Let It Snow!

I thought this card was appropriate for the snowy day we had here in Erie, Pennsylvania today. It was actually pouring snow this morning; big fluffy flakes-the kind you can catch on your tongue. Roscoe & I went outside to play at 5:30 am when the moon was still high and reflecting off the snow so that it looked bright yet tranquil. Shortly after that, the neighbors came out all bundled up to shovel their drives and brush snow from their cars. We all greeted each other and commented on how much snow fell overnight. There is nothing like the feel of the first heavy snowfall. I had so much fun, it made me smile all day while I was at work.

This card is meant to depict the swirling snow flakes on the winds of a winter storm; well, Erie style storm. The base of this card is Brushed Silver metallic cardstock folded in half and layered with Whisper White and Night of Navy. First, stamp the Night of Navy with the swirlies from Season of Joy using White StazOn ink. The snowflakes and sentiment are all heat-embossed with White Stampin' Emboss Powder. To get a neatly embossed image on a dark color, you absolutely have to brush your cardstock with an Embossing Buddy first. This reduces the static of the cardstock so that the embossing powder sticks only to the Versamark or Craft Ink-stamped image. Check for rogue flecks of embossing powder before heating and swipe those flecks away with the stiff bristled paint brush that came with your Powder Pal trays. BTW, one of the first things that I purchased from Stampin' Up many, many years ago is my Embossing Buddy. It's a little flatter than a brand new one, but it still works great after all of these years. If you like to emboss, I recommend you investment in one if you haven't already.

Two final noteworthy thoughts: First, Stampin' Up! has THE best metallic cardstock. The weight of the cardstock is exceptional and it does not crack when you score and smooth it with your bone folder. Also, it is two-sided. It is difficult if not darn near impossible to find two-sided metallic cardstock. Finally, it has such a nice finish that I recommend that you use StazOn when stamping directly on any of the metallics. The StazOn dries quickly and reduces your smudge risk.

Thanks for looking & Happy Stampin'! EdieB