Easter craft project #1 {and a RAK}

Easter is just over three weeks away, so its time to start some Easter craft. Though I'd share some of our Easter projects here on the blog over the next few weeks.

Project: Decorating Easter Eggs

I've used the white foam eggs you can buy from craft stores as I'm not very good at the blown eggs which are traditionally used at Easter time. I've used two mediums to colour the eggs, paints and inks, before decorating them. Here's the steps...

1.  Collect supplies. Polystyrene (white foam) egg shapes, Ranger Distress Crackle Paints and Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks, acrylic paint and toothpicks.

2.  To make handling the eggs easier while painting, stick a toothpick in the base of the foam egg.

Using paints to colour the eggs

1.  Paint the egg with acrylic paint. Let dry.

2.  Once thoroughly dry, paint the egg with Ranger Distress Crackle Paint.

3.  Once completely covered leave to dry, again.

4.  It's dry and the paint has crackled. On this egg I've used a fuchsia acrylic paint under a lighter pink crackle paint. At this point you could use a clear sealer to add a little gloss to the egg if you wanted.

5.  Now decorate. Tie a ribbon around the egg and tie a double knot.

6.  Tie a bow. If you need to secure your bow, use pins to hold the ribbon in position. Try to hide the pins in layers under the bow.

And it's finished.

 

Tip: I painted an egg with the distress paint (with no acrylic paint undercoat) and as the crackle paint dried, it peeled off the egg. It seems necessary to paint the foam eggs with acrylic paint or gesso first before painting with the distress paint.

Using inks to colour the eggs

1.  Dab the Tim Holtz Alcohol Ink onto the surface of the egg. Leave to dry.

2.  While you have your inks out, you can colour some old clear buttons which you can use to decorate the eggs later.

Dab the ink onto the top of the buttons and leave them to dry.

3.  Cut short lengths of fine gauge wire (I used some scrapbooking wire that I'd had in my stash for ages).

4.  Thread the wire through the holes in the button.

5.  Apply a small dob of glue to the egg where you will place the button.

6. Pierce the egg with the wire and push the button in place. Continue around the egg until a row of buttons is formed.

This one is finished too.

Another way to decorate an egg is to wrap with ribbon, form a loop (bow) and top with a flower held in place with a pin. This little crocheted flower is a new one from Maya Road.

 

The gingham ribbons used on these eggs are new in store at Ribbon Galore.

And now for the RAK

I'd love to see any of your egg-y creations that you make for Easter, either following my steps above or your own. Leave a comment to this post with a link to your creation. I'll draw out a name to win an Easter RAK next week some time.

Thanks for visiting, hope you're having a great week.

Cheers

Fiona

for bunny lovers only

This is for the bunny lovers who read my blog, a bit of Monday silliness.

Yesterday the girls decided it was a good idea to give the bunnies a bath. During the week we'd found bunny shampoo in the pet store which, of course, we just HAD to have. Bunnies are extremely clean little creatures and our bunnies have never been given a bath in the 4 1/2 years that they have lived with us (they are brushed several times a week, though).

Butterscotch, as you can see below, quite enjoyed the experience relaxing in the tub with warm soapy water....

Bubbles wasn't as relaxed about the whole experience...

But she did enjoy the blow dry afterwards...

Bubbles and Butterscotch are now very fluffy ready for their Easter photo shoot.

{please note: no bunny was harmed during this activity}

Enjoy your Monday.

Cheers

Fiona

x

A few cards to share...

Over the last couple of weeks I've received a few good things in the mail (that is, they were not bills).

First to arrive was the PaperCrafts "Paper Crafting with Photos" magazine from the US. I was so excited to have two projects included this edition {extra excited in fact as this is my first time published overseas}.

Here's one of my projects from Paper Crafting with Photos with our gorgeous little bunnies.

Last week Stamping and Papercraft magazine arrived in the post. I have a set of cards/tag in this edition (vol 13 no 6). This is another first for me, first time published in this magazine (and my tag is on the cover). Here is the set, there are how-to instructions in the magazine for each card. 

So with Easter just around the corner {yes, the chocolate Easter eggs have taken over the supermarkets}, I'll be sharing a few Easter projects here on my blog very soon, so stay tuned.

And my Easter loving buddy, Mel, has already sent me an Easter goodie bag. I haven't taken photos of it yet, but I will and share the very cute things that she sent me. Thanks Mel :-)

That's all for today. Thanks for visiting. Hope you have a great week.

Cheers

Fiona

a very, very, very quick Valentine's Day project

I made some chocolate pockets ready for Valentine's Day today. The girls like to take little Valentine gifts to their friends on Valentine's Day. Phoebe decided she needed at least 10 for her friends (and is apparently still counting), so I wanted something that was very quick and easy to make.

