Autumn Wheat

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a great 'thinking of you' card.

The card base is Close To My Heart Autumn Terracotta.  The image is Woodware Wheat stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Pearlescent Beige, Chocolate and Olive on Stampin' Up Very Vanilla.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Express Yourself stamped in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla.  The image and sentiment panels are layered on a shimmery gold of unknown origin.

I have always loved this stamp!  It is appropriate for any type of card at any time of year.  It is certainly a statement stamp which I generally shy away from however the 'wheat' theme is very appealing.  I love the result of blending the three ink colours.  I don't think it would have worked so well on a smaller, more intricate image.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Colourful Butterflies

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a wonderful 'thinking of you' card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Very Vanilla.  The background image is Stampin' Up Watercolor Wash stamped in Altenew Morning Frost on Very Vanilla and layered on Recollections Black.  The images are Stampin' Up Butterfly Gala stamped on Recollections Vanilla in Versafine Onyx Black and Altenew Lagoon, Volcano Lake, Orange Cream, Sunkissed, Coral Bliss and Pink Pearls.  The sentiment, also Butterfly Gala, is stamped in Altenew Lava Rock.  The card is highlighted with Diamond Stickles.

When I saw this stamp set in the catalog I just couldn't resist even though I've absolutely no need for yet another butterfly stamp set!  I really love the multi-step stamp which allow for a multitude of colour options.  I also love that there is a coordinating paper punch.  While I love die cutting images, sometimes a paper punch is infinitely easier.  I kept the background very neutral so the butterflies would pop and I just love the results!

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

Gisèle

Vintage Pink

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very sweet birthday card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Powder Pink.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a Bazzill Ivory and Stampin' Up Raspberry Ripple.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Birthday Blossoms stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on more ivory and layered on more Raspberry Ripple.  The card is highlighted with Red Liquid Pearls.

This is such a very sweet card and I love the different shades of pink.  I used the Stampin' Up Lovely Labels Pick A Punch for the sentiment and I can't say just how much I love that punch!  It is absolutely one of the most versatile punches ever!  I love the different widths which easily accommodate a variety of fonts and sizes.  Even though I used a simple and straightforward layout, the results are wonderful.

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

Gisèle

Two Little Birds

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a wonderful 'thinking of you' card.

 The card base is Stampin' Up River Rock.  The image is Magenta stamped in Tombow 026, 076 and 992 on Recollections White and layered on Recollections Beige and a dark brown of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Warmest Regards stamped in Early Espresso.

This stamp is part of the latest Magenta order I received a few months ago and I just love it!  These two little birds are wonderful!  There is also something about the grass that I find very appealing.  It was very easy to apply different colours and stamped just beautifully!  I know that I'll get a lot of use from this image.  I really love that I was able to overlay the sentiment in a darker ink.  I didn't fee the need for any extra embellishments as even wooden or cork dots would have been too much!

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

Gisèle

A Natural Arrangement

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a lovely 'thinking of you' card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Hello Honey.  The image is Great Impressions stamped in Tombow N57, 025, 947 and 969 on Recollections White.  The image panel is layered on a brown and a gold of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Gina K Framed Greeting stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections White and layered on more gold of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Kaisercraft Dec 25th pearls.

This card has somewhat of a 1970's feel with all of the natural colours.  This was the best impression I managed after about a half dozen attempts.  I love the image and can't quite figure out why it was so problematic to stamp.  I think the sentiment is wonderful in a circle with the two pearls anchoring it to the image panel.  It's a lovely result!

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

Gisèle

A Tiny Meadow

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very pretty birthday card.

The card base is Bazzill CS White.  The images are Stampin' Up Pocket Silhouettes stamped in Altenew Sweet Leaf, Pink Petal, Mango Smoothie and Lavender Fields.  The images are anchored by two strips of Stampin' Up Gold Foil tape.  The sentiment is Flonz Happy Birthday stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite.

I've done a similar card a long, long time ago.  This is a favourite stamp set with it's oh so delicate images.  I've seen it used for a wreath as well and it was awesome.  I use a variety of soft ink colours and love how they work together.  I debate adding a few gold jewels but with the two strips of gold tape, it would have been too much.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Delicate Roses

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a sweet birthday card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Tranquil Tide.  The image is Hero Arts Delicate Rose Stems stamped in Tombow 346 and 685 on Recollections White and layered on Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy, more Recollections White and a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Frantic Stamper stamped in Close To My Heart Ponderosa Pine.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

The next few weeks I'll be posting cards from a commission for a girlfriend's mother who asked for special birthday cards and thinking of you cards.  It's a commission I just loved doing!  This is the first time I used Tranquil Tide and I'm not sure if I'm all that thrilled with the colour.  I love this stamp because it takes marker wonderfully and is a tall and skinny image, perfect for upright cards.  The layers add interest and I made it just a wee bit taller by stamping sentiment on the middle layer.  It's a layout I've used before and like quite a bit.

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

Gisèle

A Special Thank You

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very unique 'thank you' card I crafted for my daughter's boyfriend.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Raspberry Ripple and Recollections Grey.  The sentiment is Altenew Many Thanks stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections White and layered on more Raspberry Ripple.

After hearing a family argument over my leaky tea mugs, my daughter's boyfriend bought me a special mug as a replacement.  How could I not give up the ghost on my leaky mugs after that!  He made a wonderful folded tag using this printed paper.  It's a great piece of paper so I decided to salvage as much as possible for his thank you card.  The bottom left corner, where I placed the sentiment, wasn't usable so I incorporated the angle into the card.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Three More Wildflower Stems

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last sentiment-less card I crafted for a girlfriend's commission.

The card base is Stampin' Up Island Indigo.  The images were cut with the Sizzix Wildflower Stems #2 die from a silver of unknown origin, Island Indigo and Recollections White.  The die cut are adhered to a piece of Ranger alcohol inked Yupo paper, layered on more Recollections White.  The Island Indigo Wildflower is highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.

If you've not already figured it out, I just love alcohol inked paper!  I don't think I've every come across a piece that I didn't find appealing.  I thought it was a great background for these somewhat funky die cut stems.  I drew on the colours in the background for the wildflower stems.  I probably could have placed the stems better but once the glue in on, it's not very forgiving.  It's still a great result.

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

Gisèle

Seagulls Negative

 Hello everyone,

Today's post uses the negative die cut from yesterday's card.

The card base is Close To My Heart Grey Flannel.  The image is Kaisercraft Seagulls decorative dies, cut from an ivory of unknown origin and layered on a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper, more Grey Flannel and Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow.

I don't believe I've every used the negative of a die cut but I've though about it often.  I think this particular die is perfect for the negative if you manage to cut it relatively straight - something I made a point of doing when I was pulling the elements together.  I experimented with a number of background layers, knowing I wanted to use a piece of alcohol inked paper. I was also thinking that this is a bit more of a masculine sentiment-less card which would be good for this commission.

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

Gisèle

Seagulls in Flight

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another simple yet striking sentiment-less card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Taken With Teal.  The images are Kaisercraft Seagulls decorative die, cut from an ivory of unknown origin and layered on a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper and a mirrored teal of unknown origin.

I've had these die cut images forever but don't readily think to use them.  I was inspired by adhering them on top of this scrap of alcohol inked paper that reminds me of the sky.  I wish it had been as easy finding a piece of mirrored blue paper for the layer. Though I could have used white, I love how the birds really pop!

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

Gisèle

A Silver Peacock

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a beautiful black and silver sentiment-less card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Silver Foil.  The image is Gina K Mehndi Wishes stamped in Altenew Desert Night and heat embossed with Sweet Home Pearl embossing powder on Recollections White.  The image panel is layered on a shimmery white and a shimmery black of unknown origin, and a glittered silver also of unknown origin.

I've had this stamp set for ages but have only used it sparingly because it is so distinct.  That said, the last few times I've crafted sentiment-less cards, I've done a bit of experimenting.  I absolutely love playing with pearl embossing powder because the results are always somewhat of a surprise.  I debated adding a few pearls or jewels but in the end, decided I really love the simplicity of this card.

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

Gisèle

Three Autumn Leaves

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another wonderful sentiment-less card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy.  The image is of unknown origin stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Pearlescent Chocolate and Rust, and Crimson Copper, on Stampin' Up Very Vanilla.  The images are layered on a shimmery copper and a shimmery vanilla of unknown origin and a textured copper of unknown origin.

I have no idea where this stamp originated but it is wonderful!  The detail is exquisite and in the pearlescent inks are just beautiful.  I love using a trio of images especially when they're not centered.  It certainly makes for a lot more interest.  It's a really great result.

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

Gisèle

An Angled Swallowtail

 Hello everyone,

Today's post uses another favourite image.

The card base is Stampin' Up Blackberry Bliss.  The image is Stampin' Up Swallowtail stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Pearlescent Crimson, Chocolate and Beige on Recollections White and layered on a mirrored copper and a shimmery white of unknown origin.  The card is highlighted with Mercury Glass Stickles.

I have never been disappointed by a card using this image.  It is big and bold, takes ink really well and always takes my breath away.  The Tsukineko ink adds another bit of shimmer to the image which works wonderfully with the pinkish copper layer.  I highly recommend Mercury Glass Stickles as they work with just about everything.  The angled placement of the image along with the dots of Stickles make this card just a little less serious than it otherwise would have been.

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

Gisèle 

A Bloom with Foliage

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a really pretty card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Blackberry Bliss.  The image is Hero Arts Exotic Bloom coloured with Tombow N57, 192, 228 and 837 and stamped on Recollections White.  The image panel is layered on a shimmery dark grey, a shimmery purple of unknown origin and more Recollections White.  The image is highlighted with Patina Stickles.

This is another of one of my favourite images for sentiment-less cards.  It is perfect for applying markers and I've always enjoyed using a variety of colours.  I love the single somewhat large dab of Stickles as it works really well with the exotic bloom.  It took me a while to find some shimmery scraps for layering but I do love the final result.

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

Gisèle

Gloriously Grey

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a bit more of a modern sentiment-less card.

The card base is Bazzill Tungsten.  The image is Hero Arts Pop Stems stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Lightening Black on Recollections White and layered on a shimmery light and a shimmery dark grey.  The image is highlighted with Mercury Glass Stickles.

I love this stamp!  It's easy to use and always turns out wonderfully.  Not matter which ink colour I use, it's beautiful!  I also love that it is the perfect image for adding Stickles for that little extra sparkle.  I also think it's a great image for a card without a sentiment.  I'm very pleased with the result!

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

Gisèle

A Half Medallion

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another gorgeous sentiment-less card.

The card base is Paper Accents Pearlized White.  The image is Magenta stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Lightening and Starlite Black on Recollections White and layered on a pearlized grey of unknown origin and a shimmery white of unknown origin.  The card is highlighted with Mercury Glass Stickles.

This is a very sophisticated but simple card.  I love the half medallion and the best part is there is another half available for a second card.  These two black inks are awesome and have a different tone depending upon how the light hits the image.  It was a no-brainer to add a bit of Stickles.  It's an fantastic result!

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

Gisèle

Gloriously Golden

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a really spectacular sentiment-less card.

The card base is Paper Accents Pearlized Gold.  The image is Hero Arts Starburst Lace stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with Timeless Images gold sparkles embossing powder on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Joy Crafts mirrored card stock.  The embellishment is a Recollections gold glitter adhesive dot.

I had hoped for a whole lot more from this image.  I blame an embossing powder that didn't work as well as I'd anticipated.  I wanted something that really sparkled and shined but this particular embossing powder didn't provide the coverage it should have.  This image is really spectacular which is what disappoints in the embossing. I do however love the different layers of gold.

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

Gisèle

A Fern Trio

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another very simple but striking card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow.  The image is Hero Arts Three Ferns stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Pearlescent Ivy, Olive and Thyme on Recollections White and layered on a mirrored green of unknown origin and more Recollections White.  The image is highlighted with Close To My Heart Bitty Sparkles.

This is another image that I really like but don't use all that often.  It makes a statement and is ideal for a more masculine or neutral card.  I wish I'd managed to get a better impression but this is the best I could get after multiple attempts.  I wasn't as happy with the mirrored green as I was with rose card but it may just be the photo.  

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

Gisèle

Such Pretty Circles

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another more modern card that has a fanciful and elegant touch.

The card base is Stampin' Up Soft Sky.  The image is Hero Arts Artistic Circles stamped in VersaMark and Altenew Teal Cave on Recollections White and heat embossed with Close To My Heart Silver Pearl. The image panel is layered on a shimmery white of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Crafts rhinestone stickers.

I absolutely love this card!  Given that the silver pearl embossing powder changes the colour of the image when heated, I practiced with a few different colours before settling on the Teal Cave. I just love the soft colours of the intricate circles.  This is another favourite image that I don't use all that often because it is just so striking.  It works well in every colour but can be tricky to stamp because it is so large.  I think the results are just spectacular.

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

Gisèle

Dots and Flourishes

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a more modern card with a bit of a fanciful flourish.

The card base is Close To My Heart Sapphire.  The image is Hero Arts Dot Flourish Border stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Mediterranean Blue on a shimmery white of unknown origin.  The image panel is layered on a mirrored and a shimmery silver of unknown origin.  The card is highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

It took me a few attempts before I finally managed to make this image work.  I either smooshed it or it didn't stamp well or blurred.  I almost gave up but it was absolutely worth the effort!  Unfortunately I couldn't make all the cards butterfly cards. This isn't an image I use often but I quite like it and I suspect if I experimented, I'd come up with some pretty interesting applications.

