Retro Wreath

Hello everyone,

It's the last day of July and I'm posting my last Christmas card.

The printed paper is BoBunny Mistletoe Boxes layered on a red and green of unknown origin.  The image is die cut Stampin' Up Wonderous Wreath stamped in Wild Wasabi, Close To My Heart Tulip and Tsukineko Pearlescent Thyme, on Whisper White.  The sentiment is also Stampin' Up Wonderous Wreath stamped in Wild Wasabi on Whisper White and layered on more green of unknown origin.

I'm particularly pleased with today's card.  I like the traditional image against these retro squares.  I picked up this sheet of paper because the reds and greens will work for virtually any traditional Christmas card.  I wish there were an easier way to cut the image with the coordinating die.  I can't seem to match it up so the leaves are cut off.  I chose to use two different green inks, one of them the pearlescent because it adds a tiny bit of shimmer and interest to an already cool image.  I'm really happy that I decided to buy this image after all.  I had debated because I have as many issues with wreathes as I do with trees.  The die cut in this case makes all the difference.  You'd think, for someone who enjoys crafting Christmas cards as much as I do, neither wreaths, nor trees, would be issues.

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

Gisèle

Marker Play

Hello everyone,

I stopped by one of my local craft stores and picked up some new Tombow markers.  I'm really not good at colouring but am determined to keep trying.  Today's Christmas In July card is my latest attempt.

The image is Outlines Holly Leaves LG Topper stamped in StazOn Jet Black and coloured with Tombow 098, 757, 847, and 993, and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is My Favorite Things Merry & Bright also stamped in StazOn Jet Black.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

A trick I've learned for those of us who can't colour, a littler glitter often makes everything better.  The initial results of my colouring were bloody awful.  I just don't understand why this is something I just can't seem to accomplish.  I was utterly disgusted with my attempt and figured since the card was already wrecked, why not add some Wink of Stella to see what would happen.  I have found that the Wink of Stella often makes ink bleed somewhat so experimenting on this image wasn't going to make it any worse.  In fact, the results were actually pretty amazing.  I actually wish I had a before photo.  The Wink of Stella blended the lines and left a very interesting look to the leaves along with a hint of glitter.  It didn't help with the shading but I can live with that.

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

Gisèle

Perfectly Purple

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas In July card is wonderfully different from the last few I've posted.

The printed paper is Cosmo Cricket "Mitten Weather" Flurries layered on two different textured Bazzill purples.  The images are Stampin' Up Snow Swirled stamped in Tsukineko Pearlescent Crimson on Very Vanilla and layered on more purple Bazzill.  The sentiment is Inkadinkado Holiday Greetings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The ribbon is Crafts.  The embellishments are Mark Richards 3mm Silver Metals.

I needed a change from the traditional and thought this lovely purple paper was just the ticket.  I always have issues stamping trees so I decided to try stamping a forest and had much better results.  I also played with stamping multiple impressions with a single inking and found that was also much more interesting.  I hadn't originally planned to add ribbon but, keeping it simple, I thought it grounded the trees even more.

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

Gisèle

Poinsettia Pleasure

Hello everyone,

Some of the last few Christmas In July cards make use of the dies I've been acquiring over the past little while.  I've had quite a bit of fun with them so I decided to keep going and see how my mojo flowed.

The printed paper is K&Company Susan Winget Glad Tidings layered a textured red Bazzill.  The die cut is Cottage Cutz Winter Poinsettia Bouquet cut from textured red and green Bazzill and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The sentiment is Denami Designs stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

I quite like the size and delicacy of this die cut.  I hesitated to get it at first because, for whatever reason, I didn't want to just use the die cut in a single colour.  I then realized that I just had to die cut in both colours and adhere the red flowers over the green stems.  It's completely logical but it just didn't register with me until I started playing with my Christmas dies.  I feel rather dumb admitting it but figure I'm probably not the only person out there thinking this.  I did use a green background because the flowers don't perfectly cover the green underneath and it doesn't show quite so starkly against this subtly printed paper.

