Good Morning Fellow Stampers -
Happy Monday -- we're off to a whirlwind start to the week. We're also counting down the days to the end of the year break. Every year our company officially closes for the holiday break. I will tack on just a couple of vacation days; and so I will start my vacation and break as of the 18th of December. I'm so excited!!! This is going to be a much needed break and time for some rest and other plans and projects. I'm very much looking forward to it. Let's see -- twelve days and counting -- hard to believe!!! This will be my last working Friday of the 2015 this week too!!
Today it's time for the Paper Players [PP274] challenge. Today's challenge is a theme challenge - "Let It Snow!" Honestly, I really didn't know what direction I would go with this today. I contemplated several different options; and went off to decorate the Christmas tree instead -- LOL. I stumbled on an old design off of SplitCoastStampers at some point, and just fell in love with the idea. I decided I was in a very artistic mood - because that's what today's design required to pull it off. I pulled out our new Joyful Season stamp set, and started playing. I haven't played with this set very much yet this season. It's unfortunate, as I really like cardinals; and I like the "watercolor" look to this stamp set. Let's take a look at today's design.
Doggone Delightful Stampin' Design Tips:
- Layerothology. This card base is cut from Cherry Cobbler, 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4". The background mat layers are Gold Foil and Basic Black. The color combination is one of my favorites. I feel it exudes and elegant and sophisticated color palate.
- Cardinal in the Snow. This snow scene requires some patience, an eye for detail, and some artistic flare. Of which I have a little, not a lot -- LOL. On a piece of Whisper White Cardstock, I stamped the basic branches from the Joyful Season stamp set, in Archival Basic Black ink. I then sponged Smoky Slate ink in a varied pattern across the background. I wanted it to look like it does here on a snowy blizzardy day, when the storm is socked in. The clouds will vary between shades of gray and light. Thus, the entire background is not covered in Smoky Slate. Rather, in a varied pattern. I then took my Signo White Gel Pen and free-handed "snow" along my branches.
- A Hardwood Fence. Using the Hardwood background stamp, I stamped the image on a separate piece of Whisper White cardstock in Early Espresso ink. I think hand-cut myself a "jagged" fence line, and sponged over the piece with Smoky Slate to distress it a little. I then created "snow" stuck to my little fence by using Marvy Liquid Applique, which you squeeze on and then "puff up" by heating it with a heat tool. It's really cool to watch it pull up as it heats. As you can see, we have quite a blizzard going -- LOL
- Cardinal. I stamped my cardinal on another separate piece of Whisper White cardstock. Keep in mind this is a 2-step stamp set; so I stamped the outline of the bird in Archival Basic Black; and then the center of the bird is stamped in Cherry Cobbler. I fussy cut the bird and popped him with dimensionals.
- Falling Snow. My final step on my design was to create some falling snow. I did this by using an AquaPainter, some rubbing alcohol and some Frost White Shimmer Paint (very retired). I did a flicking effect first to create spatter across the card front; and then I dipped the aquapainter brush directly into the paint and dabbed on additional paint. The shimmer of the paint glistens across the scene keeping it subtle but visible.
I kind of love my little Snow Cardinal hopping along the fence in the snowstorm. However, I suggest he find shelter from the snow before he gets really cold -- LOL!! I hope you've enjoyed this today too. Don't forget that this is one of the sets that is retiring at the end of the month. If you haven't added this to your stash yet, I'd snap it up this week before it's too late. It's a keeper!!
Until Next Time . . .
