Feminine Trio

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is an awesome trio of  very feminine 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are Craft Smith, Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture and Recollections Vanilla.  The printed papers are of unknown origin layered on a light pink Core’dinations and Close To My Heart Grey Flannel.  The sentiments are Stampin’ Up Here’s a Card stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections Vanilla.  The ribbon is of unknown origin. The embellishments are Recollections pearls.

I just love each of these cards.  The colours are wonderfully soft and the style is slightly vintage.  I just had three pieces of these strips but there were perfect for these smaller sized cards.  Though very similar, each is different enough that they don't come across mass produced (and are not).  The layouts are similar but even though I used the same sentiment on all three, adjusting the placement made all the difference.  All three cards just turned out beautifully!

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

Gisèle

Modern Garden Birthday

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a fun but funky garden 'birthday' card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture.  The printed paper is Authentique “Adventure” Wildflower layered on a red Recollections.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up Here’s a card stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections Vanilla.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.

This card was both fun and frustrating to craft.  The elements were much more difficult to choose as I just couldn't find the right coordinating solids - thankfully my scrap bin has a wide variety of bits and pieces.  I'm not all that fussy on the printed paper beause the colours are rather bland and the overall style is just a little too modern for me even though I think it is suppose to be 'retro'.  It's all just a confusing mess!  I was thrilled to find this small piece of ribbon which allowed me to add a knot.  Given the cards are not mailed, I don't have to concern myself with bulk.  It's not a terrible result but this isn't a card I'd repeat.

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

Gisèle

Butterfly Birthdays

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great pair of 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are Craft Smith and Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a purple Recollections and a bright blue of unknown origin and, a moss green a dark tan both of unknown origin.  The sentiments are Stampin’ Up Here’s a Card stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections Vanilla and, Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamped in Stampin’ Up Early Espresso on an ivory of unknown origin.  The sentiments are layered on more purple, bright blue, moss green and dark tan.  The embellishments are Starry Night, Diamond and Waterfall Stickles and purple brads of unknown origin.

I just love butterfly paper but this isn't my favourite.  I find the beige background rather blah though the colours of the butterflies are fine.  I hadn't even realized I'd chosen this paper twice when I was preparing the basic elements.  Both vertical cards are very similar but using different coordinating solids selected from the printed paper.  These are both very simple and standard layouts with the final results coming together quite quickly.

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

Gisèle

A Touch of Glitter

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very pretty grey and coral 'birthday' card.

The card base is Stampin’ Up Smoky Slate.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up Calypso Coral.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up Here’s a card stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are Carta Bella Flora enamel dots.

Another great thing about a large commission is that it gives me the chance to explore colour combinations that I wouldn't normally use.  I love this grey/coral combination!  The printed paper is so beautiful with hints of glitter on some of the abstract flowers that I found especially appealing.  I know I've used this paper before but I think this is my favourite final result so far.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Dominos

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a rather fun 'birthday' card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is Fancy Pants “Collecting Moments” Domino layered on Stampin’ Up More Mustard and Lucky Limeade.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up Here’s a card stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are Kaisercraft Dec 25^th pearls.

My family loves playing dominos so when I came across this printed paper I just couldn't resist using it for a birthday card.  There were a ton of colours with which to coordinate but I wanted to keep the card fairly neutral.  The pearl embellishments were not my first choice but I couldn't find small white dots to mimic the dots on the paper.  This sentiment is one of a few that I mass stamped using my MISTI which worked really well.  It's a great result and I really hope someone at the seniors' residence is a domino player!

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

Gisèle

Elegant Butterflies

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a pair of elegant 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are The Paper Studio and Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture.  The printed paper is K & Company Butterfly Collage layered on a brushed silver of unknown origin and, Close To My Heart Charcoal and more Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture.  The sentiments are Stampin’ Up Here’s a Card both stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite and Industrial Diamond on Recollections Vanilla and an ivory of unknown origin layered on more brushed silver and Charcoal.  The ribbon is Michael’s Special Value.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Licorice Opaques.

My process for crafting these cards was to prepare the printed paper, card bases, envelops and some sentiments for all 200 cards before adhering all the elements and adding embellishments.  As I was starting the latter part of the process, I realized I had duplicated a number of printed papers so I decided to post them as pairs.  I actually love showing how similar elements can result in very different cards.  In this case, I really love this Butterfly Collage paper which offers any number of options for color coordinating.  It is great to show the horizontal and vertical results.

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

Gisèle  

Pretty Stripes in Blue

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the first of many, many 'birthday' cards in a commission I'm fulfilling.

The card base is Stampin’ Up Smoky Slate.  The printed paper is also Stampin’ Up but from an unknown collection and is layered on Stampin’ Up Pacific Point.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up Here’s a card stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Round Durables.

I've been crafting 'birthday' cards for a local senior's residence for a number of years and just love doing it! This year they placed an order for 200 cards which I've slowly been crafting and am now posting.  It's been a great opportunity to use up a multitude of scraps, bases and envelops.  The cards are all generally very simple with a lot of repeat layouts because the order is just too large to make 200 unique cards.  I'm just over halfway through and am pleased with the results so far.

I hope you enjoy this card as well as the upcoming series and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Loving Hearts

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last of the Valentines I crafted this year.

The card base is Recollections White Linen Texture cardstock.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a red Bazzill and Recollections Black.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Stampin' Up Resin Hearts.

This is the Valentine I crafted for my hubby who, under all his bluster and swagger, is a real romantic!  This piece of scrap Valentine paper is perfect for his card because it's not over-the-top, frou frou or feminine.  I love this simple sentiment and it expresses my feeling much better than "Happy Valentine's Day".  I like that the wider banner fits these three small resin hearts which are also mimicked in the pritned paper.  My favourite Valentine this year!

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

Gisèle

Lots of Loving Words

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is the Valentine I crafted for my daughter.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture cardstock.  The printed paper is BoBunny "A Gift of Love" Crazy Love More Than Words layered on a pink of unknown origin and Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more pink.  The heart ribbon and silver heart embellishment are of unknown origin.

This is not necessarily my favourite piece of Valentine paper but I do like all the words in different colours and fonts.  I really wanted to use this piece of heart ribbon because it's just so adorable and I think it works pretty well against the printed paper.  I've a limited number of Valentine sentiment stamps and it was rather hard to choose something because no matter the choice, it would compete with the background paper.  I think using the sentiment as a tag, attached by a silver heart, was inspired and I was just lucky that the heart embellishment fit so well over one of the hearts in the ribbon.

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

Gisèle

Heartfelt Valentine

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is the Valentine I crafted for my daughter's boyfriend.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture cardstock.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Recollections Black.  The sentiment is Inkadinkado Happy Days stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on an unknown dark pink and more Recollections Black.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Enamel Hearts.

We're still getting to know my daughter's boyfriend so I didn't want his card to be too mushy or frou frou.  I think this fits the bill extremely well.  It's uses a simple printed paper and a sentiment with a somewhat funky font.  The embellishments replicate the cinnamon heart candies.  The black layers make it just a wee bit less feminine.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Perfectly Paisley

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another Valentine I crafted for one of my daughter's new roommates.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla Linen Textured cardstock.  The printed paper is BoBunny "Smoochable" Love Potion layered on Close To My Heart Petal and Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Say It All stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Petal.  The heart embellishments are Recollections.

This is another printed paper I've had in my Valentine stash forever.  I was, of course, drawn to the paisley shapes even though they're a little on the large size for a card.  I love the variety of colours as it makes coordinating solids really straightforward.  This layout is one I've used many, many times.  The two purple heart embellishments work great (and don't even make a dent in my stash).

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

Gisèle

Plentiful Hearts

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the first in the a series of the Valentines I recently crafted. 

The card base is Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture cardstock.  The printed paper is Making Memories "Je t'adore" Hearts layered on Recollections Vanilla Linen, Stampin' Up Blushing Bride, and Close To My Heart Barn Red.  The sentiment is Paper Smooches All Year Cheer stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Blushing Bride.  The embellishments are Stampin' Up Resin Hearts.

I made this particular Valentine for one of my daughter's new roommates.  I've not yet met her but I thought they'd get a kick out of receiving special cards.  I've had this printed paper is my Valentine stash for eons and still love it!  It's got a bit of a vintage style that appeals to me.  I love the angled sentiment and am quite pleased with how well I managed to center it.  The tiny resin hearts are perfect!

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

Gisèle

Plentiful Pandas

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another 'thank you' card I crafted for my daughter'

The card base is Recollections White Linen Texture cardstock.  The printed paper is Bella Blvd "Popsicle Panda's" Panda Life layered on Recollections Black and Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Double Take stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade on Recollections White, layered on more Lucky Limeade and Recollections Black and, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

My sister and her partner graciously helped my daughter with her recent move so I crafted this special panda 'thank you' card for them.  My sister loves pandas (something she passed on to my daughter) so I was thrilled to finally use this panda paper I found a while back.  These bears are pretty darn cute!  There are so many colours with which to coordinate solids and I love how the green and black just make the printed paper pop!  It took me a couple of tries to get the sentiment to work and though the alignment still isn't perfect, it works well enough.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

So Grateful

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another card I crafted at the request of my daughter.

