December Challenge - Gifts, cards and Tags

The challenge this month is all to do with Christmas. Anything you have made to give as a gift, to wrap your gift in or label your gift.

This will also tie in very nicely with Tim's 12 days of christmas tags, so if you are planning to follow Tim and do the tags this year do check out the shop for many of the must have items you will need. If you do take part in his tag challenge please share them will us by uploading via the linky at the bottom of the post.

The DT have some lovely examples to share this month.

By Sam Read.

Sam say's, I haven't purchased wrapping paper since I started stamping, I love brown paper packages tied up with string. The stamp I used is the Do Not Disturb Seal, by Catslife Press 749F.

By Moira.
This started life as a purple wooden word, but has now become a present for my student nephew. I drew round the back of the words onto Appeltini Ten Second Studio Metal and embossed it in sections. I used the Ultimate glue to stick the metal down as it handled the odd shapes of the letters very well. To add grunge I painted some section and odd spots with a thick layer of viva crackle paint which when dry I went over with viva inka gold paints in Lava Green,Old Silver and Old Gold.

By Paula Tidman

Paula has altered one of the wooden boxes available from the shop using an Artistic Outpost stamp as a border.

By Carol

For this I used an upcycled Handbag mirror that I brought from a charity shop. I have embossed some Ten second Studio metal for the background, over this I have added sprocket gears and game spinner. Finished of with one of the large brass fairy charms that are in the shop. I also added a sprinkling of tiger eye chippings for fairy gold. Finally it was all filled with Lisa Pavelka resin, popped in the UV box for 10 minutes and voila its finished.

By Julie

A lovely Santa Pin made using Lisa Pavelka Resin Pink Paislee Father Christmas around the world Paper a gold bail like this one corked Vials Christmas muse tokens platinum stickles
I covered the domino in the Around the world paper, add stickles to the edges then covered it in the Lisa Pavelka resin, set for 10 minutes in your UV lamp box, add the bail to the back and there it is a lovely altered domino ready for hanging. Add various beads to a length of chain using jump rings and attach the muse token to the bottom. In the little corked vial add your naughty and nice list and hang this from a length of beaded chain. Hang them along the pin in the order shown, or mix them around it's up to you. A fab pin to brighten up your christmas.

By RuthRuth has altered an old frame with a 6 x 6 websters pages die cut. Inside is a 6 x6 vellun sheet and a christmas tree from a cake shop. The tiny robin and angel are stamped with black stazon, coloured in with water coloured pencils and made from shrink plastic. The broken bambi is wearing a bow to cover the cracks. Ruth has an animal loving friend who will be receiving this as a gift for christmas.

To enter our challenge create a piece of work on the theme of "Gifts, Cards and tags" Share something lovely you have made for giving this christmas.

You can enter the challenge three 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 Waynemonster@gmail.com

Please Welcome Annette Goatley

Our second new Design Team member is Annette Goatley better know to most of you as Netty. You can see her work here on her blog. She has previously done a guest spot for the blog and we are now very happy to welcome her as a permanent member.

Cameo style Jewellery Set

This jewellery uses shrink plastic to create both the pendant and earrings. Firstly I lightly sanded a sheet of shrink plastic and then painted a thin coat of gesso (this makes it easier to stamp on.) I stamped Lost Coast Designs winged girl with archival ink and gently heated to dry the ink. Then I diecut into the pendant shapes. I coloured the images using photo markers and then used my heat tool to shrink. I used a Krylon silver pen around the edges. Then glossy accents to finish, but this needs to be left overnight to dry, a quicker alternative would be Lisa Pavelka Magic Gloss Resin. Earwires and amethyst drops are from my stash.

Welcome to a new team member

We are very please to announce that Sam Read has agreed to join the DT.

You can view her blog here to see her work.

Welcome to the team Sam and we look forward to seeing what you create for the blog.

We Three Kings by Joanne Wardle

As Christmas rapidly approaches, I find the need for quick and easy cards gets more urgent.

