Welcome to the neighborhood

Boy, it's been an adventure trying to get this posted today!!  My internet connection keeps going out.  Technology is both a blessing and a curse sometimes.

Here's my final card for the Love Fest challenges at Splitcoaststampers!  This one was sponsored by Scor-Pal (found here) and we had to make a card with multiple folds.  I decided to try a stair step card and here is the result.  I posted plenty of pics so you can see the details.   :)

I had so much fun creating this card.  For my first attempt at the stair step card, it came out really great!  I used Spring Rain cardstock for my base and added multiple strips of grass on each step.  (I do mean multiple.  There are eleven of them counting all the layers!) I stamped and cut out the tree on white cardstock, and used the generational stamping technique for the leaves.  The bird, squirrel and tree swing are also cut out.

I added a strip of picket fence to the back step and a cute welcome sign to the middle step with an embossed sentiment.  It's also sponged to look more like wood.  I used the Tulip Garden punch with both Leaf Green and Poppy Parade cardstock, cutting off the red tulips and gluing them in place on the green.  Then each tulip sprig was placed individually in the grass strips.  Very time consuming process, but I love how it adds pops of cheerful color.  It totally makes the card!

I sure wouldn't mass-produce this card since it took me hours to make it.  It's one of my favorite cards I've ever made though!  I really had no clear vision when I started.  It was fun to experiment as I went along and see it evolve.

Stamps:  Trees & Things, Around the Block (Close to My Heart)
Paper:  Spring Rain, New Leaf, White (Papertrey Ink); Poppy Parade (Stampin' Up)
Ink:  Dark Chocolate, New Leaf (Papertrey Ink); Poppy Parade (Stampin' Up); VersaMark
Misc:  Picket Fence die, Fresh Cut Grass die (My Favorite Things); Tulip Garden edge punch (Martha Stewart); white embossing powder (Filigree)  
Paper: