Sunday, May 31, 2015

Birthday Sweetness

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for one of the sweetest woman I know.


The printed paper is BoBunny Smoochable Love Potion layered on Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade and Close To My Heart Cotton Candy.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Joyful Birthday stamped in Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Cotton Candy.  The ribbon is American Crafts Glitter ribbon.  The embellishments are Kaisercraft Basic Light Pink Rhinestones.

This is actually Valentine paper but I used it to reflect the sweetness of my girlfriend.  She is a very talented baker but I didn't want to use some of the 'baking' papers I've used on her earlier cards.  Notwithstanding the hearts, this paper actually strikes me as just sweet and pretty so I figured I could get away with using it for a birthday card.  I choose a really swirly birthday sentiment to work with the swirls in the images.  I'm very pleased with the results.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Birthday Bears In A Row

Hello everyone,

My darling daughter turns eighteen today.  I can't believe how fast the time has gone.


The background papers are an origami paper of unknown origin, Close To My Heart Lagoon and Hydrangea and Canford Gold.  The starburst pattern is layered on Stampin' Up Basic Black and more Canford Gold.  The images are Stamp Magick Mini Pandas stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker Happy Birthday also stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White.  The images and sentiment are highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999 and Sakura Clear Star Roll pen.The embellishments are TPC Studio Class Act mini jewels.

I've been looking for an excuse to do an all over starburst on a card front for ages.  I thought about using two different origami papers along with two solids but I didn't have two pieces that worked really well together.  I also hadn't originally planned to use embellishments but it needed just a little something I thought these black jewels in the vertical were really interesting.  I really love doing the starburst pattern and it worked so well on this card.

Happy Birthday darling girl!

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Friday, May 29, 2015

Proud Panda

Hello everyone,

Today's special congratulations card is for my very own high school graduate.


The focal image is Local King Rubber Stamp Panda Bear 4 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Stampin' Up Whisper White, layered on Basic Black, and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The background images are Local King Rubber Stamp Panda Bear 4 stamped in Mossy Meadow, and Stampin' Up Work of Art stamped in Blackberry Bliss, Eggplant Envy, and Perfect Plum.  The sentiment is Avery Elle Oh Happy Day stamped in Blackberry Bliss and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

My darling daughter has always had a 'thing' for pandas so its natural for me to stamp her cards using panda images.  I used different shades of purple for the background images because its always been one of her favourite colours.  I really like stamping a horizontal sentiment on the vertical so I made sure to stamp the bamboo leaves to work with the sentiment.  I'm extremely happy with the results and I'm pretty sure she'll be pleased too.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Thursday, May 28, 2015

Fabulously Flourished

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for another of my daughter's girlfriends who are going to be graduating in the next couple of weeks.


The printed paper is Bella Blvd Classic Calendars layered on Close To My Heart Cotton Candy and Twilight, and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The images are Stampin' Up Thanks For Caring stamped in Pear Pizzazz on Recollections White, painted with LuminArte Buttercup, Deep Coral and Mediterranean Blue, and layered on more Twilight and Cotton Candy.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Express Yourself stamped in Twilight.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Blue Sparkles.

I couldn't resist picking up this colourful flourished paper.  It just presents so many wonderful possibilities!  I picked these particular images because I thought they worked well with the flourishes.  The young lady getting this card is extremely girly and she love pretty colours and glitter.  I dusted off the Twinkling H2Os because I couldn't craft this card without some significant glitter!

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Pretty As A Peacock

Hello everyone,

Before I continue with the DCWV card base stash, I've got a few high school graduates that need congratulations cards.


The printed paper is Stampin' Up Birds of a Feather layered on Bazzill teal.  The image is Stampin' Up World Treasures stamped in Tombow 346, 373 and 993 on Recollections White and layered on more Bazzill Teal.  The sentiment is Just Rite Large Fancy Sentiments stamped in Tombow 373 on Recollections White and layered on more Bazzill Teal.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Bitty Sparkles.

