Cards, Cards, Cards - Christmas folded tree

Made Christmas cards with a great bunch of ladies this morning!!!
We started with this folded Christmas tree card which had a bit of a learning curve but we eventually got all the trees folded!!  I originally found this concept on Splitcoast Stampers but had to find a combination of steps that worked best for this scalloped circle (SU) and was slim enough to fit in the label die cut (SX) I had created. The shape of the tree changes depending on where on the center line you fold to.   It took me a "forest" of paper trees before I hit on a winning combination so I would recommend making your trees first and then working up a sketch that works with it.
The tree is folded from a half circle of paper - this scallop die cuts a 4.5" circle.  I used the following formula - on the center line mark 1" below the dip of the top and fold from that mark to the dip of the second scallop to make the top of the tree.  At the other end, fold from the dip of the fourth scallop to the 1" mark to form the bottom of the tree.  The other two folds pretty much line up with the sides of the tree.  Once you have all your creases, ensure that the tree is accordion folded which leaves your main pattern showing at the top, middle and the bottom.  Here is a tutorial where you can download a template for folding this tree:  http://inkspiredtreasures.com/cards/stamping-411-folded-christmas-tree/
With our trees made, we embossed our labels, added the red layers below each end, cut a stem from brown cardstock for our tree and glued all the pieces to the label.  Finally we added a little star punchie using 3D foam tape. The ribbon was glued to the back of the card with double sided tape and trimmed long enough to be glued to the inside front of the card.  We glued our tree element over the ribbon and tied the left over ribbon to the ribbon on the front just to the right of the element, using a single knot to simulate a bow.
I created the glitter paper we used for our trees..  I stamped "bubble wrap" in red on the back of my 12x12 sheets and embossed an overall swirly design in a red/green glitter mixture of embossing powder on the green fronts.
So consider adding some glittery embossing to a plain looking paper to step it up a bit!!  These trees work best with double sided paper which is the reason I stamped the back of my paper with an overall design.  This lighter weight paper was much better for the folding necessary to create the trees.
Check out my next post to see how I maximized my glitter paper and created a custom label die cut using the label die I had on hand.
Have you started on your Christmas cards??  If not, consider joining a few challenges and making a few cards every weekend in November to get yourself ready for the season!!  My sister has a monthly Christmas card challenge so check out her blog and see if you find any inspiration!!

Therese