I see." He frowned, scratched his whiskered chin, then winked at me. "We will cloak our work in fairy magic. A blessing to some, a curse to others. That is the way of the little people."

Fairy Footprints from Pixie Hill - Nichola Battilana

And so it was done, a fairy blessing and a fairy curse upon our makings.

Those who share the magic freely with their friends as gifts or tokens of affection, with respect and reverence, will be blessed with a stroke of fairy luck. 

But those with greedy hearts, filled with insolence and laziness, seeking profit which is not their due, will mark themselves with the black stoke of misfortune and fairy havoc.

Let's hope there are blessings a-plenty and few (if any!) cursed by fairy mischief.

Fairy footprint fossils are available in five different sizes ranging from 1.25" to 3" and are listed HERE.

Friday, December 04, 2015

Fairy Lantern with Tutorial

** Please read to the bottom of this post for answers to common questions. Or visit THIS PAGE**


Gina's Designs Laser Cuts has a brand new name: Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts and I have a brand new tutorial for you!

I was sort of hesitiant about using this as a design team project because it's so easy and requires just a few simple supplies... but it's soooo stinkin' cute!

Fairy Lanterns with Tutorial - Nichola Battilana

Fairy lanterns! Now, anyone who has experience with real fairies knows that it is not a good idea to stuff them into jars. They will pinch and nip and basically make your life unpleasant if you treat them rudely. These jars are a fairy friendly alternative. Perfectly dreamy as a little nightlight, or magical accent.

Fairy Lanterns with Tutorial - Nichola Battilana

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts carries the Garden Fairy cutouts in three different sizes so you can create a variety of lanterns in an assortment of jars. And if fairies aren't your thing... well, there's always baby dragons from the Dragons Shape Setfloral elements, or whatever suits your fancy!

Fairy Lanterns with Tutorial - Nichola Battilana

The tutorial can be found HERE on my YouTube channel (and below), but here are a few tips:

• Sticking the figures directly on the glass (generally) yields better, more detailed results
• Use two or three battery powered tea lights. More light = stronger silhouette effect.
• Take care how many layers of paper you use, how much overlap there is. (A little is ok.)
• Use thinner school glue for the paper and thicker tacky glue for the glitter
• DO NOT use real candles inside


Finally, the supply list:
Gypsy Soul Garden Fairy cutouts
• Glass jam jars with lids
• Thin tissue paper
• White school glue
• Quality white glue
• Clear glitter
• Twine
• Floral embellishments (THESE sugared blooms from Petaloo are gorgeous)
• Battery powered tealights or led string lights

NOTE: Please DO make for friends, as gifts, as a group project but remember that making them commercially (including teaching as a paid class) is not permitted.

___________________________

EDIT: to answer a few questions

1. The cutouts are available here: Gypsy Soul Garden Fairy cutouts
2. YES she does ship internationally. International customers might want to try placing an order via Alpha Stamps HERE. I also have a few listed in my etsy shop HERE.
3. The size you buy would depend on the size of the jar you are using. If using a pint sized canning jar small or medium is probably a safe bet.
4. "Can I use/do/change x,y,z ?" Give it a try! Experimenting is part of the fun of making.
5. DO NOT use real candles. Safety first!
6. NO, selling replicas of this project is NOT permitted. Seriously, just be inspired, add your own style and vision, and create your own version of a fairy lantern.  If you are selling handmade you should be selling YOUR ideas and style, not mine. Think of it this way, you wouldn't copy a book word for word... don't carbon copy this project. For fun? Make as many as you like. For profit? Make your own version.

Note: I am not the owner of Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts or Alpha Stamps. They send me products, I use them in my work, that is all. If you have a question about ordering products, please direct them to the company you are ordering from.

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Flying Reindeer Sleigh Ornament

Another Alpha Stamps project to share today. A little sleigh with some flying reindeer! I don't know what it is exactly about this piece, but it makes me a little sentimental for Christmas' circa 1980's.



The sleigh is small, just the right size for an ornament, and would be very cute all on it's own. For what it's worth, it is pretty much the perfect size for carrying a sack of chocolate coins. Mmmm chocolate coinage *drool*.


ANYWAY... the deer are held up by Mini Red Pip Berry Garland* and the satchel of presents in the sleigh weigh it down so it doesn't topple. Want a step-by-step to make your own? Hop over to the Snapguide Tutorial HERE.



And here is your product list:

Santa Sleigh Add-On Kit

Friday, November 27, 2015

Twas The Night Before Christmas Book Box

I was asked to create something with this new book box from AlphaStamps and I was totally smitten with the idea and waited patiently for the mail man to bring me my supplies. And I waited. And I waited. And I discovered that my package was held hostage in a sorting station 1 1/2 hours away for three days! In crafting terms 3 days is an eternity. ANYWAY it arrived at the 11th hour giving me very little crafting time.

