Christmas Tree

Saturday Blog Hop – Ready for Christmas

November 29, 2025 By Connie | Leave a Comment

It’s Saturday and time for our Create with Stamping Friends Blog Hop. This week’s challenge is “Ready for Christmas”!

PINE TREE TRIMMINGS

To me, putting up the Christmas tree is the ultimate symbol of the holiday season! I used Pine Tree Trimmings for today’s Ready for Christmas theme!

Stampin’ Details:

The base is 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 Lost Lagoon cardstock, scored at 4-1/4 and folded.
A 4 x 5-1/4 layer of Basic White cardstock was added on top.
The 3-3/4 x 5 layer of Modern Christmas Designer Paper was next…love that print!
The Everyday Arch was cut with the die from Smoky Slate cardstock and added to the center.
The Pine Tree Trimmings tree was stamped with VersaMark and embossed with Silver Embossing Powder. It was added to the center of the arch with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
The star at the top was cut with the Die from Silver Foil Paper and added with a Mini Stampin’ Dimensional.
The greeting was stamped with Memento Black Ink on a 1 x 2 piece of Basic White and the end cut at an angle. It was tucked under the side of the tree.
Two Lost Lagoon Faceted Gem Trios were added to the background.

This card came together pretty quickly! OK, next up on our blog hop is our Create with Stamping Friends website, then on to creative Debbie Henderson, or head backwards to see Melissa Davies’ fabulous project and see what everyone did with this challenge!

SUPPLIES:
Stamps: Pine Tree Trimmings
Inks: Memento Black, VersaMark
C/S: Lost Lagoon, Basic White, Smoky Slate
Designer Paper: Modern Christmas 12×12
Accessories: Pine Tree Trimmings Dies, Faceted Gem Trios, Adhesives

Enhance your garden-theme cards and projects with Stampin' Up!'s GLIDING GARDEN SWING BUNDLE that features a wooden swing or bench, throw pillows, plants and other accessories. The large background tree makes it easy to add depth and dimension, and the sentiments celebrate a variety of milestones. We've combined the GLIDING GARDEN SWING BUNDLE and the NATURE WALK 12x12 DESIGNER PAPER that will help you create the perfect relaxing garden scene. You'll get step-by-step tutorials for EIGHT card projects that will capture life's special moments. See more details HERE!

Say Cheese! You will love Stampin' Up!'s new CAPTURING SMILES BUNDLE that features a large camera with accessories, scenic snapshots and playful sentiments to "frame" your next travel adventure on paper! You are certain to capture life's best moments on your cards, projects, or scrapbook pages! We've combined the CAPTURING SMILES BUNDLE and the WEEKEND ADVENTURES 12x12 DESIGNER PAPER that will give your projects hints of the outdoors. You'll get step-by-step tutorials for SIX projects...4 regular cards and 2 special fun-fold cards for your picture-perfect friends and family. See more details HERE!

Stampin' Up!'s new FILLED WITH SWEETNESS BUNDLE has lots of summery charm and a fresh from the farm feel! Create jam jar shaped cards and coordinating tags, complete with all the fixings—from fruity accents to lid details and little labels for heartfelt sentiments. We've combined the FILLED WITH SWEETNESS BUNDLE and the HOMEMADE SWEETNESS 12x12 DESIGNER PAPER that will give your projects a hint of nostalgic! You'll get step-by-step tutorials for SIX projects...4 regular cards and 2 darling favors for your spring/summer events! See more details HERE!

CCMC357 Lots of Joy

August 6, 2015 By Connie | 10 Comments

As I’m anxiously waiting for my preorder from the Holiday Mini to arrive, I decided to use one of the holiday sets in the annual catalog, Lots of Joy, on my challenge card today! Over on Create with Connie and Mary, we have a FUN sketch challenge for you to try! Grab your stamps and play along!

And here’s my card! I love that the Merry Moments Designer Paper has TRADITIONAL Christmas colors! Don’t get my wrong…I love the non-traditional colors of some of the past Designer Papers we’ve had…but I always like having the option of traditional colors, too! The new patterns in the Holiday Catalog are fun and whimsical, and I know you’ll love them, too!

Here are the details:

The base is 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 Real Red cardstock, folded in half.
On top is a 4 x 5-1/4 layer of Old Olive cardstock.
The 1″, 3/4″ and 1/2″ strips were cut from Merry Moments DSP, then adhered diagonally across the front of the Old Olive cardstock as shown in the sketch.
The 2-1/2 x 3-1/2 piece of Whisper White has rounded corners using the Corner Punch and stamped with Merry Christmas from Lots of Joy stamp set in Real Red Ink. It is popped up on the front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.
Two trees from Lots of Joy were stamped with Mossy Meadow ink on Old Olive cardstock, punched with the Tree Punch, then decorated with Red Sequins from the Brights Collection.
On top, two stars were punched from Gold Glimmer Paper with the Small Star Punch. The trees were also popped up on the front with Stampin’ Dimensionals.

OK…your turn! Let’s see what you can do! Need more inspiration? Check out what the Challenge Team did this week over on Create with Connie and Mary!

June 2015 Tour de Freaks Blog Hop

June 19, 2015 By Connie | 3 Comments

Woohoo! It’s time for the monthly Control Freaks Tour de Freaks blog hop! Seems like a while since I did the blog hop since I missed May due to the Hawaii Incentive Trip! Theme this month is NEW STUFF! Yeah! I can attest that I have some of that to share! You’ve probably just come from Deb Currier’s blog, love her ideas, don’t you?

Here’s my first project using the Cutie Pie Box Thinlit that I turned into a Christmas Tree box! Wouldn’t this be fun to give someone filled with treats?

I used Old Olive cardstock for the box and Chocolate Chip for the tree trunk.
The stripe pattern in the Merry Moments Designer Paper makes great “garland” for the tree and some decoration along the sides.
In between the garland are “ornaments” of Silver Sequins from the Sequin Trim.
At top is the new Star Punch from Silver Glimmer Paper and is added with a Stampin’ Dimensional to the top.
Very Merry is from And Many More stamp set and stamped with Cherry Cobbler Ink, then punched with the new Washi Tape punch.
A couple Petite Flowers punched from Real Red are added to the side with a Silver Sequin in the center.

And, of course, I needed a matching card…all using the Cutie Pie Box Thinlet, too!

The larger size is a tree FRAME with the DSP behind the opening. I used the larger box size and the additional smaller size framelits to make a tree frame. A few sequins were added for “ornaments”.
The smaller one is the framelit cut out out from the larger size and I decorated it like the box. The flower is two Petite Petals Punches from the reverse side of the stripe DSP.
Merry Christmas is from the new set, Lots of Joy, stamped in Real Red.
The 3 1/2 x 4 Smoky Slate cardstock is embossed with the Elegants Dots Folder and adhered to the 4 x 5-1/4 layer of Whisper White, then the 4-1/4 x 11 base of Real Red cardstock.
Some 1/8″ Silver Ribbon hides the seam.
The trunks are just cut pieces of Chocolate Chip cardstock.

Aren’t they cute together and would make a nice little gift set for someone special! OK…next up on the tour is Mindy Backes…I know you’ll love her projects, too!

Christmas Tree Punch Art

December 27, 2011 By Connie | 9 Comments

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Ours was full and busy, as usual. We still have one more Christmas to celebrate…when my oldest son and daughter-in-law come in New Year's weekend to celebrate Christmas. This year they were at her parents' to celebrate. Do I like sharing the holidays? No…but I do understand. It is just too hard to make the trip to both places over the few days of Christmas. We'll get to enjoy our time with them in a more quiet setting. I don't take down my Christmas tree until January 2-3 anyway!

Here is a card that I was meaning to post on Christmas Day…but just ran out of time. Since SU Only Challenges has a theme of Punch Art focal points, I decided to go ahead and show it. You'll be able to use it as inspiration for your cards next year. Several of my classes made this card and it was a hit!

Can you tell what punch I used for the tree? If you said one of the petals on the Blossoms Petal Builder Punch, you guessed right! It was fun stacking them in graduating sized rows to build the tree. And, using the Holly Berry Bouquet small holly print design fit it perfectly. The berries look like little red ornaments to me!

The base is Very Vanilla and I layered on Wild Wasabi cardstock that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Petals A Plenty Impressions Folder. On top of that is a Real Red Top Note die that is stamped with the Christmas Collage background image in Cherry Cobbler. I stamped the Deck the Halls greeting from Merry & Type stamp set in Early Espresso Ink and wrapped some Certainly Celery Taffeta Ribbon around and tied a knot. I added a couple Rhinestone Jewels under the ribbon, too, for some extra sparkle. At the top of the tree is the smallest of the Star die and Silver Glimmer Paper. The tree trunk is a rectangle of Early Espresso that I sponged with Very Vanilla Craft Ink.

Well, what do you think? I was so excited to build the tree with the petal…I hadn't seen it done quite like that before! Hope you enjoy the rest of the holidays! My husband is home this week, but I still need to work at getting some stamping projects done!

FMS10 – Designer Paper Tree

November 11, 2011 By Connie | 18 Comments

Wow…it has been SEVERAL weeks since I've had the opportunity to play along with the Freshly Made Sketches Challenge! Life just kept getting in the way. In fact, in general, I've only been able to post on my blog a couple times a week instead of my normal 5-6 times a week! But…when I first looked at the Freshly Made Sketch, I was almost intimidated because it was SO simple!

I had an idea that I wanted to try…but knew I'd have to modify the sketch a little bit to get it to work. I think you'll still see the "bones" of the sketch in my card…but I needed the extra room for my tree, so I made the panels go all the way across.

The basic card is really simple. I ran the front of the Cherry Cobbler cardstock thru the Big Shot with the Houndstooth Impressions Folder. I made a panel of Whisper White and layered it on Garden Green cardstock. I cut a tree trunk from Early Espresso cardstock and placed it underneath the "snowdrift" of Whisper White. Across the top of the drift I used the Dazzling Details Glitter Glue for some extra sparkle.

Starting up from the trunk of the tree, I cut 4 squares of Frostwood Lodge Designer Paper, then cut them in half diagonally. They are sizes of 2", 1 3/4", 1 1/2" and 1 1/4". You will get TWO trees from one square. I tilted each of the triangles, growing smaller as they reach the top. Each of them is popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals. At the very top is a Red Glimmer Star. Then I added a Garden Green button on one of the designer paper "branches" tied with Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine and adhered with a Mini Glue Dot.

I think it is lots of fun and I'm glad I got to play along with the challenge this week!

Many thanks to the Veteran's who protect our country today and those that have served previously…we appreciate your dedication and service to our country!