Elements Unknown

Hello everyone,

Today's post is an extraordinarily simple yet striking birthday card.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a textured green also of unknown origin.  The sentiment is a die cut of unknown origin cut with a shimmery golden copper of unknown origin.  The sentiment is layered on an ivory and textured brown of unknown origin.

As I was sorting through the multitude of leftover odd and ends, I found this great piece of paper and a number of die cuts.  I dug through the bin of unknown scraps and found a piece of ivory that worked perfectly with the background of the leaf paper.  It struck me that it would make a great masculine birthday card.  I'd intended to have the leaves run vertically but mis-cut the paper.  In the end I decided I could live with the horizontal given all the other elements were also going horizontal.  I love how the sentiment pops and is just a little shiny.  A great result!

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

Gisèle

Prettily Pink

Hello everyone,

As masculine as yesterday's card was, today's is utterly feminine.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Basic Grey and Pale Plum.  The sentiment is Gina K Fanciful Tags stamped in Basic Grey on Whisper White.  The butterfly is cut from the Memory Box Vivienne Butterfly die in Pale Plum and Basic Grey then highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999 and Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

I'm utterly in love with this card.  All these pretty shades of pink, with hints of grey, and beautiful butterflies put me in such a happy place.  This is one of those cards that is totally reliant on extraordinarily beautiful printed paper.  It's three simple elements that come together as so very much more.  I could craft this card over and over again and never tire of it.

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

Gisèle

One For Him

Hello everyone,

Today I'm posting a more masculine birthday card.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Close To My Heart Olive.  The sentiment is Creative Expressions Scribbled Sentiments stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The banners were punched from Recollections Kraft.  The embellishments are Recollections Cork Dots.

I love this particular piece of paper but have no idea where it came from.  I have tons of leftovers bits and pieces, along with many donated gems and they really get my creativity flowing.  I thought this particular piece was perfect for a masculine card.  I love the cork dots, which in my mind, just add to the masculinity.  Like many of these commissioned cards, I'm keeping it really simple but still trying to make them special.  I think this fits the bill.

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

Gisèle

Fabulously Feminine

Hello everyone,

Today's birthday card has a real vintage feeling that it really appealing.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Close To My Heart Goldrush.  The images are Stampin' Up Thanks For Caring stamped in Certainly Celery on Whisper White, coloured with watercolour crayons and layered on more Goldrush.  The sentiment is Sweet & Sassy Script Birthdays stamped in Always Artichoke.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.

This card is the I SPI take on vintage.  I was really drawn to the colours in this paper and the watercolour effect used for the flowers.  It is just so very girlishly pretty and it prompted me to choose these equally pretty images.  I used watercolour crayons for colouring so they'd work even better with the printed paper and did they ever!  The ribbon, which is also a little on the old fashioned side, just adds to the overall vintage feel.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Birdie

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another commissioned birthday card.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Wisteria Wonder.  The image and sentiment is Stampin' Up Happy Moments stamped in Soft Suede on Recollections White.  The image is also layered on Wisteria Wonder and is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The brads are American Crafts.

I quickly realized if I'm to craft 35 cards, I'm going to have to keep them pretty simple.  I don't however want to sacrifice what makes handmade cards special.  I selected this particular image because it works really wonderfully with the birdcage images on the paper.  It's a pretty busy background but the scale of the images is perfect with the muted colours and simply style graphics, it makes for a pretty wonderful card.  All in all, a very pretty card.

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

Gisèle

A Striking Bloom

Hello everyone,

This is the last of the cards that I crafted at last Friday's crop.

The printed paper is Cosmo Cricket Art Angel layered on Close To My Heart Sorbet.  The image is Altenew Wild Hibiscus stamped in Stampin' Up River Rock and Close To My Heart Cranberry on Recollections Vanilla and die cut with the coordinating die.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Joyful Birthday also stamped in Cranberry on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Sorbet.  The embellishments are Crafts.

