Thank you card - using Lovely as a Tree

I have always adored those scenic cards made using a brayer but have always felt that they are a bit of a time commitment. My card today is a simpler, quicker version of that type of card and is made using wedges of sponge.

This winter tree stamp from Lovely as a Tree is perfect for after-Christmas thank you notes - and all the year round too! Just go to LABELS on the right-hand side bar of my blog and click on Lovely as a Tree to see cards with a completely different feel made with this stamp.

Here's how to make this card (don't be put off by the long list of instructions - it's actually pretty quick!):

• Cut a piece of Whisper White card stock 11.5cm wide x 7.5cm high.
• Ink up the tree stamp with any colour ink and stamp on a piece of scrap paper. Clean the stamp and dry thoroughly.
• Cut the ground off the stamped image on the paper, following its curves, to create a mask. Rub the sponge into Baja Breeze ink and, holding the mask in place, gently colour the sky area using circular motions. (TIP: Scrunch the sponge up so that the ink goes onto a curved piece with no hard edges - that way you'll get a smooth finish.) Using a separate sponge, add a little Pretty in Pink ink at the edge of the mask.
• Remove the mask. 
• Colour the trees and trunks (but not the ground) with an Early Espresso marker and stamp onto the sponged background, making sure the trunks go into the 'snow'. It looks more realistic to leave out the ground so just add little touches the thin end of the marker around the trees, remembering that less is more!
• Sponge some Marina Mist ink around the edges of the card stock just to the skyline.
• Stamp a sentiment in Real Red using a stamp-a-majig for position.
• Use the mask to ink more sky onto an A5 Whisper White card base and attach the main panel with dimensionals.

Supplies
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree, Thank You Kindly
Ink: Baja Breeze, Marina Mist, Real Red
Card stock: Whisper White
Other: Early Espresso marker

I think we're getting a bit fed up with this snow now. Several people in the neighbourhood are without water because of frozen pipes and we have some kind of hot water problem. The usual dash to the shops to buy things we've forgotten can't happen and the social events we had planned have had to be cancelled. Having said that, nothing can dull my enjoyment of enjoying the company of my family every day!

Thank you for popping in today. See you here tomorrow for more crafting fun!