Imagination Crafts: A Frosty Winter Robin Card with a Vintage Sepia Feel

Hello crafters! I'm feeling 'vintage' this Christmas (both literally and metaphorically I'm afraid!). I seem to go through crafty 'phases' quite often, and sepia tones are my 'thing' this year. The whole range of Imagination Crafts Art Stamps are perfect for this style, and when used together with a touch of Starlight Paint, you get a lovely subtle effect. I also seem to have shied away from using 'bought' backing papers in recent years, so this week I am making a card from scratch, using the same tones throughout to co-ordinate my card elements.

My first stage was to create a background for my main topper panel. I started with plain white card and then used Tumbled Glass, Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Inks to add colour.

I then used first and second generations of ink in the same colours to stamp various images from the Hobby Art Winter's Snowflakes Set. This set is perfect for backgrounds and one of those crafty 'staples' you need to have in your stash!

As you build up the layers you get a dimensional effect...

Once I was happy with the background paper, I stamped the Imagination Crafts Winter Robin Stamp into place with Versafine Vintage Sepia Ink. To seal this, I heat embossed with Clear Wow Powder.

Now to make co-ordinating background paper. I used the same 3 ink colours again, but this time used the Imagination Crafts Winter Words Art Stamp all over the topmost layer. This is another 'stock' stamp, perfect for all types and style of Christmas card with its gorgeous font, varied styles and 'non-perfect' edges allowing you to extend it seamlessly across your cards.

Now for a messy bit! I took a paintbrush and some Imagination Crafts White Gesso. I then randomly 'splatted' the paint across the background.

Setting my background piece aside to dry, I started to make a small sentiment panel. Using the sentiment from the Hobby Art Poinsettia Set, I  stamped and embossed as before. I then grabbed a die from my stash and cut out. Once cut, I used the inks again to colour it, this time bringing more of the blue tone to the forefront.

Some matting and layering to bring it all together and I was nearly there, but it still needed something.

Turning to my stash, I grabbed some MDF snowflakes I had. I would have loved to have used the Imagination Crafts Art-Cutz, but hadn't got my hands on them yet! (The Art-Cutz take paint so well and they are so light they do not weigh your card down). Using Platinum Starlight Paint, I painted all the snowflakes and set aside until dry.

After some playing with positions, my card was complete!

I hope you like it, the whole range of Art Stamps are gorgeous and make such brilliant toppers. I have just seen the Ice Skating one on Lisa's Website and am rather taken with that one too!

See you next week,

Lots of love

Martina

xx