Two Snowman Fancy Fold Cards - 52 {C}CT Oct Technique Challenge

Danielle has done a wonderful job as the 52 {C}CT October challenge hostess, I have loved all her choices - and she's finishing off the month with a really fun technique challenge which is right up my street - Fancy Fold Cards.  I enjoy them muchly, in fact I've made two cards for this challenge!

 

First I made a shadow box card.  I have a tutorial for making a shadow box card on this page HERE.  I thought it would be fun to have the viewpoint on my card as if you're inside the house looking through the window into the garden.  That gave me the perfect chance to ink up Bertie - a newly acquired snowman stamp!  I had a real blast making this card but it wasn't a quick card, I worked on it over several days doing a bit at a time - definitely a "work in progress" card!  Definitely a card that will go into the "Special Cards" box too, I already know which friends will receive this at Christmas!

Here's the finished card.  It measures 5 3/4" square.

Here's what I worked on first - the back of the shadow box card.  I stamped Bertie twice on watercolour paper and once on thin paper.  I cut out the image from the thin paper to make a mask of the snowman and fence and adhered the mask over the top of the watercolour paper panel with temporary adhesive.  I then sponged Soft Sky and Marina Mist inks onto the panel, removed the mask, coloured the fence and the twiggy arms.  I spritzed water onto my hand, flicked it onto the panel and dabbed with a piece of kitchen paper to get a snowy look.  I then coloured the second image I'd stamped onto watercolour paper and fussy cut just the snowman part out.  I used inks and a blender pen to add colour to the images.  I added glitter glue to the fence, hat and nose and added Glossy Accents to the buttons.  When all that was dry I popped Bertie up.  I stamped the podgy robin, coloured, fussy cut and popped him up.

Here's a closer look at Bertie.

Next I worked on the front part of the shadow box card.  I adhered patterned paper as wallpaper to the front and cut out a rectangular aperture with a Nestie die.  I die cut the window from white linen textured CS, taped acetate behind as glass and popped the window up.  I stamped and fussy cut the hanging stars, added yellow glitter glue and glued those to the window.  I then die cut the curtain - it's a theatre curtain die which means the curtains are a bit short for the window.  So, I cut another curtain shape, did some snipping so I ended up with two pieces and I glued those underneath to make the curtains look layered and longer.  I die cut from Core'dinations CS and scuffed the embossing with sandpaper so that the curtain detailing shows up.  Then I added ribbon tie backs to the curtains. 

Then I worked on the back of the card, adding patterned paper, a sentiment and a stocking hanging from a holly garland.  Again, I got the glitter glue out to add some sparkle to the berries and stocking.

Then it was time for the envelope to be decorated.  I covered the flap with the red damask paper and popped up stamped, coloured, fussy cut holly onto punched circles.

Here's the finished card again so I can point out the final detail that I added before calling the card done - I popped up two Christmas presents underneath the window.  I added gold lurex thread to the smaller present and a die cut bow with a gem centre to the larger present.   

My second card is a rocker card.  I saw this fab rocker card made by Helen last week and I wanted to make one as I've not tried it before.  I know Danielle loves pink Christmas cards, bling and snowmen - so Danielle, this one's just for you!

For the rocker card base I cut a 5 3/4" Pink Pirouette circle, folded it in half and stamped the front with Melon Mambo snowflakes.  I heat embossed the large snowflake with Vintage Pink tinsel embossing powder, stamped and die cut the snowman and he's popped up on a wobble spring.  I added iridescent pink gems to the snowflake to finish the card front.

Here's the inside with a sentiment layered over a stamped snowflake.  There's no decorated envelope - yet - as I ran out of time but I'll get to that soon!

 So you've seen what I created, now it's your turn to make a fancy fold Christmas card and link it up at 52 {C}CT!  I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with!
 
Supplies for shadow box card:
Stamps:  Hobby Art 'Bertie the Snowman' cling stamp, Hobby Art 'Christmas Robins' clear set, sentiment from Stampendous, Dovecraft 'Holly' clear stamp
CS: SU! Cherry Cobbler, Woodware white linen textured CS, Amazon Core'dinations CS, watercolour paper, acetate
Patterned paper:  Echo Park Very Merry Christmas, SU! 'Festival of Prints' DSP stack
Ink: VersaFine Onyx Black, SU! Soft Sky, Marina Mist, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Suede, Cajun Craze & Old Olive, Blender Pen
Tools: Poppystamps 'Grand Madison Window' die, rectangle Nestabilities die, Joy Crafts 'Theatre Curtain' die, Memory Box 'Tiny Bow' die, square punch, plain & scalloped circle punches, SU! Simply Scored
Embellishments & accessories:  Star Dust, Orange Peel & Yellow Stickles, SU! Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details, SU! Early Espresso taffeta ribbon, Ranger Glossy Accents,  gold lurex thread, red crystal, Dimensionals, fine sandpaper

Supplies for rocker card:
Stamps: Hero Arts/Sizzix 'Snowman' stamp & die combo set, Hero Arts 'Falling Snowflakes', SU! 'Festive Flurry' & 'Best Yet' sets
CS: SU! Pink Pirouette, Melon Mambo, Basic Black & Whisper White
Ink: VersaMark, SU! Pink Pirouette & Melon Mambo, VersaFine Onyx Black, SU! Pumpkin Pie & Sahara Sand markers
Tools:  EK Success Circle Scissor Pro, die from Hero Arts/Sizzix 'Snowman' stamp & die combo set, heat tool
Embellishments & accessories: Stampendous Vintage Pink tinsel embossing powder, Action Wobble Spring, PaperMania iridescent pink gems