This was supposed to be a birthday card, but I’m so fixated on Christmas cards that I forgot to use a “Happy Birthday!” tag.  Between the ornaments I’ve been making, and the cards, and thinking about gifts and coordinating schedules to figure out when we can have dinner, my brain was on “Christmas Autopilot,” I guess.

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Stamp sets:  Christmas Lodge*, Tags til Christmas, Teeny Tiny Wishes; Ink:  Whisper White craft; Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi classic; Garden Green, Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso stampin’ write markers; Paper;  Frostwood Lodge designer series paper*; Whisper White, Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso card stock; Other:  Big Shot, Snowburst embossing folder*, embossing buddy, white embossing powder, heat tool, decorative label punch, sponge, stampin’ dimensionals  (*available in the holiday mini catalog through Jan. 3; all other products available in the 2011-12 Stampin’ Up!® Idea Book & Catalog)

I got the idea to emboss the tree in white on the designer paper from another demo, but – even though I know I saved the card so I could reference it later – I can’t find it.  If you did this, please let me know!  As I’m looking at it from the side, it almost looks 3-D; the sponging adds a lot of depth to the card.

I’m so happy to use the green plaid paper.  I realized that I’m just not a plaid girl.  I’d say it was the result of my Catholic school days, but I didn’t go to Catholic school.  I never wore a plaid uniform, although I did have some plaid skirts and a plaid jumper that I loved.  Maybe it’s just the colors in the plaid.  I like blackwatch plaid – especially with a little black or really dark navy, a red stripe and a yellow stripe in with the navy and green.  (Is that still “blackwatch?”)  I know that some of my ancestors were Scots.  Maybe that’s why there are some plaids that don’t do it for me; they could have been the warring clans’ tartans, so they stir up some latent, “passed down through generations” dislike.  Whatever…I’m glad to finally cut into this green and white plaid paper!

You can’t really tell, but the cut white layer is another sheet of the Frostwood Lodge designer series paper.  It’s the white with just little flecks of espresso.  But since I embossed and sponged it (and, let’s face it – there’s not much showing anyway), it’s hard to tell it’s not just Whisper White card stock.

I used Wild Wasabi to sponge around the tree, since the color in the paper is Garden Green, and Wild Wasabi is Garden Green’s dynamic duo.  Picture a “Happy Birthday” tag on the corner, and it’s perfect for my father-in-law’s birthday!

Here’s are clips of the paper in the Frostwood Lodge pack and the stamps in the Christmas Lodge set.  If you love these (and who doesn’t?), be sure to order them today.  They may be in the 2012-13 Idea Book & Catalog, but they may not.  I know you can order them through Jan. 3, so don’t miss out!

Christmas Lodge – Clear mount-123769; $25.95
Christmas Lodge – Wood mount-123767; $33.95
Frostwood Lodge designer series paper – 124002; $10.95

All the products used in the project can be ordered from my online store.    Don’t forget to check in on Monday to take advantage of the Online Extravaganza sales!  Have a great day, and thanks for stopping by.