Decide on the layout of your collage. Draw shrine shape on canvas with brown watercolor pencil. Paint outside of shrine with brown acrylics and inside with naphtol red acrylics.

Stamp checkerboard pattern (hand carved) with black acrylics onto brown part. Stamp on Latin text (Stampington) with ivory acrylics, masking off inside of shrine with paper scrap. Paint on wash of brown acrylic paint.

Stamp rose pattern (hand carved) with vintage rose acrylics onto inside of shrine. Stamp on randomly text (Postmodern Design) with brown acrylic. Stamp on swirls (Printworks) with ivory acrylic. Paint on wash of brown acrylic paint.

Edge canvas with brown acrylic paint and paint on dots.

Lay on images from Divine Post Faux Postage sticker sheet. Mark middle bottom spot with pencil (24 times). Remove stickers. Poke 2 holes to every mark and tie ivory threads with needle. Tie with double-knot. Now attach stickers and paint shadow with ivory acrylic.

Paint swirls and Divine text on bottom and top of frame with ivory and brown acrylics. Glue on large crown and Brass Filigree Wings with Crafter's glue. Paint rays around shrine with ivory acrylics.

Tie charms onto threads and treat a special friend with this calendar.
 

A neat idea: instead of painting your piece all one color, paint each field a different color (see 5^th anniversary collage for inspiration).

In Germany, Christmas is celebrated the 24th of December, hence we only get 24 surprises!

Please feel free to print these instructions for easy reference. (Use Landscape Layout when printing this page).