Button Fairies for Free!

Some crafts are so fun, you don't want to stop at just one! Making button fairies was an instant hit with me since I have tons of buttons and a large collection of both digital and actual clipped (from magazines) clip art! The ladies on my scrapbook message board started talking about these so I just googled "button fairy" or maybe "button fairy tutorial." I'm pretty sure I worked out how to do it from looking at the pics. The wire that I used to string the buttons together was leftover from another craft so this was a NO SPENDING craft! Excellent. No trips to Michael's or Joann's, just start playing :)

This first lady looks like more of an angel and that's okay with me. The wings are Tattered Angels Foil Chip Chipboards. The body is clip art from The Graphics Fairy.



This lady is in a darker vein and already had her wings. I just had to decorate and give her a button body. The picture was cut from Dragon Magazine which is now only available online. Lucky for me, my hubby had many of these stashed away from his Dungeons and Dragons days :) I love going through and cutting out pics of mythical beasts and such. The buttons are decorated with a mix of Tattered Angels Glitter Glaze in Wicked (green) and Flirty (burgundy). I'm sorry I don't know who the artist is, though.



This sensuous goddess fairy is from a comic book! The figure was a dancing Mata Hari. The artist's name is Roy Allan Martinez and the comic was written by Rich Wilkes. I loved the colors as well as her pose and used that for the inspiration for the rest of the fairy. The buttons are decorated with Tattered Angels Glitter Glam Walkin' On Sunshine and Viva Decor 3D Glitter-Gel in Gold. I think I threw some red glitter puffy paint in there, too.


Last, but not least (because that would make her even more upset!) my sad, little pouty-face fairy ;) She is a photo cut from a magazine and stuck into my scrapbook long, long ago. I just liked the picture a lot. I wish I knew who the model or the photographer was! Anyway, she has some beautiful wings that I cut with my cricut and decorated with Star Dust Stickles. Her button body is also decorated with Stickles and Tattered Angels Glitter Glam in Chandelier.


Try it! It's one of those things that is so fun and really hard to screw up!
later,
Allison

Princess Banner

Finally, after promising my niece Zoe a princess banner on St. Patrick's Day (because she loved my celtic banner) I nervously presented the finished product to her on Father's Day! I think I will blame it all on wanting to get it perfect for her :)
So, the papers I used are an assortment I received as a RAK, sorry I can't tell you who made them. I can share some of the other details though...
-Flower, butterfly and accent Die-Cuts from K and Company (Studio 112)
-Foil Chips Chipboard from Tattered Angels
-Glitter Alpha Punch Out letters from Colorbök






The box for the banner was created using this tutorial from Fabulously Artsy. It was meant for greeting cards but it worked out well for the banner. I just folded it up and put half in one side, half in the other.
At the bottom of this post, I will also include the .svg files so that you can cut some of the same images with your cricut and a make a banner for your favorite princess.
I'm really glad I set this challenge for myself. It's not too often that I give myself permission to dive headlong into pink, fluffy girly-ness with my crafts. The style of the banner is also very different from the celtic one I made for St. Paddy's day. I wanted it to be more layered and textural. Now, looking at the pictures, I'm wondering if it needs MORE glitter, MORE lace, MORE PRINCESS! Hehehehe, maybe not. Zoe seemed to like it and recognized many of the features of classic fairytales on the pendant. A glass slipper here, a royal crest there and of course, a unicorn who will only appear to pure-hearted young maidens.
I don't necessarily think our culture's emphasis on princesses is a bad one. It's a matter of which princess and which version of the story gets told. A princess is not far from a queen, who is not far from a legend who is not far from a goddess.... Disney is a great way to introduce one version of a classic story but probably needs to be followed up with literature, lore, folk tales and stories of real women who actually existed and did heroic things. In some cases, it's a matter of women who did they best they could under rotten conditions! Their stories need to be heard, too.
Well, that's all for now :) Except that I'm also excited that my Cafepress shop sold some new designs while I was in Hawaii vacationing with family! I did a series of three designs based on palmistry (one of my first loves in the realm of the occult...) and really loved how they came out. Here's the design for the heart line. Go here to see the other two for the head and life line.

