I Believe In Santa....

Hello friends and Happy Monday!

Today, we have a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge and this week's theme is all about TREES! So, with Christmas approaching quicker than you can blink an eye, I thought it would be the ideal time to share this project that I made using some of the new Christmas dies from Tim Holtz and Sizzix! If you want to see the entire release, which is available now from SSS, then don't forget you can catch up with Tim's YouTube live, where you'll also be able see all the amazing projects from the makers... just click HERE!

So back to my home decor make and I created a hanging framed panel, and on this project I'm showcasing plenty of trees, because that fabulous Woodland Santa (which is definitely my favourite Santa die that Tim Holtz has ever bought to us), is loaded up with a sack full of treats and that gorgeous Christmas tree over his shoulder, and is getting himself ready for Christmas, by walking through a winter wonderland packed full of Tall Pines.

So let's get started and here's how I created this piece...

To make it easier, I'm going to break this down into sections so that it's easy to follow and I'll start with the frame.

FRAME

For this I used the large sized Framed Panel which comes in two separate pieces ~ the backboard and the wooden frame itself. I painted both pieces with white gesso before then painting them with a blend of Picket Fence and Antique Linen Distress Paints. This creates a really soft white colour, which I find isn't as stark as plain white and creates more of a soft, vintage feel.

Once both pieces were dry, I then applied some Crackle Paste around the wooden frame, adding it to random areas, not all over.

When the paste has crackled, I used Walnut Stain Distress Crayon over the top, blending out any harsh lines of colour with a damp finger or a damp paintbrush and just allowing the crayon to accentuate the cracks.

Setting the frame aside, I started creating the background...

BACKGROUND

After cutting a panel of Mixed Media Heavystock card, slightly larger than the aperture of the frame, I spritzed it lightly with water before applying the sprays. I used a combination of Antique Linen, Evergreen Bough, Tumbled Glass and Speckled Egg and also added a touch of Speckled Egg Oxide Spray into the mix.

Spritz the card once more to blend the colours and then heat dry.

Once the panel is thoroughly dry, I added the snowflakes and for this I used two stamps, the sparkles from Christmas Magic and the dots of flakes from The Poinsettia stamp set, both by Tim Holtz. I stamped the sparkles first, using clear embossing ink and adding them along the top of the panel and then I heat embossed them with white embossing powder. I then stamped the dots beneath the sparkles, again in clear ink and again, embossing them in white.

With the panel complete, I attached it to my backboard using Matte Collage Medium and then placed the frame over the top, again using Matte Collage Medium to adhere it. I would recommend clamping the frame until the medium dries, I usually use bulldog clips for this and clip them right the way around.

When the frame is dry, I added my hooks to the top for the chain. I used 2 Screw Eye fastenings from the Vignette Findings set and just screwed them into the wood before fixing my chain to each fastening.

CREATING THE SCENE

Starting with the snow hills, these are cut using one of Tim's older dies, Home for the Holidays and I cut the hills from Distress Watercolor Card, cutting enough to fit across the bottom of my frame. I then arranged them, attaching the first layer directly onto the background and then attaching the remaining layers with foam pads to add different heights and slightly offsetting each die cut so they create the snowcapped peaks.

TREES

For the trees, I inked up some more of the Mixed Media Heavystock card, using Evergreen Bough, Rustic Wilderness, Peeled Paint and Bundled Sage. Just as I did for the background, I spritzed the colour onto the card and after a light mist of water, the colours blended to create just the right tone for the trees. I then die cut two separate images of the Tall Pines and inked the edges with a little Forest Moss.

For the tiny flakes that are on the trees, I used the same stamp from The Poinsettia set and stamped this in clear ink, before heat embossing in white.

I then attached my trees to the background with various depths of foam pads, cutting some of the trees into sections so that I could arrange them across the framed panel.

For the frosty finish, I smeared a small amount of Collage Medium over the surface of each tree and then tapped away the excess.

SANTA

Now for the star of the show, Santa and his woodland tree...

As many of you know, Woodland Santa is part of the Colorize collection of Time Holtz dies by Sizzix and you can make him in any colourway you choose, but I wanted him in his traditional red suit for this particular piece!

I cut all my red sections from the warm set of Kraft Stock card, his eyes, shoes and belt is from Blackout kraft stock and all the white pieces are cut from Distress Watercolour Card. Finally, I used Metallic Kraft card for his belt buckle and buttons.

For his face, I inked a piece of card with Spun Sugar, and then cut the elements from this.

I then assembled Santa, adding some grey highlights to his beard, using Polychromos Pencils.

For his sack, I inked some of the watercolour card with Frayed Burlap, Gathered Twigs and Walnut Stain Distress Inks, and spritzed the inks with water to blend them before cutting the pieces to assemble together to make the sack.

The main section of the tree is cut from card inked with Peeled Paint and Forest Moss Spray Stains and the bough is made from the same card as I used for his sack.

Finally I cut the white snowy pieces for the tree, which I attached with matte Collage Medium and then glittered with Rock Candy Dry Glitter, sprinkled over some Glossy Accents.

Place Santa in the centre of the frame using foam pads.

ICY SNOW CAPPED HILLS

For the icy, snowy hills, I used Mica Flakes for some added texture and sparkle. I smeared some Glossy Accents over the surface of the die cut hills and then sprinkled the Mica Flakes over the top. Set aside to dry and if you need more Mica, just repeat until you have the coverage you desire.

To complete the scene I attached a few baubles.

HANGING PLAQUE

For this I used an offcut of wood that I had from a Vignette Divided Box that actually arrived damaged and shattered into pieces but it was one of those things and I knew it could eventually be used for something. I used the long side of the box and painted it with White Gesso but if you haven't got wood offcuts, then you can used mount board, chipboard or offcuts of cardboard boxes, it will all create the same effect in the end.

Once the gesso was dry, I applied a good coverage of Crackle Paste over the top, set this to one side to dry...

...and whilst this was happening, I cut my letters using the Bold Alphanumeric Die Set, spelling out BELIEVE. I cut them once from gold metallic kraft stock and twice from blackout card. I then layered the letters to create thick chipboard style lettering, slightly offsetting the black layer over the gold layer to create a shadow. Attach the letters to the crackled plaque with Matte Collage Medium.

Finally, I added some foliage pieces to either side of the lettering. I cut a selection of holly leaves from the Festive Bouquet Thinlits Die set and then arranged them on either side, completing them with berries in the centre and some Mica Flakes sprinkled over the top.

To attach the hanging plaque, I used Screw Eyes in both the frame and the Believe plaque and then linked them with chain.

So, that completes this make for this week's challenge and I hope you've been inspired by it...it's such a fun piece and would look perfect hanging on the door or in a child's bedroom, or in a big kid's room because obviously Santa visits everyone, whatever their age!

...as always, if you make anything, or been inspired by anything that you've seen here on my blog ~ then please, let me know by tagging me on social media or leaving a comment here and I will be right over to take a look!

Don't forget that every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $25 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp and you can join in up to 5 times, which means you could have 5 chances to win. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....

Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today ~ stay safe and keep well.

Love Emma xxx

Recipe for project:

Stampers Anonymous: Christmas Magic, The Poinsettia

Sizzix: Woodland Santa, Tall Pines, Festive Bouquet, Bold Alphanumeric

Distress Ink: Walnut Stain, Forest Moss

Distress Spray Stain: Rustic Wilderness, Peeled Paint, Bundled Sage, Spun Sugar, Antique Linen, Evergreen Bough, Tumbled Glass and Speckled Egg 

Oxide Spray: Speckled Egg

Distress Crayon: Walnut Stain

Distress Paint: Picket Fence, Antique Linen

Tim Holtz Idea-ology: Vignette Hardware Findings

Mediums: Matte Collage Medium, Crackle Paste, Rock Candy Dry Glitter, Mica Flakes, Glossy Accents, White Embossing Powder, Clear Embossing Ink

Surfaces: Framed Panel, Warm Kraft Stock, Black Kraft Stock, Metallic Kraft Stash

Glass Media Mat

Heat Gun

Sizzix Big Shot Die Cutting Machine

Chain from my own stash