I've used papers from three different Paper Salon collections to make these.... here's how to make them if you're interested:

1. Cut two hearts from pattern paper (I just used a chipboard heart from a Maya Road book as my template).
2. Sew the hearts together along the "bottom" edges, leaving the top of the pocket open.
3. Punch a hole about 2cm below the "point" of the heart for the ribbon.
4. Place a few small chocolates in the heart pocket.
5. Thread ribbon through the hole and tie a bow.
6. Give to someone special!

Easy!

Hope you're having a great week.

Cheers

Fiona

more Maya Road projects and some new CHA products

Just thought I'd share a few more Maya Road projects with some of the new products being released at CHA.

Following is a birthday/anniversary reminder book created with a Maya Road Scalloped Chipboard book. I've used a combination of stamps from the Make A Date Clear Stamp set and the Sealed with a Kiss Clear Stamp set both from Maya Road. The cover of this book has three Textured Cord Blossoms from the new Trinkets Collection. All these products can be seen in the Maya Road CHA-W 2008 catalog.

Close ups of those gorgeous new Textured Cord Blossoms....

An inside page of the book...

Next book uses the Maya Road Rectangle Chipboard Banner Book as its base. Its covered with felt and decorated with Velvet Blossoms and gathered Ric Rac. The title is created with the Noah Alphabet Clear Stamps.

New Trinkets Ribbon, from, you guessed it, the Maya Road Trinkets Collection (can you tell I love this new collection).

This book documents my soft toy making. Starting with Bunny which I made sometime during my primary school days, there is a little story of some of my favourite toys I've created.

And finally, the Maya Road Design Team girls created a canvas to display at the MR Booth. Mine follows. All the DT girls canvases can be seen at the MR DT Blog.

Some new Sheer Ribbon:

Maya Road Microchip Foundations Buttons:

And looking around at some new things being released at CHA, these are some of the things I'm loving...

• Scenic Route: Grafton, Providence and Lynden collections.
• Luxe Designs: Cashmere Sweater II,  Classic Black II, Capris and Flip Flop collections, as well as some gorgeous stamps.
• Sassafras Lass: view the whole release HERE. Love the Serendipity "Sunshine Lollipop" and the new buttons and blossoms.
• Piggy Tales: new products can be seen HERE. Piggy Tales is now using recycled paper for their paper collections.
• Paper Salon: new products are appearing on the DT Blog. A couple of favourites of mine are the GRAB BAGS (full of coordinating embellishments) and the Designer Labels.

That's about all to share today. Hope you have a great week. Thanks for visiting.

Cheers

Fiona

Maya Road CHA-W 2008 sneak peek {part 2}

Time for another Maya Road project....

This is one of my favourite little mini books from Maya Road, the Vintage Purse Album.

The outside is covered with Luxe Designs paper {Snow Board paper from the Ski Parka collection}.

To cover the 'clasp' part of the purse, I've used a new Maya Road VELVET PLEAT BLOSSOM. These are so divine. These velvet flowers are part of the TRINKETS Collection being released at CHA-W.

Hanging from the handle {cause all girls need dangle-ey things from their purses} is a MR Chipboard 'e' and a little person from the Maya Road People Chipboard Key Chains. Both have been coloured with ink and heat embossed. The small star on the little person is also from Maya Road part of their MICROCHIP range.

Inside the book: The lettering is from the Maya Road Jonathon Rub-on set and the date stamp is from the MR MAKE A DATE Clear Stamp set. Both these products were released at the last CHA and can be seen in the latest catalog. And another Velvet Pleated Blossom to finish.

The rest of the pages hold photos from Emily's graduation dinner.

Thanks for visiting and for your comments. I do appreciate hearing from you.

Hope you're having a great day.

Until next sneak peek....

Cheers

Fiona

Maya Road CHA-W 2008 sneak peek

There are lots of sneak peeks from some of my favourite companies around with CHA just around the corner.

Maya Road have so many new fantastic products being released and it has been very exciting to work with a few of them. The new Maya Road CHA-W 08 catalog can be seen HERE.

Here's the first of some projects that have been sent to Maya Road for display at their booth.

This is an EASTER banner created from pages of the Round Scallop Sheer Book...

• I've coloured the pages with Tim Holtz Alcohol Inks by Ranger {Colour = Lettuce}.
• Large circles of Luxe Designs Papers {Cashmere Sweater collection} have been sewn onto the sheer pages.
• The chipboard letters are Maya Road Philadelphia Lowercase Alphabets painted with Ranger Distress Crackle Paints.
• And the gorgeous new chipboard set is BUTTERFLIES AND BUGS. There are six designs in this set, so, so cute. These too were painted with the Ranger Distress Crackle Paints {Colours = Worn Lipstick, Peeled Paint & Scattered Straw}.
• Lastly, the pages are attached to each other with BUTTONS, which are also new from Maya Road from their new TRINKETS Collection.

That's all for now, but I'll be back with more!

Thanks for visiting. Hope you have a great week.

Cheers

Fiona