Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge
Winter Blues
Good day, fellow crafters. Today I present to you a creation for the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge that I just completed. The design theme is “Winter Blues”. The use of blues in the context of winter is deeply rooted in the visual and emotional associations people have with this color. Blue is often associated with cold temperatures and the icy landscapes are commonly associated with winter. This connection is intuitive, as the color blue is reminiscent of the clear, crisp skies and the frozen surfaces of snow and ice. Beyond its visual representation of the season, blue also carries emotional connotations that align with winter themes. Cool and calming, various shades of blue evoke a sense of tranquility and serenity. In the colder months, when nature tends to slow down and take on a quieter demeanor, these qualities become particularly resonant. Incorporating shades of blue in your winter-themed greeting cards can therefore tap into these emotional connections, providing a visually soothing and seasonally appropriate aesthetic. I hope you find enjoyment in my submission.
My Hero Monthly Nov 2023
To create the background panel for this card I began with a piece of white Hammermill cardstock and one of the stencils that came in the My Monthly Hero subscription in November 2023 which is featured on the left. I secured the stencil over my cardstock and then with a pallet knife applied some of Ranger’s Mat Opaque texture paste. I allowed for just a brief window of time to begin the drying process and then applied a light misting of Distress Mica Stain in the color called Winter Frost. The result looks a bit more gray in the photos but it is assuredly not in person. Once that was done I carefully peeled off the stencil and immediately washed it. Both the texture paste and the mica stain will make your stencil useless if you let them dry.
My Hero Monthly Nov 2023
I allowed time for the texture paste to dry and then moved to the next step. I aligned and secured the second stencil, featured left, from the MMH kit over the result of the first one. Then with a pallet knife, I applied Gina K Glitter Glitz gel in the color Brilliant Blue over the stencil openings. I again allowed it a brief window of time to begin to dry and then removed and cleaned off the stencil. I then allowed for the whole piece to dry.
Once drying was completed the next stage was to ink-blend the background panel. For this I used a combination of Simon Hurley’s dye ink in the color Breakup Blue, Gina K’s ink in the color In the Navy, and Distress Oxide in the color Blueprint Sketch using a soft blending pad. Once I had the hue that I liked I used a homemade shimmer spray to give a little more sparkle to the ink-blended areas.
The next step was assembly. I trimmed the background panel down to its final dimensions and then found that I had a very closely matching glitter cardstock to the Glitter Glitz gel so trimmed the mat from it. Using double-sided tape I adhered the background panel to the mat and then with the same method adhered the composite to a pre-cut and folded white card base.
The last step was to create the sentiment. For this design, I chose the Hero Arts Winter Wonderland stamp set, featured right, and the “Sending Winter Wishes” stamp. I was going to ink it in a corresponding ink when I discovered that Reflections Sapphire embossing powder was extremely close to the Glitter Gel and the glitter cardstock of the mat. Changing the plan I used some VersaMark clear embossing ink to stamp the image, applied the embossing powder and heat set it with my heat tool. With that, I called the card complete.
Note: I am not a paid sponsor of Hero Arts and the subscription is at my own expense, however, I do love their products and use them often. I have also included affiliate links for some of the supplies, there is no extra cost to you if you use them but I do get a little something back which in turn helps me bring you more of my work.
