Hi Everyone!  I wanted to post a project we all made – many of them! – using the Sheltering Tree stamp set from Stampin’ Up!  Here is a picture of the project:

Now although the sentiment in the middle was altered, you could use the saying of “Friendship is a sheltering tree” HOWEVER, I was making my inserts for family, so I used the “Love” from another stamp set (retired) called “Follow My Heart” and merged it with the one from the Sheltering Tree one.  They turned out beautiful and everyone loved their Christmas gift from me.

So, here is each square with what I used to create it.

Each square is the same size: Basic Black – 4-1/2 x 4-1/2, Pear Pizzazz – 4-1/4 x 4-1/4, and Whisper White – 4 x 4.  Just adhere the white to the green and then the green to the black to create each square piece.  Every tree is stamped in Early Expresso.

The first square is winter:

I used the snowman and the red birds (colored in) from the White Christmas stamp set.  Inks: Pool Party, Smokey Slate, Real Red.

Stamp your tree, then stamp your solid snow at the bottom, then stamp your snowman, stamp your falling snow, then stamp your birds on the tree branches and color them in, then color the scarf on the snowman.  I added some 2-way glue on some of the branches of the tree and the snowman and then used dazzling diamonds to give it the look of snow.

The next square is Spring:

Stamp your tree.  Then stamp your solid grass at the bottom in Pear Pizazz.   Inks:  Blushing Bride, Melon Mambo, Pear Pizzazz.  Using the large “leaf” stamp, stamp in Blushing Bride.  Then using the very small accent piece that looks like leaves, stamp in Melon Mambo until you like how it looks.  I used the little stamp that looks like grass and stamped some of that in various places and then the “leaf” stamp that you used for  your accent color for your tree actually lines up with the strands of grass and doubles as flowers.  Then stamp your swing in Early Expresso.

The next square is Summer:

Stamp your tree.  Stamp your solid grass at the bottom in Old Olive, but remember that you are going to stamp your bike, so you don’t position the one on the left too high.  Next stamp the large leaf stamp in Old Olive.  Using the smaller “leaf” stamp, stamp in Mossy Meadow for your accent in your tree until you like it.  Next, stamp your bike.  Inks:  Old Olive, Mossy Meadow, Black Memento Ink, and Real Red.

The last square is Fall:

Stamp your tree.  Then stamp your solid grass in Hello Honey.  Then I stamped the large leaf stamp in Hello Honey.  Then going from light to dark, I stamped the smaller “leaf” stamp in Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Cajun Craze, Real Red, and Mossy Meadow.  I then used the cupcake topper stamp from Sprinkles of Life in Cajun Craze to give me the shape of a pile of leaves and then using the small “leaf” stamp just stamped over it creating what looks like a pile of leaves.  I also stamped some under the tree to look like falling leaves.  Then stamp your rake.

Just assemble your squares on a 12 x 12 white piece of cardstock and leave enough space in the middle to stamp your sentiment.  I stamped the “Love” in Melon Mambo and the rest in Black Momento ink.

For my gifts, I also initialled them with the year and xoxo underneath to personalize them.

I loved how this whole project turned out.  I also found a great place for 12 x 12 frames for this project at Art To Frames for a very reasonable price and great looking black frames for your project – you can check them out HERE.

One last look:

Hugs!

~ Gail