Redirecting... to my new blog... 

~NikkiNix

My craft studio is almost done!!!

Wow! There's a while lot going on at Pretty Little Paper Things!! Click through to see the Craft Studio updates!!

-:¦:- Pinterest is just sooo cool -:¦:-

Ever since I got my invitation to join Pinterest I have been addicted! I love spending time on there when I have a spare minute.  I've organized my ‘pins’ into boards; one of my favourite ones is my Inspirational Quotes Board… Just like the awesomely cool Inspiration Boards that Oprah always has on her show, these virtual boards I can go to look at each day or whenever I’m feeling the need for some personal, crafty or teacherly inspiration.

What I love about Pinterest is the ability to be able to ‘pin’ pictures to your boards without having to save the websites they are from or saving the pictures to your computer (keeping your Hard Drive free of clutter!). So when I’m looking for something that I’ve found, I don’t have to go saving the website link cause if your like me, whenever I save the link I either:

1. Never return to it, cause there are so many I’ve bookmarked!
2. When I go to look for the page, I cant find it!!

I’ve been using Pinterest for planning my classroom, getting ideas for everything from decorations to party games and food! I’ll be blogging about some of these treasures and sharing what I’ve found.

Look me up,let's get PINning!!! 

Have a wonnnnderful day!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-

¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-

((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!

-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

How fun!!

Scrabble tile pendants and doo dahs - how fun!

I can't take credit, here's where I got the idea: http://charitywingsnews.blogspot.com/2011/05/scrabble-tile-pendant-and-giveaway.html

Diva's heart-cookie treat purses ...and Moving, Celebrating, Career-changing and Reuniting with old friends!

So much going on! My subject line says it all!! I'll be delinquent a little longer until that for sale sign goes up!! Half my house is moving into storage on Monday, my bedroom is being painted on Tuesday and I have a crazy-life-alteringly important interview on Wednesday!!  Plus Valentines Day with a two year old, Hubby's bday next week, Mom's bday last week and ... well, I'm tired and my craft-cockpit is now surrounded by construction - arrrgh!!!!

In the meantime, my two bestest friends in the world (since grade 2) are both having huge celebrations today - one beating disease and the other re-patriating to Canada after almost 15 years, getting married in August and today is her birthday!!!!  Both such fantastic celebration!  I cannot wait to have all those heart to hearts and wedding planning conversations with her and catching up after all these years without long distance charges or the confines of email!  And I am so thrilled to have my other bestest buddy healthier than she has been in the last three years!!

Here are some heart-cookie treat boxes 

I made up for our Diva Brunch - celebrating her healthfulness and LOVE!

I basically got these delectable cookies for $4.99 a box. I then put two cookies in a zip lock baggie and kept cutting down my template until it could fold up as a box, snugly against the cookies but not too tight. Then I evened out the measurements for cutting and scoring.  Once complete, I added ribbon handles, paper accents, used my ATG gun for strong adhesion and added my little pretty things and ta daa... aren't these little boxes/purses cute - all made from scrap paper, ribbon and embellies - priceless!!!

I made about 20 of then in about 3 hours.

Have an awesome, love-filled, friendship-embraced, blissful day!
Nikki

Whimspirations

... how awesome is this?  Thanks so much InkyHeart!!

My QK Revolution has gone to a loving new home!!

I am very happy to announce that my QK Revolution, the original case and 4X4 cutting surface and embossing plate, my lovingly used 12" cutting surface, a 4X8 alphabet, another alphabet, a 4X4 flourish die, the cookie cutter circles and squares and about 10+ 2X2 dies and die sets plus a zippered QK binder barely used to store these dies...  have been sold to Melissa for $50 (who's going to start a blog one day lol) and I am so happy to have delivered it yesterday!  Thanks to those of you who were interested but the deal is done :)

You got it M!
Woot! Woot!
cut cut stick stick wow wow
tee hee!

All the best!
Nikki

Wedding Album for Ren'neeeigh!

Once completed, this would be my third complete album that I have made in the last 12 months for someone else!!!  The first time I did it, it was a pregnancy album for my sister in law... that was fun!  The next time, someone paid me quite well... not so much fun!  The third time was a labour of patience and grudgingly, I just got it done, and finally, on her first wedding anniversary my little cousin asked me if I would create a beautiful album with texture because nothing she could buy would ever compare to the little samples she's seen of my work - so how could I say no - I'm a sucker!!!  Her Hubby is off in Iraq and he'll be home in July so I have plenty of time to finish it and ship it but I was inspired and completed all but 6 pages within a week!

Here are some teasers ...

The first page, simple elegance... 

sorry for the glare, I'll try and crop it out 

from the rest of these pics

Still making flower centres with a little bling, 

the same style continues on the next page

Yeah, Prince Charming had that gorgeous dress 

draped over Duke the stallion!

She trains horses for a living, 

so riding in a wedding dress 

with full-out train and heels 

was nothing for her ;)

texture, texture, texture...

And those leaves have shimmer (from Michael's) 

and they match her eyes!!!

so... Ren-neeeeigh... HAPPY BIRTHDAY

and if you've seen this you HAVE to tell me!!!

I'll try to get some pics of the other albums I've completed and given away already, since they are the real reason I was such a delinquent blogger for a few months tee hee!! BUT.. a blog re-launch in in my near future :)

Enjoy,
Nikki

Shading with Copic Markers

Marianne Walker is the Product Specialist who trains the Certification Instructors for Copic Markers.  Her blog is: http://ilikemarkers.blogspot.com/ and if you go down a bit on the right and start in her 2008 archives there is a LOT of valuable tutorials in there!!   


There's also some exciting new things coming out at CHA this month including this much anticipated book on Shading! Notice the blog post title says part 2, there are other updates to check out as well ;)


Enjoy!
Nikki 

Ooooh it's so exciting!!

My dah'ling Diva of a best friend is home from hospital and I'm sooo happy!!

Welcome home!!

Happy 1/1/11 !!! ... and I'm selling my beloved QK Revolution & dies!!

Oooh I sure hope this year keeps each and every one of you happy, healthy and inspired to create pretty little paper things!!

To start the new year, with the help of my brand spankin' new iPhone4 (insert wild cheering here) I will have no excuse for not having a camera nearby lol. So without haste, here's my evolved and messy craft area, I call it "Grand Central Station" because everything is within an arm's reach, including my laptop under the table to the left running my Silhouette digital craft cutting machine!!  Notice to the left, up past the ribbon, and the Silhouette cutter is my brand spankin new Big Shot express *insert even wilder cheering here* that I have been waiting four months for since I got it at 60% off with free shipping (to the US) so I had to wait for Hubbyto go get the darned thing from Florida, but it was well worth the wait!!

...look to the left...

... my cockpit, everything within arms reach ...

... and look to the right...

So, since I have this new Big Shot, I am selling my QK Revolution... and quite a few 2X2 and alphabet dies that I have lovingly used so much that my Hubby even recognizes them in my scrapbook - eek!!

If you are interested, drop me a line before I put it up on Kijiji and eBay because I still have the original 4X4 platform, and am selling it with the 12X4 long platform and the original case.  Because I am in the Toronto area, it will be quite a hefty shipping price I'd imagine to the US or oveseas, so if you are a local gal... happy new year!!!  It'll be yours for a little more than a penny in the pan!!  And if you are interested in some well loved, gently used dies - let me know!!

I'll also add a video of my book of dies as well :)

Please email me if you are interested.

Have a haapppppy new year!!

Nikki

HOW FUN!

Copic Markers 101 - Coming soon :)

Are you looking for some information on Copic Markers?

Don't worry, some tutorials will be coming soon.

I'm a Copic Certified Designer and I believe that to start using Copic Markers you don't need to buy sets with a large variety of markers - they aren't a cheap "collection" and in scrappy-world we have so many new toys and gadgets and embellishments (gasp!) that to invest a couple hundred dollars in markers that you MIGHT use is not really practical.

 I sincerely cherish my Copic markers and love them like my babies, but $900 later, (and a pland and a train and a... ya!) and a long learning curve for me, I can't say that I have the time to use them like I should, to justify my investment, it's purely because I love them and what they can do for me that I spent my small fortune ;)

I encourage newbies to pick a few colors they love and buy in sets of 2 or 3 and choose markers 2-5 numbers apart and build a collections of colors they will use in those individual markers, and a colorless blender pen of course is a must!

