Week Thirty-Two: 100th Blog Post GIVEAWAY!!!

We're here, it's time to start that competition!

If you were watching my Facebook page you might be very eager to see more of the two prizes, as I put up cheeky sneak peaks on there of the two options. Now lets have a good look at them!

OPTION A: Our first option is the first ever of a new quilling venture I'm taking on, there will be more in many colours and designs, but this is your chance at the very first, in a colour scheme I like to call 'Cinderella', as it reminds me of Hillary Duff's lace mask in a Cinderella Story.

The key to making these masks is PATIENCE. Oh, and a cheap plastic mask from a craft shop to use as a mould.

I started at the centre, and did little bits at a time, waiting for sections to dry before adding more. This is essential, you could really end up with a quill-tastrophy if you tried to do it all at once!

Once it was all done I turned it over and gave it a really good coat of pva to really set that shape, at first lying it in the mask to dry for a bit, then once it was semi- hardened I put it back the right way. Next, Glitter glue! Finally, a coat of sealant spray to protect it a bit better from weather, make up and other hazards it might encounter (still, do NOT get it wet future owner! And if you are going to wear it with make up, make sure you use a make up setting spray to reduce the likelihood of staining the inside of the mask.)

I haven't added a stick or ribbon yet as if the winner has chosen this I want them to pick, but I think pre-made ones will be all on sticks and custom orders will get the choice. I really must get my online shop open again...


OPTION B:


For those not interested in owning the mask, and perhaps looking for something pretty to place on a wall or bookshelf, perhaps in a nursery....

This sweet little apple tree houses a little blue bird, with a cheery little yellow flower at the base. This would be great in a baby's room, for either gender as it's a nice gender-neutral colour scheme. The frame is white, so it would suit pretty much any home décor.

 

Such a cheery image. I made the tree trunk much more detailed than I usually do with my trees, using two shades of brown and lots of lines and swirly bits.

I particularly like the idea of this being given to a Mummy-to-be for the nursery. It's such a brightly coloured piece without being over the top or loud.

HOW TO ENTER:

1: Head over to the Facebook page (link above) and find the 'comment to win' photo of these two lovelies.
2: Comment with either the word 'mask' or the word 'frame' (yes, you have to pick just one)
3: if you want to double your entry, SHARE the photo on your timeline

You've got thirteen days to get those entries in, and then two weeks from now I'll announce the winner! I'll privately contact the winner to arrange delivery and necessary adjustments.



So that's the competition info all sorted and explained, sorry if I spelled it out a bit but I don't want anyone to be confused. Let's just look now at what has been achieved so far in these 100 blog posts...



100th Post Stats

Total Blog views so far- 12, 270

Most Popular Post- Week Seven: Butterfly Husking Technique with 807 views!!!

~ which has been sold - Oh shucks I better make another... It is also the most pinned (see photo below) ~

Facebook followers: 126
Blogger followers: 35
Pinterest Followers: 90


My Favourite Quilling Project so far- Week 29: Imagine...Create!

~Which has now been sold, and its new owner is donating it to decorate the walls of respite home Coolibah House, where I hope it will do the job of inspiring its patrons to make their own wonderful art! Couldn't think of a more perfect place for something special like that to go. I can make more of this one too as I drew an extra of the silhouette and I have all the fonts (the quilling wouldn't be identical though - I'm not a machine!), so if anyone wants to place a custom order with that look it can and will be done.~


Let's see if we can make the next hundred have even better stats!


Next week we'll be turning to the subject of romance once again, and watching as the entries for the competition continue to fly in.

Thank you all, dear readers.

xnata 

Week Thirty-One: Love

My husband and I have been married for 5 years as of this coming Friday! We've made a pretty good team so far, he's my best friend, and the most awesome little boy, so I would say it's been a very successful 5 years.

Did you know that the traditional gift thing for 5 years is wood? We didn't really need anything made of wood, so we are just going to go on a date one night instead. But my craft involves paper, and paper comes from wood, and this week's project is to celebrate our anniversary, so that counts right?

I saw this design in teeny-tiny calligraphy form in my calligraphy book a while back, and instantly wanted  to quill it, but nice and big.

I got clever for a moment and drew it in the size I wanted, then quilled the shapes using the husking technique (for those not aware of what the husking technique is, check out my week seven butterfly post). For this it was a good way to get the shapes just right for the lettering, though the transfer process was a bit tricky as they all link together and didn't retain their shape so well once I took the pins away.

Careful gluing to the card was required to get them sitting just right, but it turned out just right. I briefly toyed with the idea of adding swirly bits and fill to the letters, but the thought was very brief indeed because I just love the simple look to this, and I think them being swirly bit free keeps the focus on the heart and just really makes the card pop.

This is a fun mod card and I'd happily make more despite the complexity. Now I can't wait to get this giveaway going, I've been working on one of the choices (yes, the winner gets to pick their prize!) and it's so special and exciting I'm going to give you a sneak peek at it on my Facebook page, so keep an eye out for that pickie and then next week we'll get the 100th Blog post celebration and giveaway underway!

If you're in Brisbane Australia remember to come see me at the All Saint's Winter Markets, 501 Hamilton Road Chermside this Saturday (the 22nd) from 7am to 12pm.

xnata

Winter Markets and an Upcoming Giveaway!

Hi People! Just popping in to let you know that next Saturday I'll be hauling my goodies to the Winter Markets at All Saints Anglican Church, Chermside QLD!

The Winter Market is on from 7am(!!) to 12pm on the 22nd of June. I'll be sharing a table with several special and talented ladies, so be sure to stop by and take a look.

I've upgraded my market system by protecting my cards in fancy plastic slips and with proper printed price stickers like I used to do. I think it makes for a more professional look and it keeps the goods protected and clean for the buyers. Pricing them with nice stickers is yet to come.

In the mean time I'll be quilling like crazy to make this stock pile bigger!


AND...


We are just two posts away from my 100TH Blog Post!! I'm so impressed with myself for getting here (and we definitely have my year of weekly quilling to thank for that), that I've decided to celebrate with another GIVEAWAY! I'll announce the details in that post along with some fun stats about the blog to mark the occasion and to give me something to look back at in the future.

The prize will be a choice between two things, one of which I am currently making, and it's another very different technique to things I've made before. I haven't decided on the other option yet, so let me know if there's anything I've made that you'd love to win!

Stay tuned for two weeks from now and make sure you enter to win.

See you next week!

xnata

Week Thirty: Dolly Decor

Are you ready for some tiny and adorable things?

These could be great as a gift to a little girl (or boy, some boys like it too) who likes to play house with Barbies or one of those Sylvanian families or something. Though you'd have to make sure to tell her (or him) to be gentle and never let them get wet. Or maybe someone would like these for their miniatures collection, and put it in a cabinet with all their other tiny pretties.



We've got two tea sets and some flowering pot plants! With my quilling tool in the background to give you an idea of their tininess. Adorable right?

The pink one is tea for two, with two little cupcakes on a plate.

 


The purple one is a big tea set for six little people to have tea together.

 

 





Then we've got a pot of sunflowers...

...a potted rose bush...

...and gerberas in a little purple pot.

All very sweet don't you think? The flowers would look nice in a doll house, or maybe outside in the doll's garden. I'm surprised with how well the gerberas look. The leaves in this shot are still drying, I coated them in glue to make sure they don't become misshapen. I actually had to look up what they look like, I couldn't remember the leaf shape!

Next week we get all lovey-dovey because my 5th wedding anniversary is coming up!

xnata

Week Twenty-Nine: Imagine...Create!

 I've done something a bit different this week, it's a framed piece that involves an inspiring quote...

The quote is one I've seen many times, though from what I understand it's actually paraphrasing what William Arthur Ward said, because he was quoted saying 'achieve' rather than 'create'. I particularly wanted it to say create, so I've gone with the paraphrased version, but I've still listed his name as the credit for the quote.

The silhouette is drawn by me, as are the words, so it's a bit of a mixed media piece. I decided to give her flowing curly hair and a bit of a wintery outfit as I didn't like her to look scantily clad and I wanted a sense of movement in her and the hair and stance got that working. I threw in the not coloured in headphones on a whim and I really like it.

The idea is that she's walking along and just trailing this amazingly colourful creation behind her, letting it out of her hand. I liked that because it's like she imagined it, planned it, and then let it out into the world on this confident stroll while she listened to music.

 

Here are some shots of it as it was being created...

I've already got ideas for a few others like this, one involving a little girl, the other involving a dancer...I'll see what people think of this one first, but I'm pretty sure I'll make the other ones whether this one catches people's eyes or not. It's my art and I imagine it I can create it ;)

I really like the idea of this being bought by a crafty person or artist who finds it inspirational. There's nothing I love more about quilling than the thought of it inspiring someone else to make more beautiful things. That's why I loved my quilling teaching gig, and I think one of my students was keen enough that she'll have taken it up as her new hobby, which is amazingly excellent and just what I was hoping to achieve.

I think it looks better when it isn't behind glass, but I wouldn't want to have it gathering dust for its owner (whoever that may be) so I thought it needed glass to protect it and keep it easy to dust.

So there you have it, and I might make more like this but different designs in a couple of weeks. I've got less than two weeks of the uni semester to go, so I'll knuckle down through that and then get into this theme again.

Next week we're going for a 3D project again!

nata