Here's an easy one made with one simple stamp from stampotique.

I have coloured the card with pencils, highlighted with glossy accents. I have also used some gilding flakes to accent the bands around the crowns. I finally finished with some gold cord.

Santas Christmas treat chest.... by Julie Dandy

Well I really need to kick start my Christmas mojo in to gear as I am so disorganised with only being back from my hols less than two weeks!!
I thought I would share this cute idea for an alternative advent calendar which could be decorated to suit all ages.

I have made mine in to a vintage shabby chic style and plan on filling it with little chocolate treats, candy canes and promise tickets - eg. make mince pies, watch a Christmas movie etc...

I used a papier mache chest and covered it with two sheets of Pink Paislee Santas list 12x12 paper.

I started by painting all the edges inside and out with green acrylic paint so that any expose areas wouldn't be left brown.
When dry I painted the edge that is trimmed with red acrylic paint and left to dry again.

I cut the papers roughly to size and then used my nail to give score the paper in to the edges of the box to give me a cutting guide. The boxes aren't exact measurement wise, so make sure your paper is cut to fit the widest points so that you can cut them back to size.I distressed my edges with an emery board and then inked with Broken China distress ink pad then glued them in to place with Glossy Accents - I like to swirl it on then spread it out with my finger so that it reaches all the edges. I like GA for sticking paper on to objects as it grabs and dries quickly.

On the inside of the lid I added a distressed hole in the paper before adhering to the box and stuck a small piece of contrasting patterned paper on to the back to add to the shabby look.

I covered it inside and out and when finished strengthened the hinged section with tissue tape which I also inked with the broken china.

I glued on a piece of vintage lace using Claudine's matte medium - now I have a little tip when using this - make sure you clean the edge of the jar before you put the lid back on. If you don't (like I hadn't) and then don't use it for a while you will have BIG problems getting the lid off!

I also used the medium to stick the charms and prima flower on, as already mentioned its a really good strong glue LOL :D

I embossed some of the pieces with TH alterations embossing folders which I distressed and inked.

My splash of colour on the project is my lovely broken china distress stickles and the distress stain I used on the Adage ticket.

I used some letter stickers I have had for ages on the front of the box and gave them a little bit of dimension with the Glossy Accents. The promise tickets would be a great idea to keep the kids occupied over the Christmas period with ideas like make paper chains, make gingerbread, write a letter to Santa etc...

If you were making it for a crafter you could make little parcels or envelopes and fill them with little embellies - ideaology trinkets would be fabby for anybody taking part in T!ms 12 tags of Christmas. Moira sells fabby taster packs of these too so it needn't cost a fortune.

Or how about filling it with chocolate coins?

If you get cracking you will just have time to make it before the 1st of December :D

Hugs'n'snogs,
Julie xx

Vintage Gentleman

Ohhh its Wednesday and my turn to blog I nearly forgot (blushing smiley) Today I have a little altered cheese box to share.
It's been covered with tissue tape(to hide the horrible mess I made of it when I painted it, tissue tape is perfect for this lol) I then spritz it with a mister to age it a little bit and take away the shiny newness of it.
After adding a stamped image I embellished it with Tim Holtz cogs and spinners, a word tag a small pair of binoculars and a key.
A quick easy little make and a perfect man present.

Items I Used.

Tim Holtz Tissue tape
Game spinners
cogs
word tag
K and Co metal kay

Explosion Of Colour By Gillian Simson ....

For this months challenge "Explosion of Colour" I decided to go for a retro look using papers from the Basic Grey Ambrosia Collection (Citrus, Zest & Clementine) & Pink Paislee (Hocus Pocus -Haunting). Stamps are from Paperbag Studios (Newsprint House, Doorway, Scratched Circles & Cross Stitch). I used Archival Ink (Jet Black) to stamp with.


The current Happy Daze challenge is An Explosion of Colour. You have until Midnight on 30th November when one winner will be drawn at random to win a £15 voucher and free P&P to spend in the Happy Daze shop. Maximum of 3 entries per person & you must use at least one product which can be purchased in the Happy Daze shop.

• You can enter by blogging you address to the linky widget here,
• emailing your picture to info@happy-daze.net
• uploading your photo to their facebook page

A celebration of colour by Ruth

This months challenge is an "explosion of colour" and is one I have really struggled with.

 I love colour as much as the next person but I like my colours to compliment and co-ordinate, finally after a period of crafters block I was inspired by a photo on Pinterest.

I cannot claim the credit for the Colourful Doiley Bunting idea, but I did come up with the idea of using Cosmic Shimmer Chalk Mists all on  my own!

The transformation from cream to gleam was instant and incredibly satisfying...and my bunting looks as bright and kitch as a 50's Tupperware party......which is exactly how I wanted it to look!

Cosmic Shimmer Mists are available in a huge range of colours from only £2.95 each.

You can enter this months competition and find the rules here, to have a chance of winning a £15.00 voucher to spend in the HappyDaze shop.

A Medieval Christmas By Paula Tidman

The current Happy Daze Challenge is 'Explosion of Colour', so I decided to make a tag in bold colours. I used distress stains in Wild Honey & Barn Door to create the background. I used gold embossing powder for both latin scripts and around the edges of the tag. I stamped one of the houses from the Artistic Outpost whimsical melange in black embossing powder, then cut out and added the digital image of the Madonna and Child. I used one of the hinges from the  Tim holtz elements and covered with Inka gold. I dyed some ribbon with the same distress stains and added some fibres from my stash.


The current Happy Daze challenge is An Explosion of Colour. You have until Midnight on 30th November when one winner will be drawn at random to win a  £15 voucher and free P&P to spend in the Happy Daze shop. Maximum of 3 entries per person & you must use at least one product which can be purchased in the Happy Daze shop.

• You can enter by blogging you address to the linky widget here, 
• emailing your picture to info@happy-daze.net
• uploading your photo to their facebook page

explosion of colour by Joanne Wardle

For this month's challenge theme I have made this one layer card, using stamps from Jo Capper-Sandon's range at Stampotique. These Splatter stamps are perfect for the theme. I have used distress inks for the colour.

An Assortment Of Boxes By Carol Fox

I am seriously in love with these little boxes that Moira has in the shop. I have done a few of them this week as I have had four commissions for these little boxes and I have done a couple for an upcoming Victorian Market I am booked for.
So I am sharing some of them as my DT piece today to show how easy it is to get so many different looks with them just by different paint and stamping techniques.

This box I altered using Glimmer mists and Gold leafing and embossing powder and rubber stamping.

On this one I used a basic cream paint crackled over the plain box using PVA glue, when dry I rubbed over it with Victorian Velvet Distress ink, before adding rubber stamping. Finally spritzing it with Glimmer mists.

This one was simply coloured with Distress stains in Wild Honey and Fired Brick, after rubber stamping I smudged Pitch Black Dabber around the edges to age it a bit.

And lastly my favourite. I used the PVA crackle paint technique on this again, rubber stamping a "spell" around the four sides before embossing in gold. Add the large fairy charm under the pocket watch dome on the lid. The handle is the Pocket watch winder and I have added four fairy crowns for feet on the box.

Items I Used
Small wooden boxes
Small Crowns
Cosmic shimmer mists
Paint Dabbers
Paints
fairy charm
Embossing powders
Distress Stains

Finally don't forget the current challenge is an Explosion of Colour, so if you have made something bright and beautiful this month using any product that the shop stocks have a look at the post on the blog to upload your picture.

Row of Houses By Helen Chilton

Stamps used: Artistic Outpost: Whimsical Melange,My Favourite Book,Birds of a Feather,Ephemeral Backgrounds.

