Lovely As A Tree

Well today is the start of the long Labor weekend and the end to summer as most people view it.  I'm already for the cooler days and getting my jeans out of the closet too!

This is the last card that I made for the upcoming auction, which will be held this month at the Assisted Living Facility that my daughter works at.  I hope they do as well as they did last year!

Of course this card was made for a man, so I brought out my tried and true set, Lovely As A Tree!  This time I remember to take a picture of the inside of the card too!

I'm always so happy with how well the cards turn out when using this stamp set too.  I did use a retired embossing folder called Wood Grain, but I felt it would go better with the tree than the Hardwood background stamp.  I did light sponge it with ink the bring out the grains better.  Here is a picture of the inside.  I also stamped the envelope with this same image and colored it in too.

Here is what I used:

Stamp sets: Lovely As A Tree and Flourishing Phrases

Card stock:  Soft Suede, Early Espresso and Very Vanilla

Inks: Jet Black Staz-On, Pear Pizzazz, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Early Espresso and Soft Sky

Sponge

Aqua Painter

Burlap Ribbon

Dimensionals

Christmas In July, Lovely As A Tree

Well, I'm a week late getting my Christmas In July going, so I will continue you into August if I have too, lol!  This year I'm determine to get my Christmas cards done earlier than waiting until November to start them, now if I can just continue :).

The card I'm sharing today was one that was shared by Maureen on the demonstrators Facebook page last year.  While I didn't totally CASE her card, I did use it as a starting point.  Of course, I used one of my favorite sets, Lovely As A Tree!

I used the Layering Oval Framelits to cut out the oval from copy paper for my mask for sponging the background and also to stamp the two smaller trees.  Then I removed the mask and stamp a tree as a focal point.

For the sponging, I used Soft Sky, Marina Mist and Always Artichoke inks.  The addition of Always Artichoke was a total mistake, but once I sat back and looked at it, I really liked what it added to the background!  For the tree, I used Always Artichoke and my Soft Suede marker to fill in the trunk.  Sentiment is stamped in Memento Black ink.  For the snow I used my retired Two-way glue pen and then sprinkled some Dazzling Diamonds, so pretty.

Now I need to get busy and make some more cards to share with you, until then, I hope you have a wonderful day.  Mary

Lovely As A Tree

Well it will be a sad week-end at our house, my husband's uncle by marriage, passed away from the cancer he has been fighting.  He was a wonderful man and we will all miss him.

It seems that my go-to stamp set for men's sympathy cards is Lovely As A Tree.  This stamp set was first offered by Stampin' Up! back in 2001!  One year at Convention, Shelli made mention about this set and all the demonstrators where saying AWWW and she said, no no, we are not retiring it and we all clapped!  It truly is a very versatile stamp set.

I did make this card 5" x7", as I sent a laminated copy of the obituary to my husbands aunt.  I used the card base and envelopes that you can find at the big box store, M, for this card.

I made a frame to go around the stamped image and added color with my sponges.  Clean, simple and very mailable too, which I'm finding I like very much.

Stamp set: Lovely As A Tree and Flourishing Phrases

Card stock: Whisper White and Early Espresso

Inks: Early Espresso, Soft Sky, Pear Pizzazz and Old Olive

Dimensionals

Thank you for coming by and I appreciate you coming too!  Mary

Lovely As A Tree

Well the Labor Day week-end will soon start.  We don't have any plans as of now, we usually just hang out at home, which is kind of nice too.  Although we might be able to sneak in a visit with the grand baby too!

