My Christmas Tree Version

Hello stamping friends!  I hope you aren't bored by my card today.  So many people have shared their versions of Christmas tree cards this year.  Especially since there are several different tree-centered new sets this year to choose from.  After giving this some thought, I figured why not share one more.  After looking at so many different versions of Christmas trees on Pinterest to get inspired, I feel like I must have seen them all already.  And I hope my version isn't too much like anyone else's card idea.  I think I got idea overload and started mixing up what I saw and what I thought up myself.  Also, I was having a problem finding what I wanted to put together on this card from just my current stash of stamps, punches and cardstock.  So, this card is a real mixture of old and new, but I love how it all comes together into a beautiful Christmas card!

 

Isn't this just the perfect Christmas tree card?  I love how it came together.  When planning this card, I couldn't keep myself from using the retired original Shimmery Paper that we sold previously.  It has a subtle shimmer to it that it's almost unnoticeable, but it is there and makes a lovely backdrop for this tree.

The card starts with a card base of Shaded Spruce that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" that's scored and folded in half.  The first layer is the Shimmery Paper that measures 5 1/4" x 4".  For some added shimmer on this, I flicked a little bit of Wink of Stella on the layer and set it aside to dry for a minute.  I wasn't sure how I'd finish the design until I had a tree to work with, so that was next.

While that was drying, I created my tree(s).  The larger tree image in the Frosted Forest stamp set was stamped on Basic White cardstock with Shaded Spruce ink.  Then I worked with the coordinating stencils to add the rest of the color.  Stencil A was Shaded Spruce added with a Blending Brush.  Stencil B was adding some Mossy Meadow for a shading color.  Stencil C was carefully dabbing and smooshing White Craft ink onto the tree.  Don't rub it on or much of the green will transfer to your white ink pad.  Oops!  After adding the white ink, I added White Embossing Powder to one and a clear glitter embossing powder to the 2nd one.  After heat setting, you can see the difference of the two trees.  For this card, I chose the snowy tree with the white embossing powder on it.

A strip of Shaded Spruce was cut for the card front.  It measures 5 1/4" x 1 1/2".  A strip of the Graceful Greenery Vellum was added over this as a lovely accent.  The strip measures 5 1/4" x 1 3/8".  It's attached to the green strip only under the circle areas to hide the adhesive.  For a final layer on the strip, a length of the Silver & White Sheer Ribbon was wrapped around and adhered to the back.  This was all added to the card front and attached with adhesive.

Two of the Spotlight on Nature circle dies were used next.  The larger one cut a piece of Shaded Spruce, and the next size down cut a circle from the Shimmery White cardstock.  These are layered up together with adhesive.  Then they are attached to the far-right side of the card front using Dimensionals.

The tree was attached to the circles by using Dimensionals also, so it really stands out on the card.

Another retired favorite of mine, the Double Oval Punch, was used to make the sentiment piece.  The larger oval punched out Shaded Spruce and the smaller oval punched Basic White.  Shaded Spruce ink was used to stamp Joy from the Brightest Glow set which I think is retired.  The sentiment fit just right though, so that's what I used.

We're down to the home stretch now.  It was time for any extra bling to go on now.  After evaluating, I went back and added Wink of Stella over all the white embossing powder on the tree branches.  I like the bit of glimmer that added to the tree.  The very last addition was the five tiny Rhinestone Basic Jewels scattered on the tree.  

There, I'm so happy with the entire card, even if it is a mish-mash of old and new.  I really enjoy getting out my retired products and playing around with them.  It reminds me of why I held on to those special items when they retired in the first place.  Of course, I'd be happy to hang on to every single stamp, accessory, and tool I've purchased over many years.  But you know, I really don't want to rent a storage unit to fit it all!  LOL

Hope you had fun creating with me today.  I promise I'll try to stick with more current products next time around.  (Maybe)  Please don't get mad at me if I wander away into the past again.  

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

Thoughtful Journey Cards X 4

 Hello my friends!  What a beautiful fall day we have today.  But I can still hear the chain saws outside cutting down trees that came down during Hurricane Helene.  Just drove up our block and counted eight homes that had trees down.  Thankfully most of them didn't land on the houses, just in the yards.  But that's still a lot.  Concerning trees, I like the looks of bare trees in the winter - the silhouettes against the sky.  So that was the starting point on the cards, but I branched out from there.  Let's look at the different cards made with the Thoughtful Journey Designer Series Paper.

This is the first card I made.  I decided on the print first and chose colors of cardstock to match it.  This is a little darker style than I usually do, but I love the finished card.

The card base is Lost Lagoon that measures 11" x 4 1/4" and is scored at 5 1/2".  The Basic Black layer measures 5 1/4" x 4".   This addition really makes the other colors pop.  The black layer is attached to the card base with "green glue".

