winter theme ATC

A good friend of mine is hosting an ATC swap. An ATC is an Artist Trading Card - size is 2-1/2" x 3-1/2" (88mm x 61mm). The only rule of this swap was it had to be winter themed. I'm going to show you the progression of my idea: Winter. Here in New Jersey (where according to a recent poll, 49% of adults want to leave...me included..sometimes - ha ha!) Makes me think of bone-chilling cold, the once green leaves (which are now a sea of wonderful autumn colors!) are now gone, revealing the naked branches. I also think of the winter holidays, and the wonderful music that is associated with the holiday season. So, from those thoughts I came up with this: After much consideration I decided it needed a bit less 'blah!'. However, by March here in the northeast you are feeling 'blah!' and can't wait for spring, but that is besides the point. I don't want to depress the viewer of my ATC!! ha ha!! I then came up with this: Many steps to this ATC; please read only if you want the details of how this was made: 7gypsies Musique paper was painted with a wash of walnut ink mixture and allowed to dry. Ironed flat. DTP (Direct To Paper technique - take a ink pad in your hand and swipe the cardstock) and sponged Vintage Photo Distress pad on ivory Neenah cardstock base. Stamped tree branch images in Ranger Jet Black Archival pad and French script image with Antique Linen. Tear various 7gypsies papers, DTP edges of 7g Large Script and Musique only with Vintage Photo ink. Adhere to ivory cardstock base as shown. Spray white cardstock (I buy mine from Nichole Heady at http://www.papertreyink.com/) with Oyster Glimmer Mist. Allow to dry and iron flat. Punch three sizes of snowflakes from sparkley cardstock and set aside. Spritz a sheet of ivory Neenah cardstock with walnut ink solution and Glimmer Mist Aspen Yellow. Spritz tags too. Allow to dry and iron cardstock sheet flat. Stamp sentiment on sparkley (now vintage looking) cardstock with Ranger Archival Jet Black ink and punch out using EK Success 1" punch. Wipe the now dry metal of tags with paper towel. Adhere stamped circles and smallest snowflake. Adhere rhinestone bauble to snowflake center. Set aside. Adhere larger, punched sparkley snowflakes to ATC collaged base and adhere larger baubles. Adhere metal rimmed circle tag. Using glue pen mimic snow placement on tree branches and dust with Prisma glitter. Allow to dry. Neenah off-white cardstock base, 7gypsies papers; tree branches stamp from All Night Media, French script and sentiment from Hero Arts; Distress pads in Vintage Photo, Antique Linen; Ranger Archival Jet Black pad; silver-rimmed tag from Staples (it looks gold in the pic but it's really silver - honest); EK Success 1"circle punch; two styles of EK Success snowflakes; glue pen; Hero Arts Prisma glitter, faceted clear bauble; larger clear baubles from Michaels Craft Store; Marvy tiny snowflake punch; Glimmer Mist in Aspen Yellow; Walnut Ink mix.