Our Creative Corner - January Challenge - Christmas Leftovers

Hello Everyone!

I'm back today to kick off the new year with the very first Our Creative Corner challenge of 2015!!

With the holidays merely a shadow behind us, my guess is you still have bits of Christmas leftovers stashed everywhere, not to mention bags of Christmas bits meant for the recycle bin. I am a hoarder of all things I think I might get around to using one day, and Holiday bits are no exception! Every closet, drawer and cupboard is overflowing with the little things I collected throughout the holidays. Things I think I might use and things heading to the curb.

Christmas wrapping, gift bags, tinsel, ribbon, gift boxes, tissue paper, Christmas crackers, wine boxes, empty gift wrap rolls, Christmas cookie tins, even the images from the fronts of cards I received...you name, I hoard it! Let's put those bits to good use this month!

With that in mind, for my introductory challenge theme, I have chosen CHRISTMAS LEFTOVERS

I have used some empty gift wrap rolls and the mesh sleeves off of the Christmas dinner wine bottles to make this paint brush organizer for my desk. One randomly drawn entrant this month will receive a prize from our generous sponsor Nicecrane Designs so let's reach into that recycle bin ladies! I can't wait to see what you come up with! 

The dragonfly is an Elizabeth Craft Designs die and I used my distressed metallic / porcelain technique to give it a wonderful mix of colours. I used white, copper, peach and yellow embossing powders as well as UTEE.

I cut the flowers using a Joy Crafts flower die and coloured them with Tim Holtz distress inks Wild Honey, Scattered Straw and Tea Dye. The burlap leaves I cut out by hand and painted with green acrylic paint. The kraft leaves were cut using Spellbinders Foliage die set.

HOW DID I DO THAT ??

- I cut the roll up into sections in increments of 1/2" starting at 2.5" all the way to 5.5".

- I glued all of the pieces together and then coated everything with a THICK layer of my homemade texture paste. While it was still wet I took the mesh and pushed it into the texture paste leaving a wonderful pattern embedded in the paste.

- I applied a layer of  DecoArt Crafter's Acrylic Tan Paint and then I whipped out my Tim Holtz distress sprays! Man I love this stuff! I randomly spritzed some Gathered Twigs, Brushed Corduroy and Walnut Stain here and there and everywhere until I liked how it looked (drying with my heat gun now and again).

- I used some Tan, Antique White and White paints and dabbed all of the raised areas to highlight the texture.

Presto, ready to decorate!

That's it for today. Thank you for stopping in and for all the amazing comments. I read and appreciate every single one! If you have any questions, please let me know.