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

Gisèle

Holly, Holly, Holly

Hello everyone,

Today Christmas card worked so much better in my head than in reality.

The printed paper is Simple Stories Handmade Holiday layered on December Documented.  The holly sprigs were die cut with Memory Box Holly Bouquet die in green Bazzill.  The berries were filled with Xmas Red Stickles.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Very Merry Christmas stamped in Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler on Recollections Vanilla.

I really wanted to do a row of this holly along the bottom edge of the card but it just wouldn't fit.  I always try to use the 'odd number' practice so I was determined to find a way to get these three die cuts on this card.  I didn't get the angled die cuts even and by the time I realized how off I was, it was too late.  Even if I hadn't been so stubborn and stuck to using just one of the die cuts, it would have been better. I actually think maybe I should have put them aside altogether.  Against this paper, they rather remind me of spiderwebs, not holly.  I had hoped that using the Stickles to fill in the berries would make it look better, but it doesn't really.  Some times, it just doesn't work.  I really hope it doesn't turn me off of this die because it really is lovely.

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

Gisèle

Oh So Pretty

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card is all soft and pretty.

The printed paper is Heidi Grace Christmas Holly Leaves layered on a shimmery, metallic blue of unknown origin.  The holly branch is die cut from a shimmery, textured white of unknown origin with a Penny Black Holly Berry die.  The sentiment is Sweet & Sassy Poinsettias in Tsukineko Starlite Black Brilliance ink on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are Want 2 Scrap Say It With Pearls.

I absolutely love this card!  The colours, the shimmer, the layout, the design, there is nothing that I don't love!  I picked up this particular die for a couple of reasons.  I liked that it was holly, duh, and I liked that it wonderfully delicate and light, perfect for cards.  Its much more challenging to use a large die on a card.  I don't think it would be too hard to make this in a more traditional red and green.  I picked up this Tsukineko ink from a sale bin and am so glad I did.  It is a great, dark-ish neutral that isn't black.

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

Gisèle

Winter Wear Wishes

Hello everyone,

This is card uses some wonderful winter paper that I've had for ages.

The printed paper is atd Snow Days layered on a textured rust of unknown origin (likely Bazzill) and Stampin' Up Basic Black.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Wishes Come True stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White, layered on more rust, and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The ribbon is Michael's Special Value.  The embellishments are Crafts.

Quite unknowingly, this card is eerily similar to this card that I crafted last December.  I hope this doesn't mean my mojo is getting stale.  Obviously I like using this sentiment with this paper and I think its because it's a great size and the font is simple and only slightly fancy, just like the paper. I accidentally picked up way more of this rust paper than I can possibly use so it was nice to work it be able to work it into this card.  This rust coloured ribbon and only slightly orange-ish embellishments are wonderfully non-traditional for Christmas.

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

Gisèle

Holly Flourish

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas In July card is all holly and makes me so happy.

The printed paper is Bazzill Basics "Happy Holidays" Believe layered on Nordic Pine.  The background image of the sentiment element is Penny Black Christmas Story stamped in Stampin' Up Crumbcake on Recollections Vanilla and layered on a textured green of unknown origin (likely Bazzill).  The sentiment is Rubbernecker stamped in Early Espresso.  The image is Couture Creations Intricutz Die Holly & Berry Flourish die cut from a textured red of unknown origin (likely Bazzill).

I couldn't resist buying this die when I saw it at the store.  It was a little fussy to get out of the die but I think that has more to do with the worn cutting pads as opposed to the die itself.  I'm very happy with the results.  This is a pretty wonderful holly die!  I used the background stamp for the sentiment element because there is a hint of writing on the printed paper.  This Rubbernecker sentiment is perfect with the flourishes coordinating with the die.

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

Gisèle

Vintage Christmas Postage

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas In July card is all about vintage.

 The printed paper is Kaisercraft Christmas Carol layered on Simple Stories December Documented.  The image is Crafty Individuals stamped in Stampin' Up Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more December Documented.  The banners are punched from December Documented.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Mocha Opaques.

I've been so happy with the vintage postcard cards I've been crafting that I decided to play with this stamps stamp that I picked up last year.  It's quite busy but I really like how it pops on this card, even with the busy background paper. It's a really square stamp which doesn't usually cause me problems but in this case, it's an awkward size for the card base I'm using.  I decided to use an offset layout, adding the ribbon and small banners to provide balance.  I think the results are pretty good.

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

Gisèle

Holiday Post

Hello everyone,

With my mojo cleansed and my mind on Monday's spectacular card and being so pleased with yesterday's card, I was inspired to CASE myself.

The printed paper is Carta Bella So This Is Christmas layered on a brushed silver of unknown origin.  The image is Impression Obsession stamped in Stampin' Up Lost Lagoon on Whisper White, smudged with Illuminate ink and layered on Lost Lagoon.  The banners were die cut with Sizzix Banners Framelits in a silver of unknown origin and more Lost Lagoon.  The embellishments are Recollections rhinestone stickers.

I think I cased my last couple of card quite well in this instance.  The colours and the image recall the last two cards wonderfully.  I first attempted to age the image by pouncing with colour but it just looked terrible. This is my second attempt and using the Illuminate ink was the right call.  It's watermark properties adds the age I was looking for with the added bonus of some very subtle shimmer.  I love the banners and am kicking myself for waiting so long to add them to my stash.

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

Gisèle

Pretty As A Postcard

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas postcard-inspired card is vintage in the extreme.

The printed paper is Kaisercraft Twig & Berry layered on a textured red of unknown origin.  The image is Inkadinkado stamped in Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more textured red.

I was so happy with yesterday's card that I knew I had to move in an entirely different direction for today's card otherwise I'd try a repeat and fail miserably.  I rather liken it to cleaning my mojo palate.  I have a number of these large vintage image stamps which make for quick and easy cards.  This particular image couldn't work better with the postmark background paper.  With an image this size, no embellishments are needed, though, I could have added some glitter to the tree.  I used the most simple and basic of layout, again because of the size and detail of the image.

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

Gisèle

Elegant Ornaments

Hello everyone,

There are times when I end up crafting a Christmas card that just takes my breath away.

The printed paper is Kaisercraft Just Believe layered on silver Momenta.  The image is Stampin' Up Merry & Type stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla, heat embossed with Close To My Heart Silver Pearl embossing powder, and layered on a shiny silver of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Fiskars Vintage Christmas stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Mark Richards 3mm silver metal.

I'm utterly in love with this card!  The silver pattern on the printed paper is truly lovely and it is amazing against the two-tone silver background layer.  These silver embossed ornaments, my favourites, are stunning with all the silver.  The tiny flourishes in the sentiment are perfect with the printed paper.  All in all, this is one fabulous OMG Christmas card!

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

Gisèle

Hints of Holly

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas In July card is all about layers.

The printed papers are Lawn Fawn Peace Joy Love.  The image is Inkadinkado coloured with Tombow 158 and 856.  The berries are highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The embellishments are Eyelet Outlet and Queen & Co Shamrock Green pearls.

This pad of printed paper is the only Lawn Fawn product I have and I decided to use multiple layers of printed papers on this card.  I particularly liked that the white printed paper worked so well with the image I'd chosen.  I didn't have Tombow markers that coordinated really well with the colours in the papers but I felt overall, these colours were the best of the option I'd tried.  I notices that some of my markers, especially the nibs, are really starting to wear so it looks like I'm going to have to go shopping.

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

Gisèle

Merry Masculinity

Hello everyone,

Today card has to be one of the most masculine Christmas cards I've ever crafted.

