A New Month... A New Challenge...

...Cor blimey and thrice alive already! Who did it... go on, own up... it wasn't you was it... fast forwarded November and made it December already!! I say it every month but... time seems to be going a whole lot faster than it used to and I know you are going to say it is an "age" thing... but it can't be because I am only 24 *see Hels' nose grown very long* Anyways... enough waffling about time and all that... because... being as it is the first of the month, it means it is time to announce a fresh new challenge over on The Artistic Stamper Creative Team blog. This month we are focussing on all thing Christmas... a doddle of a challenge at this time of year yah? All the deets on how to join in are HERE and, as ever, there's a prize up for grabs for one lucky entrant.




So... another ickle snippet of info... during December for every order placed at The Artistic Stamper you will receive a little pressie... which is THESE fab stamps. I have used them on my entry for this months challenge... and here's how I made it: The frame is one of those really expensive (ahem) ones that come in a three pack from the Swedish Furniture Shop. Painted with Pitch Black Dabber and then sanded back in patches to show the wood again... which was then blended over with Gathered Twigs DI. (I know, I shouldn't have favourites but I can't help it... Gathered Twigs is my all time FAVE brown from the Distress Range... poor old Vintage Photo has been cast aside and can be heard, sobbing quietly to itself)



The insert for the frame is manila cardstock... I stamped the icicles using Snow Cap Dabber, rubbed Weathered Wood Stain all over the card, sploshed some water onto it and held the card up while I dried it so the water went into rivulets (cool word!) Then, I used Faded Jeans Stains to add some ink to the snowflake background, spritzed Forever Blue Perfect Pearls Mists onto my craft sheet, dipped the stamp into this and then stamped onto the card... ooolalala... I love the splashy look of the snowflakes. Then... I used Biscoti Perfect Pearls Mists, spritzed right along the top of the card and held it up again... more rivulets which I dried with the heat tool... and here's the pic before I added decoration to it.




I used lots of Alterations dies to make the embellies... starting with the Vintage Noel... which I cut from manila card, I pounced a Silver Dabber over the word and then used Silver UTEE to emboss it. I used a Jet Black StaZon and a bit of Cut & Dry foam to apply a smidge of black around the edges, just to age it and make it more of a pewter colour. The Tattered Pine Cones had lots of Picket Fence Stickles slapped onto them and the leaves had Rock Candy Stickles spread onto them. Finally, I added the little leaping reindeer, he is an Idea-ology charm, he was coloured with Caramel Alcohol Ink and popped into a Memo Pin... now, it could just be me but... I think that with his little loop on his back, he looks like a carousel pony... mmmm, just me then? lol




SO!!! Tis December 1st... and... that means... 12 Tag of Christmas time again. If you haven't heard about this amazing event, HERE are all the deets on Tim Holtz's blog... I wonder what amazingness he will dream up this year? Whatever it is, I am sure that everyone will be whipped up into a frenzy! Right, time for me to go and camp outside Tim's blog and wait for that first tag to make its debut... I heard a few whispers that it could be either 7am or 8am UK time... ohlalalaaaa, I better get a few zeds in before then then... (then then??? What an amazing command of the English language I have.....) Thanks for looking... have a great day! TTFN

Hels x