December Virtual Crop Photo Requirements

Hello, our last Virtual Crop of the year, the kits have all sold out, but you can put together your own kit and download the instructions on Saturday.

Our challenge will go live at 8:00 am and then the classes are 10:00am,12:00 noon and 2:00pm - though you can also do them at your leisure.  Come and join the chatter in our Facebook Group ATDML#Create

Class 1 - Karen Moss

All the pages are Christmas themed.

Layout 1 - 4 by 6" landscape

Layout 2 - 4 by 6" portrait

It would be good to have a border punch

Class 2 - Katherine Sutton

All the pages are Christmas/winter themed.

Layout 1 - Two black and white 3.5" squared photos (trimmed from a 4" square photo) - this page is mostly pink.

Layout 2 - 6 by 4" black and white landscape

Layout 3 - Three coloured 2 3/4" squares (again you can crop elements from larger photos), you can use more or less photos for this page (the min being 0 and max 9)

It would be good to have white gesso or acrylic paint and a small piece of kitchen sponge (I cut a bit of one of the scourer sponges), a snowflake punch (or any 1/2" punch that fits with your photos) and some silver glitter glue and a stapler


Class 3 - Mel Hand

Layout 1 - Two 4" square photos

Layout 2 - 6 by 4" portrait.

Advent with ATDML - Day 5 - Snow day!!

I am not a person who enjoys cold weather by any stretch of the imagination - i like my warmth.  However, there are some days that can tempt me out.  A few years ago we had some of the worst snow we had had as long as I can remember, traffic ground to a halt causing all sorts of issues as people tried to prepare for Christmas and it stretched right into the new year.  However, all I remember now is the fun stuff we did to amuse ourselves.  

These photos have been hanging around waiting for the right papers and as soon the Simple stores, Classic Christmas Elements papers I knew it was perfect for them.  I cut the paper to the width of the photo to make a 6 x 12 inch strip of the blue snowflake side.  I wanted to set the photo and title within the strip so I cut from it a 2x6 strip for the bottom of the page.  I applied the photo and title and then trimmed the rest down and stuck in line using a ruler - the top section on yours will depend on what size your title is.

I then cut a 10/16" strip of the plaid side of the Simple stories Classic Christmas 'Holiday Wishes' paper and the snowflake strip off of Carta Bella's Christmas delivery 'journaling cards' to finish off the sides.  As my title was a little wider I cut these to fall just below and above my title. The right hand side felt a little bit unfinished so I added a thin strip of Kraft Bazill 

I hand cut a rough cloud shape and journalled a border round the edge, I then spotted on some glossy accents to create a droplet effect and add a little dimension.

To create the snow falling I shaped some thin wire which I discreetly attached using a drop of glossy accents at the top and bottom of the page. To finish, I added wooden buttons and a punched Kraft star on top.

Your will find some great Christmas projects on the blog and Facebook every day from now until christmas - pop back tomorrow where Mel will be sharing a christmas card idea with you. 

Advent with ATDML - Dec 4th - Shaker Card

Hello, lovely scrappers, I hope you are enjoying our Advent Calendar so far.

For my project I used Kaisercraft's Silver Bells collection.

What you will need:

• White 6 in square card blank
• Pink Card
• A piece of acetate
• Foam pads
• Beads
• Silver Bells  - Believe
• Silver Bells - Joy

1. Cut out the large square, with 'Merry & Bright' from the Joy paper and carefully cut out the centre circle, also remove the grey circle.
2. Cut a circle of acetate, larger than the aperture you have made in the large square. 
3. Glue the acetate to the large square .
4. From the same paper cut out the Santa with his sack.
5. Cut a piece of pink card measuring 5 3/4 square and adhere to your card blank.
6. Cut a piece of Believe measuring 5 1/4 square and add to the top of the pink card.
7. Lay your square, with the circle cut out onto your card.  you will now be able to see the best placement for your Merry & Bright circle and your Santa. Glue them in place.
8. Add foam pads to the back of your acetate, all the way around the circle, and around the back of the large square.
9. Pour a couple of teaspoons of beads onto the centre of your card and adhere the piece of paper with the acetate , making sure that none of the beads can escape.
10. Finally, if one of the Manufacturer's strips has appropriate works add to your card

Although I used Silver Bells for this project there are many, many Kaisercraft ranges that you can choose from.

Advent with ATDML - Dec 3rd - Home decor Twine Tree

Day 3 of your advent inspiration from your atdml design team and I'm sharing an inexpensive home decor item for the holidays that I have had pinned on Pinterest for quite a while it seems!!

You'll need the following supplies for this project: polystyrene cone (Hobbycraft or The Range), wet glue (I used modge podge), string or twine, scissors, an electric tealight and clingfilm or a sandwich bag.

Cover the cone in cling film or a sandwich bag (I used the latter) and then run twine through glue and wrap around the cone. I found it easiest to pour some glue out into a bowl and use my fingers to ensure that the twine was coated as I went along. Work your way up and down the cone in a random fashion being sure to go as high up as possible to get a nice point. Press firmly to help the twine stick to itself as you go.

Set aside to dry (the glue will dry clear) and then carefully remove from the cone using a twisting motion. The bag should then come away with some gentle persuasion but being clear it doesn't matter is small amounts are left behind on the inside of the cone.

Decorate if (I used a few seasonal coloured gems and then place an electric tealight under for a homemade rustic tree decoration for your home.

Pop back tomorrow to open your next creative advent calendar window with Karen and if you didn't see Jane's planner yesterday be sure to check it out, just scroll down or click here.

Advent with ATDML - Dec 2nd - Get organised - Christmas Planner

Are you the sort of person who has all their presents wrapped and cards written by October or are you dashing round the shops on Christmas Eve? Well, I suppose I'm somewhere in between and the start of December tends to be when I start to get organised for Christmas. If I've got a lot on then I need to keep track of things and I LOVE a list. Well, to be honest I love lots of lists and round about now I start writing lists of card recipients, presents - what am I going to get for each person, to-do lists and of course I plan out my menus and write lists for the supermarket.

So today I thought I would share a Christmas Planner. I started with a blank Prima book I'd had for a while then went shopping (ATDML of course!) and bought a lovely selection of the Simple Stories Classic Christmas papers, stickers and other lovely bits and pieces which you will find here in the shop.
With no plan and an evening of cutting and sticking I transformed my plain book from this...

 into this...

With a ready made book this did not take long to do - so why not give it a go and get yourself organised for Christmas?

Right - I'm off to start writing my lists...

Advent with ATDML - Dec 1st - Photography prompts

Welcome to your 1st day of advent calendar with ATDML - a creative window to be opened each day, yes EVERY day, from now until the big day where your design team will bring you month long festive inspiration.

As always we start of the month with our photography prompts - the last set for 2016 and lets have some festive fun with these,

We look forward to having you join us each day to open your creative advent calendar with ATDML. See you tomorrow where Jayne will be sharing a little something festive with us all.

Advent with your ATDML Design team

Yay! It is the start of December which means your design team can reveal that we will be posting EVERY DAY up to Christmas eve sharing an advent of creativity with you. Pop here to the blog every day in December and open a virtual window into your advent calendar of papercraft!

All through to Christmas come and get some festive crafting inspiration from the team. We will be sharing layouts, cards, minibook pages, December Daily entries, elf antics and home decor items, plenty to inspire your festive makes.

Here is just a sneak at what we have in store for you.

Get ready to get your festive craft on with your favourite team! First up will be our photography prompts as always for the 1st of the month so pop back later for your last set for 2016.
Ho! Ho! Ho!