Up on the Housetop July 14, 2012

Good evening!  Mynnette told me about the "Just Us Girls" Challenge blog and as soon as I saw the current challenge I had to play along.  The current Just Us Girls challenge is a technique challenge and the technique is called faux window.

I also made this card for:  Christmas Stampin' All Year Long blog challenge which was to use any stamp that has not been inked yet and this is the first time I'm using this Christmas image, the Little Red Wagon challenge which is Christmas in July, and the CCEE Stampers challenge which is to use the reverse masking technique.

This is one of the more complicated cards that I've ever made and by the time I was finished hubby was calling me 'inky fingers'.  I used an older retired Stampin' Up! stamp set called 'Up on the Housetop'.  I began by stamping my image using black stazon and then I cut out a 2" circle for the mask for the moon part of my image.  Once I had my mask in place I began sponging my background.  I sponged all around my main image keeping the ink darker towards the top and lighter near the bottom.  To ink my background I used pacific point and bashful blue ink and then I used Summer Starfruit for the yellowish glowing area just above the village part of my image.

Then I must have spent about 20 minutes coloring my image.  I probably had about 20 different color markers lying on my crafting table!  There is such amazing detail in this image- everything from the windows in the houses in the village to the antlers on the reindeer.  Once I was finished coloring my image I decided to add some dazzling diamonds glitter along the rooftops.

The trickiest part of my card was trying to figure out how to equally cut up my image and I had to be careful that my measurements were correct since I spent so much time coloring my image and I didn't want to make a mistake.  This is a larger image so I decided to cut my image into 9 squares rather that the traditional 4 window squares.  My finished card size measures 5 1/2" x 5 1/2".

Below is a close up photo of the image on my card.  To finish off my window technique I decided to add a valance using a scrap piece of designer series paper and I punched it using my scallop border punch.  I also decided to add some real red ribbon with my Merry Christmas sentiment tied onto it.  My sentiment was punched using my word window punch and then I tied it onto my red ribbon using a small piece of white twine.  My entire window valance was placed onto my card using dimensionals.

I hope you like the Christmas card that I made!  I'm really happy with the way it turned out and I was happy to have finally inked up this stamp!  Have a great rest of the night!

*card #38 out of 100 cards in 100 days goal

Stamps:  Up on the Housetop, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Card Stock:  Pacific Point, White, Crumb Cake, Subtles Designer Series Paper Stack
Ink:  Black Stazon, Pacific Point, Bashful Blue, Summer Starfruit
Supplies:  Ribbon, Twine, Hole Punch- for twine, Word Window Punch, Coluzzle Circle Template- for cutting out 2" circle, Scallop Border Punch, Dimensionals, SU Markers, Sponge, 2 Way Glue Pen, Dazzling Diamonds Glitter, White Gel Pen- for the white coloring on the Santa
Technique: Reverse Masking, Sponging, Window Technique

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