Caardvarks Challenge & Hero Arts sneak peeks!

This card is for the new Caardvarks Challenge: Winter!

It's a little dark maybe, but hopefully not too somber. I love that snowman stamp set! There's only a written tutorial today, but I'll have a couple of photo tutorials coming up this week of some of other Caardvarks projects. I am excited that we get to share a sneak peek with you though! :O)

This Caardvarks challenge was sponsored by Hero Arts (and they generously let us play with brand spanking new stamps!) They'll be available this month in their upcoming Holidays 2009 catalogue:

Hero Arts stamps used here:

1) "Create Your Own Snowman"

2) "Antique Brocade"

3) "Holiday Sayings"

To make the card I did this stuff...

For the background card:

1) Folded a 5 1/2 inch square White card & Created a fat scallop trimmed in silver marker for the bottom
2) Stamped the snowy sky: repeatedly stamping Hero Arts' "Antique Brocade background") on black cardstock, in white pigment ink (and embossed in both clear embossing powder. Cut it to measure 5 2/8 inches.
3) Made layers of hill shapes with patterned papers & embossing on two different Hero Arts stamps: the "Antique Brocade background cling stamp" & phrases from their "Holiday Sentiments"
4) Adhered the hills to the black cardstock mat
5) Pierced & stitched the hills with gray thread
6) Coloured the hills (outside the stitches in Copic markers to make a rainbow-coloured border.)
7) Added white & rainbow coloured brads to make snow.

Making some embossed rainbow coloured velvet ribbon:

This was SO fun to make: the ribbon is crushed black velvet. It's stamped (using the Hero Arts "Antique Brocade" stamp) in embossing ink & covered in white embossing powder.

I tinted the white embossing with the broad tip (or chissel end) of Copic markers to make it rainbow coloured. It's a super speedy cheat for custom ribbon. (I used the broad tip of the Copics to keep the brush ends free of any embossing residue.) ;O)

To make the sentiment:

1) Coloured the word "Chill" (also from Hero Arts' "Make Your Own
2) Snowman" set) in markers & then stamped onto Vellum cardstock & embossed the marker.
3) Embossed the Hero Arts "Antique Brocade" pattern in white on Kraft cardstock to layer underneath.
4) Cut them both into a curvy label shape & sewed it together, adding beads around the outside
5) Edged it with a black Copic marker around the stitched beads

To make the snowman:

1) Embossed the circles (from Hero Arts' "Make Your Own Snowman" set) & face in black on patterned paper & cut them out.
2) Added heat & stick powder & Iridescent Ice glitter (from SU) over the patterned paper
3) Beaded the mouth & eyes by sewing on seed beads.
4) Added a brad for the nose.
5) Adhered the snowman's body to a strip of cardstock (hidden by the circles)
6) Added the scarf (made by embossing ribbon & tinting it with Copic markers (as above) then cutting it & melting the cut parts to prevent fraying.
7) Made a hat & coloured & cut it...
8) Stitched a button on to hold the scarf

There are some crazily cool ideas for Holiday cards
by those amazing Caardvarks Ladies here:

and I hope you can play along with us in the challenge!

Thank you SO much for taking time out of your busy day;
may it be a gorgeous one!

P.S. Please check out the ol' blog later, if you'd like to see another post today: a Cuttlebug Challenge! (and a new box template too) :O)

P.P.S. Sorry for any weird typing errors in here. I have a migraine & they make me dumb, so you may find some extra typos.