Dance, Sing, Love, Live

Hello everyone,

It's been a while since I've had a chance to do any blog surfing but today, I squeezed in a visit to my favourites, including One Layer Wednesdays. This week Jennifer Styles is challenging crafters to do something music-related. I don't have any music notes or anything similar in terms of images but I do have this favourite Penny Black stamp which talks about singing and dancing - music-related, right?

The card base is from Recollections. The sentiment is Penny Black Dance, Sing, Love stamped in Nick Bantock Damson Plum. The images are Close To My Heart Adorning Corners also stamped in Nick Bantock Damson Plum and heat embossed with Close To My Heart Silver Pearl embossing powder. The embellishments are Amuse Creative Candy white pretty pearls.

I love this card. It is a perfect one layer card. I really stuck with the rule of thirds for the layout and it worked just like it is suppose to.

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

Gisèle

Baby, Anniversary and Christmas

Hello everyone,

I've finally created the last of my 'must do' cards for the moment, so I rewarded myself by giving in to my love of crafting Christmas cards. A colleague requested an anniversary card based on elements from cards in my stash. Another colleague commissioned a baby boy card for another colleague.

The card base is from Recollections. The base layer is Canford Silver layered on glossy paper that was smooshed with Ranger alcohol ink in Cloudy Blue, Sail Boat Blue, Pearl Mixative as well as Blending Solution. The image, on Stampin' Up Whisper Whtie, is Asian Artistry coloured with Sakura Silver Shadow Gelly Roll pens. The sentiment is Lizzie Anne Say It In Script. The embellishments are Annabelle Stamps pearls.

The background paper is DCWV Nana's Kids. The focal point is Quickutz QuickStripz Garden layered with Stampin' Up Whisper White. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Greetings. The ribbons are Michael's Dashes, Dots & Checks and Textured Trio. The hardware is of unknown origin. The embellishments are clear dew drops from the Robin's Nest.

The background paper is of unknown origin. The solid layers are glossy paper smooshed with Ranger Clover and Meadow alcohol inks, Silver Mixative and Blending Solution. The image, Impression Obsession Swirl & Snowflake Tree, is stamped in Nick Bantock Chartreuse Leaf on Stampin' Up Whisper White and heat embossed with Close To My Heart silver pearl. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Christmas. The embellishments are Amuse Creative Candy White Pretty Pearls.

I really like all three of these cards. The Christmas card is probably my favourite though. I just love all the greens and that image is just beautiful, especially with the teeny, tiny pearls. I'm pretty certain that my colleagues will love both the baby card and the anniversary card.

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

Gisèle

Vrooming Support

Hello everyone,

Today's card was commissioned by a colleague whose boss has been extremely helpful the last couple of months. She has been extremely grateful to have him helping her out and asked for a special card. He is, apparently, a race car fan so I've dug into my sticker stash and built this card around the race card.

The card base is from Recollections. The grey paper is Stampin' Up Basic Grey. The top layer of which was textured with Cuttlebug's Oriental Weave dry embossing folder. The patterned paper is BasicGrey June Bug. The yellow layer is of unknown origin from the scrap bin. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Greetings stamped in Nick Bantock Charcoal Grey on Stampin' Up Whisper White. The embellishment are K&Company Di Rough & Tumble Vehicles.

I think this is a great card and my colleague's boss will love it. He will appreciate the vehicles and the sentiment. He really does rock!

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

Gisèle

Happy Birthdays

Hello everyone,

Another super busy day today. I'm on training and find it absolutely draining. I crafted today's cards a couple of weeks ago for workshops at Neeje's Crop Til You Drop.

The card base is Close To My Heart Colonial White. The background paper is Stampin' Up Baja Breeze, textured with Cuttlebug's Perfectly Paisley dry embossing folder. The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye Trés Jolie Trés Bien 'Play' Paisley, layered on Stampin' Up Pumpkin Pie. The focal image is Peel-Off's Daisy in Frame outline sticker adhered to a piece of watercolour paper that was spritzed with water after being smooshed with Tombow markers and glittered with DecoArt Glamour Dust. The sentiment is Gina K. Tag, You're It. The embellishments are Hero Arts Metallic Décor.

This card base is Stampin' Up Very Vanilla. The background layer is Stampin' Up River Rock textured with Cuttlebug's Leafy Branch dry embossing folder. The image, layered on Basic Black, is glossy paper smooshed with Espresso, Oregano and Gold Mixative Ranger alcohol ink and textured with Cuttlebug's Bird Call dry embossing folder. The patterned paper is BasicGrey Sublime. The ribbon is Michael's Special Value. The sentiment is Sweet 'n Sassy Birthday Greetings.

I really loved both these cards. Though both are birthday card, they were each very different and focused on the techniques - glitter and alcohol ink, that I wanted to share. I didn't use all the packages I'd put together so I plan to make sets as gifts.

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

Gisèle

Thank You Encore

Hello everyone,

Just one more time! I've got a heck of day today and my evening is booked so there won't be any opportunity to craft a card or cards tonight. I decided that I'd post a couple of the thank you cards that I've made the past few days but have not posted.


The background paper is My Mind's Eye Trés Jolie Mon Cheri "Beauty" Floral which is layered on Close To My Heart Cocoa. The image is Stampin' Up Asian Artistry stamped in Nick Bantock Van Dyke Brown and coloured with Faber-Castell Watercolour pencil crayons. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Warmest Regards. The ribbon is of unknown origin from the scrap bin and the embellishments are Hero Arts Pearls.

The background paper is DCWV textured pastel cardstock. The vertical strips are Close To My Heart Chocolate which are textured with Cuttlebug's Perfectly Paisley dry embossing folder. The printed layer is We R Memory Keepers Precious Metal Vintage Brass Crush. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Flight of the Butterfly which is stamped on Very Vanilla and layered on another piece of DCWV textured pastel cardstock. The embellishments are Hot Off The Press Stitched Butterfly stickers applied to the patterned paper and glittered with Glitter Ritz Warm Highlight Transparent Microfine Glitter.

Though these are both lovely cards, I'm not as fussy about them. I think it may be the aged looking paper. The paisley paper wasn't too difficult to coordinate but the flowered paper was. I ended up using my Sakura Gold Shadow pens to make the flower look a little better. Still...

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

Gisèle

Thank You Finale

Hello everyone,

This is the last of my compliment of thank you cards for the next while. I'll still be making them, but I don't think I'll post any for a wee bit. Again, I've been too focused to do any blog surfing so I didn't use any challenges for these three cards.

The background paper is BasicGrey Pyrus. The horizontal layers are Close To My Heart Chocolate, Stampin' Up More Mustard and glossy paper smooshed with Denim, Caramel and Espresso Ranger alcohol ink. Martha Stewart's Rain Drop border punch was used on all three layers. The tag is, I believe, from Stampin' Up and was sponged with More Mustard and Really Rust ink. The sentiment is Sweet 'n Sassy Autumn Blessings. The flower brad is Multicrafts Keepsakes Memories.

The background paper is BasicGrey Lily Kate layered on Close To My Heart Buttercup. The sentiment is PaperTrey Ink Signature Greetings, stamped in Nick Bantock Charcoal Grey on Stampin' Up Whisper White. The images are BasicGrey Halvah, layered on Stampin' Up Almost Amethyst. The embellishments are Amuse Creative Candy White Pretty Pearls.

The background paper are vertical strips of Daisy Bucket Sweet Marabella Carmella, Stampin' Up Old Olive and Really Rust. The solid strips were textured with Cuttlebug's Floral Fantasy dry embossing folder. The ribbon is a scrap of unknown origin. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Wonderful Words. The embellishments are Multicrafts Keepsakes Memories.

I think all three cards are just lovely. I've had so much fun mixing products from so many different companies into cards that really work. It has been great to just create and not focus on challenges. I still need to build up my own stash of thank you cards but for the time being, I'm taking a thank you card crafting break. I've some baby cards and anniversary and weddings cards on my 'to do' list so that's probably where I'm headed next.

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

Gisèle

Even More Thanks

Hello everyone,

Believe or not, I'm almost done with all the thank you cards on my plate. Maybe just one more night of thankful creativity and I'll be on to something new. Again, I didn't use any challenges for these cards as I seem to be much more prolific without them.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Perfect Plum textured with Sizzix Damask. The middle layer is Autumn Leave Emily. The image, stamped on Close To My Heart Colonial White in Nick Bantock Damson Plum, is BasicGrey Halvah. The sentiment is Sweet 'N Sassy Autumn Blessings. The embellishments are Hero Arts Metallic Décor.

The patterned paper is all Stampin' Up Sweet Pea which is layered on So Saffron and Pretty in Pink. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Short & Sweet. The embellishments are Close To My Heart Mocha Opaques.

The card base is Recollections. The patterned paper is Stampin' Up Sweet Pea. The solid layer is Stampin' Up Pumpkin Pie. The image is Impression Obsession Butterfly layered with Glitter Ritz Warm Transparent Micro Fine Glitter. The sentiment is Annabelle Stamps Sentimental Bluebells.

These are three of my favourite cards from tonight. I was going through my paper stash, looking for inspiration when I came across the Sweet Pea paper. The two cards were made with scraps and they turned out beautifully. I'm also pretty pleased with the BasicGrey stamp that I found in my stamps and I've decided I just don't use them enough.

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

Gisèle

More Thanks

Hello everyone,

I've another batch of thank you cards that I've crafted over the past few days. Believe it or not, I'm not finished. I've been commissioned by a friend to make another half a dozen thank you cards. After those however, I'm back to anything but thank you cards.

The background paper is Stampin' Up textured Rich Razzleberry. The image, stamped on Stampin' Up Whisper White, is Stampin' Up Medallion, which has been sprayed with Vanilla Shimmer Smooch Spritz. The patterned paper is Stampin' Up Cottage Wall. The sentiment is Sweet 'n Sassy Autumn Blessing. The embellishments are Multicrafts Keepsakes Memories

The patterned paper is Stampin' Up Elegant Soiree designer paper, layered on Crumb Cake and Baja Breeze. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Lovely Labels, stamped in Nick Bantock Cerulean Azure on Very Vanilla and heat embossed with Close To My Heart silver pearl embossing powder. The sentiment is layered on a scrap of Baja Breeze dry embossed with Sizzix Elegant Lines embossing folder. The embellishments are Close To My Heart Pearl Opaques.

The card base is Recollections. The images, Gina K Botanicals, are stamped in Stampin' Up Perfect Plum and Pale Plum and layered on BasicGrey Kioshi Kiku and Stampin' Up Perfect Plum which was textured with Cuttlebug Swiss Dots dry embossing folder. The embellishments are Close To My Heart Licorice Opaques.

If I do say so myself, these are another three great cards. I can't give you a favourite but I have to say I've had a lot of fun with the background stamp and you should expect to see more of it over the next while. If you read yesterday's post you'll remember that I've recognized that I'm partial to blue, well, I'm also partial to pearls because I've used quite a few on this card making marathon.

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

Gisèle

Many, Many, Many Thanks

Hello everyone,

I've been a lean, mean, card making machine for the last day and a half. I've made a whopping thirteen cards - all different and, if I do say so myself, all beautiful. I'm not going to blog all of them, but I will showcase those with which I'm most happy. I didn't use any challenges for any of the thirteen cards and given how prolific I've managed to be, I'm wondering if I need to keep it free and loose more often.
The background paper is BasicGrey June Bug (Apron). The focal image, Close To My Heart Always In My Mind on Stampin' Up Whisper White, is layered on a piece of glossy paper coloured with Sunset Orange, Caramel and Copper Mixative Ranger Adirondack alcohol ink, layered on another piece of Whisper White. The embellishments are Keepsakes Memories from Multicrafts.
The background paper is DCWV Pocket Full of Posies. The horizontal strip is glossy paper coloured with Sail Boat Blue, Stream, Cloudy Blue and Pearl Mixative Ranger Adirondack alcohol ink. The image, layered on Stampin' Up Baja Breeze, is Magenta Bachelor Buttons, colour with Stampin' Up watercolour crayons on watercolour paper. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Greetings. The embellishments are Dollarama Crafts Gem Chic.
The card base is Recollections. The paper is Close To My Heart Bamboo, Colonial White and Miracle. The images are Gina K. Botanicals and the sentiment is Spring Blooms, stamped in Stampin' Up Marina Mist and Bashful Blue. The embellishments are Close To My Heart Pearl Opaques.

I'm very pleased with all the cards I've crafted over the past couple of days. I'm obviously very partial to blue because many of these cards are either blue or have strong blue overtones. My favourite is the third card. I love the offset layout and the natural tones. I actually made two cards which are very similar.
I hope you enjoy these cards and come back to SPI again soon.
Gisèle

Simple Thanks

Hello everyone,

Today's thank you card is a very clean and simple one.

The paper is all Stampin' Up - Good Morning Sunshine designer series paper and Very Vanilla. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Four Square.

This is an all Stampin' Up card. The recipient is a man so I purposely kept it embellishmentless, using the paper and the layout to provide the impact. It really works and I quite like this card.

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

Gisèle

Congratulations

Hello everyone,

Today's card was commissioned by a colleague whose friend was recently engaged to be married. I've not had time to do any blog surfing lately so I've designed this card all on my own.

The background paper is Close To My Heart Topiary which is textured with Sizzix Pattern 1. The patterned paper is BasicGrey Olivia. The image, stamped in Nick Bantock Chartreuse Leaf, on Stampin' Up Whisper White, is Hero Arts Starburst Lace. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Well Scripted. Both the images and sentiment are layered on Close To My Heart Hollyhock. The embellishments are Close To My Heart Pearl Opaques.

I wanted a really fun card that still had some traditional feel to it. This card fits the bill and I love it! Thank you BasicGrey for producing such inspiring paper.

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

Gisèle

Thanks Again

Hello everyone,

I've got another thank you card tonight. This is another card that I just created without any sketches or challenges and it was a lot of fun to just let loose. Well as loose as I ever craft a card.

The solid papers are Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay, More Mustard, Basic Grey and Whisper White. The Bermuda Bay paper is textured with Cuttlebug's Swiss Dots dry embossing folder. The More Mustard paper is textured with Cuttlebug's Leafy Branch dry embossing folder. The printed paper is K & Company Urban Rhapsody Sugar Rush. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Greetings. The embellishments are Crystal Stickers 5mm Cream Mosaics.

The solid colours of this card were pulled from the printed paper. It is an unusual piece of paper but I think I found all the colours, patterns and textured really appealing. I'm certainly really pleased with the results. I think this card turned out beautifully and I can't wait to send it.

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

Gisèle

More Thanks

Hello everyone,

Well, it's back to thank you cards for me this week. I've still got almost a dozen cards to go and I'm really hoping to have them done by the end of the weekend.

The solid papers are Stampin' Up Basic Grey and Whisper White. The printed paper is Dollarama Crafts Make It Special. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Flight of the Butterfly stamped in Nick Bantock Charcoal Grey. The embellishments are platinum Oregon Raindrops.

It was rather nice to just get creative tonight and not concern myself with sketches or challenges. I love pink and grey together. It is such a classic combination and it really works with this card. I was absolutely inspired by the paper and really wanted to show it off which is why I kept the rest of this card really simple.

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

Gisèle

Happy Birthday Star

Hello everyone,

Well, I think I've somewhat recovered from Saturday's Crop Til You Drop. What a perfect day. It was a pretty successful fundraiser and I think everyone had a really nice time. There were some pretty spectacular projects completed through the day including the scrapbook page below which won first prize in our best page contest.

Today's card is an apology. My colleague who commissioned the valentine that I posted on Saturday didn't get her card on time because I was ill and couldn't get it to her. That just sucks. So I'm going to try and make amends by giving her a birthday card for her hubby along the same lines.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Taken With Teal upon which is layered a piece of gold of unknown origin. The horizontal strips are DCWV Rock Star. The focal image is Stampin' Up Starring You heat embossed with Close To My Heart gold embossing powder.

I love this card. This teal patterned paper and gold works really well together. I love this layout as well. It is simple yet the gold makes it seem much really rich. Even the skulls don't seem off-putting. This card is, of course, as out of the ordinary as the valentine I made and I hope that it will be a suitable apology.

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

Gisèle

Love You Valentine

Hello everyone,

I'm well ensconced at Neeje's Crop Til You Drop so I've pre-posted today's card. It is a commissioned card for an unconventional colleague. I used this week's Inspirational Card Sketch challenge to get started and will take advantage of the Stampin' Royalty Hearts, Hearts and More Hearts challenge as well as Crafty Catz Valentines/Love challenge.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Rose Red, textured with Sizzix Ivy Flourishes and layered on a piece of gold of unknown origin. The three tiers are Stampin' Up Basic Black and more of the gold which were textured with Sizzix Birthday Surprise dry embossing folder. The top tier and the heart are DCWV Rock Star Stack. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Short & Sweet.

First up, this card is not quite as pink as the photo suggests. Saying my colleague is unconventional is putting it mildly but she is a really great woman. When I asked if she wanted a valentine with gold skulls and hearts she got pretty excited. She is a gold skulls and hearts kind of woman and I know she'll love this card.

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

Gisèle

Happy Anniversary

Hello everyone,

I've been beyond swamped getting ready for tomorrow's Crop Til You Drop fundraiser so my creativity and card production has obviously been at a pretty low ebb. I still have a good number of thank you cards to make but changed things up with this card. Wednesday, my parents celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary so I crafted this card especially for them.

The background paper is BoBunny Winter Joy Bundled. The image is Magenta Stamps Bachelor's Buttons which were coloured with Stampin' Up watercolour crayons, misted with water and stamped on watercolour paper. The image is cut with a Spellbinders die and layered on a piece of Stampin' Up Garden Green. The sentiment is from Dovercraft, stamped in Nick Bantock Damson Plum on watercolour paper which is layered on a piece of Stampin' Up Brushed Gold. The embellishments are Hero Arts Metallic Décor.

I love this card. It is all about the BoBunny paper. These are some of my favourite colour combinations and when combined just put me in happy place. I wish I'd picked up more than one sheet as I will have to use what I've got rather sparingly to make it last.

Please enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Generous Thank You

Hello everyone,

Yet another thank you card today. I found yesterday's Clean & Simple Stamping sketch really appealing so thought I give it a try. Thursday's C.R.A.F.T. challenge was to use a die cut so this card works for this challenge as well.

The printed paper is all BasicGrey Sugar Rush. The solid paper is Stampin' Up Brocade Blue, More Mustard and Very Vanilla. The More Mustard element was cut with a Spellbinders die and embossed with the Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy folder. The flower is a Hot Off The Press Dazzles Flower Stickers applied to a piece of watercolour paper that was smooched with water soluble markers and DecoArt Glamour Dusted.

I have to say, I'm certainly having a lot of fun playing with my BasicGrey paper stash. This is another really cheerful and fun, feminine card. I had crafted the flower a long time ago and I'm so glad I got to use it because not only was it perfect for this sketch but it seems as though the colours were made for this Sugarush paper.

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

Gisèle

Cheery Floral Thank You

Hello everyone,

This thank you card is based on today's Get Sketchy Card Challenge which I found really appealing.

The background paper is Stampin' Up So Saffron which is textured with Sizzix Ivy Flourishes. The printed paper is BasicGrey Lemonade. The vertical strip is Stampin' Up Rose Red stamped with Itty Bitty Buds. The floral elements are Peel Off's Large Flower outline stickers affixed to DecoArt Glamour Dusted paper that was smooched with Watermelon, Pink Sherbet, Shell Pink, Mountain Rose and Silver mixative Ranger alcohol ink. The sentiment is Impression Obsession Vertical Greetings. The embellishments are Kaiser Scrapbook Rhinestones.

I wanted to craft another really cheerful and feminine card and like yesterday's, this certainly fits the bill. I think glittered outline stickers are one of my favourite techniques and when combined with alcohol ink, a great technique.

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

Gisèle

Grateful

Hello everyone,

I'm so grateful to be able to bring you yet another thank you card. I used some really fun challenges while crafting this card. Today's Crop Stop offered a really cool sketch. CCEE Stampers was looking for a punched piece. Today's Charisma Cardz Challenge was to use no embellishments - nary a one! Finally, PaperPlay Challenges asked that crafters use a stamp on their projects.

The card base is from Recollections. The paper is BasicGrey Urban Prairie and watercolour paper. The embossing is a Cuttlebug border Organic Flourish. The image is Hero Arts Native Grass which was coloured with Stampin' Up watercolour crayons and misted with water before being stamped. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Small Script, cut with a medium oval punch.

I love this cheerful thank you card. After so many rather masculine cards, this is all female. It was rather fun to forgo embellishments with the cheery paper and embossing more than making up for it. While the sketch first suggested the use of ribbon to me, I thought it was rather inspired to use the embossing border instead.

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

Gisèle

Multi-Thanks

Hello everyone,

Yet another thank you card tonight. I used today's Pixie Cottage sketch, the Fab 'n' Funky chocolate and blue colour challenge, and the Sisterhood of Crafters 'anything goes' challenge.

The background paper is BasicGrey Granola. The remaining paper is Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip, Not Quite Navy and Very Vanilla. The sentiment is Penny Black Thanks, Thanks. The embellishments are Crystal Stickers Brown Mosaics.

I'm very pleased with this card. I loved the sketch which, with simple shapes, makes a very effective card. I'm ready for some more feminine cards and this one, with the BasicGrey floral, is great.

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

Gisèle

Many Many Thanks

Hello everyone,

Another great thank you card today. I used Saturday's Twisted Card Sketch to get started and this week's Stamptacular Sunday 'Whateva' challenge.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Not Quite Navy dry embossed with Sizzix Harlequin texture plate. The printed paper is BasicGrey Pyrus. The focal element is Stampin' Up More Mustard cut with a Spellbinders label die. The Not Quite Navy 'thanks' is cut with Provo Crafts Wordsworth Olive die. The stamped sentiments are Craft Lounge Friendly Flowers, Stampin' Up Warmest Regards, Happy Moments, Pocket Silhouettes and Short & Sweet, Waltzingmouse Say It With Style, Gina K Spring Blooms, and Annabelle Stamps Sentimental Bluebells.

I love this card. As my repertoire of thank you cards grows, I've getting more creative and this card turned out better than I had in my mind. I love the colours and the texture. All the thank yous are so cool and combine so many different sets, which I just love doing. This is also the first time I've used this particular Provo Craft die cut and it came out great!

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

Gisèle