 Tea Cup Fairy Gardens
A Nancyfangles Whimsical Creation Whimsical can be used to describe something that evokes a sense of wonder, fantasy, or lightheartedness, a playfully quaint or imaginative scene like a tea party with stuffed animals, a cloud shaped like a bunny, or a tea cup turned fairy garden. For me it is the mingling of an ordinary item with a pinch of magic - to add a touch of wonder into everyday life. These tea cup fairy gardens are the embodiment of whimsicality! Tucked away in the corner of a garden among the flowers or perched on a window with an outdoor view, these mini gardens are sure to evoke a smile and a longing for long summer days in dragonfly meadows and fairy filled fields... Supplies: A tea cup and saucer (use one from home or pick one up at a thrift shop) A Styrofoam ball A few sprigs of artificial flowers A handful of floral moss Assorted figurines (usually available at a dollar store or thrift shop) Hot glue gun and glue – Always us with CAUTION! E600 glue A touch of magic (Can be found right there inside you!) How to create it… Start by cleaning your cup and saucer to remove any soil or oils. Cut the Styrofoam ball in half and glue it into the bottom of the cup, flat side up. Decide whether you would like to have your cup standing up or on it’s side, and glue accordingly. I made one of each and like them both equally as much. I apply E600 for a strong, permanent hold but also add a touch of hot glue to hold it in place until the E600 can cure. Glue the floral moss onto the top of the foam, and around the base of the cup as desired. Play with your pieces to figure out the best placement. When you are happy with the arrangement, glue them into place. (You can use just the hot glue for this step, but I would suggest using the glue mixture if you are planning to display outside) Glue in your florals. Allow the glue to fully cure as per manufacturers instructions. Find a perfect place in your home or garden to enjoy your Whimsical Tea Cup Fairy Garden…
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 Pedestal Egg Decor
Easter is a celebration of rebirth. It is a time to rejoice in renewal and growth as it aligns with the vibrant bursts of color and life that nature brings during this season, as she explodes into beautiful bloom. It's a time when the world shakes off the quiet solitude of winter and welcomes and embraces warmth, vitality, and new beginnings. My artwork is a testament in new beginnings, from up-cycling pieces that are timeworn and tossed, to transforming ordinary décor into whimsical creations. While in a high-end specialty shop recently, I saw a piece that was similar in design concept to this piece. I loved the beauty and simplicity of the piece, but not the hefty price tag that was attached to it. So I decided to re-create the piece from a plastic, candy filled egg, some decorative napkins and a glass candle holder purchased from “Roots” a local charity/thrift shop. I changed things up a bit from the original design to make it my own. Here’s how I did it! Supplies: A large plastic Easter egg (look for a size that will work well with your pedestal) A candle holder (pedestal) Decorative paper napkins Modpodge and a brush Cling wrap Gold gilding wax E6000 glue Scissors Instructions: Even if you have a lot of experience with decoupaging flat surfaces, an egg is challenging. You can choose to rip your napkin into pieces and do a sort of puzzle technique or if your napkin is large enough you can choose to wrap it. That is what I did. Start by separating the napkin layers (most decorative napkins have 3 layers). Wrap your napkin around the egg to determine the placement. Add a thin coat of Modpodge to one central area of the egg, top to bottom and gently smooth the napkin onto that area. Using a piece of cling wrap to smooth it will greatly reduce the chance of splitting, and help to smooth out any wrinkles. Continue the process adding the Modpodge a section at a time and smoothing down your napkin over that section, until you have covered the entire egg. You will have extra napkin at the top and bottom of your egg. Trim off the excess making sure to leave enough to cover the ends. To cover the ends, cut slits into the excess napkin and Modpodge them down a section at a time. Wrap a large piece of clean cling wrap around the entire egg and gently smooth out any wrinkles. Carefully remove the cling wrap and dispose. Allow the Modpodge to dry per package instructions. Once dry, apply a second coat of Modpodge to the outside of the entire egg. When dry, I used my finger to lightly apply some gold gilding wax to accentuate the wrinkles and add a touch of elegance. Run a bead of E6000 glue around the top of the candle holder and center the egg onto it. Allow to dry… Display and Enjoy! Best wishes for a Blessed Easter!  Spring Flower Chandelier - A Nancyfangles Whimsical Creation
Who isn’t happy for spring and the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the sunny weather? The flowers are in bloom, the trees are blossoming and the birds are singing. It’s the perfect time to enjoy picnics in the park, walks along the river and dining alfresco. I actually had the inspiration for this creation last year but somehow never got around to making it, so when I was trying to think of the perfect thing to make for the spring edition I knew exactly what to do! This Spring Flower Chandelier would be ideal to hang over your dining room table, above your bed, or from a tree as adornment for a special springtime soiree. (Don’t leave it outside though, it was primarily made for indoor use). If you would like to make one of your own, Here’s How: Supplies: A Large embroidery hoop or similar (a small hoola-hoop would also work). A few coordinating flower stems. Some strong bendable wire or zip ties. A mixture of thin and wide ribbon, in coordinating colors. (I used a combination of Sari silk ribbon, a few strips of ripped fabric and some pretty pink ribbon). A length of white bead strands (or any color you prefer, you can find them in the wedding section). A strong ring and a spinner for the top. A decorative large hole bead and a clasp. (Optional) A Hot glue gun and hot glue (Always use with Caution) How to make it: Start by gluing one end of a wide piece of ribbon to the inside of the embroidery hoop. Wind the ribbon around the hoop until you fully cover it, adding a drop of glue here and there as needed to keep it attached. Glue the other end to keep it in place. Attach the spinner to the ring. Cut two long lengths of wide ribbon and fold in half. Run the folded edge through the ring and the other ends of the ribbon back through the folded edge. Pull tightly to securely attach the ribbons to the ring. Tie each of the four ends of the ribbon to the hoop, evenly spacing them both length wise and around the hoop so that the hoop will hang straight. Cut your floral stems apart and decide how you want to attach them to the hoop. Attach them to the hoop using the wire. Or… Use zip ties to attach and tighten them. (Wish I had thought of that sooner, LOL!). I realized that I wanted more flowers than what came on the initial stem so I added in some coordinating flowers using my hot glue gun and filling in where there were empty spaces. Cut a length of a mixture of several ribbons and tie them to the hoop capturing one end of the bead strand when you tie them into a tight knot. Continue this process until you have gone around the entire hoop. I also tied on a ribbon mix between and behind each bead strand to fill out the design and balance it off. To finish it off, I created a small tassel by using a length of ribbon and beads and adding a large hole bead onto the top to hold it in place. I attached it with a clasp to the inside center of the hanging ring. *Add some twinkle lights or lamp crystals to add some sparkle and shine! Hang and enjoy! I was really excited at how it turned out, and I hope you will be too! Happy Spring!  Starting a New Chapter with a New Cover
A Nancyfangles Whimsical Creation The Beginning of a new year is the perfect time to start a journal, an Art journal, or a vision book. As we begin a new chapter in our lives, so too, can we create a special book, (or books) to help us keep our thoughts, dreams, goals, plans and ideas, and/or even our resolutions. But why use a ho-hum, run of the mill notebook from a big box store, when you can create the perfect book from a used or even discarded book that may be otherwise headed to the trash bin? I chose to transform these books, found at a thrift store for just .50 cents each, into books that look as though they could have been taken right off of your Grandparent's bookshelf. Here’s how I did it! Supplies: An old Hardcover book A package of paper clay A clay mold Corn starch Paint and a brush Dark wax (or a watered down dark paint or stain) Decorative napkins or paper and/or rub on transfers A piece of sand paper Distress ink (or a watered down dark paint or stain) Metal corners and medallions (jewelry findings) Wood glue, Modpodge and E6000 What to Do… Start by cleaning the book covers to remove any surface dust or dirt. Paint the book in the color of your choice. (I chose not to paint the cover with the flowers as I liked it as is, but I did follow the rest of the steps.) *Be sure to paint the exposed inside edges of the cover to match. Allow the paint to dry. Lightly dust the mold with a light covering of cornstarch. Press the air dry clay into your molds, remove and carefully glue them onto the book bindings using the wood glue. Allow to dry. Glue on any metal embellishments with E6000. I used a corner on one book and a round medallion on the binding of another. Separate the decorative napkins into one layer and rip it into the shape you like. *A ripped edge looks more naturally worn than a cut edge. Carefully glue the ripped napkin or paper onto the book cover with Modpodge and allow to dry. Once dry, gently and carefully sand over the picture. You want to age it, but not sand it off... Sand the edges and corners of the book as well to give it an aged affect. Once dry, paint the mold if desired and allow to dry. Apply a dark wax or watered down paint or stain to the dry mold and carefully wipe it back off. This will make the detail of the nooks and crannies really pop! Apply the same around the edges of the book and around the edges of your pictures where they would normally get the most wear. Carefully apply a light coat of distress ink over your picture to give it an aged affect. You can do this using a makeup sponge, or a soft cloth to wipe it on. Fill your book with art, dreams, ideas or special memories… *Would you like some instructions on how to turn the pages into masterpieces? Contact me on my Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/HandmadeinEllijay and let me know…  Christmas-Tree Shadowbox ~ Wall Sconce or Tabletop Candle ~
A Nancyfangles Whimsical Creation These Holiday Shadowbox Designs can be hung on a wall or displayed on a shelf or mantel. They started off life as empty tree shaped frames that I thrifted for 50 cents each. They sat in a corner of my studio for a week or two while I worked on other festive creations, until I looked over at them one day and “saw” the vision of what they would become. I picked them up, cleaned them up and got to work transforming these discarded shadow box frames into whimsical holiday decor. I pulled out bits and bobs of holiday trinkets, bottle brush trees, wooden blocks, pieces of vintage ephemera and a few wooden laser cutouts and created these one of a kind whimsical creations to share with you. I hope they will inspire you to create your own little happy holiday scene. Here’s how… Supplies: Shadow box frame or similar. You can find similar items at arts and craft stores or pick up an empty frame at a thrift shop. Bottle brush trees Wooden blocks, Laser cutouts Holiday trinkets… (Use what you have or stop by a neighborhood thrift shop and see what they have.) A ball jar-flat lid insert A saw tooth picture hanger Hot glue gun and glue (Always use with caution!) E6000 glue A clear drying glue like Elmers or Modpodge White sparkly glitter or fake snow flakes A battery operated candle How to Make it: Clean your shadow box Glue a saw tooth hanger on the back of your display using E6000 and a drop of hot glue. Hold into place by placing a heavy object on top of it, and allow to totally dry. Figure out the placement of your dimensional decorative pieces and glue into place. Glue your non-dimensional pieces to the back of your display. Glue your jar lid partially into the display, but hanging over the edge far enough for the candle to sit on. Spread Elmers glue or Modpodge around the bottom of the display and sprinkle glitter or fake snow to cover. Allow to dry. Glue on front, top embellishment and allow to dry. Hang on a wall or sit on a mantel or shelf… Turn on the candle and Enjoy! You can finish off the sides and front of your display with paint, stain or decoupage paper. Add bows or ribbons, decorate the bottle brush trees and or add vintage jewelry pieces, doilies, etc. You could glue a nature inspired background image to the back. These would also make an amazing nativity! Use your Imagination.  Nature Inspired - Mini Wreaths
A Nancyfangles Whimsical Creation Some of us like to start decorating for Christmas on November 1st, the excitement of pulling out our treasured décor, and putting up the tree just cant wait! Others prefer to savor the last days of fall and focus on Thanksgiving before jumping into the Christmas spirit. Whichever way fills your home with happiness and your heart with love, is the right way to go. This year, I decided to create some nature inspired décor that would mingle with the last of the fall season, Thanksgiving, and carry us through Christmas and into the long winter beyond. These mini wreaths are easy to make and require minimal supplies. I spent an afternoon enjoying the process, and hope that you will too. You can hang them individually, in a window, on a door or on a tree, in a grouping on the wall or as I did, hanging from a fairie lighted fallen branch, co-mingled with lamp crystals and in front of my glass patio doors. No matter where or how you choose to display them, I hope that they will add a little touch of magic to your holiday décor… Supplies: Wooden embroidery hoop, miniature grape-vine wreath Card stock, old book or music pages Transfers, stickers or old Christmas cards White glue or mod podge Hot glue gun and glue (always use with caution) Small embellishments (buttons, acorn caps, feathers) Jute, twine, or ribbon. Instructions: (how I created mine) Trace an embroidery hoop onto a piece of decorative card stock, (or cardboard and an old book or music page). Cut out the circle(s) Transfer your design onto the center of the circle. You can also use stickers or cut out a design from a Christmas card or calendar and glue it to the circle… Use what you have. Add a vintage vibe to the photo/circle with distress ink or thinned paint. Distress the embroidery hoop as well. Glue the hoop onto the circle using white glue or Mod Podge and allow to dry. *If you are using a grape-vine wreath you will want to use hot glue for this step. Attach small embellishments. Add a piece of jute or twine to finish. Hang and Enjoy! Happy Holidays!  Caps off! To these Adorable Acorn Adornments
A Nancyfangles Whimsical Creation The temperature and leaves aren't the only things that are falling this time of year. The pitter-patter on your roof top is probably the sound of acorns dropping. While not as colorful as the falling leaves, acorns still have potential to be a pretty part of your fall décor and adornment. This simple DIY project can be used as both: A great way to dress up your outfit whether you’re wearing a comfy sweater, or your favorite denim jacket, or as an ornament for your home or holiday décor. The squirrels can have their nuts and eat them too… All you need are the acorn caps and some decorative beads to create this one of a kind fabulous fall design. I made these using two different techniques. Here’s how you can make some too! Technique #1 No jewelry tools needed! Tools: A hand drill with a small drill bit Supplies: An acorn cap A decorative bead that fits snugly into the cap Clear drying strong hold glue such as E600 A piece of cord or string A clear finish Clean your acorn cap. Carefully drill a hole on either side of the stem. Thread your cording up through the cap and knot at the top. Glue your bead into the cap and allow to dry thoroughly. Coat the cap with a clear drying sealer and allow to dry. Technique #2 Tools: A hand drill with a small drill bit Needle nose pliers Round nose pliers Supplies: An acorn cap A decorative bead that fits snugly into the cap A long head pin A bead cap A jump ring A chain, ribbon or cord Clean your acorn cap. Carefully drill a hole in the center of the cap beside the stem. Thread the head pin up through the bead cap, through the bead, and through the hole in the acorn cap. Tightly wind the remainder of the head pin around the round nose pliers to form into a loop. Be careful not too break the stem off if possible. Add the jump ring through the loop and close. Coat the cap and stem with a clear drying sealer and allow to dry. Thread your chain, ribbon or cord through the jump ring. Enjoy creating your own Acorn Adornments to hang around your neck or on your Christmas tree.  Feels Like Fall – Centerpiece
A Nancyfangles Whimsical Creation It looks like fall may be blessing us a little early this year. Between the cooler evening breezes and the energizing early morning temperatures, even the trees seem to be ready for the Autumn winds to blow. Some of the leaves are already starting to change colors and I have even seen a few fluttering on the breeze like a ballerina, spinning down to the still green grass for one last summertime dance. It won’t be long until pine cones will start to drop and the sound of acorns bouncing off of the roof will take the place of the crickets that lulled us to sleep during the long, hot nights of summer. Soon the harvest moon will light up the evening sky, and the summers harvest will be canned, pickled and preserved to enjoy throughout the long winter ahead. It’s a great time to invite Autumn into your home and start the transition from summer décor to the warm, comfy colors and cozy feelings of fall. This centerpiece started out as a jar full of tiny pine-cones that I sourced at Roots, a local charity shop that I frequent regularly to find bits and bobs to use in my creations. Some fall garlands and a few sprigs of dollar store flowers were added to complete the design. You can display it on a table top, on a mantel, a counter-top or on your desk, as a reminder that fall is truly on her way! Supplies: A Jar – Ball jar, jelly jar, pickle or pasta sauce jar... Jar filler (Pine cones, acorns, small stones…) 3 small sprigs of fall flowers/foliage Fall garland (wired) Tiny pine-cones (or other, for embellishments) Scrabble pieces to spell fall Tools: Hot glue gun and glue (always use with caution) Glue dots Design Directions: Clean your glass jar. Hot glue pieces of the garlands around the rim of the jar. I used a Bittersweet garland and a garland with small pumpkins. Glue on some tiny pine-cones to embellish. Attach the scrabble word FALL to the front of the jar using glue dots. Fill your jar with the filler. Arrange fall flowers/foliage in the jar using the jar filler to hold them in place. Enjoy! Matching Candle – Napkin – Cup Rings You don’t have to stop with your “Feels Like Fall” centerpiece. Surely you have enough supplies to create a few more pieces of matching décor. Even better, this one design can be used in three different applications or maybe more, if you use your imagination! Supplies: A few pieces of left over wired fall garland. A few extra tiny pine-cones. Tools: Hot glue gun and glue (always use with caution) Design Directions: Figure out what diameter circle you will need for your design by wrapping a piece of your garland around the outside of your candle stick, napkin and/or cup - leaving some extra inches to twist together… Cut a couple of pieces of each garland in that same size for each ring. Form the first piece into a circle and wrap the ends around each other to secure. Wrap the rest of the pieces onto the first ring until you get your desired thickness. Hot Glue on some tiny pine cones to finish it off. Repeat for as many rings as desired. You can create an entire table-scape using these few supplies!  Pump-up your Pumpkins