The next layer is Wild Wheat.  It measures 5" x 3 3/4".  This isn't one of my favorite colors, but I found it is a wonderful accent color for many of these Thoughtful Journey prints.  It's attached to the Basic Black layer with "green glue".

The print layer measures 4 7/8" x 3 3/4".  Before attaching to the card base, I die-cut the silhouette trees from Basic Black cardstock.  They are attached to the bottom of the DSP layer using adhesive.  The ends are trimmed on the sides to fit nicely.  The print layer was then attached to the card base using "green glue".

The sentiment is from the So Sincere stamp set.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a piece of Wild Wheat that measures 1 5/8" x 1".  After stamping, it's attached to the card front with Dimensionals.

The embellishment accent on this card is from the Blooming Pearls in the Annual Catalog.  These are the blue tones gems that I used to enhance the design.

This is the second card in the series.  The card base is Wild Wheat cardstock because it matches so well.  It measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" and is scored at 4 1/4".

The layers were added a little differently on this card.  The Lost Lagoon cardstock layer is first and measures 5 1/2" x 2 7/8".  Next a layer of Basic Black cardstock measures 5 1/2" x 2". It's attached down the center of the Lost Lagoon layer using "green glue".  Then the layers are attached to the front of the card using "green glue".  It's attached closer to the left side.

The DSP layer is the leftover piece from the first card.  This is the back side of the print.  It is trimmed to measure 5" x 2 1/4".  "Green glue" was added down the center and then attached to the card front.

The sentiment on this card is also from the So Sincere stamp set.  It is stamped with Lost Lagoon ink onto a piece of Basic White cardstock.  After stamping, it was trimmed close to the wording with my Paper Snips.  It's attached to the card front with Mini Dimensionals.

I tried several different types of bling to accent this card.  As you can see, I ended up using the Brushed Brass Butterflies on the design.  They are small and understated.  Just the right accent for my card.

Let's continue on to the third card made with the Thoughtful Journey Designer Series Paper.

I still wanted to make another card using the tree silhouettes from the Frosted Forest dies, so I found another print that would make a lovely sky background.

To match the print, I chose a Cajun Craze card base that measures 8 1/2" x 5 1/2".  It's scored at 4 1/4" and folded in half.

The Misty Moonlight layer was cut next.  It measures 5" x 3 3/4".  To add a small frame to this piece, a layer of Basic Black was cut to measure 5 1/8" x 3 7/8".  They're attached together with "green glue".  Then they're attached to the card base with the "green glue" also.

The DSP print was trimmed to 4 3/4" x 3 1/2".  Then another silhouette tree cluster was die-cut from a 5" x 3" strip of Basic Black cardstock.  It was attached to the bottom edge of the DSP and trimmed on the two sides to fit. 

The sentiment is from the Simply Said stamp set.  It's stamped with Misty Moonlight ink directly onto the DSP.  After this, the DSP was attached to the card front using "green glue".

The bling on this card is the coral-colored dots from the Opaque Faceted Dots.  Guess these are retired already.  I'm sure you can find a different embellishment for your card if desired.

The last card in the series was designed around a piece of left over print from a previous endeavor.  The Wild Wheat worked with this print too, so it was used for the card base.  The first layer is Lost Lagoon that measures 5 1/2" x 2 7/8".  It's attached to the card base about 1/2" from the bottom edge of the card front.

The layer of DSP measures 5 1/8" x 2 3/8".  To get the skinny frame of black, I measured a piece 5 1/4" x 2 1/2".  These two layers were attached together with "green glue".  Then attached to the Lost Lagoon layer with the same adhesive.

The silhouette piece used here is from the Painted Lavender die set.  It's die-cut from Basic Black cardstock.  

The sentiment is from the Frosted Forest stamp set.  It's stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink onto a 2 5/8" x 3/4" strip of Basic White cardstock.  This is attached with adhesive to the card front as shown.  The black die-cut piece is attached to the card front with adhesive slightly overlapping the sentiment piece.  

The embellishment on this card is also from the Opaque Faceted Gems in the Lost Lagoon color tone to match.

Here's a last look at the four cards in this collection.  I love the focal point being on the Designer Paper prints with the black accents.  Each one is a little different in composition.  Hopefully these will give you some ideas to CASE that are simple but still beautiful.  Just think of the possibilities with different prints and coordinating colors of cardstock.  I wanted to make cards that had an autumn feel to them.  But with the lovely prints of the Thoughtful Journey DSP pack, you could easily make a set of cards for each season!  Have fun coming up with your own combinations.

Thank you for sharing some of your precious time with me.  If you're looking for a demonstrator to help you out, I'd love that job!  Feel free to use the Host Code at the top of this blog.   I'll send you a card with my sincere appreciation for any orders.  Thank you so much for considering me.  If you have questions or need help, please contact me. 

Happy stamping and creating,

Sharon

sharoncarr50@gmail.com