A Christmas night in June

This week I wanted to make something a bit different, and because it was rather a lot of work, I have found several challenges that it is suitable for. But I started with the Bah! Humbug! Challenge - Surprise, surprise. Had I not just made a magic slider card for their recent challenge, I could have done one of those, but instead I thought I'd have a go at another style of card I learned with Hazel from Horseshoe Crafts, many years ago, and haven't made again since.

The first thing was to cut the card and assemble it so that I could mark each area I needed to work on.* Then I decided to decorate the front. The paper I chose is a bonus download from the members section of Crafters Companion website. I chose my all time favourite snowman stamp, cut him out and glued him to a magazine background. This was matted and layered with silver dufex paper and then dark blue card. The snowflake is a die-cut template from craftsuprint which I cut using CraftRobo.

Next I turned to my middle layer. The mice are stamped onto white starburst paper and glued in place to hide the fact that my copic markers had bled through the card!(See below). It didnt take the stamps very well but I think I got away with it. The rest is matted in each section with papers from magazines and CDs, but first I computer generated the text and printed it onto them. The geese and reindeer were stamped onto white heavyweight paper, coloured and cut out, and glued in place. I bought the reindeer stamp just as I finished making Christmas cards last year, so I am glad I have found an opportunity to use it.I knew what I wanted to put in the centre but my stamps were too big, so I stamped the whole scene on white copy paper, scanned it into the computer and printed it out in two halves, managing to place them in the right position on the base cards. (This took a few attempts but I got there in the end). I added some colour with my copic markers. * This section actually had to be done as soon as the card was cut out, but for this post, it makes more sense to put it here.

To finish off the centre section I used the QuicKutz alphabet die set, Skinni minis - Frankie, with my cuttlebug, to cut out the letters for the wording on the top and lower panels, and used a baby Xyron to stick them in place.

So the idea is to open the gate fold front of the card to see the inside, then following the instructions given, to ease apart the centre to reveal the secret in the middle. Surprise, surprise!

If anyone would like the instructions for making this card, please ask.

Stamps used:-
Main snowman - Funstamps
Reindeer and snowflakes - Woodware
Geese and mice - Great Impressions
Santa - Crafters Companion
Most others - SeeDs

Challenges entered :-
Bah! Humbug! Challenge 22 ; Surprise, surprise
Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Challenge 23: Wintertime blues
Sparkles Forum Christmas Challenge 5: Snowmen
Stampin Sisters in Christ Challenge 92: Use something new (Reindeer stamp)
Lets Craft and Create Challenge 21: The four seasons
Claudia and Company Challenge 83: Fancy folds
Stampavie and more Challenge 144: More than a fold
Southern Girls Challenge 20: Start of Winter, Christmas
Paper Crafting Journey Challenge 11: Anything goes? Use your favourite... (Snowman stamp)
Christmas Cards All Year Round, June Challenge: Anything goes.
Inspire me Fridays Challenge 5: Anything goes