More Pretty Poinsettias

Hello everyone,

This is the last of the two-step stamped cards in my Christmas stash.

The image is Stampin' Up Watercolor Winter stamped on Very Vanilla in Always Artichoke, Real Red and Early Espresso, and layered on Always Artichoke and Real Red.  The sentiment is Annabelle Stamps Ornamental Christmas stamped in Always Artichoke on Very Vanilla and layered on Real Red.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Holly Jolly jewels.

I know this card is virtually identical to Sundays card but this image is so much fun to stamp I just couldn't resist crafting a second one.  I have a billion ideas.  I'm also shopping for more two-step stamps.

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

Gisèle

Holly Holly, Berries Berries

Hello everyone,

Another two-step stamped Christmas beauty.

The images are Stampin' Up Watercolor Winter stamped in Always Artichoke, Early Espresso, Nick Bantock Van Dyke Brown and Tombow 847 and 177 on Very Vanilla, and layered on Always Artichoke.  The pine cones are glittered on Stampendous Crystal Snow white ultra fine glitter.  The sentiment is Bonnidee Layering Trees stamped in Early Espresso.

This is the card I crafted for my boss.  He really liked the birthday card I crafted for him and I wanted to craft him another card that was completely different.  I love the naturalness of this card.  I really enjoyed the challenge of the two-step stamp with multiple colours.  I also like that feels like a clean and simple one layer card even though its not.

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

Gisèle

Two-Step Poinsettias

Hello everyone,

Ever since I crafted this card last July, I've been enamoured with two-step stamping.  I couldn't resist a couple more of these wonderful poinsettia cards.

 

The image is Stampin' Up Watercolor Winter stamped in Early Espresso, Always Artichoke and Ruby Red on Very Vanilla, and layered on Early Espresso.  The sentiment is Bonnidee C'est Noel stamped in Early Espresso.  The embellishments are EK Success Swarovski Elements.

I like this stamp set so much, I used it for the next couple cards.  I do use my Stamp-A-Ma-Jig for these cards because I do need to have a little more precision that if I tried it free-hand.  Though it took me a while to get the hand of it, I actually use the Stamp-A-Ma-Jig a lot when crafting cards if only to ensure straight placement of sentiments.  It works wonderfully!

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

Gisèle

Very Vintage Christmas

Hello everyone,

This Christmas card has a really wonderful vintage feeling.

The printed paper is Bazzill Believe layered on Stampin' Up Mellow Moss.  The sentiment is Stampendous Merriest Wish stamped in Always Artichoke on Very Vanilla and layered on Ridinghood Red.  The embellishments are BoBunny Jewels.

This is a card which took minutes to craft yet looks like a million bucks.  I didn't even really need to add the embellishments because the background paper is more than busy enough and they do kind of get lost but I wanted just that little more.

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

Gisèle

Glittering Holly

Hello everyone,

I'm still posting the Christmas card I crafted for my own friends.

The printed paper is Recollections Sugar Plums layered on Stampin' Up Real Red.  The image is Elizabeth Craft Designs Peel-Off sticker affixed to Real Red and glittered with Studio K Green Ultrafine glitter and Classic Red Glamour Glitter.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Very Merry Christmas stamped in Real Red on Bazzill white.  The brad is BoBunny.

This is a really simple card using leftover Christmas bits and paper.  The ornament is only affixed with the brad so it moves.  I filled in this holly a number of different ways before settling on glitter.  Marker was boring.  Sakura glitter was too gold.  Gelly Roll pen didn't cover the gold.  Glitter was just right.

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

Gisèle

Shimmery Stocking

Hello everyone,

I hope you had a really wonderful Christmas day.  This is another card for a male colleague.

The image is Inkadinkado Filigree Holiday Patterns stamped in Stampin' Up Real Red on Confetti White and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The background papers are Shimmery Red and Brushed Gold of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Bonnidee Layering Trees stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Confetti White.  The embellishments are BoBunny Gold jewels.

I've had this stocking lying on my desk for months and in addition to scraps and leftover envelops, I'm trying to use up all the Christmas bits and pieces so I can start fresh next season.  This is a lovely image as are all in this set. 

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

Gisèle

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone!

I'm continuing to post my own Christmas cards.

