I hope you are having great days, these last days before Christmas. I am from Czech Republic and we are having slightly different Christmas than you. Before I will show my canvas I would like to share with you some interesting info about our Christmas in my country. I hope you will like it. If you are not interest just skip text straight to my todays inspiration.
The main day is 24.12. We do not have any fancy big lunch, just some easy lentil or bean soup and some mushrooms for the main dish – I cannot translate its name – Houbový Kuba – but it is baked – mushrooms and groats and bacon, really tradition food (honestly not my favorite). There is a funny tradition – if you want to see golden pig, you are not allowed to eat till 6pm any kind of meat. Golden pig is just small magic light, usually parents make it with candle and some gold Christmas decoration.
In my family we are decorating tree 24.12., not earlier. So during morning I decorate tree with my son Toby and hubby is helping me in kitchen (he loves to cook). During the day we are watching fairy tales on TV or going for walk to see neighbors and we are enjoying day. Main is to be with family, no rush, no work, just us.
Around 6pm is time for main dinner – absolutely traditional food is potato salad (baked potatoes, mayonnaise, onion, pickled vegetable – cucumber, carrot, root celery, pepper, salt, and I am using yogurt too – every family has their own recipe, some use also baked eggs and mustard etc. ) with fried fish – carp. And before it some families make fish soup (also from carp). We are than eating Christmas cookies. After dinner there is time for presents. We do not have any Santa Claus, we have magic person called Ježíšek (something like tiny Jesus) and he is secretly coming during dinner and bringing presents. Usually my hubby makes Ježíšek and I am trying to play with Toby. Children believe in Ježíšek quite long, till 8 years (when families are trying to make children believe, you know as by you with Santa, small children believe big not any more).
So we are opening presents 24.12. in the evening, 25.12. and 26.12. are holidays, we are going for visits, to see family, we are resting and of course eating too much :D. And that is all.
And here is my inspiration I made small canvas with minimum of material. I just die cut stars from watercolour heavy weight paper (Sizzix dies) and I glued them onto canvas. Than I played with art stones and micro beads and glue gun. When everything was dry I painted it with white gesso to prepare surface for colouring. It is always better when your background has got the same colour. For Colouring I used Aztec Eco Mettalic Lustre paints and Brusho Acrylic Sprays – Shimmering gold and copper. It is lovely shining canvas but as usually with shining bright metallic colours it is so hard to take nice photo, so I made many photos just to show you that shining effect. Sentiment is chipboard which I found in my stash.
Have a nice day
Kate
