Countdown to Xmas: 25 Cards, 25 Days - Day 17

Question: Do you want to build a snowman?  Come on let's go and play!  Has Frozen ruled your household all year?  Here's a fun snowman card.  While he isn't exactly Olaf, he's still a very happy snowman.  I used The Stamps of Life snowman2build stamp set for this and created a evening sky background using Distress Inks.  So fun.

Materials:

• White card base: 4.25"W x 11"H, scored at 5.5" Mark
• White background card: 4.25"W x 5.5"H
• White card stock for the snowman and all his accessories
• The Stamps of Life snowman2build stamp set
• Ranger Distress Inks in Broken China, Stormy Sky and Chipped Sapphire
• Snowflake stamps for background (Paper Source and Lawn Fawn)
• Ranger Silver Pearl Embossing Powder
• Versamark Ink
• Hero Arts Ink: Black Dye, Orange Soda, Field Greens, Pale Tomato
• Simon Says Stamp stitched slopes
• White Gel Pen

Directions:

• Stamp snowflakes with Versamark ink all over the background.  Heat emboss with Silver Pearl Ink.  The embossed snowflakes will resist the distress inks, so they will still show up under the blue sky.

• Cut a 1" circle out of a post-it note and place on white card stock insert.  This will be a mask for the moon as you create the distress ink background.  
• Start with the lightest color (Broken China) and gently cover the white paper.  It's helpful to use a Ranger Craft Sheet for this so you protect your surface.  If you don't have one a piece of scrap paper on a cutting mat will work as well.
• Next, blend in the Stormy Sky ink, don't get too close to the moon.  Finally blend in the Chipped Sapphire.  You can go back over the the whole thing with the first two colors until everything evens out.  
• When I took off the moon mask, I felt the moon was too bright and would take away from the snowman, so I went back over the moon with the two lighter colors just to mute it a little.
• Here's an image show each of the steps above:

• Stamp the snowman on some white card stock.  Decorate his face and buttons.
• Stamp the arms and accessories on the card stock, but not on top of him.

• Cut each piece by hand.  This is the part that takes the longest.  You'll notice once you cut out the pieces, so of the white card stock may show up on the edges.  Go back with your different colored inks and use a make-up sponge (or any other foam brush) to blend the white edges out.

• Cut the stitched snow slope.  Adhere to the bottom of the stormy sky background piece.
• Adhere the arms to the back of the snowman, then place the snowman on the background with foam adhesive.  Adhere the hat, scarf and mittens to the snowman.
• I added some polka dots and rough outlines to the mittens.  I thought a mitten on the ground would be a fun effect.
• Adhere everything to the white card base and you're done.  

Do you want to build a snowman?  Enjoy!