Happy Holidays

Hello everyone,

For the last card of 2010, I've finally managed to squeeze in a holiday card. This week's One Layer Wednesday challenge from Jennifer Sytles was to use only one stamp image (could be used multiple times), a sentiment and only two ink colours. I was rather stumped at first but once I found the image I wanted to use, the card came together beautifully.

The card base is from Recollections. The image is Stampin' Up Paisley Prints stamped in Nick Bantock Chartreuse Leaf. The sentiment is Expressions In Ink 4-in-1 Holidays stamped in Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler.

I love paisley as much as I love holly and when I first saw this set, I just had to get it. I love these trees which are just perfect for this challenge. I only wish I could embellishment just a wee bit.

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

Gisèle

No Christmas Cards

Hello everyone,

I had a wonderful time making cards today unfortunately not a Christmas card was among them. I had three commissioned cards for the office and a belated holiday card for a dear friend. I had so much fun making these cards but would really like to get a few Christmas cards in before Valentines hits full force.

The card base is from Recollections and is one that I flubbed from an earlier challenge. It is stamped with Stampin' Up Snow Swirled, Serene Snowflakes, Snow Burst and the Snowflake Spot which were embossed with Close To My Heart Silver Pearl embossing powder. The background paper is DCWV The Pets Stack layered on Stampin' Up Tempting Turquoise. The horizontal strip is Stampin' Up Ruby Red. The photos (my own) are layered on more Tempting Turquoise. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Warm Words stamped on a scrap of Whisper White.

The background layer is Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy on which is layered DCWV Rockstar Mat Stack. The vertical strip is more DCWV Rockstar Mat Stack layered on a piece of Stampin' Up Basic Black. The sentiment is Marah Johnson Creative Imagination Epoxy Stickers. The embellishments are Black Licorice Oregon Raindrops.

The background paper is more DCWV Rockstar Mat Stack layered on a piece of Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip. The sticker is another Marah Johnson Creative Imagination Epoxy Sticker.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Certainly Celery textured with Sizzix Circle Circus. The horizontal strip is Recollections Doodle layered on Stampin' Up Brocade Blue. The robots are My Mind's Eye Lil' Robots Chipboard Elements. The embellishments are from Mulitcrafts. The sentiment, my own, was created with my P-Touch and adhered to a scrap of Brocade Blue.

I just love all these cards. They are all really different but so much fun. I know all the recipients will love them as they are tailored especially for them.

Please enjoy these cards and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Love You

Hello everyone,

Today my husband and I are celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. I'm absolutely up for at least another twenty more.

The jumping-off point was Sunday's Stars & Stamps sketch. The paper is atd Story of Us and Stampin' Up Very Vanilla. The background layer was textured with Sizzix Pattern 1 as was the layer under the sentiment. The ribbon is Offray. The sentiment is Penny Black.

I'm very happy with this card. I was going for something romantic but not feminine. I'm not crazy about the font of the sentiment but it really does say what I feel.

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

Gisèle

Happy Birthday

Hello everyone,

I still have not put away my Christmas stamps and paper and I've Christmas cards plans in the works but ... One of best friend's mother is celebrating her birthday tomorrow and my daughter is, very graciously, being included in their plans so my husband and I can celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. I did some blog surfing today and found a great sketch at Stamping 411. Flourishes Timeless Tuesday challenge was to use pearls which was perfect for the card I had in mind.

The background layer is Stampin' Up Rose Red. The patterned layer is BasicGrey Olivia. The middle strip is Quickutz Quick Strips Dreamscape textured with Sizzix Butterfly Dance dry embossing plate. The ribbon is Celebrate It Sheer Creations. The butterflies are DCWV Glitter card stock and are cut with Sizzix Embosslits Beautiful Wings. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Warmest Regards stamped on Whisper White and layered on more DCWV Glitter card stock. The embellishments are Annabelle Stamps pearls.

I love this card. BasicGrey paper just fuels my imagination. I knew I wanted a very feminine card and this just fits the bill beautifully. I know that Joan will love it!

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

Gisèle

Merrily Monochromatic

Hello everyone,

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. Ours was really lovely, just full of family, and very special. I took a couple of days off blogging to just enjoy it all. As I mentionned earlier, I've depleted my Christmas card stash this year so I need to start rebuilding. Frankly, I'm also no where near ready to put away my Christmas stamps and paper.

One of the blogs I've followed regularly the past couple of years is Carrdvarks. Unfortunately, they've decided to end their monthly challenges so I decided I really wanted to participate in the last challenge which, for December was to craft a monochromatic project.

The background paper is Close To My Heart Garnet which was stamped with Annabelle Stamps Holly Branch in VersaMark. The squares are Canford gold and K & Company Glad Tidings. The embellishments are Buttercup Oregon Raindrops. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Warm Words.

This is a very classy and elegant card. It isn't what I first pictured in my mind but I love how it turned out none-the-less. Burgundy and gold is a lovely combination and I think this works reasonably well as a monochromatic card.

I will miss the Caardvarks challenges and I wish everyone associated with the blog all the best in their future endeavors.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Joy

Hello everyone,

I'm ready to go! I finished everything last night making this Christmas Eve a time to relax and make some cards. I've utterly depleted my Christmas card stash so in the spirit of the season, which I'll need to draw on all year, today's joyful card celebrates the beginnings of the new stash.

The card base is Recollections, stamped with Stampin' Up Polka Dots and Paisley in Nick Bantock Vermillion Lacquer and highlighted with Platinum Stickles. The patterned paper is K & Company Yuletide textured with Sizzix Elegant Lines. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Small Script stamped on a piece of Very Vanilla and mounted on Ruby Red.

I love this card. It is actually a challenge from my daughter that I've had sitting on my desk for a couple of weeks. Her challenge was to make the best Christmas card using the Yuletide paper and three other items of my choice. She wasn't wrong that it would make a great card. I love how it turned very vintage after going through my Big Shot. One card down, many, many more to come.

I hope you have a great Christmas Eve and that Santa is very good to you. Come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Many Merry Christmas's

Hello everyone,

This should be one of my last Christmas cards this year although given my depleted stash, I'll have to work hard to build it up again. This card is for one of my best friends. I had a chance to do some blog surfing today and there are any number of challenge for which this card will suit. Last Friday's Stampin' for the Weekend asked for a Christmas card. Saturday's Allsorts challenge was anything goes. Tuesday's A Spoon Full of Sugar was a Christmas challenge and Papertake Weekly's challenge was anything goes. Today's ABC challenge was to keep it simple; the Fab 'n Funky challenge was to do a quick and easy project; the For Fun challenge was anything goes and the Belli challenge was anything goes.

The focal image is Stampin' Up Brushed Gold textured with Crafts-Too Christmas Greeting folder layered on a piece of Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso textured with Sizzix Small Dots. The image was highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

This was a super easy and very quick card. I've been trying to use this embossing folder since I first picked it up and I'm not disappointed. This card turned out beautifully and my friend will just love it!

Gisèle

With Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Sad news today. The mother of one of my colleagues passed away today. She had been quite ill but it still is a horrible time of year to lose someone so close.

The background layers are Autumn Leaves Emily. The solid papers are Stampin' Up Elegant Eggplant and Whisper White. The Elegant Eggplant layer was textured with Sizzix Elegant Lines dry embossing folder. The sentiment is from the Stamp Barn for Heather's Stamping Haven. The embellishments are Amuse Creative Candy white Pretty Pearls.

I really like this card and am only sorry that it had to be made today. I'm sure at some point, because her mother was so very ill, she will considered her mother's passing a blessing but at the moment, is it just difficult. My colleague is one of the most resilient and smart women I know, so she'll get pass this eventually. I hope this card will, in some small way, help.

Please come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Holiday Wonder

Hello everyone,

Today's post is just awesome! A friend had asked me for seven Christmas cards and as I've gone through my stash, I thought I'd see what happened with a ten card one-sheet wonder. I found a great tutorial, with measurements, at Kimberly Morris's Procrastistamper blog.

The card bases are Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White. The patterned paper is all Little Yellow Bicycle 25 Days of Christmas. The ribbon is all Michael's Special Value. The sentiments include: Stampin' Up Warmest Regards, Expressions In Ink 4-in-1 Holidays, Impression Obsession Christmas Expressions, Cornish Heritage Farms Christmas Expressions, Hero Arts Wishing You Flourish, Stampin' Up Warm Words, Impression Obsession Christmas Sentiments and Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Christmas Expressions. The embellishments include: Bo Bunny Press Our Family Christmas stickers, brads and pearls of unknown origin, Martha Stewart embellishments, Crafts Gem Chic, Keepsake Memories, Annabelle Pearls, and Making Memories Glitter Deco Brads.

I'm so very pleased with these cards. I wish the photo was better but I don't know how to take a photo that will do the cards justice. All together, the ten cards took about three hours to make from start to finish. I tried to keep it simple in terms of sticking with three types of paper. I also used just one type of ribbon. I used variety when it came to embellishments which really makes each card very different. I'm so happy with these cards I know I will use the template again to make more cards.

I hope you enjoy these cards and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Happy Holidays

Hello everyone,

It's been a busy, busy time and though I'm not completely done, I'm getting there. Needless to say, I've done no blog surfing. No matter, today's card is completely my own creation. It is for a very good friend who appreciates handmade cards in a big way.

The card base is from Recollections. The base layer is Stampin' Up brushed gold dry embossed with a Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland folder. The image is Inkadinkado Winter Trails stamped in Rich Razzleberry on Whisper White, clear heat embossed and layered on textured Rich Razzleberry paper. The embellishments are Annabelle pearls.

I love this card. The Rich Razzleberry and gold combination is really spectacular. I also like how it is offset so the dry embossing is really evident. My friend just loves Rich Razzleberry so I know she'll love this card.

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

Gisèle

Merrily Blue

Hello everyone,

I knew I wanted to make a blue card today. I used today's Stars and Stamps sketch challenge as my jumping-off point.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Ski Slope designer series paper. The remaining paper is Stampin' Up Baja Breeze and Whisper White. The Baja Breeze layer is textured with Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland highlighted with Star Dust Stickles. The ribbon is from Offray. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Short & Sweet.

This card is exactly what I pictured. The sketch was just wonderful and really lent itself to the paper I wanted to use. The Stickles add just the right amount of glitter and go wonderfully with the ribbon. It's great when it turns out as I imagined.

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

Gisèle

More Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Another quick sympathy card today. This is a commissioned card for my colleague's whose husband passed away. She is an avid gardener and I rather ran with that theme. I have to say, it has been rather soothing to make these cards for friends to give her. I used Sunday's Stars and Stamps sketch challenge as my starting point.

The card base is from Recollections. The vertical strip is Stampin' Up Rose Red textured with Sizzix Pattern 1. The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye Wild Asparagus. The image is Stampin' Up Asia Artistry coloured with watercolour crayons and spritzed with water before being applied to watercolour paper. It is layered on a piece of Chocolate Chip. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Warmest Regards also stamped on a piece of watercolour paper.

I love this sympathy card. It really speaks of my colleague and her love of gardening and her classic style. I hope it brings even the smallest measure of comfort. I love the Asian Artistry set. All of the stamps lend very, very well to the watercolour technique which is one of my favourites.

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

Gisèle

Merry Christmas

Hello everyone,

I've been attempting to use up some of my flubbed card bases so today's card, inspired by Sunday's Card Positioning Systems sketch challenge, was crafted to accommodate an earlier attempt.

The card base is from Recollections. The background images are Stampin' Up Snow Burst, Snow Swirled, Serene Snowflakes and The Snowflake Spot. The middle layer is Stampin' Up textured Rich Razzleberry paper upon which is Inkadinkado Winter Trails heat embossed with Stampendous Winter Wonderland embossing powder. The sentiment is from The Stamp Barn for Heather's Stamping Haven. It is stamped on a scrap of Whisper White and cut with Spellbinders Nestablilites Labels Four. The ribbon is Stampin' Up Rich Razzleberry polka dot grosgrain. The entire card is highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

I love this card! From the moment I first glimpsed Rich Razzleberry, I fell in love with the colour. Combined with white, this makes for a very striking card. I fell in love with this sentiment at first sight as well. It is so bold and beautiful, I just couldn't wait to see what I could craft with it.

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

Gisèle

Holly Christmas

Hello everyone,

I had a chance to visit some of my favourite card blogs today and once I saw last Friday's Clean and Simple Stamping sketch challenge, I knew I had the perfect stamp to use on a card.

The background paper is Close To My Heart Mistletoe. The image is Heartfelt Creations Elegant Holly Swirls stamped on a scrap of Stampin' Up Very Vanilla and coloured with Faber-Castell markers. It was heat embossed with Stampin' Up clear embossing powder before it was coloured. It is layered with a piece of Bazzill Bling Textured paper. The ribbon is Martha Stewart gold metallic weave and Ribbon Bowtique. The embellishment is of unknown origin. The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Christmas Expressions.

The is a great card. I am determined to improve my colouring skills and this is a great image with which to practise. I love the background paper and wish I had more sheets so I wouldn't have to be so stingy with it.

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

Gisèle

With Sympathy

Hello everyone,

We had the most wonderful of holidays in the Dominican Republic. It was one of those vacations you wish would never end then reality strikes. I actually have two cards for you today. Unfortunately life goes on while one is on holidays and when I returned to the office today, I found out that the husband of an old colleague passed away last week. He had suffered numerous bouts with cancer and just couldn't fight one more battle. Needless to say, my sympathy card stash was obliterated so these are two commissioned cards. I didn't use any particular challenges for these cards. I haven't had a chance to go through the dozens of emails in my box let alone surf the blogs.

The card base is from Recollections. The purple strip is DCWV Textured Neutrals. The ribbon is Michael's Special Value. The image is Gina K Lovely Labels stamped in Nick Bantock Damson Plum which is cut with a Spellbinders die cut. It is layered on a piece of Close To My Heart New England Ivy also cut with a Spellbinder die cut. The sentiment is Verve Forever In Our Hearts.

The card base is Recollections. The image is Enchanted Hollow from the Stamp Barn for Heather's Stamping Haven. It is coloured with Stampin' Up Watercolour crayons and misted with water before being applied to watercolour paper. It is layered on a piece of Stampin' Up Close To Cocoa and Not Quite Navy. The sentiment is from the Stamp Barn. The embellishments are Close To My Heart Opaques and Licorice Opaque.

I've very pleased with both these cards especially as they're the first I've done in over a week. I think my former colleague will really appreciate them.

I'm starting to get rather antsy about my Christmas cards so that's all I expect to be posting over the next couple of weeks.

I hope you enjoy these cards and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle