Littlegretel Dolls

Vintage Flower Fairies

2012-01-23T23:21:00.008Z

While looking around the Antiques Centre in Corbridge just before Christmas I couldn't resist these two Flower Fairies books. Not a bad price at £4 each but a bit shabby looking on the outside, I've made them each a little dust jacket.

Now they look pretty and neat !

Inside they are a bit spotted but the illustrations are exquisite compared to some later editions.

I love my books - old, previously loved books are especially nice.
And the paper smells so - mmm - OLD ! ^_^

Resin Angels Photo Challenge #1

2012-01-15T13:01:00.005Z

I signed up for Resin Angels monthly themed photo challenge so here is my first effort !
The theme this month is Fairy Tales.
Introducing my gorgeous Little Gretel, (my 'littlegretel' name is after her). I bought Little Gretel by Wendy Lawton online many years ago from The Dollery. She arrived with only one gingerbread man, there were supposed to be 2, with no satisfactory conclusion to this I never bought from them again, hmph!
She is full bodied porcelain and about 14" tall and had a crown of daisies but I hid it from Peach because she used sniff it out and run off with it on a regular basis ^_^

2012-01-02T23:30:00.002Z

One newly fitted kitchen later - many other household type jobs too numerous to mention and another Xmas out of the way !
Hello January ^_^
Feeling inspired and confident for at least a few hours today that I could get back to being creative with something other than wallpaper and paint. All I have to do is manage my time more effectively. It's a plan ! Obviously it's already working, that's why I'm still up at 1.00am *groan*. Well it is still the Xmas holidays and tomorrow (er today) is another day. And look at it this way, being a leap year, there is a whole extra day this year that's 24 hours more than last year to look forward to!
Wishing you all a happy and healthy new year with some time to spend doin what you most like to do ^_^

Picture from The Months of The Year by Anne Hope illustrated by Flora White

11.11.11

2011-11-11T18:44:00.006Z

REMEMBER

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Laurence Robert Binyon, 1869-1943

August

2011-08-02T22:20:00.003+01:00

Like most people during the summer I like to spend as much time as pos' outside. I'm usually in the garden or yard - if the weather allows of course - pottering, hanging washing, sitting dreaming with the cats =^_^=
The past few days have been very humid bringing at times some very heavy rain. The flowers love it! When this beautiful Gaillardia kindly unfurled its petals I was instantly reminded of Cicely Mary Barkers Gaillardia Fairy. It's a real August type flower, deep red and rich yellow gold - a very 'Leo ish' ruffled bloom!

The Song of the Gaillardia Fairy

There was once a child in a garden.
Who loved all my colours of flame,
The crimson and scarlet and yellow -
But what was my name?

For Gaillardia's hard to remember!
She looked at my yellow and red,
And thought of the gold and the glory
When the sun goes to bed;

And she troubled no more to remember,
But gave me a splendid new name;
She spoke of my flowers as Sunsets -
Then you do the same!

CMB

A garden full of little sunsets - how lovely !
Hope u are havin a warm and happy summer
^_^
xx

Becky Kelly Giveaway

2011-07-25T10:30:00.005+01:00

The lovely and talented Becky Kelly is havin' a giveaway on her blog !

A few years ago Becky's stuff was hard to source in the UK but Amazon.co.uk always seem to have little stock of her books and things.
'Dream a Little Dream' illustrated by Becky is a little book I keep in my bedside drawer just to peek at from time to time. Each page is soaked in rainbow hues and sprinked with stardust, wonderfully warm and cosy just like takin' a sip of fairy nectar !
Now Becky has her Etsy shop Periwinkle Sky
which is full of delicious prints and treats to tempt me : ) There is no way I can resist !

Remind yourself of the sweet and simple things in life - check out Becky Kelly's beautiful art.
^_^

In a Sweet Pea Dream Mail Art Challenge

2011-07-11T22:09:00.001+01:00

In a Sweet Pea Dream - Mail Art Challenge
I happened to notice a tutorial in June issue of Craft Stamper magazine using envelopes so I used the idea for this challenge. The envelopes are attached together using 'the adhesive on the seal to stick to the lower edge of the front of the next envelope' to create a concertina book. I coloured the envelopes with Distress Ink before sticking them together and made the front and back covers using stiff card and covering with Fairy Flora papers by Prima. I decorated the envelopes using Meredith Dilman fairy stamps and cut some stripey paper for the insert - this is where you can pop in some keepsakes. The other side is decorated with some swirly stamps, toadstools, fairy stickers, a printed fairy poem and some Stickles! The front cover edges are embossed with holographic powder and the wooden butterfly is Kaiser Craft also embossed with glitter.
I really like this use of envelopes and I think I'll do it again.
It was a bit difficult to photograph because of its length - but I think you'll get the idea ^_^

Fairy Poem

...Such a soft floating witchery of sound
As twilight Elfins make, when they at eve
Voyage on gentle gales from Fairy-Land,
Where Melodies round honey-dropping flowers,
Footless and wild, like birds of Paradise,
Nor pause, nor perch, hovering on untamed wing!...

S.T.Coleridge

Hoot the Owl

2011-07-07T21:39:00.003+01:00

I'm waiting for this adorable little owl to wing his way to me from The Mushroom Peddler
Sarah B Seiter has a fantastic range of bjd creatures including Howl the wolf, Squeak the rat, Shelley the turtle, unicorns (to come) and Singe the dragon who is as cute as pie and probably next on my list !
I pre ordered Hoot unpainted - er that looks a lot of white resin to be covered !
Unless of course he turns out to be an albino moonowl ; ) !

Fairy Party Giveaway Draw !

2011-07-02T19:40:00.003+01:00

It's time for the Fairy Party giveaway draw !
Huge thanks to everyone who took part and left wonderful comments -
you are all here.

In the bag

All shook up

And out pops ...

ROISIN !
Woohoo !
Congratulations Roisin the fairy card is yours.
All you have to do is contact me with your address so I can post it off to you.

How exciting - well, I like givin stuff away so keep a look out for another little giveaway in a few weeks time.
For now I wish u all a fairy happy weekend !
^_^

Thank u for Fairy Day Party !

2011-06-26T21:52:00.005+01:00

I really enjoyed the fairy day party hosted by Jorgelina ! It was a great opportunity to peek around everyones blogs : ) And a big thank u to all those who visited mine !
I was however, a bit annoyed by Bloggers performance when I tried to leave comments. There's a certain comment form that I just cannot use, which meant I couldn't leave a little message on all the blogs I wanted to. It asks me to sign in over and over and will not recognise my Google account. Sooo frustrating !!

Never mind tho' - don't forget that you have until 1st July to be in with a chance to win my little fairy giveaway.
That's if Blogger will allow u to comment of course ^_^

There are fairies at the bottom of our garden!
They often have a dance on summer nights;
The butterflies and bees make a lovely little breeze,
And the rabbits stand about and hold the lights.
Did you know that they could sit upon the moonbeams
And pick a little star to make a fan,
And dance away up there in the middle of the air?
Well, they can.

part of a poem by Rose Fyleman
Picture from Pookie by Ivy Wallace

Happy Fairy Day + little giveaway ^_^

2011-06-24T08:34:00.008+01:00

Hello and welcome to Jorgelina's Fairy Day Party!
Happy Fairies Day !

It was, it was a fairy man
Who came to town today;
"I'll make a cake for sixpence
If you will pay, will pay."

I paid him with a sixpence,
And with a penny too;
He made a cake of rainbows,
And baked it in the dew.

The stars he caught for raisins,
The sun for candied peel,
The moon he broke for spices
And ground it on a wheel.

He stirred the cake with sunbeams,
And mixed it faithfully
With all the happy wishings
That come to you and me.

He iced it with a moonbeam,
He patterned it with play,
And sprinkled it with star dust
From off the Milky Way.

The Fairy Man by Mary Gilmore

Fairy Party Gift !
In honour of the fairy party I have made a special card to give away !
I used DCWV and Cosmo Cricket papers to form a 3D tunnel card. Nestled inside is a delicate decoupage
of the pretty Shirley Poppy Flower Fairy. I have embossed it with 'Believe' and 'Make a wish' sentiments in gold. It folds flat to pop in an envelope.
If u would like a chance to win my fairy party gift all u have to do is leave a little comment before the 1st July. Then I will pop the names in my hat and draw out a winner !

