My May Arts & Graphic 45 Project

Here is my project for the May Arts ribbon and Graphic 45 Blog hop. I decided to do a frame, so that my ribbon would be on the outside and become a feature. In a precious life I did paper tole for 12 years. I was even selling to David Jones Australia wide. They were buying Peter Rabbit paper tole framed pictures and selling them in their baby department. I love the images on Graphic 45's new Christmas papers. The Christmas Emporium print with the children looking in at the window is priceless. I decide to do a paper tole picture using this print. This means I need 6-7 prints of the same paper.

 When I start designing, I normally know whether it will be a layout or an off the page project but I don't always have an idea of what the finished piece will look like. I tend to lay all the papers and embellishments in front of me and just start cutting. But as I knew it was going to be a paper tole piece, I knew it would have to go into a shadow box frame.

 Last year on someones blog I saw the idea to use the back of a canvas. So whoever you are thanks very much! I sprayed mine black with spray paint, just in case some of the white shows.

 The first layer needed to be the children in the background. I used two prints to do them. I always like to add another head on people and of course the little hand up against the window needed to go on again. I used a lot of foam tape to create a space between the children layer and the room layer and to support the acetate sheet (window).
The next layer was the room with the window removed and the floor bent up.

 I cut four pieces of print paper the depth of the frame and the width of the frame with mitred corners and folded and glued them to cover the inside and outside of the canvas.

 Then the fun starts. Each layer needs to be added. Father Christmas needs to be built up. He is sitting on his sack. I added another head, then the hand holding the feather. The hand and book also when on again, along with the journal on this lap

 The Christmas tree was done in two layers but lots of pieces. I added stickels to give it a sparkling look as well as a glow to all the candles.

Once the Tree was done I started working on all the toys underneath it and around it.

I used one of the Prima vines and added some Green Tara flowers to make it more christmasy.

 Then it was time to work on my flower. I cut May Arts ribbon into 25cm lengths and folded them in half. At the fold end I got a lenth of thread and wrapped it around and around to form a point. At the cut ends I ran a gathering thread and pulled it up tight. They kinda look like pointsettas, don't they.

 Using some more May Arts ribbon I did loops of greeny gold ribbon and added it over the top of the pointsetta petals. I am loving the metal flowers from Graphic 45 so I used one for the center of my flower with one of their brads.

May Arts also sent me some Velvet ric rac which I used on the inside of the frame to finish it off. I also cut lots of the holly shapes from the print paper and folded them and glued them in at the top of the picture. The frame is from Imaginarium Designs sprayed black and it really finished off the project.

It looks like a lot of work but it only took me 4-5 hours.

I have another Chrismas project to share later on. Don't forget to visit the other design team members blogs and leave a comment on mine to go into the draw to win a prize.

Thanks for Looking

Jane