Double Stacked Christmas Wreath

My first Christmas card of the year and it's only August!! :)

Today's "Free For All" challenge is "Stacked!!" - stacking punches, shapes, etc. to make an image.  Immediately I thought of my Martha Stewart vine border punch and making a Christmas wreath.  I hung it in a window, looking out at snow-covered trees.  The window is also punched shapes that I stacked (with dimensionals) to create a look of a window - so my card is double-stacked!   Hope you like.

"Double Stacked Christmas Wreath"

Stamps:  Lovely as a Tree; Christmas Greetings (SU!)

Paper:  Always Artichoke, Glossy White, Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Cherry Cobbler (SU!); Bazzill white

Ink:  Bashful Blue, Sahara Sand, Soft Suede, VersaMark; Stampin' Write markers:  Old Olive, Always Artichoke, Soft Suede

Accessories & Tools:  Martha Stewart vine border punch, 1" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, 1 1/4" square punch, Speedball rubber brayer, post-it notes for masking, sponge dauber, 1/8" circle punch, white embossing powder, white gel pen, red embroidery floss, sticky strips, adhesives, Tombow glue and dimensionals

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I started the wreath by punching a 1" circle from Always Artichoke cardstock.  I took the 1 3/8" circle punch and centered it over the 1" whole and punched out a thin ring of cardstock - this was my base for my wreath.  I punch vine border from both Old Olive and Always Artichoke cardstock and then cut the vine into stems.  I used the Stampin' Write markers to add veins to the leaves.  I punch out 1/8" circles from Cherry Cobbler to use for the berries.  I used Tombow glue to layer the stems onto the wreath base.  I added the berries and then used the white gel pen to add a dot on each berry to give it interest.  I tied the embroidery floss around the top of the wreath, knotted it to hold it in place, left a "tail" and added a knot at the end of the tail which is glued to the top of the window.

For the background, I ripped a post-it note and masked the bottom of the Glossy White cardstock.  I brayered first Bashful Blue ink and then Sahara Sand ink over top (I wanted the blue to be a "wintery" hue).  I stamped the Lovely as a Tree stamp with Soft Suede ink.  I used a sponge dauber to lightly sponge Sahara Sand ink along the top of the post-it note (horizon line).  I moved the post-it note down and angled it and added some more sponging of Sahara Sand ink to mimic hills in the snow.  I removed the post-it note mask and used the Soft Suede Stampin' Write marker to extend the tree trunks into the snow hills.  I cut the image to size and used sticky strips to adhere to the card base of Always Artichoke.

For the window:  I used Bazzill white paper and a pencil and ruler to mark 1/2" from top and 1/8" on both sides of center on the back of the cardstock.  I lined up my 1 1/4" square punch and punched out the four "panes of glass".  I added dimensionals and adhered the window on top of the background image.

I used VersaMark ink to stamp the Merry Christmas sentiment onto Always Artichoke cardstock and then embossed in white.  I cut out the sentiment, following along the basic shape of the script.  I adhered it about 1/2" below the bottom of the window. 

Lastly, I glued the wreath hanging from the top of the window.