Whatever u do today have fun with the fairies!
^_^

Foxglove Fairies

2011-06-21T23:27:00.015+01:00

There is something about foxgloves - wherever you find them they seem to lend a magical air to their surroundings. For instance - a garden with foxgloves appears to be more wild. But if you come across a foxglove at the edge of a wood the wild feels more like a garden.
The foxglove above is in our garden. I'm presuming that it's a cultivated plant because it is perennial. The picture below I took today in the woods, a true wildflower, a darker pink and a prettier shape, I think.

We didn't see a foxy whiskered gentleman reading his newspaper as in Beatrix Potter but we did see a Mrs Tittlemouse
^_^

The fairies love the foxglove too -
Fairies and Foxgloves by Molly Brett

And here is Pookie flying high above the wildflowers -
from Pookie by Ivy Wallace

"Foxglove, Foxglove,
What see you now?"
The soft summer moonlight
On bracken, grass, and bough;
And all the fairies dancing
As only they know how.

Extract from The song of the Foxglove Fairy by Cicely Mary Barker

Fairy Day

2011-06-19T23:51:00.012+01:00

Jorgelina has invited me to her Day of the Fairies virtual party !

This year Fairy Day is 24th June and to celebrate Midsummer there will be lots of fairy stuff on my blog this week ! Starring below in this beautiful painting by Arthur Rackham are King and Queen of the fairies - Oberon and Titania in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

Song for a Summer Evening
by
Mildred Bowers Armstrong

Fireflies in the twilight -
The fairies might be there -
Each with a little winking star
Showing in her hair.
And when the trees are still, and one
Leaf alone is blowing,
Perhaps a pixie flew from it,

going where he was going.

Don't forget - beware of toadstool rings ! And watch out for those tricksy pixies !
^_^

Sweet Cicely's Shoes

2011-06-12T17:55:00.005+01:00

Cicely (Lati Yellow Lumi) dreams of havin' some shoes soon.
Her wig is from Fataio Doll Shop on ebay - I like it a lot, I think it suits her and doesn't drown her tiny bod : )
I always had an issue with Lati Yellow arms looking too short ! But I really love Cicely - she's so sweet and such a great size for playing with.

Shhh! Baby blue tits ^_^

2011-06-01T22:02:00.004+01:00

These 3 little balls of feathery fluff have been blowing around in the wind for a couple of days now. I could hear them all morning and then they appeared just outside the kitchen window. I ran, on tiptoe of course, to get the camera and held my breath while taking as many shots as pos. I even managed to creep outside to watch them getting fed. This first one sitting in our little apple tree I took outside, the other two shots through the window.
Ooo I do worry when the little ones come down. Sweet, sweet little babies, keep safe and fly free !

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge # 17

2011-05-23T14:28:00.006+01:00

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge # 17
"Bling it up"

My first thought for this challenge was jewellery and shrink plastic was the ideal medium to get the image small enough.
So I stamped 'Blue Nocturne' by Elaine Cox onto shrink plastic and coloured it with watercolour pencils. Once it was shrunk I set about making a frame - originally I wanted to make a simple shape that I could glitter and add a few crystals to. As u can see it sort of morphed into somethin' else !! I shaped it out of Fimo and modelled it on the little owl sittin' by the fairy. I used quite a few colours of glitter + Stickles mixed together and added crystals for the eyes and on the wings. At just over 3" inches it could be worn as a brooch, I might add a magnet backing or just stand it with some other fairy treasures.
^_^

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #16

2011-05-03T16:21:00.009+01:00

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #16
'Anything Goes Sweet Pea'

Here's a little heart shaped box project using a Meredith Dillman fairy again, from Sweet Pea Stamps : )
I painted and covered my pre made box using acrylic paint and the DCWV Mariposa stack. The edge around the top is stamped with a tiny swirl. For the top I sanded an area on the pink paper first then stamped and embossed the image in black ink with clear and holographic powder. I coloured using markers that toned with the pink paper. Using bright colours for the wings to match the butterfly on the other paper, which is wrapped around the sides of the lid and box.
I found a piece of dusky apricot shot silk to line the inside - a pretty surprise when you open the lid !
I do hope you like it
^_^

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #15

2011-04-25T20:11:00.013+01:00

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge # 15
'Favourite Colour'
Hmm... which to choose...?
Blue - turquoise blue !

Papers are Country Diary, Mariposa and Once Upon a Springtime.
Stamp is Meredith Dillman's Little Peacock Fairy coloured with Promarkers and Copics.
I stamped and embossed the 'tendrils' onto the Mariposa paper first, stamped and coloured the whole image as
usual on white Neena card then cut it out. The skirt is stamped twice more and layered up to create a decoupage.
I tinted the doilie with different shades of Distress Inks and matted it all up with a bit of gold card.
I was very tempted to stamp a sentiment in the grey space but resisted !
The beautiful Sweet Pea stamp and lovely papers did all the work this time.
^_^

I tucked a little Bluejay feather in beside the flower and the postcard is so sweet with it's poem about spring -

Clouds of snowy blossom,
Flashed with tints of rose,
Sheaths of brown, which opening
Tender leaves disclose,
Buds of fairy beauty,
Grouped in perfect sprays
These are coming for us
With the sweet spring days !

Vampyre Diary

2011-04-13T12:50:00.007+01:00

A couple of years ago I asked Tony if he could sculpt me a Vampyre bust and this was the result. He sculpted her very quickly - I asked for the wide jaw and huge ears - but I never have got around to doing anything with her. Tony says the sculpt is 'rough', the teeth are far too thick and that he could do much better now. Maybe, but I still love her shape so now it is time to put my original idea into place ! I have paint, I have hair, I have silk and lace - watch this space.

RAAAAAH!

*_*

Pip's Portrait Present !

2011-04-11T23:08:00.004+01:00

Pip is over the moon with Becky's portrait of him ! It's hard to tear him away from it actually and if he has a minute to spare there he is checkin' himself out !!

Well who can blame him ! The likeness is super cute just like him

^_^

Becky added some little extras to our parcel including this lovely ladybird friend for Pip.

Thank u Auntie Coco !

xxx

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #14

2011-04-05T23:19:00.008+01:00

'In a Sweet Pea Dream' Challenge #14 'Hello Spring'

This card began with a heart shaped button decorated with beautiful forget-me-not flowers. This tiny 'mouse- ear' flower of heavenly blue, blooms in Spring and reminds me of those lovely vintage Easter cards. So with that in mind I tried to create a modern/vintage look with a breath of Spring : )

Stamp is Meredith Dillman's Blue Fairy coloured with Distess Ink on watercolour paper. The backround and sentiment is Neenah card inked and stamped with a small flourish using Distress Ink again. The other paper is DCWV Mariposa mat stack (LOVE) and a doilie lightly inked and embossed with holographic powder round the edge. Other bits and pieces include Stickles, Prima flower and pearls a bit of embroidered trim and my beautiful heart button. As usual thanks for the inspiration Sweet Pea Stamps !

^_^

At last !

2011-04-04T22:29:00.007+01:00

Lati Yellow Lumi arrived just over a week ago and yes, I had to pay a custom charge ! But at least she is here safe, sound and I love her : ) She poses beautifully and is a wonderful size to play with. I got to work on her face as quick as I could and it's mostly done apart from bit gloss and she needs some upper lashes. I can't decide on hair or her name yet - poor girl ! Her lovely knitted dress is by Willows Wardrobe on Etsy.

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #13

2011-03-22T18:24:00.003Z

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #13

'Pink' Sweet Pea!!!

This little Japanese fairy by Meredith Dillman graces the front of my 'Sakura pink' card. I coloured with the usual combo of Copics and Promarkers + inks and water colour pencils on watercolour card. I like the way she turned out but I need loads more practice on black hair - I find it tricky !

Papers are Cosmo Cricket and Kanban. Also green velvet ribbon, pearls, Stickles and some pink cherry blossoms complete the picture.

Sucker Punch

2011-03-14T14:15:00.002Z

I positively can't wait for this film to come out !

Looks like such an over the top comic book, computer game stylee it's got to be good !
Sucker Punch

The artwork by Alex Pardee is rather good too.

