It's Christmaaaaaaaas (and Hallowe'en)

On what feels like the hottest day of the year we are getting started on Christmas! the Design Team have been playing with Mini Bird Houses to create Christmas decorations. Helen Chilton has used Pink Paislee Butterfly Garden stamps and coloured them to look like Christmas roses. Red paint, gold embossing. layered up foliage and gold paint heated to bubble it up!

Paula Tidman has made icicles from parchment paper, Glossy Accents and glitter and applied PVA glue and acrylic paint crackle effect technique .  There are 2 ways of  doing this and it depends on your PVA which one works.  The first method involves painting the base colour and letting tit dry fully.  Then a layer of PVA and letting it dry - no heat gun - and when fully dry painting the top colour on and leaving it.  The second method again starts with a base coat colour left to fully dry, then a layer of PVA and immediately while it is wet a layer of the second colour over the top.  Leave to dry.  To know which one works for you do a test of both methods first on some spare card.  Paula has also added a charm to complete.

Joanne Wardle also used this crackle effect but added distress by scraping more of the top layer off with scissors before the paint dried fully but was tacky .  Once dry, she added metallic rub on to the craem fror hifghlight and stamped Mistletoe by Jo Capper-Sandon for Stampotique Originals onto kraft card, cut out and attached to house, addeed Glossy Accents on the berries, a knotted piece of gold ribbon and filled the birdhouse with raffia.

Ruth Philps has gone for a table decoration with this Bird House in a glass case.  She has decorated the Bird House with  Pink Paislee Parisian Anthologie paper  and lots of blingy stuff, and there is a wood fence nestled in there too.

Carol Fox has created a place name for the Christmas table. To create this effect cover the roof of the bird house with Tim Holtz Idea-ologyTissue Tape then spray it with Adirondack Colour Wash Spray in Cranberry and Perfect Pearls Mist in Heirloom Gold. Using Cosmic Shimmer Bronze Lustre Ultra Thick Embossing Crystals along the roof and base edges and also apply it randomly to the roof to give it a bit of glimmer. Colour a wood spool with the same colour inks and when dry attach to the bottom of the bird house for a stand using Claudine Helmuth Multi Medium. Remove the hanging cord and push a Tim Holtz Idea-ology Memo Pin into the hole and secure it with glossy accents. Colour 2 of the filigree corners with Inka Gold paint in Old Gold and attach to the front eaves of the house using Multi Medium. Using some wire and threading beads on as you go wrap the house with the wire securing it at the base and the Memo Pin at the top.Stamp and emboss a small quote to attach to the front of the house and place in the memo pin

Julie Dandy went for a Shabby Chic cuckoo clock. She removed the peg from the front of the house and covered it in Websters pages sweet season paper from the 6x6 pad. Any exposed wood was painted with Viva Decor Inka Gold paint in silver applied with a brush. This was also used this to colour the bronze coloured charms. Glue on the prima lace with glossy accents then add Rock Candy Distress Stickles all over the house to give it a pretty sparkle then glued on charms. Julie made the paper beads by rolling triangle shaped strips around a pokey tool then glueing the ends. These were strung on to eyepins and suspended them from chain on the bottom of the house. Add a few buttons and a cute hanging ribbon and the little bird house was transformed in to a pretty shabby chic cuckoo clock to hang on the Christmas tree

Moira also went went for a tree decoration, after all at only 6cm tall these are a pefect size to trim the tree.  This Bird House has a vintage feel, using Inka Gold paints, vintage collage, some bauble trim, beadazzles and stickles.  I think you can tell we had fun

And Christmas or Hallowe'en is the theme for our October challenge.  It could be a card, a decoration a layout, gift box etc., whatever you like that fits either Christmas or Hallowe'en.

You can enter in one of 3 ways:

• Blog your entry and use the Linky widget below to link to your blog entry
• Load to the Happy Daze Facebook Page
• Sent a pic by email to info@happy-daze.net

The challenge will end at Midnight Monday 31st October 2011. One entry will be drawn at random to win a £15.00 Gift Voucher plus free P&P for the Happy Daze shop. Maximum of 3 entries per person. Entries must use at least one product which can be purchased in the Happy Daze shop.