Heart of Christmas week 2 - Merriest Trees Three Sizes

 

Hello fellow stampers, welcome to week 2 of the Heart of Christmas Blog Hop. This week I have three cards to share with you using a new bundle, Merriest Trees, which will be available in the Sept to Dec Mini Catalogue from the 6th of September.

The three cards use the same main image from the stamp set, but cut down to different sizes with the different size dies from the Merriest Trees Die set.

For the first card the Christmas Tree is the full size of the stamp. It's stamped in Old Olive and Mossy Meadow and decorated with strings of tinsel cut from the gold sheet from the More Dazzle Specialty Paper.

The background paper is from the A Walk in the Forest DSP, also from the Sept to Dec Mini Catalogue.

The star on top of the tree has two layers, Gold Foil on the base and Gold from the More Dazzle Specialty Paper on the top.

For the next card I stamped the whole tree in Lost Lagoon Ink then I cut it out with the next size smaller die to make a smaller tree. The greeting is stamped directly on to the tree in Pretty Peacock ink.

The papers used for the background of this card are from the Winter Meadow DSP, from the Sept to Dec Mini Catalogue and Inked Botanicals DSP. I used a piece of Lost Lagoon Bordered Ribbon behind tree image.

The sparkly star on top of the tree is from the silver sheet from the More Dazzle Specialty DSP.

For the final card I stamped the tree image in Garden Green ink and then cut it out with the next smallest tree die.

I used the tag die from the Merriest Trees Dies as a mat for the tree. I stamped two sets of the ornaments in Real Red ink and cut them out. Very conveniently three ornaments are on one stamp and also on the same die which means you can stamp and cut three ornaments at the same time.

Originally I was planning to ink and emboss the Christmas Tidings Embossing Folder but I diverted slightly. The first time I used my trusty Rubber Brayer to apply the ink to the folder before I embossed I got a really blotchy/spotty effect that I did not like, on the left below. I then used my Stampin' Scrub to clean the inside of the embossing folder, which removed any coating that was on the folder. When I reapplied the ink I got a nice even covering of ink that when I embossed on Soft Sea Foam cardstock I got the lovely clear solid image, in the center below.

 I was going to try again on Basic White card stock but changed my mind after I had placed the paper in the folder and gently closed it. When I opened the folder i saw the funky, grungy look, on the right above. I ended up using this as the card front for my third card.

Most of the items used to make these cards will be available from the 6th of September. Please contact me if you do not already have a demonstrator and would like a copy of the Sept-Dec Catalogue or if you have any questions.

Now it's time for more Christmas inspiration from my fellow team member and host of the hop Sharon Davern.

Please head to Sharon's blog if you have any issues with the links in our hop as she has a complete list of tonight's participants.

Thanks for visiting,

Rachel