Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Christmas Angel 2009 - Torn Edges



When I was a young girl, I was in to making my own paper dolls. I would draw them on paper, cover them in clear scotch tape and cut the taped doll out. That way, I could tape my fashion designs to the doll and be able to remove the clothing without ripping the doll underneath.

Here is my modern day doll. I drew this angel with FunTime software and cut out the parts with my Boss Kut Gazelle. I enjoyed creating about 6 different hairstyles for my girls, but the one pictured here is, by far, my favourite. And, since I made it myself, I can give them ANY colour of hair or skin that I desire!



Before I had my Gazelle, I had drawn the dress on a cereal box backing and I used to trace it on to my patterned paper to cut out by hand. The hair was also done this way and the head was a circle punch. The wings were from Boss Kut. Now, I have my own wings. I happened to look at the spider I drew for Halloween upside down and thought, "Hey! That sort of looks like wings!" After a little tweaking, I had wings!



I love the look of torn patterned paper. It gives it a randomly textured white edge. Here, I used Sandylion, Kelly Pannaci, paper which I purchased at the Sandylion Outlet store in Markham, Ontario. The inner part with the sentiment is Chatterbox Artsylicious paper which is one of my favourite design lines.



-Scrapninny

Friday, December 25, 2009

Christmas Card 2009 - with ribbon


My husband's aunt and uncle came to visit while ago and brought us flowers for our new house. The flowers came in a little basket with this beautiful ribbon. We joked that I would have to make something out of that ribbon. So.... I DID! This Christmas card was sent to them!

I'm pretty new to stamping, but I got these gorgeous stamps from Little Paper Shop (it's Canadian!). I drew and cut the scallopped circle on my BossKut Gazelle and then I had to stamp inside the inner circle. I didn't get it quite perfect, but I think it adds character!

My card workshops for 2010 have a "use your stash" theme, so I decided to practice what I preach! The patterned paper on this card is from Creative Memories, which I have had for at least 3 years (maybe 5)! I made a whole bunch of Christmas cards with my stash this year and I'll be posting more to the blog!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE!

-Scrapninny

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Sketch It! Ensorcelled Minds Inc. Card Sketch 12.15.2009

Hi there! Welcome to the first ever Eminds Sketch! I have scribbled many a card and scrabook layout sketch with pen and paper, but this is the first time I have been able to recreate one in electronic format! Here is my sketch:
I've been looking at these squares on other people's cards - some are notches, some have circle bites out of the corners and some are brackets. So, I went to my Bosskut Gazelle and drew some. Then I, of course, had the urge to use them. I have only started "drawing" with my Gazzelle so that I can make a "faux" stamped image that I can colour. That's how this sketch was born!

Here's what I did with it! I also drew the butterfly myself with the Funtime software in my Gazelle.

I used an old paper mat stack (wedding) by Die Cuts with a View for the papers. I coloured my butterflies with Copic Markers. I liked this design so much, I made a few of my Christmas cards this year with it!


If you would like to make some cards with this sketch, feel free to post a link to your creation in the comments section!

Cheers,
Scrapninny

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Sketchy Thursdays Challenge 11.28.2009


I'm a luker. I've been telling myself I would do these scrapbook and card challenges one day to encourge me to create and use up my stash! I've been thinking that for over a year! Well... I DID IT!

Here is my first blog challenge entry for Sketchy Thursdays card sketch on November 28, 2009!

I have decided to try a little more stamping. I just bought this set of stamps from Little Paper Shop. I stamped on a textured cardstock for a different look. For the red pearl I just coloured a white one with my copic marker!

Here is the sketch for the challenge:
All I did was turn mine on its side! Being fairly new to stamping, I had to stamp the sentiment three times! The last time, I decided to try red. Sometimes those little boo-boos are blessings in disguise! I like how the red turned out better than plain old black.

Hope you like my novice entry!
-Scrapninny.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Creator: Brilliant Beads on iCraft

iCraft is an online venue that connects artists, designers and craftspeople to those who appreciate their work. It is a place where artisans and crafters can showcase their handmade pieces for sale.

Here is a Creator Interview with Brilliant Beads, from London, Ontario who loves to work with glass to make lampwork beads that are inspired by nature. I love the blues in these beads - they are so rich and so bubbly water light at the same time!


Tell us about yourself…

Art, whether in my professional life as a dentist, or in my part-time life as a lampwork and jewelry artisan, occupies a good portion of my consciousness at any one time. I have memberships to several local and regional art galleries, and I always make time when travelling to visit local art exhibits.

My family and my home are my “comfort ground”. I have a wonderfully supportive husband, and four terrific children…27, 23, 18, and 15 years old. My husband built my glass studio for me, and is a great source of insight and guidance when it comes to the “how can I accomplish that?” questions.

I live in London, Ontario, Canada, in a house with a big lot that sweeps down into a ravine. Regular visitors to our yard are deer, fox, skunks, raccoons, and a great horned owl. I call it my little slice of paradise.

Tell us about your shop.

My iCraft shop contains both lampwork beads for jewellery designers and finished jewelry pieces that I have made. I love to see what other jewelry designers use my beads for and would love to use my iCraft shop as a platform to expand my business.

How did you get started?

I’ve been crafting since I can remember…I got my first “paint by number” black velvet oil painting kit when I was seven. Crewelwork and knitting was next, beadwork and cross-stitch followed, sewing, and mosaic art. I’ve always been fascinated by glass and took my first lampworking course three years ago….eureka, this is IT!!!

I was making jewelry for family and friends, and they suggested that I could sell it to others. I learned the rudimentary part of website design, and obtained a small business license. I like having an online business because the rest of my life is so busy and selling online allows me to tailor the amount of time I can spend.

What is your favorite item in you shop?

This lampwork bead, Swarovski crystal, and wooden bracelet is my favourite. I love the different textures all combined in a neutral, organic-looking piece.

http://icraft.ca/product-15322.php?forced=creator

What’s your favourite thing that you have ever made?

I made this necklace and was so tempted to keep it for myself, but happily it sold to a lady in California, and it has a good home.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gillianbeads/2934567188/in/set-72157607953954568/

What’s your most memorable sale?

My most memorable sale was the necklace shown above, because the customer also bought 6 other pieces at the same time! That was a great feeling that doesn’t come along too often.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

I love nature and the natural world around me…colors, shapes, vistas. My inspiration is often acquired from hiking in rugged countryside, the Rocky Mountains are my favorite.

Tell us about a favorite designer.

Nathalie Girard of Canadian Rockies Art is an amazing metalsmith…I love her designs!

What's your favorite colour?

I love blues and aquas and seem to gravitate to those when I’m working with glass. I love to wear earth tones such as brown, rust, and olive green.

What's your favourite room at home? Why is it your favourite?

I love to sit in our sunroom, looking out into the forest and ravine in our backyard. It provides me with inspiration and is a great place to unwind after a long day.

Do you have a glass working tip you'd like to share with readers?

I find that as I get older it has become particularly important to work with good light. I also broke down and bought a pair of magnifying glasses to help see the tiny beads I use…now I couldn’t do without them!

What are your favorite blogs or website?


IndieNorth
FiveForty at Home
Coloraddiction
Artisan Beaders
Beadlust

What are your favorite magazines and or books?

Lapidary Journal
National Geographic

Atlas Shrugged
Wicked
Oryx & Crake

What do you do to relax and unwind?

I love to hike and cycle…I find getting my heart rate up a bit takes the stress away. I’m not a sit on the beach kinda gal.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Pizza Anyone?

I love the tutorials over on Splitcoast Stampers! The newer ones also come with a video version at the end. I don't have a gallery there, but I do peruse tutorial creations from time to time. I recently tried out the Pizza Box tutorial!


I just stuffed it with a few goodies since my house is overflowing with Hallowe'en excess! We're going to give this one to the little girl who delivers us the Mississauga News.

It was so fast to make I just had to try some more! This one is made with the SEI holiday paper line called chocolate mint.



I also tried a rectangluar box with my own Christmas Tree die cut.


These are just simple ones, since they are my first, but the possibilities of box toppers is endless! I think these boxes would make fabulous gifts with matching cards inside. You can make a mini box to hold gift cards, love notes or thank-you notes. You can also make an A2 (invitation) sized box from a 12.x12 piece of cardstock to house greeting cards!

Thank-you, Splitcoast Stampers! Check out their members' pizza box gallery too!
- Scrapninny

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Hallowe'en House 2009

I love Halloween! I dressed up as a demoness with some great latex wings I bought at a convention once. My husband does a fabulous job decorating the outside of the house. This is the first year in our new house and we weren't sure how many trick-or-treaters we would get! We got 123! That's a fine number! (The record at our old house was up in the 160's or 170's.)



This guy (or half of one, really) is our old-time favourite decoration! We stuffed a pair of old jeans and tied some shoes on to it. This poor guy gets kicked a lot as visitors try to determine if he's real!

Here are a couple close-ups of our graveyard goodies. The dirt on the skeleton's shoulder and head are a clever touch by my husband! He was lit up by a strobe light at night time. That was definitely my favourite part of the scene!


The banshee at the door was my husband's favourite touch. When night fell, the wind was so strong it sometimes blew the banshee's rags across the doorway, brushing the trick-or-treaters there!


