“Christmas Where You Are” Challenge Reminder

What are your favorite holiday traditions? Maybe you celebrate by the sea, maybe it is warm for your holidays, you might enjoy special foods, special events with the kids or how the stockings are hung.  We would love to know more about it and see your creative work that helps to tell the story.  Mandy Leever-Koel lives in the Netherlands and brings a bit of her Christmas to you.  At the end of the post you will find all the details to enter the challenge for a chance to win a great prize.ccb-christmas-challenge-mandy1

Christmas in The Netherlands isn’t that different from Christmas in the rest of the world. The weather can be though. No, it’s not Summer here, like in Australia. It’s Winter, but Dutch winter can be wet just like the Dutch Fall, Summer and Spring. The temperature on the other hand can even be warmer than during Summer.

Just like many, we put up a tree and decorate it. We do have an unspoken rule about when we put it up. Trees go up after ‘Sinterklaas’ has left on December 6. He’s our version of Saint Nick. To be even more precise: your  Santa Claus was derived from our Sinterklaas, when our Dutch ancestors immigrated to America and brought along this celebration!

Decorating the house and tree are very personal here too of course. And ever since I restyled our home about 5 years ago, the traditional reds and greens clash with my shabby chic creamy white and mauve interior. This is why I decided to make this project in colors more suitable for the shabby chic home. I hope you will enjoy it and feel inspired to create something like it yourself!

Material Used:
Mixed Media Origins Collection Paper ‘Winter’s Night’
7Gypsies Trimmings Assorted Pack
Tattered angels Glimmer Glam: ‘Chandelier’
Tattered Angels Glimmermist: Crushed Shells Pink Poodle CrimsonMint Julip Chalkboard Splash Chalkboard French Vanilla – Chalkboard Mist Chalk

Canvas Corp: Burlap Fringe Natural
Canvas Corp: 12 by 12 Canvas Sheet Natural
Canvas Corp: Burlap Sheet Natural 12 by 12
Canvas Corp: Holiday Door Tag Packet

Embroidery hoop ca. 10” wide
Tim Holtz stencil ‘Holiday Knit THS028’
Modeling Paste
13Arts glass filler
One step crackle medium
Battery Operated LED light string
Scrapiniec Chipboard Shape
White Wood Fern Leaves
Wood snowflakes
Transparant plastic snowflakes
Wood reindeer
Skeleton Leave Ivory
Pompom trim
Seastars
White seambinding ribbon
Plastic white glitter leaves
Powdersnow

TOOLS:
spatula – brush- hot gluegun – sciccors – figure scissors – stapler – staples

Step 1
Using scalloped scissors, cut the picture of Santa Claus from the Mixed Media Origins Collection paper ‘Winters’ Night’.

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Step 2
Cut a circle slightly bigger than the embroidery hoop from a piece of natural fabric canvas.

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Step 3
Decide where the piece of 7Gypsies trim will go. I used the upper one from the assorted trim package.
Mix Modelling paste, 13Arts glass filler and Tattered Angels GlimmerGlam ‘Chandelier’, apply mixture through Tim Holtz stencil ‘Holiday Knit’ above the space where the trim will go.…
Move the stencil to the side twice to cover the entire width.

Use the same mixture to cover the outer ring of the embroidery hoop. Add more Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam ‘Chandelier’ once dry.

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Step 4
Once dry, apply more Tattered Angels Glimmer Glam Chandelier over stenciled parts.

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Step 5
Color the image of Santa Claus in desired colors. I used Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Crushed Shells, Chalkboard Splash, Crimson, Chalkboard French Vanilla, Pink Poodle and Glimmer Glam Chandelier. I dried them and then added One Step Crackle medium to the inner part of the picture.
Once that dried, I brushed Prima Marketing Memory Hardware Artisan Powder in the color ‘Vintage Ivory’ into the cracks. I wiped some parts down with a baby wipe, other parts I left untouched to soften the colors a bit. Then I brushed some Glimmer Mist ‘Crushed Shells’ over the picture.

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Step 6
Adhere Canvas Corp burlap trim and 7Gypsies lace trim to bottom half of circle. Spray a little Glimmer Mist ‘Crushed Shells’ to make a little more contrast and to create faux tea stains. It’s a beautiful shade to mimic those stains!

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Step 7
Use a door from the Canvas Corp ‘holiday door tag’ packet, spray a little ‘Crushed Shells’ Glimmer Mist onto the door to age it, and add a layer of one step crackle medium. Once that has dried, spray a little more of the same mist and allow it to seep into the cracks, rub the excess off with a baby wipe. Spray a little more Glimmer Mist ‘Crushed Shells’, Chalkboard ‘Splash’ and ‘Mint Julip’ on the wreath.

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Step 8
Wrap a battery operated string with 20 LED lights around the outer circle of the embroidery hoop, making sure the lights face the outside and don’t get caught in the inner circle. You don’t want to crush them 😉
Attach the fabric canvas circle to the inner hoop. After fidgeting for some time to get everything in, I decided to staple the fabric to the back of the inner circle, making it easier to push it inside the outer hoop.

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Step 9
Mat the image of St. Nick onto a piece of burlap, attach a skeleton leaf to the back (peeking out underneath) and glue the Scrapiniec chipboard embellishment to the top.
Use you glue gun to mimic icicles. (A brilliant hunch I had LOL.) Paint Glimmer Glam ‘Chandelier’ over them once they’re dry. Make them on top of your Santa picture and the door.

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Step 10
Gather your embellishments. As always this is the part where I think “Now I’m almost done!” only to drag around, add, subtract, and think, until I have finally reached a composition to my liking.
Apply the Glimmer Glam ‘Chandelier’ on the wood and plastic snowflakes as well. Sprinkle some fake snow over the entire project while it’s still wet. Splatter Chalkboard ‘Chalk’ over the entire project.
Spray your white seam binding ribbon with Glimmer Mist ‘Crushed Shells’ and Chalkboard ‘French Vanilla’ and attach to ‘screw’ on top of embroidery hoop.

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Add a bit of lace to create the shabby chic look.ccb-christmas-challenge-mandy3

Some celebrate Santa in vintage tones, while other have bright colors and rosy cheeks.  

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We love the touch of fur!!!!
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Add crystals and snow-like product on top of all your art pieces to give the feeling of a wintry mix.

ccb-christmas-challenge-mandy7 ccb-christmas-challenge-mandy5You can escape into a different world through one piece of art and Mandy has done just that as we enter into Christmas in the Netherlands and of Mandy’s home where she shows off her Shabby Chic Style.

To learn more about the contest go to the Contest Post – Christmas Where You Are and check out the great inspirational ideas and think about entering a project that brings us into your holiday world.

To see more of Mandy’s work visit her blog – Less is Bore.

Happy Holiday Creating!!!



About

Canvas Corp Brands is the home of Tattered Angels, 7Gypsies and Canvas Corp (Canvas Home Basics). We are a manufacturer of surfaces, paint and vintage reproductions coming to you from Springdale, Arkansas.


'“Christmas Where You Are” Challenge Reminder' have 4 comments

  1. December 9, 2016 @ 1:32 am Marie Johansson

    Really great project Mandy!

    Reply

  2. December 9, 2016 @ 2:14 pm jean marmo

    wOW – SO MANY LAYERS AND DETAILS!
    JUST GORGEOUS!!

    Reply

  3. December 12, 2016 @ 9:40 am Linda Simpson

    WOW this is gorgeous!
    Hugs
    Linda xxx

    Reply


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This blog is a compilation of inspiration from the Canvas Corp Brands family including Canvas Corp, Tattered Angels and 7Gypsies.