I saw a card similar to this one in my in box a week or two ago.  Amy K. used the new stamp set, Wonderland to make her card, I don't have that one, but I knew I could get a similar look by using my favorite, Lovely As A Tree stamp set!  So that is what I did.  This card is a lot larger than the normal ones I make, it is a 5" x 7" card, which seems HUGE to me!  I wanted to make the area smaller on the card front so I flipped it over and used my Simply Score Board and stylus and made my embossed border,  starting a 1/4" from top, bottom and both sides.  I used Whisper White that was 4" x 5-1/4", stamped the trees on the front with Mossy Meadow and did some second and third generation images too.  I let it dry for a couple minutes before I started my sponging.  Then I tore the bottom off, maybe 1/2" or so.  I sponged Soft Sky in the middle and then Night of Navy around the outside edges.  I also added some Crumb Cake at the bottom.  I then wrapped some Linen Thread around it a couple times and tied a knot.  I also added some shimmer to the front to make it look slightly frosty.  To get a closer view, just click on the picture.  The sentient is from Blessings from Heaven-retired.

This card is going to my husband's cousins' wife, she was in a very bad car accident in June and she is still in rehab.   Poor thing was in ICU for almost a month after the accident.  So I've been sending her a card at the beginning of each month letting her know that we are praying for her and to let her know we are thinking of her.

Have a great day and hope to be back on Monday!  Mary

Lovely As A Tree Christmas

Here is another card I found on Pinterest and wanted to make.  I used a lot of retired products on here but I want to get some of it used up too!

Stamp sets: Lovely As A Tree and Ornamental Pine
Ink: Soft Suede, Mossy Meadow, Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso for Tree trunk
Card stock: Very Vanilla
Retired Designer Series paper
Cherry Cobbler ribbon, retired
Linen thread
Script embossing folder, retired
Red Glimmer paper for the ornaments
1/4 inch hand-held hole punch
Two-way glue pen
Dazzling Diamonds Glitter

See again really soon,  Mary

Lovely As A Tree, Take Two

Hello, here is my second card that I made using my favorite stamp set, Lovely As A Tree.

I used Lovely as a Tree, Work of Art, Hardwood and a retired stamp set for the sentiment, sorry I can't remember the name right off hand.  Ink used was: Crumb Cake, Lost Lagoon, Mossy Meadow and Early Espresso.  Card stock was Lost Lagoon, Whisper White, Mossy Meadow and Crumb Cake

I have been enjoying my time, once again, making cards.  There for awhile I kind of fell out of it and really wondered if I still wanted to continue, but after making a few recently I realized just how much I enjoy making cards, it's very relaxing for me and fun too!

Thanks for coming.  Mary

Lovely As A Tree

Hello to all of you.  I'm back to share a few cards with you.  These cards will be part of a set for a auction.  I did this last year and the cards were well received.

The card I made is not my own design, I found it HERE but I did want to try my hand at it once to see if I could do it.  While mine is not the same as the original, I'm happy with my first try at this.

This was made using Lovely As A Tree, I just love this set!  Ink colors used were: Pumpkin Pie, So Saffron, Early Espresso and Bashful Blue (retired).  Sponging was how I added the color and I use a piece of stencil plastic to transfer the tree reflection on the water.

Thanks for dropping by to see me, I appreciate it and would love to hear your comments too!  Mary

Lovely As A Tree

Happy New Years to all of you!  I hope you are feeling chipper this morning and no ill affect from a night of celebrating!

Ok, you are probably wondering why I'm sharing this card again, when I just posted it HERE.  Well, my friend since high school shares the same birthdate as me, December 10th and I didn't want to send her a Christmas card as a birthday card, so I just changed the sentiment for this card and I think it turned out lovely!

I would have posted this a lot sooner, but they are digging in our neighborhood for Google Fiber and they cut our internet cable.  Well that's not so bad, but for some reason it really messed up my computer and I just recently, after trying many things, called for help and got everything all fixed.  Boy I'm so glad too!

I wish you all a Happy, healthy New Year too!!!  Mary

Lovely As A Tree Christmas

Wow, I'm finally getting busy and making some Christmas cards!  Last year I found so many wonderful cards, that I decided to make all of my Christmas cards different, only making two of each one.  It was so much fun to try all of the different stamps and styles that I decided to do it again this year, that way I don't get tired of making the same one, 30 times!

