New Year Greetings

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a rare New Year's card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a glittered white and a shimmery light blue both of unknown origin.  The snowflakes were cut with a variety of mirrored paper with a Cricut and are highlighted with Silver Stickles.  The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms vintage Christmas Expressions stamped in Altenew Desert Night on Recollections White.

For some bizarre reason, my Grandmother-in-law didn't received her Christmas card this year.  Either it got lost or I forget to send her one (highly unlikely!).  I know she really appreciates every card I send her so she was devastated not to get a Christmas card.  I decided to make it up by crafting her this special New Year's card.  The more shiny and more glitter the better!  I know she'll be pleased.

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

Gisèle

Once in a Lifetime

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the anniversary card I crafted for my husband.

The card base is Core'dination red.  The image is Penny Black The Look of Love stamped in Tombow 177, 847 and 856 on Recollections White.  The image is layered on a shimmery black and a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Stampabilities Changes Everything stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Pebbles black candy dots.

I don't usually go with a floral for my husband's anniversary card but there was something about this rose that I found very appealing.  It's a stamp I borrowed from a girlfriend.  I think I'll stamp a number of impressions before I return it.  The image is quite simple and is perfect for applying marker.  I used my favourite anniversary sentiment, though it could be used for other types of cards as well.  I angled the sentiment because the card base is a little on the larger size due to the envelop size and I needed to balance the elements with generosity.

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

Gisèle

Autumn Inspired

Hello everyone,

Today's post is an autumn birthday card.

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on an orange and a dark grey also of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Elizabeth Craft Designs Celebration Sentiments 1 stamped in Altenew Lava Rock on Recollections White and layered on more dark grey.

I've had the elements of this card on my desk for a while but haven't had the time to craft it.  I love this autumn paper.  With the white (-ish) background and simple images, it's very light and airy.  I think it works so well with the font of the sentiment.  Though it's a little large for the card base, if I'd omitted the exclamation mark, it would have fit perfectly.  Notwithstanding, it's still a great birthday card.

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

Gisèle

A Simple Floral

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a simple feminine floral birthday card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed papers are of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up It's Your Birthday stamped in Stampin' Up Elegant Eggplant on Recollections White and layered on more printed paper.  The sentiment was cut with a Lawn Fawn Everyday Sentiment Banners die.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone stickers.

This printed paper is just perfect for a simple birthday card.  It's got a lovely watercolour aspect that really appeals to me.  I got these new Lawn Fawn awhile back and couldn't resist giving them a try.  I'm not disappointed.  The angled placement of the sentiment is something I've been doing more and more of lately.  It works well I think.

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

Gisèle

A Christmas Cardinal

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the final Christmas card of the season.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is Photoplay Holiday Cheer layered on Recollections Kraft and Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler.  The sentiment is Bonnidée C'est Noël stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Cherry Cobbler.  The cardinal embellishment is Little B Winter Cardinals.

It somehow seemed fitting to end this year's Christmas cards with this lovely cardinal card.  It will go to another colleague who has a lovely photo of a cardinal in her office.  This is another piece of printed paper that works great for a card.  It is actually rather neutral and allows for any number of options, either trees, wreaths or holly would work well with this background.  We'll see what I come up with for next year.

I hope you enjoyed this card and this year's Christmas cards, and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Holly Berry Bunches

Hello everyone,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Today's post is another great Christmas card I crafted for a colleague.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft Peach & Joy layered on Stampin' Up Real Red and an olive green of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Bonnidée C'est Noël stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Real Red.  The embellishments are Sizzix Holly Berries dies, cut from Real Red and more olive green, and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

As has been well documented, I just love holly and this paper makes me so happy.  I think I bought the paper pad just for this piece of paper.  I also wanted to play with some of the multitude of holly dies and extras I have in my stash.  This is another simple card that looks way more than fancy than it really is.  While the holly die cuts are a little on the folk side, I added the Sakura to glitter them up a bit.  I won't profess that it worked all that well but I love the result just the same.

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

Gisèle

Merry Christmas

Hello everyone,

Merry Christmas!  I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful day with their family and friends.

Today's post is a wonderful vintage inspired Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is Simple Stories Merry & Bright layered on Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler and a light green of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Bonnidée C'est Noël stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Cherry Cobbler.  The gingham ribbon is of unknown origin.

I love this paper.  The vintage aspect is really appealing.  It has a great variety of colours which makes coordinating solids quite straightforward.  I love the tag styling of the sentiment and the gingham ribbon works perfectly.

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

Gisèle

Rows of Wreaths

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great French Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is American Crafts Deck The Halls layered on Stampin' Up Real Red and Mossy Meadow.  The sentiment is Bonnidée C'est Noël stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Mossy Meadow and Real Red.  The embellishment is Stampin' Up's Holly Berry Builder punch cut from a felted red ribbon and more Mossy Meadow.

As I've mentioned so many times in the past, I'm not crazy about rows of images but these great wreaths are a great scale for a card.  I actually love the rows which inspired me to use this great vertical stamp.  It took some careful placement so I could also fit in the bow at the top.  I didn't feel the need to add any extra embellishments.  The results are great!

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

Gisèle

Perky Penguins

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a wonderfully fun Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Echo Park Celebrate Winter layered on Recollections Black and Stampin' Up Baja Breeze.  The sentiment is Bonnidée C'est Noël stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Recollections Black.  The sticker is of unknown origin.

I couldn't believe I found a penguin sticker to coordinate with the penguin paper!  It speaks to the state of my stash.  This is a simple Christmas card that I'll give to one of my employees.  He's got a couple of young kids so I think they'll get a kick out of it.

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

Gisèle

Cheerful Noël

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a fun French Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Penny Black Wintertime layered on a green and a grey Bazzill.  The sentiment is Magenta stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections White, layered on more green Bazzill and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are Maildor Cooky stickers.

This is a really fun Christmas card.  The sentiment and embellishment are in the design 'sweet spot' which makes the overall card even more appealing.  I wasn't crazy with the impression of the sentiment so I applied the Sakura pen.  It often improves a less than perfect impression.  It's a great, fun result!

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

Gisèle

Happy Hanukkah

Hello everyone,

Today's post is one of four Hanukkah cards I crafted for a recent sale at a local senior's residence.

The card base is Recollections White.  The menorah uses a variety of blue cardstock cut with Spellbinder's Classic Oval dies.  The 'flames' are Golden Rod Stickles.  The image is layered on a variety of blue and silver cardstock.  The sentiment is Paper Smooches All Year Cheer stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.

This was my first attempt at crafting Hanukkah cards and I was quite pleased with the results.  The four cards were variations of the same graphic.  I quite liked the clean and simple aspect of the cards.  The most difficult aspect was actually cutting the ovals because they needed multiple .  They were actually very fiddly because they needed many different passes to achieve the width I felt was appropriate.  This isn't bad for a first attempt.

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

Gisèle

Modern Trees

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another funky tree card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Close To My Heart Gypsy and Glacier.  The sentiment is Altenew Halftone Holidays stamped in Altenew Persian Blue on Recollections White.  The card is highlighted by Lavender Stickles.

This is a printed paper I've used before.  It's a great piece for a non-traditional Christmas card.  It's also perfect for adding Stickles.  I placed the sentiment in the design 'sweet spot' and coordinated the colours with the printed paper which was pretty easy given all the great options.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Simple Holidays

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a great simple Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler.  The sentiment is Sizzix Merry Christmas Thinlits die cut from more Cherry Cobbler.

I've learned over the years that not every card needs to be complex or extravagant.  In this case, I brought together two elements and ended up with a great result.  It rather helped that this die cut is totally awesome!  I love the deep red against the darker though the contrast could have been deeper.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

All Natural

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another simple and traditional Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Kraft.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Close To My Heart Garnet and Ponderosa Pine.  The sentiment is Crafter's Companion Festive Phrases stamped in Garnet and die cut from Ponderosa Pine on Recollections White and layered on more Garnet.  The tree brad is of unknown origin.

This is another great piece of printed paper perfect for a traditional masculine Christmas card.  The sentiment is a combination of stamps and die cuts.  It's a new set (like I needed another!) and while the die cut works great, the polymer stamps don't take ink all that well.  In regards to the layout, I placed the sentiment in the design 'sweet spot' which not only leave much of the printed paper visible but allowed for the perfect placement of the embellishment.

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

Gisèle

More Cute Critters

Hello everyone,

Today's post is yet another great traditional Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Kraft.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a red Bazzill.  The sentiment is Frog's Whiskers stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are BoBunny Christmas wood shapes which are highlighted with Diamond Stickles.

I've used this printed paper many times before and I love it as much as ever.  It's absolutely perfect for a masculine card.  I didn't have a particularly wide piece so took advantage to use this great vertical holiday sentiment.  I had to search a while through my ridiculous stash of Christmas embellishments to find embellishments that I felt would work.  I love these wooden shapes but they're somewhat flat but adding the Stickles was the perfect solution.  My fingers are crossed that they'll hold up in the mail.

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

Gisèle

Cute Critters

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another traditional Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Kraft. The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Close To My Heart Twighlight.  The sentiment is Creative Expression Holly Jolly Sentiments stamped in Close To My Heart Twighlight on Recollections White and layered on more Twilight.  The embellishments are Momenta Metal Stickers.

I absolutely love this paper!  These critters are awesome!  I love that the it's got the lovely light blue which made for easy coordination.  I decided to use a bit of a different layout by punching the sentiment in a circle and adhering it on the right side of the card.  The result is so much better than I'd imagined.  The metal embellishment works better than I'd hoped as it's the same tone as the paper.  I wish I could craft this card over and over.

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

Gisèle

Wheeled Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a great traditional Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Kraft.  The printed paper is Simple Stories Merry & Bright layered on a red Bazzill.  The sentiment is My Favorite Things stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more red Bazzill.  The embellishments are Recollections cork dots.

I really love this paper.  It's perfect for a masculine card, whether as giver or a receiver.  These snow covered cars are really great.  The layout is straightforward with the extended red layer providing a base for the embellishments.  The sentiment font may be a little on the fancy side for the printed paper but it still works great.  It a fantastic result.

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

Gisèle

Seasonally Non Traditional

Hello everyone,

Today's posts is a great non-traditional Christmas card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Blackberry Bliss.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on shimmery ivory of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Impression Obsession Christmas Sentiments stamped in Close To My Heart Outdoor Denim on Recollections Vanilla and layered on a metallic purple of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Recollections enamel dots.

I've used this printed paper before and I've loved the results every single time!  The colours are those to which I'm generally drawn so it makes it pretty easy to put a card together.  I love the banner anchoring the sentiment.  The points of the purple banner mirror the coloured strips on the printed paper.  I trimmed the printed paper carefully so it was at least somewhat centered.  I'm really pleased with the results.

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

Gisèle

Simply Snowflakes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another lovely Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is Echo Park Very Merry Christmas "Snowman" layered on Close To My Heart New England Ivy.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Merry Christmas To All stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more New England Ivy.  The embellishments are Echo Park 'Twas The Night Before Christmas enamel shapes.

I think this is a great neutral Christmas card.  It's perfect for a client.  I'm in love with the sentiment because is large and quite bold with a lovely font.  This is a simple layout which I've used many times before yet never seem to tire of it.  There is a little bit of sparkle in the embellishments but nothing over the top.  It's also an easily mailed card.  A great result!

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

Gisèle

Funky Yet Festive

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a somewhat funky Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow and a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Stampendous Script Greeting stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The embellishment is a Recollections Dimensional Sticker.

This is another great piece of printed paper for a male 'business' card.  The font of the sentiment works great with the images.  It's anchored by the red ribbon sticker in the design 'sweet spot'.  This card came together easily and took only minutes to craft.  It's a great result and perfect for a client.

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

Gisèle

Holiday Homes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another quick and easy Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a mirrored silver of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Wonderful Holidays stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections White.  The snowflake embellishment is of unknown origin.

This is another piece of paper which I've used many times.  It doesn't scream Christmas but is so neutral it's perfect for a male business card.  It coordinates great with silver and of course the snowflake embellishment was a no brainer.  The points of the sentiment banner also work really well with the silver snowflake.  The card came together really quick and easy.  A great result.

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

Gisèle

Seasonal Argyle

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a red Bazzill.  The sentiment is Penny Black Best Wishes for the New Year stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections White and layered on more red Bazzill.  The embellishment is a Recollections Dimensional Sticker.

I've crafted a number of versions of this argyle card.  The paper is so absolutely perfect for Christmas!  I love the flowing font of this sentiment.  The embellishment is simple and adds just that little bit extra holiday feel.  I could have easily gone wild with glitter or rhinestones but this is a 'business' greeting card.

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

Gisèle

Snowflake Sweetness

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Close To My Heart Lagoon.  The sentiment is Avery Elle So Happy stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on more Recollections Vanilla.  The card is highlighted with Diamond Stickles.