This is another stamped/die cut image that I did on my MISTI.  It is perfectly aligned!  It was so easy!  No trying to tape down the die and hope it doesn't shift going through the Big Shot!  Yipee!  Practice will definitely make this technique even easier.  Cutting before stamping is so strange after all these years of doing the opposite.  The cut edge on the sentiment was not intended but I misjudged the space needed for the reveal on the vanilla and ended up with a wonky edge.  I'm actually quite pleased that I thought to just trim the corner off.  With the angle of the flower, it really couldn't work any better.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Butterfly

Hello everyone,

Today's birthday card is another that I crafted at the crop on Friday night.

The printed papers are Cosmo Cricket Art Angel.  The image is Altenew Painted Butterflies stamped in Stampin' Up Soft Suede and Close To My Heart Cranberry on Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Happy Birthday also stamped in Soft Suede on Vanilla.  The embellishments are Crafts.

I finally got a MISTI (Most Incredible Stamp Tool Invented) and the crop was the perfect opportunity to experiment.  I've been researching it for a while and found a great video on Justine Hovey's You Tube page.  I was particularly interested in the multi-step and die cutting techniques because I've got quite a few multi-step stamps which also have dies.  This butterfly is the perfect example.  It can be a bear to line up and then cut.  While the stamp isn't necessarily meant to align perfectly, the MISTI sure made it easier not to really flub it.  I didn't use the magnets the first time so the paper moved when I stamped it.  I didn't make that same mistake twice.  I really can't wait to try it on other stamp and die sets.

One of the biggest challenges I have with multi-step stamps is getting the right ink colours to work together.  I had such success with the double impressions trick on the cards from earlier this week that I tried it with this butterfly.  I worked exceptionally well and as long as I'm crafting fairly monochromatic cards, I'll consider it a solution.  I still need to figure out using two different colours.  It'll come.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Blossoms

Hello everyone,

I've received a commission for 35 birthday cards so be prepared for a month of birthday card posts.

The printed paper is Cosmo Cricket Art Angel layered on Close To My Heart Ruby.  The image is Stampin' Up Wild About Flowers stamped in River Rock and Ruby on Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker Happy Birthday stamped in Soft Suede.  The embellishment is Marianne Design Butterflies.

I can't ever remember having such a challenge getting decent photos of my cards.  This is the fourth attempt!  I did eventually realize that the problem was with the editing software I use not the actual photos.  

I crafted this card at Friday night's crop so it has the same look and feel of the two Ronald MacDonald House cards.  If I remember correctly, I stamped the Ruby ink full force.  I love how the flowers pop, especially against the minimal reveal of the Ruby cardstock layer.  Not that I don't have a healthy stash of birthday sentiments but I'm grateful I had the foresight to pick up this Rubbernecker set.  It's perfect for smaller cards and the variety of fonts and style will provide some great variety.

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

Gisèle

More Beautiful Softness

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the second card I crafted to donate to Ronald MacDonald House.

The card base is Close To My Heart Bamboo.  The printed paper is Cosmo Cricket Art Angel layered on Recollections Vanilla.  The image is Stampin' Up Wild About Flowers stamped in River Rock and Cajun Craze on Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart For Every Occasion also stamped in Cajun Craze.  The embellishments are Crafts.

I used the same technique of double stamping the flowers on this and it worked just as great as it did on yesterday's card.  I stamped the sentiment darker and I love how much it really pops.  It helps that I stamped it in the sweet spot and emphasized it with a little bit of bling.  I had to resist filling up the 'white space' with another image because it would make it too busy and I really wanted to keep it soft and simple.  Peaceful.

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

Gisèle

Softly Beautiful

Hello everyone,

Last night I attended a crop at which we were asked to craft cards to donate to Ronald MacDonald House.  I never even knew they were in need of cards.  I love crafting cards for a cause and this is a particularly good one!

The card base is Close To My Heart Bamboo.  The printed paper is Cosmo Cricket Art Angel.  The images and sentiment are Close To My Heart You Are Beautiful stamped in Stampin' Up River Rock and Close To My Heart Cranberry on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Close To My Heart Sorbet.  The embellishments are Crafts.

