inspired stamps sponsors CHRISTMAS challenge and a 6x6 card giveaway...

Hello friends! 
***BIG NEWS ANNOUNCEMENT! Today Inspired Stamps has begun shipping outside the US/Canada...we've gone INTERNATIONAL!  Now our international friends can order our stamps at the online store, too!!  We are so excited!!***
Today is a FABULOUS DAY to put on the Christmas music and grab a cup of hot cocoa!  Why?  Because today Inspired Stamps is sponsoring the Fussy and Fancy CHRISTMAS challenge!!  PLUS I'm going to share a photo tutorial!!  PLUS I'm giving SOMEONE who comments on this post a very special present to show up and brighten their day!  

Here's the card I made for the challenge.  I already know I will be emailed with requests on where i found this AMAZING ribbon, so I'm gonna save you the trouble and go ahead and tell you...Wal-Mart, in the ribbon section!  It's a seriously happy find, to be sure:

  I used 4 stamps from the online inspired stamps store (you can click on the names to go to see the stampset in the store---just make sure you come back to see the rest of this post for the tutorial and giveaway!!)
Mark's Present,  2 Cor 9:15, Fir Trees, and 1 inch circle sentiments (it's a little hard to see due to the epoxy sticker over it!---we will have more 1 inch circle sentiments back in stock in one week due to the great demand this week, we are out of these!)

Earlier this week I posted a scene with the Fir Trees and promised a tutorial on how to make one fir tree into a forest so here you go!

1.  These are the supplies you will need (or similar if you don't have the exact).  I used Distress Ink Tea Dye and CTMH New England Ivy, You'll want to have some colonial white or off white paper (I use a 5.5 square).  I use the sponge ink tool made by Tim Holz and a craft mat.  Of course I used the Inspired Stamps Fir Tree set shown above (notice the new packaging?!).  Put the largest fir tree onto an acrylic block.

2.  I ink up the fir tree with New England Ivy and stamp onto the paper, then ink up and stamp a second time as shown (notice the stamping foam behind the paper ensuring a perfect stamped image--these are now coming FREE inside the packaging of every Inspired Stamp!)...Now WITHOUT REINKING MY STAMP

3.  I stamp in between the trees with what is left on that stamp from the last tree I stamped.  This is called Second Generation Stamping and is a fabulous way to give your scenes DEPTH!  Here's what it looks like when I pick up the stamp:

4.  It looks fabulous from mid-tree up, which is all you will see on this card due to the ribbon so I don't worry about the bottom trunk showing, but if I did not want it to show I would mask it (which I'll show in a second)

5.  Continue stamping as before, but if you need some 'background' trees you can always ink the tree, stamp it off on some scrap paper, and then you are ready for the 2nd generation stamping...

6.  You can stamp what part of the tree you need and use that scrap piece of paper where you DONT want the tree to show.  So here, the top half will show, the bottom half won't because the ink is caught on the scrap paper.

7.  When the paper is stamped how you like it, ink up the distress ink onto the handled sponge tool ON your craft mat.  I start rubbing it on the craft mat and bring my handled sponge tool gradually onto my paper so there are no harsh lines of brown.  Do this all the way around the edge of the paper, through the center of the trees...

 and down the bottom where the ground is...

Your scene is finished and ready to be made into a 6x6 card...

I added some cork I stamped with a stamp from a set called Perfect Sentiments, added some iridescent glitter clouds in the sky and onto the trees, and of course the lace and mocha opaques.

Now, I'm mailing this last card out to someone who leaves me a comment to this post by Monday!  Don't forget when we get to 100 followers on this blog, there will be a random follower chosen to get a Free Stampset...and when we get to 150 'LIKES' on our Inspired Stamps Facebook page someone will get the new Copic Book as a thank you!!  

Be sure to head over to the Fussy and Fancy blog by clicking HERE to see more or to enter YOUR card to win an Inspired Stamp of your choice!!

Thanks so much for taking time out of your day to stop by and visit!  Leave a comment and let me know you were here!!
Be the Blessing!
~Antoinette
http://www.inspiredstamps.com/