A Nancyfangles Whimsical Creation Take your fall décor to a whole new level by pumping-up your pumpkins! What exactly does that mean? It means that you can get a pumpkin at the dollar store, thrift store or local craft shop and transform it from ordinary to extraordinary! It doesn’t take much to turn a plain pumpkin into a work of art. A little time, a little money and even some common household items will do. Want to re-design a pumpkin to fit your fall décor? Here’s how… Supplies: Thrift shop pumpkins ModPodge or white craft glue Assorted mini doilies Tiny pine-cones A paper lunch bag Rubber stamp and distress ink (or watered down brown paint) Assorted fall embellishments Gold gilding wax A hot glue gun and glue (Always use with Caution) How I did it: *For the velvet pumpkin: The stem was broken, so I started by re-placing the stem with a wooden twig. I snipped out the center of a mini doily and hot glued it around the stem. I continued to hot glue tiny doilies around the pumpkin until I was pleased with the design. I also glued one to the bottom of the pumpkin. I finished it off by gluing a few tiny pine- cones around the stem to add some natural elements. *For the orange pumpkin: This pumpkin was a little beat up, it had a few dents and even a few holes, so I decided to decoupage this one. I found a complimentary decorative napkin and separated the layers so I had just the top layer. I ripped the napkin into workable sections. I covered the pumpkin a section at a time with ModPodge and using saran wrap, I smoothed out the napkin onto the pumpkin. I repeated the process until it was covered, including the bottom. Once it dried I gave it a few more coats of ModPodge to seal it, allowing it to dry between coats. I then hot glued some small pieces of glittery fall foliage and tiny pine-cones around the stem. I finished it off by applying a little gold gilding wax with my finger to give it a little sparkle. I loved the idea of the butterflies as both butterflies and fall are transformational. *For the Patterned pumpkin: This one was a challenge as it started out black and glittery. I started by painting over it to give it an even base to work with. I wanted it to be decorative but to have a nature inspired vibe. Looking around my studio for inspiration I noticed a stash of brown paper lunch bags and knew that was what I wanted to use! I cut the end off of the bag and cut down the seem to make one long piece of paper. Then I scrunched it up, un-scrunched it and scrunched it up again. I went to the kitchen and wet it, wrung out the water and scrunched it again! I ripped it into pieces, layed them out and stamped them with a patterned stamp and distress ink. I LOVED how it looked! I ModPodged the pieces of patterned paper onto the pumpkin, over lapping them a bit. I was sure to form them into the grooves of the pumpkin but still allowing the wrinkles to remain. I sealed it with a few more coats of ModPodge. I Added a few tiny pine-cones and hung a metal leaf around the stem. I sat them atop some candle sticks to elevate them to another level! And there you have it – a trio of transformed, Pumped up Pumpkins, for your fabulous fall festivities! Enjoy “SPRING” Loaded Butterflies A Nancyfangles Whimsical Creation Re-design As a Mixed- Media Artist and Designer I find myself surrounded by inspiration almost everywhere I look. Most of the time that is… And other times, I cannot find a muse no matter how hard I look. That’s when I turn to Pinterest. I may have an idea or a theme in mind, but just need a little kick start of inspiration to get me moving. Such was the case today… I knew I wanted to do something for spring, but what I ended up creating was spring x2. A “Spring”- loaded Butterfly. The original design idea was by Rhubarb and Wren, who’s basic instructions were pretty plain, but also pretty awesome! It was just the spark I needed to ignite my imagination… I hope that I do the same for you. Inspiring you to be Artistic, but to also find your own Creative Magic. Here’s what you’ll need: A Sheet of 12×12 heavy card stock (one sheet makes 4 butterflies) * If you want to paint your design, or color with crayons, markers or colored pencils, use white. Decorative napkins or an additional sheet of decorative scrap book paper, as desired. A spring loaded clothespin (I used wooden and colorful plastic). A small piece of thin jewelry wire. A small bead. white paper glue, Mod Podge, and or glue dots or dashes. E6000 What to do: These instructions are for a scrap book paper butterfly, as I found them to be the easiest to create. Go here to find the butterfly template, or simply create your own… https://tinyurl.com/7e9vjksd Trace your butterfly template onto your thick card stock and cut out. Cut out two (approx.) ½ inch by 2 ½ inch rectangle strips out of your heavy card stock. Lay your card stock butterfly on your decorative scrap book paper (design up) and trace Lay your card stock butterfly on your decorative scrap book paper (design down) and trace Cut both out – do not mix up... Glue the design up copy to the top of your card stock butterfly and the design down copy to the bottom Using glue dots or dashes, adhere the body to the top of the clothespin, head side towards the opening. (I tried glue, but the glue dashes worked much better) Cover your two rectangle strips in the same decorative paper on one side as desired. Fold your wings up (away from the clothespin) where they meet the body. Using glue dots /dashes, glue one of the ends of the strip to the bottom of the clothespin and the other end to the folded wing. repeat on the other side. Bend the small piece of wire in half and curl the ends to form the antennae, glue to top of clip with e6000, allow to dry and glue a bead to the top. Squeeze your clothespin to make your butterfly, fly… Enjoy!  |
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