 

The printed paper is Recollections Bright Christmas layered on Stampin' Up Bashful Blue.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Very Merry Christmas stamped in Marina Mist on Whisper White, layered on more Bashful Blue and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are Recollections adhered to a strip of Bazzill White.

This is another card for a male colleague.  He can handle the glittering snowflakes.

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

Gisèle

Spectacular Stocking Blues

Hello everyone,

Today's card uses the non-traditional colours that I love so much for a Christmas card.

The printed paper is My Mind's Eye Winter Wonderland layered on a shimmery metallic blue of unknown origin.  The horizontal element is a shimmery white, also of unknown origin, punched from Martha Stewart's Infinite Loops punch.  The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Christmas Expressions stamped in Nick Bantock Cerulean Azure on Whisper White.  The stockings are Recollections stickers.

I love this card.  I never thought I'd be able to find the perfect colours to coordinate with these stockings.  I think the key is not to try too hard to be matchy, matchy.  It doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to look good together.  Of course, it helps that my stash of blue is obscene.

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

Gisèle

Elegant Snowflakes

Hello everyone,

As I was crafting my own Christmas cards I decided to see what goodies I could find in my scrap bin.  Boy were there some great finds in there.

The printed paper is Little Yellow Bicycle 25 Days of Christmas layered on Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler.  The sentiment is Kaisercraft Christmas Sentiments stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Bazzill white and layered on more Cherry Cobbler.  The ribbon is Dollarama Crafts.  The embellishment is Recollections Rhinestone Icons.

I think this Little Yellow Bicycle Christmas paper is my favourite of all time.  It has a super smooth texture and light sheen.  It is also a little thicker than many printed papers so it is really wonderful to work with.  I use is sparingly because I've never found more paper like it.  I have two sets of these amazing snowflake embellishments in my stash, one silver and one blue.  I'd totally forgotten about them until my daughter found them and I realize that one just had to go on one of my Christmas cards.

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

Gisèle

Simple Stripes

Hello everyone,

This is my second post for today to make up for missing yesterday.

The printed paper is American Crafts Jolly.  The sentiment is Taylored Expressions Big Bold Christmas stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Bazzill white and layered on Cherry Cobbler.  The printed paper is highlighted with  Star Dust Stickles.  The embellishments are Doodlebug baby boy assortment mini pearls.

This super simple card was crafted with a male colleague in mind. I love the chocolate brown and red together.  The little bit of sparkle was added to give some depth to the card because I didn't use any layers.

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

Gisèle

Holly Explosion

Hello everyone,

I finished crafting my own Christmas cards last week so I've tons of cards to post.  Enough cards that I'll have posts through New Years!  Shovelling snow got the better of me yesterday and I just couldn't get it together to get onto my laptop.

The printed paper is Carta Bella So This Is Christmas layered on Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler.  The sentiment is Taylored Expressions Big Bold Christmas stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Confetti White, highlighted with Sakura Red, Green and Clear Star Gelly Roll pens, and layered on more Cherry Cobbler.  The embellishment is a Martha Stewart Holly Leaf sticker.

I love this card.  All that holly just makes my heart sing.  This is my first Taylored Expressions stamp set and I have to say that I'm quite impressed.  I'll use this set over and over.  This is also my first brush with Carta Bella.  Love, love, love this paper!

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

Gisèle

Sweet Sympathy

Hello everyone,

I'm interrupting my Christmas card blitz to post a sympathy card for my neighbor whose mother has passed away. 

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Lap of Luxury layered on Concord Crush.  The image is Serene Silhouettes stamped in Elegant Eggplant on Very Vanilla and layered on more Concord Crush.  The sentiment is Impression Obsession also stamped in Elegant Eggplant on Very Vanilla.  The embellishments are Crafts Pearl Halves.

It has been a pretty terrible year of losses.  I hope 2014 is better.

Gisèle

Christmas Owls XII

Hello everyone,

Card twelve, the last in this great Christmas Owl card series.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Snow Festival layered on Raspberry Ripple.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Holiday Saying stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Confetti white and layered on Gumball Green.  The ribbon is Offray.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Strips.

This is another one of my favourites.  I love the delicate ribbon and the dainty little bow.  The placement of the jewels was inspired to add just that extra little bit.  I love how the owls are just peeping over the sentiment.  It certainly wasn't planned but it worked out so perfectly.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Owls XI

Hello everyone,

Another quick and easy card today.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Snow Festival layered on Gumball Green.  The sentiment is Sweet 'n Sassy stamps Vintage Ornaments stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Confetti white, highlighted with Sakura Red Gelly Roll pen and layered on Gumball Green.  The embellishments are BoBunny Elf Magic Jewels.

This is a tried and true layout that I always seem to turn to when I need to be inspired or just keep things rolling forward.  Funnily enough, this is not one of my favourites.  I'm not really fond of the big jewels and I probably would have been better off using all the smaller jewels or pearls.  I'm also not particularly fond of this sentiment though I like it when I use it with the images that come with the set.  Still a nice card, just not a favourite.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Owls X

Hello everyone,

Card ten for you today.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Snow Festival layered on Gumball Green and Raspberry Ripple.  The Gumball Green layer was textured with Sizzix Winter Botanicals then highlighted with green Sakura Gelly Roll pen.  The sentiment is Inkadinkado stamped in Soft Suede on Confetti white and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star, Green and Red Gelly Roll pens.

By the time I read this point in a one sheet wonder I start to fade so I try to keep things as simple as possible.  I find embossing really packs a punch without draining the crafting mojo.  This particular embossing folder was just amazing and the green highlight worked better than I anticipated.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Owls IX

Hello everyone,

Only a few cards left to post for you and today's is number nine.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Snow Festival.  The sentiment is Stampendous Retro Christmas Script stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Confetti white, highlighted with Sakura Red Gelly Roll pen and layered on Gumball Green.  The horizontal element is Gumball Green punched on both sides with a border punch. The ribbon is Paperchase glitter ribbon.  The embellishments are BoBunny Elf Magic Jewels.

This is one very busy card but it turned out wonderfully.  I probably didn't need to add the punched element the ribbon is somewhat see through so, not wanting the dividing line to show through, I needed the extra layer.  This particular punch did make placing the jewels so much easier.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Owls VIII

Hello everyone,

I have card number eight for you today.

 

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Snow Festival layered on Cherry Cobbler and Gumball Green.  The sentiment is Stamp Barn stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Confetti white.  The snowflake is die cut from glitter white Recollections with Spellbinders Create-A-Flake #1.  The embellishments is Me and My Big Ideas Mambi Chips stickers.

 

I think it must be the glitter that is making me fall in love with these last few cards.  The snowflakes, which I'd originally planned to use all on one card, have turned out great.  These photos really don't do the cards justice as the colours pop a lot more than the photos show.  These cards have turned out really great!

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

Gisèle

Christmas Owls VII

Hello everyone,

I have card seven for you today.  Another favourite in this series!

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Snow Festival.  The sentiment is Kaisercraft Christmas Sentiments stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Confetti white and layered on Cherry Cobbler and layered on glittered white Recollections.  The snowflake is die cut from Spellbinders Create-A-Flake #2 from more glitter white Recollections.  The embellishments is Recollections red Glittered Adhesive Dots.

This is one of those cards in which all the different patterns just make this card awesome!  You have to give Stampin' Up credit as this pattern on pattern is something they do extremely well.  The little bit of extra glitter just adds that little extra that makes this card all the more special.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Owls VI

Hello everyone,

Today is card six in the Owl Christmas card series.  This card is completely different than the previous cards.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Snow Festival layered on Baja Breeze that was textured with Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland.  The sentiment is Kaisercraft Christmas Quotes stamped in ColorBox white ink and heat embossed with Stampin' Up white embossing powder.  The snowflake is die cut from Spellbinders Create-A-Flake #3 and Recollections white that was covered with Stampendous Crystal Snow glitter.  The embellishment was Multicrafts Glitterazzi Gem-Fetti.

This is my favourite card in this series so far.  I love how the paper pops against the Baja Breeze.  The glitter just makes me happy!

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

Gisèle

Christmas Owls V

Hello everyone,

After the last time I used roman numerals for a card series I'd planned never to do it again.  There is a finite number of cards this time however and today's is number five.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Snow Festival.  The sentiment is Rubber Cafe G-751 Merry Christmas stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Confetti White.  The ribbon is Offray.  The candy cane is Me and My Big Ideas Mambi Chips stickers.

When you're doing a bunch of cards is one fell swoop, quick and easy is key.  I crafted all twelve of these cards on Sunday morning and with all that is on my plate at the moment, I wanted quick and easy but I also wanted to have a lot of impact.  These Mambi chip stickers are the perfect element for quick and easy.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Owls IV

Hello everyone,

Today's card is the fourth in this owl series.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Snow Festival layered on Soft Suede and Baja Breeze.  The sentiment is My Favorite Things stamped in Soft Suede on Confetti White, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen and layered on Soft Suede and Cherry Cobbler.  The embellishments are Recollections Glitter Adhesive Dots.

I've been trying to use some scraps and this layout was just perfect for that exact purpose.  In hindsight I wish I'd used a layer of Gumball Green some where as it would have included all the colours in the patterned paper.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Owls III

Hello everyone,

Today's post is card number three in the Christmas Owls series.  I have to call this series a modified one sheet wonder.  I didn't use any particular layout but did keep to just one sheet of the owl paper and have only a couple of small bits leftover.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Snow Festival layered on Soft Suede that was textured with Craft Concepts Merry Christmas embossing folder and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The vertical element is a piece of Cherry Cobbler punched with a border punch. The ribbon is Paperchase Glitter Ribbon.  The sentiment is Little Yellow Bicycle Christmas Magic MC-136 stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Confetti White, layered on more Cherry Cobbler and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

This glitter on the embossed Soft Suede and the glittering ribbon makes this card even more cheery.  I actually found the punched element in my scrap bin.  What a happy accident.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Owls II

Hello everyone,

Today's is card number two in the Christmas Owls series.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Snow Festival layered on textured Soft Suede.  The sentiment is Stampavie Holiday Wishes stamped in Soft Suede on Confetti White and layered on Soft Suede and Cherry Cobbler.  The sentiment is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The hemp is of unknown origin.

Another really cute Christmas card.  I really love how the different patterns work so well together.  I've used a lot of patterns in this series because they were just great.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Owls

Hello everyone,

Today's I'm starting to post a series of Christmas cards that I crafted for a girlfriend.  These have to be twelve of the cutest cards I've made in a while.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Snow Festival.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Confetti White and layered on Gumball Green.  The embellishment is a Recollections sticker.

My girlfriend is an owl collector and I'm pretty certain I was thinking of her when I picked up this paper.  These owls for Christmas are really spectacular.  I love the layering of the patterns, it really works well.  I decided to sticker with 'Stampin' Up' cards because I am a little pressed for time and wanted to keep them as quick and easy as possible.

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

Gisèle

Simple Stocking

Hello everyone,

Back to Christmas cards today.

The printed paper is Kaisercraft Christmas Carol layered on Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi.  The image is Inkadinkado Filigree Holiday Patterns stamped in Wild Wasabi on Confetti White and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The sentiment is DeNami Design stamped in Wild Wasabi on Very Vanilla, layered on DCWV and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The ribbon is Crafts from the Dollar Store.  The embellishment is Jolee's Boutique.

This is one of those leftover Christmas bits I've had laying around.  I so love these images I just couldn't resist stamping a couple to see the results.  I think this is a really wonderful card.  The layout is great and the different patterns and textures just come together.  This is one card I'll enjoying sending out.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Break

Hello everyone,

I'm taking a little break from Christmas cards to craft a birthday card for one of my girlfriends.

 

The printed papers are Cosmo Cricket Art Angle.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart For Every Occasion stamped in Stampin' Up Ruby Red on Very Vanilla and layered on Ruby Red and Recollections.  The flower are punched from Ruby Red, DCWV and Recollections with and EK Success punch.  The embellishments are Dollarama Glitter Sticker pearls.

I've gone back to my leftover stash of envelopes.  I've still got quite a few to use up.  I think this is a great simple card.  My girlfriend has two young boys so I love making her really feminine cards.  The paper is really wonderful and I was pleased to finally use this great punch.  There is a way to make a chain out of the punched flowers but I've not yet figured it out. 

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

Happy Birthday M!

Gisèle

Christmas Flower Folds

Hello everyone,

Today's card is just fun.  I found this sample on Pinterest and just had to give it a try.

The printed papers are Recollections Sugar Plums punch from a large tag punch.  The flower is layered on Worldwin Red textured with Sizzix small dots.  The sentiment is Penny Black Merry Xmas stamped in Stampin' Up Real Red on Very Vanilla.  The embellishments is Martha Stewart Crafts Die Cuts.

I just love, love, love the flower.  Once I had the folds down, it really came together easily.  I'm not as thrilled with the background elements.  I think I could have worked out the placement of the sentiment better.  I really wish I had done a vertical card instead of a horizontal card.  I'll definitely do this flower again.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Gift

Hello everyone,

Yet another card for one of my colleagues using a leftover Christmas element.

The printed paper is American Crafts Kringle & Co layered on Stampin' Up Real Red.  The focal element is DCWV Glitter cardstock and Stampin' Up Very Vanilla.  The sentiment is My Favorite Things Merry and Bright.  The ornament is punched from Real Red paper and Very Vanilla covered with glitter.  The embellishment is from Fabricland.

I thought it was really inspired to craft a gift as a focal element.  I love how the ornament is offset and provides such great balance to the sentiment.  It's not what I intended when I started out but I'm really pleased with the results.  I love the non-traditional colours.

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

Gisèle

Glittering Elegance

Hello everyone,

Another colleague Christmas card for you today.

The printed papers are K&Company Tim Coffey.  The sentiment is Penny Black Holly Xmas stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Stampin' Up Whisper White and glittered with Classic Red Glamour Glitter, Green Studio K Glitter and Sakura Clear Star Gelly roll pen.  The sentiment is layered on a Ranger Alcohol inked piece of glossy paper and more K&Company Tim Coffey paper.

I was going through all the Christmas bits and pieces that I have lying around and decided to try to use them up on these next few cards.  I'd started with some ornaments that I had previously punched from some alcohol inked paper and stamped with a small holly stamp that I had then glittered.  This sentiment was to mimic that ornament.  Once I'd gotten all the elements together, I didn't end up using the ornament because it just didn't work.  This is likely what happened the first time around.  Oh well, I'll stick it back in the stash for another time.

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

Gisèle

The More The Merrier

Hello everyone,

I've finished the Christmas cards for my siblings and am now starting on cards for my colleagues.

The printed paper is Martha Stewart Snowflace mat pad layered on Worldwin shimmery white and Stampin' Up Real Red.  The ornament is a Cottage Cutz die cut from glossy paper that was smooshed with Ranger alcohol ink and affixed to a piece of white that was covered with Martha Stewart coarse crystal glitter.  The sentiment is Stampabilities Merry Christmas 06 stamped in Real Red on Recollections white.  The embellishment is a TPC Studio Holly Jolly brad.

I wish the photo did justice to the shimmery white layer as it plays beautifully with the glittered layer of the ornament.  I love the basic red and white color combination of this card.  Very Christmasy.

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

Gisèle

Merry Little Patterns

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card was crafted with my brother in mind.

The patterned papers are Recollections Bright Christmas layered on Stampin' Up Real Red.  The sentiment is Technique Tuesday Jingle All The Way stamped in Real Red on Whisper White.  The candy cane is Me & My Big Ideas Mambi Chips.

I don't know what it is about this bright and cheerful paper that I like so much.  I hadn't intended to use some much pattern when I first started crafting this card but somehow, when I added the top layer, it just seemed to work.  I'm pretty confident my brother will like this card.

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

Gisèle

Ornament Sparkle

Hello everyone,

Today's card, for one of my siblings, was inspired by a Pinterest card.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Winter Frost layered on Pool Party.  The ornaments were punched from a scrap of white paper that had been inked with ColorBox silver and white ink and Stampin' Up Pool Party and Baja Breeze ink.  The inked paper was covered with Crystal Glitter Ritz cool highlight microfine glitter.  The snowflakes are DCWV Glitter cardstock and Recollections foil. The sentiment is Verve Bright Spirits stamped in Pool Party on Whisper White and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestones.

I'm not as pleased with this card as I had hoped.  I think I should have used stronger colours of ink as they really washed out once I added the glitter.  I love the snowflakes because they add just that little extra depth that was much needed for the ornaments to pop.  I'm not going to give up on the technique as I know there is a way to get the results I'm looking for.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Ice

Hello everyone,

I'm slowly working on the Christmas parcel for my family, part of which includes a number of cards which will carry this year's school photos.  This is for one of my sisters.

The printed paper is Martha Stewart Frosty Elegance mat pad.  The snowflake is Cottage Cutz Crystal Flurry Snowflake die cut from DCWV Glitter cardstock.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up More Merry Messages stamped in ColorBox ink on Whisper White, layered on more DCWV Glitter cardstock and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The ribbon is Offray.

This is really beautiful paper with just a little bit of shimmer that works perfectly with this glittering snowflake and the silver border of the ribbon.  This is a new die for me that I really love.  It is very intricate, requiring a layer of wax paper to facilitate removing the image from the die.  Patience is required.

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

Gisèle

Brotherly Birthday

Hello everyone,

Today is my brother-in-law's birthday and this is the card I crafted for him.

The printed paper is Stampin' UpWell Worn layered on Not Quite Navy and Early Espresso.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Loved Ones stamped in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla and layered on more Early Espresso and Not Quite Navy.  The brads are of unknown origin.

Notwithstanding the brads, this is a pure Stampin' Up card.  I don't make many of them because when I upload to Splitcoast I find they just don't get that many views.  I'm uploading less and less to Splitcoast these and using my Pinterest I SPI board instead.  Pinterest is just so much less hassle.

My brother-in-law really appreciated the card and the kabob dinner that went with it.

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

Gisèle

Sweet Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Today's card was commissioned by a colleague for another colleague whose father has passed away.

The image is Stampin' Up Asian Artistry stamped in Soft Suede ink on Very Vanilla and coloured with pastels.  The image is layered on Rich Razzleberry and Always Artichoke.  The sentiment is Impression Obsession.  The embellishments are Kaisercraft December 25th pearls.

As simple as this card is, it took me three tries to get the images properly stamped.  It would have helped if I hadn't had ink on my fingers which I proceeded to smear on the previous attempt.  I love the final results so the trials and tribulations were worth it.

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

Gisèle

Beautiful Birthday

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for another colleague whose birthday is next week.  I wanted something really pretty for her.

The printed paper is Prima Fairy Flora "Sunlight Daisies" layered on Stampin' Up Orchid Opulence.  The focal element is So Saffron textured with Craft Concepts Flutterby embossing folder, highlighted with Mango Mamba LuminArte Twinkling H2Os and layered on more Orchid Opulence.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Beautiful Birthday stamped in Orchid Opulence on Whisper White and layered on more Orchid Opulence.  The embellishments are from Dollarama.

This is my favourite paper ever!  I love the watercolour effect and the colours are so very, very beautiful.  This photo really doesn't do the card justice as it really is a lovely card.  Between the muted background paper and the lovely yellow shimmer of the embossing, it all works together so well.  I'm confident my colleague will love her card.

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

Gisèle

Bonne Birthday

Hello everyone,

Today I'm posting the card I crafted for a colleague's birthday.

The printed papers are BasicGrey Marrakech layered on Stampin' Up Not Quite Navy and Close To My Heart Juniper.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Close To My Heart Juniper on Recollections white.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Square Durables.

I love this BasicGrey paper.  I don't ever think there was a card I crafted that didn't turn out beautifully.  I think the embellishments are the perfect masculine touch.

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

Gisèle

Striking Star Burst

Hello everyone,

Today is my mother's birthday.  An avid quilter, I thought she'd really like this star burst card.

 

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Raspberry Tart layered on Pretty In Pink, Recollections white, and more Raspberry Tart.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Joyful Birthday stamped in Wild Wasabi on Whisper White.  The ribbon is Stampin' Up Melon Mambo grosgrain.  The pearls are of unknown origin.

This is another wonderful card.  The colours are really striking and the different patterns work so beautifully together - thank you Stampin' Up!  I first came across one of these cards on Pinterest (yea!) but couldn't find the instructions on Splitcoast (ugh!) where the image was pinned from.  A simple Google search lead to a UTube video that was super easy to follow.  I can't wait to try this technique on other cards.

Happy Birthday Mom!

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

Gisèle

Totally Treed

Hello everyone,

I think I may be getting the hang of 'sentimentless' cards.  Today's, the last in this series, is my favourite.

 

The printed paper is Echo Park Winter Wishes layered on Close To My Heart Twilight and Stampin' Up Perfect Plum.  The image is Impression Obsession stamped in Twilight on Recollections white and layered on more Twilight and Perfect Plum.  The image is highlighted with Silver Stickles.

I love absolutely everything about this card!  This colour combination is one that I could use over and over again.  I always have problems with tree stamps as they always look wrong once I get them on a card.  I think letting the image slide off the paper resolves this issue as I find it very pleasing and am not at all bothered by the white space in the upper right corner.  It's all about balance and I think I found it!  Expect more!

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

Gisèle

Darling Dasher

Hello everyone,

Today's card is a lovely monochromatic.  I don't even really notice that there is no sentiment.

 

The printed paper is Echo Park Very Merry Christmas Snowmen layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White and Always Artichoke.  The image is Stampin' Up Dasher, stamped in Always Artichoke on Whisper White, heat embossed with Close To My Heart Silver Pearl, and layered on more Always Artichoke.  The embellishments are EK Success Shimmering Silver Dots.

Isn't this an awesome Christmas card!  I just love this Dasher stamps.  It inks up wonderfully and is great for embossing.  I think Dasher works perfectly with this paper.  This card isn't at all feminine and would be great for a male colleague.

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

Gisèle

Funky Flakes

Hello everyone,

All these commissioned cards couldn't be totally serious and this snowflake paper screams whimsy.

 

The printed paper is Echo Park Holly Jolly Christmas layered on Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay.  The images are Stampin' Up Serene Snowflakes stamped in Bermuda Bay, Chocolate Chip, Melon Mambo, and Wild Wasabi.  The images are highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are EK Success Shimmering Silver Dots and Jolee's Boutique Snowman Cabochons.

I love this bright and cheery card.  It really is quite striking.  I wish I had some less serious snowflake stamps but the final result is still quite pleasing.  These EK Success embellishments really make the snowflakes pop and add no depth at all to the card.  I'm glad my colleague didn't want all super serious Christmas cards as this one was just fun to craft.

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

Gisèle

Bright Blades

Hello everyone,

Today's card is another in the Christmas commission for one of my colleagues.  It didn't come together easily.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Winter Wonder layered on Stampin' Up Soft Suede and a textured red of unknown origin.  The Soft Suede layer was textured with Couture Creations Drink Me embossing folder and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The hemp is Darice.  The embellishment is EK Success Harvests Dots.

I think I must have tried at least four iterations of this card before settling on this layout.  No sentiment cards are not quick and simple cards.  I hope this looks like a gift because that was my final intention.  This hemp is super fine so it adds no bulk to the card.  The embellishment is super flat for the same reason.  I highlighted the insides of the circles on the embossed Soft Suede layer so it would look like the skates had made the circles.  I don't know if it will be that obvious.

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

Gisèle

Snowflakes A Glittering

Hello everyone,

Another card for my colleagues commission.

 

The printed paper is BoBunny Winter Whisper layered on Stampin' Up Bashful Blue.  The snowflakes are die cut from Spellbinders Create-A-Flake 3 and Stampin' Up Whisper White and Bashful Blue which was glittered with Martha Stewart Coarse Crystal glitter.  The ribbon is Crafts.  The embellishments are from Fabricland.

As much trouble as I had with yesterday's card, today's effort was a breeze.  My colleague wanted some traditional and some more funky cards.  Obviously I do traditional better than modern.  This photo doesn't do this card justice because it truly is a beige, blue and white sparkling beauty.

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

Gisèle

Modern Trees

Hello everyone,

Now that I've completed the series of nieces and nephew cards for my sister and father-in-law, I'm on to another commission. One of my colleagues has requested six Christmas cards with no sentiments.  A challenge that is stretching my weak mojo.

 

The printed paper is Echo Park Paper Company Holly Jolly Christmas layered on DCWV.  The image is Bonnidee Layering Trees stamped in Stampin' Up Ruby Red and Wild Wasabi on Whisper White and layered on more DCWV.  The card is highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

Not only did my colleague request no sentiments but as these cards will be mailed, she didn't want much by way of thickness.  When she first made this commission, I thought this would be a great project; I didn't reckon on the creative challenge.  This particular card took three tries before I managed a result that I found pleasing.  I thank goodness for Stickles and Gelly Roll pens which lend to wonderful embellishments without any thickness. 

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

Gisèle

Doubly Creative

Hello everyone,

It's not often I miss a post, now I've missed two in as many weeks.  Yesterday was a beautiful, beautiful day and I managed to get a ton of outdoor work done.  By the time dinner was over, I had nothing left in the tank with which to craft a card, let alone post.  I think the break was good because I crafted two great cards for you today.  These are the last two cards for my sister and brother-in-law's niece and nephew cards.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Beyond The Garden designer series paper.  The vertical element is Whisper White, textured with Cuttlebug Leafy Branch embossing folder layered on Melon Mambo.  The flowers are BossKut Design-A-Flower Star Burst Flowers die cut from Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight, Tangerine Tango, and Whisper White.  The flowers are highlighted with Fruit Punch Stickles.  The leaves are Sizzix Little Leaves die cut from Wild Wasabi.  The sentiment is Gina K Tag Lines stamped in Melon Mambo on Whisper White and layered on more Melon Mambo. 

The printed paper is BoBunny Detour Dots layered on Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Delightful Dozen stamped in Bravo Burgundy on Whisper White and layered on Basic Grey and more Bravo Burgundy.  The embellishments are from Fabricland.

I love both of these cards!  It's been a long time since I played with die cut petals and I think these flower turned out particularly well.  They add a lot of interest to this card without any bulk at all.  Perfect for mailing.  I love the printed paper on the second card.  All the signs are really cool.  It totally inspired all the rounded edges.  The angled sentiment was a complete accident that just works.  I didn't stamp in the optimum spot on the paper scrap to punch it out properly.  Having the sentiment angled, against the rows of signs really makes it pop.  I love happy accidents.

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

Gisèle

You're Fabulous

Hello everyone,

I've only a few cards left in the niece and nephew series.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Shades of Spring layered on Pretty In Pink.  The vertical element is an EK Success Retro Flower punch.  The sentiment is Verve Uplifting Phrases stamped in Early Espresso.  The embellishments are White Opal Liquid Pearls.

I truly love this very simple card.  I thought it would be more complex when I first started but once I'd punched the border and added the Liquid Pearls, I decided to stop while I was ahead.  This will be the perfect card for mailing overseas; with not one bit of bulk.

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

Gisèle

Great Globes

Hello everyone,

This is one of my favourites in this series.

The printed paper is BoBunny Detour Globe Trotting layered on Recollections Kraft and Navy.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Joyful Birthday stamped in Stampin' Up Night of Navy on Whisper White.  The embellishments are My Mind's Eye "I'm With" Enamel Dots.

I really love BoBunny paper!  Not only is it wonderful to use but it is different.  I can often find certain themes that just are not available elsewhere.  I just had to use a circle for the sentiment which, for those who know me, is stepping outside the box in a big way.  In this particular case it wasn't too difficult because of all the globe images.  I actually think it would have looked really bizarre not to use a circle.

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

Gisèle

Bits And Bobs

Hello everyone,

This is yet another card for my sister and brother-in-law.

The printed papers are DCWV Girl Stack.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Joyful Birthday stamped in Stampin' Up Taken With Teal on Whisper White and layered on more DCWV Girl Stack.  The embellishments are Recollections Glitter Adhesive Dots.

I love all the girly accoutrement on this great paper.  DCWV really hit the mark when they designed this series.  Every card that I've crafted with this paper had turned out wonderfully.  I actually have a hard time choosing which piece or pieces to use when I start looking though the stack.

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

Gisèle

Weird But Wonderful

Hello everyone,

After pausing for Remembrance Day yesterday I'm back to working on the card sets for my sister and brother-in-law.

The printed paper is BasicGrey Sugar Rush layered on Stampin' Up More Mustard.  The butterfly is punch from an EK Success butterfly punch in DCWV Glitter cardstock.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Wacky Wishes stamped in More Mustard on Whisper White and layered on More Mustard.  The embellishments are EK Success Dots Brights.  The card is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

This is just a super fun card that was totally geared to a young girl.  I love this BasicGrey paper and use it often when crafting cards for a young person.  I love the seemingly odd colours that shouldn't work together but actually do.  The line drawings are also quite juvenile but just work.  The pop of orange from the butterfly really brings it all together.

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

Gisèle