Arches, Colour, Lines and Shapes

Hello everyone,

Today I'm posting the last of the French cards in the series I've crafted for the charity card sale at work.  I think I may be finished with the sale cards but I just may craft a couple of one sheet wonders to add to our stock if I have some time.

The printed paper is TaDa Creative Studios Moscow layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White and a textured atd card stock.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Close To My Heart Outdoor Denim on Whisper White and layered on more textured atd.  The card has been highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

I think I've done pretty well with this French series.  I've only the one set of French sentiments and, with all the other sentiment sets in my stash, it was pretty challenging to keep going with all the cards on the list.  I'd intended this last card to be a neutral anniversary card but I think it really is too feminine.  I really love the arches, colours, lines and shapes (per the blog title) on this paper.  Every time I look at this card, I see something else that appeals.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Squared

Hello everyone,

When I was crafting this series of French cards, I loosely followed a list of masculine, feminine and neutral cards that I wanted to make.  I'm coming to the end of this series and the mojo is starting to lag so I turned to the list to see what else was needed for the charity sale.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on DCWV Silky Smooth Stack and textured Bazzill.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Stampin' Up Whisper White and layered on more DCWV Silky Smooth Stack.  The embellishment are of unknown origin, likely Multicrafts.

This card is intended to be a masculine birthday card but it actually works well as a neutral card.  I love the different coloured squares.  Though virtually any colour could be used for layering, I stuck with a darker grey / lighter black to keep it more masculine.  It certainly makes the sentiment and layers pop!  The textured background layer adds even more interest to this card even though you don't necessarily get the sense of the texture from this photo.  Overall, a card well done!

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

Gisèle

Congratulation Stripes

Hello everyone,

I am almost finished posting the French card series I've crafted for the charity card sale at work.

The printed paper is My Mind's Eye Trés Jolie "Handsome Stripe".  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip on Very Vanilla and layered on more My Mind's Eye and Chocolate Chip.  The embellishments are Fabricland.

Neutral can have colour!  I know I've posted a fair number of neutral French cards in this series but I think this one has a much different feel.  It has a fair bit of colour and the stripes add a lot of interest.  By keeping the layout simple and the embellishments to a minimum, this card is a great example of colourfully neutral.

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

Gisèle

Peacock Pretty

Hello everyone,

Another pretty French card for the upcoming charity card sale at work.

The printed paper is Crate Paper Blue Hill Collection layered on Close To My Heart Juniper.  The image is Stampin' Up World Treasures Peacock stamped in Bronze Color Box ink on Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Juniper ink.  The embellishments are Forever In Time Diamond Gem Studs.  The card is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

It is very rare for me to buy such a distinctive stamp but I fell in love with this pretty peacock and just couldn't resist.  I use it sparingly.  This photo doesn't do the card justice.  It really is quite lovely even with the peacock stamped in the neutral copper.  In hindsight, I should have stamped the peacock in the Juniper ink and used Early Espresso for the sentiment.  I also wish I had remembered to trim the corners of the bottom layers before I adhered them - it's just not something I think of until after the fact.  It would have provided a nice balance to this card.

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

Gisèle

Oh So Pretty!

Hello everyone,

I've had my fill of neutral cards!  I am more than ready and quite happy to put the somewhat blander paper scraps back in their assigned envelops and pull out pretty and colourful.

The printed paper is BasicGrey Sultry layered on Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade.  The images are Stampin' Up Pocket Silhouettes stamped in Stampin' Up Smoky Slate, Certainly Celery, Pear Pizzazz, Wild Wasabi, Melon Mambo, and Ranger Spun Sugar Distress ink on Whisper White and layered on more Whisper White.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Early Espresso.  The butterflies are die cut from Close To My Heart Smoothie with Sizzix Embosslits Beautiful Wings.  The embellishments are pearls of unknown origin.

This card uses a stamped focal point that I've now repeated a couple of time with this card and this card because I like the effect so very much.  These butterflies have been lying around my desk for ages, I actually can't remember which card they were originally used for.  They work perfectly with the pink flowers on this printed paper.  I don't think all sympathy cards need to be somber.  Sometimes 'pretty' is just what's needed to raise spirits.

