To All My Lovely Friends (plus Advent House done)

To those of you who saw my previous post regarding Lotta - she is making some improvement - just heard from her Grannie that she is out of intensive care - thank you so very very much for all the prayers.  I do believe in the power of prayer.

Yes, at last, the Advent House is finished.  Typical "S" Law - the buttons arrived yesterday so I have used some of them but not all. Moved a couple of things around so I could use some.  Now want to make another one - wonder if Andy and Sam would like one next year?

So here are my last windows:

Number 20 has a Distress Background spritzed with water to give those lovely dots (managed to stamp a candle so a big dot surrounded the flame).

Number 21 is Wrinkle Free Distress with the Bandana technique and my lovely Santa in a sleigh which is another Jo one.  (Check her blog for some candy)

22 - is Resist and there's one of my new buttons - a cute penguin.

23 - Shattered Glass for this one with the third German Mouse musician.

24 - Brayered background and the number from a peg which I got in Germany.

Got to show you one or two changes since my buttons arrived (hope I am not boring you)

She replaced the caroller

This window was looking bare

These cuties took over from the little angel

This needed something - candy canes anyone?

This was looking bare

And now the whole thing - you will see I did manage to put some of my new buttons in and I moved one or two things (angel and caroller) to another slot.  I love my little Santa in the chimney (thanks to the German market) which him indoors was not sure about but now thinks it is "perfick".

Some close up views (although you can click on the pictures and get a bigger one in another window)

Still got to make a Christmas card for my son and dil and one for the better half.  Got to ice Andy's and Sam's cake as well (we will just leave ours a plain fruit cake I think), make some decorations for the table for tomorrow but all presents wrapped up, cards displayed at last and I am sure there will be other things (like finish my Timmie Tags), yap on the phone etc.

Well, it's almost here so I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Thank you so much to all of you who have left comments over the year, they mean so much - and a special big thank you to all my lovely followers.  It warms my heart to see when someone has linked to me.  May you all stay safe and well, I love you all.

More Advent House Windows

Have been busy playing catch up with the Advent House and using some of the tiny decorations I brought back from Germany.  I do prefer the flat wooden ones Jo got me but as I didn't find any, and as my order of buttons has no chance of arriving, I have used what I got.  We left the last posting at 14 so here is the next one:

The background is Heated Pearls

You cannot really see this background technique - it is the one Tim Holtz featured on his Tags this year where he used a piece of clear packaging material.  It does look good in real life - shame it does not show up here at 16.

This one has a UTEE background which has been stamped into.  it really is a lovely background and I am so peeved it does not show up. The little bird is stamped on a travel domino.

This one is metal embossed with the Winter House folder.

This final one for today is Serendipity

Now, before you leave check out the Blog Candy that is shown in my sidebar - Lin (LB Crafts Lin) is offering a stash of Tim Holtz Goodies. You can either click on her name above or on the candy picture on my sidebar.

Next - some more blog candy.  Angeldrummer (Victoria) is offering three stamps from her sponsor so you must pop along and join in. Just click on the name above and you will get to her blog.

Finally, I want you all to include a little girl in your prayers tonight (and during the day if you can spare a minute).  She is the grand-daughter of a friend of mine and she is in intensive care at the moment.  Her name is Lotta and I am sure the big guy upstairs will respond to our prayers so please, spare a moment to ask for her to be out of danger and back home with her mummy and daddy as soon as possible.

Thanks!

WOYWW

Well, to be honest all that is on my workdesk today is my Advent House.  Windows done up to yesterday, the 14th and, because I am busy looking for more wooden figures to put inside, I am hoping someone will upload me to the wonderful Ms Dunnit's blog so that I can take part before I head back home.

The figures Jo got me in Lunenburg were fabulous (my favourite is the Santa I added to window 5 (which is why I have uploaded it again) and so here I am in Dusseldorf seeing if I can get any more.  If my quest fails I have ordered some over the internet but as I had to send a cheque and they say orders can take 10 days to process I don't hold out much hope of getting them in time.  Check out the wonderful laser cut buttons they do anyway - be warned you will find you NEED some - http://www.customlaser.co.uk  Enough chatter - here are my windows to date:

Number nine was the Spatter Technique (I use an old toothbrush) and I added Cinderella's Golden Slipper to the window.

Ten was Twinkling H2o's on Mulbery paper and the little angel was a button which I placed on a travel domino.

