Blossoms Of Blue

Hello everyone,

Now that I've used all the yellow card bases, it's time to move on to the bright green ones.  Again, what the heck was I thinking!

The textured card base is DCWV.  The patterned papers are Cosmo Cricket DeLovely layered with Stampin' Up Whisper White.  The images are Stampin' Up Stippled Blossoms stamped in Marina Mist, Baja Breeze, Nick Bantock Chartreuse Leaf, and Close To My Heart Sweet Leaf.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Curly Cute stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Doodlebug mini pearls.

While this printed paper is not an absolute match to the card base, the tone works extremely well, especially layered with white.  I can't quite figure why I love the printed paper so much yet the green card base I'm less than excited about?  I played with a number of images before settling on this favourite two-step stamp.  I was easily able to match the blue colours of the image with those in the paper.  The blue rather calms all that bright green I think.

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

Gisèle

Fabulously Floral

Hello everyone,

Today's charity card is the last one using the yellow card bases.

The card base is textured DCWV.  The printed papers are Momenta Patty Young Designs.  The image is Stampin' Up Bordering On Romance stamped in River Rock on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Close To My Heart Smoothie.  The images are coloured with a variety of Stampin' Up Pastels. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Well Scripted stamped in Soft Suede.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone stickers.

I've used and coloured this image in earlier cards but its been quite a while.  I wanted to use this strip of diamond patterned paper from an earlier card because I just love it.  An excuse to use more bling.  I also used these flower images because I really wanted some contrast for these stripes.  I actually find striped and dotted paper a bit of a challenge because they don't always translate well onto cards once its cut to size.  Random patterns look so much better.  Anyway, I figured by showing a fair amount of the striped paper, it would look better and it does.  I can't explain why but I suspect it has to do with 'scale'.

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

Gisèle

Sunburst of Butterflies

Hello everyone,

Today's charity card is somewhat outside of my comfort zone.

The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Momenta Patty Young Designs layered on Close To My Heart Smoothie.  The images are Stampin' Up Kinda Eclectic stamped in Barely Banana and Blush Blossom on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Smoothie.  The butterflies were highlighted with Illuminate ink.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Express Yourself stamped in Pear Pizzazz and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are Doodlebug mini pearls and Queen & Company Shamrock Green pearls.

A girlfriend recently remarked that I don't often use images on my cards.  She's right, I really favour printed papers, layers and great sentiments.  I decided it was time to see what I could do with some of the images I have in my stash.  This particular Stampin' Up set was recently acquired because I loved the rows of dots.  I thought it worked exceptionally well with this printed paper.  The butterflies were a pretty easy pick as I've loads of butterfly stamps.  The sunburst though made me wonder what the heck I was thinking!  I'm not particularly fond of yellow as I find it so very hard to work with and have very limited yellow inks available.  In this particular case I'm very grateful for the retired ink pads I've not unloaded.  I love the results!

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

Gisèle

Bling And Ribbon

Hello everyone,

I thought, when I first pulled out these yellow card bases, it would be a tough slog.  As it turned out, not as bad as I thought.

The card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Momenta Patty Young Designs layered on Close To My Heart Smoothie.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Joyful Birthday stamped in Hollyhock on Recollections Vanilla, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen, and layered on more Smoothie.  The ribbon is Daisy Bucket Villa Ribbon.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

I debated placing gems over the entire card but decided that would be maybe a little too much bling.  I thought it rather looked like a piece of tufted fabric and it looks just fine below the ribbon.  This is my favourite of the charity cards so far.  I love the colours and pattern of this paper and the ribbon couldn't be a better match.

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

Gisèle

Sparkle And Shine

Hello everyone,

I'm going to be working on cards for the Fall charity card sale for the next while.  I'm using up a box of card bases that I've had in my stash for quite a while.

The textured card base is DCWV.  The printed paper is Momenta Patty Young Designs layered on Close To My Heart Smoothie.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Perfectly Penned stamped in Close To My Heart Slate on Recollections White and layered on Momenta and Smoothie.  The printed paper is highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

The photo doesn't do this card justice.  The Stickles in the center of each flower adds not only some great shimmer but some amazing texture.  This particular piece of paper is not a favourite from this collection but with the Stickles it's transformed.  I'm keeping these charity cards really simple.  There are a lot of cards to craft and if I get too complicated, not only do they become expensive, but we won't have the stock we need.

