Sizzix / Stampin' Up "Pretty Pines" snowflake Christmas card

I had an idea in my head about a Christmas card, which I had to try out.  This card is kind of what I had thought of.

I started with a square kraft card blank.  I used the Funky Fossil Designs "Snowflake die", cutting it in thin white card.  Once cut, I coated the snowflake in "Crystal" stickles to give a lovely sparkle and set aside to dry.

I had a mega cutting session using my Sizzix Big Shotm cuttine elements from the Sizzix / Stampin' Up "Pretty Pine Thinlits" dies, using different coloured shades of green and brown cardstock.

I used wet glue to stick the snowflake on to the card blank.  I then started to build up the foliage on the left hand side of the card.

I used Dr PH Martin's white bleed proof ink, slightly diluted, using a fan shaped paint brush to splatter the white across the card, to replicate snowflakes.

I had die cut the word "Merry" in a lovely deep red shade, but it kind of got lost on top of the snowflake, which is where the vision in my head, differs from what I have made.  It didn't seem to make a difference where I positioned the word, it just didn't work.  So instead, I stamped "Season's Greetings", part of a Clarity Stamps set called "Christmas Celebration Words" in Versafine Clair "Chianti" dark red ink.  I then die cut it in to a banner shape, tucking one end below some of the foliage.

Finally, I added "crystal" stickles around the sentiment and added "Ruby Red" Liquid Pearls to the foliage to replicate berries.