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #12

2011-03-07T21:55:00.008Z

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #12

'Warmer Weather Sweet Pea'

I am sitting by the fire and thinking of Spring !

Actually the sun was quite warm today and the garden is beginning to come to life - I love all the Spring colours and tried to add them to this card.

I think this pretty Elaine Cox stamp is called Magical Springtime which is in keeping with the theme.

I coloured her using my Promarkers thinking of tiny Iris reticulata flowers when I chose the colours : )

The paper is Kanban and Crafty Individuals (Book 3 Springtime). Prima flowers and a few other bits and pieces with a computer generated sentiment ^_^

I knew I had a pic of those Irises somewhere ! I didn't grow any this year - these are from a couple of years ago. At about 4" tall they are perfect for pots where u can appreciate their delicate beauty close up.

Fairy places, fairy things -

2011-03-05T18:06:00.006Z

This weeks fairy thing is a foxglove hat for my Flickr friend Becky. It will fit her Pukipuki Darjeeling (Sparrow) when she arrives : )

Becky loves fairies too and we ended up doin' a fairy swap !

And this is Pip's portrait by Becky - painted in acrylic on a little canvas just for me !
Isn't it sweet ? I just love the way it turned out.
You can check out some more art by Becky in her Etsy shop LittleGreyCoconut

Pip went on and on about a foxglove hat - it has to be like this and like that. I wouldn't mind, but that Summer he promptly lost it ! We searched high and low (well I did) but it didn't turn up til the Autumn clear out and by then it was a bit manky and I think something was livin' in it. Fortunately it scrubbed up with a drop of morning dew and now is as good as new.
Pixies !

^_^

Crafts and Me Challenge - 'Things with Wings'

2011-02-28T11:36:00.005Z

It's rare that I make a card and actually give it to someone ! This one went to a good home at the weekend : )

It's the first time I've used a digital stamp and I loved the way it printed out. It just so happened that it fit the Crafts and Me Challenge - 'Things with Wings'. This beautiful fairy is Poppy by the talented Sarah Burrier from Crafts and Me

I printed on watercolour card and coloured with Distress Inks (my favourite)

This is a scan of it before I cut it for the card.

I used Once Upon A Springtime paper by Graphic 45, some lace and a lovely ribbon rose. The wings are coated in Rock Candy for sparkle.

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #11

2011-02-21T14:03:00.005Z

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #11
'Anything'

My new stamp 'Dreamy Sandcastle' by Elaine Cox arrived last week. It's sooo dark and gloomy here at the moment I was instantly tempted to create something bright and breezy - this sunny mermaid is so cute ^_^

I covered a £1 notebook in beautiful aqua silk tied it with a satin ribbon and added a flower with a pearly shell heart.
I stamped on watercolour card with Memento ink and coloured with water colour pencils, Promarkers and Copics. The usual Stickles to highlight the sea and sand and a touch of Rock Candy on her tail.

Wishful Thinking

2011-02-21T14:01:00.005Z

This paper pad by Graphic 45 called Once Upon a Springtime is a bit of wishful thinking half way thru Feb ! But the designs are really lovely and a quite few Ida Rentoul fairies are included too. It's the sort of paper that I need one to use and one to keep : )

I picked out a tiny scrap to make a sweet fairy tag. The rose is made from printed card and UTEE, sprinkled with mica flakes and a pearl bead.
(I don't have a melt pot for my UTEE (yet) - a small wax burner does just as well for one or two flowers)

^_^

In A Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #10

2011-02-07T22:05:00.004Z

In A Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #10
'Talk To Me' - include a sentiment.

I used another Meredith Dillman fairy here including the beautiful sentiment from the same sheet. The background was created using a paper blending technique from March issue of Craft Stamper mag. It's effective and really easy to do.

I stamped the image onto watercolour paper which I had already spritzed with Cosmic Shimmer then coloured her with Distress Ink, more CShimmer and a touch of Stickles. I achieved the shadow using black pastel behind the cut out image. A paper rose completes the card ^_^

Poppihollas Cart

2011-02-07T21:26:00.002Z

Poppiholla luvs her cart ! She mostly takes it everywhere she goes.

It's great for transporting and storing stuff and is big enough to have a picnic in or an afternoon nap.

It's also good for giving other peeps a lift in.

Cart made out of card and wood and wire with a fairy lamp (glass bead) that glows in the dark ^_^

In A Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #9

2011-01-24T21:46:00.005Z

In A Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #9

'Under The Sea'
This is my first Sweet Pea mermaid, the very beautiful Dance of Butterfly by Ching-Chou Kuik. I stamped her with Memento Ink and coloured with Promarkers and Copics. The scales on her tail have a touch of my favourite Rock Candy and I embossed the edges with gold powder to co-ordinate with the DCWV crowns.
I think you call this a step card ? I cut it from a scalloped square card and covered it with Crafty Individuals 'Springtime' paper. The seaweedy stuff is a felt trim glittered with Stickles.

I'm not that happy with the photos of this card - it is hard to catch the dimensional effect and the sparkle. And I wish that I hadn't used white as a background for the photo because unfortunately it doesn't enhance her skin which is a lovely shade of blue...
'part from that lovin' my Sweet Pea stamps ^_^

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #8

2011-01-11T16:12:00.002Z

Ribbons and Bows - In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #8

I'm always inspired to create when I use a Sweet Pea stamp !
The Meredith Dillman sheet arrived from Crafts and Me the other day and I chose 'Fairy Lights' for my ribbon hanger.

I used Copics and Promarkers on Neenah card - I love the smooth finish. Some of the tiny detail was quite a challenge to colour : )
I mounted the image onto a bit of thick scrap card then painted round the edge with gesso. The gesso is textured with lace and a swirly stamp, painted with acrylic paint, gold Cosmic Shimmer and Ranger Rock Candy.
I found some nice braid to frame the image and a little paper butterfly for the top.

The 'Follow your dreams...' is stamped on acetate.
Hung with a length of beautiful sky blue organza ribbon with a cute flower cup and crystal bead drop to finish.

Hurry up Lumi !

2011-01-11T00:34:00.003Z

At last I have ordered my Lati Yellow. It took me weeks to decide which one to go for, to begin with I had my heart set on Cookie, but eventually sweet Lumi won me over. I chose her after browsing a lot of owner pics - I don't think Lati's Basic pic does her any justice at all. I'm getting her without make up so that I can do my own little face up. All I have to do is wait - by all accounts it's going to be a long one. I will spend the time practising painting eyebrows ^_^

Happy New Year Sweet Pea !

2010-12-28T20:06:00.005Z

In a Sweet Pea Dream challenge #7
'Anything at all'

Hmmm...
Well, this stamp is sooo lovely I used it again for a Happy New Year card.
It's easel style and the paper is beautifully flocked and rich looking so I added velvet ribbon plus few other bits and pieces from my stash.

Ching-chou Kuiks Winterberry is coloured with Promarkers and Copics. To give it a pretty frosty finish I used Rock Candy over the watercolour pencil background.

The Papermania vellum sentiment says it all and that is my wish for everyone in the coming New Year.

^_^

Happy Christmas Hillside

2010-12-22T14:39:00.010Z

Happy Christmas and thank u to everyone at Hillside
We love u

xxx

Hillside Animal Sanctuary

Hill Top Farm
Hall Lane

Frettenham

Norwich

NR12 7LT

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #6

2010-12-14T18:37:00.004Z

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #6 - Monochromatic Sweet Pea !

I saved this beautiful stamp - Ching-chou Kuiks Winterberry to use in December. It's so Chritsmassy !

Challenge - to use all shades of one colour and I chose red.

Recipe
Image stamped on watercolour paper with aged mahogany Distress Ink - coloured with aged mahogany and pink Dauber Duo
Papers - My Minds Eye, Dovecraft Christmas Fancy and Dufex
Dovecraft snowflake corner punch
Bazzill die cut strips, crystals and stamped 'Greetings'
Tiny bells hung on metallic thread

Ruby mulled wine and holly berries - pink cheeks and noses
^_^

Naughty but Nice

2010-12-13T23:56:00.002Z

Dear Santa, I'm afraid it's true, today I was naughty. I spent a few too many hours crafting.
I should have been busy seeing to other things but my pretty papers and paints lured me away from my household drudgery.
But how nice it was to sit and be creative and there's still loads of time to tidy up before Christmas !