Number 11 was Dry Embossing (recognise the Swiss Dots Folder) and here is another of Jo's little gifts to me.  Isn't that a lovely little tree?

Twelve was my son's favourite when he came yesterday.  Shooting stars which I covered with Rock Candy to make them glisten.  The background is where you crumple paper and then smoosh an inkpad over, recrumple and then put another over and then iron afterwards (encaustic iron obviously).

Thirteen is a bit dark.  You might just about be able to see the number - it is the Joseph's Coat technique and I was surprised at how good my brayering was.  Thought I couldn't brayer but did well with this.  Another of Jo's little figures.

One of my favourite techniques - Caught in Crystal.  Just used a buckle and put one of those sticky dome things over the number for the dimensional bit on this one.

And now for a repeat of number 5 from last post but this time with the Santa on - isn't he just great?

Hope you are enjoying the windows - also that I get some good wooden figures for the other windows.

Done Up To Number Eight

Yesterday I finished off compartment number 8 in my Advent House which has been the Project I have whittled on about.  Until I got the front of the House ready I did not want to upload it and yesterday Jo's parcel arrived with some tiny wooden decorations in which I can now add to what I had managed to find myself.  The ones Jo sent me are gorgeous - thanks Jo - what it is to have a friend like her.

It was Jo who first reminded me that I had this Tiddlywinks Kit perched high on a shelf (for the past two years) waiting to be assembled as she had found one done by the creative Lucy Edmondson.  Jo had downloaded a picture of Lucy's Advent House and was showing it to a group of us at Vicky Stampers because we are also in Katy's Corner along with Lucy.  Lucy has done a terrific job, not a clue where she managed to get all the tiny things she has included in hers but I decided that I did not want to look at it and be influenced by what she had done.  So I have kept away but will Google her and find it so that I can give you the link.

Back to mine - first of all I painted it with cream acrylic paint, smudged it with Rusty Hinge and my Gold Dabber, then assembled it. Next I cut small rectangles to fit in all the compartments from various pieces of Christmas paper just to fill it up and stop it looking so bare.  The idea I had was to do a different technique in each one but I don't know if I will come up with 24 of them.

Anyway, here it is:

Behind the laser cuts at the top I have put a piece of acrylic which has been dabbed with Alcohol Inks so that when I put the flickering candles (battery operated) it will shine through like a stainglass window.  Because you can see the little notches where the pieces slot into one another I decided that a bit of Metalwork was the order of the day.  

Two borders later, a bit of Alcohol Ink to tone it down and that was done.  A bit more laser cut stuff on the front, some Shrinking Plastic on the chimney and it was ready to start being decorated.

Day 1 - Just a plain stamped background with some pieces stuck over to represent a window pane.  The little girl and her cat is a wooden button that I happened to have (the number 1 covers the holes) and I sat it on a travel domino rug.  (These rectangles are approximately 1 1/2" x 1 3/4" - quite minute)

Day 2 - (sorry about the blurred image - taken 3 times - gave up) is a "bubble" background with some snowflakes stamped on.  The card with the number on has just some hand drawn holly on and one of those bubble things over the stamped number.

Day 3 - is an Alcohol Inked background with a stag stamped on and a die cut number.  It might have something else put inside the compartment at a later date depending on how many things I can get that are small enough.

Day 4 - Perfect Pearls over a Versamark stamped image and a tag for the number today.  Again a diecut number.

Day 5 - just some gold embossing - both for the holly down the side and the number.  I thought a bit of colour was needed so used my gel pens to colour the holly in a little.

Day 6 - shows a marbled background - you know the kind with shaving foam and reinkers.  The number is a style-stone I have had lying about for ages, thought it rather an appropriate subject for this project.

Day 7 - Alcohol Inks on acetate (Lettuce & Butterscotch).  Some behind the birdcage and some in the back of the compartment.  The stamp used says "peace as fragile ..." and the number is one of those that has clear gel over it.

Day 8 - the last one for the moment - is a Distress Ink background (Rusty Hinge and Tumbled Glass) and I have used a little bell I had with a diecut number on it.

That's it for the time being.  Now to decide what to do with those goodies Jo sent me and think up some more backgrounds.  Will post in about a week with the next ones.

Am now including it in the Christmas Countdown Challenge on Created By Hand Challenge Blog thanks to Robyn.

Don't forget to check out Lucy's gorgeous Advent House and whilst you are there look at her other amazing work.