'Tis Christmas torn

Hello crafting friends!

I'b dot well today I'b afraid :(

Roughly translated, that means I have a streaming nose, a sore throat and am feeling very sorry for myself! I've managed to keep going today though and rustled up a Christmas card at lunchtime while drinking gallons of lemon and ginger tea. Come and see:

I'm always looking for ways to use my washi tape collection and this fortnight's Less is More 'Torn' challenge encouraged me to tear it up and make a collage scene. To make the background, I first inked in the faint suggestion of snow using Clearly Besotted's Snow Day stencil and a Spectrum Noir alcohol marker. Over the top of that, I added a 'snowy slope' using icy silver and blue washi tapes. I tore strips off the rolls and then tore them again, lengthwise this time. These thinner strips were laid over each other until I had my sloping shape.

I used the same technique with the tree, laying the strips on a piece of scrap card stock, then cutting out a simple Christmas tree shape with my sharp paper snips. When the tree was attached to the background, I added a star sticker left over from a long ago project.

All that was needed was a sentiment and I used this beautiful one from Clearly Besotted's Simply Said. It should have been quick and easy...

... but, oh dear, I'd obviously not inked the stamp up properly :/ In order to save it, I stamped it again on some spare card stock, cut it out using an oval die and glued it over the top of my mistake.

I have a stamping platform on my Christmas list and oh my goodness do I need one! If I'd been using one, I could've just stamped it again in exactly the same position! I've done a bit of research and I'm toying with the idea of getting the Tim Holz travel size stamping platform. What do you think? I know that lots of you will already have a stamping platform and will have clear ideas about what makes a good one. It would be great to have some advice before shelling out!

I'm linking this card up with Less is More where the theme is That's Torn It! Plenty of scraps and left overs were used in the making of this card, so I shall also wander over to Pixie's Snippets Playground where I shall sit on the swings smelling strongly of Fisherman's Friends throat lozenges!

AND IN OTHER NEWS
I took Eva for a later walk than usual today and as we returned home, the schools were just closing. I was so proud of my little dog! A couple of years ago, faced with those huge wheezing buses and crowds of noisy school children, she would have frozen, but today, she walked by my side, wagging at any friendly-looking kids and flinching at the buses but standing firm. When we got home, I asked if she would like a bone as a treat and she said that yes, she rather thought she would ;)

Thank you for popping in to visit me today. Has your dog overcome any fears? If you have any heart-warming stories I'd love to hear them in the comments below.

Hugs,