So... think about your stamps or digital images that you would want to color and take a look at the Copic Constellation of Colors (that's what I call it) LOL, don't be overwhelmed... just email me offline and I'll coach you through it.

Then you will likely purchase:

• a colorless blender pen - a must!
• a gray that ends in an 01 or an 05, I personally like C1 or C5 the best (choose one based on how light or dark the other colors you choose are).
• two skin colors (I like E50 and E00, or others)
• two of each color you think you will use, eg pinks, blues, greens (maybe add browns for hair colors, but remember your collection will grow)

That's 10 markers... a $50 - $60 investment - to start AND I'll suggest some paper brands that work better with Copics so add another $10 and you'll actually use them YAY!  ... and be happy and be able to choose your future Copic markers knowing what you like, want and need.

I hope that helps, and I am planning to offer tutorials, so have no fear, just follow this blog and give me a few months to get myself organized to launch it. Here's my soon to be launched blog Pretty Little Paper Things and one particular post click here that shows ONE Copic technique, of many that are possible... later on ... ;)

If you'd like my help, please leave a comment.

Have a wonnnnderful day!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

Waterfall Sympathy Card

This card was made in memory of my dear Grandma...

Some tips on making this waterfall style card - score the tab/turn at the edge of the paper where it sits when laid flat, use a good heavyweight card stock for the paper that is pulled,  and use adhesive under the brads *only* on the paper bar that the tab is being pulled under.  

And the tutorial - thanks Dawn!

Stash used to make this card were:
Verve Forever in Our Hearts Stamp Set, Tim Holtz Distress Ink - Pumice Stone, Basic Grey Capella Paper pack, StampinUp Early Espresso ink and marker, Scotch ATG 714 gun and adhesive, Fiskars Trimmer (my fave!), misc ribbon, brads and card stock from my stash.

Have a wonnnnderful day!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:-    NikkiNix

http://prettylittlethingstocut.blogspot.com

What should I journal about??

This is suuuch a hilarious and typical pic of my darling two year old, so I'm hoping to use it as the only pic on a scrapbook page.  This is something I don't normally do unless the pic or the moment is really special.  This one certainly fits the bill, especially since she is now an expert Skype'r and thinks the web cam is her personal TV!

So... do you have any ideas about WHAT I could journal about with this pic?


Thanks and have a wonnnnderful day!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:-    NikkiNix

Curl freedom!!

I love it!!  

I feel so free, so natural and soooo cute!!!

It's a little messy because I keep playing with it LOL!!

So... what do you think???

Have a wonnnnderful day!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-

¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-

((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

Curly Hair Genius!

Okay peeps, this is freshly woken up... the before pic!

After 30 years of long hair - with a minor blip with a summer afro in grade 2, boy I cried - I have my appointment this evening with my Curl Guru, Jonathan Torch !  I have been mulling this over for 4 years and booked todays appt in June just to make sure... and I am sooo excited!  Okay, off to shower and brush my teeth (ha ha haaa... gotta love computers)...

Stay tuned for the AFTER pic tonight!  AND a very special baby book I have one last touch to add on, but the parent s are so busy with my brand new nephew - they haven't sent me the last piece of info - LOL !!!

Have a wonnnnderful day!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

Birthdays and a birthing day coming up!!

I got my 1/4 inch ATG gun-714  for my birthday and woooo hooo I love that thing!!!  I use it on paper, ribbon, just EVERYTHING!  I'll post about that in a separate post - it deserves it's day in the spotlight ;)


I have been up to so so sooo much, and I have to apologize since when I finally get into my crafting "zone" I completely forget to take pictures to share with you - so sorry.  I have been using laundry time during weeknights as an excuse and kind of a timer so I can get a chance to create.


First things first, my sister in law is due with their first child on Sept 6th, so you know I have been up to something to welcome baby, right?  ... stay tuned they're *both* coming soon ;)  Also, my brother (the father to be) and cousin both have birthdays this week so I've created two cards for them.


My cousin won't believe I made this card, just the way he is, so I purposely put his name and the year behind a Tim Holtz fragment so there would be no doubt LOL.  It's all PTI Enchanted Evening ribbon, background paper and ink - and the PTI Birthday Basics stamp set.

  

This one just evolved because I really like to use my scraps so I used scrap ribbon and misc paper and ribbon and eyelets and my cropadile and it just evolved :)  I also used the PTI Birthday Basics stamp set, and som ecute gear-looking things I had found at my Dad's he said I could have LOL

  

Again, when I use my web cam the pic turns out the mirror image - sorry I really don't know how to fix it LOL.

Have a wonnnnderful day!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:-    NikkiNix

1000 Sheets blog candy - GASP! How awesome!!

Click here for our chance to win - just so so sooo awesome :)

She's been so good to me...

... and all she wanted was a medium-double-double, so here's my thank you using a cardboard hand protector that I fixed up using the Kioshi paper pack, my QuicKutz 2X2 dies, spellbinders scalloped circles, stickles, some awesome brads, my Cropodile, ribbon from my stash and some Tim Holtz distress inks.  So, off I go to get her coffee, to use this cute hand protector with... BTW, the flower is the part the hand cannot reach, so it's not in the way, and the ribbon is soft on the hand - I love it!!

Have a wonnnnderful day!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

http://prettylittlethingstocut.blogspot.com

I'm running my Craft Robo and KNK Studio GE on my iMAC!

I did it!!!

 I've got my iMAC, with my Parallels Program which allows you to run Microsoft windows within a window of the MAC machine. I've installed my Silhouette/Craft Robo and it works - and I've installed my KNK Studio GE 8 and it also works with my cute little dongle!

This is pretty revolutionary - the fact that I can create and cut on my iMAC instead of a PC is pretty darned awesome!  Especially with this huuuge beautiful screen ;)  I've attached some pics and encourage anyone who has any questions to give me a shout!

and my cut flowers ...

I did it, I did it..... IIIIIIIIIII did it!!!  

I'm doin' the happy dance - thank youu Sandy :)

Have a wonnnnderful day!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

http://prettylittlethingstocut.blogspot.com

Lovin Grannies :)

image - Mo's DP - Mumu

Carte Postal TH Star Booklet

I got this wonderful idea for making mini books that open up into stars and have made quite a few really cute ones over the last year.

So, I decided to whip one up using the Tim Holts Vintage Shabby paper pack, the distress inks and Martha Stewart butterfly punch to create this album for a birthday present. I also did some money-origami and folded $5 bills into shirts and stuck them in on one page.  I added some cute embellies and ribbon from my stash and it was perfect!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-

¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-

((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!

-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

Tips & Tricks: embossing faux snakeskin paper

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

Diaper Cake

It's been awhile... from baby shower to diaper cake to 72 thank you cards... I've been busy and have not posted about what I've been up to :(  

More to come soon ;)

Have a wonnnnderful day!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:- NikkiNix

DIY Paper Storage

The Knack(SM) - Where Kids Discover(SM) - Construction Paper Storage

What a great DIY :)

Happy Father's Day!

This card for my Daddy was a combination of a lot of trial-an-error.  One day I'll replicate it and do a video tutorial but in meantime, here's what I did: I got this great wood stamp which I've been wanting since I saw the PTI wood grain released, and I stamped it up in SU chocolate chip, then clear embossed the actual stamp, then I used a bunch of inks I had at the time and distressed it a bit and blended on top over and over until I liked the outcome.

 Then I used Mo's Big Boots to Fill AfAm image (can't seem to find that link), coloured it with copics, cut it out and clear embossed the entire thing so it would look right next to the embossed wood grain.  The paper is from the boy paper pack I mentioned in a very recent post and  of course, my distrezz it all, which I love!!

I made some notes about which inks I used n my wood grain but really, I think I'll start from scratch the next time.  I also want to try this hardwood flooring wood-technique I found as well :)  

Please excuse my poor quality pics and mirrored images, when I use my web cam, that's what I get :(


Have a wonnnnderful day!

· ´¨¨)) -:¦:- -:¦:-
¸.·´ .·´¨¨)) Live with integrity.... -:¦:-
((¸¸.·´ ..·´ Create with passion!
-:¦:- ((¸¸.·´* -:¦:-    NikkiNix