Velluminaries!!

Happy New Year!

For the second time today!!

Yes, the new Artistic Stamper challenge started at midnight (check out my Past and Future ATCs here), and I'm already back with the next one...  Talk about kicking off the New Year with a bang!

Artistic Stamper want to see New Beginnings, and the new theme at Country View Challenges - which is what we're here for now - is to Use Something New To You.  Are you spotting a pattern here?!

I know it won't be new to most of you, but I've never played with vellum, and I finally got my hands on the Tim Holtz Wallflower Vellum pack.

Well, you know me... give me something translucent and my thoughts turn to candlelight.  We have to have something to lighten the dark days of January.

(I always think it's a shame people have lights up already in November and then rip them down straight after Christmas.  It's in January and February that we need the illumination, when we haven't got the fun to look forward to!)

So here I give you my vellum luminaries.  Or shall we just call them "Velluminaries"?!










Rather than going for the full-on, layered, mixed media look (if you saw my Destination Inspiration luminaries you'll know what I'm talking about), I've gone for a sleek, minimalist style with these.

And we're starting the New Year with some recycling too, which always feels good.










The two smaller holders are plastic - they were the pots from some Chai Panna Cottas (I didn't like'em!).

And the large luminary is a simple glass vase.  It can still be used as a vase, of course, since I've sealed the vellum with multi-medium (and anyway, the idea is generally to keep the water on the inside of the vase).










Nothing complicated about the making... some measuring and cutting, some sticking and some trimming.











I haven't quite managed to get a completely smooth finish - especially on the glass one - but with the natural motifs of the design, the wrinkles look like tree bark, so I'm fine with that.  Next time...













I know the big one will go down very well with my small nephew who is fascinated by bugs of all sorts at present (he thinks leeches are "cute" - I can think of other words for them).












And the flowers and vintage adverts on the smaller pair please me greatly.













Two short(ish) and sweet posts today... could this also be the beginning of something new here at Words and Pictures?

Don't bet on it!










We'd love to see you Use Something New To You, so come and play along this month at Country View Challenges, and you could be in with a chance of winning the prize generously sponsored by Country View Crafts (and shopping for more new stuff).

And if you've time to check out my Past and Future ATCs, maybe you'll be inspired do the double with the Artistic Stamper theme.

And suddenly you know: It is time to start something new and trust the magic of beginnings.
Eckhardt von Hochheim, known as Meister Eckhart