Bah Humbug

Hello everyone.  Today I am ssssoooo excited as I am to be a Guest Designer for Country View Crafts December challenge with this project being featured on their blog: Country View Challenges

This is the very first time I have ever been asked to present my work as a designer and I am a little bit scared and very excited both at the same time.  I hope you feel it is good enough, I have loved making this project so please enjoy.

Bah humbug

"Santa Has The Right Idea... Visit People Once A Year" lol.   

This is a top hat, which I bought specially to alter for this project.  I started by stamping a Stampotique stamp Blah Blah Blah onto some Graphic 45 6x6 paper from the French Country collection.  I then cut them into 1/2 strips then made a paper chain, the kind we used to make at primary school when we were kids.  My very own Scrooge is Gooseneck from Stampotique who was stamped onto grungeboard from Tim Holtz.  I then made her a party skirt from Graphic 45 6x6 pad from the Steampunk Spells collection.  These were layered together and the blue black embroidery thread was threaded through and tied in a bow at the front.

The flowers are I Am Roses and the snowballs are wooden beads, which I painted white with gesso.  I then used glitter ModPodge and some white glitter.  I got my hands all covered in glue and glitter; crafting nirvana haha.

The wee guy in front is Smile also from Stampotique and I stamped him onto grungeboard too.  He is my special Tiny Tim, but with a Santa hat, Stickles heart and clearly not very poorly lol, too much turkey!

I then raided my stash and found these holly chipboard leaves from last year and some red jingle bells. Using a darning needle I untied the knots on the bells threads then threaded them through the hat before tying a knot again to secure.  The Merry Christmas was a freebie sticker, which came with supplies I bought last year and I then added some Stickles onto it in Christmas Red.

The snow flake is also another freebie sticker.  The wee book I made using Graphic 45 paper from last Christmas's collection Nutcracker Sweet adding some red glitter string and secured onto a bauble, which is one of three adhered to the top hat.

On this side I used some more Tim Holtz grungeboard, this time hinges, which I have secured together and onto the top hat using some screw brads, which I blackened using a PITT big brush pen.  I hope this looks like a lamppost as this what what I was aiming for.  

I then made a sign using more Graphic 45 paper and some of the alphabet stickers from their recent collection Steampunk Spells.  These I added to black card stock then adhered onto the sign.  I find it difficult to throw anything away and have scraps galore so I racked out some used wire, which I had snipped off some flowers and had kept just in case haha, and then tied the sign to the grungeboard.  I coloured the grungeboard using my black PITT big brush pen.

To finish it all off I used my sticky, glittery fingers and paint brush smearing all over the top hat, which I think has come out absolutely perfect, evidence there is no mistakes in crafting, just knowing what to keep and what to throw away!  

The words on the top hat I wrote using a white pen and creating a fold at the bottom I pinned them using basic sewing pins to enable them to stand upright.  

As I said this project has been so much fun and it will adorn my Christmas dining tablet as my centrepiece.  

Why don't you hop over to see many more wonderful and inspirational projects.