Card Design: Ike's World Challenge #6...It Feels Like Winter

Helloooooooooooooooo and happy Tuesday to you all once againl! It is time for the latest challenge over at Ike's World Challenges. The theme for Challenge #6 is It Feels Like Winter and I do have to agree--it definitely feels like WINTER!!!! Brrrr...it is not only cold outside but cold inside!!! We have had snow on the ground since Friday and even had flurries Monday afternoon. I'm afraid it is here for good! Well, we might as well make the most of it and use it to inspire us in our winter themed creations.

Ike's current challenge is the perfect place to enter those winter cards. You can join in Ike's challenge with a creation using any kind of medium or style but remember that in order to qualify to win the prize you MUST use an Ike's Art image. If you don't already have an image and would like to purchase one, check out all the awesome ones available in the store by clicking HERE. Ike has an amazing and varied selection to choose from and you are sure to find something to suit your needs.
Check out what I made for this fortnight...

 
General Information:

• Woo hoo!!!  One more Christmas card for the pot.  I especially like that I've gone with non traditional colours for this one.
• I had a lot of creative fun coming up with this concept.  I wanted to do something a bit different, in terms of working with the actual image.  What is really great is that creating a digitally coloured version of the image allows me the opportunity to incorporate the same design into different layouts and cards; and while the image itself will remain the same, the number of variances I can derive from it, are endless.
  I hope that you like what I came up with! 

FRONT

Digital Image:

• Gothic Window:  This stunning image is available for purchase.  Clicking on the watermark below will take you to its location in the store.

• Now I don't believe that the final print out of the scene for the card, shows off Ike's image in the best light. Therefore, I am also going to show you the digital creation I came up with.  It is the same one used on the front of my card but printing the image and then photographing it once the card was assembled, doesn't allow for the detail to show...

• As I mentioned earlier.  This one was a lot of fun to design.  As soon as I saw the image in the store I knew it was the one I wanted to work with and knew right away how I wanted to approach it.
• I originally was going to create a hybrid--part digital, part coloured by hand--but then decided to go the digital route throughout.
• I found this great snowy, outdoors photograph over on  PublicDomainPictures.net. The photographer's name is David Wagner.  I placed it in behind the window so that it appears one is looking out into a snowy afternoon.
• I wanted to make it look like the walls were wallpapered so I found the perfect digital paper for this project in the Breathe kit created by Jeanine Baechtold a designer with ComputerScrapbook.com, available as a freebie. 
• Then it was just a matter of finding the right complementary colours for the curtains, flooring and window pane.  Adding a bit of shadow to the flooring and window, and adding a layer style on the curtains to give them an old vintage feel.  The distressed vintage layer style is from Star Sunflower Studio and available HERE.   
• I added a frame from Shelby Kate Schmitz of graphicssoft.about.com.
• And voila!  I now have a digital creation I can use over and over again.

Digital Sentiment: 

• I just created a sentiment on the front to tie in with the image and lead in to the inside sentiment.

Digital Embellishments: 

• The swirls that were added to the front are from the Friday Night Cocktails kit created by Correen Silke, also a designer with ComputerScrapbook.com.  This kit is still available for free as well.
• The digital ribbon that the sentiment is placed on is also from the Breathe kit (details above). 
  

 INSIDE

Digital Sentiment:

• Another simple one I created to reflect the theme of the card.

Digital Embellishment

• The sentiment has been framed with the same one referenced earlier.

OVERALL
Paper Products: 

• Card base: Michael's Recollection's Cardstock, white.
• Digital Designer Papers:  The paper used on the front and the one used on the inside are both from the same Breathe kit, mentioned above.

Challenges I am hoping to enter... 

• Scribble and Scrap Crafts -- Anything Goes
• Avenue 613 -- Anything Goes with optional twist
• http://artisticinspirationschallenges.blogspot.co.uk/ -- Anything Goes
• http://eurekastamps.blogspot.ca/ --  Christmas Theme
• http://glitternsparklechallengeblog.blogspot.co.uk/ --Show us some snow (the snow is in the picture showing through the window, and additionally the font I used on the front has snowflakes in it.)
• http://cleanandsimpleonsunday.blogspot.ca/ -- Winter Theme
• http://www.comeandgetitchallenges.blogspot.ca/  -- Anything Goes with a twist (use a digital stamp)
• http://www.creativeinspirationspaint.blogspot.ca/ -- Anything Goes
• http://greatimpressionsstamps.blogspot.ca -- Holiday Card or Tag
• http://pileitonchallenge.blogspot.ca/ -- Non-Traditional Christmas (I have used Cranberry (not red) & Teal (not green).  I have also used a non traditional image in the design.)
• http://sentimentalsundays.blogspot.ca/ -- Winter Wonderland (I hope that the snow filled scene showing through the window and my sentiments themselves are winter enough to qualify for this challenge.)

    
What will you create using one of Ike's wonderful images?  Pop over and play along with us anytime during the next two weeks over at Ike's World Challenges. You can find out everything you need to know in order to play, by heading to the challenge blog.  I've linked the logo below to take you there.  While you are over there, please be sure to check out the incredible creations offered up by some of my fellow DT members and be sure to pop over there again next week when the second team's projects are showcased to help inspire you.

Until next time,