Felted Gnomes

I was trawling Pinterest
– as you do –
and came across this amazing
work by creative gal
B Carsten of Painting Pixie at Etsy.

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Blossom Gnomes
Too cute !

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Now I was thinking,
that with my GF’s (Sally) help
I think I may just try to make a little one.

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Even if I don’t manage it
isn’t looking at them
enough?!?

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So adorable.

Dunny rolls are too cool

I am a MASSIVE fan of toilet rolls.

I have seen quite a few tempting craft ideas on
Pinterest
and so HAD to give it a go.

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Here’s a few of my creations.

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And my favourite so far . . .

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So what IS the best way to try to make
a toilet roll piece of
crafty art?

Here’s a quick tutorial to get you rockin’.

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If you have a go,
please put a link in the comments.

I would LOVE to see your creations :)

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And just in case you need some added incentive
for making beautiful things
with toilet rolls . . .

. . . check this out !!!

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Source: French Artist – Anastassia Elias

Tissue Paper Wreath – A Pictorial Tutorial

Hi peeps.

One of the hold-ups of putting a tutorial online, is that it takes SOOOOOOO long.

You have to take the photos in a sequence as you make the object, all the while taking notes to coincide with the photos.

Exhausting!

So today I am totally cheating.

No words.
well, no blow-by-blow description

Just photos
with some notes

If you get stumped, just message me or add something in the comments
and I will immediately add your inquiry to the post
in case others in the crafty blogsphere have the same problem.

Stencil & Cut the outside circle

Stencil & Cut the inner circle

Wreath made by you out of an old box

Cut your tissue paper into a stack of squares

You can make them any size

Tissue square – scrunched and twisted from the centre of the square

Begin glueing – from the back

Second stage of glueing

Working around the wreath, keep an eye on the distance from outside edge – keep it uniform

Keep glueing

Looking good

Almost finished

Keep glueing tissue squares as closely to the outer edge as you can

Tissue all glued

Add some ribbon to hang the wreath

Ta Da!

ps
It only took me 2 hours from start to finish to make this
(I watched a movie while I made it)

pps
This is totally a Pinterest find via my GF Sim
What crafter isn’t in lurv with Pinterest?

Here’s the link . . .

Snowflakes in the Southern Hemisphere

Something that kind of ‘cracks us up’ down here in Oz, is the winter images of Christmas. If you know anything about the Southern Hemisphere, then you must be aware that we have the opposite seasons to everyone in the Northern Hemisphere . . . .

. . . so, their winter is our summer.

Which means we have no snow, no snowmen, no snowflakes, no sleds, no sleighs, no icicles, no knitted jumpers emblazened with reindeer.

Instead we have Santa Claus in shorts, singlet and thongs (you call them flip-flops) with a hat and a red nose (from sunburn not cold wind), LOTS of lights, masses of ‘lit’ stars, lots of papermade decorations and heaps of glittery baubles.

However – this year I really wanted to try something new. Hence my experimentation with cotton doilies, fabric stiffener and left over embellishments.

Here’s my progress in middle of the project

Yes! I am working on the floor
because I am in the middle of building a new craft table
(which has to be finished today, cause I have a class tomorrow).

Yes! Those are floorboards under my craft mat.

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And this is just one of the completed Snowflakes.
I hope you like.

I love!

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Crocheted doily, chipboard, fabric flower, metal button & paper swirl

I’ll put up a “How To” tutorial soon

xoxox

Christmas Card Designs – Just for Jane

Jane, from Williams, SMSed me on the weekend to ask for a
simple yet beautiful card design
for the 50+ cards she needs to make for Christmas.

Easy!

Check out the following photos as a quick guide on how to make this gorgeous card.
Change colours or profile and you have an entirely different card!

Step 1 – Cut, score & fold card of your choice

Step 2 – Stamp a large image onto one section of the card.
A partly stamped image adds more interest.

Step 3 – Stamp three Christmas baubles onto some card or paper,
then fussy cut them.

Step 4 – Adhere three pieces of ribbon to the card at random lengths.

Step 5 – Stamp a Christmas Sentiment onto a scrap of contrasting coloured card
and then cut the ends to look like a banner.
Roll the ends of the banner to make it three dimensional, and attach to the card.

