My Gift To You Giveaway!!!

Merry Christmas all!!!!  I hope you have had a wonderful day.  Filled with full bellies, and good times with friends and family!  I can't believe 2011 is just around the corner.  In January it will be the one year anniversary for Sunny Skye Creations.  Where has the time gone??  In celebration of the Holidays, and all the wonderful support you have given me over the past year, I have decided to hold a little give away as my little gift to you! 

Included in the giveaway is a set of my brand new valentine's flowers, a set of my handmade brads, Basic Grey 6x6 pad, American Crafts 6x6 album, chipboard gears, October Afternoon Conversation cards, red distress stickles(my fav!), 7 gypsies mini book covers, Making Memories spring embellishments,  Paper Sprites flowers, and a XL handmade flower brooch for you to wear! 

The giveaway will run from now until New Years Day. 

To get entered for this giveaway, you can do any of these 6 things, for up to 6 chances to win!!!

1. Show some love, and leave me a comment on this post.

2. For an additional entry you can refer a friend! Make sure they mention your name in their comment.

3.For a third entry, post a link on twitter, facebook, or your blog and leave your link in an additional comment.

  4. Become a follower of this blog for another entry! Don't forget to leave a comment letting me know you are a new follower!

5. And lastly, follow either or both (for 2 enries) of my facebook pages either the one at the bottom of the page,  or http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000673444236  then leave me a post on here letting me know you are following. 

  The winner will be chosen at random, and announced New Years Day! Good luck to all who enter!!

Have a Happy Holidays!!

Nicki Chicky

It's been crazy the last few weeks!  Managed to make it through all my shows and classes without getting sick!  This is almost a challenge for me anytime I take on a large venture.  Ever since I was a kid, if I knew about some big event coming up, I would get myself overexcited and sick..  Which usually meant missing out on Holidays,  sick for weeks on end.  I have won the battle so far, just a few more days till Xmas!
   Let me start by saying Thanks to everyone who came and and showed their support these last few weeks!  It really means a lot to me!!!!  I met some really incredible people, enjoyed some great conversations, and am looking forward to getting a chance to do it all again!  Here are some pics of my booth at the show.

 

While at the show, a reporter from the Dayton Daily News just happened to be shopping. She stopped in my booth, liked what she saw, took a business card and immediately went home to check out my site!  After looking me up, she headed back to talk to me about an article on eye popping affordable centerpieces!  I was speechless!  But I guess I managed to get a few words out, since she was able to quote me in Friday December 17th's Life Section

You can read the article here.

Creation time has been slow since the shows.  Hectic trying to get ready for Christmas, cleaning my incredibly disorganized studio, and just enjoying life.  I have been aching to create some altered collages, but after Christmas it's time to think about Valentines Day, and the beginning of wedding season!!  I have so many ideas for cards, wedding cake toppers, hair garlands, new flowers, bouquets.....  But for now, I think I will veg for a few days watching movies!!!

Planning a HUGE giveaway choc full of goodies to get ready for the New Year!  All the info will be posted on Christmas Eve!  Make sure to stop back and check it out! 

Enjoy your weekends everyone!!!

Nicki Chicky

Handmade Holidays

First I would like to apologize for neglecting my blog.  Life has gotten pretty crazy since I left my job a few months back, and I have just been diving in head first to everything!!  A lot of events have been falling into place, and I have a lot of new items to show you.  As well as some show dates that I will be attending, and last but not least a few classes to announce.  Craziness!!  

So lets get started!! 

I just found out 2 weeks ago that I was accepted into a Juried show held locally here in the Dayton area! 

It is attached to the Christmas festival that weekend, so lots of live bands, food and handmade vendors to get you into the Christmas Spirit!  Super excited about this show, I think it will be a lot of fun.  And always exciting to see what all the artists have made!   If you are in the Dayton area please stop out and show your support!! 

Here is a peak at some of the items I have created to get ready for the show.  Some items are already available for purchase on my etsy store, but tons more to come!!

Loving all these fun altered items with vintage images of people.  So cool!!

The week after the show on Tuesday, December the 7th I will be teaching a class at Scraps Etc in the Cincinnati area. 

The class will focus on the use of arctic white flower soft and embossing.   Using yummy graphic 45 papers mixed with Cosmo Cricket and Echo Park, you just can't go wrong!!

We will be creating 6 cards for a cost of $20.00.  Envelopes included for mailing. 

