Snow cube

It's that time of the year again where a lot of us are running around trying to work out what to buy as gifts.

This year I am going to try to make as many as possible and some of my friends and family might be getting their gifts a little early as I will be making them decorations and I would like for them to get some use this year,

The first gift that I made is this one.  This tag binder can be used for so many things from to do lists, to a calendar, to a mini album.

Here is a tutorial on how to make it.  You can get the tag and the embellishments (but not the ring binder) that I used from Fernli Designs.

The second gift that I have made is also my latest DT make for Fernli Designs.  This is the Snow Cube.  I love this project and I have ideas for loads more.

Here is a video explaining how to make one yourself and showing more views.

I hope you like them.

I'm off to play some more.  Thanks for looking.

Laters

Naomi x

Sharing some love

If you are a follower of my blog you may have seen me mention Fernli Designs a time or two.

Fernli Designs are a family run business that offer a gorgeous range of laser cut MDF embellishments and storage options.

Their products are beautifully cut and they offer such a wide range, that there is bound to be some thing for every one.  I'm quite an eclectic crafter, but I still find myself using their products on pretty much every thing I make, from mixed media, to scrapbook layouts, to cards and my construction pieces.

Fernli Designs has a great Design Team and Guest Design Team.  So if you get stuck for ideas of how you can use items that they sell, take a look on their  Facebook group  where there is also a monthly give away or visit their blog for more great tips and ideas and information on the current challenges that they have running.

Now for the LOVE

If you place an order with Fernli Designs that is over £25 not including the P&P you can use my special discount code to get 10% off of your order.  You can only use one code per order/basket.

NY10OFF

I will put this code in my side bar so that you can find it easily in the future.

Time for me to go get crafty :)

Laters

Naomi x

Five layer chocolate cake

That got your attention didn't it lol

This post isn't about cake I'm afraid, but it is about layering.  WARNING lots of photos.

When I first started crafting, money was tight and I was always conscious about how much each of my cards or layouts were costing to make.  As a result I don't think my makes were very remarkable.

Well now it is going on for eleven years later and I have amassed a fair amount of stash and learned how to improvise when I don't have what I need, but the main thing I have learned in the last year is to layer.  To make what my heart tells me to make and since I don't understand the word minimalist, that now means that my makes tend to have a whole bunch of stuff on them.  Even layouts turn into a mixed media project these days.

Layering is my new best friend.  I'm still learning how to do it right.  There are so many examples out there but I am starting to understand that I need to find my own way of doing it and I think I am starting to develop my own style.

This was my first big layering project using lace and MDF embellishments, frames and flourishes from Fernli Designs

I'm not good at leaving things as they are.  I feel a need to explore the possibilities of a thing, so I end up fussy cutting and layering and looking at how to colour in order to find some thing new.  I'm inspired by things that I find flexible.  So MDF embellishments and lace that I can fussy cut are my two current favorites.

This one is fussy cut lace and flowers with lots of Fernli Designs pieces.  Chicken wire, flourishes and frames.

This is a piece that I have just finished.  

Anyone that knows me knows that I love my cogs.  They are so versatile and they layer up lovely.

I still have a lot to learn and a lot to try when it comes to layering.  I'm still finding myself and working out what goes together and what just looks a mess.

I have learned not to have chocolate cake near my crafty stash though.  Leaves a mess :)

I'm off to play.

Laters

Naomi x

I just can't get enough

Hi

My name is Naomi and I am addicted to ATB's  (Artist Trading Blocks)

I blame a fellow crafter who introduced me to them and the possibilities that exist from playing with them.

After our chat and a bit (okay a lot)  of pinning on Pinterest, I just had to give it a try.

This is the first one that I made.  I will add the video to the My Fernli Designs page so that you can get a better view.  This is actually 4 ATB's stacked together.

As soon as Fernli Designs showed the new 4 inch ATBs with cutouts I knew exactly what I was going to make.  The two inch ATB inside spins.  Again, I will add a video to the My Fernli Designs page for you to get a better view.

