Spring Tulips

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a great spring 'birthday' card.

The card base is Recollections White Linen Texture.  The printed paper is Echo Park “Hello Spring” layered on Stampin’ Up Pool Party.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up Birthday Blossoms stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Pool Party.  The embellishments are Forever In Time Diamond Gems.

There isn't anything about this card that I don't love!  The colours are awesome! The angled sentiment is pretty much centered and the bling placement just makes me happy!  I wish that every card turned out so wonderfully!

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

Gisèle

Fun Floral Wishes

Hello everyone,

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

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up Lucky Limeade.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up Birthday Blossoms stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Lucky Limeade.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

I think this is a great card!  I believe I used this paper in the previous Seniors' residence commission.  It's really fun paper with a ton of options for colour coordination.  The rhinestone embellishments really sparkle and there were tons of images just perfect for adding some bling.  Once the elements were selected, this card came together quickly and easily.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Beautiful Birthday Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another pretty 'birthday' card.

The card base is Stampin’ Up Crushed Curry.  The printed paper is Stampin’ Up layered on Dusty Durango.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up Birthday Blossoms stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Dusty Durango and Crushed Curry.  The embellishments are Recollections Rhinestone Stickers.

This is another piece of scrap paper that I've used before in a layout that I've also used before.  This is also one of the mass stamped sentiments that I made which really helped in finishing this large commission.  I had fun experimenting with different colours and appreciate that all of these cards have given me an opportunity to try things that are, perhaps, more outside my comfort zone. The embellishments, like many that I used, are quite bulky and couldn't be mailed without using extra postage.  It's a beautiful result!

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

Gisèle

More Floral Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very pretty blue and white 'birthday' card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up Bordering Blue and a navy Bazzill.  The sentiment is Creative Expressions Butterfly Field Collection stamped in Close To My Heart Outdoor Denim on Recollections White and layered on more Bordering Blue and navy Bazzill.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Floral Accents.

The Bordering Blue and metal flower embellishment on this card are supplies that I dole out carefully because once gone, there is no re-ordering and I absolutely love both!  I think Bordering Blue is one of the best blues every put out by Stampin' Up!  Ditto for the metal flower from Close To My Heart.  I took advantage of using this flower because I know this card won't have to go in the mail.  I love this colour combination because it's always clean and crisp.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Big Floral Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very pretty 'birthday' card.

The card base is Recollections White Linen Texture.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up Hello Honey and Primrose Petals.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up Birthday Blossoms stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Hello Honey and Primrose Petals.  The flower embellishment is of unknown origin.

This card is all about that great big flower!  I've had it in my stash forever and because of it's size, it's a little hard to use.  It's big and bulky so can't be mailed without extra postage.  It's also a bit of a funky deep rose colour which isn't easy for coordinating.  This small piece of scrap with the mottled yellow and pink flowers works wonderfully.  I'm not a big fan of this paper as it always leaves ragged edges after cutting, even with a new blade in my trimmer.  The sentiment is another that I mass stamped with my MISTI.  I just love that tool!

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

Gisèle

Fantastic Floral Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great 'birthday' card.

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed paper is Graphic 45 layered on Stampin’ Up Dusty Durango.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamped in Stampin’ Up Early Espresso on an ivory of unknown origin and layered on more Dusty Durango.  The ribbon is Michael’s Celebrate It.

This is another great piece of printed paper!  The images are perfect for a smaller card and the colours are just wonderful.  Normally I would have paired this paper with a green drawn from the leave but I found this deep rust colour is beautiful.  I used my MISTI to stamp a bunch of sentiments at once and was happy I had because it really does save a lot of time.  I love the ribbon to the left of the sentiment, again, the darker rust looks great.

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

Gisèle

More Paisley Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another very pretty paisley 'birthday' card.

The card base is Stampin’ Up Lucky Limeade.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a vanilla of unknown origin and more Lucky Limeade.  The sentiment is Creative Expressions Amazing Sentiment stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on a vanilla of unknown origin and layered on more Lucky Limeade.  The metal flower and gold brad embellishments are also of unknown origins.

I just can't resist a bit of paisley!  This is a great piece of printed paper.  The scale is a little on the large size but I trimmed is carefully to have the pattern show to its best.  I've had a bunch of these metal flowers in my stash for eons and though I love them, they're not the best for mailing but as these birthday cards are hand delivered, that isn't an issue.  It's a wonderful result.

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

Gisèle

The Gift of You V

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last gift of you 'birthday' card in this mini series in the 'birthday' card commission I've been posting.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is Graphic 45 “Bird Song” Enlightenment layered on Recollections Black.  The sentiment is Verses Gift of You stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Recollections Black.  The gold mesh ribbon is of unknown origin.

This is an awesome piece of Asian-inspired paper.  These paper lanterns are the perfect scale for a card and the variety of colours is wonderful.  I chose black for layering as it makes everything else just pop!  I think the font of this sentiment works great with the overall Asian style.  The gold mesh ribbon has been in the scrap bin for ages but it is the perfect embellishment in this case.

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

Gisèle

The Gift of You IV

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another wonderful 'birthday' card.

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed origami paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up Certainly Celery and Joy Crafts mirrored dark pink.  The sentiment is Verses Gift of You stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Certainly Celery.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Green Triangles.

A number of years back I was gifted some beautiful scraps of origami paper.  I so loved the paper I bought a few packs at a local paper store.  It is great paper to work with but the designs can be somewhat limiting in terms of theme.  I thought the font of the 'Celebrate' in the sentiment had a bit of an Asian calligraphy style so I chose to use this beautiful fan-themed paper.  I love the colours and had just the enough Certainly Celery (a perfect colour match for the background of the origami paper) left for layering.  It's another great result.

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

Gisèle

The Gift of You III

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the third 'birthday' card with this fantastic Verses sentiment.

The card base is Recollections Black.  The printed paper is DCWV Black Music Notes layered on Stampin’ Up Real Red.  The sentiment is Verses Gift of You stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Real Red.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.

This is another piece of printed paper I just couldn't resist using.  Rather the opposite of Monday's card, this is black and white with accents of red, which I pretty much think is a no-fail colour combination.  I thought the font of this great sentiment worked really well with the music notes.  I only used ribbon to embellish but I did think of adding a few red pearls or gems to the sentiment panel.  Not really needed because this result is great as is.

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

Gisèle

The Gift of You II

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the second 'Gift of You' 'birthday' card in this series.

The card base is Recollections White Linen Texture.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up Rich Razzleberry.  The sentiment is Verses Gift of You stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Rich Razzleberry.  The flower embellishment is of unknown origin and is highlighted with Sequins Stickles.

This is another sheet of printed paper with images that are the perfect scale for cards.  It pairs perfectly with Stampin' Up's Rich Razzleberry!  The blank space in the bottom left of the sentiment was perfect for adding this rhinestone flower! It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

The Gift of You I

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the first of a half dozen cards using this awesome sentiment. 

The card base is Recollections White Linen Texture.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Recollections Black.  The sentiment is Verses Gift of You stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Black.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Licorice Opaques.

I'm really trying not to buy new stamps because I have more than I'll ever, every need but I just couldn't resist this one from Verses.  I just love the 'sentiment' and it is perfect for this commission!  This paper has image that are the perfect scale for cards but with just two colours, coordinating solids is pretty limited.  I chose black because it just pops!  I think it was a wise choice because this is a fantastic result!

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

Gisèle

Pretty Floral Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another lovely 'birthday' card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up Pool Party and More Mustard and an ivory of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamped in Stampin’ Up Early Espresso on more ivory of unknown origin.  The ribbon is of unknown origin and the embellishments are Doodlebug Mini Pearls.

This is another simple floral birthday card.  I love the paper because it reminds me of vintage floral fabric.  The layout again is one I've used often though angling the sentiment is a little different and I really like it!  The ribbon is maybe a little more stark than I'd like the but the blue works with the background and the brown matches the ink colour.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Soft and Simple

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another lovely floral 'birthday' card.

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed paper is Close To My Heart Miracle layered on Bamboo and Crystal Blue.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamped in Altenew Industrial Diamond on an ivory of unknown origin and layered on more Bamboo and Crystal Blue.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.

I think this is some of the first Close To My Heart paper I ever purchased and it's the last piece in my stash.  I love it as much now as I did when I first bought it.  This layout should be getting pretty familiar at this point as I've used it multiple times now for this commission.  I think the green ribbon is wonderful, adding just that little bit more interest but still keeping to the soft pastel colours.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Simple Floral

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another very pretty 'birthday' card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up Real Red.  The sentiment is Creative Expression Mini Expressions Happy Birthday die, cut from more Real Red.  The pearl embellishments are of unknown origin.

This is such a pretty card.  I just love the red!  This was another really quick and easy card.  I debated the sentiment placement but I quite like it on an angle.  I didn't fuss too much on pearl placement as it seems to be hit or miss whether the final result is pleasing.  In this case, it was too bad.

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

Gisèle

Floral Fabric

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great 'birthday' card.

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed paper (fabric) is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up Real Red and a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Creative Expressions Amazing Sentiments stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Real Red.  The embellishments are Recollections Rhinestone Stickers.

I found this piece of fabric paper in the donation bin and just couldn't help but use it for a card.  I've never used fabric paper before and thought it would be a pain but it wasn't.  I just love all the colours and the design of the images.  I chose big, textured embellishments because I thought they worked well with the fabric.  This would be an awesome card for someone with limited sight because it feels great!

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

Gisèle

Vintage Fashion Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great 'birthday' card.

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up Crumbcake and Baja Breeze.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up It’s Your Birthday stamped in Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Crumbcake and Baja Breeze.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Mocha Opaques.

I've crafted a number of variations of this card with this great printed paper.  I just love this paper!  There are a ton of coordinating colour options and I chose blue and beige in this case though I was tempted to use some dark pinks.  The paper looks great either horizontal or vertical because the scale of the images are perfect for a card.  This is another great result!

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

Gisèle

Lots of Prezzies

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another fun 'birthday' card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up Bermuda Bay.  The sentiment is Papercrafts General Sentiments stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Bermuda Bay.  The flower embellishments are of unknown origin and are highlighted with Raspberry Tart Stickles.

This is another no-brainer printed paper for birthday cards but like the party hat paper, I'm not entirely fussy about it.  The colours are rather muted and the various shapes are kind of boring.  There were lots of coordinating colour options. All that said, the images are a good scale for a card and because they're not perfectly aligned, the trimming wasn't so vital for the overall results.  I used a sentiment with a fun font and once I added the shiny flowers with a bit of Stickle, I was very pleased with the results.

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

Gisèle

Fancy Chevrons

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great 'birthday' card.

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed paper is Stampin’ Up layered on Pink Pirouette.  The sentiment is Papercrafts General Sentiments stamped in Stampin’ Up Early Espresso on Recollections White and layered on more Pink Pirouette.  The ribbon and flower embellishments are both of unknown origin.

I know this printed paper is Stampin' Up but I can't remember which collections.  I love the colours in these fancy chevrons and used them to coordinate solid colours.  The layout is nothing fancy and is one I've used often in this commission. I think the simple ribbon and flower embellishments are lovely and the placement, centered below the sentiment panel, works really well!

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

Gisèle

Happy Hats

Hello everyone,

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

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Quickutz Quick Stripz Garden.  The sentiment is Papercrafts General Sentiments stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on an ivory of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

Today's more informal card is in direct contrast to yesterday's formally flourished birthday card.  I couldn't conceive of crafting birthday cards without using this party hat paper.  The colours are a little more muted than I'd like but it sure makes the sentiment pop.  I chose a funky font sentiment because it worked so well with the designs on the printed paper.  Once I added the rhinestone gems to the pom-poms, I really liked the results.

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

Gisèle

Formal Flourishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a really elegant, flourished 'birthday' card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a brushed gold also of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Serendipity stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on a vanilla of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Toga Gold Pearls.

The printed paper is actually a piece of wrapping paper that I found in a little boutique.  I was drawn to the blues and golds.  The design is actually the perfect scale for cards and there are so many different dots and flourishes that there is no end of visual interest.  I chose this particular sentiment because the font worked perfectly with the printed paper.  I debated using a navy or blue ink but decided the black was great for the overall formal aspect of this card.

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

Gisèle

Hibiscus Wishes

 Hello everyone,

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

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a dark pink of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Serendipity stamped in Altenew Evergreen.  The embellishments are Doodlebug mini pearls.

I found a number of papers in my scrap bin that, when carefully trimmed, allow for the sentiment to be stamped right on the printed paper.  I love doing this type of card.  Not only is it quick and easy but I think the overall result is wonderful.  If the sentiment impression isn't great, you can always cover up with a sentiment panel.  I'm not thrilled with the pearl placement on this card.  It doesn't feel random enough but rather forced.  Still, the overall result is quite pretty.

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

Gisèle

Tea Birthday

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great 'birthday' card.

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a dark brown Bazzill.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamped in Stampin’ Up Early Espresso on a vanilla of unknown origin and layered on more dark brown Bazzill.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Mocha Opaques.

I've used variations of this paper for a good number of birthday cards and am always so happy with the final results.  Though I'm usually more drawn to greens, blues and purples, I do love the colours in this paper.  I trimmed this one carefully to have both the bird and a bit of the tea bag label showing. It's almost as though the bird is tweeting the wishes!  

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

Gisèle

Quick Wishes

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very quick and easy 'birthday' card.

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a vanilla of unknown origin and Recollections Black.  The sentiment is Stamp Barn, stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.

