It started simply enough – the task was to make a winter-themed swap card.  I hadn't planned to make any at the crop I was attending — but then I got in a coloring mood.  So out came the Copic Markers and I attacked a sweet little Gerber baby-ish image in a Crafty Secrets holiday set.  I decided that I wanted to use it on the card.

So dig dig dig in the tote bag and find a cooooool glittery paper from 'The Robin's Nest'.  I started cutting apart the swirls a bit.

But I need a card base – what could I use?  Had nothing in the tote, and the papers in the shop were NOT helping me — but then I found a snowflake background by Tinkering Ink.  But what a challenge that paper was! Greyish blue and cream, a nearly skintone cream.  Hmmm.  Goes with the stamped image – but what else?

So I decided my neutral was going to be grey.  And because of the TI paper, it had to be a warm grey.  I found a glimmery cardstock (Bazzill Bling perhaps?) for the base.  I put the TI paper on top.  Then my swirly bit.  Not working.  The swirly bit overwhelmed everything.

I added a transparency from Hambly called On Edge metallic in Silver.  Ok, shiny is now on a level playing field.  But how to bring it into the warm tones?  The answer was simple!  I sprayed the whole thing with Glimmer Mist in Sugar Cookie.  Now my warm tone was on the transparency too.

I decided to place the stamped image on a diamond coasterboard shape, which I inked with Weathered Wood Distress Ink.  I also applied this ink to the Times Alphabet chipboard letters from Prima.

I exchanged an 'o' for a heart fastener by Heidi Grace, which I stamped using Stazon with a snowflake image from the Crafty Secrets stamp set.

I little journaling spot from Heidi Swapp finished off my sentiment/title for the card, which I wrote on top of with a Black Spica glitter marker and touched the edges with the Distress Ink again.

Then I sprayed the stamped image with a light dusting of Glimmer Mist in Sugar Cookie also.  Now the glimmer was on an even playing field.  Here is a closeup of what I'm talking about:

See how the Glimmer Mist reacts differently on the surfaces?  There is a faint overall shimmer on the stamped image and lovely chunkier deposits on the glossy surface of the transparency. 

I like it so much, I'm going to use it for the swap, and make a few more for personal cards.  It sure goes with the 2 inches of newfallen show today.

Stay warm and colorful.