And that brings me to my latest make.

Fernli Designs is running a Halloween competition. All you need to do to enter is to create something that is halloweeny (yes that is a word)  that includes at least three Fernli Designs pieces on.

You can enter by joining  Facebook page and then joining the Halloween Challenge

Check out the My Fernli Designs page to see this one all lit up.

Thanks for stopping by.  

Laters

Naomi x

Ally Pally Fun

Any one who has been to Ally Pally with me knows that it takes me all day to spend my budget. Not today. I made a B line for the MDF man and was walking back out the door to the coat store so that I could drop off those bags till later. Then back I went. 

This is what I got from them. They are quite big.

Then I went back in for some bargain hunting.  I was disappointed as pinflair and decoart were not there.  Decoart was one of my main reasons for going after the MDF man.

I love sprays and gilding wax.  I haven't got any blue or brown spray so that had to be done and the gilding waxes are antique green and the other one is teal.

I now have all of the 2015 colours of distress inks in mini form.  I didn't have any of the new colours until today.

I love mixed media as you know so I got black gesso (never had that before) and white gesso and my first ever pot of multi medium in matte.  I need to learn how to use that properly.

This was a bargain and too good to pass on, so there is a mini album in  my near future.

It was a good show, there were loads of sellers  there, just not the ones I specifically went to see.  I will probably again next year, but I also want to branch out and try some new shows.

Catch up with you soon hopefully with what I do with this lot.

Laters

Naomi x

Back in my onesie

I have given the blog a fresh new look in the hopes that I will finally get blogging again.

A lot has happened over the last few months.  Nyron Designs is closed after a year of trading and I am going it alone with a new venture called Xanderous Creations.

I am still making DT projects for Fernli Designs and here is a video of my latest DT make for them.

I have so many ideas in my head.  My biggest hurdles are time and being able to stick to a project long enough to finish it instead of jumping on the next idea I have come up with.

There are still too many unfinished pieces on my table, but I am getting there.

Hopefully I will be blogging at least once a week from now on.  That is the plan  any way.

TTYL

Laters

Naomi x

Hoarding tendancies

I'm  a bit of a hoarder.  I keep things "just in case" and since I learned that I can make something out of most things I had hoarded even more.  This year I promised myself that I would start using some of that stuff up.

I bought 3 sets of wings a couple of years ago.  They are Christmas decorations.  I think I paid about 50p each for them and when I saw them I just knew they would work on some thing at some point. They were in the drawer so long that I forgot they were there.

This is what the bottle and wings turned into.

I have used an applique, lots of flowers, pearls and a Fernli Designs frame and heart on the front after painting the bottle (labels removed of course).

Side view

The lace on the back is part of a larger piece that came from a wedding dress (not mine) and the pearls down the back worked perfectly with it.

I made this one for myself, but I am considering making another so that I can do a tutorial.

I'm just putting together ideas for a DT make.  I will keep you posted on how that goes.

Laters

Naomi xx

Back in the game

My mojo has been  a bit flighty of late.  Sometimes I have so many ideas I don't know where to start and some times I can't think of anything remotely crafty.

On Sunday I had a weird idea, so  I ran with it.

At this point I only had half an idea. To make an angelic type piece.  I had no idea about colours or embellishments or any thing, but once the gesso went on, the ideas started to come to me.

This is what I made.  (Sorry lots of pics)

Lace appliques, a Fernli Designs frame and pearls

Flowers and a gem stopper sent to me by Louise Greenwood.  Thanks Lou x

The wings are a Christmas decoration bought a couple of years ago.  I have also added a wedding dress applique and pearls down the back

I'm really pleased with how she turned out

Thanks for looking

Laters

Naomi x

Playing catch up

So so sorry for not blogging lately.  I hadn't realised just how long it has been.

I have been busy with work and my business Nyron Designs and family life, but I really do need to play catch up.

Over the next few days I will add videos of my DT makes for Fernli Designs and pictures of my other makes.

I hope that 2015 has been treating you all well so far.

Laters

Naomi x