This card and tomorrow's are cards I've crafted for my daughter's best friends.  The young lady who will be receiving this card loves teal and peacocks.  It was a pretty easy card to craft.  I love how this Stampin' Up paper coordinates with the stamp.  Of course, Stampin' Up plans it that way on purpose.  I particularly love the colours - teal, green and yellow - it's a great combination!

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

A Birdie Told Me

Hello everyone,

Today's charity card uses the second dusty rose card base.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Carta Bella Beautiful Moments layered on Stampin' Up Going Grey.  The images are Stampin' Up Four Feathers stamped in Close To My Heart Ruby and Blush, and Stampin' Up Smokey Slate on Recollections White.  The feather were die cut with Sizzix Feathers Framelits.  The sentiment is Serendipity stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishment is American Crafts glitter brad.

I so loved this little birdie on the printed paper that I thought the design would be a breeze!  Not so much really.  I decided it would be cool to have the feathers (which speak to the bird) hang from the banner.  Cool doesn't mean easy!  It took me forever to find a way to place the feathers without looking awkward for covering up the worded banner.  I think it was so hard because the feathers don't work with the scale of the printed paper all that well.  By the time I was ready to add the sentiment, I wasn't going to muck around so just used that blank space on the printed paper.  Live and learn!

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Monday, May 25, 2015

Eclectic Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's charity card is one of two using the dusty pink card bases I've had in my stash for ages.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Carta Bella Beautiful Moments layered on Stampin' Up Basic Grey.  The images are Stampin' Up Faith In Nature stamped in Smoky Slate on Recollections White and layered on more Basic Grey.  The sentiment is Avery Elle So Happy stamped in Close To My Heart Ruby.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Licorice Opaques.

At first blush this card is all disparate elements but the elements do 'whisper' to one another.  The half circles have writing, though faint. so I used these flowers that also have writing.  The banners of the printed paper go off the page so I had the sentiment flow off the page.  The background of the printed paper is dotted so I dotted the flowers with pearls.  This is a different card but it is also very familiar and I'm very happy with the results.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Bravo Birdie

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last charity card using the beautiful leftover Birds and Blooms and the darker blue DCWV card bases.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Karen Foster Birds and Blooms layered on Momenta Textured Cardstock.  The sentiment is Avery Elle stamped in Close To My Heart Whisper ink on Stampin' Up Whisper White, and layered on more Momenta.  The printed paper is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are Want 2 Scrap Baby Bling Pearls.

This card took me much longer to craft than I thought it would as I couldn't quite figure out what to do to take best advantage of the printed paper.  I eventually decided to just let the paper be and work with pearls and glitter.  I think it was the right choice.  I don't often mix pearls and glitter but using the two in this case worked really well.  The pearls fit great on the flowers and the glitter is wonderful on the dots.  I love the results and am glad I didn't mess with the layout and extras.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Loving Promise

Hello everyone,

Today's charity card uses another dark blue card base and another beautiful piece of Karen Foster scrap paper.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Karen Foster Birds & Blooms layered on Recollections White.  The sentiment is Magenta stamped in Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler on Recollections White and layered on more scrap red of unknown origin.  The ribbon is Michael's Sheer Creations.

I hadn't originally intended to make this a wedding card but there was something about this little bird that prompted a loving sentiment.  When I first used this paper I was very careful when cutting to take the best advantage of the various images. I'm so glad I did because I've been able to use every last little bit to best advantage.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Friday, May 22, 2015

Strips Of Beauty

Hello everyone,

Today I'm posting cards using the darker of the blue card bases in the box I've been hoarding.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Karen Foster Birds & Blooms.  The sentiment is Avery Elle Oh Happy Day stamped in Close To My Heart Slate on Stampin' Up Whisper White and layered on a red of unknown origin.  The embellishment is K&Company Brenda Walton Flora & Fauna Butterfly Vellum sticker.

