Winter fun!

There's a new challenge at Christmas at Sweet Stampin' and the topic is WINTER SPORTS. I used this Lili of the Valley image which stole my heart as soon as I saw it. This stamp depicts what I did as a kid in the winter in Connecticut, USA. Did you ever skate out in the snow? As kids, the only thing that kept us inside in the winter was when we ran out of dry gloves or mittens and had to come in, put them on the radiator to dry, eat something and then head back outside. I know my mom and dad must have thought us kids insane to want to be outside with temperatures so cold! The color blue is my favorite to use for winter cards because it's a 'cool' color.

This adorable paper is by Doodlebug. I sewed each layer of my paper which is something I love to do but am not very good at. I slid my ribbon through two incisions I made on the image layer and ran it around the card between the initial white cardstock and first layer of aqua. And then there is the perfect bow. Yep, this is one of the best bows I've made in my lifetime! The snowflake corner diecut is by Memory Box and cut out of white pearl cardstock with my Cuttlebug. The sentiment tags are by LOTV.  

I used my lightest blue marker for the water and then applied Glossy Accents. While the Glossy Accents were still wet, I sprinkled Cool Diamond Microfine glitter by Elizabeth Craft Designs on it. I think it gives that icy look from what I remember as a child. The snow is Pearl Pen and then a dot of Star Dust Stickles on each flake. And yes, we did skate as it flurried and skated until the snow on the ice stopped our skates!

Did you ever ice skate on a pond as a kid? Our dad would burn down the cattails right before it got real cold and then after the pond froze, he'd scrape off the snow and try to smooth the ice for us and pile it around the area we would be skating. And I even remember him putting heavy plastic down on top of our grass supported with 2x4 wood, filing the plastic with water from the hose, letting it freeze, and then out we'd go to skate.  We loved outdoor activities, no matter what the weather was, and never stayed inside if we didn't have to! Does anyone have an image, by any company, of a child in a round saucer (ours were silver metal) headed down a snowy hill?  That's another thing we did and I'd love to find an image of it.

I tried to do that with my pearl pen and glitter...give the feeling the girls are skating on a pond with the snow piled around the ice. Do you remember the skates like this where your shoe was separate from the skate and held on with a buckle around the ankle and leather that you tied as tight as you needed it to be around the front of your foot? I had roller skates that were like this, too. I used my Wink of Stella pen on the skate blades (although they look just plain gray in the photo--in person they're more metallic looking).

Most of the people who read this are probably in my age group. And after seeing this card, and if you read any of the post, don't you think the kids nowadays miss out on so much due to technology? We learned science by being outside and exploring whether it was in the woods are in the washes of the deserts...and now science is learned in a classroom out of a book. The memories and what I learned are priceless.

The gals at Christmas at Sweet Stampin' have created a few items to get your creative juices flowing and think about what you would like to do for our WINTER SPORTS theme this month. Our challenges are a month long (the second Wednesday of each month) so there's lots of time to make your card or project. We're sponsored by Iva Nova Chest this month, click on the link and take a look at this fabulous store! I'm hoping to see your art work in the challenge at Christmas at Sweet Stampin'!

                                                                          Hugs,
                                                                          Gail

This card is entered in the following challenges:
C.R.A.F.T., Brown Sugar, Delicious Doodles, Fussy and Fancy, Sister Act, Crafts 4 Eternity, Robyn's Fetish, Treasured Times, Addicted to Stamps, Ribbon Girls, 613 Avenue Create (Image, Sentiment, Embossing, Button, Ribbon), Get Creative, Card Mania, Dream Valley, Incy Wincy, Dies R Us, Artistic Inspirations, Eureka Stamps, Clear It Out, Scrappers Delights, Creative Moments, Paradise of Stamps, Craft Your Passion, Aud Sentiments (Stitching, Rubber Stamp, Pattern Paper), Art by Miran, Pattie's Creations, Aloha Friday, Milk Coffee, Fairytale Stamper, Digi Sketch, The Paper Nest Dolls, A Creative Romance, Crazy Challenge, That Craft Place, Monday Morning Challenge, Mema's Crafts, One Crazy Stamper, Seemacrafts, The Sisters of Craft, Stamp and Create, Fresh Brewed Designs, Sparkle n Sprinkle, Craftyhazelnuts Christmas Challenge 2, Craftyhazelnuts Patterned Paper, The Artistic Stamper, Craft for the Craic, Jelly Park, Pink Gems, Come and Get It, Pile it On, Stamping Sensations, Countryview Challenges, Ooh La La Creations, Scrapbook Stamp Society, Whoopsi Daisy, Whimsy Inspires, Cuttlebugmania, Die Cuttin' Divas, Loves Rubber Stamps, Party Time Tuesdays, Melon Headz Friends