Watercooler Wednesday Challenge – WWC82 – Trees and More Trees

WWC82 – Libby’s Tree Theme Challenge

Welcome to this weeks Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

This week Miss Libby has given us a very fun (and reasonably easy :D) challenge.  One that is perfect for yours truly who lives surrounded by trees and more trees in a mountain valley in the Pacific Northwest.   Looking out my window I see the 40+ pine and fir trees on my own one acre (not to mention a couple of colorful ash trees) and lifting my eyes a bit higher the mountains and hills surrounding my valley are covered with more trees of all types (mostly of the evergreen variety).    The perfect view in my humble opinion!    So thanks Miss Libby for adding trees to my stamping desk this week.  I love it!

Of course with August being the promotional month for the new, limited edition, “Thoughtful Branches” stamp and die set my choice for what to work with was an easy one.   Heck…I only needed the stamps since I decided to keep it very simple.   If you haven’t gotten your hands on this bundle run don’t walk to your nearest demo…or the online store.  Trust me when I say…this bundle is a keeper.    I’ve been enjoying creating design after design (as well as CASEing the many wonderful designs out there on the ‘net) with this set to share with local stampers who come to my Stamp Camp days.   I’ll be sharing many of those in the next few days as August winds down.   So many possibilities so little time!   If you want to see more Pinterest ideas for this set check out my board here.  You’ll find the card there by Cindy Schuster that gave me the idea for my CASE too.  I changed up a few details and colors and made it my own.

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Trees and More Trees

(as always click the picture to see a larger image)

Supplies:

Stamps:  Thoughtful Branches

Inks: Garden Green, Mint Macaron, Smoky Slate

Paper: Mint Macaron, Tip Top Taupe, Whisper White Cardstocks

Punches: 2-1/2″ Circle or use one of the circles from the Layered Circle die collection

Tools & Adhesives:  5/8″ Burlap Ribbon, Dimensionals, SNAIL

 

Here’s a closer look of all that’s included in the Thoughtful Branches Bundle.  Don’t forget…last day to purchase this wonderful set is August 31.

To see the purchase details and a larger view of the images click the link below.

Thoughtful Branches Flyer – purchase details

 

Tip: Leave spaces between the trees as you work your way down from the top to the bottom of the focal layer.  And…vary the heights of your trees as you stamp the rows for a somewhat more natural look. 

Given the colors I used this design isn’t intended to look all that natural.   After all…what tree trunk is really Mint Macaron right?   The beauty of this set is that the trunk and the leaves/needles are separate images so if you want you can go with a more natural trunk/branch color and then play with the leaves/needles.  If you aren’t too perfectionist this is a very quick card.

 

DIRECTIONS & Tips:

Tip Top Taupe cardbase is the usual 5-1/2″ x 8-1/2″ folded and creased in the middle.  The Whisper White focal layer is 4″ x 5-1/4″.   I stamped the top layer first in Smoky Slate then filled in the between spaces with a slightly lower row of Mint Macaron trees.  Finally I stamped a selection of Garden Green trees to fill in spaces as needed.

The sentiment is also from Thoughtful Branches (love the sentiments in that set as well as the font SU selected) and was stamped in Garden Green on a Mint Macaron scrap of cardstock.  I punched it out with a 2-1/2″ circle punch (ret.) though I could also have used a circle die of the same or similar size from the Layered Circle die set.  If you want to step it up a bit you could also then die cut a scalloped circle from that same die set in Tip Top Taupe or Smokey Slate to mat behind the sentiment.  I chose to leave it plain so as to leave more of the trees visible.  Add a looped piece of burlap ribbon with glue dots and then set the sentiment up on dimensionals and you’re done!   Easy Peasy and a quick 5 minutes to make the card.

Tip: To create a matched set of cards you can vary the the color of the card base between the three colors of the inked trees.  You could also heat emboss the trees in each of our three metallic embossing powders (gold, silver & copper).

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That’s it for this challenge.  To see the rest of the design teams contributions to Libby’s tree theme challenge head on over to the Challenge blog website here.   That’s also where you can add your own creation with the linky doodad.  When you add your own design and there are more than three entries, one of you will be a challenge winner or runner up and have the option to place our badges on your own site.  Of course…you’ll also win bragging rights!

Check here to see the winner of last weeks challenge.  And here to see all of last weeks other linky and Artist Team entries.  Check the challenge site for rules on competing for future challenges.

I really hope you will add your own tree creations this week.  I love the inspiration I find in your shared creations.

I hope you’ll also join us next Wednesday for yet another Watercooler Wednesday Challenge.

 

 

 

 

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