Friday 2 August 2013

Snow Loved Snow Couple

Evening Everyone,

Yippee! The sun's been shining again, however it has also been a tad breezy ... in fact, the wind was so strong earlier it was shaking the birds right out of the trees. Still, it's been a great drying day :))

Today's make features one of my all-time favourite stamps - Sugar Nellie's Snow Loved - an oldie but a goodie.
And all because Hazel, over at Crafty Hazelnut's Crafty Challenge asked for a snowman or snowwoman. I remembered this stamp and thought why not both.

To make the topper the happy couple were stamped with Memories Black dye ink on to smooth white card (from Papermill Direct) and stamped again on printer paper to make a mask. After colouring the snow folk with ProMarkers (using a mix of blues, aquas, greys, greens, reds and brown) I did something I've been nervous of trying, I die cut it to leave the bottom of the image outside the oval shape (Cart-Us Ovals). And it's easier than I thought!
Once that was done, the image was masked off and snowflakes were stamped in the background using VersaMark. To do this, three tiny snowflake stamps from the Magical Christmas set from Hot Of The Press were placed together on a stamp block and then randomly stamped around the image with some of the stamping going off the edge. That done, Adirondack's Stonewashed blue ink was brushed over the stamping. The effect is subtle but the snowflakes are clear in close-up. Another oval was cut from a snippet of aqua card (Baja Breeze from Stamping Up) by tracing round the die and cutting out and then stamped with snowflakes and inked in the same way as the topper. Both were finished off with a sponging around the edges with Tim Holtz Peacock Feathers. The glitter on the topper is a fine pale blue one I bought at a stall at the SECC Hobbycraft show two years ago ... a little goes a very long way! The holly berries have had the Stickles treatment (Xmas Red).
   

The inside and back have been stamped with the snowflakes too ... I heard a card decorated like this, on all sides, described as a 360 degree card ... another new term for the crafting jargonictionary :))

Other materials used:
Dark blue mirror card; Cuttlebug Snowflakes embossing folder; Crafters Companions Die'sire Snowflakes dies; dark blue gems

I'm submitting this card to the following challenges:

Crafty Hazelnut's two challenges - CHNC Challenge 135 - snowmen or snowwomen and
CHNC Challenge Extra for August - where anything goes as long as it's Christmas.

Pixie's Craft Snippets Playground - #83 - the oval of Baja Breeze is admittedly the only snippet used here ... and it's quite a wrench to see it finally used up.

Jellypark Friends Friday Challenges - Christmas in July ... I know, it's August but this challenge is open for another five days :)

That's me done for today and I won't be around tomorrow. I'm off to my favourite craft centre, Cardwells, where there is going to be a craft fair and craft demonstrations going on. Of course, I'm going to be good and not tempted at all to fill a basket with crafting goodies ... on second thoughts, it would be rude not to :))

Take care and have a wonderful weekend whatever you are doing,

15 comments:

Hazel said...

What a delightful snow couple, Elizabeth - beautiful card for both CHNC challenges - hope to see you again soon. x

Anne said...

That is lovely Elizabeth. Anne x

Jo said...

Oh, that's just beautiful....inside & out! Love that image & the frosty blues!
Hugs Jo x

Meihsia Liu said...

This is such a fabulous card! Love the beautiful background and cute snowmen. Thank you so much for sharing. :)

MagsB said...

I LOVE that Sugar Nellie image! (In fact I intended to use it for Hazel's challenge, but ran out of time. I swear time speeds up as you get older!)

Your card is just beautiful, I love the embossing and the gorgeous cool blues, so pretty!

Have a great weekend, with sunshine but not so much wind!

love Mags B x

Jackie said...

Beautiful card, love the cool look in all this sweltering heat :o)
Jackie xx

coops said...

so gorgeous Elizabeth.i love your snow-couple and fab embossing ;D

xx coops xx

Di said...

A perfect card Elizabeth. Good for you giving the cutting outside the oval a whirl - it works beautifully. Great colours and image - hope you remembered to take your purse today :)

Hugs. Di xx

Sandra H said...

What a lovely card so beautifully presented too with gorgeous embellis, layout and image x

Rita said...

Absolutely beautiful Elizabeth. Just back last night so will write soon. Hugs Rita xxx

Craftychris said...

This is gorgeous! I love the stamp and the embossed background looks fabulous xx

Cass said...

A beautiful card, wish I had your skill with the promarkers. Lovely work.

Cassidy xx

Sue said...

This is beautiful Elizabeth enjoy the crafty goodies huggles Sue x

Jenny Marples said...

Now that's a card to make you smile. Let's hope they don't go for an Eskimo greeting and grate those noses! Hugs, Jenny x

MaryH said...

Bravo & well done on your out-of-the-box cutting technique! Love your masking too. Very subtle as you said, but most beautiful. Love the image, and your EF background was just perfect with this one. TFS