The printed paper is October Afternoon Silent Night layered on Stampin' Up Sahara Sand and Mossy Meadow.  The images and sentiment are October Afternoon Boughs & Berries stamped on Whisper White in Always Artichoke and Soft Suede and layered on more Sahara Sand and Mossy Meadow.  The berries are highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

Is this not the most fabulous masculine Christmas card?  I never thought I'd craft a Christmas card that exuded such masculinity.  Even with a bit of glitter, this is a great masculine card.  Obviously, I kept everything neutral and natural to coordinate with the background paper.  I debated using different shades of brown but once I held up this Sahara Sand, I knew it was the right choice.  I love Mossy Meadow and felt that it worked better than a brown for layering.  It also coordinates with the stamped images.

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

Gisèle

Merry Little Mice

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card is all about fun!

The printed paper is October Afternoon Silent Night layered on Stampin' Up Ruby Red.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Christmas Message stamped in Ruby Red on Whisper White and layered on more Ruby Red.  The horizontal element is Martha Stewart Infinite Loops punched in Ruby Red.  The embellishments are EK Success Shimmering Silver Dots.

When I first decided it was time to do a super fun card, I thought this paper would be just the ticket.  These mice are so darn cute.  I thought it would be so easy but I was wrong.  It's all because these mice are not the right scale.  They are the right size but there is too much space in between them which makes placing the sentiment and the infinite ribbon a real challenge.  To top it all, the colours were so hard to coordinate.  You'd think with all the shades of blue in my paper stash, I'd have one that would work with this paper.  Not so.  I really wanted to use something besides red but nothing I tried worked.  All that said, the red does look great and the card turned out pretty darn cute.

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

Gisèle

Swirling Snowflakes

Hello everyone,

A Christmas card today is traditional but it's not either.

The printed paper is Toga Étoile d'hiver layered on Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The image is Inkadinkado stamped in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla and layered on more Early Espresso and Whisper White.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Brown and Tan sparkles.

I would never think to use white and vanilla together but its utterly perfect in this case.  I hope you get a good sense of it from the photo.  This card is actually incredible in real life!  The swirls in the paper and the image are perfect together.  The snowflakes work equally perfect together too.  I want to make this card over and over and over again.

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

Gisèle

Sweet And Simple

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas In July card is unbelievably quick and easy.

The printed papers are K&Company Yuletide and Simple Stories December Documented.  The sentiment is also K&Company Yuletide.  The ribbon is Crafts.  The embellishments are Crystal Stickers red glitter domes.

I think it took me longer to decide upon the elements than to actually craft this card.  If every you're in need of a card in short order, this is something I'd recommend.  Coordinating paper and chip board stickers and some pretty ribbon and embellishments are easy and quick to pull together.  I love this sweet little oval.  I probably went a little overboard with the glittering gems but they just affixed themselves so easily.

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

Gisèle

Reindeer Row

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas In July card is so much more impressive in real life than in this photo.

The background image is Stampin' Up Watercolor Wash stamped in Illuminate ink.  The image is Penny Black Joyous stamped in Midnight Muse.  The sentiment is Wordsworth Merry Christmas stamped in StazOn Midnight Muse.  The embellishments are Royal Blue Liquid Pearls.

I bought the Illuminate ink on a whim because it sounded quite interesting.  I've since learned that it works much better on dark card stock.  That being said, I was looking for an interesting background for a simple, non-traditional Christmas card.  This is a watermark ink so it should provide a shimmery, darker tone on tone effect.  It has worked nicely on this card, it just didn't photograph as well as I'd hoped.  This row of reindeer was the perfect excuse to use a horizontal sentiment on the vertical.  I had to figure out some options for embellishments and was please to find these blue Liquid Pearls in my stash.

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

Gisèle

Holly For You

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas In July card is part of a variety set that I crafted for a friend of my mother's.

The image is Stampin' Up Watercolor Winter stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla, coloured with Tombow 098 and 856, and layered on Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow.  The sentiment is Penny Black Winter Wonders stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Eyelet Outlet enamel dots.

