Sticky Treats

Hello everyone,

Today's post in another commissioned Christmas card that I crafted before the holidays.

The card base is a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The printed paper is K & Company Tim Coffey layered Bazzill Cardinal red.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Holiday Greetings stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Whisper White.  The embellishments are K & Company Elizabeth Brownd Pillow Stickers.

As I was crafting this series of cards, I purposely decided to try to use some of the embellishments that have been in my stash for eons.  These are some of those embellishments.  They are K & Company so work great with the printed paper.  They include some really tiny stickers though, that can be hard to use because they require multiples to have any significant effect.  I planned this white background to help the stickers pop!

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

Gisèle

Moose Approved

Hello everyone,

Today's gingerbread card is another really 'sweet' card.

The card base is a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The printed paper is K & Company Tim Coffey layered Bazzill Cardinal red.  The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Christmas stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Whisper White and layered on more Cardinal red.  The embellishment is Crafts Wooden Stickers.

Would you believe I found this cute wooden sticker at the dollarstore!  It is just perfect for these kid cards.  I think its great that the dots on the stickers speak so well with the candy dots on the printed paper.  I didn't notice that connection until I started blogging this card.  The free-flowing sentiment also fit well with the childlike and informal nature of the card.

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

Gisèle

Gingerbread Wishes

Hello everyone,

These should be the last Christmas cards series for a while but I'm not making any promises.

The card base is a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The printed paper is K & Company Tim Coffey layered Bazzill Cardinal red.  The sentiment is Recollections Christmas stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Whisper White.  The ribbon is American Crafts.  The embellishment is K & Company Time Coffey dimensional stickers.

This commissioned series is for a girlfriend who gave them to her teachers and daycare staff.  I always try to do something fun!  I really love this gingerbread paper.  It's perfect for this particular commission.  I think using the brown ink is a great way to change things up a bit.  I could have used a dark green too.  Another reason I chose this paper is because of the coordinating dimensional stickers which I discovered in my stash.

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

Gisèle

Ornaments A Shimmering V

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last of the shimmery green ornament cards that I crafted for a colleague before the holidays.

The card base is a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The ornament is die cut with Cottage Cutz Filigree Ornament Trio from glossy paper smooshed with Ranger Clover, Wild Plum, Citrus, Watermelon, Cool Perl, Snow Cap and Pearl alcohol ink, and covered with DecoArt Crystal Glamour Dust.  The sentiment is Hero Arts CL722 heat embossed with Close To My Heart black embossing powder.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

I think this is my favourite of this series.  These embellishments are like tiny opalescent flowers that could have been made for this paper.  I chose them because of the flower in the center of the ornament.  This big bold black sentiment is really spectacular!  I enjoyed using this shimmery green paper more than I thought I would.  I suspect its because all of the ornament cards turned out really wonderful.

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

Gisèle

Ornaments A Shimmering IV

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another ornament Christmas card that a colleague commissioned before Christmas.

The card base is a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The ornaments are die cut with Elizabeth Craft Designs 761 Ornament Set 1 from glossy paper smooshed with Ranger Clover, Wild Plum, Citrus, Watermelon, Cool Perl, Snow Cap and Pearl alcohol ink, covered with DecoArt Crystal Glamour Dust and Paper Accents Mirror Silver Glossy card stock.  The embellishments are Crystal Stickers 5mm Silver Glitter Domes.

The original ornament card series was crafted without sentiments and I decided this series needed at least one sentimentless card.  I used these particular dies because they're so intricate and without a sentiment, they pop even more.  I have to say, the mirrored silver overlay of of these ornaments is utterly striking.  The glittered embellishments are also wonderfully working both with the silver overlay and the glittering underlay.  There is no such thing as too much glitter on a Christmas card.

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

Gisèle

Ornaments A Shimmering III

Hello everyone,

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Christmas day!

I'm still blogging the Christmas card that I crafted before the holidays.

The card base is a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The ornaments are die cut with Poppy Stamps Brittany, Eddington and Tinsel Ornaments from glossy paper smooshed with Ranger Clover, Wild Plum, Citrus, Watermelon, Cool Perl, Snow Cap and Pearl alcohol ink, covered with DecoArt Crystal Glamour Dust and Paper Accents Mirror Silver Glossy card stock.  The sentiment is Annabelle Stamps Holly Branch heat embossed with Close To My Heart black embossing powder.  The embellishments are of unknown origin.

This is somewhat of an unusual card for me as I decided to heat emboss the 'Merry Christmas' on this inside of the card.  I wish I'd thought to take a photo.  I didn't find a Christmas sentiment that fit well in this triangle layout so I chose to use a two-part sentiment.  This particular sent has a great first part that I thought worked particularly well with the snowflake and loopy mirrored silver overlay of the die cut.  I'm quite happy with the results and plan to give it a try with some other cards.

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

Gisèle

Ornaments A Shimmering II

Hello everyone,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Yet another glittered ornament Christmas card for you today.

The card base is a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The bell is a Cottage Cutz Filigree Ornament Trio die cut from glossy paper smooshed with Ranger Clover, Wild Plum, Citrus, Watermelon, Cool Perl, Snow Cap and Pearl alcohol ink and covered with DecoArt Crystal Glamour Dust.  The sentiment is Kaisercraft St. Nicholas heat embossed with Close To My Heart black embossing powder.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

I don't often use these particular dies because they are a total bear to release.  They're even more of a bear when using the glittered glossy paper.  The new Stampin' Up Precision Base Plate helps but there is just something about these dies that just doesn't work very well.  All that said, it was worth the aggravation because this card turned out beautifully.  I just love the bold black sentiment and with the heat embossed shine, it's really great!

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

Gisèle

Ornaments A Shimmering I

Hello everyone,

I'm certainly not finished with Christmas cards and have two commissioned sets for you over the next number of days.

The card base is a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The ornaments are die cut with Elizabeth Craft Designs 762 Ornament Set 2 from glossy paper smooshed with Ranger Clover, Wild Plum, Citrus, Watermelon, Cool Perl, Snow Cap and Pearl alcohol ink, covered with DecoArt Crystal Glamour Dust and Paper Accents Mirror Silver Glossy card stock.  The sentiment is Penny Black Christmas Cheer heat embossed with Close To My Heart black embossing powder.  The embellishments are of unknown origin.

One of my colleagues bought all the green base ornament cards I had crafted for the Fall Charity card sale and asked if I could make her a few more.  I was so pleased to use up some of this difficult green shimmery paper that I was only too happy to get crafting.  I didn't have this glossy mirrored silver paper when I crafted the first sets of cards and against the glittered ornaments, its just amazing!  For all that I've complained about these green card bases, these ornament cards have turned out so much better than I ever thought.

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

Gisèle

Nutcracker Suite VI

Hello everyone,

This is the last of the nutcracker card series I've been posting for the past few days.  I can guarantee that there will be more because I'm just so enamored with these cards.

The image is Tattered Lace Nutcracker die cut from Paper Accents Mirror Silver glossy paper.  The die cut image is layered on a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper, more Paper Accents Mirror Silver glossy paper, and Stampin' Up Whisper White and Taken With Teal.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Merry Christmas Writing stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are EK Success Brights Dots.

I think this card is the very best of the series.  I particularly love the bright teal.  I was loving the upright nutcracker I figured adding the horizontal sentiment on the vertical, another love, would just put this card over the top.  It did!  The two shimmering teal dots against the super shiny silver are just beyond lovely.  I've enjoyed crafting this series more than I possibly could have imagined.  I can't wait to explore even more possibilities.

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

Gisèle

Nutcracker Suite V

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another breathtaking silver nutcracker.

The image is Tattered Lace Nutcracker die cut from Paper Accents Mirror Silver glossy paper.  The die cut image is layered on a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper, more Paper Accents Mirror Silver glossy paper, and Close To My Heart Indian Corn Blue.  The sentiment is Fiskars Vintage Christmas stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Eyelet Outlet Enamel Dots.

This silver paper against the blues of the alcohol inked paper is utterly glorious!  I didn't have a big enough leftover piece of the alcohol inked paper for much more than layering under the die but it allowed me to add these two rows of sparkling silver enamel dots.  I love the rows of dots with this image.  It just works.

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

Gisèle

Nutcracker Suite IV

Hello everyone,

I've posted three gold nutcrackers and I just couldn't stop there so I've three more silver nutcrackers to share.

The image is Tattered Lace Nutcracker die cut from Paper Accents Mirror Silver glossy paper.  The die is layered on a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper, more Mirror Silver and a shimmery purple of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Very Merry Christmas stamped in Stampin' Up Elegant Eggplant.  The embellishments are Mark Richards 3mm silver metals.

Every time I look at this card I'm sent to a very, very happy place.  My heart is singing.  My smile is a mile wide.  Obviously, I'm in love.  This has to be one of the most beautiful cards I've ever crafted.

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

Gisèle

Nutcracker Suite III

Hello everyone,

I'm posting golden nutcracker number three today.

The image is Tattered Lace Nutcracker die cut from a burnished gold of unknown origin.  The die is layered on a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper, more burnished gold and a shimmery red of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Penny Black Merry Christmas stamped in Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy on more Vanilla of unknown origin, layered on more brushed gold of unknown origin and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

This nutcracker is perfect for using some of the vertical sentiment stamps I've got in my stash.  I particularly like the font on this sentiment.  It's rather old fashioned and really suits not only the nutcracker but the alcohol inked background paper.  I love all the layers and finding a great piece of shimmery red that was just perfect with the alcohol inked paper.  How very wonderful when everything works out so perfectly.  I love absolutely everything about this card.

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

Gisèle

Nutcracker Suite II

Hello everyone,

Another beautiful nutcracker card today.

The image is Tattered Lace Nutcracker die cut from a burnished gold of unknown origin.  The die is layered on a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999, a vanilla of unknown and more burnished gold.  The sentiment is Annabelle Stamps Christmas Scene Baubles stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso.

I'm so happy with card.  All the alcohol inked paper I've used in this series is some that I made up over the summer.  After I started playing with the die, I thought they may look pretty awesome with the smooshed paper.  Oh my goodness, they work more beautifully together than I could have ever imagined!

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

Gisèle

Nutcracker Suite I

Hello everyone,

I've always been very vocal about how much I love crafting Christmas cards.  This next series are some of the best cards I think I've every made and some of my favourites of all time.

The image is Tattered Lace Nutcracker die cut from a burnished gold of unknown origin.  The die is layered on a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper and more burnished gold.  The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Christmas Expressions stamped in Stampin' Up Midnight Muse on Whisper White.  The nutcracker is highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.

I picked up this amazing nutcracker die when I stopped in to visit a great paper crafting heaven - Ecstasy Crafts on my way to Toronto a few months back.  I won't say it was an impulse buy, but I really don't need any more carding supplies.  I won't say I forgot about it but it wasn't top of mind.  I came across it the other night and decided to play.  After I cut the first nutcracker, I was lost!  So very happily lost!

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

Gisèle

Busy Baubles

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last of the Christmas card series I designed for a group ladies for a cardmaking party.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd December Details "Mistletoe" layered on Close To My Heart Cotton Candy and Topiary.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Wondrous Wreath stamped in Cotton Candy on Whisper White and layered on more Cotton Candy and Topiary.  The sticker is Anna Griffin Christmas Kitsch.  The embellishments are pearls of unknown origin.

There is something wonderful about this lovely 'vintage' Christmas tree against this busy background paper.  I love the touch of pink in the berries which, for a modern styled graphic, works with this sticker.  The pearls don't show very well in this photo but they add a lovely balance to the overall card.  They also kind of look like a trio of balls that may have come off the tree.

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

Gisèle

Happy Houses

Hello everyone,

I wasn't quite finished with fun Christmas cards.

The printed paper is Echo Park Paper Company Holly Jolly Christmas "Up On The Housetop" layered on Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip.  The sentiment is Stampendous Retro Christmas Script stamped in Chocolate Chip on Whisper White, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen, and layered on more Chocolate Chip.  The embellishments are Recollections Stickers and Queen & Co Classy Red Rhinestones.

Sometimes, funky just can't be resisted with a case in point being these funky rows of houses.  They remind me very much of Whoville in the Grinch.  I looked through my stash of embellishments and was utterly delighted to find these great snowman stickers which work so perfectly with this paper.  I even had just the right number for each of the ladies cards.  The embellishments don't show up great in this photo but they really are a great coordinating red.

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

Gisèle

Joyful Penguin

Hello everyone,

Another carding party Christmas card for you today.

The printed papers are Recollections Christmas "City Sidewalks" layered on Stampin' Up Basic Black.  The sentiment is Technique Tuesday Jingle All The Way stamped in Versafine Onyx Black n Whisper White and layered on more Basic Black.  The image is Petaloo Penguin Holiday Dazzlers.

I just love these Petaloo Holiday Dazzlers and have a variety of Christmas options.  I really wanted to use the penguin and didn't actually realize that the penguin in the printed paper also has a 'JOY' banner until I was attaching the sentiment layer.  It's wonderful when things just come together in such a great way.  I kept this card very simple, these are for beginners after all, looking to this great paper and cute image to carry the card.  This is just a great, easy card.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Wishes

Hello everyone,

I felt I needed to add some fun cards to this Christmas series.

The printed paper is Recollections Christmas "City Sidewalks" layered on Bazzill Glazed Christmas.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Holiday Sayings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and layered on more "City Sidewalks".  The embellishment is Recollections Glitter Embellishments.

I like how this sentiment doesn't reference Christmas but the printed paper does.  It was a complete accident.  Truly.  This printed paper is really busy and I left a pretty significant reveal.  The design allowed me to just use one great embellishment.  The only drawback with this tree embellishment is that it's quite thick and while I don't think it will require extra postage, I'd give this by hand.

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

Gisèle

Holly Notes

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card keeps the holly theme going.

The printed paper is Echo Park Merry Christmas "Holly Berry" layered on Bazzill Pomegranate.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up More Merry Messages stamped in Close To My Heart Topiary on Whisper White.  The ribbon is Recollections Glitter Tape.  The card is highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

The scale of this holly print is a little on the large side for a card but I couldn't resist adding it to my stash.  The card bases I've used for this series of cards are on the larger size so I think it works pretty well despite the scale.  I didn't use a lot of embellishments, layers or a large sentiment because I thought the more of the paper that was visible, the better the final result.  I really love this paper and this card just makes me happy!

