Beautiful, Clean Popup Christmas Tree (and White on White Photography)

I love this card I made for my Honeypot, RR, so much!!

I used all soft white cardstock, with just one vivid splash of color.

I realized that I didn't have many Christmas-themed stamps or punches at around Thanksgiving this year when my thoughts first turned towards making Christmas cards, so after careful consideration, I purchased a beautiful ornament paper punch from the Martha Stewart line.  It's a good day when I pick out the perfect punch that I can used over and over - I have been using this one in all sorts of designs (as you will see, haha)!

The simple design of the cover belies the surprise you get when you open up the card...

The continuance of the white-on-white color theme made the Christmas tree (with its cute popout star!) stand out even more.  I used different sized hole punches to make the "snow" in the background.  It's hard to convey from a picture the elegance and quality of the actual card.

I really wanted to make a popup card for RR.  Even though I already had practice making a popup tree for my holiday card to the Burkart family, I wanted to make him something different, something uniquely his.

Here are a couple of pictures that gives you an idea of how I made it.  For a more detailed description of how to make a popup tree (or anything popup, really) in general, check out my last post.

Now that I have so much more free time with the new(ish) job, I have made a lot of progress researching and practicing my product photography and post-production editing.  I recently spent an entire week figuring out how to best photograph a white object on a white background - which is much, MUCH more difficult than it sounds.

At last, I found link on the website Learn My Shot on the subject, which really helped me.  I played around with the effects of varying angles of my daywhite lamps and bouncing light off of different surfaces for a looooooooong - but very enjoyable! - time. 

RR has been working extremely long hours for the past few months, so I mailed this card, along with a handwritten letter I composed of all the things I love and admire about him (and there are many - once I got started, I couldn't stop!), to his office.  I hope it cheers him up while he's plugging away!

I have another very special card I made him up my sleeve.  I'm planning to give it to him when we open presents together on Christmas Day!