This is such a lovely soft card, simple and heartfelt.  I had limited inks available to me at the crop and realized the Cranberry ink was much too harsh for the softness I was trying to create so I first stamped on a piece of scrap paper before stamping on the card.  An unexpected bonus was that even though I stamped a first impression on a piece of scrap, when I stamped the second impression, the edges of the image came out darker.  It adds some great depth to the image that I didn't anticipate but really love.  When I stamped the sentiment, I didn't remove ink but used the full on Cranberry.  These different tones of the same ink colour bring it all together.

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

Gisèle

Swirling Beautiful

Hello everyone,

I think this will be the last fall shaving cream card.  Probably.  Maybe.

The printed paper was made using the shaving cream technique with Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip, Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and River Rock ink on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Stampin' Up Dusty Durango.  The images are BoBunny Falling Leaves stamped in Cajun Craze on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Dusty Durango.  The sentiment is Stampendous Graceful Birthday stamped in Early Espresso.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Mocha Opaques.

This particular background paper turned out particularly well and I didn't want to cut it up or cover it any more than necessary.  This image from the BoBunny set reminds me of the chestnut tree on my front lawn.  They're some pretty amazing leaves.  I was going to stamp them in Dusty Durango ink but the Cajun Craze is just that little bit darker yet it still works great with the background.  

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

Gisèle

Leaves Of Three

Hello everyone,

I'm not quite finished with the shaving cream technique background papers.

The printed paper was made using the shaving cream technique with Stampin' Up Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and River Rock ink on Recollections Vanilla.  The vertical strip is Gina K Chocolate Brown.  The image is Inkadinkado stamped in StazOn Timber Brown on Recollections Vanilla, painted with LuminArte Golden Jade, Jasper Red, Natural Linen and Spiced Pumpkin Twinkling H2Os and layered on Close To My Heart Goldrush.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Goldrush.  The embellishments are EK Success Harvest Dots.

I was going to put away these autumn background papers for the time being when I realized this particular leaf stamp was too perfect not to use for one of these cards.  This is one of my favourite leaf stamps even though I don't seem to use it all that often.  It is pretty distinctive and I do shy away from using them too frequently.  It painted up beautifully and the swirls in the images work so beautifully with the swirls in the background.

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

Gisèle

Busy Background

Hello everyone,

I still have quite a few pieces of shaving cream papers so I can't promise this won't be the last card using it.

The printed paper was made using the shaving cream technique with Stampin' Up Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and River Rock ink on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Stampin' Up River Rock.  The background images are Impression Obsession Large Flourishes stamped in Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and River Rock.  The sentiment is Stamp Barn stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are of unknown origin.

This is another of those somewhat awkward pieces of printed paper that I wasn't certain how I wanted to make work.  When I first laid it against the card base I felt it needed something.  I thought the background stamping, which I've done before and really liked, would be the things.  I think though, that I should have stopped with three, one in each colour, on only a single side.  This card has ended up looking way more busy than I wanted and, in my opinion, more than a sympathy card ought to be.  I don't know if I'll be able to live with it or will redo the card base before I put it in my stash.  Not my finest result.

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

Gisèle

Golden Leaves

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another shaving cream technique card.

The printed paper was made using the shaving cream technique with Stampin' Up Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and River Rock ink on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Stampin' Up River Rock and Close To My Heart Autumn Terracotta.  The images are Peel-Off's Mark Richards Gold Leaves affixed to vellum and painted with LuminArte Amber Bronze, Blushing Caramel, Dreamsicle, Mocha Rose, Natural Linen and Pale Porcelain Twinkling H2Os.  The sentiment is of unknown origin stamped in Early Espresso.  The ribbon is Michael's Special Value.  The embellishments are Mark Richards 3mm gold metals.

I picked up a new set of Twinkling H2Os and of course, along with all the other new goodies, just couldn't resist giving them a try.  The colours are more pale and natural than the others in my stash.  They worked rather well on the vellum and I can't wait to try them on watercolour paper and on black cardstock.  Even with the large block of printed paper, which I thought was rather awkward, I love the result.  I think the key really was in the placement of the painted leaves.  I'll certainly take it!