This is another Christmas card that I first doubted crafting for this commission.  It's a little more feminine than I'd planned but then I figured my friend probably has a few female clients for which this card would work.  I love these snowflakes - perfect scale again.  The Lagoon layers take advantage of the two tone papers that Close To My Heart is manufacturing and which I absolutely love!

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

Gisèle

A Country Plaid

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great plaid Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Kraft.  The printed paper is Simple Stories Merry & Bright layered on Close To My Heart Ponderosa Pine and Recollections Red. The sentiment is Inkadinkado stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Ponderosa Pine and red.  The sentiment is coloured with Tombow 158.  The card is highlighted with Candy Cane Stickles.

There is nothing like a plaid 'country' Christmas card.  I debated doing this 'country' style card for this commission but eventually decided that the variety would work.  He has to have at least one client for whom this would work.  The banner layout is a favourite and the little bit of colouring is something I can easily handle.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Shades of Green

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another really great Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Close To My Heart Ponderosa Pine and Pear.  The sentiment is Bonnidée Xmas Wording 3 stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy.

I only had one small scrap of this paper and am so pleased to have found a way to use it.  I think this is one of my all time favourite Christmas cards.  It's all about the greens and this simple winter image.  The layers highlight the printed paper and make this card so lovely and fresh.  I used a very simple sentiment with a great font that works really well overall.  It's such a fabulous result.

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

Gisèle

Holly Fun

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a fun Christmas card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Red Devil Bazzill.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Happy Holidays stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and is layered on more Red Devil and Lucky Limeade.  The embellishment is a Sandylion sticker.

This is another piece of printed paper that I've used many times before.  I love the light blue background.  The holly pieces are the perfect scale for a Christmas card.  The layout is very straightforward and I've used it often.  The sticker embellishment is quite flat, making it very easy to mail.  This is a quick and easy card that is really effective.

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

Gisèle

Layered for the Holidays

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great Christmas card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Garden Green.  The printed paper is American Crafts "Be Merry" Stockings layered on Stampin' Up Real Red, a white of unknown origin and Recollections Black.  The sentiment is Studio G stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Recollections Black.  The embellishments are Eyelet Outlet enamel dots.

This is another great piece of printed paper that I've used many times.  I cut it a little smaller so I could play with layers with a variety of reveals.  I love the hints of black which seem to make all the other elements pop.  I felt the font of the sentiment worked particularly well with the simple 'folk art' style images.  The enamels dots anchor the sentiment without adding any extra bulk.

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

Gisèle

Snowflake Sophistication

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a great non-traditional Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Black.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on silver and white papers also of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Annabelle Stamps Holly Branch stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The mini banners were punched from more silver of unknown origin and are highlighted with 3mm black Crystal Stickers elements.

I've always found non-traditional Christmas cards appealing.  This snowflake card in black is particularly wonderful.  All the elements work wonderfully together.  The layout is simple and one I've used many times before.  I love the silver banner embellishments.  I'm so happy with the results.

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

Gisèle

Perfectly Plaid

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Black.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a white of unknown origin and Bazzill Ruby Slipper.  The sentiment is Comotion Rubber Stamps Wishing You A ... stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Ruby Slipper.  The embellishment is Echo Park Twas The Night Before Christmas enamel shapes.

I cannot craft Christmas cards without doing a few plaid cards.  This one is black is awesome!  A very simple layout that highlights this great sentiment!  I love the font and the sentiment is perfect for a business Christmas card.  This is a wonderful card that I could craft over and over, and never tire of it.

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

Gisèle

Simple Greetings

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another simple Christmas card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Bazzill Red.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Stylish Christmas stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more red Bazzill and Stampin' Up Garden Green.  The embellishments are Echo Park Have Faith enamel dots.

I've used this paper for a number of Christmas cards and have always been happy with the results.  It's not a great scale for card but if it's trimmed carefully with a simple layout, it works just fine.  The colours are great and quite easy to coordinate.  I think it's quite appropriate for a business Christmas card.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Simply Seasonal

Hello everyone,

Happy December!  Today's post begins the Christmas cards I've been crafting.

The card base is Stampin' Up Garden Green.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Real Red.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Holly Berry Happiness stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The ribbon is Multicrafts.

This series of Christmas cards were commissioned by a friend.  He is sending them to his clients so I've kept them pretty secular and simple.  This card is very simple, drawing on the great printed paper.  The scale of the images is perfect for a card.  I used a flat bow to make it easy to mail.  I didn't add any extra embellishments because it didn't really need it.  This is a lovely result.

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

Gisèle