It's Still Winter: Four Seasons February Challenge

Hello and welcome! It's the first of the month and that means it's time for a new challenge at the Four Seasons challenge blog. It's still winter!!! And I am so over it after the arctic January we had!!! If you are living in the Midwest then I am sure you feel the same!! Luckily we're starting off February with 10 degrees above freezing and it feels like spring to me!!! I did totally enjoy making today's winter themed cards as I finally managed to use that bench stamp!!

As always we have a fantastic mood board to inspire you but you can share any of your new winter themed (or winter holidays) creations.

Here is our February mood board and I am sure you can guess I was inspired by the bottom right image.

I've had this Penny Black stamp set (On the Town) for a really long time, several years, but always shied away from using it and only used the tree from this stamp set once before. Well, this time I was determined to ink up that bench and light post. I did look for some inspiration online (more on that below) on how to use/stamp the bench. 

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I started with a hill mask cut from copy paper, then inked with Stormy Sky Distress Oxide ink. I did add a small spot of Antique Linen ink for the light from the light post. And along the edges of the sky I also used Chipped Sapphire ink. I decided to add a city skyline to the background using an old stamp from Whimsy Stamps and no longer available but I do like this one by Penny Black or maybe this one. Next I moved the mask down a bit to create a snow bank once again with Stormy Sky ink.

With the mask still in place I stamped the trees from the same "On the Town" set. Removed the mask and now came the (to me) complicated part - stamping the bench. I wanted the bench legs to be in the snow so I cut small pieces of paper to use as masks. It wasn't too easy to place them just right but somehow I managed. Then I stamped the lamp post behind the bench, masking off part of it. On the card above I used a stamp from the Penny Black set Spread Cheer, the boy or girl pulling a sled with a dog sitting on it. The little bunny is also from the same set. I inked a few more snowbanks using the same mask. For a little extra detail I stamped a few twigs next to the bench and bottom right (Penny Black Woodsy set). 

The snowflakes were done with a white Posca pen. I also used a white Sakura gel pen for a few highlights and then Frosted Lace stickles glitter for a bit of snowy sparkle.

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I am entering the card above to these challenges:

• A Perfect Time To Craft - AG
• Ally's Angels - AG
• Classic Design Challenge - AG
• Crafts Galore Encore - AG
• Crafty Animals - AG w/animal (dog and bunny)
• Critter Crazy Challenges - AG with Critter
• The Creative Crafters - AG
• Crafty Gals Corner - Winter Fun
• Double D Challenges - Sparkle and Shine (Sparkly Snowbanks)
• Simon Says Stamp - AG
• Sisterhood of Crafters - Winter Blues
• Double Trouble Challenge - AG
• Get Creative Challenges - Snow Much Fun
• Path of Positivity - AG
• Stamps & Fun = Creativity  - AG
• Penny Black Saturday Challenge - AG with PB stamps

So the card right above was my original try but I thought it resembled my inspiration piece just a bit too much. I did add a city skyline and used the other set of people from the stamp set, plus the bunny and a few twigs too but I find it looks too similar to Penny Black designer Heather's card so I am sharing this just for inspiration but won't enter this one to challenges.

As there is a moon on this card (a little hard to see but it's in the top right corner) I thought the sentiment "Love you to the moon and back" was perfect and I will give this to my husband for Valentine's Day :) 

You have until February 25th to join us this month. Hope to see you there! 

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