The card base is Recollections White Linen Textured cardstock.  The printed paper is Bella Blvd "Thankful" Homey layered on Stampin' Up Crumbcake and a light blue Recollections.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Ornate Thanks stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections White and layered on more Crumbcake and light blue.  The embellishments are Recollections cork dots.

My daughter recently moved (not ideal during a pandemic) and asked for a special 'thank you' card for the real estate agent who helped her and her roommates find a place.  It was a challenge to say the least and he worked really, really hard for them.  Needless to say I was thrilled to craft a special card and it was a no-brainer to use this house paper.  It's a more neutral card but still expresses their sentiments perfectly.  I suggested they gift a couple of bottles of wine as a gift.

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

Gisèle

Inspiring Kitties

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another card I crafted at the request of my daughter.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Stampin' Up Playful Pets layered on Flirty Flamingo.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Express Yourself stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Flirty Flamingo.  The cats were cut with an unknown die from a grey of unknown origin.

My daughter wanted a special inspiring cat-themed card for one of her sorority sisters.  I was thrilled to use some of the awesome Playful Pets paper I recently acquired.  One of my girlfriends gifted me a batch of die cut cats and kittens that are absolutely adorable.  This card almost crafted itself and the result was even better than I pictured.

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

Gisèle

Out Of This World

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a fun birthday card I crafted for my daughter's boyfriend's father.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Carta Bella Space Academy layered on Stampin' Up Ruby Red and Close To My Heart Charcoal.  The sentiment is Altenew Birthday Builder stamped in Stampin' Up Ruby Red on Recollections White and layered on more Ruby Red.  The mini square silver brads are of unknown origin.

Thanks to the pandemic we've yet to meet our daughter's boyfriend's parents so I was a little worried about crafting him a birthday card however once I heard 'space' I knew I had the perfect paper for his card.  The elements all came together quickly.  I love how the font of the sentiment is computer-like and I think it works great for the overall space theme.  Placement of the font was dictated by the paper as I couldn't use the design 'sweet spot' without hiding too much of the space ship.  It's a great result and was very well received.

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

Gisèle

Elegant Thoughts

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last of the 'thinking of you' cards that I crafted for a recent commission.

The card base is Recollections Grey.  The printed paper is Marianne Design Winter Dreams layered on Stampin' Up Going Grey and a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Impression Obsession Greeting Set die, cut from Stampin' Up Basic Grey.  The card is highlighted with Platinum Liquid Pearls.

I love this Marianne Design paper collection.  The colours are wonderful and the detailed images are beautiful.  The shades of blue and grey in this particular piece were particularly inspiring.  The careful trimming facilitated the placement of the die cut sentiment whose font works perfectly with the printed paper.  I'm actually very satisfied with the Liquid Pearl dots and wish they'd always come out so well.

I hope you enjoy this card and this 'thinking of you' series and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Well Penned

 Hello everyone,

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

The card base is Stampin' Up Crushed Curry.  The printed paper is of unknow origin layered on Stampin' Up Soft Suede and a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Express Yourself stamped in Soft Suede on Recollections White and layered on more Crushed Curry.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.

I think this fountain pen paper is just perfect for a 'thinking of you' card.  The layout takes advantage of the vertical pens with the sentiment and ribbon appearing as anchors.  I debated stamping the sentiment above the pens on the printed paper but didn't think it would balance well and I rather liked all the 'blank' space.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Beautifully Bold

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a 'thinking of you' card that is quite different from the other cards in this commission.

The card base is Recollections Black.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Poppy Parade.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Everyday Sayings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Poppy Red and Recollections Black.  The embellishments are Forever In Time Rhinestone Medley.

I've always loved this red and black floral paper but have hesitated using it because it's quite dark.  I do really love this red and black combination regardless.  The poppy red layer is quite bright and I think helps makes this a more cheerful card than it may otherwise be.  This sentiment is quite large with the vanilla that just pops.  I love the row of rhinestones even though they may be a little on the darker side.  It's a much happier result than I thought I'd get when I first started pulling all the elements together.

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

Gisèle

Lots of Lilies

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another lovely floral 'thinking of you' card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade.  The sentiment is Woodware Wheat stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Lucky Limeade.  The pearl embellishments are of unknown origin.

I've had this paper is my scrap bin for quite a while but shied away from using it because the coordinating colour options are pretty limited and there was no way I'd find just the right shade of blue to work with the background.  With the simple style I had in mind however, I very safely stuck with using a shade of green from the leaves.  This is another great sentiment from Woodware.  I love the larger size and the mix of fonts.  This isn't my favourite card but I don't hate it either.

