Many Merry Christmas's

Hello everyone,

This should be one of my last Christmas cards this year although given my depleted stash, I'll have to work hard to build it up again. This card is for one of my best friends. I had a chance to do some blog surfing today and there are any number of challenge for which this card will suit. Last Friday's Stampin' for the Weekend asked for a Christmas card. Saturday's Allsorts challenge was anything goes. Tuesday's A Spoon Full of Sugar was a Christmas challenge and Papertake Weekly's challenge was anything goes. Today's ABC challenge was to keep it simple; the Fab 'n Funky challenge was to do a quick and easy project; the For Fun challenge was anything goes and the Belli challenge was anything goes.

The focal image is Stampin' Up Brushed Gold textured with Crafts-Too Christmas Greeting folder layered on a piece of Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso textured with Sizzix Small Dots. The image was highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

This was a super easy and very quick card. I've been trying to use this embossing folder since I first picked it up and I'm not disappointed. This card turned out beautifully and my friend will just love it!

Gisèle

Golden Reindeer

Hello everyone,

This card is inspired by today's Allsorts challenge which is gold, cream with a hint of red. I found today's Card Patterns sketch an inspiring jumping-off point.

The card base is Recollections pearlized gold. The red layers are Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler. The gold layers are Recollections gold foil which are textured with Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland. The image, stamped on Stampin' Up Very Vanilla, is Inkadinkado Holiday Silhouettes in Color Box Gold and heat embossed in clear embossing powder. The embellishments are from Multicrafts.

I'm quite impressed with this card. I love the pearlized gold card base as it adds a wonderful elegance to the card. I find this set of Inkadinkado stamps gorgeous as they beautifully incorporate great Christmas symbols.

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

Gisèle

Three Challenge Card

Hello everyone,

There have just been so many awesome challenges out there the last few days that I just couldn't resist putting multiple challenges together. I'm using Friday's Just Add Ink challenge to use patterned paper. Saturday's Allsorts challenge was to use embossing. Sunday's Card Positioning Systems sketch was just to appealing to resist.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Dusty Durango textured with Sizzix Damask. The Impression Obsession Flowers image and Stampin' Up Short & Sweet sentiment is stamped on a piece of Stampin' Up Whisper White. The remaining paper is BasicGrey Ambrosia. The embellishments are Hero Arts Metallic Decor.

I have never been into oranges and yellows but there is something about this BasicGrey paper that I just can't resist. When combined with Dusty Durango and it is, in my opinion, over the top.

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

Gisèle

Starry Birthday Sketch

Hello everyone,

Today's card is inspired by a couple of challenges. Stamping 411 provided a great sketch and today's Allsorts challenge is celebrating it's first birthday by asking for a Birthday card.

The card base is from Recollections. The designer paper and solid paper is Close To My Heart, You Rock. The image is Stampin' Up Four Square, stamped on a scrap of Whisper White. The brads are part of the brad stash. The focal image is cut with a Spellbinders label die.

I love this paper. Every card I make with it turns out so great.

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

Gisèle

Animal Mojo

Hello everyone,

Well, Saturday's crop doesn't appear to have had too much of an impact on my mojo. Today's card is based on Saturday's Allsorts challenge which is to create a card with an animal and today's Mojo Monday sketch. Both challenges were just too irresistible.

The printed paper is DCWV Far East Asia Stack. The solid paper is Close To My Heart Outdoor Denim. The image is from Inkadinkado which was coloured with Stampin' Up watercolour crayons, spritzed with water and stamped on watercolour paper. The sentiment is Gina K Tag Lines. The embellishments are clear Oregon Raindrops from Pink Hedgehog Paper Crafts.

This card is a bit of a take-off from the earlier panda cards that I've made which my mom loved them so they're now part of her stash. I have to say the watercolour technique worked really well with this image and I just love how it relates to the printed paper. Needless to say, my daughter, the panda lover, thought this card was just super! Thanks darling girl!

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

Gisèle

Finished Another

Hello again everyone,

I love having guilt-free time to craft. I've used three challenges as inspiration for this card. Stamptacular Sunday asked for sugar and spice and everything nice - a girly card. Yesterday's Allsorts challenge was to not use designer paper. Putting together my earlier card for Everything Old Is New Again, I came across a number of unfinished bits that I wanted to use so I'm doing that challenge a second time.


The card base is from Recollections. The purple and green layers are Bazzill Basics Textures card stock scraps. The patterned layered is Local King Rubber Stamps Garden Delight stamped on a piece of glossy card stock and highlighted with Stickles. The yellow layer is an unknown scrap textured with Cuttlebug Floral Fantasy dry embossing folder. The sentiment is Sweet 'n Sassy Birthday Greetings, stamped on Stampin' Up Whisper White then heat embossed with Stampendous Amethyst embossing powder. The ribbon is a dollar store find.

I wasn't all that happy with the image when I first stamped it as it is challenging on glossy paper. The Stickles certainly helped but didn't solve the entire problem. I think the butterfly colours are flat and that's why it's off. Anyway, I didn't want to throw the piece away because it wasn't totally horrid. I do think it works well with the solid layers and I do like how it eventually came together. I also thought it would be difficult to avoid using designer paper but it wasn't at all. Thanks to this large stamp and texture, this card didn't even need anything designer. I like that.

I love the freshness of this card. This is a nice 'spring' birthday card and I can't wait to give it away.

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

Gisèle

Creative Congratulations

Hello everyone,

I used two challenges for today's card. The Allsorts Challenge was a three, two, one challenge - use three of one item, two of another and one of something. I also used yesterday's sketch from Creatively Yours as I found the graphic pattern very appealing.


I used three different Stampin' Up Cottage Wall papers as well as some Stampin' Up Rich Razzleberry scraps and Quickutz Tropical QuickStripz. There are two embellishments - Rich Razzleberry polka dot ribbon and Peggy's Pretties. The single sentiment is from Waltzingmouse.

I love, love, love the Cottage Wall paper. The colours and pattern are just so beautiful. This is a combination that I've used before and will likely use again. This card is actually for a friend who was looking for a congratulations card for her son's girlfriend.

Please enjoy and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Classy Retirement

Hello everyone,

Today's card was a request from a friend for a colleague's upcoming retirement. The request was for something classy and elegant. I used yesterday's 365 Cards sketch challenge and Saturday's pink and brown Allsorts challenge to help me focus.
The background paper is old stash from Sandylion - Stonewashed Pink and Paisley Pink. I also used some Stampin' Up Very Vanilla and Chocolate Chip. The flowers are Flower Factory stamped in Color Box Velvet and highlighted with cinnamon Stickles. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Warmest Regards. The ribbon is American Crafts Brown Ruffles.

I just love pink and brown together. I think it is a very timeless combination that works very well for my friend's colleague. I also found this sketch very appealing as the inverted triangle at the top was so unusual.

Please enjoy and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle