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If early talk of Christmas offends you, please click away...

...it is EARLY but this is when we start to plan the Watercolour Advent Calendar and this is where your wonderful input makes such a difference.

Each year I ask my Patrons for their favourite images of Christmas to turn into the 24 festive tutorials to paint in the calendar throughout December. I have posted images of previous year's calendars.

I would like to know both your new suggestions AND which tutorials have been your favourites to paint from years past. Each year I endeavour to make the calendar enjoyable for painters of all levels and I like to get as much feedback as possible.

Please comment below with suggestions and all will be revealed day by day from the 1st December.

We will be selling the calendars and kits in my online shops soon, I'm also going to do a Halloween/Christmas bundle in an effort to keep postage and tariff costs down for overseas customers.

If this all feels extremely early, you're right, it is! But we have to make sure that people receive their calendars and kits in time for the 1st December.

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Comments

Sivi Sivanesan

So I've not been part of the community in past years, but I have seen some of the images on you tube and after joining. Images that I live around Christmas time are any of the oriments that people have on their trees, as there are so many designs that can be chosen (my tree is still up from last year and I keep adding ornamentss to - my record is three years up in a row). But also what we can see outside at that time of year, so robins and other birds, plant seed heads covered in frost (like teasel seed heads) and just clear wintery night skies full of stars or big full moons - but I'm not sure if those would be Christmasy enough for an advent calendar

Stew Hall

Oooh I would love to see the Christmas beetle (Anoplognathus rutelinae) done! These cute metallic beetles were very common around Christmas in Australia but their numbers sadly have dropped in the last few years and they are less common. I think my fave had to be the Christmas Pickle and I now have one for my tree! (thanks Erin! 🫶🏻)

Jean Peet

Snowflakes and Fairies mistletoe and gold sprayed pine cones

Nicola Archbold

Gold, frankincense and myrrh, A tin of Cadburys Roses or Quality Street, tinsel, Christmas market wooden shed/stall/kiosk, cookies and milk for Santa & a carrot for rudolf, Panettone

Ann

Mince pie and carrots for Santa. Gingerbread house. Christmas cake. Silhouette scene. Christmas pjs.

R H

Yes I love Christmas beetles 🪲

Anne

Love the Nutcracker Ballet so wondering about the Mouse King!

Lyn Young

Yay! I’ve been waiting since January for this ! I’d love a tutorial on the pleated, tiered ornament you touched on last year (I think).

Kristin

When I was little we practiced a German regional tradition from my grandfather's family. Small gifts were were placed on the breakfast table at everyone's place and covered with a special tablecloth just for the occasion. It had Christmas scenes embroidered on it and jingle bells sewn on around the bottom. We would stand at our places and shake the tablecloth to ring the bells while lifting to reveal the gifts below. My dad and grandfather would always have a bottle of something at their place which would make it quite lumpy.

Leah

My favorite to paint have been the stained glass and the silhouettes! Also tiny baked goods are always a fun challenge. Here are some other new ideas: Cookies and milk for Santa, carrots for reindeer Santa's bootprints Angels (an angel with a trumpet maybe) Winter animals/ pets, maybe a snowy winter scene with some animals? A Christmas tree farm (basically a pine forest)

Jacqueline Bauer

I too would love another dog.. Newfoundland ( black) with a hat our Christmas light collar, The words Peace on Earth, snow globe with your choice of what to put in it. .

Beth

I love the Advent calendar, and hats off to Harriet for managing to come up with 24 different images each year (and Ant for the original idea, if I recall correctly!) -elf workbench with tools or toy -wooden train -Christmas lantern or light post wrapped in garland/bow -we’ve of course done Christmas trees, but maybe a Scandinavian style tree…you have a YouTube tutorial on a regular sized one; don’t know if a mini one would work. -we fill our outside planters with evergreen boughs and pinecones and berries, which might be a new way of getting some Christmas greenery painted! -popcorn and cranberry garland -and our tradition is Christmas cookies decorated with royal icing! You have done those already, but it might be a new twist on a Christmas image we’ve already painted (e.g., Santa’s face as a cookie…a snowflake cookie, etc.) This will be fun no matter what we paint! Lots of gratitude for you and the channel!

Beth

Yes to stained glass images, Leah!

Carole Henell

Our daughter’s university does a glorious carol sing—maybe three carolers behind a music folder?

Jenny

Something pantomime themed?

Jenny

I think my favourite was the little penguin a couple of years ago. In my opinion you can’t have too many penguins so perhaps some penguins doing something different like singing carols or ice skating? Just penguins … 😉😊

Gillian Gray

Ohhhh! These are all so beautiful! This is my first year here and I can’t wait! I love Christmas trees (I decorate 5 every year), the pickle, Santa, ornaments, holly, Christmas carols, cookies, the list goes on! My favorite time of year.

Cynthia

Christmas luminaries. Santa Fe, New Mexico lines the streets and trims the buildings with these lights for the Christmas Eve celebration

Julie Gray

How about the Christmas spider that decorated the tree with finespun web to make it sparkle on Christmas Day. I think this originates from Eastern Europe (Ukraine??) but I loved the story. If you don’t want to paint the spider for fear of upsetting those with a phobia, the sparkly tree would be fun to do.

Alison Gammon

I asked my family about this and they came up with a list! Stollen, fair isle jumper, bobble hat, carol singers, wreath on a door, Christmas mantle piece, snow ball cocktail (retro!) with cream, Santa on the beach in Australia (possibly surfing), a Christmas place setting ready for Christmas lunch. Looking forward to this again this year! Thank you

Valeria

Maybe a kitty of some sort! Perhaps peering out from a Christmas tree it’s climbed.

Wendy

I would love to see the 13 days of Christmas

Susann

My suggestions: incense cones (on their own or used with an incense smoker), the ‘Olbernhauer Reiterlein’ (a wooden figurine depicting a hussar on a rocking horse), a lavishly decorated stall at a Christmas market, angel and miner as Christmas figurines, and Erzgebirge Christmas stollen My favourites from recent years: traditions and decorations from different countries in general (particularly wooden crafts), Advent wreaths, Advent treats, birds

Phyllis

Stained glass window with Christmas theme. I’ve seen some on Pinterest that are so pretty! As much as I struggle with painting people, the sugarplum fairy, much to my surprise , came out really good and I enjoyed it! This was the year I’ve done this and enjoyed all of it.

Jen

Plate of cookies and milk for Santa, Christmas Ham, a fireplace. Last year was my first calendar. They were all fabulous. Surprised at what could be done so small, you are brilliant at that. I just needed to practice at least once and then it wasn’t too bad. Can’t wait.

Uta

A Helleborus (Christ Rose), a Church with windows lighted from inside, a Snow Owl, a Kitten peeping out of a gift box or playing with a Christmas ornament, an Angel with a Candle, a Crosscountry or Alpine Skier, Ballet Shoes.

Betsi

How about the Oak King? A Yuletide tradition.

Sharon Rowe

I’m reading about the Scottish tradition of burning a small twig or branch of a rowan tree around Christmas, Beltane, and/ or the New Year … considered a protective tree and attracts good feelings between family & friends as well as prosperity. Has very pretty red berries. Could fit for Advent or put it on your list for next October. ❤️

Christie P

Outdoor Christmas tree decorated with natural items (popcorn garland, pinecones rolled in peanut butter & nuts, strings of cranberries, etc.) for the birds; this is a tradition of ours

BeeDub

Chinese tradition “peace apple” - apples wrapped in cellophane or ribbons and then gifted on Christmas Eve

Stephanie Davis

Strings of popcorn and/or cranberries for the tree

Dawn Elizabeth

so many wonderful ideas!! wow!! stack of books with Christmas titles angel fireplace with stockings gingerbread house mugs of hot cocoa orange slice with greenery and cinnamon stick polar bear snowman ❄️⛄️