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

Gisèle

Bright and Cheerful Thoughts

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another 'thinking of you' card from a recent commission.

The card base is Stampin' Up Calypso Coral.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Crushed Curry and a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Woodware Going To Seed stamped in Altenew Industrial Diamond on Recollections White and layered on more Calypso Coral.  The embellishments are ZVA Creative crystals.

This is a wonderfully warm card to be posting on a cold February day!  The printed paper was found in my scrap bin though I think it may be from a K & Company collection.  There were so many colour options available that it took me a while to settle on this coral and yellow combination.  I've done quite similar layouts in the past as I love the 'off the edge' placement of the sentiment.  The only issue is finding a sentiment that fits in the shape.  I have these larger circle punches so I had a few more options than expected.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle  

More Pretty Pink Thoughts

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another very pretty 'thinking of you' card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up River Rock.  The sentiment is Poppy Stamps Art Deco You Are Wonderful stamped in Stampin' Up Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Close To My Heart Smoothie.  The embellishments are Stampin' Up Metallic Pearls.

I have no idea where the idea for this layout came from but I'm really pleased with the results.  I love the two banners in opposite directions under the sentiment.  I don't know if this floral paper is really in the 'art deco' style but I think it is close enough that it works really well with the style of the sentiment.  There are a lot of pearls here but I just couldn't stop adding them.  They speak to the yellow centers of the flowers.  It's a much better result than I had imagined and I know I'll repeat it in the future.

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

Gisèle

Pretty Thoughts

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another quite pretty 'thinking of you' card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is My Favorite Things Brushstroke Expressions stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections White and layered on Close To My Heart Garnet.  The pink brad embellishments are of unknown origin.

I quite liked the distressed style of this printed paper.  It was a little bit of a change from the earlier cards in this commission.  The 'heart' flower in the design 'sweet spot' also appealed.  I think the font in this sentiment works really well with the overall style and I like the dark grey with the pinks.  The brads have been in my stash for eons and were perfect to use for this card.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

More Cheerful Floral Thoughts

 Hello everyone,

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

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up So Saffron.  The sentiment is Elizabeth Craft Designs Sentiments 1 - Celebrations stamped in Altenew Autumn Blaze on Recollections White and layered on more So Saffron.  The flower embellishment is of unknown origin.

This is another fresh and simple floral card.  I came across this piece of printed paper is my leftover bin.  I'm not a big fan of the colours but it works great for a simple card.  I chose this sentiment because the font struck me as simple as the images on the printed paper.  It wasn't difficult to coordinate colours as there was lots from which to choose.  I was pleased to find this great floral embellishment and it also works great with the printed paper.

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

Gisèle

Poppies and Polka Dots

 Hello everyone,

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

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is Momenta layered on Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Say It All stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on a vanilla of unknown origin and is layered on more Lucky Limeade.  The polka dot ribbon is of unknown origin.

I really love this card.  The pink/green/cream color combination is wonderful.  I think the images and sentiment work especially well together.  The ribbon is a flat bow which makes mailing much easier.  I didn't add any additional embellishments because I thought the card was pretty decent just like this.

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

Gisèle

Sweet Thoughts

 Hello everyone,

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

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi and a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Everyday Sayings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Wild Wasabi.  The card is highlighted with Patina Stickles.

I love this fresh and simple floral card.  The different shades of green are lovely as is all the white space.  I love the sentiment placed on the angle!  The Patina Stickles works wonderfully with the different greens.  This is a layout I could easily and often repeat. It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Thoughts of Butterflies

Hello everyone,

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

The card base is Stampin' Up Baja Breeze.  The printed paper is My Mind's Eye Vanity Fair layered on Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The sentiment is Penny Black Banner Sentiments stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Early Espresso.  The embellishment is a ZVA Creative self-adhesive crystal.

I've realized that just because a card may use a favoured layout, it looks entirely different depending upon the elements used.  I really love this butterfly paper.  The images are the perfect scale for cards and the different colours offer a variety of coordination options.  I love the flowing sentiment as it reminded me of the flight of a butterfly so seemed eminently suitable for this great card.

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

Gisèle

Botanical Thoughts

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is the first of dozen 'thinking of you' card commissioned by a girlfriend's mother.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed papers are Momenta Denise Urban.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Sincere Expressions stamped in Altenew Sicilian Amber on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Momenta.  The embellishments are Kaisercraft Dec 25th Jewels.

I received these last two commissions shortly before Christmas and had to have them ready by New Year's Eve so I was a bit of a production machine which had an impact on the creative mojo.  In order to keep the creative juices flowing, I kept to some tried and true layouts as well as printed papers that I loved and found inspiring.  It's made for some lovely results.

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

Gisèle