  If you live in the local area and are interested in attending please contact Scraps Etc. @ 

(513) 474-6611. 
If you are not in the local area, but are intersted in a kit contact me @
Scrapaholicmania@aol.com
And I will get them mailed directly to you!

Kits will be available at the Kentucky location after this class!

Mark your calendars for the second weekend in December for the Grand opening of a gift shop at Stivers School for the Arts in the Dayton area.  My mother has been working really hard to make a one of a kind shop with only handmade items for sale.  Featuring tons of local artists and lots of gift ideas.  Stop in Opening night Thursday, December 9th and visit with my mom and I. 

 She and I will have lots of our handmade items available for purchase there, that evening, and on a regular basis.  So make sure to stop and check it out!! 

As more info become available about the grand opening, I will let you all know!!

Have I worn you out yet?  Still one more to announce.  On Friday December the 10th I will be at a Gothic club called Vex in the local Dayton area for a Black Market Show.  The show runs from 10pm-2am and I am really looking forward to it.  It's a club, so there will be a bar, dancing etc.  And in the back room 13 vendors featuring their Gothic art!  What a fun idea!!  Fliers will be made at the beginning of next week.  As soon as I get one I will post it on here for anyone who is interested.

And don't forget to purchase your Paper Crafts Special Edition Magazine to see my published work release January 18th, 2011!

More article write ups coming next year too, will announce them as we get closer to the dates!

 

Hope that everyone has a safe a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see some of your faces at some of the upcoming events!  Please check back for more info on the upcoming shows later this week!

Have a Scraptastic Day!!!!

Nicki Chicky

Halloween Fun!

Every time I turn around, it's already another month.  Where does the time go?  I have been SUPER busy filling paper flower orders, and coming up with one of a kind Christmas items for my etsy store.  Everyone at my house has been sick for over 2 weeks, and I feel like the dust bunnies might grow legs and eat me! 

Sunday is usually cleaning day, but with all the fun Halloween festivities alas, they will have to wait for another day to be swept into oblivion!

Halloween started off with Skye and I making some yummy Halloween cupcakes, with LOTS of sprinkles. 

Then off to the pumpkin farm for one last hayride of the season with some friends.  And the trip wouldn't have been complete without a pumpkin! 

Then off to the petting zoo, and playground for some fun.

Tired already and the day had just begun, we came home for a quick bite to eat, then off the grandma's house.   

But not before we had a little candy to start off the trip.

This pic is SOOO Skye!!!

Once we arrived at Grandma's house I had to get my nieces ready to go out.  Both my parents had to work, and Dads really just don't know how to do make up. 

Caitlyn decided to be a dark fairy, Tori was an Elvin Archer, and Skye wanted to be a Fairy Princess and the dress HAD to be pink. 

I just love her silly tights underneath her Princess dress, so very Skye too!  When we all got home Grandpa surprised us with some delicious Pizza Casserole, and we had to finish off the night with some candy!

  I dressed up too, however it is pretty hard to get pictures of yourself when you are the picture taker. 

But I went the route of Steampunk, and wore one of my mini top hats.

All in all Halloween was awesome!  Much better than last year, sitting in a chair running fevers from Bronchitis and not getting to enjoy the fun. 

Hope you all had a Spooktacular

 Halloween!

Lots to announce later this week!

Nicki Chicky

Show Sneak Peaks

I would like to thank everyone who came out Sunday to the Handmade Holidayshow!!  Your support made it is a success.  Not a huge turn out, but I got to meet some really talented ladies.  Opened up lots more opportunities for me, got invited to some other shows!  Looking forward to future shows with these fun ladies!  Have to give a shout out to my girl Elizabeth!  She bought both of my collage pieces! Happy Dance! 

Terry, I was so glad to see you!!!  Miss you both so much!!   

Here are some pics from the show, the quality isn't the best, the lighting wasn't that good for pics. 

This week is catch up and recuperate week!  Many late nights getting ready for the show, but I feel it really payed off!  Took some of my mother's sculptures with me to the show.  This is Herbert, he is sad because he is the last pumpkin to be picked for Halloween.  Love it!  You can find her stuff @ http://www.gardenspellghosttale.etsy.com/

Alot of the items I brought home are going up for sale on etsy.  Also hoping to get into a local goth show!  Wouldn't that be fun!  Here are some of the pics I took yesterday of my creations.

This is one of my extra large double pinwheels.  Measures 7" with a big 18" handle.  This is one of six!  Love them so much!  But hard to photograph..

Made TONS of gift boxes, they have been one of my hot Etsy items.  Many will be added to my shop this week!

I have been creating jewelry since high school, but really got out of it once I found scrapbooking.  I like to do a few pieces here and there still, but am really intrigued by steam punk jewelry.  It's a completely different twist on the traditional jewelry these days, sorta dark, sorta funky and ALOT of fun!

Well that's it for today, I will give lots more peeks later on this week!  Still have to get pics of my cute Halloween cupcake wrappers and creepy cupcake picks.  Heading out for my almost daily run to the post office. 

Have a great day, I hope you get out to enjoy the weather and beautiful trees!

Check back later this week for more pics!

Thanks for stopping by,

Nicki Chicky

You're Invited...

All week I have been in my studio creating all kinds of wonderful things for this weekends show.  I am really excited! But  I don't know exactly what to expect.  Looking forward to the opportunity to get to know other local artists, meet some great new people and maybe sell some things!  And who knows what may open up for me after this! 

Please stop by on Sunday and show some support for all the hard work these local artists have put into making this show wonderful!!  Spread The Word  I just found out about this show not that long ago, it is by word of mouth at this point.  If you live locally, please make sure to spread the word!!!    I would love to see any faces from the scrappy store, I miss you All!!

  

  If you have any questions just drop me a line a Scrapaholicmania@aol.com.

Hope to see you there!!

Nicki Chicky

MPTS October Challenge

October is here at last!! The fall season is always my favorite time of the year.  It's almost a forgotten season, so short lived.  Sometimes with the early onset of snow, or this year it's been soo hot and dry.  But it is here, and with it brings this month's MPTS challenge! 

  I was super excited about this month's challenge.  Halloween is my favorite holiday, and I can honestly say I have way more Halloween decorations than Christmas.  So I couldn't wait to try my hand at making my own awesome Halloween decor! 

 The theme this month was:

"We don't want to be fairy and bright, we want to be scary and give them a fright"!

Requirements:

NO ORANGE or Yellow!!!

These two colors CANNOT be used on your project!!!

Supplies: Glitter and ribbon

Embellishment: Hand made flower

Technique: embossing

Surface: ANY

 This is actually something I had started at the end of August.  I had covered the mask with dictionary paper, painted, sanded and
sealed it.  Had even already coated it with glitter, but never finished it.  Once I saw the theme for this month, I knew it was the perfect project.  I had also really been wanting to decorate fascinator hats.  Something about them is just so cute!! 

Plus I love the Gothic feel of them, with a twist of steam punk, So me!!  The hat was purchased at a craft store, it is actually for a doll.  I then added a black  fabric flower ribbon by Websters Pages.  I created the rosette out of Dictionary paper, once glued together I cut it in half.  The look of it seemed to bright, so I pulled a little toile over top, giving it the perfect feel.  The button was found at Jo Ann's on clearance!!  And the handmade flower is one of my specialty flowers from my Etsy shop, just in a miniature version.  A huge burgundy feather accents the back of the hat, and for embossing I decided to emboss the number 31 in silver!!  All in all i loved this challenge!!  So fun to think out of the box!  Make sure you stop by MPTS to see what wonderful creations all the other members made this month!!

Also on that note I would like to announce that my Etsy shop has hit 100 sales!!   Since I left my job just a month ago I have gone from a few sales a month, to over 75 sales in one month!!!  Orders have been pouring in for paper flowers, Halloween art has been flying out the door, and wonderful opportunities keep coming my way!!  Next year I will be featured as a guest designer on Scarlet Lime's design team page, as well as a possible feature of my HOT new scrapbooking supplies on an online magazine!  Next weekend I will be selling at a local sale in the Kettering area, I will post more info on this in the next few days for anyone who would like to attend.   Life is busy, and life is grand, and I am loving it!! 

Thanks so much for everyone's love and support along the way!! 

Couldn't have done any of it without you!!

Stop back soon for more info on the sale coming up Sunday, October 10th!!

Have a wonderful weekend!!

Nicki Chicky

Drum Roll Please....

  First off I would just like to thank everyone for all their wonderful comments and support!!  So awesome, it really means a lot  to me!  Thank You!!!  Because there were so many different ways to be entered, I chose to go the traditional route and drew names out of a hat.  When my boyfriend got home I made him draw the winner...  And the winner is  Chantal!!! 

  Congratulations Chantal!!!! Please email me your shipping info at Scrapaholicmania@aol.com and I will ship out your prize!!

  Thank you again to all that participated!!!

Have a great rest of the week!!

Nicki Chicky

Giveaway Time Again!!

It's that time again for another giveaway!!!  I have done it again!  This time I created a set of 6 super yummy fabric covered brads.  Covered with Moda fabrics, they look just like candy.  These big brads measure an inch, making them perfect for scrapbooking, cards, flower centers, etc..  I loved the colors so much, that I decided to throw in a matching 6x6 Crate paper pad.  The brand new Snow Day Collection!!  So today is your lucky day!!    To get entered for this giveaway, you can do any of these 4 things, for up to 4 chances to win!!!

1. Show some love, and leave me a comment on this post.

2. For an additional entry you can refer a friend! Make sure they mention your name in their comment.

3.For a third entry, post a link on twitter, facebook, or your blog and leave your link in an additional comment.
4. And lastly, become a follower of this blog for another entry! Don't forget to leave a comment letting me know you are a new follower!

The winner will be chosen at random, and announced Next Monday the 13th. @ 6pm EST. 

 Good luck to all who enter!! And thanks so much for your support! 

Hope this holiday weekend has been wonderful for everyone!!

Until Next Time!

Nicki Chicky

Daydreams Of A Domestic Diva - MPTS Challenge

It's that time again for the release of the design team projects for More Paper Than Shoes!  I had planned on posting this earlier today, but my day was ruined by severe abdominal pain and a trip to the hospital.  And since I have been laying in a hospital bed for about 7 hours, laying down more just isn't appealing to me. Maybe after I write this.  And if your wondering about the abdominal pain, they didn't find anything in all the tests they ran except a high white blood count, and no explanation as to why.  Heading to the doctors for a follow up, and waiting on tons of blood work.   Right now the pain has receded enough to function, so I guess at this point I just wait.. 

   So on to the MPTS challenge of the month!  This month the challenge was Rusty Bucket. 

What does it look like?  

What purpose did it serve before the rust settled on it?

Where did you find it when you stumbled across it?

What kind of history or life does your rusty bucket have?

Take us on the journey of your rusty bucket.

Supplies: Metal and Twine (any kind of rope).

Surface: ANY

Technique:Torn paper

When I received this challenge, it was hard to not take it literally.  I understood the concept, and the idea of  the challenge.  And all the things that could be considered rusty buckets,  and the stories that are behind them.  But I just kept coming back to the idea of a wash bucket, and the retro image from Graphic 45 papers of the woman doing her laundry.  In that image there is a towel with the word Monday on it.  And I knew somewhere I had a towel just like it.  When I found it I was surprised to see that the image on the towel had a duck doing his laundry, how perfect!  I then was wondering what was so big about Mondays and laundry?  After further investigation, I discovered that Mondays were the day EVERYONE did their laundry in the 50's and earlier.  Sundays were always family days, so to prepare for the week you would do laundry, and pressing on Mondays!   Even my grandmother did her laundry on Mondays, so that is her picture hanging.  But who likes doing laundry?  So I decided to try and create a sort of daydream  with all the pretty things in the bucket.  I even added an old post card signifying my grandfather writing her from the war.  A ticket stub for a party she would much rather be at.  Beautiful flowers because she loved gardening, all mixed in with soaps, clothes pins and linen waters.   The best part, is the whole thing is just put together with the clothes pins, so it all comes apart and the pieces can be used again! 

I would like to wrap things up with some good news.  Today I received an email that a card I submitted to Paper Crafts Magazine was chosen to be published!!!!  I am super excited about this, and can't wait till it comes out.  I don't know when the publication date is yet, but as soon as I find out, I will let everyone know so you can look me up!! 

Check back Monday for a little giveaway I have up my sleeve!

Wishing everyone has a wonderful, and safe Labor Day Weekend!!

Nicki Chicky

Wake me, could I be dreaming?

It's so wonderful now that I am home creating, I can share my projects with you more often!  

Yesterday my mother and I went to Archivers just to see what was going on.  I was looking around in the clearance isle and found a whole bunch of Cosmo Cricket Chipboard stickers.  They were 6 x 12, and I knew by looking at them that they were ALL the brand new chipboard designs.  I thought to myself, this can't be right!  These just got released at CHA, why are these on clearance?  So I did the right thing, and bought a whole bunch on clearance for 1.99each!  I even was so sure this had to be a dream, that I mentioned it to the lady at the register.  And she reassured me that they had to be old if they were on clearance.  They had the new Wanted, Pixielicious, and Matilda Chipboard stickers and letters all clearance!!  INSANITY!!  So I came home last night and whipped up a few cards that will be future classes and kits coming up in September.  I even went back today just to get the chipboard stickers I had used, so that I will be ahead of the game when it comes time for kitting up, and at a clearance rate!

So here is what I made using the new release of Wanted by Cosmo Cricket

These are only 2 of the cards from the set.  There will be more to come next week, after they are made : )

Have a great weekend!

Nicki Chicky

Featured Design Team Member Monday

If you haven't already been over to MPTS, then you are missing out on my moment!   This is my time to shine, well at least for the week!  Every Monday they feature a new design team member.  And this week it is me!  YAY!  So check it out, click here to see what I had to say!

Gonna leave you with a quick glimpse of a mini book I am working on for classes.  Using the New G45 Steampunk Debutante line.  This line is sooo me!  I couldn't believe they went this route!!!

Doing a happy dance!

And this is only the cover!  There will be lots more to come!

Off to my morning hike, then time to hit the grind stone.

Thanks for stopping by, and I wish everyone a wonderful and creative week!

P.S.maybe with the kids at school you will get more time to play!

Wouldn't that be fun!

Nicki Chicky

New Beginnings

Recently I was faced with having to make a tough decision concerning my job.  For the last 5 years I have worked at a wonderful ,HUGE scrapbook store here in the local area.  At the end of April, David took over his father's business running a budget car rental.  Currently he is the only person who works, meaning he works 7 days a week, leaving at 6am and getting home around 6:30pm.  The volume of business he was doing was starting to get to be too much for one person to handle on the weekends.   So we had talked and decided that it would be better to keep the money with us, and that I would work for him on the weekends.  And during the week, it would give me time to focus on my upcoming designs for classes.  And start scheduling classes at all the local stores.   So I took the leap!  As of last week I am a self employed stay at home mom(except weekends).  I have already talked to some local stores, and they can't wait to have me start!  And you know, it's funny but I couldn't feel more like I am in the right place, doing what I need to be doing, everything seems to keep falling right into place more and more everyday.  I feel so blessed.  Since last week I have already picked up 5 special orders on Etsy!!  I feel like one of those quit your day job stories they always focus on in the daily storque on Etsy, and you know what?  It's an awesome feeling! 

 

So on that note,  I have been working on mainly special orders for people lately. Which hasn't left me with a lot of time to create new things. I finished up the huge order for 108 flowers, definitely had to snap a few pics! 

I really think they look a lot like hens and chicks when they are grouped together like this.  So beautiful!

If you are interested in purchasing one of the scrapbooking kits these flowers went into, head over to http://www.sweetpeachcropshop.com/.  They have a design team, all kinds of scrappy ideas,  contests on their blog, and some of the most unique handmade items in their kits.  Check it out!

Had a second order of paper flowers, this time for 20 Xlarge flowers.  These flowers measure 3", and were made as table decorations.  

I really think they look like Lotus flowers floating in the water.

Also received an order for a card that was a CD case.  The sentiments, and theme were sent to me.  The rest was all up to me.  I decided to go with the feel of romantic Paris.  At the beginning of the month when they released the design team projects from MPTS, I fell in love with the project Megan had made.  I created this sorta in the same style.  I was already on a black and white kick, and who doesn't love to add old book paper to projects? 

When I went to create this I found that there wasn't a large enough piece of paper to create a pocket.  So I had to get innovative and create a pocket using small folded pieces of paper along the edges to create flaps.  I then glued my top layer to the flaps.  It was a lot of fun to make, and I just love how it turned out!

In between orders I had a few hours to just play so I made up some cute little Halloween gift boxes for Etsy.  These would be perfect little party favor boxes, and they are made to hang as ornaments too! 

As for the card kits that I had been anticipating putting on my blog this week, I found that right now I have no photo editing programs that will create a collage of photos for me.  Starting to get frustrated, but all will come together in a few days.  Gonna have to head over to my mothers and use her computer till I can find a program that works for what I need.  But in the mean time how about a few little sneak peaks?

Coming up next week I will be featured as the designer of the week on MPTS blog.  Lots more projects and ideas, and maybe even some card kits for sale too!  

Have a great weekend!

Nicki Chicky