Here’s the same card design completed in different colours and a slightly different layout.

Voila!

FYI
It took me four and a half hours to upload all the photos
contained within this post.
I wish my new iMac wasn’t broken!

SlackArse

Well it would seem that I have been incredible lazy and unproductive. Not True!!!

I have suffered the ultimate bloggers nightmare – no computer. My new iMac blew it’s LCD screen and the company that I purchased it through was very unhelpful (“Not happy Jan”). Apple themselves were unimpressed that my new iMac was stuffed but that unfortunately has not speeded up the process of getting it fixed.

It’s so depressing not being able to ‘do’ my normal online stuff.

I have been using my old iMac (7 y.o.) and believe when I say, it’s not coping too well. The internet drops out all the time. I can’t load photos. I quite often can’t access online sites like FB or JBS. Boo Hoo.

So I am being super optimistic and trying to upload a post today.

Wish me luck peeps!!!

……………………………………………………………………………….

Paint Swatch Garland

Here at the Purple Paper House we’re a bit addicted to Pinterest.

Seriously, check it out!
Purple Paper House – Pinterest!

On one of my many forays into Pinterest Land,
I came across cute craft created using
Paint Swatches.

You know,
the free ones you pick up
in the paint shop or hardware store?

I have longed to make something with the numerous swatches
I have collected over the last couple of decades.

So Sunday I did!
And again yesterday.

Four garlands in total.

Four Garlands
One Photo

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All the colours

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Three Circle Ball
for Garland #1

Five Circle Ball
for Garland #2

Please let me know what you think of my little garlands.

I will endeavour to post some decstructions
(with photos)
in the coming days :)

BTW
Always pick up the swatches from a large store
(like a hardware warehouse).

All paint supply shops pay for the swatches
(as they do the paint tint which goes into your paint),
but do not charge you for them.

If you take the swatches from a small store – it will hurt them.

Unless of course you are buying paint while you are there
Even better for small business and competitive pricing in your community!

Altered Origami Flower Ball

I was mucking around with some old book pages last Friday, as I was trying to create a ‘fuller’ flower on a new origami flower ball I was making.

I didn’t want to add another element like ribbon/beads/etc, so I thought about how I could change the folding pattern to make the flowers look different.

This is what I came up with. You like?

Altered Origami Paper Flower

Have you ever altered the basic pattern of this cool origami flower ball?
Let me know.

I have also been doing quite a bit of scrapbooking – photos later!
However, what I CAN show you photos of is . . .

. . . . the fireplace I am slowly repointing (‘before’ photos)

Fireplace before re-pointing

Close up of degraded mortar

. . . . and the 21st card I made for a customer’s niece.

21st Card

Origami Paper Flower Ball

Hi originally saw this cool paper craft idea through Kaisercraft,
but have written my own instructions (My instructions – Paper Flower Ball)
to fill in some blanks.

They are sooooo easy to make,
although they do take about 3 hours (overall) to fold & put together.
I usually make mine in front of the tv.
True!

Here’s my latest version.

Old books pages, that have had the edges inked
with T!m Holtz Distress Inks and a Blending Tool.
I have made different sizes and attached them
as I am experimenting with an idea in my head . . .

. . . not so sure I’ve got it yet – but hey! I’ll give it a crack ;)

Flowers ready to put together into ball

Side view of flowers attached to each other

I’ll put up some links later,
for some other people’s examples of this cool project.

Love you peeps!

Linky Love – Check out these websites!

Folding Trees
Flick River
Deviant Art – Blue27
Scarlet Petal
Craftziners

Challenging Myself

To help with my push towards greater professional methodology and to reward myself, I am joining an online card forum that runs monthly stamping challenges. The Drunken Stampers run challenges throughout the whole year. It should be fun.

I’m VERY nervous about putting my work ‘out there’, but . . . it’s time that I did!

So here are my first two entries. The theme was glittery Christmas card.

My favourite part? The silver brad & old copper embellishment on top of the tree :)

On this card I stamped a Christmas tree first and then covered with buttons and the ‘star’. I also stamped “ho ho ho” and a gorgeous holly corner wreath onto the brown frame.

My favourite part? The ‘Smooch’ painted stamens. Pretty.

 I stamped the “Merry Christmas” and compass (left hand background).