Spotlight Technique, Sheltering Tree

I've been doing a lot of crochet lately as I have been a bit low but made a card today so thinking I am nearly back on top again!

I have been looking at cards on pinterest using the spotlight technique, it is a lovely way to pick some detail out of a stamped image and mke it a focal point. There seems to be two ways of creating a spotlight card. The way I have tried first here is to make one with an aperture...the image is stamped then an aperture  is cut from the image focusing on particular point then another image is coloured in or changed somehow then lined up beneath the aperture to the first image.. I used the fabulous Stampin Up Sheltering Tree stamp set. 

I created a plain bare tree on a grey background, I wanted to emphasize the change in seasons from winter to spring.I used the leaves/blossom stamp to create a cherry blossom type tree in full bloom. 

I think this is a good card to give to encourage anyone who is going through a hard time, a bereavement or a long term struggle to rimind them that seasons change, even if it feels like winter in your life with very little hope or positivity thats not the end its just a season! and we all know that our times and seasons are in God's hands!

The sentiment is created using an Our Daily Bread Designs stamp cropped then re-stamped in full inside. the butterflies were cut using stampin up embosslits butterfly folder.

I first saw a similar card on Pinterest HERE it inspired my first spotlight card ;O)

its good to get back into challenges, here where i entered this card
AAA Cards Game... #38 "There's a hole n my card"
Crafting from the Heart... #58 "Anything goes"
Make My Monday... Trees or Leaves
Stamp and Create... May Flowers
well my card fits all four of these challenges so lets hope for a win!