Anything Winter - Sparkles Christmas Challenge #96, SUO Challenge #214

When I think of winter I think of short gray days, days with little sunshine, and days with snowstorms.

This is what I tried to depict in this card that I am submitting to  Sparkles Christmas Challenge #96  "Add Sparkle", as well as SUO Challenge #214 "Anything Winter"

The tree from "Sheltering Tree" was white embossed as well as the tree foliage and the ground below the tree.  Snow is falling.  The background is Smokey Slate

A bright spot of colour are the 2 cardinals, embossed with Cherry Cobbler embossing powder.  The birds are from "Thoughtful Branches"

On the ground, I apply shimmer embossing paste,  I also dab it on the tree branches, and while it is wet I add some glittering dazzling diamonds.

This art piece is matted with another piece of Smokey Slate.  The edges of both pieces are sponged with Basic Gray ink.

The card base is Smokey Slate card stock layered with Glimmer card stock.  A piece of 3/8" Basic Gray shimmer ribbon is added to the glimmer paper before it is added to the card front, and a double bow added at the side.

The sentiment, which is embossed with black embossing powder, is from "Petal Palette"

Supplies Used:

Stamps:  Petal Palette, Thoughtful Branches, Sheltering Tree

Ink:  Versa Mark, Basic Gray

Papers:  Smokey Slate, Shimmer Glitter paper

Accessories:  3/8" shimmer Basic Gray ribbon, White embossing powder, Black embossing powder, Cherry Cobbler embossing powder, Shimmer Texture paste, Dazzling diamonds

Thoughtful Branches in the Pumpkin Patch

I'm a great believer in making the most use of my stamp sets, so sometimes I turn the stamp side ways, upside down to see if that triggers an idea.

That's what happened today with the Thoughtful Branches stamp set.  I turned it upside down and the tree looked like pumpkin. So I went with it, and when I showed the completed card to my son he said he would never had known it was a tree turned into a pumpkin if I had not told him.

Now, I know you've been informed that this stamp and thinlet bundle would not be available after Aug 31, but Stampin' Up has indicated that more sets are available so they can be ordered while supplies last.

I started with a 4 1/4 by 11" piece of Pumpkin Pie card stock and folded it in half to make a top fold card.
Two different texture stamps were used on the next Whisper White layer.  First, using Crumb Cake ink and  the Timeless Texture stamp set, the edges of the Whisper White piece were distressed.  A couple of the swirls were stamped in random areas.  Because I wanted to cover the entire front of this piece I used the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set and stamped various dot sizes randomly across the front.

Then I die cut the following from the Beautiful Branches thinlet/dies:  I pumpkin pie tree; 3  open veined leaves in Old Olive;  and 3 single leaves in Always Artichoke; a chocolate chip tree trunk.  I curled 2 tiny slivers of Always Artichoke card stock around a small paint brush handle to make swirls.

Before I assembled the pumpkin, all edges were sponged - the pumpkin tree with Pumpkin Pie ink; the leaves with Always Artichoke.

The pumpkin was then assembled as shown in the picture.

Supplies Used:
Stamps:  Thoughtful Branches, Gorgeous Grunge, Timeless Texture
Inks: Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake
Papers:  Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White
Accessories: Beautiful Branches thinlet dies