It’s time to play with the Pals at Pals Paper Arts! This week we have one of my favorite color combinations, Cherry Cobbler, Always Artichoke and Very Vanilla, taking center stage in a fabulous color challenge! So grab your stamps, inks and paper, and join along!
- Perfect Texture! Randomly stamped Always Artichoke Pines, from Lovely As a Tree, received a healthy dose of texture courtesy of the Big Shot and the Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. Likewise, Crumb Cake Pines and Baja Breeze Snowflakes, from Serene Snowflakes, receive the same lovely texture and form the panel behind the focal image. The Waterspots are courtesy of the French Foliage set.
- Perfect Bling! The Tree from Christmas Lodge was sprinkled with Dazzling Diamonds and adorned with Basic Pearls, which had been tinted using red and brown permanent markers. Mica Flakes are adhered to the base of the tree using Tombow Adhesive.
- Perfect Ribbon! Very Vanilla Seam Binding is shirred and adhered upon a strip of Cherry Cobbler card stock embossed using the Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder. The strip is further adorned with edgings punched using the Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border Punch and the Scallop Trim Border Punch.
- Perfect Sentiment! The Merry Christmas sentiment from Bright Hopes was inked in Early Espresso and stamped onto Very Vanilla card stock. One end was flagged, and the strip was then curled to add interest. A Northern Frost Sizzlit Die Snowflake takes on a different look when adorned with a Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding rosette!
The inspiration for this card was gleaned from my childhood, when my mother and I would scour the timber on the family farm in search of the “Perfect Tree”! My father would come along with us, ax in hand, ready to chop down our choice. Some years, the tree would be adorned with bird nests and pine cones, as Mother Nature helped us decorate. Bare spots were placed facing the wall, while the full glory of the tree was positioned for people to admire. As I thought back to those Christmases over half a century ago, it brought back so many wonderful memories of loved ones who have long since passed, but who forever live in my heart.
I so hope that you enjoyed today’s card, and that you will let me know in today’s comment. Your comments are important to me and I read each and every one of them. Of course, if you ever have any questions about the cards that I create or the techniques that I use, I am only an email away. Until next time…
Stamp Sets: Lovely As a Tree, Christmas Lodge, Bright Hopes, French Foliage; Inks: Always Artichoke, Crumb Cake, Soft Suede, Baja Breeze, Soft Suede Stampin’ Write Marker; Card Stock: Always Artichoke, Brushed Gold, Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla; Tools: Big Shot, Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Vintage Wallpaper Textured Impressions Embossing Folder, Northern Frost Sizzlit Decorative Strip Die, Color Spritzer Tool, Paper Snips, Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch, Scallop Trim Border Punch; Glitz and Glam: Basic Pearls, Mica Flakes, Dazzling Diamonds Stampin’ Glitter, Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding, Always Artichoke Seam Binding, Very Vanilla Seam Binding
Wow, Ann. I mean really. Wow!
Beautiful card. Your memories brought on some of my own. We didn’t live on a farm but for years my family visited a tree farm and my sisters and I hiked up and down hills looking for the perfect tree. Sure wish I could hike like that today!!
Look at that tree glisten! The pearls are wonderful Ann and I adore the flagged sentiment!
so much yummy vintage goodness going on here! the mica flakes are so cool. Love the scrunched ribbon treatment, very beautiful.
Wow, this is just gorgeous! I love all that fabulous texture! Rich and lovely. Thanks so much for popping by my blog, have a wonderful weekend! 🙂
Do you have a video tutorial on how to make your rosetts? I love them!
Your detail on this card is amazing. Love the “ornaments” on the tree. The ribbon treatment is really pretty and gives the card a Victorian feel. Beautiful work. Best, Curt
I just love every, single detail of this one, Ann! Wow! And such a wonderful story for your inspiration. Absolutely beautiful, in every way! Have a great day! 🙂
Lovely!!! And I DID enjoy seeing today’s card. 🙂
Perfectly loverly!!! Awesome card!
Ann, I am mesmerized by your gorgeous tree!
Thanks for sharing your Christmas memories.
Beautiful card. Love the declicious details. TFS
Oh Ann, I can see the lovely image of your memories etched into the great design and beautiful details of this card. I LOVE the collage style and all those textures which are interwoven so beautifully into the layout.
Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, of all the trees most lovely…
enough said!
Chris R. from Iowa
Gorgeous, Ann! Love all the great texture and the added sparkle! Thanks for sharing your sweet Christmas memory with everyone too!
An absolutely breathtaking card, Ann!!! Your attention to detail is incredible. so many beautiful things to look at. Words can’t say enough. Kathy in AZ
These colours are the PERFECT Christmas colours for your PERFECT tree! Beautiful!
Beautifully done. Thanks for sharing your memories. We always cut our own tree when I was little–till the year my mom happened to buy that Silver Tree with the color wheel. OMG–I still see them on occasion. Don’t know what she was thinking. It was so out of character for her. Thankfully we are back to at least a green tree which I should be putting up one of these days. Dar
Love the vintage look of your card with the embossing and glitter. x
Wonderfully done. The Square Lattice texture lends such a muted but gorgeous look to the card!
WOW, the texture on this card is stunning!
Hugs, M
A Winter Wonderland on a card, Ann! Beautiful.
What a beautiful tree Ann! I can’t imagine what fun it must have been to go out and cut down your very own tree. Love your card
Ann this is fabulous! Wow look how you lined up the tree branches from artichoke to crumb cake! Your back panels are FAB-U-Lous! The ribbon treatment is perfect. Love love love these colors…some of my favs.
Your blingy / soft snowy tree is devine…especially with those pearls… aaaawwwhhh. Beautiful.
PS: I too remember the ‘bare’ spot on the tree turned against the wall..too funny. I also remember my dad tieing the tree to the baseboards so it didn’t tilt. Too funny, but oh how I miss those days. Hugs.
Oh, WOW! Your are right; I love this card. The elements come together so beautifully. The mica flakes are the perfect touch at the bottom of the tree. I, too, used to go to the woods for a cedar tree for our Christmas. What memories! Thanks ever so much for sharing.
Beautiful card Ann, you are truly becoming master of design. What can I say, I love everything about this card.
Absolutely STUNNING !! I am ALWAYS WOW’d by your work !I WISH I had just 1/4 of your talent!!!!
Susan B.
Your card is beautiful Ann and you have certainly show cased the colours from the challenge. I really like all the different layers that you have going on and then making them stand on their own with the embossing. I loved hearing about the twins yesterday and “waiting for Santa”
soooo beautiful! and such detail!!!!
this is so beautiful, love the colors and the design
Fabulous card, I’d love to see it in real life, just to be able to stroke it!
Your card is very elegant. I love everything about it. I also love your step by step instructions. Thank you for sharing your masterpiece.
Not my favorite. Too much clutter.
Spetacular! Need I say anything else?
Just love the flow of the Merry Christmas banner! The texture is wonderful! Beautiful card with the feel of days gone by!
This is glorious, Ann. It has such a traditional feel to it, as I know you wanted to convey. I like how you ‘decorated’ your tree, and tipped the edges with ink for more depth.
Hope you had a beautiful THanksgiving!
Hi Ann! Your card is just gorgeous! I too love these colors together. Your focal tree from the lodge set looks almost like it was burned from a story book and modge podged. I may not be saying that right but it is a very cool look! Your ribbon detail is out of this world too! I’d love to give that a try sometime. I might have to revisit your tutorial again. ; )
Oh so gorgeous, Ann! Love the memories you shared too!
What detail! It is so beautiful. You never cease to amaze me. I too am finding it hard to believe we are in December once again with Christmas coming fast. Thanks for sharing this beautiful card.
This is so beautiful. An inspired tribute to your sweet Christmas memories. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely magnificent!!!
Such a lovely card, Ann…and such a nice story, too. I love the mica flakes on this card….just enough, and in just the right spot. I also like the way you layered the focal tree over the background trees…like you found it perfectly decorated in the midst of a snowy woods. Beautiful!
This is such a nice card! Your work is always stunning.
I can’t believe it is the first of Dec. already. It doesn’t seem like that there is enough time to get everything done before the 25th!
Once again thanks for sharing your art with us!You never let up on making beautiful cards!
Absolutely Gorgeous!
ColleenB.
Beautiful! Love the ribbon treatment and those loverly pearly ornaments on the tree! Love all the sparkles, too!