Lovely as a Tree Stampin'Up!

Hey there, stampers!
Happy Monday!

How was your weekend?  Did you make time to be creative, or was your time spent at the beach/mountains/lake/river?  I didn't go anywhere, but I have to say that it was a great weekend anyway, as I LOVED the cooler temps.  

This week I'm going to focus on some cards that feature Stampin'Up!'s oldest stamp set... Lovely as a Tree.  This set was in the catalog when I joined in 2001 (I'm not sure when it first appeared in the catalog) and it's still there.  I'm hoping it won't ever be retired.  It is a true classic!

If you think you've seen every possible card that could be made with this set, I'm going to show you that there are still some new ways of using this amazing set.  Check out this card and I think you'll see what I'm talking about...

First of all I have to say that this photograph does not do justice to this gorgeous card.  I received this at the convention from one of my Kansas City friends, Jeri Holm.  Jeri is an artist who can draw and paint, unlike most of the stampers I know.  She made this card with the "direct to paper" technique, which means that she rubbed and pressed the stamp pad(s) directly onto the paper to create the amazing background.  Then the trees from Lovely as a Tree were stamped on top.  

I'm not exactly sure of her method, but I would guess that she swiped the So Saffron pad over the whole panel first, leaving a lighter spot where the sun is peeking over the mountain.  Next I think she created the mountains by pressing the corner of her Crumb Cake pad onto the paper.  Then I think she added the Mossy Meadow shadows at the bottom, and lastly, stamped the trees.  

Why not get out some card stock and try this technique yourself?  I think you might be surprised at how easy it is to create this very artistic looking card.  Maybe you, too, are an "artiste!"  

I'm busy getting ready for my Techniques on Tuesday class tomorrow night, so I'm off to cut paper.  There's still a bit of room left, so if you'd like to get out of the house tomorrow night, send me a quick email and I'll add your name to the list. The fun starts at 7 pm!
Hope your week is off to a smooth start!
Hugs,
Susan