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

Gisèle

Holly Candied Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is quintessential Christmas.

The printed paper is Graphic 45 Nutcracker Sweet Collection "Land of Sweets" layered on Bazzill Cardinal Red.  The image is Impression Obsession Candy Cane stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and coloured with Tombow 177 and 845.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up More Merry Messages also stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Timeless Christmas jewels.

I bought this stamp years ago but have not used it much.  To be frank, I find the shape rather challenging to use, much like the Christmas tree shape.  I have found that offsetting the tree shape works much better for me so that's why I decided to angle the candy cane.  I think, a little more angle would have been even better but it wouldn't have allowed this particular sentiment.  I'm not giving up however, because this is a great image, I just need to play with it some more.

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

Gisèle

A Mirror Shine

Hello everyone,

I can't every resist crafting at least one snowflake Christmas card in blue and silver.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Snow Festival layered on Paper Accents Mirror Silver Glossy Cardstock.  The images are Stampin' Up Serene Snowflakes stamped in Baja Breeze and Bordering Blue on Bazzill White and layered on more Mirror Silver.  The sentiment is Penny Black Winter Wonders stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The card is highlighted with Diamond Stickles.

I really love blue, white and silver together.  That, and snowflakes, just put me in a happy Christmas mood.  When I first found this super shiny silver paper I had doubts but now that I've used in a couple of times, I find I really like the high gloss shine.  There really isn't too much to this card outside of the layers and a bit of simple stamping but I think my group of beginners will be happy with the results.

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

Gisèle

Glittering In The Snow

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card is a less-than-traditional beauty.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Home For Christmas highlighted with Diamond Stickles.  The sentiment is Kaisercraft Christmas Quotes stamped in Mossy Meadow on Whisper White and layered on more Mossy Meadow.  The ribbon is Stampin' Up 1/8" silver ribbon.

This photo doesn't do the Stickles justice.  I used it on all the trees and it adds just the most wonderful sparkle.  I should have used a wider ribbon but this silver colour works so well with the glittering from the trees.  I also thought of adding a second knot but I did something similar with the Christmas cards for last year's carding party.

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

Gisèle

Poinsettia Bouquet

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card looks infinitely more complicated than it actually is.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Season of Cheer layered on Soft Sky.  The image is Stampin' Up Reason for the Season stamped in Early Espresso, Wild Wasabi, Crushed Curry and Close To My Heart Topiary and Tulip on Whisper White, highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999, and layered on more Soft Sky.  The sentiment is also Stampin' Up Reason for the Season stamped in Early Espresso on Whisper White.

Normally, a two-step stamp like this one is not necessarily what you'd use to design for beginners.  In this case however the stamps are see through acrylic so it is really easy to line up the various layers.  You don't need to use a stamp positioner to get beautiful results.  Further, it doesn't have to be perfectly aligned, there is wiggle room and it will still look great.  I think the ladies will be quite enamored with the magic of a two-step stamp.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Greetings

Hello everyone,

These next few posts are Christmas cards that I designed for an afternoon carding party.  As part of the Fall charity campaign at my work, there is an auction and I put forward an afternoon of carding.  I did a similar prize last year that was really well received.  This year, three of my colleagues, with no carding experience, are going to craft ten Christmas cards.  Once again, I had to keep the designs simple but still wanted the ladies to be happy with the results.  I hope these don't disappoint.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Letters to Santa layered on textured Old Olive.  The image is Stampin' Up Merry & Type stamped in Olive Olive on Whisper White, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen and layered on Ridinghood Red.  The sentiment is Fiskars Vintage Christmas stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Strips.

One of the great things about Stampin' Up is how easy everything works together.  I really took advantage of this capacity when designing these cards.  The cards are striking without using lots of elements.  I really love how the different pieces all come together.  The diagonals just make the vertical strip and focal image pop.

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

Gisèle

Cowboy Love

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a card that was commissioned by a colleague for an anniversary.  He want big, bling, shine and Western.  It was really no more strange than crafting a sympathy card from a Coke case.

The card base is Recollections Mercury Glass Christmas.  The images and sentiments are Rusty Pickle Git R' Dun and My Sentiments Exactly stamped in Stampin' Up Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, Midnight Muse or Close To My Heart gold heat embossed on a vanilla of unknown origin.  The printed paper is Best Creation Inc Cowboy Up.  The card is highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The embellishments are Eyelet Outlet enamel dots.

Does this card not have everything that was asked for? There is shine, bling, sparkle and cowboy!  I actually had a lot of fun crafting this card.  I just love this Mercury Glass paper.  I debated buying the pad because it was a 12X12 which are so hard to use up when you're only crafting cards.  This is pretty heavy cardstock so I can easily use it for card bases as well as for layering.  It has a number of colours which are all just sumptuous.

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

Gisèle

Colourful Doodles

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last of twenty cards I designed for my girlfriend and I to craft for a recent charity crop.  It was ambitious to hope a beginner card maker would be able to craft twenty cards in eight hours on a Friday night.  We actually managed to get all but two done.

The printed paper is Momenta Amylee Weeks layered on Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler, Basic Black and Garden Green.  The image and sentiment is Stampin' Up Happy Moments stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White, coloured with Tombow 098, 443, and 835, and layered on more Basic Black.  The ribbon is Michael's Dashes, Dots and Checks.

I love the simple doodles of this sheet of printed paper.  The colours are straightforward and pretty.  It works great with this doodled stamp.  I debated the colouring but figured with images this easy, it couldn't be too disastrous.  I wasn't too sure about the ribbon at first but the plaid with the doodled images seemed to go together all right.  I can't explain why but I like it.

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

Gisèle

Bella Beautiful

Hello everyone,

I'm posting a super pretty flourished card today.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Classic Calendars layered on Stampin' Up Basic Black and Close To My Heart Cotton Candy.  The sentiment is Stamp Barn stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White and layered on more Basic Black.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

This photo doesn't do this card justice at all!  All that bling just makes this card sparkle beautifully. The random placement of the rhinestones adds interest.  Matching the colour of the bling with the colour of the flourishes is just inspired.  I loved this printed paper from the moment I saw it on the rack.  The colours are awesome and allow for any number of possibilities.  I especially like the random pops of black.  Loving these particular birthday wishes!

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

Gisèle

Prettiest Paisleys

Hello everyone,

Today's post uses more yellow.  It's pretty but its yellow.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White and Bashful Blue and a solid yellow also of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Creative Expressions Amazing Sentiments stamped in Wild Wasabi on Whisper White and layered on more yellow.  The butterfly is also punched from the unknown yellow.  The embellishments are Doodlebug mini pearls.

For a crafter so afraid of yellow, I used it a lot in this latest series of cards.  I picked up this paper because it was cheerful and I love paisley.  I have not used it all that often because of the yellow but there is enough blue and green that I don't always feel the need for yellow.  Part of my design strategy in these cards was to use up some scraps.  That's probably why there have been so many yellow cards.  My girlfriend actually turned this card into a baby card thanks to a fellow cropper who had a great baby sentiment.  It was a great baby card too.

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

Gisèle

Circles For Him

Hello everyone,

Masculine cards can be a challenge but these circles made for a really easy one.

The printed paper is Chatter Box Fabulous Buttons layered on Stampin' Up Early Espresso and Close To My Heart Crystal Blue.  The sentiment is Penny Black Special Wishes stamped in Wild Wasabi on Whisper White.  The embellishments are Recollections Cork Dots.

Let's face it, this is a pretty simple card.  This paper has always been rather difficult to use because the circles are a terrible scale for a card.  I love the colours, even the yellow, so coordinating is not an issue.  I had to keep in mind a very beginner card maker and a limited amount of crafting time so this card was intended to take only minutes.  Quick and easy and perfectly masculine.

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

Gisèle

Fantastic Fleur De Lis

Hello everyone,

Of all the recent cards I designed for my girlfriend and I, this is one of my favourites.

The printed paper is Jillibean Soup Alphabet Soup.  The vertical strips are Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade and Night of Navy.  The striped element is layered on Smoky Slate.  The sentiment is Joy Crafts Clear Stamps Sayings stamped in Night of Navy on Whisper White and layered on more Lucky Limeade, Night of Navy and Smoky Slate.  The embellishment is of unknown origin.

There is just something about all the elements of this card that really work.  I especially like the colour combination.  There is something too about this fleur de lis and the argyle I also find really appealing.  This big bold sentiment is also wonderfully striking against these colours and big strips.

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

Gisèle

Plaid Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a simple plaid masculine birthday card.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Certainly Celery and Almost Amethyst.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Four You stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White and layered on more Almost Amethyst and Certainly Celery.  The banners are punched from Almost Amethyst.  The embellishments are brads of unknown origin.

I really don't know what took me so long to get into banners.  I really do love using them.  They really are a great way to add interest, without any bulk.  They are particularly great for embellishing a masculine card - no frou frou.  This is a pretty simple card, it needed to be for a beginner cardmaker,

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

Gisèle

Mom's Birthday Wishes

Hello everyone,

This post is for the birthday card that I sent to my mom for her birthday last week.  You'd think with all the strawberry stamps and paper I've been collecting over the past few years, my Mom's card would be red and berried.  Not this year, it's pretty, soft and perfect.

The printed paper is Ken Oliver Watercolored Memories layered on Stampin' Up Barely Banana.  The sentiment is Joy Crafts Clear Stamps Sayings stamped in Soft Suede on Whisper White and layered on more Barely Banana.  The embellishments are Marianne Design Butterflies.

I have never really enjoyed using the colour yellow and actually avoid it as much as possible.  It can be a really hard colour to make work.  All that said, Barely Banana was perfect with this muted watercolour printed paper.  I used the soft side of the sheet as opposed to the bold 'flip' side.  I loved using this bold sentiment and its perfect stamped Soft Suede.  Even with the yellow, I love this card.

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

Gisèle

Sweet Birthday Blues

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another simple masculine birthday card that could also be considered neutral.

The printed paper is from the dollar store and is layered on Close To My Heart Sky.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Delightful Dozen stamped in Pacific Point on Whisper White and layered on more Sky.

I always check out the paper crafting offerings at the dollar store because you never know what you'll find.  Case in point was a great pad of 'blue' 6X6 patterned paper.  These blue squares are 'retro' and wonderful.  I love the randomness and angled design of these rounded squares.  Of course, it was a no-brainer to round the corners of all the elements.  I had originally planned to add some square embellishments but once I affixed the sentiment element, I decided nothing else was really needed.

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

Gisèle

Pretty In Purple

Hello everyone,

Sometimes, pretty is just what you need to craft.

The printed paper is DoCrafts Papermania Lucy Cromwell layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White and Close To My Heart Petal.  The butterfly was die cut with Sizzix Butterflies Thinlits from a piece of specialty paper of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Close To My Heart Smokey Plum on Whisper White.  The embellishments are Mark Richards 3mm silver metals.

This butterfly couldn't work more beautifully with this Lucy Cromwell paper if it were planned.  I love crafting all cards but this type of simple, monochromatic beauty makes me so very happy!  It's was so very easy just by keeping the layout straightforward and using an intricate die.  I particularly like this set of Gina Marie sentiments.  They have wonderful fonts and I've been able to use them often.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Dots

Hello everyone,

When my girlfriend decided to come to a recent charity crop I wanted to design cards that she needed.  She asked for Christmas cards (the last few posts) and birthday cards.  I designed five female and five male birthday cards for us to craft.

The printed paper is Momenta Amylee Weeks layered on Recollections Black and Close To My Heart Juniper.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart For Every Occasion stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Juniper.  The banner is die cut with Sizzix Banners Framelits from Recollections Black.  The embellishments are brads of unknown origin.

I love the simplicity of this card.  While intended to be masculine, it really is rather neutral.  The black really pops and when paired with the Juniper, it really wonderful.  The embellishments were, purposefully, intended to mimic the printed paper.  Overall, a simple card and a great result.

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

Gisèle

Berried Bannered

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last of the Christmas cards I designed for a recent charity crop.

The printed paper is Little Yellow Bicycle Wonder Wishes "Merry Little Berries" layered on a solid red and a solid green each of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Inkadinkado stamped in Close To My Heart Topiary on Stampin' Up Whisper White.  The banners are die cut with Sizzix Banners Framelits from more red of unknown origin.  The sentiment and banners are highlighted with Xmas Red Stickles.

This is a great sheet of paper.  It's a wonderful scale for carding and, unlike yesterday's card, offers some excellent shading for coordinating.  I like the busy background as it offers a couple of options.  It's great underneath an image or, left like this, as the predominant background element.  It's perfect for embellishing, which I didn't do in this case, but left it alone.  I love the vintage aspect to the design which works great with this particular sentiment.

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

Gisèle

A Christmas Challenge

Hello everyone,

This is another one of the Christmas cards I designed for a girlfriend and I to craft at a recent charity crop.  It was planned to be simple yet impactful.

The printed paper is American Crafts "Holiday Sinterklass" layered on a brushed silver and a green of unknown origin.  The sentiment is DeNami Design stamped in Stampin' Up Garden Green on Whisper White, highlighted with Sakura Clear, Red and Green Gelly Roll pen, and layered on more green.

This is not necessarily my favourite printed paper.  I thought when I bought it, it would be fairly straightforward to choose coordinating colours but without any shading, the red, green and grey are pretty unforgiving.  I've tried any number of embellishments and glitter but nothing makes me love this paper any more.  The scale of the images is great for carding but it's those colours that make it so very challenging to use.  I'm actually quite glad I've almost used up this sheet.  Notwithstanding all this whining, this is still a lovely card.

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

Gisèle

Ornaments A Pretty

Hello everyone,

I was in the mood to craft a really pretty Christmas card.

The printed paper is Kaisercraft Christmas Carnival "Bauble" layered on Stampin' Up Pink Pirouette and Certainly Celery, and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The image is Stampin' Up Ornament Keepsakes stamped on Pink Pirouette, heat embossed with Stampin' Up white embossing powder and die cut with Sizzix Holiday Ornaments Framelits.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Embellished Ornmanets stamped in Close To My Heart Twilight ink on Whisper White and layered on Certainly Celery.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.