Another nice touch are the bats hanging from the eavestroughs. We have a pair.


And last, but not least, we can't forget about the jack-o-lanters! My mother-in-law did all the hard gutting work for me. She carved a face with a smaller gourd for a snotty nose! I did a spider that echoes my paper craft designed embellishment.


Overall, our Hallowe'en House was a success!!

-Scrapninny

Monday, October 26, 2009

October 2009 Paper Twirlies Challenge


Here is my entry for the Paper Twirlies etsy team October 2009 challenge! Our challenge was pumpkins! We had to make something pumpkin-related, by pumpkins themselves or pumpkin colours.

Idea #1 and 2 failed. According to my birthdate, 3 and 7 are my lucky numbers. Boy, I'm glad I didn't get all the way to attempt #7!!
This is a pumpkin patch ACEO titled, "Fall Harvest".

- Scrapninny

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Die Cut Diva

I LOVE die cuts. Layers add dimension but not bulk. Die Cut Diva's blog has been in my bookmarked favourites for a little while. They even have die cuts for sale that make 3-D shapes! I just adore this coffin for Halloween!

Die Cut Diva has a BLOG CANDY GIVEAWAY going on right now. You can win a Fall Kit for card making. This kit has a very earthy, natural colour scheme - good for any occasion!

Take a look at Die Cut Diva's fabulous designs. I'm jealous I didn't think of the name first!

-Scrapninny

Monday, October 12, 2009

Give a Poem a Home - Halloween 2009

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in Canada! We had great eats and lots of family over. The next calendar event is HALLOWEEN! So, here's a free poem from me to put in your Halloween cards this year.

It’s the time of year that monsters come out.
Spooks do their spooking and bats fly about!
There are werewolves and witches and all things between!
Here’s to a fun and Happy Halloween!

- Scrapninny

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

October 2009 EFA Challenge



The October 2009 Etsy for Animals (EFA) challenge for members is "Halloween Cats". Member artists had to craft something cat related and the entries will be featured on the EFA challenge blog all month long.

I just love the kitty Halloween tags by ShesBattyDesign there!

Here's what I've made for the challenge:
I've got one available on my Etsy site (in USD) and one on iCraft (CAD). 10% of the proceeds from this card, if sold on Etsy, will go the EFA animal charity of the month!

I just love Halloween! Stay-tuned to the blog. I will be posting a freebie within the month of October!

- Scrapninny

Friday, October 2, 2009

It's All in the Bag - Vegan Samples!

Ensorcelled Minds Inc. is a proud contributor to this year's It's All in the Bag vegan sampler bags - the Holiday edition. 100% of the proceeds from the sales of these bags will go to an animal sanctuary. Here's what I've got in the bag!


I only sent 25 pairs of tags, so not every bag will have them. The August bag sold out in NINE days! I'm hoping for a better record on the holiday bags. The holiday bags will go on sale November 1st, 2009. If you would like to read more about it, here is their blog: vegan craft samples

- Scrapninny

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Paper Twirlies


There is an article about my quilling over on the Paper Twirlies Team blog! The Paper Twirlies are a team of paper quillers. Quilling is the art of making shapes out of rolled paper. It is also known as paper filigree. Filigree is a metal artform of making elaborate designs with scrolling shapes. Paper filigree started by rolling the paper around a feather quill, hence the name paper quilling. Paper quilling is capable of making many varied artforms: decorative scenes, filled in work, 3-D sculptures, jewellery, scrapbook and card embellishments and more! Read up about more paper twirlies team members and their art over on the Paper Twirlies Blog!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Sweet 60


Here's a 12x12 scrapbook layout of my Mother-in-Law's 60th birthday. I'm quite behind in my scrapping but I just love how these colours turned out. The patterened paper is from Creative Memories. The letters were cut on my Boss Kut Gazelle. I took the "swirl cut" idea from a layout over on the Two Peas in a Bucket member gallery a long time ago. This is about the third reincarnation of that design since I first saw it!

I should also mention, I'm moving! The studio is all packed up. When I set up the new one in the new house, I'll have to get to work on catching up on some albums - and - of course take pictures of the new studio!
- Scrapninny.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Feature Artist: Little Lily Bamboo


On Etsy, members can "heart" either individual items or whole shops. Etsy will track your hearts for you to make it easy to return to that item or that shop for later purchases. One of my latest hearts are these cloths from Little Lily Bamboo!

They look so fabulously soft and ecological! I'm definitely going to pick up a couple after the move to the new place! Jade (what an awesome name!) was kind enough to allow me to interview her so that I can share my fabulous find with the rest of you!