These little angels by Sulamith Wulfing are so sweet with their slippers peeping from beneath their skirts.
I love the size of the baubles and how the colours seem to glow out of the snow.
Our snow has nearly gone for now - apart from some very slippy ice - more is forecast so we haven't put our wellies away yet
^_^

Brrrrrrr

2010-11-29T13:38:00.007Z

The North wind doth blow and it's totally FREEZIN' here !

When I looked out of the window this morning the first thing I saw was a round red robin hopping about the snow capped shrubs. A very welcome sight on such a snowy day.

I couldn't resist taking these two Christmas cake characters outside for a go in the real snow !
More fun than icing but not as tasty ^_^

Glace berries on the Guelder Rose.

The north wind doth blow, and we shall have snow
And what will the robin do then, sweet thing?
He’ll sit in the barn, to keep himself warm,
And hide his head under his wing, sweet thing………

Sweet Pea Challenge #5

2010-11-23T19:51:00.007Z

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #5
Where have all the flowers gone?

Recipe
2 types of handmade paper - one is edged with distress ink and embossed with holographic powder, the other has delicate inclusions of blue flowers and leaves and is stamped with a dragonfly, lily of the valley and a wee Mr Beetle.
Ching-chou Kuik's 'Pick a Pumpkin' stamped onto watercolour paper with Distress Ink. I used a wet brush to pull out the colour, then embossed the whole image with clear embossing powder.
A pressed fucshia flower from our garden.
Lace flower with a tiny crystal.
Length of pretty embroidered ribbon.
Stickles.

^_^

Autumn Sky

2010-11-22T11:42:00.008Z

This is how the sky looked today - grey with lots of rain. The swallows are long gone but the blackbird is back because I've heard him singing early in the morning.
The thought of winter is not a happy one but I must brave it - the house is cosy and will soon be lit with festive sparkle.
I'm hoping for some bright winter days - dry blue skies with sun that shine through to warm the cats in their favourite chair.

"Hold the paint pot steady, Fay
We must not spill a drop.
Busy painting Autumn leaves
From bough to bough we'll hop !"

Rene Cloke has teased some Autumn cheer into this picture with these lovely colours. I think the leaf painting work is over for now tho' - the fairies better wrap up warm 'cos Jack Frost is just around the corner ^_^

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #4

2010-11-09T16:34:00.003Z

I tried to capture all of Autumns most beautiful colours before the wind blew the leaves right off the trees this week : )

Recipe for In A Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #4
Things With Wings !
Scalloped card - edges inked with Dauber Duos Citron ink

Background paper from a Disney fairies sticker pad
Ching-chou Kuik's 'Pick a Pumpkin' stamped onto watercolour card coloured with Distress Inks and Promarkers

Gold metallic and orange organza ribbon

Prima flower coloured with the citron ink spritzed with Cosmic Shimmer and a centre of Martha Stewarts vintage glitters

K& Company dragonfly wings sticker cut in half

Stamped and embossed 'Make a Wish sentiment'

I'm always amazed at the amount of detail in these stamps and I love colouring them in. I find it handy to stamp the image twice giving me one to practice on as I go along ^_^

Little Treasures

2010-11-03T10:12:00.005Z

The 'Illustrated Fairy Gazette' by Frances and Avril Tyrrell comes under my heading of treasured little things. I've collected all 5 of these moreish, mini magazines, they are so sweet. Only 5 1/2" high, perfectly printed in lush colour and bound with rainbow fairy thread I keep them in my bedside drawer. I like to pick one out - a bit like choosing a favourite chocolate centre - open, induldge and dream : )
Hey cheeky ! I'm not tellin' u what's inside - get your own !!

That's not all tho' - how happy was I to discover 2 larger versions of the Fairy Gazette ?
'Festivals and Fairs' and 'Bon Voyage' are available from amazon.co.uk. These are a sort of compilation of the originals but with MORE ! Beautifully produced with the same soft feel and lots and lots of new scrumptious pictures. I nearly fainted right away opening the envelope inside the back covers to reveal my very own paper fairy doll, with a selection of fabulous frocks and accessories.

Ahhh ! Treasure indeed ^_^

Fairy Lanterns

Treasure Seeker Studio

Finding Moonflowers Garden

2010-10-28T15:29:00.022+01:00

I first wrote this story for the Autumn issue of Faezine 2009.

Here it is again, without the intro and some extra pictures especially for Halloween ^_^

Today, in the time between times, I found the garden overgrown and tinged with more than a little Autumn decay. Gossamer webs hung in dewy disarray over hundreds of papery seed pods. A smell of bonfire with a hint of damp and musty undergrowth mingled in the misty air. Beautiful pink and peach roses punctuated the borders, dark red dahlias soldiering on till the first frosts beside soft lilac Michaelmas daisies touched by powdery mildew. There were plump pumpkins sitting in a row on the patio and bags of spring bulbs waiting to be planted into the warm, wet earth.

I also spotted some familiar fae busy with Autumn jobs - Fairy Rosehip, balancing on a Rowan branch concentrating on coaxing the shiny fruit to turn red and Fairy Dewberry in the Elder dripping blots of inky magic onto its sprays of pale berries.

"Watch out below ! That purple stuff might hit you." called Pip the Pixie. Wearing his best blue cap Pip was up a tree too, supposedly painting leaves. He is very good at it, using a fat brush to spread Autumn tints around the edges of the Witch Hazel. Mind you, Pip only does the edges because his good friend Jack Frost does the rest.

But Pip is easily sidetracked - he was keeping an eye out for his cousins who were travelling from Fairyland to visit him. Nearly fit to bust, it's at least a week since he had a message to say that Poppiholla and Piccolo were on their way. It was still very early and a mist was drifting over the fields, the air was cool, the sun a pale lemony disc justbeginning to rise. Pip shaded his eyes and stared across the countryside.

"I can see someone !" he nearly fell out of his tree " Edge of the field, by the fence!"

"Woohoo ! I can see too. It's Poppiholla!" cried Dewberry. Down they fell in a flurry of leaves, skipping and sliding on the dewy grass. Through a hole in the wall, slipping to a stop at the streams edge.Sure enough there was Poppiholla, all smiles and waves pulling her little cart piled high with luggage. Poppiholla is a tiny wood pixie - at only 3.5 inches she is smaller than Pip, but she managed to cross the stream, via the stepping stones, with all her belongings intact and with help from Moonflower who had appeared to see what all the fuss was about.

Word of Pip's cousin spread quickly across the garden and in the clearing Orla prepared a special breakfast for everyone. The delicious scent of fried tomatoes and mushrooms filled the air and the usual big pot of nettle tea was soon brewed.

"What a welcome!" Poppiholla smiled. Licking her lips and making a toast with her tea to everyone."Huge thank you" she said opening her arms wide and smiling again."Piccolo, my brother, sends apologies, we dropped by the North Pole on the way here and he decided to stay a while to help Father Christmas, but he will be here by Christmas." More smiles. Pip fidgeted a bit and looked at his boots, sneaking a sly peak at Poppihollas cart.

"Oh I almost forgot Pip, I brought you a present." Poppiholla rumaged around amongst her stuff. She found a large sack, reached inside and pulled out a giant orange pumpkin.

"WOW you remembered !" Pip's eyes shone. (I use the word giant in fairy terms because it actually only measured 1.5 inches in diameter which is just slightly larger than Pip's little head.)

"Happy Halloween everyone!" laughed Poppiholla.

So the rest of the day was spent preparing for a Halloween/Welcome party. By the time darkness fell a bonfire had been lit, throwing spooky shadows up the tree trunks and across the grass. The spiders had spun yet more webs in the shrubbery, while the path was lit by chinese lantern flowers. The table was decorated with dried flowers and groaned under the weight of an array of scrumptious goodies - little pumpkin pies with roasted pumpkin seeds, tiny mushrooms filled with roasted sweetcorn, baby baked potatoes and tomato sauce, delicious pieces of apple covered in toffee, not forgetting Pip's favourite - dainty cakes filled with raisins, currants, nutmeg and cinammon. Moonflower had also been busy and presented her honey and ripe fruit punch in a beautiful glass bowl that she had found up near the house filled with milk. For music Poppiholla played her violin and Orla led the dancing.Pip carved his pumpkin and wore it on his head, jumping out and giving everyone a fright.

Me? I stood under the Elder tree with the cat ( who had her eye on that glass bowl ) watching the fairy host dancing on beams from the Shedding Moon, weaving their spells for Halloween. Moonflowers Garden - just up the road a bit and always welcoming ^_^

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge #3

2010-10-26T14:36:00.003+01:00

In a Sweet Pea Dream Challenge -

CHRISTMAS !

I chose this Fluttering Butterflies by Ching Chou-Kuick stamp again to see if I could make it look like Christmas. It turned out pretty wintery !
It's another easle card, just 'cos I really like the dimension - the background dots are Kanban as is the foil snowflake. The stamp is coloured with Distress ink and Promarkers, I added a thick glittered edge to the top of her dress and some tiny punched snowflakes here and there. The felt butterfly echos the butterflies on the stamp and I frosted the paper rose with plenty of Stickles : )

The inside is decorated with some sort of sticky back glitter stuff, no idea where I got it from but it looks like pure frost !

Brrrrrrr

^_^

Witch, Witch

2010-10-22T19:20:00.006+01:00

The first witch in this delectable selection of 'Li'l Old Ladies' appears in The Mary McClure Golden Story Book. The story is titled - The Elves and the Pussycat (A Story for Hallow E'en) in which the elves, Long Legs and Tiny Toes, set out to protect Granny Doody's black cat from being pressed into the service of a no good witch for Halloween.

The moon is looking rather startled and actually I think that Granny Doody is on the night shift ; )

This one by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite - about to fly off a very high cliff - looks gorgeous in her red shoes and matching cloak. From 'The Road to Fairyland'.

Also by Ida and from the same book, it looks like Granny Doody has flown a very long way to join her sister in Australia just in time for the witching hour.

Below, beware the witchy stare ! I love her hat and dress and wish that she would step back a little so that I coud see the rest of it ! Is she wearing a skirt ? Skin tight trousers and knee high boots ? Or maybe something a bit more fantastical ?

I suppose I'll never know : )

Hellebore by Maxine Gadd.

I was also curious about the new eBook advertised on Maxines website and discovered it is available at Amazon.co.uk to download for their Kindle. As I don't have a Kindle I was happy to see that u can download a Kindle for the pc for free. So I did and then bought the book !

Now I thought that there would be pictures by Maxine to go with the text (it does say it's illustrated by her) but it looks like it's just the 'cover'. But it's a very nice cover and I like the look of these two witchy girls already ^_^

"Witch, witch, where do you fly?"...
"Under the clouds and over the sky."

"Witch, witch, what do you eat?"...

"Little black apples from Hurricane Street."

"Witch, witch, what do you drink?"...

"Vinegar, blacking and good red ink."

"Witch, witch, where do you sleep?"

"Up in the clouds where pillows are cheap."

Rose Fyleman

New Girl

2010-10-18T16:33:00.003+01:00

There have been lots of dolls that I fancied this year but nothing really got my attention until I spotted this girl on Ebay. She's a Volks MSD FCS F20 and she arrived last week from Nadia in Italy. Great excitement and trepidation when I opened her box - it's always the same : )
I feel very lucky to get her, she is perfect !
Another 'grail' doll like my Lusis - I waited a long time for her too.

She hasn't told me her name ... yet ^_^

Sweet Pea Colours Challenge #2

2010-10-12T18:25:00.014+01:00

Sweet Pea Challenge #2
Orange - Purple - Green !
And this is one of the stamps I purchased with my $20 shopping spree prize at the Sweet Pea Stamps store - Elaine Cox's Playing with Stars.
The potion bottles are cut from DCWV paper and mounted along the bottom edge of the card. I picked out the edges a little with my Promarkers, added a bit of black glitter, stuck a feather in one pot and a starry wand in another. The image is coloured with Distress inks and Promarkers, a touch of Cosmic Shimmer and the stars are embossed and glittered.

It's an easel card so when it's folded open the bottles and image pop up.
The inside is lined with my favourite rainbow parchment with a stamped' Magic' sentiment.
I love the way it turned out and I'm lovin' my Sweet Pea stamps.
^_^

Sugar Bowl Challenge # 44

2010-10-04T15:25:00.004+01:00

RecentlyI was sorry to hear that Suzanne Woolcott - fab artist and creator of Gorjuss Art - has been experiencing some really horrible health issues lately. I'm a big fan of hers and I sincerely hope that she is feeling a lot better very soon.

I don't think I have ever stamped these Gorjuss cuties together before, so here they are for the latest
Sugar Bowl Challenge.
The background of the image is shadedwith Distress Inks and Cosmic Shimmer - for the main card and dress I think the paper is Basic Grey (I've had it a while) and I coloured the rest with Promarkers. I think the bobbly cream lace and dotty ribbon compliment the vintage paper topped off with a Prima flower and a dusting of Stickles !

Gorjuss Art
Gorjuss Etsy
&
Gorjuss Stamps

Witches Charms

2010-10-03T19:16:00.006+01:00

I love this witch by Ida Rentoul Outhwaite ! Everything you could wish for on a gusty Halloween is here - a cat, a bat, a frog on a toadstool ! Her lantern is glowing, the peacock feather in her hat is perfect and look at her fabulous floaty hair : )

A few years ago I tried to recreate her clothes for Moonflower.
Semi successful, I was never really happy with the outcome.
The other day Bryony thought she would like to try it on - although the dress could definately do with a bit nipping in for her, she is rather taken with it. The velvet cloak is lined with Northumbrian tartan and the hat does have a real peacock feather in the band.

The broomstick was a different project altogether.
This was a joint effort with Tony - the swan head and the feathers on the stick are sculpted by him, I made the broom and painted it adding emerald green crystals for eyes.
^_^

The weather is fair, the wind is good
Up, dame, on your horse of wood !
Or else tuck up your grey frock,
And saddle your goat or your green cock,
And make his bridle a ball of thread
To roll up how many miles you have rid.
Quickly come away,
For we all stay.

The owl is abroad, the bat and the toad,
And so is the cat-a-mountain;
The ant and the mole sit both in a hole,
And the frog peeps out of the fountain,
The dogs they do bay, and the timbrels play.
The spindle is now a-turning;
The moon it is red, and the stars have fled,
But the sky is a-burning.

Ben Jonson

'In a Sweet Pea Dream' Challenge #1

2010-09-28T16:59:00.004+01:00

I was very happy to see that Sweet Pea Stamps now have a challenge blog - In a Sweet Pea Dream !

The perfect excuse to rush out and buy a new stamp !
Seeing as I spend a lot of time thinking about the little folk it had to be a fairy. I chose Fluttering Butterflies by Ching Chou-Kuick because she reminds me of my own beautiful Moonflower.
I coloured the background using 3 shades of Distress Inks spritzed with water. I added Cosmic Shimmer mica pigments to the water just to give a little sheen and painted the moon with Cosmic Shimmer watercolour paint.

The stamp itself is coloured with Promarkers. Cardstock is Kanban and is so pretty I didn't need to add much more, a Prima flower and the embossed sentiment complete the look.

BTW, for those of us in the UK Sweet Pea stamps are also available from Crafts and Me .

Unusual friends

2010-09-07T18:02:00.007+01:00

My Hillside Animal Sanctuary newsletter came in the post yesterday - this lovely pic is on the opening page.
This is Socks the lamb snuggling up in front of the fire with Rosie, a pet rat. How sweet is that !

Socks was rescued back in 2007 and is now happy, healthy and full grown.
Hillside is home to a huge and varied number of animals including 323 Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Mules, 129 Cattle, 310 Sheep and 79 Pigs. Also Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits and Guinea Pigs, Chipmunks, Goats, Budgerigars, Cockatiels, Parrots, Love Birds and Fan Tailed Doves. Lots of Dogs, 7 Deer, 5 Alpacas and Llama and 3 Ostriches.
Phew !

I have supported Hillside for many years and I am still sometimes shocked at the animal cruelty in this world. There are many stories with happy endings but for some animals sadly it's just too late.
Thank goodness for Hillside and people everywhere who help and campaign for animals in need.

Hillside Animals on Twitter

2010-08-31T16:44:00.009+01:00

Another favourite from my Marjorie Dawson postcard set.
'Market Time in Pixieland'
Being tempted by the pixie fishmonger, black 'n'white kitten looks scrumptious in her pink skirt and bow. And I wonder what tasty bit of gossip those two Mrs Squirrels are sharing : )
What would bunnies buy ? Juicy carrots, plump radishes and a little lettuce of course.
Treats and bright balloons for the little ones - it's such a happy scene !

Below is a scan from Enid Blytons Seven O'Clock Tales illustrated by Dorothy M Wheeler.
The story is The Enchanted Shoelace which features a pixie called Skippy. Notice the sweet shop in the bottom of a knarled tree with it's pretty bow window full of sweetie treats. This tale warns us to be careful if ever finding a magic shoelace - especially if you have designs on a pink pony ; )

Pip pretendin' to be a bee.

And Piccolo snufflin' about the herb pot - I think the coriander has gone up his nose.
^_^

Moonflowers Ballet Feet

2010-08-25T09:20:00.005+01:00

There is a definate touch of Autumn in the air this mornin'.
The sky is blue, the rosehips are red and the sun is ripening our pumpkin : )

During the Summer, Moonflower spent a few weeks up in Scotland with the talented Caroline of Viridian House getting a well deserved make-over. She now has the most beautifully soft and sparkly face up - fit for a fairy prima ballerina !

(The first pic is by Caroline - I added it because it shows the soft shading and her delicate brush work)

Tony gave me some Peapod Doll Ballet Feet and shoes for my bithday : )

They fit Moonflower perfectly and the resin is a pretty good match. Very easy to swap and they include an ankle joint to keep the feet en pointe (handy).

These 2 pics came 2nd in Peapods Ballet Contest ! I hadn't planned to enter, it was a bit of a rush but I just managed to get them sent on time.
The dress is part of a Dollheart set.

No new dolls this year yet - how sad :(
But I'm enjoying looking - far too many enabling cute pics on DOA and Flickr ! Mostly, being tempted for a Lati Yellow, maybe, I think ^_^

Lost Fairy Dreams

2010-05-24T15:36:00.005+01:00

Up at 5am to watch the final episode of LOST this morning - still mullin' it over...

Here is another easel card I made recently.
The topper and sentiment is Kanban with a pretty paper from Crafty Individuals.
I used rainbow parchment paper as an insert - it's soft, pretty and matches perfectly: )

Sugar Bowl Challenge 32

2010-04-07T16:37:00.007+01:00

Sugar Bowl Challenge 32 ! I chose sketch Challenge 20 by Gayle and used it to make an easel card.

The stamp is Peek a Bunny by Elizabeth Bell, very spring like, coloured with Promarkers and iridescent chalk.

The patterned paper, border and sentiment are Dawn Bibby by Kanban with some Prima flowers and a bit of dotty ribbon.

^_^

Primrose Pixies

2010-03-15T23:14:00.003Z

I thought I would share this lovely spring postcard.
It's from a set of 10 published by J Arthur Dixon. Unfortunately I only have 8 and I can't find anything out about the artist Marjorie Dawson.
I love her style - pretty pixies and smiley violas in delicate spring colours.
This could be a little scene happenin' in Moonflowers Garden ^_^

Faezine Winter Issue

2010-03-10T16:28:00.002Z

I honestly thought that I had already blogged this - obviously only in my head.

Anyway, here it is, the Winter issue of Enchanted Folk Faezine.

I really enjoyed Ailynari's 'A Gift of Fairytales'. Also 'Noel' by Alexandra Dawe.

And there's new a column called 'Morbidly Adorable Mementos' by skelly loving Misty Benson .

Take a look, it's all good and it's free !

Mind Wide Open March Challenge

2010-03-09T17:35:00.009Z

This month Gail from Mind Wide Open provided us with a background image and the word SPRING !
Fortunately I had just put this plain box to one side thinking it would be a good little project for the future.
It is just the right size for storing garden seeds !
Originally I was going to cover the whole box with the background paper but I didn't have enough ink in the printer. So instead I only covered the lid and the bottom of the inside, using a different paper for the inside walls.

The rest of the box is painted with gesso, acrylic paint and a lot of distress ink. I found a couple of chipboard alphabets and mismatched them to spell the seasons around the sides of the box and stamped the letters with tiny random leaves.

I printed the word SEEDS and stamped the rest of the design for the lid using my favourite fairy stamps from Crafty Secrets

I think vintage seed packets would look especially nice inside my box... if I had some ink I could print some.
^_^

Inside the lid. The words are -

'May joy in full measure

Rain down on your way,

And all that gives pleasure
Surround you to-day'

What's inside ?

Candytuft - Fairy Mixed
Of course !

Arcadia Dolls Shop

2010-03-01T23:00:00.003Z

Not a great pic and it doesn't help that Inari hasn't got a face yet but, this is her beautiful new dress from Arcadia Dolls.

I have been a fan of Arcadia Dolls for a long time and recently discovered that they now have a shop with a shopping cart ! You have to wait a few weeks because the clothes are custom made, but it's so worth it : )
How I wish I had the skills of those Arcadia seamstresses !

Moonflowers Garden is in La Bacchetta Magica !!!

2010-02-27T18:56:00.003Z

Great excitement this week when I heard that my dolls are featured in the lovely Italian doll magazine
La Baccetta Magica Bambole !
Even bigger excitement when the magazine itself arrived in the post this morning !
Woohoo little Root Appleblossom is on the cover !
My little article is about Moonflowers Garden - how it came to be and who lives there. My words are written in Italian (so pretty) and there are pictures of Moonflower herself, Root, Rosehip, Vanilla, Orla and Pip !
First time in a long while allowed myself to feel proper smiley
^_^

Sugar Bowl Challenge 27

2010-01-27T17:53:00.004Z

Sugar Bowl Challenge 27, sketch by Kathy.
I coloured this cute Leanne Ellis stamp with ProMarkers. The skirt is paper pieced,the flowers are also cut from paper. Papers by My Minds Eye, sanded, inked and distressed.
Edged with some yummy Martha Stewart vintage leaf glitter.

Autumn Faezine

2009-11-19T21:09:00.003Z

Online and ready to read is Autumn issue of Faezine !
Bitesize columns by many talented artists and Enchanted folk.
Oh look , I'm there too ; )
And Pip, and Poppiholla in Finding Moonflowers Garden ^_^

BeYa !

2009-11-02T19:51:00.003Z

I am feeling major love for for this little beeauty BeYa, new from Bambicrony!
Her Manga features are so cute ^_^
I already have 2 Bambi elves but BeYa is a bit different and that's good.
Unfortunately she doesn't come as a 'proper' fullset with all the bits included I'm having a hard time justifying the cost.
Wings - $55 - how can u have a bee without wings ?
But those Enchanted eyes at $46.80 - *groans* they are so beautiful and glittery... *sighs*

Trick and Treat !

2009-10-30T18:49:00.007Z

Totally tricked by Pip wearing his pumpkin head from Fairyland !

And he thinks it's funny...

But, I got the best Halloween treat from Animetor Lily
Zue drew my *Bryony the Witch* doll for Project Happy on devianArt.
And look how beautiful Bryony is, flying high in a starry sky !
I love everything about it - the detail and colours - just perfect ^_^

Happy Halloween !

POPPIHOLLA !

2009-10-21T21:45:00.005+01:00

Tyni arrived from Fairyland last Friday !
A little smaller than Pukipuki at about 9cm she is totally cute.
Her name is now Poppiholla ^_^
Soso was in the same order but he is hiding out 'till Christmas (it isn't that long to wait).

I couldn't resist making Poppi something new.
Sweet !

Moonflowers Garden

2009-10-12T21:56:00.003+01:00

It's time again, that I re-arranged my website and took new photos of my dolls. It's a very time consuming thing and normally I gather it all together and publish it in one go, but this time I will do it a bit at a time : )

I don't really know why I keep my website. 'Back in the day' we all wanted our own dolly webby but now everyone seems to have Blogs and Flickr. I suppose I'm a little old fashioned and I still enjoy mucking about with graphics and stuff.

This is my most recent pic of Moonflower. She was my first BJD, a Youth Dollmore Eve - White Lilith. She has 4 sets of ears - human, short elf, long elf and mermaid. Of course Moonflower always wears her long elf ears because she is Prima Ballerina Assoluta in the Garden and the longer ones ears are the higher ones authority is : )

I did originally repaint her lips to make them less sulky and because I didn't the Dollmore lip colour. I love her as she is but one day it will be time for a change and I will give her a whole new face up.

This is Teasle and she always wears her long Siamese ears. This is the sleeping version ; )

Sugar Bowl Challenge 20

2009-10-07T10:15:00.005+01:00

This weeks Sugar Bowl challenge is a sketch from Gayle - and to ‘dress’ your stamped image using patterned or plain design papers.

Well I did dress my Gorjuss girl, but, instead of using paper I stamped onto a fallen leaf from our Witch Hazel tree. The leaf is such a beautiful shade of rusty red I had to use it ! So using my Crafty Individuals papers I created a little Autumn fairy for this challenge ^_^

Unoa Lusis

2009-10-05T22:42:00.007+01:00

Just when I was thinking that this year had been a bit empty new doll wise and with Tyni and Soso on the way, I wasn't expecting this girl to turn up.
An Unoa Quluts has been my grail doll for so long that I can't believe this Lusis is mine at last ! I nearly pre-ordered one with Crescent this year but things happened and it went right out of my mind. Then I was lucky enough to see this kit on DOA and in the UK too : )

I was wary about having to string her but it turned out to be very easy.
I'm not disappointed with her in any way, she is beautiful and sooo dainty !

Her name is Inari and she is Bryony's younger sister.

No face up yet and I need some special eyes for her.
Looking for wigs and clothes.

But I did give her a manicure ^_^

Realpuki Poser

2009-09-09T23:16:00.003+01:00

This has to be the cutest little poser ever !

There are more pics of the Real puki body here

Mind Wide Open Sept Challenge

2009-09-09T11:07:00.007+01:00

I wish that I had had time yesterday to take pics in the daylight but it got too late ( as usual ) so here is what my notebook 'really' looks like : )
This is a Papermania chipboard book I think, I've had it a while. I gessoed the covers and stamped a texture into it using a piece of lace, then spritzed with mixed Cosmic Shimmers and inked the edges.
I printed the pretty image from Gail onto cotton fabric sewed the ribbon roses and added the other beads etc. The image is layered onto hand painted cotton and vintage lace.
The inside cover includes a paper pocket edged with lace.

And this is the inside back cover with an embossed cracked rose cut from the original image.

What's on the back ?
Em...

nothing...yet !
^_^

Tyni & Soso

2009-09-03T21:03:00.004+01:00

I nearly fell off my chair when I saw these two little beauties yesterday ! Something welled up inside me and I nearly burst with excitement ^_^
Honestly I swear that if Fairyland had set out to sell a doll to me this was how to do it. Cute face, elf ears, pointy shoes, pixie hat.Oh and let's stand her on a toadstool !
SOLD

And how, pray tell, could u possibly get one without the other ?

50 days processing time - it's gonna be a loooooong wait!

Shades of Autumn

2009-08-31T14:30:00.009+01:00

I've put together some recently acquired bits and bobs. The colours are beautiful and I hope it will inspire me to create something lovely : )
In the background - handyed silk & ribbon( it's my one weakness and I'm trying to resist the silk velvet also from the Thredfairy on eBay ) - crinkle chiffon in dusky shades to match some delicious Prima flowers.
A vintage lace flounce and MOP flower buttons. The tiny buttons are metal.

Apple Blossom silk ribbon on a lacey sort of flocked paper.

And this chap is Pan from Pans Labyrinth - Tony's latest work in progress.

Sugar Bowl Challenge 17 – Judy’s Sketch

2009-08-26T18:33:00.005+01:00

I liked this sketch from Judy a lot ! This time I was inspired by the digital downloads at Shabby Cottage Studio and of course my pretty new stamp from Sugar Nellie. I coloured the stamp using Promarkers with a watercoloured background. The roses are handmade using scraps of ribbon with a tiny K&Company tag and a couple of acrylic leaves.
All in all a nice vintage look and whatever lettuce heart soap is I would like to try it.
^_^

Pretty Baby

2009-08-12T23:31:00.005+01:00

Meet Orla Gypsy Vampyre ! She's a modded Bambicrony Elf Lotti and is the latest addition to Moonflowers Garden. Well actually, she arrived in June - you can read her story in Faezine.
She is my first full face up and mod from scratch. Better pics on my website : )

"Incense and Peppermints"

Sugar Bowl Challenge 16 - Marlene's Sketch

2009-08-12T17:21:00.004+01:00

I set off on this Sugar Bowl Challenge along with Marlene's sketch, a Papermania paper pad and my Duda Daze stamp. The idea of doing the challenges for me is to try to start and finish a project relatively quickly, trying out different techniques and hopefully learning something along the way. It still takes me the best part of a day to make the card, but I'm so used to dilly dallying that's good for me ! Technique I tried today was stamping 3 times and overlaying to get a printed dress and crown. Unfortunately I had to cut around that darned frog to get the best effect. Lesson learned - pick a simpler stamp next time : )

Flowers and butterfly are doodled.
^_^

Faezine Summer Issue

2009-08-04T21:57:00.003+01:00

The new Summer issue of Faezine is now online !
Joining a host of others are columns by artists Ian Daniels and one of my all time favourites Paulina Cassidy as well as more enchanted goings on in Nidlongdir The Magic Fairy Realm by Marianne.
Oh, and if you are interested you can read about Orla Gypsy Vampyre my latest arrival in Moonflowers Garden ! I will add some more pics of her here soon as I haven't had time to update my website yet.

Happy reading
^_^

Sugar Bowl Challenge 15 - Gayles Sketch

2009-07-29T21:23:00.001+01:00

Gayles sketch was 'quite basic ' and I liked the option of ribbon/bows.
I know it's like spot the stamp, but this Gorjuss kitty is so sweet I thought I would nestle him on a Lesley Anne Ivory patchwork quilt (free with Crafts Beautiful mag). It is hand sewn onto 2 squares of silk which are machined onto some K&Co paper. There's a length of hand dyed silk ribbon, some buttons and blue sequins, a stamped sentiment and the little stamped bluebird is flying down with the satin ribbon !
I did enjoy sewing onto the card and I think the colours make it suitable for a baby card. Maybe ^_^

What's that coming over the hill ?

2009-07-27T23:16:00.007+01:00

I have to turn to the dark side to paint for Tony and this is his latest kit - Tyrant from Resident Evil (the game)
I enjoy doing it for a change, the paint brings it to life but the detail is all in the sculpt.
I have promised solemnly never to add glitter to one of these paint ups ^_^

You have used the LAB KEY

There's a switch. Will you push it ?
>Yes No

The day before it rained...

2009-07-17T21:32:00.005+01:00

It has rained all day today so I was glad that I took the time to take some pics yesterday : )
Pip is sporting a new outfit - here he is mooching among the pots. I think he had just spotted a snail.

And some flowers in the planter just outside the back door before they were totally drowned today.

Sugar Bowl Challenge 14 Judy's Sketch

2009-07-15T21:35:00.003+01:00

One more for the Sugar Bowl and oooo Judy all these layers had me in a knot ! I don't know why I scratched my head over this one - but I ended up just rifling through my stuff and came up with these old K and Co papers. The option was 'SPARKLE' so I included just a bit of glitter and shimmer. I just happened to have some Chalk Cats's Eyes ink in colours to match the papers so I inked the edges which seemed to be a nice contrast to the shiny stuff. Gorjuss girl is watercolour pencilled and the font used for the sentiment is 'Mardi Gras' printed in green and pink and glittered. I feel like I could have been more imaginative on this one but I do like the way it turned out !