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

Gisèle

Butterfly Solitude

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another simple sentiment-less card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Taken With Teal.  The background image is Stampin' Up Worn Plaid stamped in Altenew Dew Drops on Recollections White.  The image is Stampendous Butterfly Trio stamped in Altenew Galactic Stream.  The image panel is layered on a mirrored teal of unknown origin and a shimmery white of unknown origin.  The image panel is highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

As I post this series of cards I wonderful if I did a few too many with butterflies.  I can't seem to resist!  This is one of a trio of Stampendous butterfly stamps which I haven't used all that often.  Likely because of the sheer number of butterfly stamps in my stash.  I think this simple card is striking both in the simplicity of the card but also in this single bold image.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

A Solitary Rose

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another pretty sentiment-less card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy.  The image is Penny Black The Look of Love stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Pearlescent Olive and Time, and Crimson Copper on Recollections White.  The image panel is layered on a mirrored green of unknown origin and Worldwin Green Eyes Clover Petallics.  The embellishments are Crafts rhinestone stickers.

Every time I use this stamp I love it even more!  It's wonderful for using multiple colours of ink and the impression always works.  The three little rhinestones, which I've done before, are just lovely.  I love the mirrored green layer against the Worldwin layer.  I think I matched the ink colours with the layers quite well.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Fantastic Feathers

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is yet another great sentiment-less card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Soft Sky.  The background image is Stampin' Up You've Got This stamped in Altenew Sea Glass on Recollections White and layered on a shimmery/textured blue of unknown origin.  The images are Stampin' Up Four Feathers stamped in Altenew Dusk on Recollections White and cut with the coordinating Sizzix die. The embellishment is from Crafts and is  highlighted with Turquoise Stickles.

I don't use this feather stamp and die cut as often as I should.  It makes for some really lovely cards.  I love the shades of blue.  The background image works really well with feathers.  I could have easily added a sentiment but kept to the insistent wishes of my girlfriend.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

So Serene

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very serene sentiment-less card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Lost Lagoon.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Island Indigo and a shimmery grey of unknown origin.  The images are Sizzix Wildflower Stems #2 cut from Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow and Blue Bayou, and Close To My Heart Pansy Purple.

This card was inspired by this small scrap of printed paper.  I love all the shades of blue, green and purple and the watercolour style is beautiful.  I have been absolutely thrilled with the two Sizzix Wildflower die sets that I acquired a few years ago.  These die cuts coordinated with the images in the printed paper really well.  I love this card!

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

Gisèle

Copper Flight

 Hello everyone,

I'm posting another wonderful sentiment-less card today.

The card base is Stampin' Up Copper Foil.  The image is Memory Box First Flight stamped in Tsukineko Brilliance Pearlescent Crimson and Rust, and Crimson Copper on Recollections Vanilla.  The image panel is layered on a shimmery rust and a shimmery vanilla of unknown origin.

I have a lot, a lot of butterfly stamps.  This isn't my favourite because the images are a little on the small side but it's easy to ink and the shape of the flight is unusual.  I love how easy it is to blend a variety of colours and these three are wonderful against the copper card base.  Again, I could have added a few embellishments but I think they would have either detracted from the overall simplicity or gotten lost in the image.  No regrets!

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

Gisèle

In Black and White

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is yet another card sans sentiment.

The card base is a shimmery black of unknown origin.  The image is Stampin' Up Medallion stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on a mirrored silver of unknown origin.  The card is highlighted with Silver Stickles

Like yesterday's card, this was a pretty quick and easy card to craft.  I so love the impact of this medallion and absolutely nothing is lost by having it go off the right side of the card.  The black against the white is really wonderful though any colour combination would work.  I used my MISTI because it's such a large image I really wanted to ensure that the ink coverage was good.  As I'm sure I've said before, this is the perfect image for adding Stickles and the silver is awesome!

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

Gisèle

In Black and Gold

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very simple sentiment-less card.

The card base is Paper Accents Pearlized Gold.  The image is Michael Strong Cloisonne Butterfly stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed in detail gold embossing powder on Recollections Black.  The image panel is layered on more pearlized gold and black.

This was one of the most quick and easy cards in this commission.  The only caution I have for heat embossing on black is to not forget to use an embossing buddy otherwise the panel will have gold embossing where you don't want it.  I debated adding some black or gold embellishments but rather liked the simplicity of the overall result.

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

Gisèle