One of the first stamps I ever bought was Lovely As a Tree! It’s been around a long time! Almost as long as Stampin’ Up! has been in Australia. Almost every one of my crafting friends own it! There’s good reason for that – it is an incredibly timeless and versatile stamp set that is not only perfect for everyday use but can be adapted for Christmas too.
So let’s take a look at the Lovely as a Tree stamp set.
There is lots to love about this set! Including the a single fir /pine tree which is perfect for Christmas Trees. Then the grove of trees is wonderful for backgrounds and landscapes. The single Oak Tree is magnificent. Lastly, there are three different stamps featuring leaves – perfect for backgrounds and accents. It’s available in wood and clear mount.
Another beautiful thing about Lovely as a Tree is that is lends itself to all sorts of wonderful techniques including thumping with markers, distressing, triple time stamping, reflection techniques and even the good old masking tape technique.
Let’s take a look
Here’s a few cards that feature the Lovely as Tree from the archives – even after a few years this stamp set proves it stands up to the test of time.
This first card features three techniques – stamping off (2nd generation stamping), thumping and triple layer stamping. The pumpkin pie, cajun craze, cherry cobbler, crushed curry and chocolate chip combine beautifully for a wonderful autumn look.
.
Card number two
Again, the thumping technique and those autumn tones feature but there is minimal stamping. The background is a faux leather, which is an awesome “wow” factor. Who would have thought some household masking tape, a sponge dauber, some ink and a little time would give such an interesting background? Although the background adds lots of interesting texture that feels like leather it still allows the Lovely as a Tree image to be the “hero” of the card.
While we are talking about masking tape, cards three and four have a masking tape background.
This is another another super easy technique and if you use different widths of masking tape or lay your inked masking tape on different angles you can achieve different backgrounds. Some masking tapes are ridged or have textures which adds to the effect. Have a play with it – be warned it can be messy!
Ready for some more?
Time for a tried and tested favourite – sponging! Both cards 5 and 6 feature sponging but they couldn’t be more different!
Card five features a stamped and sponged image cut into three equal sections and layered with dimensionals.
Card six was created using a mask to cover the white space that I didn’t want to sponge. The oval sponged area creates a focal point around the tree. I was going for a snow dome shape but you can adapt this to any shape you like.
Go on…Create a scene!
No, I don’t mean throw a tantrum! Lovely as a tree is perfect for combining with other stamp sets to create scenes. Take a look at card seven which combines it with two other stamp sets, Carousel Birthday (retired) and Lift Me Up to make a scenic card. Have a look in your stash to see what other stamps you can use to create a scene!
Not just for cards
Not only is Lovely as a Tree great for cards and tags, try it on your scrap pages and memory keeping projects too. Here’s the beginnings of an 8″x8″ scrapbook page. See how the Lovely as a Tree stamp is repeated to make a “country” border. It contrasts with the rustic direct to paper inked background. (These are my parents on their Aussie Outback trip!)
Hope you enjoyed this Sunday showcase of Lovely as a Tree.
What now?
So if you have Lovely as a tree and you haven’t played with it for a while, I challenge you to dust it off this month and make just one thing with it and share it with me. It could be chosen as the project of the month! If you don’t yet own lovely as a tree I strongly encourage you to invest in it today. Click the images below to secure your Lovely As a Tree stamp set today. Trust me – it will be one of your “go to” stamps for years to come!