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

Gisèle

Pinks and Bling

Hello everyone,

My card box is packed solid so I think it's time to start working on cards for the Fall charity sale at the office.

The card base is DCWV textured card bases.  The printed paper is Momenta Patty Young Designs.  The image is Close To My Heart Thoughts Of You stamped in Stampin' Up Pear Pizzazz and Close To My Heart Blush and Hollyhock on Recollections White, and layered Close To My Heart Smoothie.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Early Espresso.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

Whenever I craft for the charity card sale, I go through my supplies to see what I can use up.  I've had this box of card bases for eons.  Each colour has five bases and I've only used a few from the box before now.  I plan to use a single paper collection for each colour.  There should be some pretty great sets when I'm through.  I'm particularly pleased with this first card.

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

Gisèle

Seeds of Sympathy

Hello everyone,

I needed to even up the French sympathy card numbers and I had a new Penny Black I wanted to try.

The background image is Hero Arts Old Letter Writing stamped in Stampin' Up Crumbcake.  The image is Penny Black Delicate Floral stamped in Soft Suede and coloured with Stampin' Up Pastels.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper.  The embellishments are Want 2 Scrap LeCreme Baby Bling Pearls.

I wasn't particularly happy with the writing used on Tuesday's card.  It smooshed, though not badly enough for me to throw it aside, it wasn't as crisp as I'd have liked.  I wanted to try the wording again but in an entirely different context, so to speak.  I like this version so much better.  I decided to use the chalks because I wanted to keep it very soft and I find that so much easier to do that with the chalks.

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

Gisèle

Swallowtail Sympathy En Français

Hello everyone,

I was so very thrilled with yesterday's card that I just had to experiment a little more with a french version.

The image is Stampin' Up Swallowtail stamped in Blackberry Bliss on Recollections White and layered on Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper and Blackberry Bliss.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Queen & Co Marble Hypnotic Rox.

I have to say, this card is as awesome as yesterday's.  This stamp is almost indescribably impressive.  I don't think I have crafted a card with this stamp that I haven't just loved.  I decided to make this card vertical instead of horizontal just to see what it would be like.  As lovely as all the other Swallowtail cards.

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

Gisèle

Swallowtail Sympathy

Hello everyone,

I love this image and am having such a wonderful time with the alcohol inked paper that I thought I'd see what happens when I combine the two.  Not one iota of disappointment.

The images is Stampin' Up Swallowtail stamped in Blackberry Bliss on Recollections White.  The background is Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper layered on Blackberry Bliss.  The sentiment is Gina K Garden Silhouettes stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on more Recollections White.  The embellishments are Queen & Company Marble Hypnotic Rox.

Even though there are lots of blues and silvers in this paper, there is also a titch of purple and it works amazingly with the Blackberry Bliss.  Like so many of my recent cards, what I originally planned, didn't work out.  I was cleaning the stamp and accidentally sprayed the image, making the rest of the layer useless.  As I didn't want the image to be wasted, I decided to cut it out and place it over the edges of the card.  I'm so in love with this card, I don't want to put it in my stash.  That being said, I can always craft another.

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

Gisèle

Sympathy Flight

Hello everyone,

I've made my way back to some of the larger pieces of alcohol inked paper.

The image is Hero Arts French Writing With Butterfly stamped on Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper in StazOn Timber Brown and layered on DCWV Silky Smooth cardstock.  The bottom layer is more brushed antique gold textured with Craft Concepts Butterfly Kisses embossing folder.  The sentiment is Just Rite Large Fancy Sentiments stamped in StazOn Timber Brown on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are Pebbles Brown Pearl Candy Dots.

I thought these natural tones really evoked autumn but I've enough thank you cards in my stash to last quite a while.  I also don't need any more birthday cards.  I can always, always use sympathy cards.  I love these colours and the butterflies are, I think, quite peaceful.

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

Gisèle

Spring Fling

Hello everyone,

I'm going to have even more of the alcohol inked paper for you.  My girlfriend and I got together on Sunday and played with my stash of ink.  The results were stupendous!

The Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper is layered on Close To My Heart Buttercup and Stampin' Up Pistachio Pudding.  The images are Stampin' Up Bloom With Hope and Happy Watercolor stamped in Certainly Celery and Daffodil Delight on Recollections White, highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999, and layered on more Buttercup.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Perfectly Penned stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are My Mind's Eye Enamel Dots.

The beautiful greens and yellows in this inked paper so reminded me of spring that I decided it was the perfect theme for a card.  It's so bright and fresh it just puts me in a happy place after our long, cold winter.  It took me a bit to find flowers that I was happy with, I was going to use the Lotus Blossom stamp but I am having a really hard time getting the ink colours right with that stamp.  I don't have a lot of yellow inks to choose from so I was rather limited from the get go.  I debated the embellishments - pearls, bling, dots - so many choices.

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

Gisèle

As Intended

Hello everyone,

This card is more what I had in mind for yesterday's card.

The images are Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge stamped in Lost Lagoon, Crushed Curry, Pool Party and Baja Breeze and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Whimsical Words stamped in StazOn Jet Black on Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper and layered on textured Bazzill teal.  The embellishment is of unknown origin.

I've seen the Grunge images as a background on a number of cards and find it really appealing even though this is certainly out of my comfort zone.  Using ink colours that work with the alcohol inked square gives great layers and visual interest amid all the lovely white space.  The metal butterfly charm is rather unusual as well and adds even more interest.  This is what I had hoped to achieve with yesterdays card. It just goes to show that sometimes you just have to keep working at it and success will come.

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

Gisèle

Splattered Wishes

Hello everyone,

This card was suppose to be something entirely not what it actually ended up being.

The images are Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge stamped in Close To My Heart Cotton Candy, Hollyhock, Ruby and Tulip, and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is Penny Black Happy, Happy stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.

I think this is a great card.  No where close to my 'usual' but its good to step outside your creative box every once in a while.  My idea was to layer a piece of alcohol inked glossy paper with a sentiment over top the image.  Unfortunately, I didn't lay the images out in such a way that they wouldn't be completely covered by the layer I had intended.  Oh well, let's try something different.  In this case, different sure worked out well.

IIt has been a while since I submitted a card to a challenge but I think this card may work very well for this month's One-Layer Simplicity Challenge, Blowin' in the Wind.

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

Gisèle

Sweet Retirement

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for a colleague who is retiring.  Her love of baking made using this particular scrap of  cupcake paper a no-brainer.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Sweet Shop layered on Recollections White, Pool Party and Calypso Coral.  The Recollections layer was textured with Sizzix Retro Circles embossing folder and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.   The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Soft Suede and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The ribbon is Michael's Craftsmart.  The embellishments are Crafts.

I utterly love this card!  I was gifted this paper from a girlfriend and I've made great use of it for all the bakers in my life.  I was just as pleased with this thank you card for another baker friend.  I almost wish I had bought the package.  My restraint is admirable.

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

Gisèle

Stupendously Silver

Hello everyone,

After yesterday's amazing green and gold creation, I just had to try it with silver.

The background is Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper layered on a grey metallic of unknown origin and textured Stampin' Up Melon Mambo.  The image is Stampendous Butterfly Trio stamped in Blackberry Bliss and heat embossed with Close To My Heart Silver Pearl embossing powder.  The banners are die cut from more grey metallic with Sizzix Banner Framelits.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Joyful Birthday stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Melon Mambo and Recollections White.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

This card is not quite as incredible as yesterday's green and gold beauty but it's still pretty wonderful.  I had hoped that the silver embossing of the dark Blackberry Bliss would be more pronounced as happens with the silver pearl embossing powder.  These wonderful butterflies do have a lovely pink/purple tone that is really wonderful.  I will definitely do some more experimenting with embossing on the alcohol inked paper.

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

Gisèle

Gloriously Golden

Hello everyone,

I decided I wanted to try heat embossing on the alcohol inked glossy paper. It didn't disappoint in the very least.

The background is Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper layered on DCWV Glitzy Glitter Matstack and Close To My Heart Clover Meadow.  The image is Stampendous Butterfly Trio heat embossed with gold Close To My Heart embossing powder.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Beautiful Birthday stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Clover Meadow.  The ribbon is American Crafts.

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness!  This has to be one of the very most incredible cards I've ever crafted.  This green and gold creation is utterly amazing!  When I pictured it in my mind, I thought it would be pretty good, this is more incredible than I envisioned!  I debated adding the ribbon because I thought it would be a little too bland without it but really it could have gone either way.

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

Gisèle

Plum Perfect

Hello everyone,

As I was playing with butterfly stamps for yesterday's card, I made this wonderful layer that I couldn't wait to use.

The image is Stampendous Butterfly Trio stamped in Close To My Heart Smokey Plum on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Smokey Plum.  The darkest butterfly image is highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is Creative Vision Simply Said also stamped in Smokey Plum on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Smokey Plum and Recollections Vanilla.

I've seen this super easy technique many, many times but frankly, have never thought to actually try it.  I stamped multiple impressions of the butterfly image after inking only a single time.  I thought this would be a great technique with this particular image and it would be really interesting to see how it would work with all the overlapping impressions.  It turned out even better than I could have hoped!  I decided at last minute to do the Wink of Stella highlight and that only added to the great results.

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

Gisèle

Butterfly Blues

Hello everyone,

If I'm going to play with my stash of butterflies, I decided to pull out some stamps that I've not played with in some time.

The background layers are Ranger alcohol-inked glossy paper layered on Stampin' Up Marina Mist.  The image is Technique Tuesday Boho Buzz stamped in Marina Mist on Recollections White and layered on more Marina Mist and Recollections White.  The butterfly is highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Doodlebug Baby Boy Assortment mini pearls.

Can you believe this background paper!  This is why I can't seem to stop.  I could have easily made this a sympathy or get well card.  The really soft blue background and relatively simple butterfly image would lend to just about any type of card.  I thought about stamping right on the background but decided instead to use a focal layer so it would really pop.  I love this card!

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

Gisèle

Butterfly Bevy

Hello everyone,

The fumes from all that alcohol-inked paper certainly kept my mojo in high gear.  I've still got a ton of papers and butterfly stamps to show.

The background layers are Ranger alcohol-inked glossy paper layered on Recollections White and textured Bazzill teal.  The images are Stampin' Up Papillon Potpourri stamped in StazOn Jet Black on Recollections White, coloured with Stampin' Up Blendabilities and Tombow markers and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.

As you can tell, I'm having so much fun with these papers and my stash of butterfly stamps.  I can't believe how wonderful these latest cards are turning out.  I've documented how much of a challenge I find colouring so it's hard to believe that I've gone and picked up some of the, now discontinued, Blendabilities.  I had some freebies with my last couple of orders so thought I'd give them a try.  They're suppose to be no fail.  I'm not completely unimpressed with these particular results but think I'm actually going to have to invest in some Momento black ink.  Well worth all the practicing I'm going to be doing.

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

Gisèle

Remarkable Redos

Hello everyone,

I wasn't exactly pleased with the Grunged and Glittered and Sincerely Spring cards from earlier this week so decided to undertake some redoing.  It was absolutely worth the effort!

The butterfly die cut, sentiment and embellishments were reapplied to a piece of Recollections White and Marina Mist.  The sentiment, still Stampabilities Happy Birthday 01, was stamped in Stampin' Up Marina Mist.

The butterfly, sentiment and embellishments now pop without any loss to the great grunge background.  The butterfly is also wonderfully visible.

The butterfly die cut and sentiment were reapplied to a piece of Recollections White that was stamped with Stampin' Up Blooming With Kindness stamped in Daffodil Delight, layered on more Pear Pizzazz and White, and highlighted with Wink of Stella GL Clear 999.

The only change to this card was re-stamping the flowers in Daffodil Delight.  The butterfly no longer blends in quite so much.  It still doesn't pop as much as I'd hoped but at least it is so much more visible than my earlier effort.

I'm really pleased that I took the time to re-work these two card.  I really wasn't happy with the original results and these two cards are so much better.

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

Gisèle

Circles of Thanks

Hello everyone,

I did an awful lot of playing with my alcohol inks stash and am not quite finished crafting some great cards, if I do say so myself.

