A Calico Christmas Box of Delights - Julie Ann

As Christmas approaches, time seems to evaporate and I know that the very thought of the festive season can send me into a panic . My project this week is to leave all the feverish activity behind and to enter a world of stillness, in a 'box of magical delights': tales frozen in time that I hope will evoke a peaceful, snow-carpeted wonderland.

And buried under the snow, there will be treasures to discover.

The surprise discovery - the treasure in the snow - is a little mosaic of Calico blank tiles, decorated with a mirror-work square at the centre.

I wanted a Queen to gaze out onto my peaceful, winter wonderland so after creating a collage on the outer cube, I painted the shape of her head and shoulders in gesso in the corner, sketching in her features in grey water-colour pencil when the gesso was dry.

For the inner cube, I used only a collage of napkin tissue with a little stamping and a dribble of acrylic inks so that this section would be able to slide in and out easily.

In the stillness of the snow-scape, the deer leads my Queen Hermione to a refuge, a place where she can be safe from cold injustice and unkindness.

Even in the depths of Winter, the hare seems to leap for joy...

I loved creating wintry effects on the Calico parts, using no more than gesso and embossing powders. The new sheets of mini stag shapes have separate antlers. I used these to decorate the outside of the little forest refuge.

While the land sleeps under its snow blanket, life goes on, almost unnoticed: the roots sustain the tree and a single bird offers Hermione its gift of a winter song.

She knows that when the whole world seems gripped by Winter's cold grasp, Hope is strongest.

Ice flowers and frost fronds will melt into spring blossoms and new leaves...

So much life is there, under the ice!

This little box became a meditation as I worked on it, a reflection on how sometimes we need to be still, to observe Nature and to look within and find hope there.

I used a range of Calico Craft Parts on this box, old and new and even those not specifically festive-themed. These craft parts are so adaptable and easily altered to create a winter's tale. You can even just use parts, removing a detail you don't need. I snipped the cat off the end of this branch on my little woodland shrine and added snow to one of the tiny doors on an MDF sheet to make it more festive.

Thank you so much for stopping by today at this busy time of year. I hope you will find some time to create something for yourself in the coming days and that your Christmas or Holiday festivities, whatever and however you celebrate, will bring you joy, peace and hope.
Calico Craft Parts used in this Project
MDF Cube Storage Box Kit (Large)
Sheet of MDF mini snowflakes
Sheet of MDF mini deer and antlers (New)
Word Elements Blanks
Sheet of Mini Alphabet Letters
Sheet of Blank Scrabble Tiles
Mini Tall Shrine Kit
Sheet of Mini MDF Hares
Steam-punk snowflake corner
Rooted Winter Tree and Bird (New)
Cat in a Tree Silhouette
Sheet of Tiny MDF Windows and Doors