Peace to All

Hello friends,

Here we are only a few days to Christmas!

I just wanted to pop in to share a quick make using the idea-ology Reliquary Dome and a lot of things I had out on my work table!

Here are the basic steps:

1. Paint the cork base with white paint.

2. Once dry, cut a strip of Backdrop paper the same size as the cork (I used two strips and pieced them together). Use Collage Medium to adhere the paper strips, clipping the paper at the rounded corners and over lapping the paper just a bit. This is an easy way to make paper wrap around a rounded surface. 

3. Spray two Alpine trees with Bundled Sage Distress Spray Stain. Dry with heat tool then cut off the base and wire with wire cutters so the trees sit flat. Use hot glue to secure the trees to the cork base.

4. Paint a small Salvaged Snowman with Distress Paint. Let paint dry completely, then give him a wash of Walnut Stain Distress Crayon with a soft paint brush to bring out the details. Dry with heat tool. Use your finger to add spots of Glossy Accents on his hat and sides. Sprinkle a mix of Rock Candy and Chunky Rock Candy. Once dry, use Collage Medium to add him to the cork base.

5. Decorate the trees with Baubles and tinsel. Really anything you have on hand. I used Baubles left over from another project and the piece of tinsel was on my desk. I'm not even sure where it came from!

6. Use a sharp awl to dig out a small hole in the cork. Make the sign using a label and clippings from the 2025 Sticker Book. Hot glue a stick into the hole. Once secure, add the label to the signpost. NOTE: I did add a piece of heavy watercolor paper to the back of the label to give it strength.

7. Pull small pieces of cotton batting and add to the cork base with Collage Medium. Add more Collage Medium or Glossy Accents to the batting, then lightly sprinkle the Rock Candy mix over the top.

8. Use Collage Medium to add Confections that have been previously covered with Rock Candy.

Here you can see the back of the project. I want to talk about the candy cane pole the was added exactly the same way the signpost was added. The pole is made from a wooden stick meant for candy making. The stick comes with the ball at the top. I just had to cut the stick to the right size. I painted it white and gold, then wrapped skinny red tape around the pole to create the candy cane stripe. The gold "string" is a metallic floss found a Hobby Lobby in the embroidery floss section. I made the pole for a kit in 2024 and this was my original sample that I saved. Lucky me!

Detail Shots

Here is what the cork base looks like when the paper is clipped to round the corner.

The signpost  - the small hole you will need to dig out of the cork will be covered by the cotton batting.

The snowman with his touches of Rock Candy.

And the candy cane pole made from a candy stick.

I love this project because I was able to finish it in one morning! That was because I had many of the pieces already in my stash of Christmas, that I had prepared earlier or leftover from another project. Now that is my kind of crafting!

Now carry on,

paula

Baby It's Cold Outside!

Hi Everyone,

Popping in with a fun Christmas project today.  I can't stop painting Salvaged Snowmen so I decided I better start making a few projects to use them on!
I have used a Mini Etcetera Tag to create my little Christmas scene.  Follow along and I'll give you a few tips on how I made it.

(click on picture to enlarge)

As I said, I used a Mini Etcetera Tag as the substrate.  I love this size and the fact that you get four in one pack.

I covered the tag with one of my favorite papers from the Christmas Paper Stash.  I also added a coat of Collage Medium over the top of the paper as well to seal it.

While that is drying, I cut a piece of packaging plastic and gather some supplies.  Grit-Paste, a palette knife and the Snowcap Layering Stencil.

I placed the plastic under the stencil and added the Grit-Paste in a rough manner.

So that when you remove the stencil it looks like snow!  Now to set aside to dry.

While the Grit-Paste is drying, I used the Sizzix Oval Framelit to cut two pieces - one thin chipboard, one woodgrain paper from the Christmas pad.

 I sandwiched them together with Collage Medium.

 Then for a very subtle look, I used Texture Paste - Transparent for the stars.  Once dry the glue will be transparent and only the Rock Candy will show.

I used Distress Crayon on the outside edges of the tag and added the center oval with Foam Squares from Scrapbook Adhesives.

The ledge was created by sandwiching two Ruler Pieces together (I cut them to size individually first) and using Collage Medium to set it in place.  Worked like a charm!
I also cut out the snowcap I created earlier and added it to the front of the ledge with Collage Medium.
One thing you won't notice in the picture is that I sanded off a bit of the snowman's booty so he sits flat against the back.  I used a face mask since he's made of resin and just rubbed it back and forth over the sand paper a few times.  This also helped him to fit on the narrow ledge much better.

This is a much better shot of the center.  The ledge and the snowman are securely attached.  I used some twigs from the garden to create a little scene in the back.  White paint on the trees give them the appearance of snow.  A little added Collage Medium so Rock Candy Glitter could be added.
I colored the Story Stick with Mowed Lawn Distress Crayon and added it to the scene with a Foam Square that had been trimmed.

I used a small brush to add the Distress Paint colors to the Snowman (Candied Apple, Black Soot and Evergreen Bough) and then let him dry.  I scribbled a bit of Walnut Stain Distress Crayon on my craft sheet and picked it up with a damp paint brush so I could paint it over the body to age it.
Once dry I added Glossy Accents over the top and sprayed Clear Rock Candy over the body using my Glitter Duster!

I created the "snow" for the ledge using my scratch tool and a small pieces of Warm and Natural (cotton batting sold in fabric stores).  Cut small pieces and scratch over it till it shreds and becomes fluffy.  Add the glue to the surface and then place the "snow" over it.  I have also added wisps to the twigs and used my Craft Pick to push it into the tiny tree.

I love this little tag - it would be an easy gift to make for a friend or neighbor and since the tags come in 4's and the snowmen come in 2's it's easy to create more than one.  I tell you once you paint the Salvaged Snowman you just want to paint another! 

(click to enlarge picture)

Now carry on,

paula