All in blue

We have colours this week at the 52 Christmas Card Throwdown.

Netta has chosen shades of blue.

I had two or three designs planned for this one, I love blues for Christmas cards. However, a poorly daughter and crazy work week mean I've scraped together one of them, and that's late!

I started with the gel press plate and distress oxides. I laid down a very light layer of colour - then when it was way too dark, turned the card over, took more ink off the plate with the brayer and printed again. I then repeated with the Clarity snowflake stencils over the plate.

This gave a large scale pattern, to add more detail I stamped in first, second and third generation with a delicate snowflake stamp.

Once this had dried thoroughly, I cut it down to size for 2 5x7 cards. One I laid down, the other I used here.

Using a treeline stamp from Clarity, I stamped across the card with clear versamark. I broke out my clean versamark for this (yes, I have two and the other is a bit grotty!) as I then added clear embossing powder.

I then sponged chipped sapphire distress oxide over the tree lines, to help define them, The embossing acted as a resist. The photo below shows the top row with the ink added, the lower two rows just have the embossing. It makes a big difference.

I finished the other two rows, and sponged chipped sapphire around the outside.

The next step was to add more detail. I used a harlequin stamp from Clarity and salty ocean ink, and a script stamp from IndigoBlu with broken china and faded jeans. Peacock feathers ink was also out but looked a bit green for the challenge. I used a slightly damp cloth to wipe the ink off the embossed trees.

I added some snowflakes (a Clarity stamp) in chipped sapphire.

I added more dark ink around the outside to frame. For a sentiment, I stamped in chipped sapphire and heat embossed with a fine clear powder. I mounted this on a scrap of card that I added the chipped sapphire to. As I'd smudged the trees on the botton row a bit, it was easy to decide the placement!

I felt the sentiment needed to be stronger, so dyed another scrap with the chipped sapphire and die cut a snowflake - this is from a Tim Holtz set with loads of snowflakes I got for Christmas.

I attached the sentiment and snowflake with wet glue, and the whole to the card blank with super sticky tape and tape runner.

Part of me thinks this was prettier before I embossed it and added the darker ink! I have the other base still to use as it is. But I do like the grungier look too, and it has more interest.





To share your blue tone cards, head over to the 52CCT blog. This challenge closes on Friday 14th February.