One-layer framed trees card

I have been in love with Stampin' Up!'s note card and envelope sets lately. I really like working with the smaller size, and they make it so easy to whip up a quick set of cards to give as a gift. That was just what I needed a couple of weeks ago when I sat down to make a very belated wedding gift for a friend.

Supplies (all Stampin' Up!):
Stamps: Lovely As a Tree, Hardwood
Paper: Whisper White note cards and envelopes
Ink: Chocolate Chip, Crumb Cake
Accessories: Gold sequin trim, Glue Dots, Mono Multi liquid glue

This image from the classic Lovely As a Tree set was the perfect focal point because my friend and her husband were married at an arboretum. And I wanted a clean design that would be appropriate for just about any person and any occasion. I was really happy with how this design turned out, and when I look at it, I don't even really notice that it's a one-layer card.

To make the card I stamped the tree image in the middle of the note card with Chocolate Chip ink. Then I made a mask by trimming a piece of scratch paper into a rectangle large enough to just cover the image. (Note: In my experience, paper makes a better mask than card stock because the thickness of card stock prevents the image you will be stamping on top from reaching all the way to the edge of the mask, and you end up with a narrow white border around the mask. If you do use card stock to create a mask, cut it just a hair smaller than what you need to compensate for that border.) I applied a thin layer of Mono Multi liquid glue around the edges of the scratch paper and let it dry. This is an important step; if you don't let the glue dry, your mask will adhere to your card. But once Mono Multi liquid glue is dry, it has just enough tackiness to be a great re-positionable adhesive. I placed the mask over the stamped image and stamped the Hardwood stamp onto the card with Crumb Cake ink. I carefully removed the scratch paper and set it aside for the next card -- I made a set of ten of these cards and used the same mask for all of them. I added three gold sequins as a simple embellishment.

I wanted to dress up the envelopes a little, so I stamped the Hardwood image on the flaps, again using Crumb Cake ink. I also stamped a group of three little leaves on the front of the envelope with Chocolate Chip ink. There are a few of the leaves stamped inside the card, too, but the rest is blank so they can write whatever greeting or message they want to.

I will definitely remember this design for future cards. I could easily switch out the focal image -- imagine flowers, birds or even a long quote -- and have another set of beautiful cards. Thanks for stopping by!