I just so love making Christmas cards.  It doesn't seem to matter if they're traditional or not, simple or elaborate, sparkly or plain, I love them all.  This is such a fun card.  It's pretty and different and not necessarily what you'd expect in a Christmas card.

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

Gisèle

Another Wonderful Winter Case

Hello everyone,

This is another card that I cased from this one I crafted this past July

The printed paper is atd Snow Days layered on a textured rust Bazzill.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Wishes Come True stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more rust Bazzill.  The ribbon is American Crafts.

These lovely boots, mittens, scarves and hats make for such beautiful paper that, like the card I cased, I kept the layout and embellishments really minimal.  The card also needed to be simple because I ambitiously planned to have my beginner cardmaker craft ten cards in one evening.  Simplicity in this case makes for a great Christmas card.

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

Gisèle

Sparkle And Snowflakes

Hello everyone,

Another Christmas beauty for you today.

The printed paper is BoBunny Powder Mountain layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White and Close To My Heart Moonstruck.  The sentiment is Impression Obsession Christmas Sentiments stamped in Ballet Blue on Whisper White and layered on more Whisper White.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Strips.

These colours pop!  The bling pops!  The sentiment layer pops!  The original sheet of paper had tons of beautiful snowflakes and a super cute bunny so I've been very careful with cutting.  There isn't much left.  If I do say so myself, this card is wonderfully exceptional!  I actually can't wait to give this someone.

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

Gisèle

Joyously Glittering

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another Christmas card that a friend and I crafted during a recent charity crop.  It a case of this card I crafted this time last year.

The printed paper is Echo Park Paper Company Winter Wishes "Snowy Trees" layered on Close To My Heart Smokey Plum and Twilight.  The image is Penny Black Joyous stamped in Twilight ink on Stampin' Up Whisper White, layered on more Smokey Plum and highlighted with Martha Stewart Coarse Crystal Glitter.  The sentiment is Technique Tuesday Jingle All The Way stamped in Smokey Plum ink on Whisper White and layered on more Smokey Plum.

I do so love how this image works with the printed paper.  The droopy leaves of both the image and the paper are perfect for glittering.  The sentiment font is modern so it also works really well with the non-traditional colours and images.  All in all, a great non-traditional Christmas card.

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

Gisèle

Simple Christmas

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another simple Christmas card designed with a beginner in mind.

The printed paper is Kaisercraft Santa's List Collection "Bon Bon" layered on Stampin' Up Read Red.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Reason For The Season stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen, and layered with more Real Red. 

This card was easy to keep simple in regards to the layout because this printed paper is absolutely amazing.  It's the perfect scale for a card.  The only drawback is that light blue colour.  It's a bit of a pain to coordinate.  I solved that problem but sticking to the reds.  I suppose I could have included some green as well but this works.  I did think a little sparkle was called for so I pulled out the ever handy Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  I think it the one thing I just couldn't live without.

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

Gisèle

Ornament Bliss

Hello everyone,

Another crop card today.  My girlfriend is an absolute beginner cardmaker so my intention to craft ten cards in a few short hours necessitated designing some that were really simple.

The image and sentiment is Impression Obsession Vintage Ornaments stamped in Stampin' Up Blackberry Bliss on Whisper White and layered on Blackberry Bliss.  The image is highlighted with Silver Stickles.

How's this for clean and simple.  The most time consuming part was waiting for the Stickles to dry.  I really love this set of ornaments, they are perfect for Stickles.  I thought they also worked especially well for these square card bases that I picked up at a garage sale.  If pressed, you could craft dozens of these cards in very short order.  Simple but really effective.

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

Gisèle

Painted And Perfect

Hello everyone,

Today post is for another Christmas card I designed for a girlfriend and I to craft at a recent crop.

The image is Deep Red Poinsettia Blossom stamped on Recollections Kraft with Ranger Glacier White and heat embossed with Stampin' Up White embossing powder.  The image is painted with LuminArte Coral Berry, Deep Coral, Mango Mamba, Persimmon, Poppy Red and Ruby Red Twinkling H2Os.  The image is layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White and Simple Stories December Documented Red Snowflakes.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Very Merry Christmas stamped in Stampin' Up Soft Suede.

I was inspired to design this card because I was so very pleased with the 'Kraft Magic' cards I crafted in September.  I love these 'magic' cards.  The white just pops against the Kraft paper and I think I used every red Twinkling H2O I have in my stash.  Again, I kept the sentiment simple and didn't even bother with embellishments so as not to detract from this pretty poinsettia.

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

Gisèle

Glittered And Gorgeous

Hello everyone,

Today's card is one that I designed for a girlfriend and I to craft at a crop in October.

The image is an Elizabeth Crafts Designs outline sticker glittered with Classic Red Glamour Glitter and a variety of Martha Stewart glitter.  The image is layered on Worldwin gold, Stampin' Up Whisper White and a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Very Merry Christmas stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone stickers.