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

Gisèle

Neutral Pop

Hello everyone,

Back to the French charity cards today.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up To The Nines layered on Sage Shadow.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White and layered on a black of unknown origin that was textured with Cuttlebug's Oriental Weave embossing folder.  The embellishments are from Fabricland.

While I had the incredibly neutral To The Nines paper on my desk, I figured I should try to use as much of it as possible.  I really like the sage shadow/white pattern on this particular piece and I tried to mimic the pattern, as much as I could, with the embossing of the black scrap.  I'm quite pleased with the results.  I really like the pop of black against the green and white.  I think this is a great neutral thank you card.

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

Gisèle

Golfing Birthday

Hello everyone,

I'm interrupting the French cards series because today is hubby's birthday and I wanted to post the card I crafted for him.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up To The Nines.  The image is Stampin' Up On The Green stamped in Always Artichoke on textured Bazzill Vanilla.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Happy Birthday stamped in Always Artichoke on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Me And My Big Ideas Soft Spoken.

As those of you who follow my blog know, my husband is an avid golfer and I usually craft golf-themed cards for him.  This image was borrowed from a friend and I've a pretty decent stash of pre-stamped images.  I'm not quite sure how I'm going to use them all however I suspect I could craft a pile of cards for the charity sale.  Not the most sentimental of guys, hubby does keep all the cards I craft for him - it must be love!

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

Gisèle

Nicely Neutral

Hello everyone,

Today's card takes advantage of the beautiful paisley I wrote about yesterday.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up To The Nines.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Very Vanilla and layered on more To The Nines and Recollections Vanilla.

This is why I bought this paper!  I love the neutral and I think this makes a perfect sympathy card!  I added no flash, it is a sympathy card, and it doesn't need it as the layers of pattern add enough interest.  I first stamped the sentiment in Always Artichoke ink but it just wasn't strong enough a contrast against the Always Artichoke paisley.  The black ink was so much better.

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

Gisèle

Mars, Mars, Mars

Hello everyone,

When I look at today's masculine get well card next to yesterday's feminine card, they couldn't be more different.  Men really are from Mars!

The printed papers are Stampin' Up To The Nines layered on Sage Shadow.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Chocolate Chip on Whisper White.  The embellishments are Fabricland.

I don't want to call this card ugly because it's not.  It's just really, really masculine and since I'm a girl, it's overall appeal is limited.  I did use the Sage Shadow layers to try to brighten it up a bit, but it's only a bit. I crafted this series of cards over the summer and left them in a pile for later blogging.  When I reached this card, my first though was, 'what was I thinking when I bought this paper'!  It has other sheets with some beautiful paisley.  That's what I was thinking!

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

Gisèle

Sparkling Get Well

Hello everyone,

Today's charity sale card is a sweet, feminine get well card.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Cutie Pie layered on Stampin' Up So Saffron and Rose Red.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Rose Red on Whisper White and layered on more Rose Red.  The ribbon is White Rose.  The embellishment is American Crafts.  The card was highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

If I received this get well card, it would certainly pick up my spirits.  This Cutie Pie paper is so very, very cheerful!  Until I start going through my paper stash, I never quite realize exactly how much I've got and really, cards don't use any where near the amount of printed paper that scrapbooking does.  This paper lends itself beautifully to Stickles!  All those dots to highlight!

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

Gisèle

Cute Congratulations

Hello everyone,

After all the neutrals of the last few cards, I was looking to craft something pretty!

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Cutie Pie.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Rose Red on Whisper White.  The embellishments are Dollarama Glittering Stickers, Queen and Company Snowflake Rhinestones and Close To My Heart Bitty Sparkles.

This card couldn't have been any easier.  I found a scrap large enough for the background layer, added the sentiment and some sparkle and it was done!  I probably could have added a solid layer beneath the printed paper but the white on white works.  I love how the sentiment really pops in the Rose Red.  I could have used blue, yellow or green but it wouldn't have had near the same impact.

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

Gisèle

Fête des Pères

Hello everyone,

Today's card is the 'pair' for yesterday's card.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Urban Oasis.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are Fabricland.

Using a layout with so many different pieces is a wonderful way to use up all those little scraps that are too nice to throw away.  As I pulled all these pieces from the same Stampin' Up paper pack (see my comments about Urban Oasis from yesterday), it wasn't too difficult to ensure that they related, in some small way, to each other.  I wish I'd done a better job at centering the embellishments.  I find it much more of a challenge with squares than with circles.  Notwithstanding that tiny glitch, I love this card for Father's Day!

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

Gisèle

Fête des Mères

Hello everyone,

The French stamp set I'm working with has pretty lovely Mother's Day and Father's Day sentiments so I decided to craft a couple of these cards for the charity sale.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Urban Oasis.  The image is Stampin' Up Faith In Nature stamped in Pear Pizzazz on Whisper White.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Doodlebug Boy Assortment mini pearls.

It seems rather strange to be crafting a Mother's Day card in the summer.  I love the results.  This is one of my favourite stamps as I love over stamping an image.  I found a rather large pile of Urban Oasis paper scraps and I'm determined to use them up as much as possible.  I know this designer series paper is long retired but it truly is a great paper pack as the different sheets have a ton of versatility.

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

Gisèle

Simple Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Today's card is a lovely sympathy card.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Urban Oasis.  The image is Woodware Nature Silhouettes stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Mocha Opaques.

I sell a lot of sympathy cards at the office so it seemed only logical to craft a few for the card sale.  This works well either masculine or feminine I think. I really like how the stamped image mimics the patterned paper.  This is a great Woodware set and I'm really glad I picked it up.

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

Gisèle

Marvelous Merci

Hello everyone,

Today's charity card uses yet more scrap pieces of printed paper.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Urban Oasis.  The image is Woodware Nature Silhouettes stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Urban Oasis.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1.  The ribbon is Hobby Lobby Decorative Trim.

As I was working on this latest series, I decided to craft feminine, masculine and neutral cards using a variety of scraps and the one set of French sentiments I have.  This particular card was originally meant to be a masculine thank you card but once I added the ribbon, it seemed more feminine to me.  I did however realize that it would work well as a feminine card given my a male.  It's a great colleague to colleague card that really is quite neutral.

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

Gisèle

Fabulous Fête

Hello everyone,

I've another rather sophisticated French charity sale card today.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Mocha Morning.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla.  The ribbon is Multicrafts.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Mocha Opaques.

This is another beautiful card!  Unlike yesterday's card, I often combine brown and vanilla.  It's a natural combination to me.  I was so pleased with yesterday's anniversary card I decided to see what else I had for scraps in this pack of designer series paper.  Goodness knows I have so much printed paper it seems like I'll never use it all.

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

Gisèle

Elegant Anniversaire

Hello everyone,

I've done a blitz of French cards for the upcoming charity card sale at work so the next few weeks of posts will highlight these cards.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Mocha Morning.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on a shimmery grey and textured black of unknown origin.  the embellishments are Close To My Heart Licorice Opaques and Dollarama Glittering Stickers.

I love this sophisticated anniversary card.  I don't often think to combine black and vanilla but it's really worked well for this card.  The flocked pattern of the paper is extremely elegant and I think the vanilla just adds to the elegance of this very straightforward card.

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

Gisèle

Glittering Holly Set

Hello everyone,

This is the second set of quick and easy Christmas cards that I crafted with some leftover class supplies.

The stickers are Me & My Big Ideas Mambi Chips.  Additional supplies include Stampin' Up Real Red and Lucky Limeade card stock, Bazzill card stock, and Sizzix Christmas Phrases embossing folder.

I was so keen on these cards that in a couple of cases, I rushed the placement and ended up crooked.  I had to do some covering up.  It all worked out well however as this set is really pretty!  The photo doesn't do these cards justice.  I didn't use any extra embellishments as I did with yesterday's cards because the holly just didn't lend itself to embellishing like the candy stickers did.

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

Gisèle

Glittering Sweet Set

Hello everyone,

When I was looking for embellishments for the French Christmas cards I came across a couple of sets of stickers and chip board that I'd picked up for a beginners card making class.  I decided to use up the leftovers for a couple of quick and easy sets of Christmas cards for the charity card sale at work.

The stickers are Me & My Big Ideas Mambi Chips.  Embellishments include Christmas Red, Silver and Crystal Ice Stickles, EK Success Shimmering Silver Dots, and Jolees All That Bling Red Studs.

I wanted to show a group of beginner card makers that you could craft some beautiful Christmas cards with some great stickers and plain card bases that can be found at your local craft store.  No tools or techniques are needed.  The best thing, each card took only minutes to craft.

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

Gisèle

Sweet As Candy

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last of the French Christmas cards for the charity sale this Fall at work.

The printed papers are Recollections Sugar Plums and Bright Christmas.  The sentiment is Bonnidee C'est Noël stamped in Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Chocolate Chip and Sugar Plums.  The sticker is K&Company Tim Coffey.  The Sugar Plums strip was highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

This is another card crafted entirely from scraps.  Would you believe, I've not really made much of a dent in my leftovers with this series.  It's too bad there are so many appealing Christmas papers out there because I really don't need to buy another sheet of paper for the rest of my crafting life.  I love this piece of Christmas candy paper as it makes for some pretty sweet cards (LOL)!  It is actually why I picked up these great K&Company gingerbread stickers.  I added the Stickles, which you don't see very well in the photo, to work with the wee bit of glitter in the sticker.  It really brings this simple card together.

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

Gisèle

Naturally Sophisticated

Hello everyone,

Today's card is the only one in this French Christmas series that uses a new sheet of paper.

The printed paper is Recollections Botanical Noel layered on Gina K Fresh Asparagus.  The sentiment is Bonnidee C'est Noël stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Fresh Asparagus.  The embellishments are EK Success Swarovski Elements.

It was the sentiment that inspired this card.  I wanted to use all the stamps in this set but this particular phrase is specific to trees and the font needs a card just a little more classy.  The crystal and gold embossed cardinal really make this simple layout beautiful.

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

Gisèle

Stockings And Snowflakes

Hello everyone,

Moving on from vintage.

The printed paper is My Mind's Eye Winter Wonderland.  The sentiment is Bonnidee C'est Noël stamped in Nick Bantock Deep Turquoise on Recollections Vanilla.  The stickers are Recollections.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Class Act.

This card is all about the stickers.  Once I pulled these pretty stocking stickers out of my stash, it was just a matter of finding some blue scraps to coordinate with them.  This card couldn't have been any easier or simpler.  I originally intended to place the stockings vertically but there wasn't enough room on this card base.  I'm glad there wasn't because I'm pretty pleased with them just like this.

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

Gisèle

Patterned Layers

Hello everyone,

It will be hard to beat yesterday's card perfection!

The printed papers are Kaisercraft Just Believe.  The sentiment is Bonnidee C'est Noël stamped in Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishment is K&Company Elizabeth Brownd.

Obviously vintage has been inspiring the last few cards.  These particular scraps just fell out of the envelop at the same time and I knew they belonged together on a card.  The last little while I've been quite taken with layering different prints together.  I particularly like this hounds-tooth piece under the flourishes.  They don't really come across as Christmas papers but once the sticker was added, it really made the card work.  The sticker embellishment actually have a really vintage feel though it did not photograph as well as I would have liked.  This card could be in an antique store!

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

Gisèle

Silver Snow

Hello everyone,

I couldn't believe I found this big piece of scrap in the Kaisercraft envelope.

The printed paper is Kaisercraft Just Believe.  The sentiment is Bonnidee C'est Noël stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Recollections Silver.  The embellishments are Jolee's All That Bling Round Silver Studs.

I was playing with a ton of elements when I was doing the dry run for a layout and was having a terrible time finding bits and pieces that appealed.  When I finally stopped messing around and just looked down, I realized that all that was needed was this one piece of paper and a few pieces of silver bling.  This, to me, is a perfect card!

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

Gisèle

Winter Blues

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another Christmas card in the latest series of French holiday cards I've been crafting.

The printed papers are Kaisercraft Just Believe layered on Bazzill that was textured with the Sizzix Northern Fleury embossing folder.  The sentiment is Bonnidee Layering Trees stamped in Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy on Recollections Vanilla.  The ribbon is Close To My Heart.  The embellishments are Want 2 Scrap LeCreme Baby Bling Pearls.

After yesterday's really traditional vintage card I thought I'd try something less traditional but still vintage.  I love the results!  This is a fantastic Christmas card!  In real life, the bottom blue layer is actually much less bright.  Also, the embossed snowflakes are actually more distressed than this photo shows.  I really love playing with leftovers like these and I've had great fun coordinating and layering.

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

Gisèle

Vintage Fêtes

Hello everyone,

I've just realized that many of my leftover Christmas paper are stripes that have to be joined to fit the card bases.

The printed papers are BoBunny Rejoice.  The sentiment is Bonnidee C'est Noël stamped in StazOn Olive Green on Recollections Vanilla.  The cording is Bead Landing Hemp Cord.  The sticker is K&Company Tim Coffey.

Let me just say that applying cording to cover seam lines is a challenge and doesn't deliver the greatest results.  As I blog this card, I realize I'm going to have to make some repairs otherwise this cording is going to rip my paper seams apart.  Notwithstanding my cording issues, I think this card turned out great!  It's not always easy to use up scraps but finding good sized pieces in the bin helped this card come together pretty easily.  Finding a workable sticker was interesting but this one works quite well and really lends to the vintage feeling I was hoping for.

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

Gisèle

Silver & Gold

Hello everyone,

In my entire stash of Christmas paper, I think my favourites are the Anna Griffin designs.

The printed paper is Anna Griffin Winter Wonderland layered on Canford Gold and Canford Silver.  The sentiment is Bonnidee Xmas Wording stamped in StazOn Gold Metallic on Recollections Vanilla.  The ribbon is Crafts.  The embellishments are ZVA Creative.

I love this wonderfully simple card.  I probably could have embossed the gold layer but there is something quite striking and luxurious about the patterned paper right next to this strip of gold.  These snowflakes were designed to be embellished and this extra bit of glitter adds that little bit more to make the perfect card.

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

Gisèle

Horizontal Christmas Stripes

Hello everyone,

I'm working on some French Christmas cards for the charity card sale at the office this Fall.

The printed paper is Echo Park Keepin' Cozy which is highlighted with Silver Stickles.  The solid paper is Recollections Navy edged with Martha Stewart Gothic Arches border punch.  The sentiment is Bonnidee C'est Noël stamped in Stampin' Up Not Quite Navy.  The ribbon is Celebrate It.

My goal with this series of cards is to make a dent in the pile of Christmas paper in my scrap bin.  Given my love of Christmas cards, there are a lot of leftovers.  This ribbon has a silver highlight on the snowflakes so I decided to run with that element and added some silver Stickles to the printed paper.  I'm not certain how well the Gothic Arches work with the printed paper but it was the best option in my collection.  I've always hesitated to buy a theme specific punch but may be I should rethink it.

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

Gisèle

Green Félicitations

Hello everyone,

This is the last card in my latest series of charity sale cards.  Congratulations

The printed and solid papers are Generations Pretty Simple Primary Color Collection.  The image is Annabelle Hold A Candle stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and coloured with Sakura Glaze pen.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The ribbon is Hobby Lobby Decorative Trim.

Green, white and black, what a great colour combination.  This is a much lovelier green card than the English version.  Like all the other cards in this series, it's meant to be gender neutral and multipurpose.  The kind of card you could use in a pinch.  I go back and forth on this series.  Some times I think these are really great cards at other times, I wonder if they'll really sell.  We'll see in October.

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

Gisèle

Blue Heureuse Retraite

Hello everyone,

Today's charity sale card is a French retirement card.

The printed and solid papers are Generations Pretty Simple Primary Color Collection.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The ribbon is Dashes, Dots & Checks and Offray.  The printed paper is highlighted with Silver Stickles.

Like all the earlier cards in this series, it's a pretty simple and straightforward card.  I figured it would work well for either a female or male retirement.  It strikes me as rather impersonal for a retirement as I usually like to creative something more custom but I think this would do as a last minute, in a pinch card.

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

Gisèle