Sugar Bowl Challenge 13 - Lilians Sketch

2009-06-30T16:50:00.004+01:00

I really like doin' the Sugar Bowl Challenge + I also like the new Sugar Nellie stamps by Diane Duda !
Thanks to Lilian for the sketch and the option was to use kraft paper colour or brown and cream.
I happened to have a sheet of printed kraft paper from Paperchase from which I cut the tree and flowers from. They are coloured with ink and the edges are inked with goldy brown then embossed with clear powder.
I stamped onto the page of an old book and coloured the little princess with pearly chalks, green ink and cosmic shimmer paint. Oh and froggy has got a coat of Glossy Accents to give him a shine !
The edge is torn and inked, then stamped and embossed with random tendrils and flowers. I matted this onto dark brown card. The paper is DCWV, there's a Grungeboard crown hiding in the paper flowers and the sentiment is printed from the computer.
Someday... I'll get this challenge done sooner ^_^

Acorns from Danagonia

2009-06-26T21:07:00.005+01:00

These delicious little acorn earrings arrived from Danagonia a couple of weeks ago. They are so pretty and lovely to wear : )

Mind u they should be good because Camilla, who made them, is an apprentice as a jewellery maker at Amathyst Jewels, the biggest House of Jewels in Dragonia!
Camillas beautiful jewellery is inspired by the fairies and each piece has it's own special story to tell.

Below is the magical *Queen Agrafina's Magic Wrapped Stone*

And this is the glowing *Twinkling Star Necklace*

If you don't have time to visit Camilla in Dragonia why not peek at her shop on Etsy and treat yourself to a little bit of magic !
Danagonia on Etsy
Danagonia.com

Sugar Bowl Challenge 12 - Sketch by Lia

2009-06-17T22:33:00.005+01:00

Phew! I just got this one finished in time. Last as usual ...
I found this sketch a bit difficult due to the papers I chose - vellum, cello and some wavey plastic that I had to work out how to layer and stick which seemed to take ages : ) The stamps are a Gorjuss cat and the free Sugar Nellie Owl from Craft Stamper mag July issue. It had to be the elegant Owl and the beautiful Pussy in their pea- green boat on the blue sea ! Other papers are DCWV and a bit of William Morris wallpaper ; ) I added some shimmer dots and the word 'MOON'. A strip of sticky glitter stuff holds the 'sea' in place.
They danced by the light of the moon !

FaeZine - Enchanted Folks online Magazine

2009-06-03T22:45:00.004+01:00

There's plenty to read in the Spring issue of Faezine.
Bitesize gems to brighten your day !
Oh look - Moonflowers Garden is in there too.
Tales are told and secrets revealed.
More to come in the Summer....

Cover
"The Emerging Glow of Spring"
by fantasy art photographer
Susan Shroder

Challenge 11 - Kathys Sketch at The Sugar Bowl

2009-06-03T19:58:00.006+01:00

I've been sooo busy doing other things I haven't had time to craft for weeeeks : (
Today I made time !
Inspired by Kathys Sketch at The Sugar Bowl I set to and put together this card.
I had every intention of using some new papers and embellishments but as usual got sidetracked.
My idea was a seaside/holiday theme so I used an old inked envelope, a print of a vintage postcard and a scrap of ribbon. There's a feather and an old stamp as well as the pearls and a tiny shell. My Gorjuss girl is stamped on watercolour paper and painted with watercolour pencils with a little dusting of yellow glitter for sand.
The card itself is edged with gold ink.
It turned out pretty and delicate - I like it !
And I feel so much better for having crafted
^_^

Satsuki luvs Totoro

2009-06-02T17:26:00.004+01:00

Satsuki is a bit of a bookworm : ) My Neighbor Totoro is one of her favourites.
And so it should be as she is named after the little girl in the book !
There is a Totoro in Moonflowers Garden - well it's always handy to have a Totoro - they help things
grow u know.
^_^

Weekly Challenge on UKScrappers

2009-05-06T18:09:00.004+01:00

May week 1 challenge from the Sizzling Hot Scrappers was to use the colour emerald, some bling, add movement and some poetry - this is how it turned out.
I used Cosmo Cricket paper for the background and to make the flower. The Flower Fairy tag was free in May issue of Cardmaking and Papercraft mag. There's some paper lace painted with a touch of gold cosmic shimmer, some ribbon, quite a bit of inking and a printed label finished with 2 emerald crystals. Oh and a pic of a red geranium from last summer !
Sorted ^_^

Dream....zzzzz

2009-05-04T15:40:00.004+01:00

I took a few pics of Peach last week . Here she is sitting in the sun dreaming of fairies tickling her nose !
Scrapped on DCWV with torn vellum and an inked page from an old Enid Blyton book. I cut the fairies from the same book, coloured them and stuck with foam pads to lift them up. The glittered flowers are cut from a card from Past Times. I inked and clear embossed some grungeboard swirls to echo the background paper and hung an amber coloured glass moon from one with metallic thread. Also included are Prima flowers, tafetta ribbon, lace, sticky gems and a glass heart bead.

=^_^=

Gorjuss Girl

2009-04-18T18:04:00.004+01:00

Purrfect Friend from Sugar Nellie arrived this week and I couldn't resist stamping a quick bookmark to try it out ! I used my toadstool stamp again and coloured her dress to match. It's coloured with water colour pencils and shiny cosmic shimmer . I don't like the way the hair came out - note to myself - I will do better next time : )
Edges are inked and embossed - text says " Hello Cutie Pie " !

Toadstool House

2009-04-15T17:37:00.004+01:00

These Papermania stamps are handy and cute !
The top tag is inked and half covered with paper, the text is torn from an old book. I stamped the toadstool twice, painted one with cosmic shimmer watercolour and mica pigment then decoupaged it. Those spots really shine !
I used a punch on the bottom edge to reveal the tag underneath.
This one is covered in paper and stamped with the tiny fairy. The edges are inked all round and embossed with gold powder. All held together with a lovely bit of dotty ribbon !

Sitting Pretty 2 ^_^

2009-03-25T23:18:00.000Z

Satsuki's turn for a photo today!
I changed her eyes for some Volks Metallic in green and added Prima flowers to a bit of organza ribbon for her hair.
She looks so pretty in her chocolate pinafore by Another Space.

Sitting Pretty

2009-03-23T17:19:00.001Z

Here is Bryony sitting on her chair with Totoro : )

I noticed that Atelier Muse have some new pieces available to reserve.
These glittery shoes are rather yummy.
I may have to treat Bryony for Easter ^_^

Quiet Moon

2009-03-22T17:00:00.000Z

Here are a few pics of Vanilla in her latest outfit.
Made just after Christmas I had snowy weather in mind : )
I used linen, lace and some Warm & Natural for the jacket (no hemming) I had previously dyed some lace with black ink which turned out a pale bluey grey. I used it on the jacket and the other trims had to match - just as well that I had some.
As the hood has no ties I ended up having to wire the bottom edge to keep it on over her big hair !

Spring is in the air !

2009-03-17T23:33:00.000Z

More free digi scrap from ShabbyPrincess
I couldn't resist using this picture of Teasle sniffing out the delights of Spring !

CUTE
^_^

Fairy Enchanting

2009-03-10T23:36:00.000Z

A little stash arrived from The Fruit Pixie which included a couple of very handy background papers books by Crafty Individuals and some very nice fairy stickers by Heartwarming Vintage. Using the card packing from inside the envelope I cut a heart shape and together with a glittered vintage rub on, Prima flowers + some embossed Grungeboard I created this hanging heart !
I like the way it turned out and it matches the decor in the bathroom ^_^

Fröken Skicklig - Handmade Dolls

2009-02-25T10:01:00.000Z

Juliane has the prettiest blog where she shares lovely pictures of her life and dollmaking. She makes the sweetest little dolls under the name of Fröken Skicklig and seems to have a curiosity for dots and mushrooms (who can blame her !)
If you are quick there is a *February Giveaway* on the blog to win three crocheted mushrooms and small box with a tiny miracle in.
I'm definately looking forward to her Etsy shop opening on the 28th Feb ^_^

Visit to Nidlongdir !

2009-02-22T23:10:00.000Z

Pip and I visited Nidlongdir but it didn't quite turn out as planned ; ) (Read here)
Here is Pip examining his stuff -

And here are the buttons I made.
The pastel ones are approx 10mm
and the little gold flowers 8mm.

Harajuku Lovers - Yum

2009-02-09T00:00:00.000Z

Cute dollies to collect and yummy fragrance !

Lil'Angel is mine - but I like them all, except G, which is too coconutty for me ^_^

www.hlfragrance.com

Please meet Ajit !

2009-01-30T19:38:00.000Z

This has to be one of the best mods I've ever seen !
Ajit is a hybrid Piposdoll Bao modded head on a Bambicrony BB body.

Zun has created a stunning work of art with this doll - check out Otherside to see more of Zun's creations.