While cruising Pinterest the other day, I came across this card and just knew it would be one of the cards that I had to try, so simple, clean, soft and classy!

I used the new ink called Soft Sky and lightly sponged over the stamped image that I used white embossing powder on.  Then I went back and using a glue pen added some Dazzling Diamonds for some sparkle to look like snow.  It is hard to see in this picture, had a hard time getting a good picture, but I think if you click on the picture, you will be able to see it.  I also stamped the sentiment (retired) in Soft Sky ink too.  Very quick and easy to make!

I hope you have been enjoying some of the good buys that Stampin' Up! has been offering this year too!  Have a great day,  Mary

Online Pampered Chef Party Link

Lovely As A Tree Sympathy

 Good day to all of you.  I hope your Friday is a great one too.

Today I'm sharing the last of the auction cards, I hope they enjoy the variety of cards that I've donated to them to help with their cause.  I went back to my favorite old stand-by, Lovely As A Tree.  I found this card HERE.  She did her card by using My Digital Studio, I did mine with the stamp.  Now I don't know what the inside of her card looked like, but the picture below is how I finished mine off.  Very simple but I feel very elegant too.  What do you all think?  I used my Simple Score board to add interest and also my paper piercing tool and mat.  I did off set the Very Vanilla to one side, something different then what I normally do.

Stamp set: Lovely As a Tree and Thoughts and Prayers
Ink: Early Espresso and Crumb Cake
Card stock: Very Vanilla and Soft Sky

There you have it, my last card for the auction, hope you have a wonderful day, Mary

LNS Treasure Hunt Fall 2013

Lovely As A Tree Birthday

Woohoo, we finally got our internet service back.  It sure is nice not to have to go all over town to get free Wi-Fi too.

The other day when I was trying out a new technique using the blue painter's tape, I had this label framelit cut-out laying in my pile of scrap pieces, knowing that eventually I would find some use for it.  So I tried the technique out on this smaller piece of Very Vanilla, thinking I could always use the other side if needed for another try at this.  Well, it turned out fine on my first try and I laid it off to the side knowing I would use it for another card, some day, anyway.  So I decided to cut out the next larger size with Early Espresso and ran that piece thru the Woodgrain embossing folder.  I added some Linen thread and stamped my sentiment with Teeny Tiny Wishes.  I did sponge the edge of my card base to add some interest with Early Espresso.  Another card done for the auction.

Thanks for stopping in to see me too, Mary.

LNS Treasure Hunt Fall 2013

Lovely As A Tree

Well, good Wednesday morning to you my friends!  I hope you have a nice day planned, mine will be spent making cards for a auction for the assisted living facility where my daughter works.  All money made will be given to the Alzheimer's Association.  I have a few made already and I must keep in mind that they will need to be simple so as not to require any extra postage too.  Hmmm, I may have to make this one for them!

This card is one that I made for my husband to send to a former co-worker of his.  Sadly the man's wife passed away last week because of cancer.  Since it was for a man being given by a man, I wanted it to look masculine too.

On this one I used the painter's tape technique, you are asking "what is that"?  Well you take a piece of  blue painter's tape, long enough to go across your card front, then lay it across your ink pad (sticky side down) and lightly press the tape onto the ink pad, then take the inked up tape and lay it on your card stock and lightly press the tape to transfer the ink onto your card stock. Very simple and no two cards will be alike either.  When done, then stamp your image on top of your stripes.  Done!  Simple and quick.

Here is what I used:

Stamp sets: Lovely As A Tree and So Sorry (both sets are a must have)

Ink: Early Espresso, Soft Sky and Pear Pizzazz

Card stock: Whisper White, Soft Sky and Early Espresso

Linen Thread

Blue Painter's tape

Why not give this technique a try, I bet you will like it too!    Mary

LNS Treasure Hunt Fall 2013

Lovely as a Tree Sympathy Card

Good Monday morning to all of you!  I hope that you are all off to the start of a great week ahead too.

Well, once again, I needed a sympathy card.  I know, when is it going to end, huh.  My friend, Linda, just recently loss her father, while we are sadden by his passing, he had a good long life and was one month shy of 91 years old.  Now I saw a card similar to this one HERE.  I did change it just a bit from the original.  I didn't have any Cajun Craze card stock, so I made my own.  How you wonder?  Well, I started with Pumpkin Pie and then sponge on some Real Red ink with some Early Espresso sponge on too. Now it may not be an perfect match, but in a pinch, it comes pretty darn close.  To make my mini brads black, I colored them with a black Sharpie.

Here is a list of the rest of the supplies I used, all Stampin' Up!

Card stock: Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, Whisper White, Soft Suede and Early Espresso
Stamp set: Lovely as a Tree and Teeny Tiny Wishes
Woodgrain embossing folder
scrap piece of First Edition Designer Series paper
Oval and Scallop punches
mini brads
sponges
dimensionals
blender pen

Well this is all for today, hope you have a wonderful day too!               Mary

Lovely as a Tree Welcome

Welcome to all of my blogging friends!  I'm so glad that you stopped in to visit with me today!

Here is a card that I made for a friend who recently moved into a new rental house.  Since he is a man I went to my most manly stamp set, Lovely As A Tree, Love It!!  This set has so many uses, I hope they don't retire it for quite awhile too!  Now I have a little story about this card, you see all of the lines on the front?  Well, right after I got all done with it, I was putting away my black ink pad and of course ole butter fingers had to drop it, with the ink side down, and it left a nice black line!  Oh my was the air blue in the craft room that night!!  I really didn't want to start all over as I needed it the next day, of course, so the idea just popped into my head that said, "just put some more lines on it to make it look rustic and old."  So that is what I did and after I was done it looked like I had planned it that way!  Whew!  Have any of you done that?  As a little gift we gave him some flowers and some tile coasters that I stamped too.

Recipe

Card stock: Whisper White, Marina Mist and Crumb Cake
Ink: Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue and Black Stazon
Stamp set: Lovely as a Tree and a retired greeting set, so I don't remember the name
Brads non SU
Dimensionals


Well I hope you all have a crafty day!                     Mary

Lovely As a Tree

Good morning everyone, long time no see! Been busy with the hubby again, he had minor back surgery on Wednesday and got him home yesterday, now he is on the mend and all is going well. Hopefully he won't need anymore surgery for quite awhile now!

Today I would like to share a card, yes a masculine card! This one was sent to a man in Canada, his daughters' requested cards for him as he is in the finally stages of battling brain cancer and she wanted him to feel loved, which he is. I pulled out my stamp set, Lovely As a Tree and used the Oak tree from that set. To me an Oak tree represents strength and that is what her father has shown for the last two years fighting his cancer! I also used the oak leaves to stamp the background with, hope he likes his card and sees the meaning behind it.

All supplies are Stampin' Up!

Stamp set: Lovely As a Tree
Card stock: Soft Suede, Old Olive and Very Vanilla
Inks: Soft Suede, Old Olive and Pear Pizzazz
dimensional

Thanks for stopping by to see me today, loved having you here!! Mary

Super Quick and Easy Card

Hi, today I want to share with you a card that made. I found the original idea at

BUTTERNUT SAGE blog. I know that I've seen this technique on another blog, but can't remember where now. I think it took me all of five minutes to do these two cards. You could easily change the sentiment for whatever you would need it for, maybe a sympathy card?? I used a brayer to put Certainly Celery and Bashful Blue ink onto my card base. The stamp set is called As Lovely as a Tree from Stampin' Up!. Whisper White was used for the card base.

Hope you all have a blessed Easter and if you are on the road, a safe trip too! I'm so blessed to have you all as my blog friends, thank you for dropping by to see me.........Mary