I couldn't craft a set of variety cards without including a Christmas card.  I was going through my holly stamp stash and decided to use one of my favourite holly stamps.  It's a two-step stamp that, thanks to my stamp positioner, always turns out wonderfully.  Given my mother will be mailing all of these cards, I used more flat embellishments so there wouldn't be any issues with Canada Post.

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

Gisèle

Vintage Greetings

Hello everyone,

Elements of today's Christmas In July card actually sat in pieces on my desk for a few days before I could bring it all together.

The printed paper is Little Yellow Bicycle Wonder Wishes - Merry Little Berries layered on Stampin' Up Always Artichoke and Real Red.  The image is Stampendous Season's Post stamped in Mossy Meadow on Recollections White, and layered on Real Red.  The banners are Sizzix Banners Framelits die cut from Always Artichoke and Real Red.  The embellishments are BoBunny Elf Magic jewels.

I actually stamped this image/sentiment a few days ago but it didn't work with the paper I'd selected so I put it aside.  This printed paper works so much better.  I really love the banners, already having used them twice in a week, I would expect to see more of them.  I think, in this instance, they really make the image/sentiment pop.  I could have added more embellishments but decided, in this case, less is more.  Sometimes it is.

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

Gisèle

Happy Holly

Hello everyone,

Today's holly Christmas card just makes me happy!

The printed paper is Forever In Time Yuletide layered on Stampin' Up Real Red and Mossy Meadow.  The image is Denami Design stamped in Mossy Meadow on Recollections White, painted with Poppy Red and Olive Vine LuminArte Twinkling H2Os, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen, and layered on more Real Red.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.

This holly, both in the image and on the paper, just makes my heart sing!  The background of the printed paper is really much more olive coloured than this photo portrays.  It works especially well with the Mossy Meadow.  I decided I wasn't quite finished with the Twinkling H2Os.  I'm much happier with these results than my earlier attempts.  I found this scrap of ribbon in the leftover bin and I love how thin and delicate it appears.

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

Gisèle

Modern Vintage

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas In July card is vintage with a real modern vibe.

The background image is Stampendous Christmas Background stamped in Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler on Recollections White and layered on Basic Black and Cherry Cobbler.  The image is Rubber Stampeded Santa Collage stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White, covered with Crystal Glitter Ritz microfine transparent glitter and layered on Cherry Cobbler.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Class Act mini jewels.

I can't craft a Christmas card without using this Santa image.  I think it is one of the most perfect Santa images I've ever come across.  It doesn't necessarily need to be coloured (but it could be), it works well glittered or simply stamped, and it is awesome in absolutely any colour.  What more could you ask for in an image.  Once again I really offset the image because I didn't want to cover up too much of the great background.  I'm getting closer to the sweet spot too!

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

Gisèle

In All Holliness

Hello everyone,

As this month's Christmas In July series are cards for my own use, it was inevitable that there would be some holly cards.

The images are Heartfelt Creations Elegant Holly Swirls stamped in Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow on Recollections White, painted with Ruby Red and Forest Green LuminArte Twinkling H2Os, and layered on Mossy Meadow.  The images were clear heat embosssed before I started painted so the ink wouldn't run.  The sentiment is Stampendous Christmas Wishes stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on a shimmery red of unknown origin.  The embellishments are gold ZVA pearls.

Love, love, love this holly card!  You'd think these large images wouldn't be the right scale for a card but by stamping them off the paper and using one of the larger card bases, it works really well.  I only used three impressions as the eyes like odd numbers.  I really offset the sentiment because I didn't want to cover up too much of the holly images.  I should have flipped the images and placed the sentiment in the sweet spot (bottom right corner) but I honestly didn't think of it until I was writing this post.  Next time.

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

Gisèle

Those Three Trees

Hello everyone,

I've another Christmas In July card today.

The printed paper is Recollections City Sidewalks layered on Recollections Red and a textured green of unknown origin.  The image is Gina K The Magic of Christmas stamped in Stampin' Up Garden Green on Recollections White, highlighted with Sakura Yellow glitter pen, and layered on more red and green.  The banner is Sizzix Banners Framelits die cut in red.  The embellishment is Recollections Glitter Adhesive Dots.

