It’s December 1st and winter has officially arrived, even though it’s unseasonably warm. So inevitably my thoughts turn to winter weather and the beauty of freshly fallen snow. I don’t mind snow when covers the lawn in a blanket of white, just so long as I don’t have to shovel it. I think the snowman on today’s project agrees with me. So I couldn’t resist sponging a night scene in shades of blue and I swear it made him smile even more.

SIMPLE PREPARATION

I began my bookmark with a simple 2″ x 5-1/2″ strip of Thick Whisper White Card. Then using Smoky Slate ink I stamped the snowman at the bottom of the strip.

Next I stamped the snowman onto a Full-Adhesive Post-It® Note and cut out the basic snowman shape using my Paper Snips. This was then placed over the snowman on the bookmark as a mask.

Now I was ready to begin sponging the night scene using an assortment of blue ink colours.

BLUE TIMES FOUR

With the mask in place I began with a layer of Balmy Blue ink applied using a piece of Stampin’ Sponge. For this first colour I sponged the whole bookmark but roughly avoided the snow on the ground.

Next I chose Pacific Point ink, sponging this over the bookmark from the top, down to the bottom of the snowman’s head. This was followed by a layer of Misty Moonlight ink sponged from the top down to about halfway.

Finally for my fourth blue I chose Night Of Navy. This was sponged from the top down for about 2″.

To turn my night sky into a snowy sky I wanted my Wink of Stella Clear Glitter Brush. First I gave it a good shake before squeezing the barrel to top up the clear chamber with the solution. Then I tapped the side of the brush firmly against my finger to make the solution splatter onto the sponging. Once I was happy with the amount of snow I’d created I removed the mask to reveal the snowman beneath.

To add contrast I coloured in the snowman’s hat and scarf using a Mango Melody Stampin’ Write Marker from the Brights collection. Then for his carrot nose I used a Pumpkin Pie Stampin’ Write Marker from the Regals collection.

In no time at all I was ready to add the finishing touches.

First I rounded the four corners and added the oval hole at the top using the Detailed Trio Punch. Then I threaded some 3/8″ Silver Metallic Edge Ribbon through the hole and tied it in a knot. With that my happy snowman scene was complete. And I was very happy too.

For more scenic projects see these previous blog posts:

• Easy sunset with sponge brayers
• Zany zebra enjoys my sea-nery
• Campology for Christmas cards
• Subtle sponging – an idea to try

PRODUCT LIST

STAMPIN’ WRITE MARKERS – Today Stampin’ Up! advised Demonstrators that there are production delays with the Stampin’ Write Markers. Please be aware that if they are out of stock there is likely to be a significant wait for your order to be filled. As a result if you want to order Stampin’ Write Markers please do so asap while Stampin’ Up! still has products in their warehouse.