The image is Hero Arts Artistic Circles stamped in StazOn Jet Black on Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper and layered on Recollections White and textured Bazzill teal.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Lacy and Lovely stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Crystal Stickers 3mm Teal Elements.

I was so happy with this card from the thank you card series that I recently finished that I thought I'd try using the same stamp on an alcohol inked background.  I am not disappointed in the least!  This is a crazy wonderful stamp!  It is one of those incredibly memorably stamps that I really shy away from because I find the cards I craft with them are so hard to make really original and unique.  That being said, I sometimes can't resist.  I'm so happy with these two cards that I really don't care in the least that they are so very similar.

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

Gisèle

Fabulous Feathers

Hello everyone,

I so loved the feather thank you card from this post that I decided to try it with some of the alcohol inked paper that I'm so enamored with at the moment.

The images are Stampin' Up Four Feathers stamped in Certainly Celery, Pink Pirouette and Pool Part on Whisper White and die cut with Sizzix Feathers Framelits.  The background is Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper layered on Pink Pirouette and Certainly Celery.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker Best Wishes stamped in StazOn Timber Brown.  The embellishment is a chipboard button of unknown origin.

This layout is virtually identical to my earlier feathers card but it really works and I love it.  I do love these feathers but I'll have to explore more ways to use them or the cards I craft with them are going to get really boring.  I like the paler colours of this particular piece of alcohol inked paper.  It is such a contrast from yesterday's card.  Once again I debated using a brad but when I spied this chipboard button, I knew I'd found the right embellishment.  I used a dimensional to adhere the button because the knot from the twine force me to - I couldn't use a naked button!

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

Gisèle

Seed Silhouette

Hello everyone,

I'm not quite finished playing with the awesome alcohol inked glossy paper I made recently.

The image is Woodware Going To Seed stamped on Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper with StazOn Jet Black and layered on Recollections Vanilla and Close To My Heart Lagoon.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Six-Sided Sampler stamped in StazOn Jet Black.

Such a simple card that packs an incredible punch.  I utterly amazed with the alcohol inked paper.  It is really utterly striking!  The card is actually much more green/teal than in the photo - I blame my photography skills (or lack thereof).  I debated using a sympathy card as the silhouette image in black really suits a sympathy card but I decided after all to make the card more all purpose.  The image didn't stamp perfectly, a hazard of the glossy paper, but it does work with the really blended background.

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

Gisèle

Bits of Butterflies

Hello everyone,

Today's card uses more die cut butterflies from Friday's card.

The butterflies are die cut from Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper with Joy Crafts 6002/0322 die and layered on Recollections Vanilla and Close To My Heart Pacifica and Sky.  The sentiment is Hero Arts C5594 Happy Birthday stamped in Stampin' Up Midnight Muse.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone strips.

I'm in love with this card.  The two rows of butterflies pack a real punch.  They pop right off the Vanilla layer.  I didn't glue the down fully, only their centers so the wings lift up just a hint and add some wonderful dimension.  The horizontal sentiment stamped vertically adds even more interest to this simple card.  A great overall result with just a bit of scraps.

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

Gisèle

Lovely Leftovers

Hello everyone,

One of the great things about Thursday's and Friday's card is that there was enough leftover paper after die cutting the original butterfly, to cut a number of smaller butterflies.

The butterflies are cut from a piece of glossy paper that was inked with a variety of Ranger alcohol inks and die cut with Joy Crafts 6002/0322.  The background layer is Recollections White textured with Craft Concepts Wings embossing folder, highlighted with Wink of Stella GL Clear 999 and layered on Close To My Heart Sorbet.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone.

One of the benefits of my obscene stash of butterfly dies is that there is a wide variety of sizes.  These small dies were perfect for using up scraps.  Against the textured and glittered background, they really pop!  It is very rare for me to not use a sentiment on the front of my cards (it's inside!) but I really like this grid pattern and to include a sentiment would have interrupted these wonderful rows.

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

Gisèle

Grunged And Glittered

Hello everyone,

Another glittered butterfly card today.

