Christmas Card Challenge: Card 11
By: Shelly Newkirk, Artistic Guide

Finished Card Size: A2, 4.25" x5.5"

Supplies:
Stamps:
Snowflake (Creations Unlimited)
Inks:
VersaMark (Tsukineko)
Dark Blue dye ink (Vivid Ultramarine)
Papers:
White card stock (Georgia Pacific)
Dark Blue cardstock (unknown)
Light Blue cardstock (unknown) 4.25 x 5.5
Other Supplies:
Christmas tree punch (Punch Bunch)
72mm oval punch (Punch Bunch)
55mm elongated oval punch (Emaginations)
Deckle scissors (Fiskars)
Sparkle Vhite embossing powder (Think Ink)
Baby Powder
Heat Gun (Uchida)

Directions:

1. Lightly dust a piece of 4.25" x 5.5" light blue cardstock with Baby Powder. Using VersaMark, randomly stamp the snowflake over the whole paper.  Apply the Sparkle White embossing powder and melt with a heat gun. Trim to 4" x 5.25" and sponge edges with Dark Blue ink.  Glue to the center of a White card base.
2. Use the Christmas tree punch to make a tree in the White cardstock. With the 55mm elongated oval punch upside down, position the punch over the tree & punch. Punch a 72mm oval of Dark Blue cardstock.
3. Center and glue the White tree oval to the larger Dark Blue oval.
4. Glue the two layered ovals to White cardstock and cut a narrow border with the deckle scissors.
5. Glue the oval layers to the center of the card base.
6. Book It! (see tip below on how to Book It!).

Basic Stamping Tip:
How to Book It!: 

• Many of the procedures that we use to create cards warp the paper.  I like to use a separate piece of paper that is the same size as the front of my card for my designs. This separate finished piece is then glued to the card front and I place the whole card under my big college dictionary over night.  (Sometimes I will place the card between a few sheets of copy paper to help absorb moisture and hurry the process.) In the morning I have a beautifully flat and smooth card that has a very crisp professional look. So Book It! your cards!
• If you are using 3-D techniques you can Book It! the flat portion for a few hours and then add your
  3-D embellishments.