Plaid, Watercolor, Embossing and Distressing for Merry Monday

I absolutely hate when my job gets in the way of my craftiness . . . but I need one to support the other.  Harsh world.

All that said, I'm happy to find some time to post a few cards this week that I created for some challenges.  First up for this weekend is a card created for Merry Monday.  The challenge was to create a Christmas card with plaid.

I dug for plaid paper, and I don't own much of it.  Rarely does a piece of plaid paper scream "buy me".  But I found a piece!  It compliments my stamped and colored design well.

Now let's talk about that stamped design.  I saw a technique on StampNation that I had been wanting to try, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.  Watercolor paper . . . distress inks to color . . . and then the technique . . . four coats of clear embossing powder over the entire image . . . put it in the freezer and upon removing a few hours later, a little wiggling and bending to create the cracks.  I then ran a gray ink pad over it, which got in the cracks.  I wiped off the excess and began to put my card together. 

I'm on the fence about the technique, but I will definitey try it again down the road.  It was fun to see where it would end up.

I hope you find some time to create . . . I'm heading back to the craft table right now.

Supplies Used - Night Before Christmas

Stamps:  Balancing Act (Stampendous House Mouse)

Ink: Sentiment stamped in Hero Arts Black; House Mouse Image stamped in Versafine Black Onyx; Image colored using Ranger Distress Inks; Versarmark

Paper:  Dear Santa (Photoplay), Bazzill Cardstock, Watercolor Paper (Canson)

Accessories:  Clear Embossing Powder (Ranger); Bitty Sparkles (Close To My Heart)