Taheerah Atchia

Hello everybody! And welcome to Day 22 of Advent Calendar Extravaganza!!

If you missed Day 21, click here!
If you missed Day 20, click here!
If you missed Day 19, click here!
If you missed Day 18, click here!
If you missed Day 17, click here!
If you missed Day 16, click here!
If you missed Day 15, click here!
If you missed Day 14, click here!
If you missed Day 13, click here!
If you missed Day 12, click here!
If you missed Day 11, click here!
If you missed Day 10, click here!
If you missed Day 9, click here!
If you missed Day 8, click here!
If you missed Day 7, click here!
If you missed Day 6, click here!
If you missed Day 5, click here!
IMPORTANT: Day 4 had an extra secret destination added part way through the day. If you want an extra chance to win, click here and open the door again to get your final link!
If you missed Day 3, click here!
If you missed Day 2, click here!
If you missed Day 1, click here!

I’ve always loved the concept of Advent Calendars. There’s something special and magical about those little treats hidden behind those little doors – and the idea of a secret little something to be unwrapped every day really is a wonderful way to build the excitement towards Christmas, not to mention a fun tradition as well!

As the years roll by some of these types of tradition can be lost when we grow up, and it seems a real shame to lose some of that magic and wonder. And really there’s no reason at all why something such as an Advent Calendar can’t be revamped and repackaged for grown-ups, crafty grown-ups… grown-ups like you and me!

So one day in November I dreamed up a fun idea for a event. I didn’t know if it would work, or if anyone would be interested. I approached some crafty friends, and others recruited themselves – everyone loved the idea! Behind the scenes I worked hard to put together something rather different and very special. So a month later, after much organising, coordinating and planning, I’m really thrilled to finally bring to you a very special, very fun, very festive series!

Advent Calendar Extravaganza is -the- festive event of the season! This ‘hop with a twist’ was dreamed up by Taheerah Atchia and features surprise destinations each day! Joining in the fun with Taheerah are over 60 special guests – each serving up some fantastic Christmas inspiration! Just like an Advent Calendar, you’ll never know where you’re going to be visiting next until you ‘open the door’!

And that’s not all! With 25 *amazing* sponsors taking part as well, your crafty wish list is bound to get a boost with a chance to win a prize EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

Join in the fun every day at taheerah-atchia.com to see what special surprises wait behind the door!

Eek! How fun does that sound?! 25 full days of surprises, inspiration and prizes!!

In case you’re wondering just how it’s going to work, I’ve put together this little video for you:

I’m so excited to be bringing you this event! I really hope you’re going to enjoy it as much as I am!!

Let’s get on with Day 22, shall we?!

I’ve got some really awesome guests and surprises for you today! Just click on the door to reveal today’s surprise destinations and prize! Tip: click at the side of the door, not in the middle! And also, open on the blog directly, not in a feed reader!

Exciting right?! Isn’t it fun to not know what’s in store at the other end of those links?! Make sure you click each one to reveal the surprise and leave comments at the destinations to win!

And speaking of winning…

Unity Stamp Co. are giving away not one, not two, but THREE prize packs, each comprising of 10 Itty Bitty stamps, and each valued at $75!! WOW! THREE chances to win today, and three MASSIVE prizes, how amazing is that?!?!

Now that you know what you can win, I’m sure you’re eager to head off to all those secret destinations to check them out! But before you go, some inspiration from me: 

A ‘free day’ for me as I don’t have any Unity Christmas stamps, so I pulled out some fun supplies to create this glitzy card that really packs a punch! 

See that giant wood veneer stag? I made him! I die cut several pieces from wood sheets using the stag head from the Maggie Holmes Open Book die collection, then glued them together. I die cut one on the reverse side of the sheet so I could have a ‘back to front’ piece to adhere to the reverse, so it really does look like a wood veneer piece! It also meant I was able to flip the piece over and use the design in a new way! I added watered down ink to the sides so it really does look like a store-bought piece! 

The stag head is the star of the show so I wanted to keep the rest of the elements to a minimum. A fantastic glitter frame from Heidi Swapp, some ink splatter, and a red banner die cut from the Simple Stories Claus & Co. collection were all I needed to finish up my card! If you look inside the frame you’ll also see some slight chalkboard-like inking, where I masked the base and blended some white ink before adhering the frame. I love the added subtle touch it gives to pull the design together! 

I hope you love this event just as much as I do! I would love to know what you think of Advent Calendar Extravaganza! Do you love the format? The secret destinations? The endless inspiration? I bet you certainly love the chance to win prizes! Please make sure you leave a comment below! Thanks so much for stopping by – I’ll see you back here tomorrow!

Supplies