Advent calendar with Jolly St. Nick by Tim Holtz

It's already December and we have a new challenge over at the Country View Challenges. And I think you will love the theme, which is Christmas - Anything Goes. It's super, isn't it?

For this challenge, I finished an advent calendar.

I started to make this advent calendar two years ago but I imagined a completely other design for it. I wanted to place the Christmas carollers inside but they were too tiny for this huge wooden calendar. But when Jolly St. Nicks was launched and when this year the Toyland die was released too, I knew exactly how this calendar would turn out.

For finding out the final design I also had an inspiration from one of my earlier cards. This was a winter scene with St. Nicks and you can find it here.

About the advent calendar... It was first painted brown, then I added wax to the edges and some parts. For this, I just used a candle. With this technique you can achieve a distress look because the cover paint won't adhere to the waxed area. 

The numbers were cut out with Sizzix Thinlits, 3/4"Alphanumeric dies and I painted them red with Festive Berries Distress paint.

For St. Nicks's suit and for the other red elements, I also used the Festive Berries paint.

What I used:

Sizzix Thinlits die, Jolly St. Nicks by Tim Holtz - for Santa

Sizzix Thinlits die, Toyland by Tim Holtz - for the bag

Sizzix Thinlits die, Santa's Helper by Tim Holtz - for one of the present

Sizzix Thinlits die, Mini Christmas Things - for one of the present

Sizzix Thinlits die, Retro Merry Christmas - for the text

Sizzix Thinlits die, Alphanumeric 3/4" by Tim Holtz - for the numbers

Sizzix Thinlits die, Alpine by Tim Holtz - for the pine  trees

Sizzix Movers&Shapers die, Mini Cardinal&Poinsettia - for the cardinal

Ranger Distress paints (Festive Berries, Bundled Sage, Picket Fence, Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio)

Ranger Archival Distress inks (Vintage Photo, Ground Espresso, Faded Jeans, Hickory Smoke) - for the edges of the painted elements

Ranger Distress inks (Antique Linen, Pumice Stone, Vintage Photo) - for the white cardstock pieces

Idea-Ology, Metallic Paper Stash - for the gold glasses and the belt buckle

etc.

If you have a Christmas project, please don't hesitate to join our November challenge where a randomly selected winner can have a £20 voucher to spend at the Country View Crafts online shop.

And don't forget, today Susan starts an Advent calendar which means that every day a new door, a new offer reveals. The daily offers only available for one day! So hurry up! Don't miss these sales at the Country View Crafts!