Thanks for stopping by!
Allison
PS: Here are the svg files
Crown
Unicorn
Fleur de Lis
Glass Slipper
Castle
Pennant Base

Too early for Halloween? Never!

There are some things that never fail to inspire me. I remember when I was very young, probably 7 or 8, I wrote a book on how to put on a play. The play featured in my theatre manual was, of course, a horror fest full of vampires and werewolves! I'll have to scan that little booklet for sheer entertainment value very soon ;) So, first, let me reveal my creation ("It's ALIVE!!!") and then I will share where I found help and tutorials from other crafty mad scientists...



This mini-kit is free for personal use! It has 3 patterned 12x12 papers, 2 svg cut files and 2 png files of the cameos. I don't think it's finished either, there may be more add-ons later :) Please email me if there are any problems with the download (haven't offered anything in a while so I hope it works!)
So, one tutorial that was invaluable was by Liz Ness at Liz Ness Studios. I found it on 10MinuteDesignTV, a YouTube channel that I am no where near done exploring! The medusa cameo was created from a graphic from WPClipart.com. The Bride's cameo was created from a still from the 1935 movie.
Why the hair? Why not my usual fangs and bat wings? Well, some days, my hair is downright scary ;) I wake up in the morning and often remark that I "look like I stuck my finger in a light socket." Or, after wrestling with it, trying to get it to behave, it seems a nest of vipers is growing out of my head! If you look into the Medusa myth, by the way, you will find that the whole situation was quite unfair...! I will continue to work on this and I appreciate any feedback :)
later,
Allison

Ocean Goddess Design Poll...

Am I yearning for the beach? Summer days spent lulled by the music of the waves? The scent of coconut sun screen enticing the flies to buzz in my ear... um, wait. Okay, I'll admit, I actually enjoy beach trips that have nothing to do with bathing suits! More along the lines of shell collecting and drawing pictures in the sand. I have been known to swim in Lake Tahoe though ;) Still, the ocean has fascinated me since I was a child. Being a Pisces, I've only strengthened that tie over time, imagining that I have a special connection with the world of the sea. I know I'm not the only one who feels that way... I'm sure other woman have dreamed of receiving the gifts of an ocean goddess like Aphrodite, Yemeya, or Mary (in her aspect of Our Lady Star of the Sea).

Here are some update designs that I'm considering adding to my store... Do any of them appeal to my fellow mermaids, undines and nereids? Feedback is welcome of course :)

My Celtic Roots

My birthday and St. Patrick's Day are both in March. Today was a very Spring-y day and I was inspired to finish my Celtic Banner. I did it in honor of my Celtic ancestors.



I can't say that I really want to celebrate the destruction of the native Celtic beliefs as they were converted (sometimes forcibly) to Christianity... but I know that the holiday has now become a point of pride for people of Scottish, Welsh and Irish descent. Besides, I love the mythical lore of that part of the world! When I was in grade school, I had a very vivid "sighting" of a leprechaun! And who doesn't love lucky four leaf clovers, claddaghs and pots of gold? I was also inspired by legends of Avalon from England. The UK has such a rich history of magic, I wanted to honor that as well.
I used a variety of free svg files from the internet. Thank you to all the other artists who are sharing files too! Here are a few of the cut files I used (with Sure Cuts A Lot software) so that you can make a banner too!
Autumnal Birdie
Etruscan Horse
Hummingbird
Celtic Knot Shamrock
Scalloped Flags
Little Sheep

Have a lovely spring everyone!
Allison

A Freebie for you!

Spring Nestlings Digital Scrapbook Mini Kit Freebie

In honor of the first robins of spring here's a little kit for you! :) I've been busy playing with my new cricut machine and I'm sure I'll have some cut files to share in the near future! In the meantime, please enjoy this freebie and comment is you like it!
Thanks,
Allison