This card, and the next couple, use some wonderful scrap pieces from a sheet of paper that I've used so very judiciously for a long time.  I really love this paper.  It actually pains me to use up these last little bits.  They've made for some exceptionally beautiful cards.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Neutrally Scrapped

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last charity card using the light blue DCWV card bases in my stash and scrap papers.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Momenta Amylee Weeks.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Delightful Dozen stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White and layered on Bazzill red, Recollections Green, and a blue and olive of unknown origin.

Today's card is the neutral of this set.  I didn't want anything to masculine or feminine to finish off this five card set.  I'm rather pleased with the results.  I chose this particular scrap of printed paper because it had a lot of great colours with which I could easily coordinate from my leftovers.  I didn't add any embellishments, bling or glitter because I felt it would move the card out of the neutral territory I was striving for.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.


Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Girly Goodness

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a wonderfully girly birthday card.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Docrafts Papermania Lucy Cromwell.  The image is Stampin' Up Happy Moments stamped in Close To My Heart Slate on Whisper White, coloured with Faber-Castell pencil crayons, and layered on Close To My Heart Baby Pink and more Whisper White.  The sentiment is also Stampin' Up Happy Moments stamped on Whisper White.  The image is highlighted with K&Company Gold Gel Extreme, Wink of Stella Clear 999, and Lavender Stickles.

I really like these lovely banners and I think the bird cages and butterflies are so girly.  I love how the stamped image and sentiment are in the same style as the images on the paper.  I think I did a pretty good job at the colouring although to be fair, this wasn't a very complex image to colour.  I debated adding more Stickles but decided having them just on the image really makes it pop.  A great girly card!

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Darling Dinos

Hello everyone,

Today's charity card is a young boy's birthday card.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed papers are My Mind's Eye "Sunny Days" Dots/Lime.  The sentiment is Stampendous Retro Happy Birthday stamped in Close To My Heart Sweet Leaf on Stampin' Up Whisper White and layered on more "Sunny Days".  The embellishments are K&Company Rough & Tumble Dinosaur.

This is an extremely simple card that relies completely on these great dinosaur stickers.  I think its a great boy card.  I love this dotted paper and it works so well with these stickers.  I don't have much by way of kid stamps so I rely on stickers and I love these in particular.  I couldn't have picked stickers that worked any better with the card base and the printed paper.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Monday, May 18, 2015

Bloomin' Butterflies

Hello everyone,

Another charity card for you today.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is BasicGrey Urban Prairie layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White and Close To My Heart Hollyhock.  The images are Stampin' Up Work of Art stamped in Crushed Curry and Hollyhock and Papillon Potpourri stamped in Baja Breeze.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker Happy Birthday stamped in Close To My Heart Outdoor Denim.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Bitty Sparkles.

I've decided for this set of card bases to not only use leftovers from my scrap paper bin but to try to do a variety of masculine, feminine, adult and juvenile cards.  We'll see how I manage.  I love the contrast of the Work of Art stamp against the more formal butterflies.  I think its an interesting contrast that works well because the colours are great together. This isn't a colour combination I would normally be drawn to but I pulled them from the printed paper.  It's no wonder I love BasicGrey so very much.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Brown, Blue And Beautiful

Hello everyone,

Today's charity card uses some of the blue card bases in the DCWV package.  In addition to using up these card bases that have been in my stash forever, I've broken into the scrap bin to see what else I can take advantage of.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is of unknown origin (possibly DCWV) layered on textured Stampin' Up Soft Suede.  The images are Stampin' Up Work of Art stamped in Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Sassy Salutations stamped in Close To My Heart Twilight on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Soft Suede.  The embellishments are Fabricland.

I really envisioned this card as a masculine card and I think it turned out great.  I tried to add another layer under the printed paper but I couldn't find a blue that provided enough contrast.  I suppose I could have used some Vanilla but in the overall scheme, it was really necessary.  Masculine cards are just as lovely with a little less.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Saturday, May 16, 2015

The Best One

Hello everyone,

This is the best card of this black charity card series.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Dollarama layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White.  The sentiment is Papertrey Ink stamped in Melon Mambo on Whisper White.  The embellishments are EK Success Valentine Dots.

