Altered Pages December Challenge

Hi everyone!  Guess what time it is?  It's challenge time again at Altered Pages.  December's challenge theme is "Colors of the Season", and you can interpret that any way you choose.  Whether you like the traditional reds and greens, the blues of winter, or something else altogether, it is up to you.  We want to see your art work, so take a moment to visit the Altered Pages challenge page to read all about it.  

So, today, I hope to give you a bit of inspiration with a fun Christmas card that I made using the Hello December collection by Glitz Design.  This paper is a bit too primary for me, but I am going to tell you how I "vintaged" it up a bit.  

First, I covered the numbers background from the WhatNots die cuts with Old Paper distress stain.  Then I distressed and inked the edges with more Old Paper distress stain.  This color has a greenish undertone, which is perfect for the "Colors of the Season" I am going for.  However, I added some Gathered Twigs distress ink to the edges to darken them a bit more.

Next, I inked the wreath die cut with Gathered Twigs distress ink and lightly dabbed some embossing ink all over.  I sprinkled on a bit of Winter Wonderland embossing powder and heat set it.  I've had this EP for at least a decade, but any glittery white EP will work to make snow.  

Layer the wreath onto a circle of brown paper and adhere both to card front.

Fussy cut ivy bells garland collage image (AP-1050-Christmas Ivy)  and adhere to center top of wreath with pop dots.  Add green paper rosette and bottle cap with giant rhinestones, a couple of white paper flowers inked with Old Paper distress stain, and bead garland around wreath, as shown.


Remove cut out "happy holidays"portion from the red tag die cut, ink edges with Gathered Twigs distress ink, and adhere a small piece of the yellow striped paper that you inked with the Old Paper distress stain behind the words in the tag.  Adhere tag to bottom of wreath.

 

For the inside:  Fold Merry Christmas banner die cut in half and adhere to card inside, as shown.  You now have an easy pop-up element.  

Trim yellow stripe paper to 4" x 6", fold in half with right sides together.  Adhere inside card, matching center folds.  This will allow you a place to write a note to the recipient.  It also finishes off the inside.  

I wanted to add a touch of glitter here and there, so I went to my new go-to tool, Wink of Stella pens, adding red, green and clear to the ivy bells collage image, and clear to the rosette and tag.  I hope you can see it in the photos. It adds so much to the piece.  

Supplies used:

Hello December collection (Glitz Design) (6x6 paper pad, WhatNots, Giant Rhinestones)
AP-1050-Christmas Ivy collage sheet
Wink of Stella pens (Red, Green, Clear)
5"x7" kraft pre-folded card
Gathered Twig distress ink
Old Paper distress stain
Clear embossing ink
Winter Wonderland embossing powder  
Christmas Bead garland
Mini rosette die

So, what are your colors of the season?  Come on and play along with us.  Make some art and share it with us.  Altered Pages always has a wonderful prize giveaway to the winner, and everyone wins with a free collage sheet, just for entering.    

Thanks for stopping by, and be sure to check out the rest of the design team's interpretation of the Colors of the Season by clicking here.  

Have a wonderful week!

Barbara