Santa stop here...... by Julie Dandy

This week I was inspired by T!ms 12 days of Christmas day 4 tag but made it in to a Santa stop here door hanger.

I started by covering my wooden door hanger with Pink Paislee Santas list patterned paper.
I inked it with and then splattered and spritzed on water to give a nice mottled grungey look.

I used Viva decor Inka Gold on the wooden edges which I found easiest to apply with a semi dry baby wipe.

Th ruffle on the bottom is made with pleated tissue tape - I put a piece of double sided tape on to the base first then pleated the tape along it.

My lace was coloured by putting distress stain on to my nonstick craft sheet, adding a little water to soften the colour and squishing the lace in to it until I was happy with the coverage.
I glued it down with Claudine's matte medium.

I ran a piece of acetate through my big shot with the TH snowflake border embossing folder and cut around the snowflakes.
I attached this with a little DST along the edge that would be hidden by my embellishments.

My snowman and snowflakes were cut from grunge board then painted with pearl acrylic paint dabber.
I coated the snowman with Rock Candy crackle glaze and left it to dry thoroughly , when dry I highlighted the cracks with distress inks.
I added the snowflakes with glossy accents and added buttons to the centres.
I tied some scraps of ribbon and fabric round his neck for a scarf and dangled some buttons strung together with jump rings from it, then attached him to the hanger with foam tape to add some dimension.

My little sign was hand written on to the back of an journalling ticket and pinned on with a memo pin

The last thing I did was smear on lashings of Rock Candy distress stickles to give it a lovely sparkly frosty feel.

Have fun,
hugs'n'snogs,
Julie xx

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

Christmas with non-Christmas stamps by Joanne Wardle

You don't always have to buy special Christmas stamps to make your Christmas cards. Sometimes you just have to look at the stamps you have in a different way. This general tree from Stampotique, can easily be made to look wintry with simple colouring, and the addition of white flower soft or glitter. The tiny bird from Jo Capper-Sandon's range can easily be made to look like a robin redbreast with the appropriate colouring

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.