Country-Style Christmas Tree

I love a country-style Christmas! Real tree, home-cooking, hand-crafted gifts and decorations. There is something in me that just loves old things. That’s a good thing as I live in a century old farmhouse. It blends right in. Works well for a large family too. I just can’t see trying to raise 5 kids in an ultra-modern design…all that stainless steel, glass and mirrors? I don’t think so! LOL

And so, when Flourishes released this darling O Christmas tree set, I knew I’d love it. Just like their Cake Decorating 101 set, you can decorate it to your hearts content! 🙂

Country-style Christmas Tree

Now if you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that I love taking themed patterned paper and using it for a different purpose, just to shake things up a little. I love challenging myself and this is also a good way to use up paper…. but don’t talk to me about that! LOL I can’t help but keep buying it! 🙂

This design uses the new Basic Grey Mellow line of paper. I always love buying the 6×6 paper pads as they are just perfect for designing cards. They are exactly the same as the larger 12×12 papers only scaled down to 25% of the size. The colors of this Mellow line are so warm and homey. They are actually marketed as a Fall line but as you can see, I decided to see if they would work for Christmas.

To create the tree image, I stamped it with Palette Hybrid ink onto green patterned paper from the pad. Using my new Copic markers, I quickly sketched in the branches using two different greens. If you use a short sketchy style stroke, it really gives the effect of branches. To highlight the tree, I shaded around it with a soft yellow Copic marker and then sketched in a rough shadow under the pot.

To add to the country look, I curled up the edges on the central image and then added some copper hardware to the design. A Hodgepodge Hardware clip is at the top of the design and I used my Crop-a-dile to set the eyelets along the sides of the design. To finish it off I added a little scrap of ribbon, knotted and adhered with a glue dot, to the truck of the tree. It was a very simple way to add texture and dimension to the design.

Supply List:

Cardstock: Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive – Stampin Up

Patterned Paper: Mellow 6×6 paper pad – Basic Grey

Stamps: O Christmas Tree – Flourishes

Ink: Black Palette Hybrid ink – Stewart Superior

Other: ribbon – Offrey, Hodgepodge Hardware – SU, eyelets – Making Memories, Crop-a-dile – WE R Memory Keepers, markers – Copic