DECK THE HALLS - IRIS "UN"FOLDED DESIGN

Last week, Julie made it my mission for "Feminine Fridays" to create a project with designer paper as the focal point, and that's exactly what I did.  It's been a while since I created an iris-folded design, but I decided straight away that I would not be folding those thin strips of paper this time.  With traditional Iris Folding, you cut your strips of paper and then fold them in half.  They actually look better--more "finished"--when folded.  To begin this project, I first cut the tree-shaped aperture and lightly adhered the Early Espresso card stock (face down) to my cutting mat so it wouldn't move as I put the strips of paper in place.  The pattern for this design was also adhered to the cutting mat (face up) so I could follow the design (through the aperture) to adhere the strips of paper in order.  Imagining what the finished card would look like, I decided that I wanted to have an embossed front, so I went ahead and used Stampin' Up!'s "Vintage Wallpaper" embossing folder, which I accented with Champagne Mist Shimmer Paint.  As if that wasn't enough, I took it a step further and sprayed the embossed card stock with Champagne Mist shimmer mist to give it some added glitz.  Now I was ready to place the strips of "Deck the Halls" designer paper in place according to my tree-shaped pattern.  Final embellishments, all from Stampin' Up!, include a distressed sentiment from the "Snow Swirled" stamp set which I used the Wide Oval punch to shape, a gorgeous antique brad, the cute little bird from the "Merry Details" Sizzlits die, and Cherry Cobbler Seam Binding.