'Christmas In July' Finale

Hello again everyone,

I did it! My 'Christmas in July' challenge yielded thirty-one cards for my stash. I figure I'll probably need twice that number but I'm well on my way.


The printed paper is Close To My Heart Mistletoe layered on Cranberry and New England Ivy and Recollections Pearlized Gold. The sentiment is Penny Black Christmas Flourish. The embellishments are of unknown origin, possibly Making Memories. The card is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

I wanted my last card in this challenge to be a favourite and this certainly qualifies. Holly is one of my favourite Christmas images and this paper has a really lovely holly graphic. I've been hoarding these brads for so long I can't remember what company made them or where I got them. Aren't they great! I think this was a great card with which to end my challenge.

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

Gisèle

Tens Cards of Christmas

Hello everyone,

This card uses the very last of the sheet of BasicGey paper that I received from one of my cardmaker friends. I managed to craft ten great Christmas cards from this single sheet.

The card base is from Recollections. The printed paper is BasicGrey Jovial Christmas Tree layered on Stampin' Up Always Artichoke, Early Espresso and Close To My Heart Juniper. The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms Christmas Expressions. The embellishments are EK Success Shimmering Gold Dots.

I love this card. It was a bit of challenge to figure out how to use all these tiny strips but it worked. Once I found the sentiment, which is quite long, I knew exactly how to sketch it out. I really like these particular embellishments. They pack a punch but are not really tall so it shouldn't impact mailing.

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

Gisèle

Golden Ornaments

Hello everyone,

My mojo was flowing so I've crafted the three remaining Christmas cards to finish my 'Christmas in July' challenge.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy textured with Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland dry embossing folder and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen. The vertical strip is BasicGrey Jovial Christmas Tree layered on Bravo Burgundy and Recollections pearlized gold. The ornaments are Stampin' Up Tree Trimmings heat embossed with Close To My Heart gold embossing powder. The ornament hangers are Elizabeth Craft Designs outline stickers. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Warmest Regards. The embellishments are Crystal Stickers gold pearls.

I love this card. It has been a lot of fun repeating the ornament theme as you've no doubt noticed for the last number of cards. I especially love this particular Cuttlebug folder because it really lends itself to highlighting with my Sakura Clear Star pen.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Ornament

Hello everyone,

I hope to finish my 'Christmas in July' project with four cards for you today. We'll see how the mojo flows.


The background paper is Close To My Heart Wings. The vertical strip is BasicGrey Jovial Christmas Tree. The horizontal element is Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy, Close To My Heart Juniper and Copper Tool Craft Foil (dry embossed with Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland). The sentiment, Wordsworth Rubber Soul Merry Christmas Script is stamped in Baroque Burgundy on Very Vanilla and layered on Bravo Burgundy. The image is Penny Black Banner of Joy heat embossed with Close To My Heart Vineyard Berry embossing powder. The embellishments are American Crafts glitter brads.

I really like this card. I don't usually cut out images, like colouring, it's something I'm not very good at but this time it turned out just fine. All the paper on this card is from the scrap bin, actually it is bits and pieces from the mess on my desk. I don't have much of the BasicGrey paper left, possibly just one card depending upon how creative I get.

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

Gisèle

Ornaments A Plenty

Hello everyone,

I think I've got only one more card left with the remaining scraps of my BasicGrey paper. It should work well with having only one day left in my personal 'Christmas in July' project.


The background paper is Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy. The upper layer is Close To My Heart Juniper, Recollections Pearlized Gold and BasicGrey Jovial Christmas Tree. The stamped image is Inkadinkado Winter Trails stamped in Soft Suede and heat embossed with Close To My Heart Silver Pearl. The layers were highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen. The ornaments are punched from Copper Tool Craft Foil which was dry embossed with a Sizzix Dearly folder and smooshed with Ranger Adirondack Stream, Pesto, Sail Boat Blue, Cooper and Pearl Mixative alcohol inks. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Christmas in Soft Suede on Very Vanilla.

I love this card but had to force myself to stop adding to it because it easily could have gotten out of hand. I got the idea of the blue/green ornaments from a discussion I had with a cardmaker girlfriend. We were discussing Thursdays card and talking about how copper patinas. This is certainly very different but I think it works really well.

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

Gisèle

Ornamental Christmas

Hello everyone,

Today's card continues with a) 'Christmas in July' challenge; b) BasicGrey Jovial Christmas Tree paper project; and c) copper foil.


The background paper is a combination of Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy and Always Artichoke. The BasicGrey Jovial Christmas Tree is applied horizontally and alternating with Copper Tool Craft Foil that was textured with a Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland dry embossing folder. The focal ornament is a Spellbinders Nestabilities 2010 Heirloom ornament in Copper Tool Craft Foil and Stampin' Up More Mustard. The copper layer was textured with a Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland dry embossing folder and smooshed with Ranger Adirondack Espresso, Oregano, Gold Mixative and Pearl Mixative alcohol ink. The More Mustard layer was also textured with a Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland dry embossing folder. The ribbon is from Offray.

I was so happy with yesterday's card that my mind just ran amok with ideas. This particular ornament is exactly what I pictured in my mind and I think it is gorgeous. I'm not certain about the More Mustard layer but I wanted a paper that would highlight the copper, not blend in. I didn't use a sentiment on the outside because I felt that there was enough going on with this card and it just didn't need any more. I've added a simple Merry Christmas on the inside.

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

Gisèle

Coppered Season's Greeting

Hello everyone,

Today's card is probably one of my favourites is this entire series of cards. I got the idea from looking through the latest Cardmaker magazine.

The background paper is BasicGrey Jovial Christmas Tree layered on Stampin' Up Always Artichoke and Bravo Burgundy. The focal element is Copper Tool Craft Foil textured with Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland embossing folder and smooshed with Ranger Adirondack Expresso, Red Pepper, Oregano and Pearl Mixative alcohol ink. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Curly Cute stamped on Very Vanilla and layered on Always Artichoke.

I love, love, love this card. The photo doesn't do this card justice. I think the textured sheet of copper is absolutely stunning! I've a couple of more card ideas using the same technique which I'd expect to see in the next couple of days before I finish using up this wonderful sheet of paper. I fell in love, as I often do, with this stamp set from the moment I first saw it. I'm so glad I picked it up.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Mosiacs

Hello everyone,

I've decided that in addition to my 'Christmas in July' project, I'm also going to see how many cards I can get from the one sheet of BasicGrey Jovial paper that my girlfriend gifted to me. It will be interesting because I did something similar with a floral paper not to long ago and I wonder if I'll best those results.

The card base is from Recollections. The printed paper is BasicGrey Jovial Christmas Tree layered on Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy and Always Artichoke. The sentiment is Expressions In Ink 4-in-1 Holidays. The embellishments are Crystal Stickers Mosiacs in cream and brown.

This card had me cursing. It was all finished and when I was stamping the sentiment, I smudged the card base with ink that was on my fingers. I hate it when that happens! I peeled off all the elements and got them on a new card base and was getting ready to take the photo when I realized I had one of the strips on upside down. There is so much adhesive on this card it's amazing it stands. I otherwise really like this card. All the horizontal elements are really striking and I think it looks great.

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

Gisèle

Happy Holidays

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card just came together effortlessly. I love it when that happens.


The background paper is Close To My Heart Wings. The patterned paper is BasicGrey Jovial Christmas Tree. The vertical strip is Stampin' Up Olive Olive and Early Espresso textured with Sizzix Thin Ice and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen. The small strip on the vertical element is Recollections Pearlized Gold. The image/sentiment is Heartfelt Creations Ornament Medallion stamped in Taken With Teal, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen and cut with the Holly Ornament die from Spellbinders. The embellishments are Sea Blue Oregon Raindrops.

I think this is a great card! I've obviously been playing with some new stamps and dies which are really impressive. This is actually a pretty simple card however it looks substantial because of all that glitter. I thank Sakura every time I use my Clear Star pen.

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

Gisèle

'Tis The Ornament

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card uses more of the BasicGrey paper that I was so gratefully gifted with by one of my cardmaker friends.
The printed paper is BasicGrey Jovial Christmas Tree layered on Stampin' Up Early Espresso and Close To My Heart Juniper. The horizontal strips are Canford gold and Close To My Heart Juniper run through a crimper. The image is Heartfelt Creations Fancy Ornament stamped on very vanilla, cut with the Holly Ornament die from Spellbinders and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Christmas is also stamped on Very Vanilla. The embellishments are Multicrafts Keepsake Memories.
I love this card! This is the first time I've used this stamp and the coordinating Spellbinders die and I'm really impressed at the result. I see a lot of ornaments on my future cards! Something else I've realized that I can keep all the elements simple given how busy the BasicGrey paper is and it works beautifully.
I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.
Gisèle

Christmas Ornaments

Hello everyone,

I finally broke into some unused Christmas papers for today's card. I needed the inspiration and I'm thrilled with the results.


The background paper is Stampin' Up Old Olive textured with Sizzix Ornaments and layered on Shimmery Gold. The printed paper is BasicGrey Jovial Christmas Tree. The ornament is a Peel Off's Christmas Ball affixed to Close To My Heart Juniper which was glittered with Glitter Ritz Warm Micro Fine glitter. The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Christmas Expressions. The brad is from Making Memories. The entire card was higlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

I love this card. The various ornaments came together great. The BasicGrey paper was a gift from a friend and I was inspired from the moment I saw it. I image it won't take me long to get through the entire sheet.

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

Gisèle

Traditional Christmas

Hello everyone,

Today's 'Christmas in July' card is sweet, simple and lovely.

The paper is K&Company SW Glad Tidings and Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler, Very Vanilla and Always Artichoke. The Cherry Cobbler was textured with Sizzix Holly & Berries. The sentiment is Penny Black Christmas Flourish. The ribbon is Wrights Matte Gold. The embellishments are Martha Stewart White Dimensional mini pearls.

I love this card. It really is clean and simple but sure doesn't look it thanks to the beautiful Glad Tidings paper. I just loved that little bird and wanted to make sure it stayed intact for this card. I didn't intend to use so many pearls but the ribbon just needed a little extra. I'm sure glad I didn't stop.

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

Gisèle

Merry Christmas

Hello everyone,

Today's card is as intentionally traditional as much as yesterday's was not.

The paper is K&Company Yuletide. The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Christmas Expressions stamped on Stampin' Up Shimmery White in Nick Bantock Vermillion Lacquer. The ribbon is Ribbon Bowtique. The embellishments are Hero Arts Gold Metallic Décor and Elizabeth Craft Designs Stickers.

This is another card crafted from leftover pieces of cardstock. It is exceptionally traditional and I'm not sure it is one of my favourites. I wanted clean and simple but before I added the embellishments, I found the card lacking. I suspect if I'd tried different ribbon and maybe pearls instead of metal, I'd be happier with the results.

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

Gisèle

Pearly Christmas

Hello everyone,

I wanted to go a little less traditional with this Christmas card. I thought I had, but in the end, I really didn't!

The background paper is Stampin' Up Pool Party. The printed paper is Fancy Pants On The Tree layered on Early Espresso. The Recollections Pearlized Gold border is Sizzix Tree Christmas With Flourish layered on Early Espresso. The sentiment is Penny Black Christmas Flourish stamped in Very Vanilla with Early Espresso and layered on more Early Espresso. The embellishments are Recollections Rhinestone Stickers.

I love, love, love this card. The colours are not at all traditional but the elements are quite traditional. The pearlized gold paper has to be one of my favourite papers. It is actually a card base that I've broken down. All the papers are leftovers except for the Pool Party which is one of this year's 'In Colours' from Stampin' Up. I don't always buy the 'In Colours' because I don't wanted to end up with a bunch of leftovers that I'm not crazy about but every once in a while I love the colours so much I just can't resist. The sentiment is borrowed from a girlfriend whose just recently gotten into card making. I fell in love with it from the moment I saw the first card she made with it. I think I'll have to put it on my wish list.

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

Gisèle

Blue Christmastide

Hello everyone,

I was talking with a fellow card maker today and was inspired to get out my watercolour crayons and paper. I made a couple of attempts before deciding to put that idea aside for the time being. I somehow got stuck on blue and that didn't translate well with my designer paper scraps. I was starting to think about it way too much so it was best to move on using regular, simple ink.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Ski Slope. The image is Impression Obsession Swirl & Snowflake Tree stamped in Marina Mist on Fabriano watercolour paper and layered on Baja Breeze and Canford silver. It is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen. The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Christmas Expressions stamped in Marina Mist and heat embossed with Close To My Heart silver pearl. The embellishments are Recollections Rhinestone Stickers.

I love this card! I'm glad I put the watercolour crayon technique aside for now because it can be frustrating if I try too hard. I'll get it going before the 'Christmas in July' challenge is over and I know I'll love it when it happens.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Holly

Hello everyone,

Today's card is one that I've had in the back of my mind for a while.

The card base is from Recollections. The holly border image is from Stamp Barn for Heather's Stamping Haven. It is stamped in Stampin' Up Soft Suede on Whisper White, heat embossed with Close To My Heart silver pearl and coloured with Sakura Gold Shadow Gelly Roll pens. The images are layered on Stampin' Up Ruby Red and Garden Green. The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Christmas Expressions.

I love this card! It is even better than I pictured. Holly is one of my favourite Christmas images and this stamp appealed to me from the moment I first laid eyes on it. I can't wait to explore the possibilities with this stamp and my mojo is just reeling with creativity. I've used the silver pearl embossing powder and Soft Suede ink before and I find the effect absolutely striking. This technique is a favourite and I hope you don't get tired of it.

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

Gisèle

Simple Christmas

Hello everyone,

I'm not feeling the greatest today so I've crafted a really simple Christmas card.

The background paper is Impression Obsession Cover-A-Card Flourishes stamped in Nick Bantock Vermillion Lacquer on Stampin' Up Whisper White and layered on Basic Black and Ruby Red. The sentiment is Stamp Barn for Heather's Stamping Haven which was clear heat embossed after being stamped in more Vermillion Lacquer. It is layered on more Ruby Red. The embellishments are Martha Stewart white dimensional mini pearls.

I love the simplicity of this card. The red, white and black are such a striking colour combination. I love the Cover-A-Card stamps and find they're working so much better with the Fiskar press. This is one of the sample pieces that I tried. I'm still using only scrap pieces of paper but I think I'm going to have break into some new card stock soon.

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

Gisèle

Holiday Joy

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card is virtually all Stampin' Up. It was one of those really busy weekends that has sucked my mojo dry and whenever that happens, I'm grateful that Stampin' Up makes is so easy.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi. The patterned layer is Whisper White stamped with Impression Obsession Cover-A-Card Flourishes in Wild Wasabi. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Small Script centered within Four Frames on Whisper White. It is layered on Canford Silver textured with Sizzix Dearly embossing folder and cut with Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels Four. The embellishments are Hero Arts Prism Gems.

I won't say this is my favourite Christmas card ever but it's not this worst either. Of all the stamps I have, it was a challenge to find something to fit within this particular Four Frames stamp. This Cover-A-Card stamps was actually a practise piece that I did to try out my new Fiskars stamp press. It worked amazingly well and I can't wait to try it with some of my other stamps.

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

Gisèle

Pearly Snowflake

Hello everyone,

I just couldn't help but CASE my previous two snowflake cards only this time using pearls. I promise this is will be the last one.

The background paper is Anna Griffin Georgette Christmas Collection. The image is Impression Obsession Damask Snowflake stamped on Shimmery White in Stampin' Up Crumb Cake and heat embossed with Close To My Heart silver pearl embossing powder. The image was cut with a Spellbinders Nestabilities circle and layered on Recollections pearlized gold cut with a Spellbinders Nestabilities scallop circle. The sentiment is Gina K Fanciful Tags stamped on Shimmery White in Soft Suede and heat embossed with Close To My Heart silver pearl embossing powder. The embellishments are Martha Stewart white dimensional mini pearls and Close To My Heart pearl Opaques. The ribbon is from Offray.

I just love this card. I think it is my favourite of the three. I wasn't planning on trying a pearl card until I found another sheet of the damask paper in my Anna Griffin pad. This sheet is not glittered so it works great for pearls. I don't think I could have pulled this card off without the silver pearl embossing powder. I just love how it has a different effect depending upon the colour of the base ink. It is a staple for my card making.

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

Gisèle

Silvery Snowflake

Hello everyone,

I so loved yesterday's Golden Snowflake that I decided to try the exact same card but in silver.

The background paper is Anna Griffin Georgette Christmas Collection. The image is Impression Obsession Damask Snowflake stamped on Stampin' Up Very Vanilla in Nick Bantock Charcoal Grey and heat embossed with Close To My Heart silver pearl embossing powder. The image was cut with a Spellbinders Nestabilities circle and layered on Recollections silver foil cut with a Spellbinders Nestabilities scallop circle. The sentiment is Gina K Fanciful Tags also stamped on Very Vanilla in Nick Bantock Charcoal Grey. The embellishments are Recollections Rhinestone stickers. The ribbon is Homes and More.

I love this card as much as I love the gold card! I do wish I had used gold embellishments instead of the Stickles as it likely would have had more impact. I didn't use all scraps in this instance as I had not previously used this particular sheet of Anna Griffin paper. It was absolutely worth bending on my scraps project to craft this particular card.

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

Gisèle

Golden Snowflake

Hello everyone,

Today's card, like yesterday's, was intended to be clean and simple but once I got going, I just couldn't seem to hold myself back.

The background paper is Anna Griffin Georgette Christmas Collection. The image is Impression Obsession Damask Snowflake, stamped in Stampin' Up Crumb Cake on Very Vanilla, heat embossed with Close To My Heart gold embossing powder and highlighted with Diamond Stickles. The image was cut with a Spellbinders Nestabilities circle and layered on Recollections foil paper cut with a Spellbinders Nestabilities scallop circle. The sentiment is Gina K Fanciful Tags stamped in Soft Suede on Very Vanilla. The ribbon is Offray.

I'm still using scrap paper to craft these latest Christmas cards and this background paper is one of my favourites. It is breathtakingly beautiful for Christmas cards although it would probably also look fabulous on a wedding card. This is an image I've not used before but I just love how well it heat embossed. I can see myself using it over and over. I'm not certain about the Stickles, I think I could have done better with either pearls, rhinestones or even mini gold dots. Next time.

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

Gisèle

Merry Christmas

Hello everyone,

I wanted to keep today's Christmas card very clean and simple but got a little carried away.

The background stamp is Hero Art Holly Flourish coloured with Color Box gold and Tombow markers. The flourishes were highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen. The sentiment is Impression Obsession Christmas Sentiments stamped on Stampin' Up Whisper White and layered on Bazzill Basics Glazed Christmas and Cherry Cobbler.

There are not a lot of separate elements on this card which in a manner of speaking makes it a clean and simple card. Colouring this stamp was a challenge that required some masking and this large a stamp is and was difficult to stamp. I decided to highlight with my favourite Sakura pen in an attempt to diminish the less than perfect impression. Though it doesn't photograph well, this ink applied to the Color Box gold ink is absolutely and stunningly amazing - try it! It has made this so so card wonderful! I love it and can't wait to use it again.

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

Gisèle

Holly Christmas

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card is crafted with more scrap paper. It took forever to put it together because I was trying to find scraps that would work.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Basic Grey flanked by red of unknown origin which was textured with Sizzix Harlequin texture plate. The patterned paper is Provo Craft Holly Argyle layered on Stampin' Up Handsome Hunter. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink stamped in Nick Bantock Charcoal Grey on Stampin' Up Confetti White. The embellishments are Kaisercraft Pearls.

I love this card. For those who regularly follow I SPI you'll know that I've a soft spot for holly which is why I fell in love with this paper the moment I saw it. I never anticipated using Basic Grey for a Christmas card but it works really well with this paper. I also love the pearls with this paper as the argyle pattern provides a natural point on which to adhere the pearls.

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

Gisèle

Happy Holidays

Hello everyone,

Where do the weekends go? I had hoped to get a little ahead on my 'Christmas in July' project but I just ran out time. I've a really quick and easy card tonight.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Brushed Gold. The vertical strip is Little Yellow Bicycle 25 Days of Christmas layered on Cherry Cobbler. The image is Inkadinkado stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Whisper White and layered on Cherry Cobbler. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Christmas stamped in Cherry Cobbler and clear heat embossed. The image and layers are highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

Believe it or not, I'm still using scraps to craft these cards. I particularly love this card. Stampin' Up's Brushed Gold paper is absolutely wonderful. It is a really lovely shade of gold that works beautifully on Christmas cards. I couldn't help but breakout my Sakura pen. It is made for adding just that touch of sparkle which you just have to have on a Christmas card. This scrap of Little Yellow Bicycle paper is the backside of the paper which I used yesterday. It is a really lovely piece of paper and I will be heartbroken when I finally use it all up.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Santa

Hello everyone,

The 'Christmas in July' project challenge continues.

The background paper is Little Yellow Bicycle 25 Days of Christmas. The image is Paper Inspirations Jolly Santa stamped on Whisper White and layered on Cherry Cobbler. The ribbon is from Offray and the embellishments are from Multicrafts.

This was a super simple card. It used what I'd describe as a pretty classic layout. I took advantage of the circles on the paper to layout the embellishments. I love this card. It goes to show that you don't need to get all complicated for a card to be beautiful.

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

Gisèle

Happy Holidays

Hello everyone,

Another card for my Christmas stash.

The paper is all Stampin' Up - textured Soft Suede, Real Red, Whisper White and Christmas Cocoa. The sentiment is Inkadinkado and is highlighted with Martha Stewart Glitter marker. The ribbon is Michael's Special Value. The embellishments are Recollections Rhinestones.

I love this card! I was a little iffy about the colour combination but I figured if it was in the Christmas Cocoa paper is would work on the card. Does it ever. The sentiment wasn't quite what I expected in the Soft Suede but I didn't have the time (or patience) tonight to hand colour it with marker. It certainly brightened up once I add the highlight.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Greeting

Hello everyone,

Continuing my 'Christmas in July' project, I've a very simple card today.

The card base is from Recollections. The background layer is Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy. The middle layer is BoBunny Snowy Serenade Concerto. The top layer is Sandylion Poinsettia Swirl. The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Christmas Expressions stamped on Very Vanilla and layered on Bravo Burgundy. The embellishments are Autumn Leave and Close To My Heart.

I've quite run out of steam tonight so I figured a really quick and easy card was on order. This card, like all the others this week, is crafted of papers from my scrap bin. I really like the colours and the set of sentiment stamps is really great. I've yet to find one I don't like.

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

Gisèle

Dashing All The Way

Hello everyone,

Today's card came together much easier than yesterday's. I decided to move away from traditional colours and go blue.

The printed and light blue paper is atd Snow Day. The image, Stampin' Up Dasher, is stamped in Pacific Point on a scrap piece of unknown origin. It is heat embossed with Close To My Heart Silver Pearl embossing powder and layered on more atd Snow Day and Quickutz QuickStripz Manhattan. The sentiment is Impression Obsession Christmas Sentiments.

I love this card. This is one of my favourite non-traditional Christmas colour combinations. It is always so fresh. I know I could have added some glitter, but I tried to restrain myself. You however never know, I may still change my mind and sparkle it up a bit.

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

Gisèle

Holly Branch

Hello everyone,

Nothing is more frustrating than having your inspiration dry up five days into a month-long challenge. Today's card was a struggle from the get-go and if I wasn't so stubborn I likely would have begged off.

The card base is from Recollections. The patterned paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Real Red. The focal images are Starform holly stickers affixed to vellum and coloured with Faber-Castell markers. The sentiment is Annabelle Stamps Holly Branch.

In the final analysis, I love this card! I'm still determined to use up my scrap Christmas paper but this was one frustrating card to craft. It is actually my third attempt which was really annoying because I so love this holly paper that I use it very sparingly and I ruined a really good sized piece. I think keeping it really simple was what finally got this card crafted.

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

Gisèle

Holiday Ornament

Hello everyone,

I've a super simple Christmas card today.


The printed paper is Webster's Pages Winter Wonderland Twinkle, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen and layered on a scrap of unknown origin and Stampin' Up Real Red. The star brads are of unknown origin likely either Making Memories or Mulitcrafts Keepsake Memories. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Christmas stamped in Old Oliver on Very Vanilla and layered on Real Red.
This card is all about the printed paper which featured this large ornament. I don't usually pick up paper with such large images because they're generally not all that good for cards. In this case however, by judicially cutting out the paper to have the ornament as a focal point, it worked worked wonderfully. Of course, highlighting with the Sakura pen only improves on what is already some fantastic paper. This card, one again, used only pieces of scrap paper that I already had in my stash.
I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.
Gisèle

Christmas Layers

Hello everyone,

Onwards with my 'Christmas in July' project.

The card base is from Recollections. The vertical layer is Stampin' Up Real Red watermarked with a holly stamp from Inkadinkado and layered on Canford gold. The sentiment is Penny Black A Wonderful Christmas stamped in StazOn Gold Metallic on shimmery white and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen. The sentiment is layered on Real Red, Anna Griffin and Bazzill Basics Glazed Christmas papers. The embellishments are Hero Arts gold Metallic Décor.

This is another card crafts entirely from scrap pieces of paper. I just love it! This is a fantastic sentiment and I can see myself using it fairly frequently. I will admit that I wasn't at all sure about the StazOn metallic ink but it works really well if you don't fuss with it too much and it is a really lovely shade of gold.

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

Gisèle

Reused & Recycled

Hello everyone,

Today's card is all about reusing and recycling. The base card is one that I had made for Remembrance Day but it just didn't work so I've remade it into a Christmas card as per my personal 'Christmas in July' project.

The background layers are Stampin' Up Basic Black and Glorious Green, which was textured with Sizzix Pattern 1. The patterned paper is of uknown origin layered on Real Red and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen. The sentiment was a freebie, is from Stampin' Up in 2001 but I've no idea which set. The embellishments are Autumn Leaves Adhesive Rhinestones.

I think this is a great reincarnation of a card which really just didn't work. It's very simple card that is really about the layers. I'm pleased that I had a big enough piece of the printed paper for this cover up but I'm sure I would have figured something out otherwise.

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

Gisèle

Very Merry Eh!

Happy Canada Day!

Last week's scrap project worked so well that I'm going to keep on going with it. I've added a twist however, as all I'm crafting for the month of July will be Christmas cards. My stash was utterly depleted last year so I need to build it up and I don't want to be scrambling in November. As an added bonus, I've kept this card entirely red and white in honor of Canada's 144th birthday.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Christmas Cocoa specialty paper. The image, Gina K Vintage Borders, is stamped in Real Red on Whisper White and layered on Real Red and Shimmery White,. The image has also been highlighted with Sakura's Clear Star Gelly Roll pen. The bottom layer of ribbon is of unknown origin while the top layer is Offray. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Short & Sweet. The embellishments are Annabelle Stamps pearls.

I love this card. Of course, Christmas cards are one of my very favourites. For having only two colours, it certainly has a lot of depth and interest.

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

Gisèle