Sssh, but Christmas is round the corner

Christmas, I have a bit of a love hate relationship with Christmas. Sometimes I can be really enthusiastic about it, want to decorate the whole house, cook loads of yummy food and try not to buy even more Christams baubles in a new colour scheme (I have 3 large plastic boxes of baubles that really is enough for one house isn't?).

And then some years I could beat Scrooge for a bah humbug viewpoint.

It drives my husband insane, but he loves me and puts up with it.

This year I have a feeling it could be the whole full on Martha Stewart, Good House Keeping homespun chic DIY fabulous designer "oh I just knocked this together in a couple of hours" expereince as I've made this and it isn't even November (well it is now but I made it when it was still October).

I bought this MDF cut out last year and didn't do anything with it (it was a Scrooge year).

I knew I wanted to create a sort of shabby (nothing new there then) natural look. Distressed layers with touches of gold. 

I started off painting it all ovr with PaperArtsy Claret Fresco paint.  Then added a lyer of Old Gold.over that.

Next a layer of Crackle Glaze.

Over this  layer of Nougat and Snowflake, not too thick as I wanted fine crackles.

Then some sanding to distress the edges and on the top to remvoe some of the crackle so it looks like peeling paint. 

Treasure Gold (i think Renaissance), bit more Claret and Vintage Photo Distress Ink in places especially on the edges just to shabby it up.

Over all of this I added a layer of Metal Glaze mixed with a small amount of Old Gold.  It really dirtied up the colour and added to the aged look.  

A little bit of text stamping in Claret and finally I sprayed watered down Snowflake across it to add spots of white.  

The more thin layers of colours you add to a piece can really add tone and depth as can sanding to reveal base layers of colour - my favourite way of creating!

So, onwards then to continue creating my scandanavian shabby Christmas, migh have to orgainse a drinks party to show it all off!  

Hugs
Jo
xx