Other Materials
Distress inkpads: Victorian Velvet; Frayed Burlap; Stormy Sky
Distress Stains: Stormy Sky; Spun Sugar; Shabby Shutters; Scattered Straw
StazOn inkpad: Jet Black
Buttons, charms, lace and ribbons.


I’ve made up five row houses, stamping the two from the Whimsical Melange plate as is, and then using the ruler and the scroll stamp to vary them. I’ve then masked them all off and stamped the main images from the Bird plate, masked those off and added in some more backgrounds.

Then I’ve added all the twiddly bits! For the rows of beads, I’ve taken a bracelet, glued it down with Crafters Pick the Ultimate glue (wonderful stuff) and then cut the string when it’s dry – an easy way to get a long row of beads without them all falling off!

A sprinkle of reindeer dust....by Ruth

Now that I no longer feel guilty scrapping a year in arrears for my christmas photos I can take the time to relish new papers and look back over last years hectic moments. I indulge in a bit of misty eyed memories and forget all the chaos soon to come again.

I loved the maturity of these Pink Paislee papers, they remind me of a Scottish hunting lodge, and with names like Apple Cider and Bonfire it's no wonder they look warm and cosy, ideal for cardmakers too.

"Come Fly with Me" was inspired by the wooden lazer cut Reindeer Antlers from the Happy Daze shop.

(I have been wanting to use it on all sorts of christmas projects and now wish that I had ordered more than one!)

I gessoed him first then inked him with brown distress ink and added a layer of fine white glitter. All are available in the shop in varous shades. A row of Platinum Liquid Pearls around the edges, emphasises the road sign shape.

The black flower was left over from my Pink Paislee Halloween banner kit. And I am one photo less in my stash at last!!

TFL



Alice Arch By Carol fox

Any of you who know me well will know that Alice and I have a bit of a thing going on....shhh dont tell the Hatter. I have had one of the arches from the shop in my draw for ages and I was digging around in there the other day and I came across it, so here it is given the Alice treatment.

I have given it the PVA crackle treatment added vintage book pages (from Alice in Wonderland of course)and then some applied some gold leaf(gold embossing works just as well if you don't have gold leaf). The Tim Holtz Book Plate was given a rub with viva Inka gold to make it more gold and then once the Tim Holtz adage word was added I filled it with clear embossing powder.

The Tim Holtz style rose is made by colouring the cut flowers with distress inks before shaping and then dipping them into UTEE in a melt pot. If you dont have a melt pot you can just use clear embossing powder. I then rubbed them over with clear stickles for a dew drop look.

Stick it all down using lots of multi medium and then stand somewhere to admire.

I used

Wooden arch
Tim Holtz things
Inks
Multi medium
Inka Gold


The current challenge is "an Explosion Of Colour" for all the details and the link to upload your item have a look here, or there is a permanent link in the side bar.

UK Scrappers Blog Hop

The details for the blog hop can be found on the post containing the monthly challenge details. This LINK will take you to it, and please scroll down to the bottom of the post for the details.

A Winner is Announced

I have done the Random Number Generator for the Entries for the October Challenge. There were 16 in total, for some weird reason the linky Widget did not like this month very much and would not show some of the entries on the linky Picture, but I can see them all on the links page and after I added in the facebook entries in their date uploaded position.
The lucky winner is number 14 By The Sparkly Fairy (Emma). If you want to email me at waynemonster@gmail.com with your name and email address and I will pass the details on to Moira who will send you your £15 voucher to spend on lovely things in the Happy Daze Shop.

