Winter Magic- A Vintage Journey, December 2016 Challenge

HI Everyone and Welcome
Hope you've all doing good and have had a great week. With Winter now upon us I hope you will be able to join us in our new Challenge over at A Vintage Journey which is just perfect for the season. Debs is our host this time and she has chosen
Winter Magic
'For us in the Northern Hemisphere December brings the start of Winter is so much more than that and so we ask , how would you interpret the magic of Winter? Snow, Icicles, colours of blue, silver and white, the festivities of Christmas, misty winter landscapes: show us what your magical focus is for this season .As always we ask that you follow our travelling instructions and that your project be created in a vintage, shabby, mixed media, art journaling,industrial or steampunk style .'

As always there will be one lucky winner who will receive our sponsors prize which this month is a £20 voucher to spend at Country View Crafts.
The Creative Guides will also choose 3 pinworthy winners who will not only win a pinworthy badge to display on their blog but will also be invited to join us as a Guest Designer for a future Challenge.

Snow always comes to mind when I think of 'Winter Magic' so I have a canvas to share with a snowy feel created with an arty, wintry spirit.

Having come across a 5x7 canvas I started painting earlier this year I decided to build on the grey wash I'd already laid down way back when by adding tones of blue, grey and white using Tim holtz distress paints ( broken china, tumbled glass, hickory smoke, picket fence) and gesso for the white. All applied very freestyle and with the finger , just going with the flow

continuing the process until it looked ok. I love how the paint and especially the gesso pick up the texture of the canvas.
Unfortunately that's the only process photo I have so I hope you will now enjoy a descriptive tour around the canvas
Detail was created using stamps (Tim Holtz snowflakes, Birch , Half tone, a script stamp) with Archival ink(cornflower, watering can,cobalt) and Tm Holtz layering stencils (Snowflakes,Dot fade) with Tim Holtz Grit paste and gesso .

The snow is a mix of both DecoArt Snowtex and Tim Holtz Grit paste . It was given a touch of sparkle using Tim Holtz distress glitter (rock candy) and in some lights it really does gently glisten. A spritz of perfect pearls also added a touch of shimmer.

With the crackle sneaking in on the photos so far its time for the focal feature . This was created using Seth Apters Drip drop die - multiple die cuts adhered together , painted in silver and crackled using DecoArt crackle paste,the cracks being highlighted with gilding wax .

This was adhered to a painted and lightly sparkled mdf pocket watch which provides an ideal base for the snow dusted Tim Holtz dimensional Silver star.

And a few snowed up embellishments helped finish off my arty spirited canvas

with a snowy feel

I hope I have offered some inspiration and that you will be able to join us in our 'Winter Magic' . If you haven't already be sure to pop by A Vintage Journey to view some of my fellow Creative Guides projects. There are some fabulous creations to be seen and lots of inspiration to be had. 
I really did enjoy being back in my 'happy' place doing what I love, for a design team that I feel so lucky and proud to be apart of.

I would like to enter this into the following challenges : 
The Craft Stamper TIMI December Challenge: Take a Theme: Snow and Ice  
Frilly and Funkie : Home for the Holidays 

 Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by today and big thanks too for always leaving me such lovely comments. 

Both are so very much appreciated.

Have a lovely weekend Everyone

Take care and keep on the happy side

Amanda

xxx