Christmas Book Box - Nichola Battilana

But it arrived! And it all came together quickly and painlessly (yay!).

The base is a Hidden Drawer Book Box and I've used the Night Before Xmas Book Box Collage Sheets to bookify the exterior. It looks like an old book on the outside but slide out the secret drawer and ....


Christmas Book Box - Nichola Battilana

Inside is a darling little Christmas scene jam packed with tiny boxes from THIS collage sheet. If you want to make your own tiny presents, I highly recommend gently scoring all of the edges you're going to fold. Trust me, it will save you a lot of frustration AND your boxes will look 100x's neater.

Now, because I was crafting on a time schedule I simply painted the entire box black before embellishing. This hides any wonky edges and you can totally get away with not papering every single edge and still have a neat looking finished project.

Christmas Book Box - Nichola Battilana

You could make the inside as busy and cluttered with Christmas finery as you like. I love the big jumble of gifts in this box, but a little table with a plate of cookies for Santa or a fireplace with stockings would be just as sweet. It has great potential for you to put your own style inside.

With the mad dash to finish this piece, I can attest to the fact that you can put it together with relative ease. Imagine what a lovely little heirloom gift this would be to make someones Christmas extra special... even if you don't have oodles of time to spare.

Want to make your own? Here's a list of the supplies I used:

Hidden Drawer Book Box
Night Before Xmas Book Box Collage Sheets
Flat-Back Gold Star Studs - 12mm*
Tinsel Red
Small Christmas Bulb Garland*
Holly Berry Garland
Retro Bottle Brush Tree Set - Dyeable (painted green)

Gold Metallic Single Loop Braid
Small Pinecones

Or here's everything you need all in one place

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Baubles and Wonderlands

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends! I hope you have a lovely day, a full belly, and a good laugh today.

I'm not American but I am grateful for a few things today:
• packages that arrive on my doorstep
• pennies to buy packages with
• people to give the packages to
• that my camera that decided to cooperate today so that I could take some fancy schmancy pictures!

Here's a winter bauble with a handmade snowy fellow, freshly listed HERE.

Winter wonderland bauble with handmade snowman - Nichola Battilana

AND I got my act together and snapped a couple of the little glass fairy garden balls too!

Miniature Fairy Garden Glass Bauble - Nichola Battilana

The glass balls are handblown (not by me... I'd likely burn my house down). The wee clay houses are the ones that were pit fired in the back acre a few months ago. The toadstools are handmade too. I think they're pretty dang cute.

Miniature Fairy Garden Glass Bauble - Nichola Battilana

Miniature Fairy Garden Glass Bauble - Nichola Battilana

I think this one is cute as buttons. The wee house reminds me of the Irish sea cottages from the Secret of Roan Innish.

Bits and bobs from Pixie Hill - Nichola Battilana

I've added a number of things to the shop over the past few days. You can pop over for a visit by following THIS LINK. I'll be listing more over the next week or so, but if there's something you're interested in and can't find listed let me know because I am a total scatterbrain and will likely forget to post a load of things.

Have a beautiful day! xoxo

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Bottled Magic and Wishing Stars

Some new listings have been posted in the etsy shop. Today I added some sparkly things.

Bottled magic from Pixie Hill Studio

Loads of fairy dust and bottled magic.

Bottled magic from Pixie Hill Studio

Bottled magic from Pixie Hill Studio

Each little bottle has a sweet charm.

Bottled magic from Pixie Hill Studio

I've also listed some glittery wishing stars.


Wishing Stars - Nichola Battilana

You can purchase a set of 6 sentiments

Wishing Stars - Nichola Battilana


Monday, November 23, 2015

Simple Mixed Media Canvas

I hosted a kids workshop at the studio this weekend. My goal was to create four gift quality projects that were also kid friendly. Participants could choose a project and it was wrapped/boxed before they left to ensure that there was no peeking by their grown ups. 

This little mixed media canvas was one of the projects offered.

Simple Mixed Media Canvas w/ Tutorial - Nichola Battilana

If you have little people to craft with, there's a video tute available on my youtube channel HERE or see below. (Note: I suggest keeping the kidlets away from the heatgun.)


Here is a list of all of the supplies I used:
4" canvas
Snowflake Shape Set
Cardstock Doily Set Intricates
Ornate Metal Keys from Graphic 45
Fancy Red Holly Berries Mix*
Silks Acrylic Glaze: Stargazer
twine
vintage image
clear glitter
white acrylic craft paint
white school glue
Aleene's tacky glue

And here are some of the other projects completed by my amazing workshop kiddies!



So proud of those little people :)