The background is Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge stamped in Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist and Pear Pizzazz.  The butterfly is die cut from a piece of glossy paper that was inked with a variety of Ranger alcohol inks and die cut with Joy Crafts Vintage Flourishes 6003/0023.  The sentiment is Stampabilities Happy Birthday 01 stamped in Midnight Muse.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestones.

Like yesterday's card, the background I stamped on this card camouflages the butterfly as opposed to highlighting it.  Also, despite using a dark ink for the sentiment, the busy background rather swallows it up.  The embellishments add that necessary sparkle which doesn't come across in this photo.  This is another card that may well have to be reconstructed for it to work the way I'd like.  Again, not a bad card but it could be better.

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

Gisèle

Sincerely Spring

Hello everyone,

The next couple of posts are more cards that use the glittered, alcohol inked paper that I have been experimenting with over the past few weeks.

The printed paper is Momenta Amylee Weeks layered on Stampin' Up Pear Pizzazz.  The image is Stampin' Up Blooming With Kindness stamped in Daffodil Delight, Marina Mist and Pear Pizzazz on Recollections White, layered on more Pear Pizzazz and White, and highlighted with Wink of Stella GL Clear 999.  The butterfly is die cut with Joy Crafts Floral Flourishes 6003/0006 from a piece of glossy paper that was inked with a variety of Ranger alcohol inks and covered with DecoArt Glamour Dust.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker Happy Birthday stamped in StazOn Timber Brown.

Like the die cut butterfly card from a couple of days ago, I didn't use a great background to highlight the butterfly.  It is much too camouflaged to really get the full impact of the butterfly.  I suppose, and I still might, deconstruct and try again with either just green or just yellow flowers.  It still a beautiful card but it could be better.  Live and learn!

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

Gisèle

More Butterfly Blues

Hello everyone,

I'm not really finished with either the alcohol inked papers nor the butterfly die cuts.

The butterflies are made from a piece of glossy paper covered with a variety of Ranger alcohol inks and die cut with Memory Box Fairyland Butterflies. The background layers are Recollections White textured with Craft Concepts Butterfly Kisses embossing folder sprayed with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist and layered on Stampin' Up Brilliant Blue.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker Happy Birthday stamped in Brilliant Blue.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Bitty Sparkles.

This card makes these amazing die cut butterflies pop!  It is more like what I'd hoped for from yesterday's card.  The other wonderful result is that the blended ink is much more noticeable against the white background.  Alcohol ink is probably one of my favourite things but I don't use as much as I would like to.  Like glitter, it is very messy and I tend to blitz with it when I have everything out on my desk.  This card certainly hits my all time favourites list!

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

Gisèle

Birthday Butterflies

Hello everyone,

Today's card has more alcohol inked die cut butterflies.

The printed papers are Momenta Patty Young Designs layered on Recollections Vanilla.  The butterflies are made from a piece of glossy paper that was smooched with a variety of Ranger alcohol inks and die cut with Memory Box Fairyland Butterflies.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Wetlands stamped in Pear Pizzazz on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Bitty Sparkles.

I love this particular Memory Box die and can't figure out why its taken me so long to play with it.  It is amazing! I rather wish I had not used such busy background paper as it doesn't make the butterflies pop as much as I would have liked.  Still it's a great card and I can see a ton of future possibilities.

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

Gisèle

Butterfly Blues

Hello everyone,

It seemed appropriate to play with some of my butterfly dies while I was alcohol inking and glittering.  The results just got better and better.

The printed paper is BasicGrey Out Of Print layered on Recollections Vanilla and Stampin' Up Baja Breeze.  The butterfly is Marianne Design COL1319 die cut  from alcohol inked glossy paper glittered with DecoArt Glamour Dust and stamped with StazOn Midnight Blue ink.  The sentiment is Avery Elle Oh Happy Day stamped in StazOn Midnight Blue on Vanilla, and layered on Baja Breeze and more Vanilla.  The embellishments are Doodlebug Baby Boy mini pearls.

These blues work together so much better than yesterday's.  I had planned to craft two different cards with these butterflies but when I started working on the layout, I liked the two together.  Like yesterday's card, I wasn't originally planning to add any embellishments but these pearls work beautifully with the card colours.  I suppose gems would have worked just as well.

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

Gisèle