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