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

Gisèle

Fall Texture

Hello everyone,

Today's post uses an embossing folder that I also picked up this past Saturday.

The background layers are Stampin' Up Crushed Curry textured with Darice Fall Leaves Swirl embossing folder and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen, Gina K Chocolate Brown and a textured rust of unknown origin (likely Bazzill).  The printed paper was made using the shaving cream technique with Stampin' Up Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and River Rock ink on Recollections Vanilla, die cut with DoCrafts X Cut Leaves and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is Avery Elle So Happy stamped in Dusty Durango on Recollections Vanilla.

These die cut leaves are amazing!  With a little bit of glitter (which doesn't show up in the photo), they are just about over the top.  I knew, as soon as I SPI'd this embossing folder, I'd be taking it home.  It's a folder that I will use over and over.  I don't often pair yellow and brown together but in this case, I really wanted a bit of pop.  I think it grounds what is actually a pretty busy card.  You can't see it but I've actually put another leaf inside the card.  I had planned to use all five (odd numbers) die cut leaves but couldn't find a way to make it work.  I then realized that the sentiment panel makes up the odd numbered element and I'm quite happy!

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

Gisèle

Falling Leaves

Hello everyone,

I just had to try the new stamps I picked up at Scrap En Masse on yesterday's shopping trip.

The printed paper was made using the shaving cream technique with Stampin' Up Crushed Curry, Close To Cocoa, Dusty Durango and River Rock ink on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Close To My Heart Sunflower and Goldrush.  The images are BoBunny Falling Leaves stamped in Crushed Curry and Cajun Craze, and Close To My Heart Sunset on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more vanilla.  The sentiment is Denami Design Upright Happy Birthday stamped in Early Espresso.  The embellishments are brads of unknown origin.

I absolutely love this card!  The marbled background is stunning and these leaf stamps are spectacular.  I debated buying the stamps as I do have others but there was something especially appealing about these leaves and I'm sure I'll get lots of use from them.  I debated stamping the sentiment directly on the background paper because I thought it would get lost in the swirls but with this dark brown ink, it turned out just fine.  I use this vertical sentiment quite often especially when I do images on the vertical.  This font works particularly well with the swirls in the marbled paper.

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

Gisèle

Autumn Spendor

Hello everyone,

A friend and I took a field trip to a wonderful scrapbooking store in Eastern Ontario today (would that you could have joined us Linda).  It was the most perfect of sunny fall days and I was utterly inspired by the breathtaking colours.

The printed paper was made using the shaving cream technique with Stampin' Up Crushed Curry, Dusty Durango and River Rock ink and is layered on a textured mustard and rust of unknown origin (likely Bazzill).  The images are die cut with DoCrafts X Cut Leaves from Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper and copper foil.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Say It All stamped in Dusty Durango.  The embellishment is Pebbles Pearl Candy Dots.

I first did this shaving cream technique at a card class many, many years ago but never attempted it again.  I'm not sure why I suddenly had a yen to give it a try.  For some reason, the messier the technique, the more I seem to like it and I just love this marbled effect.  My studio smells heavenly of Gillette shaving cream and my fingers are stained with ink but this was quite fun.  I did a whole bunch of pieces so you'll probably be sick of them by the time I've moved on to something else.

I found this die cut set while shopping today and have to say I'm quite impressed.  There are fourteen different dies in this set and they are the absolute perfect scale for cards.  I've used Do Crafts paper before but I'd never seen their dies.  It was well worth the cost.

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

Gisèle

Finely Feathered

Hello everyone,

Today's card is the last of the cards I've crafted for my aunt and cousins.

The background paper is Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper layered on Recollections White and Close To My Heart Peacock.  The images are Stampin' Up Four Feathers stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Pearlescent Starlite Black on Recollections White and die cut with Sizzix Feathers Framelits.  The sentiment is Gina K Framed Greetings also stamped in Starlite Black on Recollections White and layered on Recollections Mercury Glass.  The embellishment is Queen & Company Mermaid Marble Rox.

I knew I would use these feathers stamps when I started this series of cards.  Though I had a design in mind, it's rarely as easy to implement as I think it will be.  This is actually my second attempt.  The first try was pretty much a disaster when I tried to stamp the background with the feathers but it ended up terrible.  The ink smooshed and it looked like an afterthought.  I think leaving the background alone was a much better choice.  I had not originally planned to layer the sentiment but the Mercury Glass paper provides some heft not only to the sentiment but also the feathers hanging down.  A tough card to craft but not a bad result in the end.

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

Gisèle

Enchanted Flight

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another card for one of my cousins.

The primary is Stamp Barn Enchanted Hollow stamped with a variety of water spritzed Stampin' Up watercolor crayons on Recollections White.  The birds are Verve Forever In Our Hearts stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Lightening Black.  The focal image is layered on Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper, Recollections White and Stmapin' Up Mossy Meadow.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes also stamped in Tuskineko Brilliance Lightening Black.

This watercolour crayon technique is one that I've not used in quite some time.  It can be a tricky thing to attempt because it really hinges on the amount of water that is spritzed.  Too much and it will be a blotchy mess.  Too little and the image won't stamp very clearly.  I took a risk by stamping on regular paper as opposed to watercolour paper which is usually much more forgiving.  This particular stamp always seems to work well with watercolour crayons.

My cousins all have an affinity for the great outdoors, something my uncle took care to instill.  All of the cards I'm crafting have a very natural feel which I think and hope they'll appreciate.

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

Gisèle

Hope And Strength

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another card for my uncle's family.

The background layer is Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper layered on Recollections White and Close To My Heart Lagoon.  The image is Hero Arts Dandelion stamped in Close To My Heart Peacock on Recollections White and layered on more Lagoon and Stampin' Up Taken With Teal.  The sentiment is Verve Forever In Our Heart also stamped in Peacock on Recollections White and layered on more Taken With Teal.  The embellishments are My Mind's Eye Notable "Cute" enamel dots.

This is one of my favourite alcohol inked papers.  I love the blues and greens.  The lighter splotches were done by spraying the sheet with rubbing alcohol.  It makes for a very interesting piece.  I came across this image when I was looking for yesterday's image.  It somehow seems very suitable for this card.  I had hoped to add a vellum butterfly as an embellishment but couldn't find one that was pleasing.  I did come across the stash of enamel dots and couldn't believe it when I found some that worked so perfectly with the background paper.

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

Gisèle

Special Thoughts

Hello everyone,

My uncle recently passed away and I'm making some special cards for my aunt and cousins.

The background paper is Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper layered on Close To My Heart Orange and Autumn Terracotta.  The image is Hero Arts Exotic Bloom stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Pearlescent Rust on Stampin' Up Whisper White.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Say It All also stamped in Pearlescent Rust.  The gold strip is Close To My Heart Foil tape.

I was inspired by the beautiful fall colours when crafting this card.  As these are particularly special cards, I pulled out my stash of alcohol inked papers.  It is such a cool technique and lends to the creation of some pretty unique background papers.  This is an image I've had for a very long while.  It can be a little fussy to use if the elements are all hand coloured but in this case, with the single pearlescent ink, it is pretty striking.  The horizontal sentiment stamped on the vertical is a particular favourite placement.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Swap

Hello everyone,

I'm going to a crop in a few weeks and will be participating in a Christmas card swap.  Today's post is the card I'll be sharing.

The printed paper is BoBunny "A Gift of Love" Noel Holly layered on Bazzill Bitter Chocolate and another Bazzill Green.  The image is Sweet & Sassy Christmas Silhouettes stamped in Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow on Recollections Vanilla and cut with a coordinating die.  The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Christmas Expressions also stamped in Mossy Meadow and punched from Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishment is Eyelet Outlet Square Red Jewels.

I've never agonized over a Christmas card like I did this card.  I couldn't make a decision on either the layout or the elements.  The only thing I stuck with was the Kraft card base.  All that said, I'm pretty happy with the final result.  I think everything eventually came together pretty well.  It certainly was a tough haul.