I picked up this Recollections paper at the end of last season thinking I would like it more than I do.  Its 'cartoonish' style is more challenging than I thought because I don't have a lot to go with it.  This paper doesn't require a sentiment, just images and the images in my stash don't work all that well.  I'll have to come up with some creative ways of using up this paper.  Should be interesting.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Treats XI & XII

Hello everyone,

Here are the last two Christmas cards that I crafted last December.  I'm hopeful that the six-day card crafting and blogging break will put my mojo in high gear so I have some spectacular Christmas cards to share through the rest of the month.

The printed paper is K&Company Tim Coffey layered on Simple Stories December Document
Green Snowflakes and Red Chevron.  The sentiment is Bonnidee Xmas Wording 3 stamped in Early Espresso.  The sticker is Anna Griffin Christmas Kitsch.

The printed paper is K&Company Tim Coffey layered on Recollections Vanilla and Simple Stories December Documented Red Chevron.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Wacky Wishes stamped in Real Red on Recollections Ivory, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen and layered on Glorious Green and more Ivory.  The sticker is of unknown origin (likely Crafts).

These two cards were actually crafted before yesterday's cards.  They used up the last big piece and one of larger two scraps.  I was used a couple of stickers and my trusty glitter pen to jazz them up a wee bit.  The second card uses more layers.  I really love that look and it really makes the printed paper pop!  On the first card I stamped the sentiment right on the base so it too would pop.

My girlfriend loved the cards and this series was really fun to craft.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Treats IX & X

Hello everyone,

Today's two Christmas cards use up some of the larger and teeny, tiny scraps from the 12X12 sheet of printed paper.

The printed paper is K&Company Tim Coffey layered on Stampin' Up Glorious Green.  The sentiment is Stampendous Christmas Script stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Ivory, layered on Simple Stories December Documented Red Snowflakes and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.  The embellishments are EK Success Candy Cane Repeat Stickers.

The printed paper is K&Company Tim Coffey layered on Stampin' Up Glorious Green and Simple Stories December Documented.  The Glorious Green layered was textured with Couture Creations Washed Away embossing folder and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The sentiment is Stampendous Retro Christmas Script stamped in Glorious Green on Recollections Ivory, layered on more Simple Stories December Documented and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishment are BoBunny Elf Magic Jewels.

Love the first card.  Not so fussy on the second card.  I have to say Glorious Green isn't so pretty when you see so much of it.  It's been great as a layer but you see way too much of it on the second card.  I tried to help it by add textured with an embossing folder and some glitter but it's still a not so pretty card.  I wanted to use every last scrap of printed paper but these are just too small to work against all that Glorious Green.  Live and learn!

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

Gisèle

Christmas Treats VII & VIII

Hello everyone,

Two more very pretty Christmas cards today!

The printed paper is K&Company Tim Coffey layered on Recollections Ivory and Simple Stories December Documented Red Snowflakes.  The sentiment is Kaisercraft Christmas Quotes stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso and layered on Glorious Green.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.  The brads are We R Memory Keepers.

The printed paper is K&Company Tim Coffey layered on Recollections Ivory, Stampin' Up Glorious Green and Simple Stories December Documented Red Chevron.  The sentiment is a 2001 Stampin' Up from an unknown collection.  The embellishments are Eyelet Outlet Gingerboy brads.

This pair of Christmas cards are all about layers.  Large piece of printed paper with a sentiment focal point and minimal embellishments.  These have to be amongst my favourites is this series as you can really get a sense of the printed paper.  Neither of these cards would have taken all that long to craft.  I suspect I spent more time selecting the sentiments and embellishments than working on the layout.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Treats V & VI

Hello everyone,

Today's two commissioned Christmas cards are pretty and fun!

