Products:

Pink paper--Gather in Peace artplay palette: http://www.oscraps.com/shop/ArtPlay-Palette-Gather-In-Peace.html
DistressedToolSetNo. 10 brushes: (retired)
Framed Masks No. 1: http://www.oscraps.com/shop/FramedMasks-No.-1.html
Twiggy Brush Set No. 1: http://www.oscraps.com/shop/Twiggy-No.-1-BrushSet.html
ArtstrokeMultiMediaChristmasTrees No. 2: http://www.oscraps.com/shop/MultiMedia-Christmas-Trees-No.-2.html and Artplay Palette Home: http://www.oscraps.com/shop/ArtPlay-Palette-Home.html
Winter Word Art No. 3: http://www.oscraps.com/shop/Winter-WordART-No.-3.html
Snowy Fotoblendz No. 3: http://www.oscraps.com/shop/Snowy-FotoBlendz-No.-3.html
MultiMediaWinter No. 2: http://www.oscraps.com/shop/MultiMedia-Winter-No.-2.html
UrbanStitchezKorners No 1: http://www.oscraps.com/shop/UrbanStitchez-Korners-No.-1.html

This page is a layout within a layout, and was an easy way to get some nice effects. The explanation is long because it's a lot of steps, but the process really WAS easy, just a matter of dragging things from one place to another.

I started by creating a layout in a new file. I used a pink background so that the black stamped branches would take on a warm brownish color when blended on overlay mode; I distressed the paper with the brushes in the tool set. I then added the masked frames, stacking them up like a snowman, and clipped in the photos. Then I added the branches, text, word art, and an artstroke, and when I liked what I had, I merged everything but the pink background and text into one image. By mistake I merged the word art, too, which would wind up causing a problem later.

I then created a new file and dragged in two Snowy Fotoblendz, positioning them at the top. I pulled in my first (merged layout) and placed it on top of the snowy fotoblendz. I didn't clip anything, just used the Fotoblendz and snow as background. I then added back the pink background and stamped on more branches in overlay mode ((I had lost the warmish brown effect of the blending during the merging process). I also brought in the text from my original layout.

But because the word art was now virtually unreadable, I had to lighten the fotoblendz, which I did with fill layers and blending modes. As it turned out, I like the effect I achieveda happy accident. I added a few more layers of snow from the snowy Fotoblendz and a few embellishments and stitches and was done.