Christmas Advent Calender Countdown...

So I was doing a bit of grocery shopping and found this little advent calender and it was on sale...but just not my style...so what to do?....Alter it :))
Well I was just getting the finishing touches on it when I saw that the "Created byhand Challenge" was Christmas Countdown! So of course I had to entry mine :))

First I wanted to show the before... but I forgot to take a picture of it before but here is one I found on the internet.

I tell myself that I did this for my little grandson Quinton but really I think it is just as much for me. I can't wait to see and share the countdown with him! A tradition I hope to carry on for many years to come.

... this is the "After" with it closed... You can click on the pictures to see a larger one .... 

and this is the inside.. The stamps are from "Scroll Works" and all the printed images are from my little etsy store... again you can click on the little picture to go to a larger one

Faux Putz House Christmas Ornaments

Boy am I getting this in just under the wire! This weeks Theme over at the "Created Byhand Challenge" is Snowmen...Aren't these cute! This was also my project for my local art group "The Artistic Souls" this month too.
 

I used the pattern from Better Homes & Gardens and then I used some of my digital collage sheets that I offer over at my little etsy store. I did shrink them to 50% before I printed them so they would fit on my little houses.

More Rag Bracelets

Since these were made for friends, I wish I could have posted these last week for the Created by Hand challenge. The theme was friendship/love but I had to wait unit I had a chance to give them to there new owners. I actually had made another black one but I did not get a picture of it... drats! I had needed a last minute gift so I used the first one so I got busy and made the black one yesterday. I am so distressed now that I look at the picture I realized I forgot the beads on that one : /
 

They are all made with hand dyed fabric's and ribbon, antique buttons, lace and soldered charms. Most were dyed in the standard dye method but I did the gray with the microwave method. It was the first time I had used that method and for such a small amount of fabric it worked so great!

Winter Gothic Arch Banner

When I saw the inspiration project by Nancy on the Gothic Arches challenge and the them was "text" I knew instantly what I would do. I used my new snow angles that are available in my little etsy store and the banner graphics are now in the store too! I also felt that my project was perfect for Saturday Surprise as well because it has all the little trinkets that remind me of all the holidays spent at home in my youth.