This card was inspired by a beautiful photograph by Werol that can be seen here:  http://www.deviantart.com/print/475044/

It is also inspired by this weeks Split Coast Stampers Inspiration Challenge IC117 found here: http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=328890

Let’s get started with today’s tutorial.  🙂

Supplies: 

Stamp tree on Stampin’ Up Whisper White card stock using Blue Bayou ink.

Stamped background pines using a Not Quite Navy Marker to color in just the trees on the stamp.  Huffed on it to moisten then stamped.

Used Post-It-Notes to mask sky area.  I torn the Post it Notes on the stick edge of the note, making sure to leave some of the stick part on the Note to adhere to the card stock.

Sponged Night of Navy ink right at edge of Post It Note mask to create a horizon line. 

Sponged on Soft Sky ink, working from the edge of the paper and swiping the ink on toward the tree base.

Did the last step again only using Not Quite Navy ink and not covering all of the Soft Sky ink already applied.

Same step again, only with Night of Navy ink and not covering all of the Not Quite Navy ink applied in the last step.  We are getting a graduation of color here. 🙂

Removed Post It Notes.

Went over the tree trunk with a Not Quite Navy Marker to make it stand out more.

Now for the sky:  Sponged on Soft Sky ink in a swiping motion from the edge of the paper toward the tree, leaving white card stock showing around the tree.

Sponge on Blue Bayou and then Not Quite Navy in the same swiping motion as in the last step creating a graduation in color, by not covering entirely the lighter colors before it.

Used a Night of Navy marker to make a few of the leaves in the tree darker to create dimension.

Punched a circle out of the sticky part of a Post It Note to use as a mask to create a sun.

Sponged Soft sky ink with a swiping motion from the mask out toward the edge of the card stock.  Leaving white card stock showing to create a glow.

Removed Post it Note mask and sponged some black ink at very bottom of the card stock in a swiping motion.

Added a couple of layers of card stock and Cuttlebug die cut corners and here is the finished card.

I hope you enjoyed today’s tutorial.  I realize my tutorials are long, but I like to show each step individually, as much as possible. 

Hope your day is filled with as much light as this tree!