Trees a Crowd (by Lorraine)

This tree is from the Trees a Crowd set, and it really lends itself to being a stand-alone focal point. It can cover all seasons, with the addition of leaves and blossoms in appropriate colours, but I decided to make it a Winter tree.

I found some grey paper in my stash which whilst having a faint grey stripe, I felt didn't distract too much from the image. Using Versafine Clair in Nocturne, and my trusty stamp press, I centred the image on a tall rectangular panel. It was then clear embossed using a detail powder. Having decided from which direction the snow should drift, I highlighted the branches with a white Signo pen. I'm never too confident about my shading, so I took my time, and was pretty pleased with the results!

This panel was then mounted onto a piece of white card, leaving a minimal border. The sentiment "I shall sit here peacefully and dream slowly" seemed to fit the bill. Again, this was stamped, embossed and mounted in a similar fashion. Lesley does such lovely sentiments and words in her stamp sets, so there is always something to suit the occasion.

To finish off, I adhered a band of the same grey just slightly down from the centre and positioned the tree and sentiment accordingly. Then, for a small pop of colour, a heart shaped gem found its way onto the corner, and because I love the completed card!