This card probably took less than five minutes to pull together.  The printed paper was trimmed to allow space for this big, bold sentiment.  The colour are neutral so this would be appropriate for anyone.  I decided not to add any embellishments, though a few black gems or pearls would have worked well, because I found the simplicity quite appealing.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Pretty Circles

Hello everyone,

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

The card bases are The Paper Studio and Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture.  The printed paper is My Mind’s Eye “Deena’s Penny Lane” Graceful Circles layered on Close To My Heart Baby Pink and Stampin’ Up Certainly Celery.  The sentiments are Flonz Happy Birthday stamped in Stampin’ Up Early Espresso on Very Vanilla and layered on more Baby Pink and Certainly Celery.  The cards are highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

This is some more very pretty paper.  I love all the paler pinks, blues and greens, which made coordinating solids really easy.  This set of Flonz sentiments is fantastic as there are a lot of options from which to choose and they're a great size for cards.  I love the bits of glitter from the rhinestone stickers!  More great results!

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

Gisèle

Fancy Celebration

Hello everyone,

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

The card bases are Stampin’ Up Glorious Green and Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture.  The printed paper is Graphic 45 “Time To Celebrate” Let’s Get Together layered on Close To My Heart Smoothie.  The sentiments are Just Rite Large Fancy Sentiments stamped in Altenew Industrial Diamond on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Glorious Green and Smoothie.  The embellishments are Recollections Adhesive Faux Pearls and Forever In Time Diamond Gem Strips.

This collections of Graphic 45 paper is really pretty.  I love the corals and greens even though they rather limit coordinating colour options.  I chose to use the Just Rite sentiment because I thought it really suited the style of the paper.  The layout is one I've used often because it works really well for this large card commission.  Another great pair of results.

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

Gisèle

A Fancy Trio

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a lovely trio of 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are The Paper Studio and Recollections Black.  The printed papers are of unknown origin layered on Recollections Black and Stampin’ Up Ruby Red.  The sentiments are Inkadinkado Calligraphy Celebration stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and Rubber Stampede Elegant Happy Birthday also stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestones.

I love this trio of fancy cards.  The printed paper is really lent to stamping the sentiment without having to use a separate panel.  The sentiment panel on the middle card actually covers up a bad impression.  There are no second chances when you stamp right on the printed paper.  I think bling placement on all three cards worked really well as it's not over the top, too close or too far apart.  I'll take these wonderful results!

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

Gisèle

Playing Card Cards

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another really fun pair of 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are Stampin’ Up Cherry Cobbler.  The printed papers are Creative Imaginations.  The sentiments are Frantic Stamper stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Stampin’ Up Very Vanilla.  The embellishments are Jolee’s All That Bling Dimensional Stickers and Close To My Heart Enamel Hearts.

These are some more scraps that I couldn't resist using for this commission.  We love playing cards (and dominos) so I have assumed there are folks in the seniors' residence who are avid card players and will get a kick out of receiving these birthday cards.  It was pretty easy to coordinate colours and I got a kick out of using these diamond and heart embellishments.  These are great results!

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

Gisèle

Beach Birthday Wishes

 Hello everyone,

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

The card bases are The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a bright yellow Bazzill and a white of unknown origin.  The sentiments are Stampin’ Up Tin of Cards stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on Stampin’ Up Melon Mambo.

These are such happy and fun 'birthday' cards!  The beach images are the perfect scale for cards and the variety of colours are wonderful for colour coordinating.  I chose to do a horizontal and vertical card to show versatility.  I didn't add any extra embellishments because the printed paper was busy enough that no extras were needed.  These are great results.

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

Gisèle

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Coca-Cola Birthday Wishes

 Happy April Fools Day!

Today's post is not a joke but a really great pair of 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are Recollections Black.  The printed papers are EK Success “Coca Cola” Red Word Collage and Vintage Ad, layered on Stampin’ Up River Rock and Real Red.  The sentiments are Altenew Birthday Builder stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and Sweet & Sassy Script Birthdays also stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The sentiments are layered on more River Rock and Real Red.  The embellishments are Stampin’ Up Metallic Pearls.

I couldn't resist crafting a couple of Coca-Cola birthday cards when I came across these two scraps!  These are such fun and unusual cards.  I'm hoping that there are a couple of Coca-Cola fans among the residents who will enjoy receiving them.  When I started putting this pair together, I figured both these papers would be layered on Real Red but found the River Rock worked better with the 'Vintage Ad' card which just goes to show how important it is to experiment.  Both cards use black card bases but I adhere a white panel on the inside to make writing easier.  I also really love the look!

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

Gisèle