Birthday Butterfly

Hello everyone,

I was in the mood to make something bright and beautiful today.

The printed paper is DCWV Pocket Full of Posies layered on Stampin' Up Island Indigo.  The butterfly is cut with a Spellbinders Wings of Hope die from a sheet of watercolour paper painted with Blue Zircon and Lemongrass LuminArte Twinkling H2Os.  The sentiment is Verve Amazing Wishes stamped in Taken With Teal on Whisper White and layered on more painted watercolour paper.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Christmas Cheer.

Isn't this butterfly beautiful?  I love the shimmer of the Twinkling H2Os.  I think this is a great birthday card and it was especially fun to make a card without a specific purpose - just because!

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

Gisèle

Wonderful Daughter

Hello everyone,

Today's is my wonderful daughter's fifteenth birthday.  I always have a lot of fun making her birthday cards.  She has always had an affinity for panda bears so it makes it for easily themed cards.

The background paper is origami paper of unknown origin.  The card base was punched with Martha Stewart French Scroll border punch.  The sentiment is Gina K Block Greetings.  The image is Stamp Magick Mini Pandas.  Both the sentiment and image are stamped in Stampin' Up Basic Black on Whisper White and are layered on a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Doodlebug Mini Pearls "Boy".

I just love this card.  The watery background paper contains all the colours that my daughter loves.  It also offers a lot of options for coordinating colours.  This is actually a really simple card, allowing this great paper to do all the work.

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

Gisèle

With Love

Hello everyone,

My husband's grandmother has passed away.  She was 97 and in rather poor health so it's rather a blessing knowing she's in a much better place.  This card is for my mother-in-law who will miss her mother dearly.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy and textured Always Artichoke.  The sentiment is Verve Forever In Our Hearts.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Mocha Opaques.

I selected these papers because they are my mother-in-law's favourites.  She'll also like the vintage feel of the printed paper.  Sympathy cards are never easy so I kept this card very simple with an extra dose of love.

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

Gisèle

Many Thanks 9 & 10

Hello everyone,

I have cards nine and ten for you today.  These are the last two cards in this series as the 8X8 only furnished a scant ten cards.

The card bases are Bazzill Basics White/OP paper. The printed paper is DCWV Green Stack. The solid papers are Stampin' Up Baja Breeze and Old Olive. The sentiments are Verve Thankful Accents and Verve Uplifting Phrases.

I had so much fun with this series.  I love the idea of an 8X8 one sheet wonder but I'm not completely sold on this template.  I'll need to do some adjusting and will post it once I've got it perfected.

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

Gisèle

Many Thanks 7 & 8

Hello everyone,

Today I've got card seven and eight in the 8X8 one sheet wonder daycare thank you series.

The card bases are Bazzill Basics White/OP paper. The printed paper is DCWV Green Stack. The solid papers are Stampin' Up Baja Breeze and Old Olive. The sentiments are Verve and Verve Amazing Wishing.

Though I could have kept on with the Hero Arts Thank You Messages set, I wanted to play with some of the other great thank you sentiments I've got in my stamp stash.

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

Gisè;e

Many Thanks 5 & 6

Hello everyone,

Today I've got cards five and six in the daycare thank you one sheet wonder series.

The card bases are Bazzill Basics White/OP paper. The printed paper is DCWV Green Stack. The solid papers are Stampin' Up Baja Breeze and Old Olive. The sentiments are Hero Arts Thank You Messages and Hero Arts Thank You Tree.

I love both of these cards.  The second card uses just one teeny, tiny scrap that most appropriately contained an image of a beaver.  LOL

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

Gisèle

Many Thanks 3 & 4

Hello everyone,

Today I'm posting cards three and four in the daycare thank you series.

The card bases are Bazzill Basics White/OP paper. The printed paper is DCWV Green Stack. The solid papers are Stampin' Up Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip and Old Olive. The sentiments are Hero Arts Thank You Messages.

These critters are just too bloody cute.

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

Gisèle

Many Thanks 1 & 2

Hello everyone,

One of my girlfriends asked me for a set of thank you cards for her son's daycare providers.  I've done them for her before including the Quick Christmas series, Holiday Wonder, and One Sheet Thank Yous.  This latest set gave me a chance to try a one sheet wonder with an 8X8 sheet of paper.  I only found one template online at Joyfully Made Designs and though it was pretty good, I just had to adapt it just a wee bit.

The card bases are Bazzill Basics White/OP paper.  The printed paper is DCWV Green Stack.  The solid papers are Stampin' Up Baja Breeze and Old Olive.  The sentiments are Hero Arts Thank You Messages.  The embellishments are Amanda Blu Mosaics.

Is this great paper for daycare workers?  I love these critters!  I decided to challenge myself in terms of supplies so kept everything super simple and used only scraps from the leftover bin.  I'm very pleased with this series.

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

Gisèle

Fantastic Fathers IV

Hello everyone,

This is my last father's day card (for now anyway).   It is for my own father, a pretty special man.

 The printed paper is We R Memory Keepers Precious Metals Coppered Out Tile layered on Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip and Basic Grey.  The image is Gina K Follow Your Dreams stamped in Nick Bantock Charcoal Grey on Very Vanilla.  The sentiment is Kaisercraft Occasions also stamped in Charcoal Grey on Very Vanilla.  The embellishments are Hero Arts Pewter Metallic Décor.

My dad will love this card.  The egret image is right up his ally as he is a keen observer of all things with wings.  It is a simple enough card with lots of layers, great printed paper and a simple layout.  Sometimes the tried and true is what works best.

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

Gisèle

Fantastic Fathers III

Hello everyone,

Today I'm posting my father-in-law's card.  It all stemmed from this printed paper.

The printed paper is TaDa Creative Studios Pappy's Patchwork layered on Stampin' Up BasicGrey and Cajun Craze.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Delightful Dozen stamped in Nick Bantock Charcoal Grey on Whisper White.  The embellishments are of unknown origin but likely Multicrafts.

I think this is a great card!  This wonderful TaDa paper really makes this card look like more than it really is.  It is absolutely perfect for masculine cards and I didn't use that much of for this card so I'd expect to see it again and again. 

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

Gisèle

Fantastic Fathers II

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for the husband of one of my colleagues.  She asked for something water related so I decided to play with the rowboat stamp again.

The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye Wild Asparagus Birthday Boy Plaid.  The solid papers are Stampin' Up Early Espresso and Soft Sky.  The image is Gina K Follow Your Dreams stamped in StazOn Timber Brown on Whisper White and coloured with Faber-Castell Watercolour Pencil Crayons.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Delightful Dozen.

I love this card.  I think my colouring is improving.  I used the watercolour pencils after which I went over them very lightly with a watercolour pen.  I really love the effect.  It doesn't have to be absolutely perfect because the watercolour are so forgiving as long as you don't apply too much water.  I really hope this is what my colleague had in mind.

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

Gisèle

Fantastic Fathers I

Hello everyone,

The card list is growing shorter.  I'm on to Father's Day cards and this is the first of four I've got on my list.

The printed paper is Scrapbook Walls Dark Tie Circles layered on Close To My Heart Garden Green and the flip side of the Dark Tie Circles paper.  The sentiment is Kaisercraft Occasions stamped in Stampin' Up Marina Mist on Very Vanilla.  The embellishments are Dress It Up Sports - Golf and Hero Arts Pewter Metallic Décor.

This particular card is crafted for my darling husband, an avid golfer.  I picked up these particular embellishments a long, long time ago but never got around to using them.  I actually found them in the back of my embellishments drawer.  Does this mean my stash is too big?

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

Gisèle

Brotherly Birthday

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for my wonderful brother.  He has been out of the country for a good number of years but is coming home this summer.  We're pretty excited to have him closer.

The printed paper is Scrap Within Reach Aldridge layered on Close To My Heart Outdoor Denim.  The sentiment is Gina K Follow Your Dreams stamped in Stampin' Up Night of Navy on Very Vanilla and layered on more Aldridge paper.

I purposly kept this layout simple and geometric as it seemed to me that's what this fantastic printed paper called for.  Besides, my brother is not into the fanciful though he always appreciates anything handmade.  I thought long and hard about doing a one sheet wonder with this sheet of paper but just couldn't resist using it for my brother.

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

Gisèle

Wonderful Wedding

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the wedding card that goes with yesterday's wedding shower card.  I kept the pink theme going but toned it down and added white pearls for more of a wedding touch.

The printed paper is SEI White Elegance Diamond layered on shimmery pink of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Inkadinkado stamped in Rich Razzleberry on Stampin' Up Shimmery White and heat embossed with Close To My Heart Silver Pearl embossing powder.  The pearls are Stampin' Up Basic Pearl Jewels.

I just love this card.  It equals the femininity of yesterday's shower card but is still a distinct wedding card.  I think next to Christmas cards, Wedding cards have to be my most favourite to craft.  No excuses are needed to add as much glitz and glamour that a card can hold.  It was fun to keep the hint of pink going by using the same shimmery pink from the shower card.  I really hope my colleague likes them.  She herself is a talent painter and these are the first cards I've crafted for her.

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

Gisèle

To Have & To Hold

Hello everyone,

I can't remember the last time I had wedding shower cards to craft and now I've done two in a row.  This card is for a colleague whose daughter is getting married and they're hosting a 'pink' shower.

The printed paper is My Mind's Eye Bloom & Grow "Bloom" Geometric Pink layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White and a shimmery pink of unknown origin.  The sentiment is American Crafts Wedding stamped in Melon Mambo on Whisper White, layered on shimmery pink and heat embossed with Close To My Heart Silver Pearl.  The ribbon is Michael's Special Value.  The embellishments are Martha Stewart Pastel Mini Pearls.  The entire card is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

I just love everything about this card.  All the pinks, a little bit of paisley, pearls and a beautiful ribbon.  It all came together just beautifully.  It was so much fun to craft something totally and utterly feminine.  I picked up this Mind's Eye paper because of all the paisley and when I went through it  more carefully, I realized that I loved each and every sheet of paper and that doesn't happen very often.

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

Gisèle

Wedding Shower

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for the soon-to-be daughter-in-law of my best friend.  The shower is coming up and for some reason, I got it in my head that I needed to crafts a card that was the polar opposite of the invitation that I helped design.

The papers are BasicGrey Lauderdale and Stampin' Up Night of Navy and Whisper White.  The sentiment is American Crafts Wedding stamped in Night of Navy.  The ribbon is Michael's Special Value.  The embellishments are from Multicrafts.

I don't know if I really like this card or not.  The BasicGrey paper, though it speaks somewhat to their wedding colours may be just a little to informal for this card.  I spruced it up with the navy and gold ribbon.  I do really like the embellishments.  If I had to do it over, I think I'd choose a more formal printed paper.  That being said, this is a shower card, not a wedding card.  It is different and more modern, with a few hits of traditional, and I think that works for this young couple.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Blossoms

Hello everyone,

It appears that all the Mother's Day cards were a hit - lots of smiles and even a few tears.  I love happy tears!  Today's birthday card is for a colleague's mother.  She cried when she got her Mother's Day card so, not being sure I could beat that, I've gone in a bit of a different direction.

The printed paper is BasicGrey Piccadilly layered on Stampin' Up More Mustard.  The image is Gina K Friends Are Forever stamped on Whisper White and layered on More Mustard.  The image was coloured with Tombow markers before being stamped.  The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Greetings stamped in Old Olive on Whisper White and layered on More Mustard.  The embellishments are Multicrafts Keepsakes Memories.

I know this mom likes green and gardens.  I turned to my trusty stash of BasicGrey papers to craft this vintage-feel card.  I liked the washed out minty green of the background.  I would not normally have paired this BasicGrey with More Mustard but each petal in the flowers has just a wee dot of a mustardy-oranage.  Once I pulled it together, it did take me a while, I just loved how it worked together.

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

Gisèle

Happy Butterflies

Hello everyone,

Another card for another niece.  I've followed the same theme for the three nieces cards bright patterned paper and butterflies.  This was a great series.

The patterned paper is Me & My Big Ideas Mambi Sheets layered on Stampin' Up Melon Mambo.  The butterflies were punched from textured Melon Mambo affixed to So Saffron which was textured with Spellbinders M-Bossabilities Garden Delight and layered on more Melon Mambo.  The sentiment is Impression Obsession Vertical Greetings stamped in Melon Mambo on Whisper White and layered on Melon Mambo.  The embellishments are Oregon Raindrops and Autumn Leave Adhesive Rhinestones.

This is a really cute card and I can't wait to give it to one of my nieces.  The pictures don't necessarily do these cards justice because they are so bright and cheerful and perfect for these tween girls.

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

Gisèle

Happy Stripes

Hello everyone,

Today's I'm posting niece birthday card number three.  I used the same brand of patterned paper and a sparkly butterfly die as yesterday's so there is a very similar feeling but it really is two very different cards.

The patterned paper is Me & My Big Ideas Mambi Sheets layered on Recollections pink, Stampin' Up Summer Sun and a green and blue of unknown origin.  The butterfly is a Spellbinders Wonderful Wings die cut from a scrap of colour-washed glittered watercolour paper.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Small Greetings stamped in Stampin' Up Melon Mambo on Whisper White layered on Recollections pink and Summer Sun.  The embellishments are Autumn Leaves adhesive gems.  The sentiment and butterfly is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

I think this is another really fun card.  It is going to be wonderful for one of my nieces (I'm not yet sure which one).  This is really fabulous paper for these types of cards and coordinates really well with a whole bunch of different colours.  Now if only they made a paper of boy paper along these lines.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Butterfly

Hello everyone,

Today's birthday card is for one of my young nieces.  She's a very creative young lady so I'm pretty certain I've pegged this card just right.

The printed paper is Me & My Big Ideas Mambi Sheets layered on Stampin' Up Melon Mambo and Close To My Heart Citrus Leaf.  The butterfly is a Marianne Creatables die LR0114 cut from Melon Mambo paper that was glittered with Crystal Glitter Ritz Warm Highlight Transparent Micro Fine glitter.  The image is Close To My Heart Adorning Corners stamped in Melon Mambo.  The sentiment is Sweet 'n Sassy Birthday Greetings stamped in Melon Mambo on Whisper White and layered on Citrus Leaf.  A number of elements were highlighted with Star Dust and Fruit Punch Stickles.

I just love this bright and cheery card.  If I was a young girl, I'd love it!  My sister picked up this pad of printed paper for me and I just have to say it is wonderful.  There isn't a sheet I don't like.  I've used this die in the past but it was almost impossible to get the paper out of the die.  This time I used the wax paper tip and it worked like a charm.  Expect to see more of these awesome butterflie.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Boat

Hello everyone,

Next to September and October, May and June have the most birthdays in my families.  Today's card is for my father-in-law.

The printed paper is BasicGrey Olivier layered on Stampin' Up Old Olive.  The image is Gina K Follow Your Dreams stamped in Timber Brown StazOn on Very Vanilla, coloured with Rebhan watercolour paints and layered on Night of Navy.  The sentiment is Gina K Pleasant Plurals also stamped in Timber Brown on Very Vanilla and layered on Night of Navy.  The embellishments are of unknown origin but likely Multicrafts.

I really like this card.  I've been itching to use this image but, as usual, shied away from it because I'd have to colour it.  The watercolour paints I used are around thirty years old and worked beautifully.  I'm glad I kept them.  This card is really pretty simple but I wanted the focus to really be on the boat.  My in-laws live in Prince Edward Island so this boat is a nod to the Island.

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

Gisèle

Butterfly Beauty

Hello everyone,

Every since I learned the tip about using wax paper when cutting with intricate dies, I've needed no excuses to play with some of my more complex dies.  I've kind of been avoiding them because it can be so hard, if not impossible, to get the paper out of the die in one piece.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Berry Blossoms layered on Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade.  The butterfly is a Spellbinders Wings of Hope die, cut in Wisteria Wonder and spritzed with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up All Holidays stamped in Nick Bantock Chartreuse Leaf on Whisper White and layered on Lucky Limeade.  The embellishments are Martha Stewart Pastel Mini Pearls.

Isn't this butterfly incredible?  The photo really doesn't do it justice as the Glimmer Mist adds a beautiful sheen to the Wisteria Wonder.  I loved being able to add these pearls to the butterfly, it was a great die with which to embellish.

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

Gisèle

Mother's Day Peacock

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for another colleague's mother.  This colleague often wears this colour palette so I figured using them in a card would be pretty safe.

The printed paper is Crate Blue Hill Collections layered on Stampin' Up Pool Party and Old Olive which was textured with Spellbinders Paisley M-Bossabilities.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up All Holidays stamped in Dusty Durango on Very Vanilla and layered on Old Olive.  The card was highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Wedding Silhouette Mini Jewels.

Isn't this peacock awesome?  I love all the different colours in this paper as well as the fact that it offers a multitude of glittering possibilities.  I think my colleague will love this card and I certainly hope her mother does as well.

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

Gisèle

Mother

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for my mother-in-law.  I decided to use a bit of this Prima paper that I've been using so sparingly because I just love it!  I also managed to find another three sheets, hopefully they're in the mail.

The printed paper is Prima Fairy Flora "Garden Party" layered on Stampin' Up textured Melon Mambo.  The vertical element is Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade cut with Martha Stewart's Bangle Chain Trim punch.  The image and sentiment are Gina K Spring Blooms, coloured with Tombow markers, and stamped on Whisper White before being layered on Lucky Limeade and Melon Mambo.  Both the image and sentiment were highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are Multicrafts A Bride's Wish stickers.

I love this card.  This Prima paper coordinates really well with just about every colour you could image.  All the other papers were scraps from other projects that were lying around my desk.  I don't think I've used this punch before, it is really fantastic with many extra embellishing opportunities.

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

Gisèle

Wonderful Mother

Hello everyone,

My playing is done for the moment.  I've a number of Mother's Day card requests for some wonderful mothers!

The background paper is K&Company Que Sera Sera Green Floral.  The image is Stampin' Up Paisley Petals stamped in Always Artichoke on Whisper White, coloured with Stampin' Pastels and layered on gold of unknown origin.  The image is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen. The sentiment is Well Scripted.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Wedding Silhouette Mini Jewels.

The colleague who requested this card told me her mother was cool, not frilly and fussy, and loved green and gardening.  I hope this card will fit the bill.  Is gold too frilly and fussy?  I thought this K&Company paper was kind of funky but spoke to the garden aspect of her mother's interests.  It is the first time I've used pastels and was pleased with the results.  The Sakura pen worked beautifully on the pastels.

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

Gisèle

A Cardmaker's Gift

Hello everyone,

Today's card is crafted from a couple of items that were given to me by my cardmaking kindred spirits.  I'm so thankful.

The printed paper is BasicGrey Sultry layered on Stampin' Up Always Artichoke and textured Melon Mambo.  The sentiment is Annabelle Stamps Square Posies stamped in Always Artichoke on Whisper White.  The butterfly embellishments are Forever In Time 3D Wing-Lifters.

I love this card.  The colours are cheerful, the sentiment is sweet and those butterflies, amazing.  I've never seen butterfly stickers with this dimensional facet.  These stickers are so my style, my girlfriend reads me too well.  The BasicGrey paper, also a gift, is from another girlfriend who totally understands my love of BasicGrey.

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

Gisèle

PS - I appreciate the gifts ladies, this card is all thanks to you and my heart is warmed by your generosity.

Beautiful Blue Birthday

Hello everyone,

Today's card is completely inspired by the printed paper.  I can't remember where I found it but I'm sure glad I came across it.

The printed paper is Little Yellow Bicycle Saturdays Reverie Garden layered on Stampin' Up Night of Navy.  The sentiment is from Magenta, stamped in StazOn Midnight Blue on Whisper White and layered on Night of Navy.  The embellishments are Keepsakes Memories and Recollections Rhinestone Stickers.

I really love anything blue and this card is no exception.  This LYB paper is as wonderful to work with as all the other LYB papers I've used.  The quality is just wonderful!  This is a favourite sentiment, one I've used many, many times and I've still not tired of it.  I used a very simple layout, one I've also used in the past, so I could really showcase the paper.  It all works!

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

Gisèle

Vellum Love

Hello everyone,

I've got all my commissions finished so it's time for Gisèle to play!

The background paper is Fancy Pants Happy Together Always Paper.  The solid layer is a piece of glossy paper smooched with Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Ink.  The vellum was stamped with Inkadinkado Delicate Branches in Olive Green StazOn.  The brads are of unknown origin.  The image is Harmonie stamped in Timbre Brown StazOn on Stampin' Up Whisper White then highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

I love absolutely everything about this card - the paisley background paper, the alcohol inked layer, the vellum and that cute little bird on a branch.  I could use this bird stamp dozens of times over and never tire of it.  I decided against adding a sentiment.  I wasn't sure what type of sentiment to use and frankly, couldn't figure out a good place to put it.  I'm fine with that.

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

Gisèle

You're Invited

Hello everyone,

The son of one of my best friends is getting married and she asked me for some design help in crafting the 'tea party' bridal shower invitation.  This is the final result.

The papers are Stampin' Up So Saffron, Pacific Point and Night of Navy.  The Night of Navy layer was stamped with Hello Doily in VersaMark.  The image is Love and Laughter stamped in Night of Navy.  The sentiment is Sincere Salutations also stamped in Night of Navy.  Both the image and sentiment were highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The circles were cut with a Spellbinders Splendid Circles die.  The embellishments are of unknown origin.

The colours are drawn from the wedding and when I first saw them I had no idea how I was going to use them.  I was OK once I started thinking French country and 'tea party'  The Splendid Circles really let themselves to this theme.  One hint, when using these types of intricate dies, sandwich a piece of wax paper between the die and the paper, it really, really makes all the difference in easily getting the paper out of the die.  I wish I had known this before I started cutting the pieces because there were quite a few that ended up in the recycle bin.

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

Gisèle