FINAL Day of Sale! New Art by Nichola Battilana, New Paper Sale!

Filed under Black Friday Sale 2019, Christmas Baking Treat Box Kit, Giveaways, Nichola Battilana, Sale

Note: as this is a holiday weekend here in the US: FREE shipping for orders over $50 (for orders shipping to USA) now through SATURDAY night, December 7th! Wow! The holiday weekend sales may be over TONIGHT, but you’ll still get a gift all week!

More treats:
– All orders through TONIGHT, December 2nd, are automatically entered into a drawing for a full-year subscription to the monthly kits!
– ENDING TONIGHT! Digital versions of ALL collage sheets and ALL digital images are on sale at 50% off!
– Exclusive Rubber Stamps ON SALE at 40% off! Over 100 options!
– See below for new items, today’s Giveaway drawing, PLUS a FREE Gift with every order!

Today, we say with melancholy a farewell to Nichola Battilana, one of our fabulous, much-loved, a bit cheeky, original Design Team Members. Many thanks to you, The Queen of Fey, for all of the beautiful projects you have created for Alpha Stamps over the years!

It’s impossible to list all of the projects that Nichola has created for everyone’s delight (and as proof that fairies, pixies, elves and goblins do indeed exist!). We asked her if she could help us choose a couple of her favorite projects, and below are the picks.

First, the Funeral Coach.

“Something a little dark but (I think) lovely today. A miniature funeral carriage, inspired by beautiful Victorian horse drawn hearses.

The Funeral Coach base is a chipboard kit. Inside I’ve slipped a 6 Inch Coffin Box.

The whole carriage is painted it matte black and gussied up with LOADS of black dresden borders. (I think I have a serious Dresden fetish. It’s like Franks Red Hot. I put that s**t on everything!)

See those vintage-looking windows (in the photos of Nichola’s finished artwork)? As with a lot of her creations, Nichola created a collage sheet designed to go along with her projects, making it easier to create your own. For the carriage she made a Filigree Funeral Carriage Windows Collage Sheet so you can also reproduce those windows if you order it on clear transparency.

See the original blog post to read about a trick she used to get the coffin into the carriage.
 

The second project is the Punch & Judy Theatre:

If you aren’t familiar with Punch and Judy it’s a sort of violent puppet show which can be dated back to just before the 1700s, reaching its height of popularity during the Victorian era.

To make this piece I began with the Punch & Judy Theatre kit. Then covered it in Red & Ivory Narrow Stripes Scrapbook Paper. I’ve actually added two headers here. One attached to the rear from the Punch & Judy Theater Collage Sheet. A second one on the front of the theatre from the The Grand Guignol Collage Sheet. I think it gives a good feeling of frantic fun, perfectly suited to Punch and Judy.

More details on the original Punch & Judy Theatre blog post.

Grab yourself a cuppa and enjoy looking through all of Nichola’s beautiful projects. (And, of course, a new project is also below!)

Au revoir et bonne chance in your future endeavors Nichola! (And thank you for saying you’ll be back from time-to-time as a Guest Designer!)

Simple Christmas Kraft Boxes by Nichola Battilana

Ah.. how cheery and nostalgic are these treat boxes by Nichola! (And note the wide photo just a bit below: she made some little cube-shaped smaller gift boxes, too!) I’ll start with some text from Nichola’s blog post:

I’m ‘retiring’ as an Alpha Stamps design team member this month.

It feels weird to type that. It hardly seems real! I’ve been with Alpha Stamps 4eva!

Why am I bowing out? I’m trying to simplify and refocus. I’ve always known that you can’t do it all, but I often feel like I’m trying to stuff 36 hours of activity into a day that only has 24. I’m trying to NOT fill every minute so that I can *gasp!* spend a day with family, read a book, and, by the grace of the gods, get every bit of laundry done at least once in my life. (A girl can dream.)

I kinda wish there was a big dramatic crafty fallout, but you’ll have to settle for the fact that I’m shit at time management basically.

I’ll still be making little things with their delightful crafty bits and I’ve already said I’d be pleased as punch to be a guest designer if they’ll have me. And they better. Or else.

Given that I’m trying to simplify my life, these cute little boxes seem a fitting send off project.

I’ve kept them simple. Some gold embossing powder, snippets from holiday collage sheets, a wee charm, a bit of raffia. While I totally understand the appeal of embellishing until things are dripping with colour and a thousand different elements, there’s a case for simplicity too.

I love these gift boxes! Nichola used lots of supplies from the November Kit… you can see her full supply list here (and check below, as you may win some of the supplies in today’s Giveaway)! And read more (and see more photos) on Nichola’s blog post.

 
NEW Flash Sale: SCRAPBOOK PAPER

Use discount coupon PAPER when you check out AND you’ll receive 20% off current sale prices! (Even 20% off the current price if the item is already marked down as a clearance item!)

This is HUGE (over 270 items), including single sheets AND paper sets/pads!

Psst! The first row of highlights below are either new or recently back in stock!

The coupon expires TONIGHT, MONDAY night, December 2nd at midnight PST.

 
Hooray for the Christmas Treat Box Giveaway!

Ha! I like this odd angle (looking down on the roof) as it emphasizes the gold embossing (fun against raw kraft chipboard).

I’ve picked out all the goodies from Nichola’s supply list you’d need to recreate the gift box/house at left (sans gold embossing powder and the ribbon on the wreath):
– House Treat Box
– Mini House Doors & Windows
– Santa Sleigh Silver Charm Set
– Tiny Christmas Windows Collage Sheet
– Mini Bronze Butterfly Paper Clips
– Polymer Clay Christmas Candy Slice Mix
– Tiny Green Leaf Garland
– Sweet Treats Collage Sheet (the tiny Santa behind the door!)

Plus i’m including one of the Rustic Pine Cones Gift Kits (see below for more info).

To enter the Christmas Treat Box Giveaway drawing all you have to do is leave a comment BELOW on this blog post TODAY (the deadline is 11:59 pm PST, Monday Night, December 2, 2019).

And what are you going to make?

Don’t forget to leave your (hello!) correct email address, too, so I can contact the winner; your email address does not need to be made public. Note: I’m offering free shipping, too, but only within the USA. International shipping will still apply.

Please be patient! Spammers try to post crap here a lot so comments are moderated. So if you don’t see your post in the comments section, be patient and check back in a few hours before re-posting it, please!

After midnight, I’ll randomly pick the winner (via Random.org). We’re back to a somewhat-more civilized schedule for the rest of this week, and the winner of today’s prize will be announced on Thursday.

Oh! The Giveaway winner from yesterday’s newsletter! Drum roll, please: The winner is Dana Desmond! Please check your email for more information.

 
FREE Gift with Every Order!

It’s the FINAL DAY of this sale and we have a new gift kit!

Ooh! More bits & bobs for decorating gifts (and chosen to coordinate with the rustic feel of Nichola’s cute artwork)! I’ve picked out this Rustic Pine Cones Gift Kit (shown at left) for today’s FREEBIE for physical orders! It includes:
– A Tiny Square Kraft Envelope (so cute!)
– A Miniature Pinecone Pick
– A couple of the Small Pine Cones
– A few of the 1 inch Wired Green Rose Leaves
– A Wooden Christmas Advent Calendar Round Tag (Note: you’ll just get one of the tags from this set — so not everyone will get the number “25” shown in the photo.)

BONUS: If you spend $50 (also the threshold for free shipping in the US), then I’ll substitute the fab 3D Santa & Silver Charms Kit shown below (2 kits are shown in that wide photo). That kit includes the Jeweler’s Tin shown in the photo, too! Some items are custom to the gift kit, but here are those available to purchase separately. Note: you’ll just get one of the charms from the Round 12 Days of Christmas Number Charms Set (so not everyone will get the number “12” shown in the photo). If you spend over $50 and want the Rustic Pine Cones Gift Kit instead, just leave a note on your order.

There nothing special to add to your order! (No discount code to enter!) All orders TODAY will receive one of the free gifts! Note: If you guys go crazy, I may substitute an item if I need to make up more kits, but there are already bunches ready to go!