This is a list of the other entries as it was a shame that a lot of them did not show in the linky list as there were some great uploads for this challenge. If you click on the links it will take you to the page. ( if the link doesn't work copy and paste it into your bar)

1.http://anikraft.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-candle-trick-or-treat.html

2.http://annescardchallenges.blogspot.com/2011/10/magnolia-peace.html

3.http://lisasparkleandstamps.blogspot.com/2011/10/colonel-mustard-in-hall-with-dagger.html

4.http://bumblebeesandbutterflieswithbrenda.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-diorama.html

5.http://anikraft.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-atcs-and-new-stampotique.html

6.http://blueboxbabe.blogspot.com/2011/10/un-petit-peu-spooky.html

7.http://teacraftsandcats.wordpress.com/2011/10/15/magnolia-tomic-challenge-5/

8.http://cardcreate.blogspot.com/2011/10/black-white-craft-room-challenge-dt.html

9.http://lucystruecolours.blogspot.com/2011/10/gingersnap-creations-challenge-ravens.html

10.http://craftietimes.blogspot.com/2011/10/whoopsi-daisy-lets-do-christmas.html

11.http://craftietimes.blogspot.com/2011/10/free-and-easy-whoopsie-daisy-challenge.html

12.http://nettyscraftings.blogspot.com/2011/10/hiya-its-paint-party-friday.html

13.http://lucystruecolours.blogspot.com/2011/10/mr-forrest-farmacist.html

14.http://thesparklyfairy.blogspot.com/2011/10/witching-hour.html

15.http://kraftypieces.blogspot.com/2011/10/31st-october-2011-halloween.html

16.http://lisasparkleandstamps.blogspot.com/2011/10/its-halloweenpickled-souls-anyone-its.html

Thank you to everyone who entered this month and I hope to see lots more of your lovely entries for the November Challenge which is "An Explosion Of Colour" the full details of which can be seen in the post here.

November Challenge - An Explosion of Colour

Our November challenge theme is "An Explosion of Colour" so I've gone for this bright and cheery Pendant.  I used a vintage collage image but you could also use one of your own photos. 

Materials
Large Bezel - I used a Bow Bezel
Small bezel
Resin - I used Lisa Pavelka Magic-Gloss, you could also use Glossy Accents
Stickles in a colour which co-ordiantes with your image
Image - use a stock copyright free collage image or photo printed with a laser printer onto smooth paper - not photo paper, or an image from pre-printed paterned paper
Matte or Gloss Medium
Inka Gold Paint in a co-ordinating colour
Bail
2 x Jump rings 
Chain or Ribbon to hang

1.         Print the image to the size you need to fit the large bezel.

2.         Print the image and cut to fit the bezel.  If you are using an oval or round bezel press your nail all round the image to bed it into the edge of the bezel, this will give you the shape to then cout out.  Do not worry if it does not fit perfectly as the stickles will hide any messiness

3.         Glue the image into your bezel and coat it with the medium. 

4.         Squeeze a line of stickles all round the inner rim of your bezel 

5.         Fill your small bezel with a layer of stickles to cover the base. Leave both bezels  to dry - this is best done overnight

6.         Pour resin into your large and small bezels to fill them up.  If using Magic-Gloss place under a UV lamp for 15 minutes.  You may add additional layers if desired to create a dome effect.  If using a two part resin leave to dry overnight.  If using Glossy Accents be very careful about bubbles, if you get any prick them out with a wire or end of a paperclip.  Also if a layer is too thick in Glossy Accents it may not dry so do not use a bezel that is too thick or do it in layers.  Glossy accents will also need overnight to dry

7.         Take the Inka Gold paint and using a piece of Cut n Dry Foam or cosmetic foam, rub a little colour or colours into the bezel.

8.         Attach the bail with a jump ring and thread your ribbon or chain.

9.         Attach the small bezel filled with stickles and resin to the bottom of your pendant and you are done!

To enter our challenge create a piece of work on the theme of "An Explosion of Colour". It could be a card,  a layout, an altered object etc. whatever you like.  Then either:

• 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 Thursday 30 November 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

And a big welcome to any vistors from the UK Scrappers Blog Hop. If you are participating in the UKS blog hop, you may have come here from Fiskarettes . After checking out our project, go to Scrap Paper Scissors to see the next project, and see the thread on UKS HERE to see the full list of links and info on the prizes!