Sunday, November 29, 2009

Snowy Winter Tree

I learned this technique from my sister who is also a Stampin Up demonstrator. It is fun and easy!
I used Whisper White card stock with Blue Ballet and Not Quite Navy ink pads. The stamp set is Branch Out.
Attach a post-it to a scrap of card stock.
Punch through the post-it and card stock with the desired size circle for your moon. Be sure to punch the circle so that you get some of the 'sticky' part of the post-it on the circle.
Peel off the post-it and discard the scrap of card stock.
Press the circle post-it to the background card stock.
Sponge all over the background using the lighter color of ink. I am using the Ballet Blue here.
Add some of the darker color, Not Quite Navy, as desired. You can also leave the area around the circle (moon) lighter and gradually get darker with the ink as you move away from the moon.
When you reach the desired coverage, peel back the post-it circle to reveal the white moon. I have found the darker the sponging, the better the card looks.
Here is the moon -
Stamp with the tree from Branch Out.
Using a white gel pen, add a little snow to the branches and at the base of the tree.
The finished piece. Now to make it into a card.
This is the finished project.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Origami Christmas tree

(I can't believe it is the end of November and this is my first post for the month!)

Here is how to make an origami tree Christmas card.

Cut 3 squares of double-sided paper, one 2.5 inches, one 3 inches and one 3.5 inches. Cut a piece approximately 1 x 1.5 inches for the trunk - round 2 corners on a short side of the trunk. The paper I chose was solid Old Olive on one side and polka dots of Old Olive, Bashful Blue, Ballet Blue and Very Vanilla on a So Saffron background.


Fold the squares as follows:
Fold in half horizontally with the right side inside (the right side is the side you want to show on the tree when you are finished. I chose to have the polka dots as the right side.
Fold on both diagonals with right side out.
Open up and push in the two sides along the horizontal fold

Flatten to form a triangle
Take one corner and fold into the center line of the triangle
Repeat with opposite corner

Place on card stock starting with the smallest and working down with the other 2 in order by size. Overlap the top of the second triangle over the inside of the smaller one. Place trunk at bottom - tucked under the larger triangle.
Here are some that I made using this technique. I have an origami forest :-)