Sponge a Snowy Background

I look forward to the Holiday Catalog every year. Although I enjoy all of our catalogs, the Holiday Catalog is especially my favorite. I want everything - all of the stamps, the Designer Series Paper, and the embellishments. I read the Holiday Catalog like a novel and pour over each page.

When I saw the Season Like Christmas stamp set in the 2017 Holiday Catalog, it reminded me of a card I saw a few years ago by Tamara Bertram. She created a sponged rectangle behind a Christmas tree. I thought this was an elegant and easy way to add texture, color, and depth to a sweet and simple card.

I updated the stamp set, changed the color palette, and added some linen thread embellishment.

This background technique comes together in a flash and with things you already have on hand - a piece of Thick Whisper White cardstock, a Stampin' Trimmer, and a sponge.

To create the background, cut a 3-1/2" x 4-7/8" piece of Thick Whisper White cardstock. Then, using the ruler guide on the arm of the Stampin' Trimmer, cut out a 2-1/4" x 3-7/8" rectangle from the center of the cardstock.

This will be your mask. Because this template uses a thicker weight of cardstock, you can keep it to use on another project.

Place the mask on top of your 1st matte. The mask and the 1st matte are the same size, so it is easier to center.

Tape the mask in place with low tack tape such as washi tape or the blue painter's tape. Load some Soft Sky ink onto a sponge. Cover the entire rectangle inside the mask with ink. Add as much or as little Soft Sky ink as you would like.

Then remove the mask and continue stamping the rest of the card front.

To create the Christmas tree, I first loaded the background tree stamp with Emerald Envy ink and stamped off on to grid paper before stamping on my card front. Then I stamped the detailed tree stamp in Emerald Envy at full strength. I stamped the trunk with Chocolate Chip ink last.

On the inside, I added one of the greetings included with the stamp set. I left the inside a little plainer than usual, but you could add another tree, a row of stars, or some washi tape for added embellishment.

The sentiments in this stamp set as well as the rest of the Holiday Catalog are just fabulous and heartfelt. Sentiment stamps are a must have staple in your craft room. A good sentiment stamp set will truly extend the versatility of your other stamp sets. Plus, the inside of the cards deserve some embellishment too.

What are some of your favorite sentiment stamps?

Sponged Background Christmas Tree Card Measurements
	Paper	Dimensions
Card Base	Thick Whisper White	8-1/2” x 5-1/2”; scored at 4-1/4”
1st Matte	Night of Navy	4” x 5-1/4”
2nd Matte	Soft Sky	3-3/4” x 5”
3rd Matte	Whisper White	3-1/2” x 4-7/8”
Template	Thick Whisper White	3-1/2” x 4-7/8”

I hope you give this sweet Christmas tree card a try. I would love to see what you make!

Thanks for stopping by!
Beth

Sponged Background Christmas Tree Card Project Supply List
Stamps	#144860 Season Like Christmas (Photopolymer)
Paper	#100730 Whisper White #100867 Night of Navy #131203 Soft Sky #140272 Thick Whisper White
Ink	#126970 Night of Navy #141396 Emerald Envy #131181 Soft Sky #126979 Chocolate Chip #126944 Daffodil Delight
Embellishments	#104199 Linen Thread
Tools	#126199 Stampin’ Pierce Mat #101310 Sponge #126889 Stampin’ Trimmer