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

Gisèle

Holly Sketched

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a card that was only partially finished until I decided to make some headway into cleaning up my desk.

The image is Art Impressions UMM2113 Holly stamped in Tombow 249 and 847.  The image is highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is Kaisercraft Christmas Quotes stamped in Stampin' Up Ridinghood Red on Very Vanilla, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen and layered on a scrap of green of unknown origin.

I started this card when I was working on the holly one sheet wonder a few weeks back.  I stamped the image but then couldn't figure out how to use the printed paper piece.  It seemed wiser to just set it aside.  I'm very happy that I did because this card is wonderful.  This image packs a punch and I love the sketched design.

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

Gisèle

McGill Graduate

Hello everyone,

One of my colleagues requested a special card for a University of McGill graduate.

The image is a tracing from the University of McGill's coat of arms fussy cut from DCWV Glitzy Glitter stack.  The bird is layered on Worldwin Silver Ore Petallics, more DCWV Glitzy Glitter and a shimmery red of unknown origin die cut with Spellbinders Nestabilities Labels 20.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Crafts.

I think my idea for this card was so much better than the execution.  I wanted to use McGill's red and the bird.  My colleague wanted glitter.  The two don't work as well together as I thought they would.  The generous use of embellishments helped but ... then I thought rounding the corners would help even more but ... I don't use the Spellbinders Nestabilities all that often because I find they look strange when I get the cards finished.  Whenever I see cards with Nestabilities, I think they're wonderful.  I can't figure out why my don't.

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

Gisèle

Boots & Hats

Hello everyone,

Today's post is one of the most unusual wedding cards I've ever had the pleasure to craft.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a grey also of unknown origin.  The images are Rusty Pickle Git R' Dun and TPC Studio Hugs & Kisses stamped in Close To My Heart Dutch Blue on vellum and a white of unknown origin and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The sentiment is Fiskars Just Married Quotes also stamped in Dutch Blue.  The embellishments is Recollections.

This wedding was all cowboy boots and hats but still having a fair bit of formal flourish.  I replicated their wedding invitation in regards to the elements but added a few bits to make it an I SPI card.  The invitation came in a vellum envelop and I really wanted to incorporate it.  I love the result but it didn't photograph worth beans.

The wedding was the most beautiful I've ever had the honor to attend.  They loved the card too!

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

Gisèle

Fabulous Floral

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the card I crafted for my eldest sister who celebrated her birthday last week.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a rust red of unknown origin (likely Bazzill) and Stampin' Up Wisteria Wonder.  The image is Memory Box Tissue Flower stamped in StazOn Olive Green on Recollections White and layered on more rust red and Close To My Heart New England Ivy.  The image was painted with LuminArte Dreamsicle, Olive Vine and Rose Gold Twinkling H2Os.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Perfect Punches also stamped in Olive Green on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Recollections Circus Epoxy Stickers.

My daughter boards with my sister during the university school year and we are so grateful.  I wanted to craft a special card that would really show our appreciation.  Whenever I'm crafting a card for my sister, I look at poppy images because she has a poppy print that is utterly gorgeous in her home.  This flower reminds me of a poppy.  I attempted to paint it while keeping the 'tissue' aspect intact.  I think I succeeded fairly well.  I wouldn't normally pair purple and rust together but it worked in the printed paper so I felt it would be a pretty safe colour combination.  I could have layered with more purple instead of green but I wanted the image to pop and the green does that.

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

Gisèle

Happy Hubby

Hello everyone,

Last week we celebrated hubby's birthday.  I think this card is one the my favourites.

The image is a Sandylion Essentials Golfing sticker affixed to Stampin' Up Whisper White and layered on a silver of unknown origin and Basic Black.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker Best Wishes stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The banners were punched from a variety of scrap pieces of various, unknown origin.

