No Matting or Layering (& Top 5 with Allsorts Challenge)

I had a lovely surprise today, my Black & White Christmas Card was chosen as one of the Top 5 in the Allsorts Challenge last week.  Many thanks to Nicola and the rest of the design team for their lovely comments. 

Entering the challenges certainly starts to make you think more about different designs, styles and stretches you to do something that you wouldn't normally do. 

This week I have done something which is certainly out of my comfort zone.  I normally have lots of layers or 3d elements, so decided to go the total opposite to this. 
The base card is Centura Pearl Snow White with the illusion of layers - hope it comes across as this in the picture - but is in fact completely flat. 

To achieve this effect I started with masking the base card with low tack stencil tape at various widths on all 4 sides then started with the picture first.

I have used a combination of Creative Expression Stamps from Christmas and Vintage Christmas Stamps, stamped the tree and people first - I stamped the same images again onto Eclipse Masking Tape - the masks were placed over the original images and then I stamped  the manor house images over the masks to produce the background.  I stamped with Stormy Sky Distress Ink and also the light distressing around them. Did a little bit of watercolour with distress inks to highlight certain areas.
I then removed some of the masking tape to leave the pearl card 'layer' to form a frame.  On the next blue 'layer' I used Faded Jeans and tried to make the colour a bit darker.  Again I removed more tape and then finally used Faded Jeans again for the last 'layer' making sure that this was darker than the previous 'layer'.

The corners were embossed with Aurora Crystal Sparkle Embossing Powder and then over stamped using True White Embossing Powder.

Finally I used Fluffy Stuff with a sprinkle of glitter - decided not to heat just leave to try overnight -  to give the trees and ground the effect of snow.
Twinkles was dabbed onto the roofs of house.

On the second picture I used a silver metallic pen-touch to give the impression (hopefully) of mirri card with a deckle edge.

I am entering this little creation into the following challenges:

Allsorts Challenge - One Layer Card
ABC Challenge D-for-Dazzle
Divas by Design Challenge - Monochromatic
Stamptacularsundaychallenge - Anything Christmas
Papertakeweekly - Christmas Cracker, Not Literally

Hope you like this effect.

All always thanks for stopping by, all your comments are very much appreciated and welcomed.

Take Care

Hugs xx