Hey, all! Welcome back to my corner!

I have, for my moodboard inspired project, an Advent Calendar using the Tres Jolie Kit Club’s Limited Edition Advent Calendar Kit, the December Scrapbooking Kit, and even some of the paint and glitter from the December Mixed Media Kit!

Now, this project was a rather “hefty” project, and there was more than once I thought about stopping! LOL! But, I recorded my process, so I hope you find it helpful and enjoyable! It did turn into two, longer than I expected, videos though – one for the base, and one for the roof! Check them out!

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Part 1 – the base:

Part 2 – the roof:

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December 2021 Moodboard:

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For my base I created my own “stain” using the silver paint from the mixed media kit, the Distress Oxide from the Advent kit, and some clear gesso. I had to cover (practically) every surface of the calendar with it! I just couldn’t leave anything unfinished! Do you have to? No! The only surfaces I didn’t stain were the drawer fronts and the inside of the back panel of the roof – because they would be getting covered with gel medium and paper! (The measurements for my “stain” are approximately 1/3 cup clear gesso, between 1/4-1/3 of the bottle of silver paint, and 60 full squirts of the Distress Oxide Spray – and yes, I rubbed it in, I didn’t brush it on!)

My drawer fronts are covered in paper from 49 & Market found in this month’s Scrapbooking Kit. I used two sheets of paper, and probably close to 2/3rds of the package of rub-on’s! (To make sure your paper(s) are centered, work from the center out!) At the bottom edge of the bottom row of drawers and the top edge of the top row, I added some of the Snow Glitter to “fill-in” the small gaps since the drawer fronts, when all together, are slightly larger than 12 inches. After the rub-on’s, and before the snow, I sprayed four layers of Krylon Matte Finish for some extra protection.

After the gel medium I used to attach the papers dried fully, I just started layering the rub-on’s (before the snow glitter). In the center of the Advent I added the large die cut wreath and roses from the paper pack and then came in with a few of the rub-on poinsettias. My “knobs” are Tim Holtz Hitch Fasteners (I pre-drilled my holes!) and, using jump rings, I hung the Tim Holtz Number Tokens that can be found in the Advent Kit.

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Once I saw the watercolor tree paper I knew it belonged in the roof! It really shaped how the rest of my Advent Calendar came about. If you look closely at the trees, you can see where the pattern starts it’s repeat, I made that specific tree the center of my background. With careful cutting and placement, the seam is practically invisible – especially with the “distraction” of all the other trees in the top!

I used a variety of Distress Crayons to add color to my trees and deer, I didn’t want to paint them, and I didn’t want to stain them – watery liquids will follow your wood grain and I wanted more control without having to seal the wood first and I still wanted the wood grain to show. The Distress Crayons gave me that control! I could control where my colors went and rub them in to still show the grain! (My deer and trees were also coated with the matte spray so the “snow” wouldn’t activate the water-reactive Crayons)

If you watch the video, you will see that I “dye” my deer and trees before I ever add the crayons. I did this for a couple of reasons – 1) The color of the wood can effect the colors placed on top – like the difference of what happens when you use white or black gesso and 2) I rarely know exactly what I am going to be doing so I like to “be prepared”!

In addition to the Glitter Snow in the kit, I made my own snow paste! I just had to have snow everywhere!! I didn’t even mind the snow on the legs of the deer! Why? Have you ever walked through snow? That stuff will stick to you and I think it helps add to the illusion of movement – like the deer were really walking through.

I also added some white bottle brush trees from my stash and a small string of lights inside the roof. On the front panel, I had to add more snow! I finished drawing the snow mounds across, laid down a layer of white gesso, then added my snow pastes!

For my roof I wanted snow, but I also wanted the shingles to show – so I compromised using a stencil! After I stained my roof I added a few coats of sealer in hopes the pastes wouldn’t break through and absorb the stain. It worked – mostly! I added my stenciling to the roof, then the roof peak so I could blend it into the stenciling and while the paste was still wet, I added glitter.

Thank-you for joining me here in my corner! I hope you enjoyed this project and it gave you some ideas of what you can do using the Advent Calendar Kit and the Scrapbooking Kit!

Stay Crafty, Friends!

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In addition to the Advent Calendar Kit and the December Scrapbooking & Mixed Media Kits (*from previous Tres Jolie Kits), I used:

*Lindy’s Gang “Sidewalk Chalk” Flat Fabio Spray; *Cosmic Shimmer Crackle Paste “Frosted Aqua;” *Tres Jolie Crackle Medium; TCW Light & Fluffy Modeling Paste; Ranger/Tim Holtz “Speckled Egg” Distress Paint, Distress Crayons: “Tree Lot,” “Iced Spruce,” “Snow Flurries,” “Empty Tomb,” “Crooked Broomstick,” “Old Paper,” “Wild Honey,” “Scattered Straw,” “Tea Dye,” “Black Soot,” “Speckled Egg,” “Frosted Juniper,” & “Weathered Wood;” Ranger Brayer; idea-ology/Tim Holtz Hitch Fastners; Prima/Finnabair Heavy White Gesso, “Bindweed Wallpaper” Stencil; Liquitex: Clear Gesso, Matte Gel, Gloss Super Heavy Gel, and Acrylic Inks: “Titanium White,” “Naphthol Crimson,” “Yellow Medium Azo,” & “Phthalocyanine Blue;” Krylon Workable Fixatif & Matte Finish; Daler Rowney White Gesso; 4mm & 8mm jump rings; foam snow; JoAnn’s Makers Holiday Littles White Bottle Brush Trees; Gorilla Wood Glue, double sided tape; Scotch Tape; E6000; Starry Lights: Warm White