The printed paper is K&Company Tim Coffey.  The sentiment is Technique Tuesday Jingle All The Way stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Recollections Ivory, layered on Simple Stories December Documented Red Chevron and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The ribbon is American Crafts.  The embellishments are Tim Coffey Christmas Grand Adhesions.

The printed papers are K&Company Tim Coffey and Simple Stories December Documented Red Chevron.  The top strip is Stampin' Up Glorious Green textured with Sizzix Merry Christmas Phrases embossing folder .  The sentiment is Technique Tuesday stamped in Real Red.  The ribbon is American Crafts.  The embellishments are of unknown origin.  The card is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

The cards is this series use a variety of large and small pieces of printed paper.  It was a while ago, but I expect that I was modifying a one sheet wonder and was attempting to use every possible piece of the 12X12 sheets.  I was obviously playing around with the green American Crafts ribbon.  I love the rickrack against the chevron paper.  It's very fun!

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

Gisèle

Christmas Treats III & IV

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another pair of commissioned Christmas cards from last December.

The printed paper is K&Company Tim Coffey layered on Stampin' Up Glorious Green.  The sentiment is Technique Tuesday Celebrate The Seasons stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Ivory, layered on Simple Stories December Documented and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.  The brads are Recollections.

The printed paper is K&Company Tim Coffey layered on Simple Stories December Documented Red Chevron.  The image is Technique Tuesday Jingle All The Way stamped in Stampin' Up Real Red and highlighted with Xmas Red Stickles.  The sentiment is also Technique Tuesday Jingle All The Way stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Ivory.

This Christmas paper is so pretty, with such a marvelous scale, that it makes just fantastic cards.  This series is comprised of twelve cards so I really had the opportunity to play with a variety of sentiments and embellishments.  These two cards were quite simple using a great sentiment and a funky border on the vertical.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Treats I & II

Hello everyone,

It's that time of year when I start thinking Christmas.  This year however, I am starting off Christmas In July with a big cheat because the last few weeks have been utterly exhausting and I need to take a bit of break.  The cards I'm posting over the next few days were actually crafted last December as commission from a girlfriend.  I ran out of December before I could get them posted.

The printed paper is K&Company Tim Coffey layered on Simple Stories December Documented and Stampin' Up Glorious Green.  The sentiment is Technique Tuesday Jingle All The Way stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Ivory and layered on more Simple Stories and Glorious Green.  The embellishments are Recollections brads.

The printed paper is K&Company Tim Coffey layered on Simple Stories December Documented and Stampin' Up Glorious Green. The sentiment is Stampin' Up More Merry Messages stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Ivory and layered on more Glorious Green.  The embellishments are K&Company Tim Coffey Christmas Grand Adhesions.

My girlfriend uses these cards for daycare and school so I try to choose a printed paper that is quite fun.  This paper fit the bill.  I don't have to search to hard for fun-ish sentiments to go along with the paper as my stash is pretty extensive (gulp!).  I have a small selection of stamps that coordinate with this particular paper so it was pretty easy to use them.  The greens and reds in the printed paper are very pretty and versatile so it's quite easy to match them up with other embellishments and solid papers in my stash.

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

Gisèle

Canadian Christmas

Hello everyone!

It's Christmas In July month at I SPI.  It's also Canada Day!  Many of the cards I will craft this month will be for my own stash.  You'll see lots and lots of holly!

The printed paper is Recollections City Sidewalks layered on Recollections red and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is DeNami Design stamped in Stampin' Up Real Red on Recollections white and layered on more red and white.  The embellishments are Eyelet Outlet Red Jewels and Mark Richards 5mm silver metals.

I always start Christmas In July with a red and white card to celebrate Canada Day - its so traditional all the way around.  I love the vertical mix of jewels and metals for the embellishments.  It pops much more in reality than in this photo.  The card bases I'm using were gifted to me by a friend and they're large, 5X7 large.  They are perfect for this vertical sentiment which I can't use on smaller card bases.  Overall, I think this is a great way to start July!

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

Gisèle