All that glitter just puts me in the happiest of places.  These types of images are incredibly time consuming and finicky but the results are so very worth it.  They make for utterly mind-blowing beautiful.  I kept the rest of the card pretty simple so as not to have to compete with this poinsettia.

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

Gisèle

Diamond Beauty

Hello everyone,

I've been wicked busy the last few weeks designing and crafting Christmas cards.  It has been a crazy, crazy time.  Now its time to, hopefully, get back to something resembling normal

Today's card was commissioned by a colleague for a wedding.  I wanted to try something different and I had some fun crafting this fancy-folded beauty.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin.  The remaining papers are American Crafts Charcoal Damask glitter paper and Worldwin Shimmery Black.  The images are Technique Tuesday Fan Fare stamped in Ranger Glacier White pigment ink heat embossed with Stampin' Up white embossing powder.  The sentiment is Fiskars Just Married Quotes stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White and layered on a silver of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Stampin' Up Frosted Finishes and Crafts Rhinestone Strips.

I think this card is an absolute thing of beauty.  The diamond fold was a bit of challenge to figure out but when I finally got it, I fell in love.  I was inspired by a tri-fold wedding card that I crafted in September.  It turned out so well, I got ambitious.  It paid off.

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

Gisèle

Purple Blossoms

Hello everyone,

I decided to use some more of the watercoloured paper that I used yesterday because I was so very happy with the results.

The printed paper is Ken Oliver Watercolored Memories layered on Stampin' Up Almost Amethyst.  The image is Penny Black Delicate Florals stamped in Tombow 158, 228, 553, and 623 on Whisper White and layered on more Almost Amethyst.  The sentiment is Creative Expressions Amazing Sentiments stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Keepsakes Memories.

I really liked yesterday's card but I absolutely love today's card!  I played with watercolour crayons on the image but I didn't like the results - they were rather muddy and soupy.  Too much water which is one of the drawbacks of stamping with watercolour crayons.  I think turning to markers was a better call.  The image is a littler crisper than I'd intended but the colours are just perfect.  I'd do this again!

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

Gisèle

Watercoloured Roses

Hello everyone,

Now that I've finished with the recent Christmas card series and with now commissions on my plate, I'm little lost for inspiration.

The printed paper is Ken Oliver Watercolored Memories layered on Stampin' Up Soft Suede and River Rock.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Four You stamped in Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla.  The ribbon is Crafts.  The embellishments are Marianne Design Butterflies.

I sometimes find that when my mojo is lagging, finding some beautiful paper and keep it simple will help spur on the creativity.  This card is a perfect example.  I found this 6 X 6 pad at my local scrapbooking store and couldn't resist the beautiful watercolours.  I find it especially appealing because one side of the sheet is muted while the other, with the same image, is quite bold.  A very interesting perspective that could make for some really beautiful cards.  I think I'd like to try using both muted and bold sides on one card as it would probably be quite phenomenal.  I found these wonderful pearl embellishments at Ecstasy Crafts which is a truly marvelous store just off highway 401 on the way to Toronto.  It also has an online store which is well worth checking out.  I'm not certain my creativity is completely back but I'll keep slogging through.

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

Gisèle

Texture and Glitter

Hello everyone,

This is the last post of the green card base ornament Christmas cards that I'll be donating to the Fall charity card sale at the office.

The card base is a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The ornament is die cut with Sizzix Delicate Ornaments Thinlets from glossy paper smooshed with Red Pepper, Meadow, Clover and Snow Cap Ranger Alcohol ink, then covered with DecoArt Glamour Dust.  The ornament is layered on a shimmery ivory that was textured with Sizzix Thin Ice embossing folder and layered on a shimmery pink of unknown origin.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone stickers.

I have to say I'm quite relieved to have used up so much of this shimmery green cardstock.  I really don't know what I was thinking when I bought such a big batch.  I could see one or two pieces but that's pretty much it.  I have had a lot fun crafting all these ornaments cards and challenging myself not to use sentiments.  I think they turned out really well and I hope they sell well.

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

Gisèle

Glittered Snowflake Trio

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another glittered ornament Christmas card from the series I've been crafting for the Fall charity card sale at work.

The card base is a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The ornaments are die cut with Memory Box Classic Ornament from Glossy white paper of unknown origin and Sizzix Delicate Ornaments Thinlets from glossy paper smooshed with Red Pepper, Meadow, Clover and Snow Cap Ranger Alcohol ink, then covered with DecoArt Glamour Dust.  The ribbon is Offray Sheerly Yours.  The embellishments are Crafts.

I hadn't intended to craft another trio ornament card but some of the leftover glittered scraps were just big enough for this snowflake die.  I managed to squeeze three snowflakes from various pieces and I love that they're all different colours.  The glossy bottom layers were die cut pieces that I used a few days ago.  I'm glad I thought to cut some extras because this card is just wonderful!

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

Gisèle