I think I love this card so much because it's very simple with just little hints of colour that coordinate with the image.  It came together pretty easily once I'd figured out the elements.  The hardest part was selecting a sentiment that fit because I, rather dumbly, placed the sticker before stamping the sentiment.  It's a good thing I've a number of 'happy birthday' sentiments to choose from.  This sentiment not only fit the space but the angle of the font is speaks remarkably well to the angle of the golf club.  The type of happy accident that I love.

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

Gisèle

PS - Hubby loved the card!

Retirement Wishes

Hello everyone,

One of my colleagues is retiring in a few weeks and I crafted this special card for him.

The printed paper is TaDa Creative Studios Moscow layered on Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade and Tempting Turquoise.  The images are TaDa Creative Studios Moscow Domes stamped in Close To My Heart Outdoor Denim on Whisper White and layered on more Tempting Turquoise.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Wild About Flowers stamped in Outdoor Denim on Whisper White and layered on Lucky Limeade.  The embellishments are Kiwi and Sea Blue Oregon Raindrops.

I absolutely love this TaDa paper.  The colours and the shapes are so utterly appealing.  All that said, it isn't very easy to use as I'm utterly loathe to cover up any more of the graphic than I have to.  I also love that there are small and simple coordinating stamps.  As this card is for a male colleague, I wanted to make it a little on the masculine side.  There is no glitter, the layout is pretty simple and the embellishments act as little magnifiers.  I think this works just fine.

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

Gisèle

Flourished Foil Holly

Hello everyone,

Finally, the last card in the holly paper one sheet wonder.  I'm still amazed by the number of cards wrought from this one sheet of 12 X 12 paper.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Home For Christmas layered on Bazzill Cardinal red, Very Vanilla and Mossy Meadow.  The images are Creative Expression Filigree Holly die cut from Fancy Pants Red Foiled paper and DCWV Foiled cardstock.  The berries are highlighted with a red Sakura Gelly Roll pen.  The sentiment is Recollections Christmas stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Very Vanilla and layered on more Bazzill Cardinal red.

Another square piece of printed paper and another challenge to, interestingly, craft it into a card.  I decided to add some interest by sandwiching a piece of Very Vanilla in the layers.  It adds another bit of interest and I can't believe I waited until the final card to do it.  I had so much success with yesterday's filigree bell that I wanted to try another die.  It took me three tries to actually get these holly leaves to work.  As the foiled cardstock is quite thick, it needed a shim, the precision plate, and a couple of passes through the Big Shot to fully cut.  I didn't do that the first time.  The second time, I placed the paper the wrong way down and the leaves came out weird looking.  It was worth the effort and frustration.

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

Gisèle

Cheerful Bell

Hello everyone,

Only a couple of more cards to post in this recent holly one sheet wonder series.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Home For Christmas layered on Bazzill Cardinal red and Mossy Meadow.  The sentiment is Penny Black Christmas Cheer stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Very Vanilla and layered on more Mossy Meadow.  The image is Cottage Cutz Filigree Ornament Trio die cut from a gold of unknown origin.  The embellishment is BoBunny Elf Magic Jewels.

I found the holly flourish die cut from a few days back so appealing I decided to try another one.  This time I used a bell image that has a little piece of holly at the bottom.  This image is one of three in the package and while I love them, it is a real pain to use.  It doesn't always cut all the way through when I run it through my Big Shot, even with the precision cutting plate.  Given this scrap of gold paper is not particularly heavy, I decided to add a shim, just in case.  It was a smart move because it made removing the image and all the little pieces from the die so very easy.  I'm rather glad I didn't give up on this die.  This is a fabulous card!

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

Gisèle

Tied Up With A Bow

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another striking, yet simple card.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Home For Christmas layered on Bazzill Cardinal red and Mossy Meadow.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Clear Stamps stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Very Vanilla.  The embellishment is Recollections Stickers.

By happenstance, bottom piece of Mossy Meadow was the perfect size for these two layered rectangles.  It didn't take me long to find the perfect sized sentiment to fit the remaining third of this strip.  It did take me a while to find an embellishment that I felt would work.  The three rectangles reminded me of a door so the bow seemed fitting.

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

Gisèle