camo Christmas card for the hunter (Christmas series/tutorials)

I am SO SO SO EXCITED!! I actually accidentally found a way to create a camouflage background! I set out to make 12 outdoors-man hunter-style cards and in the process made a huge life-altering discovery. 

I have a son who's heart is in the woods. Out there with the elk and wolves and grouse. I kinda thought of him when I made this batch of cards. They are simple and un-embellished and of course you have the option to step these up if you like. Anyway, Let's get started, shall we? I'll show you how my accident happened!

Ok, first you cut your pieces. 

12 pieces Natural cardstock---4 1/4" x 11" (I chose to make my cards the long way)

12 pieces Natural cardstock---4 1/4" x 5 1/2" 

12 pieces Early Espresso---aprox. 3/4" x 5 1/2" (Made into banner shape)

Soft Suede---punched into 36--- 1 3/8" squares

Natural---punched into 36---1 1/4" squares

Take your Woodland TIEF and using your brayer roll Mossy Meadow on the opposite side of the "Sizzix" logo. Now HERE'S where my camo accident happened! For fun I spritzed the ink on the folder before running my cardstock (4 1/4" x 5 1/2" Natural) though the Bigshot. Just LOOK how it smudges and smears into the perfect camouflage for that young hunter-man you are raising! You can spritz more or less, depending on how much camo you desire.

Using the Wonderland stamp set and stamp pads in Mossy Meadow, Tip Top Taupe, and Garden Green...

...stamp 12 of each image onto the small punched out squares (Natural).

Assemble it now. I originally planned to adhere my banner on the left side of all 12 card fronts, but I found I was gonna cover up my best gorgeous camo smudges that way, so several of the banners had to land on the right hand side. Using the Mossy Meadow squares, mat the stamped squares on top. Using dimentionals, pop those little framed images up and line them up on the banner.

Here's a nice close-up of how I did that.

It's a little tough to see the sentiment, but I did that on purpose in keeping with the camouflage idea here. I wanted a "long" sentiment, not a "paragraph style". So I grabbed the retired Ornamental Pines "Christmas Wishes" and stamped it beside the matted images. (Look at picture)

There it is! This is the left-hand banner card, and below you see the right-hand matted card along with a nice close-up of that camo! Won't that be a delight to your outdoorsy friends this Christmas?

And how excited I am to at long last come up with my own technique! Ha!!