Cardinals in a Pine Tree

Good Morning!  Ready for another Christmas card?  This one was one I also had to try to be creative with since I made it at the cabin too.  I usually don't bring my big shot up with me and although I have a Texture Boutique that I don't use at home, I have not yet decided to take it to the cabin to keep there but it sure would come in hand when I want some texture to my cards.  This time I took a piece of Kraft card stock, wrinkled it up, and

then ironed it flat again.  I wasn't totally thrilled with the look so then I decided to rub a versa pad over the top and sprinkle clear embossing powder over it.

The left side had the powder all over it and the right was when I started to heat set it.  I pretty much liked that result.

Although the paper above looks all wavy, it's really pretty flat.  The camera doesn't do it any real justice because in real view it looks more leathery.   So now to design the card.  I used a Northwoods stamp of a pine tree with cardinals in it.  If you are familiar with Northwoods Stamps, alot of their winter stamps have cardinals in them and I really love how the red really pops!

Of course after all that work of embossing the kraft paper.....nearly none showed up in the card.  Guess I could have just inked the edges of the kraft paper.  I used old olive for a mat and found a piece of blue card stock ( not sure where I got it from) as the base of the card.  I had a small piece of green ribbon that just so happened to match the old olive paper.  The inside of the card is still blank.  There are little dots of Diamond Stickles around and on the tree.  I think in the future doing this wrinkle and emboss will only be used for tiny accents though.  Right now with the way I used it, this has turned out to be quite a heavy card.  I'm sure that if the kraft paper was just textured with an embossing folder the card would be much lighter.  I think the powder added too much weight.  But you make do with what you have.  Maybe this won't be a mailed card but a hand delivered one instead.  Well that's it for today.  Check back tomorrow for another super simple Christmas card!  Til then............................

HAPPY CARDING!