Such a simple and straightforward card and it's actually my favourite of the lot.  I love how the sparkly bright pink dots just pop against the printed paper.  I debated adding more sparkle to the printed paper because all those dots would really glitter up well but decided that less would actually be better.  This was such a quick and easy card I don't actually think you could go wrong with it no matter what the colours.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Friday, May 15, 2015

Ink Spots

Hello everyone,

Today's charity card was more than a challenge.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The images are Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge stamped in Close To My Heart Tulip, and Stampin' Up Midnight Muse and Certainly Celery on Recollections White and layered on Close To My Heart Tulip. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Curly Cute stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The blue splotches are highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.

I hate, hate, hate it when a card gives me such a hard time.  On the first attempt I stamped the images in Versafine and the sentiment in Tulip and ended up smudging the dots so badly a cover up wasn't possible.  On the second attempt I stamped the images in Tulip and it looked, completely inappropriately, like blood splatter.  On the third attempt I added the larger splotches in the green and blue, finally a good result!

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Floral Explosion

Hello everyone,

Another charity card with a black card base today.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Dollarama layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White.  The image is Stampin' Up Mixed Bunch stamped in Color Box ink on Basic Black.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Happy Birthday C5594 in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White and layered on more Basic Black.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Class Act mini pearls.

I have very mixed feelings about this card.  I do love the black and white combination but am not so sure about the flower.  I really wish the white ink would pop better against the black.  I chose this particular flower because it works so well with the grey flowers on the printed paper.  Its not a bad result but I wish I knew how to make it better.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Flocking Birds

Hello everyone,

Now that I've finished with the Mother's Day card commissions, I'm back to working on the charity cards.

The textured card bases are DCWV.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Basic Black and Recollections Vanilla.  The image is Penny Black Birds On A Wire stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Basic Black.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Express Yourself.  The embellishments are Kaisercraft black Pearl Strips.

I'm not a big fan of using a lot of black in my card crafting.  I find it a rather challenging colour.  In the case of the next few cards, I decided to keep it simple and that certainly helped with the overall results
.  For this particular card, I knew I wanted to use this paper that a friend gifted to me.  It's seemed only fitting to match it with this great Penny Black stamp.  It actually worked much better than I imagined.  I debated the pearl embellishments and I could still take them or leave them.  I am determined not to make these black cards sympathy cards but I thought this 'thinking of you' sentiment was rather fitting.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon,

Gisèle

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Brightly Blooming

Hello everyone,

This is the last post of the commissioned Mother's Day cards I've recently crafted.


The printed papers are Stampin' Up Painted Blooms layered on Stampin' Up Rose Red.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Mother's Love stamped in Pacific Point on Whisper White, layered on Rose Red, and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The ribbon is American Crafts.  The butterfly is a scrap of painted and glittered watercolour paper.  The embellishment is Close To My Heart pink sparkles.

The lovely woman who requested this card for her Mom asked for bright, cheerful and floral.  It was particularly easy to craft because I just love this Painted Blooms paper.  If I hadn't been so set on this paper, I would have had way too much choice to narrow it down.  I didn't photograph the inside but I actually stamped some floral images and the other part of this sentiment, something I rarely do.  I'm so happy with this card!

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Monday, May 11, 2015

Horsing Around

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another commissioned Mother's Day card.


The printed paper is Prima Forever Young layered on Stampin' Up Ruby Red.  The images are EK Success Horses affixed to Recollections Vanilla and layered on Early Espresso, Ruby Red and Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is Avery Elle So Happy stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is highlighted with Cinnamon Stickles.

This special mother has a hobby farm and received this card from her son.  It's not particularly frou frou or feminine, notwithstanding the lovely Stickles.  The colours in the stickers dictated the rest of the colours used.  This card turned out so much better than I expected.  Stickers, though a great alternative to stamped images, can be tricky because they can look extremely odd.  What is great about this particular pair is that there is a left and right horse and they are facing each other.  Much more interesting!

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Happy Mother's Day

Hello everyone,

Today's card was specially crafted for my own Mom.


The printed papers are BoBunny Primrose layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White and Soft Suede.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Early Espresso on Whisper White and layered on more BoBunny Primrose.  The ribbon is Sheer Creations Celebrate It from Michael's.  The embellishments are Keepsakes Memories.

Regular I SPI readers will know that my Mom is an avid quilter so I always try to craft her cards along those lines.  I found this particular type of card on Pinterest and though it's not necessarily a 'quilt' card, I was so enamored with this herringbone pattern that I had to give it a try.  It's a great way to use up scraps!  It was also extremely easy once the first strips are laid down.  I really want to try it on a Christmas card because I think it would be utterly spectacular.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon!

Gisèle

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Just Mom

Hello everyone,

I had a number of Mother's Day commission cards to craft and I'll be posting them over the next few days.


The printed paper is October Afternoon Reading layered on Recollections Kraft and Close To My Heart Crystal Blue.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Loved Ones stamped in Close To My Heart Tulip ink on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Kraft.  The embellishments are brads of unknown origin.

This particularly special Mom is a real book lover so when I found this sheet of paper at a local craft store, I knew it was perfect.  I love the vintage feeling of the paper and the titles on the book spines are a riot.  I've had these brad for so long that I've no idea where I bought them.  They work perfectly in colour and design that they should have come with the paper.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Friday, May 8, 2015

Fall Sympathy

Hello everyone,

This is the last of this particular coloured DCWV card base that I've crafted for the charity card sale at the office this Fall.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Prima Forever Young layered on Recollections Kraft. The images is Stampin' Up Faith In Nature stamped in Really Rust on Recollections Vanilla and layered on More Mustard and Really Rust.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on More Mustard.

I couldn't do a Fall card without using this great Stampin' Up image.  I originally stamped this sentiment for yesterday's card but just couldn't make it work with the mosaic punched piece.  If I had crafted a more 'female' card, I would have added Stickles to the printed paper because all those dots are just perfect for Stickles.  I used a Pinterest post to get inspiration for the layered punch for the sentiment.  I raised it on a dimensional to give it interest and found I love how the image seems to flow right from the sentiment element.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Punched Perfectly

Hello everyone,

Today's charity card had a number of false starts before I got on track.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Prima Forever Young layered on Recollections Kraft.  The mosaic shapes were punched from textured Stampin' Up More Mustard, Creamy Caramel and Really Rust.  The sentiment is Annabelle Stamps Square Posies stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are from Fabricland.

I first attempted to stamp images which worked really well with the great printed paper layer.  That was a frustrated endeavor and utter failure.  Given my frustration, I decided to step back into my comfort zone and leave the images in their cases.  It was a good call because these punched pieces against the patterned paper works great!  I popped up the sentiment piece to make it even more of a focal point.  Another great masculine card for the sale has been crafted.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Fall Leaves

Hello everyone,

Another Fall-ish charity card today.


The textured card base is DCWV. The printed paper is Prima Forever Young layered on Recollections Kraft.  The images are Stampin' Up Kinda Eclectic stamped in Creamy Caramel, More Mustard and Really Rust on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Kraft.  The sentiment is BoBunny Sentiments stamped in Early Espresso.

While I was in an autumn mood, I thought using this marvelous leaf stamp would be ideal.  I'm not at all disappointed.  Using three different colours and doing multiple impressions with a single inking really worked wonderfully.  The colours are great and the leaves are perfect.  Considering the annual card sale usually happens in October, this card will be perfect!

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Tones Of Autumn

Hello everyone,

Today's post starts using up the gold/orange-ish card bases from the box in my stash.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Prima Forever Young layered on Recollections Kraft.  The image is Stampin' Up Mother's Love stamped in Early Espresso and More Mustard, and Close To My Heart Sunset, on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Sunset.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker Best Wishes stamped in Early Espresso.

The Prima Forever Young paper pad has some really wonderful kid/school graphics which is why I decided to make the purchase.  It also has some pretty generic patterns which are not specific to kids.  I decided to use some of the generic pages because they have those autumn tones that work beautifully with these particular card bases.  As I was putting together this card I was thinking it would be a good card to give to a man or for a man to give.  I didn't use any embellishments or glitter for that very same reason.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Monday, May 4, 2015

Playing Nice

Hello everyone,

Today's charity card uses the last of the bright green textured card bases.


The textured card base is DCWV. The printed paper is Cosmo Cricket DeLovely layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White.  The butterfly is a Cottage Cutz Ornate Butterfly dies from Close To My Heart Juniper and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is Stampabilities Happy Birthday 01 stamped in Juniper on Whisper White and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are ZVA crystals.

In addition to making sure colours speak nicely to one another, image and font also need to play nice.  I have a couple of dozen butterfly die cuts and punches.  Some are quite simple, while others are very detailed and precise.  Against this particular printed paper, a detailed and precise butterfly would look awkward but the butterfly used here, though quite intricate, uses flowing lines and edges that speak well to the flowered background.  I painted the butterfly with the clear Wink of Stella to add just that little extra pop.  The crystals, are intended to work with the numerous circles in the printed paper and on the butterfly.  So very, very different from yesterday's card yet another great result!

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Brightly Winged

Hello everyone,

Another charity card post today using the bright green card bases from my stash.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Cosmo Cricket layered on Stampin' Up Melon Mambo.  The image is Stampendous Butterfly Trio stamped in Melon Mambo on Whisper White, layered on more Melon Mambo and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment Rubbernecker Happy Birthday stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The ribbon is American Crafts.

Something I am learning from this series is that the colours don't have to be absolute perfect matches.  Using just three colours which speak nicely to each other in tone and shade still achieves great results.  Until I was brave enough to try working with this bright green, I would not have dared to use anything but white with this printed paper.  This is a loud, bright, bold, and really beautiful card!

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Perfectly Peared

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another charity card.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Cosmo Cricket DeLovely layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White.  The image is Stampin' Up Faith In Nature stamped in Nick Bantock Chartreuse Leaf on Whisper White, layered on Close To My Heart Sweet Leaf and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is Waltzingmouse Say It With Style also stamped in Chartreuse Leaf on Whisper White and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The ribbon is Michael's Celebrate It.  The butterfly is K&Co Brenda Walton Vellum Stickers.

This set of Stampin' Up images is one of my favourites but I don't use them all that often because I don't step out of the layers and sentiments box that I'm in.  I'm going to make a concentrated effort to change that with these charity cards.  It's pretty obvious that I paired the paper and the image, what else could really be done here?  I debated adding the ribbon and butterfly but in the end, felt they added texture and interest to what would otherwise be a pretty 'flat' card.  Overall, this card really does it for me.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Friday, May 1, 2015

Lacy And Lovely

Hello everyone,

Today's charity card explores some more different colours to work with the bright green card base.


The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Cosmo Cricket DeLovely layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White.  The images are Stampin' Up Daydream Medallions stamped in Close To My Heart Juniper and Sweet Leaf, and Stampin' Up Melon Mambo on Whisper White and layered on Close To My Heart Sweet Leaf.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker.  The ribbon is Michael's Craftsmart.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Strips.

I absolutely drew on the colours of the printed paper for this card.  It sure is busy!  I used this stamped image in the recent thank you card series.  This one was much easier to stamp - its practice.  I couldn't believe I actually had some ribbon that worked so well with the printed paper.  I wouldn't say this is a card favourite but I don't hate it either.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle