We blog, we bake.
We craft, we create.

Monday 31 December 2012

The Last Day In December - It Must Be Challenge End Day

Hello there, after a few shaky moments we have come up with a creation for our Christmas Carol challenge. We were all unwell over Christmas and had the dreaded bug, we think our Christmas visitors - who, incidentally, haven't left yet- brought a street-bear bug with them.
I (Horace) decided to brave the craft stash, and try to create something. After all, it's a bit much if you post a challenge hoping others will join in, then neglect to make something yourself, isn't it?
Talking of people joining in, before I show you my creation, I'd like to thank Lauren who posted her piece super-quick in order to join in with us, and AJ who took time out of her Yule celebrations to join in with us. Also, thank you to Ike for her contribution to our challenge.

We love your creations, and we really appreciate the fact that you took time out of your busy schedules to join in with the fun.

If anyone has a last minute entry please feel free to post a link and we'll add it to our list.

Onto my disastrous attempt....I think my mood was a little dark initially, as my first attempt produced this awful piece..




Which I scrunched up and deposited in our furry bin! Next I decided I would be a little creative, and made this....




Which I thought I could link to the Christmas Carol challenge by the fact that it was made entirely with our new 'Christmas presents'!!!!!!

But finally I decided I should make one last effort (just call me Horace the Brave for my valiant efforts despite my malaise).

Before beginning my task, I fortified myself with my favourite snack of Pom Bears.




Then I set to using the bears' Sizzix, which was our lovely Christmas present.




I die cut some corrugated card hearts, which I sanded, then stained with Tim Holtz seasonal distress stains, to match my stained background page.




I used a few stamps and inks




Which were stamped in my own inimitable way




To produce this.








I deviated slightly from Scrooge's quote, to fit in with my journal theme, which was basically the wish that the so called spirit of love and generosity associated with Christmas could be applied to the rest of the year. Wouldn't the world be a nice place if it was?




Scrooge's ledgers feature as a border, to link back further to the challenge. The Christmas tree links with Scrooge's intention to honour Christmas, and the inked hearts because I, Horace, believe that there should be more love in the world. The quote was chosen because it illustrates the theme of love and generosity, as suggested in the initial challenge.

I've yet to adhere my hearts to the page. I decided to try out a crackle glaze effect, which I think should have been attempted on something other than inked card, as one it isn't drying, and two it just looks like gluey blobs. Ah well, art is all about ex'bear'imenting, isn't it?

Hopefully the bears will be back to their usual furry selves soon, in the meantime, bear (did you see what I did there?) with us while we sit in bed and feel sorry for ourselves.

I even look ill, don't I? My fur is a funny colour!




With love from the bears.

5 comments:

  1. I love your pages, Horace... and I'm so, so sorry not to have joined in. Like you I've been struck down (with, I think, two separate bugs almost simultaneously - I was already fully in the grip of one, and then I'm pretty sure got a whole new one from my snuffly nephew... like a Perfect Storm combination of bugs)... and I've struggled to do anything more than sit in front of the Christmas tree all wrapped up. Have been at the craft table in the last couple of days - but it was all DT obligations. PROMISE to play January!! Hope we all feel better soon...
    Alison xx

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  2. I'm sorry to hear that you're still not 100 per cent better. I think you did excellently to produce anything at all, let alone something as good as this!

    I love the backgrounds you put on your pages and I'd like to see some lessons on that next year when you are feeling well again.

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  3. I like all of your entries! Hope the bears are feeling better soon xx

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  4. And I too was going to join in Bears - I had already printed out loads of copies of A Christmas Carol in miniature, ready to use in my Bear Christmas Carol Scene. Then I realised that ALL of my making things are now in the Czech Republic waiting to be used on houses going into my Dolls House Museum there and I have absolutely nothing here....

    And I wouldn't dare touch butterfly's stash of course....

    A very happy and healthy New Year to all of you :-)

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  5. OH.... POM BEARS !!!! My daughter used to eat tons of them when she was younger... I haven't seen them for years !!! LOL
    Sorry you is still sickly.............. so am I ...cough, hack, wheeze !!!!
    xxx

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