The 12 Trees of Christmas 2014: the finale....

Hello Friends!

Thanks for stopping by!  I am finally able to post my final three trees.  I probably don't need to say that making and posting my 12 trees for this year did not go this way in my head!  I'm not sure why I am still surprised when that happens.  I should rather be surprised when things do go the way they do in my head!

Anyway, I am happy with these trees, even if they did come about a bit later than planned:

Tree number ten:

This tree is much more elegant than most of my projects.  I cut six of the Swirly Tree free file by Bird of Bird's Cards.  My Silver Bullet Pro made quick work of the cutting.  I added score lines down the center of each tree, to make folding them in half easier.   After folding, each tree was glued to the next, to form a dimensional tree.  I used spray glue to add glitter, and hot glued my tree into a vintage crystal drawer knob base.  A red ribbon bow adds a touch of color.

Tree number eleven:

This tree was fashioned after some Tim Holtz style trees that kept turning up on Pinterest.  I used my new favorite rosette file from My Scrap Chick to cut five rosette strips in graduated sizes.  After threading them with baker's twine I cinched them up into a cone shape, rather than the traditional flat rosette.  I added a bit of Tarnished Brass Distress paint to highlight the ribs of the tree. 

I rescued the puffy star from a former Fourth of July decoration.  It was red and faded so I painted it up with some Scattered Straw and Mustard Seed Distress Paints.  After they were dry, I applied some Tarnished Brass Distress Paint and hit it hard with my heat gun to bubble it up.  I love the effect!

And now for my final tree of 2014, number twelve:

What? You can't see the tree?  No you can't, because this is just a close up of the background.  I used my Wendy Vecchi Crackle paste, and I had to share a close up of the effect.  The base is a journal cover from 7 Gypsies, coated with Mod Podge and layered with tissue paper and gesso for texture and to lighten the color from the very dark brown original. 

After the Crackle paste had dried, I randomly stamped the background with a flourish stamp and Frayed Burlap Distress Ink.

Well, that's not the tree either!  Its the star on top.  It is the shabby Distress Inked star on top. 

Ok, so that's the tree!  I embossed a piece of kraft cardstock with a ruler embossing folder (from Darice, I think.) I cut apart the individual ruler pieces, added Distress Stain Picket Fence, Distress Inks in various wood tones, and black Archival ink to highlight the numbers.  I cut them to various lengths, and adhered them to chipboard to give them some them definition.  I used thick quick dry glue to adhere the strips and trunk to the background. 

I am really pleased with my tree stand.  I cut a rectangle of brown cardstock, and angled the edges.  after distressing and inking the edges with Barn Door Distress Ink, I added dimension to the stand by curling it with the edge of my scissors.  A touch of glue on the edges is just enough to adhere it to the background over the tree trunk. 

I wish you all a Happy and Crafty New Year!

Elizabeth