Brrr!

Hi everyone, December’s Visible Image ATC swap is on the subject “The Big Chill” …  pretty apt with all the freezing temperatures, frost and snow we’ve been having! I have a reasonable selection of VI stamps but not too many that were suitable for this project, so it was a fairly obvious decision for me to make a snowy winter landscape with fir trees. As I love doing reflections I decided to make another lakeside scene along the same lines as a recent Lavinia card here, but this time using only Visible Image stamps. My swap partner this month is a VI official Design Team member … so no pressure then lol!! 

First, here is a closeup of the ATC.

I cut a piece of white stamping card 3.25” x 2.25” and created a background by brushing Distress Oxide inks across the card, starting with Kitsch Flamingo and working outwards to Stormy Sky and Black Soot. I had a mini circle of masking sheet in place for the moon, stamped with a VI stamp. I added further DOX shading around the moon and then within the moon circle, then created the horizon by brushing Nocturne Versafine Clair using the straight edge of an acetate hill mask. 

I stamped a selection of fir trees above the horizon using Nocturne and Morning Mist VFC, then created the reflections using my gel press for some, and 2nd generation direct stamping where the trees were fairly symmetrical. I added a snow line to the horizon with white Posca pen, highlighted the moon with Sakura Stardust pen and Spectrum Noir sparkle pen, and the trees with white gel pen. I added ripples to the water with white gel pen and Spectrum Noir sparkle pen, then added white Posca snowflakes. I added a moon reflection using an inverse circle mask and a mixture of Moonlight White Brilliance ink, white pan pastel and Spectrum Noir sparkle pen. 

I created my sentiment by stamping words in a grungy font from a couple of VI sets and cutting out the individual letters, edging in black and attaching. I edged the finished piece with silver Posca and attached to a standard ATC size piece of black linen card stock.

Here's an angled picture to show the silvery moon and shimmer on the trees and lake.

Stamps: Visible Image Christmas Eve (trees), Birthday Wishes (letter B), Sketched Tulips (letter r);

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Kitsch Flamingo, Stormy Sky, Black Soot); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Morning Mist); Brilliance pigment ink (Moonlight White); pan pastel (white); Sakura Stardust pen (clear); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Posca pen (white, silver); gel pen (white).

Challenges I would like to enter:

ATC’s Around the World #108 - Winter Wonderland

Creative Crafters #70 - Anything Goes

Dream Valley #306 - Anything Goes (2nd entry)

Kraftin’ Kimmie Skrappy Challenge (December) - Anything but a Card

Lost Coast Portal to Creativity #180 - In the Deep Midwinter  (2nd entry)

Make My Monday - Oh! Christmas Tree or Forest Trees (2nd entry) - SPECIAL MENTION

Outlawz (December) - Anything Goes in a Card Free Zone

Pammie’s Inky Pinkies #2348 - Anything Goes

Here is a closer view of the matching card I made.

This followed the same methodology as the ATC on a larger scale, and mostly used the same stamps except that I also used a larger Christmas tree from the “Christmas Eve” set, a sentiment from  “Poinsettia Grunge”, and a smaller letter “B” from the “Christmas Robin” set. I also created my moon reflection using only Spectrum Noir sparkle pen. Finally I edged the finished panel with black marker pen and matted onto black then pink card stock and a 6” square card blank.

Again, the moon is only really visible in an angled picture.

Stamps: Visible Image Christmas Eve (trees), Poinsettia Grunge (sentiment), Christmas Robin (letter B), Sketched Tulips (letter r);

Media: Tim Holtz Distress Oxide inks (Kitsch Flamingo, Stormy Sky, Black Soot); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Morning Mist); Sakura Stardust pen (clear); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Posca pen (white); gel pen (white).

Challenges I would like to enter:

Christmas Crafts All Year Round (December) - Anything Christmas Goes

 Christmas Kickstart Challenge #81 - Anything Christmas Goes

Crafty Calendar (December) - Christmas - TOP PICK

Festive Friday (December) - Christmas

The Holly and Ivy #153 - Anything Christmas Goes

Most Magical Time of the Year #15 - Christmas

Paper Players #669 - Christmas

Shopping Our Stash #511 - Whatever the Weather

That’s all for today, take care and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,