Tell me a little about yourself, your store, and your crafts.

"My name is Jade, and I'm a stay at home mom of three little girls. My newest, Myka, was born three weeks ago :) I started my Etsy shop about two weeks before she was born. I recently developed an interest in natural products for my home and family. I started sewing products our of organic bamboo to use at home and quickly fell in love with them! I use some cloths for my daughters...they are soft enough for my newborn's skin, yet "scrubby" enough for my two year old's "peanut butter face". The swaddling blankets are a must for my newborn. She loves being swaddled, and with it being so hot here right now, I can swaddle her in the lightweight, breathable material without fear of her overheating."

What role does art/crafts play in your life?
"I have never been crafty. I can't get into scrapbooking, and have always thought I hated sewing. However, people change :) And I've discovered that I love sewing! It's a fun hobby, and I'm glad I can do it now."

What made you decide to sell your art/craft?
"I love the bamboo products so much around my own house, that I thought it would be great to open up shop and make them available to other moms like me! If I could afford to GIVE a swaddling blanket to every new mom out there, I would love to do that. Unfortunately, until I'm super rich, I'll have to sell them...but really, they are a must have!"

How do you fuel your creative process?
"I fuel it out of necessity. My girls are my inspiration. Since Myka was born three weeks ago, I already have many more ideas for my shops and will hopefully be expanding soon!"

Besides your fabulous goodies, what is your current favourite handmade product?
"My friend Amy started making the most gorgeous homemade necklaces a few months ago. They are simple and fun, making it easy to look awesome even when I don't have alot of time for primping! Her etsy shop is www.sweethelena.etsy.com "

Little Lily Bamboo also makes baby wipes and receiving blankets. If you would like to know more about the products, visit www.littlelilybamboo.etsy.com or to learn more about Jade, visither blog at www.jadesteckly.blogspot.com.

-Scrapninny.

Friday, July 31, 2009

We'll Miss You, Dawn


This is a card I made for a friend who's mother passed this month. I'm new to stamping but I like how it turned out.

I only met Dawn a handful of times. To me, she was a natural giver. She was always willing to help and always maintained positivity. We'll miss you, Dawn.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

I am a butterfly...


I am a butterfly.
All day long, I flutter by.
Should I chance to catch your eye,
Stop and smile, don't be shy!
--- L. Topps

These custom order pastel butterflies were a pleasant surprise for me. Apparently the butterflies from one of my cards caught someone's eye! Yay!

- Scrapninny

Thursday, July 16, 2009

I love my little ones


















I just love these kitties I designed with my Boss Kut Gazelle! I made these to be paper piecings so that I could vary the colours. The solid silhouette was designed just as a base for the pieces. I’m actually partial to how they turned out as a silhouette!


















It is a little finicky to place the pieces. As a solid piece, one could draw on a face or some stripes themselves.



















Here is what it looks like fully fleshed out with its pieces though. I had trouble cutting a small enough nose and then I thought, why not just use some sparkly Stickles glue?



















I actually designed a dog first, but when I finished I realized all I had to do to make a cat was change the ears and add a tail. Here is a picture of the fully pieced dog version of my homemade paper piecings.

Eventually, both my online stores will carry both models.

- Scrapninny

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

ARISE my minions!



Here they are: my little army of paper quilled teddy bears. These bears are for my baby boy christening invitation order. I’ve been trying to keep my house as de-cluttered as possible since we are trying to move and showings will be starting soon. While the bears were in progress, it looked like a teddy bear Frankenstein shop, what with them pinned in place and such! You can see my makeshift circle sizer in the background. It isn’t great, but it does well enough.


Now that I’ve finished the stack, I have to go grab some more supplies for 10 extra cards and a whole set of flat reply cards. Since it’s Canada Day, the stores are closed, so it will have to wait for another day.


And then I will de-clutter the scrap studio… promise…
- Scrapninny

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Canada's Red and White


CANADA’S RED AND WHITE!
Canada Day is coming up on the First of July. Our Paper Twirlies team of paper quillers on Etsy is hosting a contest to use patriotic colours this month in preparation for the celebrations. (America’s Independence Day is the Fourth of July.) For this contest, I decided to incorporate Canadian elements by using – of course! – red and white which are the colours in our National flag. Also, I used a French language sentiment since French is our second National language. To incorporate a celebratory theme, the card is a wedding cake card that reads “congratulations” on the front. It could work for an anniversary card too!

The tiered, quilled cake is topped with a red bow and sprinkled with red roses. The side of the card is scalloped so the last red strip is actually on the inside of the card for some interest.

This is my first contest entry for the Paper Twirlies team. To learn more about us, please visit our blog!