Today’s project was a Lovely as a Tree Christmas card for Alice, a sweet, soft spoken lady, now in her 80s, who was a vibrant part of our community and was our librarian extraordinaire. Then a few years ago, due to health issues, she went to live with her daughter around 200 miles south of us. She loved to watch what my monthly Library Stampin’ for Adults card classes created–since the inception of the class in February of 2004.
I received an email from one of Alice’s fans and good friends asking if I would make one of my cards just for Alice since she’s traveling to Colorado for Christmas and then her son’s in Washington State for an extended stay in the new year. Bottom line: it’ll be a while before we all get to see Alice again.
My choice for Alice’s card was the Lovely as a Tree stamp since since we live within the Stanislaus National Forest, and she will totally relate to the beautiful tall pine trees. You might recall that I used this set just the other day for Maury and Alvena’s 75th anniversary card. I liked the look of the trees in the oval so decided to incorporate it again but in a totally different way.
I wanted the card to have a different opening so chose a gate fold. I started with an 8-1/2″ x 5-1/2″ piece of Very Vanilla cardstock which I scored at 2-1/8″ on each long side end rather than at the ‘traditional’ 4-1/4″.
Using scrap (computer type) paper cut to 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″, and the Big Shot and Layering Ovals Dies, I cut out the largest oval in the center. Save both pieces.
With a bit of awkwardness I laid the cut out oval over the gate-folded card front and gently sponged the oval using a 1/4″ piece of Stamping Sponge and Always Artichoke Classic Ink.
Ink up the large individual tree from the Lovely as a Tree stamp set. Lay the oval mask (4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″) over the sponged area and stamp the tree two times using Always Artichoke Classic Ink. Remove the mask and stamp the tree two more times as shown.
Using the deer from the Carols of Christmas stamp set and Soft Suede Classic ink, stamp it twice.
Using an Aqua Painter and Always Artichoke ink, highlight a bit of ‘dirt’ here and there on card front, under trees.
Using a Sponge Dauber and that same oval mask, gently but firmly sponge around only the perimeter of the oval, making the color a bit darker.
INSIDE:
Inside both of the flaps, carefully stamp the Sheet Music background image using Always Artichoke ink. There is no easy way and (if you look closely) you’ll see that I positioned the notes upsidedown on one side. Argh. Not good for this once-upon a time college music minor student.
Use either thicker or thinner boughs from the Christmas Pines stamp set stamp on both flaps using Always Artichoke ink. Add ornaments from Carols of Christmas stamp set, coloring them with Island Indigo, Crushed Curry and Cherry Cobbler Stampin’ Markers.
Place cut out oval (from mask) in center of inside of card (holding it carefully with your fingers) and lightly sponge around it, again using Always Artichoke Classic Ink. Add a few large and small snowflakes from the October Paper Pumpkin kit.
Stamp ‘arch’ image in Always Artichoke and greeting in Cherry Cobbler. These are also from the October Paper Pumpkin kit.
Finally (whew) I used the Always Artichoke Stampin’ Marker to demarcate the center oval.
And all of this was to give a single layer card a lot of varied dimension. I had no idea where the card was going when I started it except for the gate fold and the oval die cut pieces.
SUPPLIES (that were still mostly on my work table) used for today’s card:
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Today’s card was truly a work of heart as well as a project that took on a life of its own as it progressed. I’m sure this Lovely as a Tree Christmas Card for Alice will be much appreciated by our retired librarian and friend.
