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

Stylistic Fall Forest

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great 'thank you' card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Mango Melody.  The printed paper is Bella Blvd "Thankful" Perfect Day layered on Stampin' up Early Espresso.  The sentiment is cut from more Early Espresso with a Lawn Fawn die.  The embellishments are Keepsakes Memories.

I really like this card!  I wasn't sure about Mango Melody when I first pulled it out of the pack but it's not too bad.  I used a fair amount for this card and it still isn't overwhelming.  This is a great piece of printed paper.  The pumpkins are pretty darn cute!  I was thrilled to have enough of these square gems in orange/brown to highlight the sentiment.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Colorful Thanks

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another lovely 'thank you' card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Hello Honey.  The printed paper is Bella Blvd "Thankful" Turkey Tracks layered on Stampin' Up Garden Green.  The sentiment is the Spellbinders Thanks Expressions die, cut from a dark brown Bazzill.  The embellishments are Fabricland.

This is another great piece of printed paper.  The leaves are the perfect scale for a card and the colours offer plenty of coordinating options.  I used the Spellbinders sentiment from the same die as the other day which is just as nice on it's own as it is with the bottom layer.  I added simple square embellishments, wishing that I still had a few leaf embellishments left in my stash.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Colourful Flourishes

Hello everyone,

Today's birthday card post uses some more wonderful printed paper.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Classic Calendars layered on Bazzill Black and a dark fuchsia Recollections.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker Best Wishes stamped in Altenew Jet Black on Recollections White and layered on more black and dark fuchsia.  The card is highlighted with rhinestones of unknown origin.

This is about the happiest printed paper I've ever come across.  I've used it sparingly over the years because I know I'll never find another piece.  The colours are wonderful and allow for virtually any coordinating possibility.  I've generally used black because it makes the printed paper pop even more.  I placed the sentiment in the design sweet spot and had fun layering different punches.

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

Gisèle

Home Sweet Home

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a house warming card that was commissioned by a colleague.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Homey layered on a blue Bazzill.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Double Take stamped in Altenew Desert Night and Ocean Waves on a white Bazzill, layered on more blue Bazzill and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The embellishments are of unknown origin.

It's not often I'm asked to craft a house warming card so this was really quite fun.  It's not a complex card by any stretch but it provided the perfect excuse to play with this new Stampin' Up stamp.  I wasn't sure how much I'd like the shadow effect but I think it's pretty spectacular!  This house paper was perfect for this type of card so I'm glad I had some in my stash.

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

Gisèle

All Italian VI

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the first of a bunch of Italian birthday cards I'm crafting for this hostess gift.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Classic Calendars layered on Close To My Heart Lagoon.  The image is Stampin' Up Thanks For Caring stamped on Whisper White in Altenew Forest Glades, and coloured with Faber-Castel Watercolour Pencils.  The sentiment is Microsoft Word printed font layered on more Lagoon.  The image and sentiment panel are layered on Recollections Black.

This is one of my favourite printed papers.  I love all the flourishes and the colours are just wonderful.  You can coordinate this paper with absolutely any colour combination.  I used the black on the image layer to ensure it didn't disappear against the strong background.  I often lament about my colouring abilities but I don't think I did too back with this one.  I had hoped that the watercolour aspect of these pencil crayons would help this endeavor.

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

Gisèle

New Home Sweet Home

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the housewarming card I crafted for friends of ours who recently moved into their new home.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd "Thankful" Homey layered on Bazzill Bitter Chocolate.  The sentiment is Gina K Pleasant Plurals stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Whisper White and layered on more Bitter Chocolate.  The banners were punched from Baja Breeze.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Mocha Opaques.

Isn't this the perfect paper for a housewarming card?  I love these rows of houses.  The colours are pretty spectacular too.  There are tons of choices for coordinating.  I kept the layout pretty standard because I didn't want to cover up the printed paper too much.  I've had this Gina K set forever but hadn't yet used this particular stamp.  I'm really glad I had the chance.

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

Gisèle

Busy Baubles

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last of the Christmas card series I designed for a group ladies for a cardmaking party.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd December Details "Mistletoe" layered on Close To My Heart Cotton Candy and Topiary.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Wondrous Wreath stamped in Cotton Candy on Whisper White and layered on more Cotton Candy and Topiary.  The sticker is Anna Griffin Christmas Kitsch.  The embellishments are pearls of unknown origin.

There is something wonderful about this lovely 'vintage' Christmas tree against this busy background paper.  I love the touch of pink in the berries which, for a modern styled graphic, works with this sticker.  The pearls don't show very well in this photo but they add a lovely balance to the overall card.  They also kind of look like a trio of balls that may have come off the tree.

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

Gisèle

Bella Beautiful

Hello everyone,

I'm posting a super pretty flourished card today.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Classic Calendars layered on Stampin' Up Basic Black and Close To My Heart Cotton Candy.  The sentiment is Stamp Barn stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White and layered on more Basic Black.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

This photo doesn't do this card justice at all!  All that bling just makes this card sparkle beautifully. The random placement of the rhinestones adds interest.  Matching the colour of the bling with the colour of the flourishes is just inspired.  I loved this printed paper from the moment I saw it on the rack.  The colours are awesome and allow for any number of possibilities.  I especially like the random pops of black.  Loving these particular birthday wishes!

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

Gisèle

Fabulously Flourished

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for another of my daughter's girlfriends who are going to be graduating in the next couple of weeks.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Classic Calendars layered on Close To My Heart Cotton Candy and Twilight, and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The images are Stampin' Up Thanks For Caring stamped in Pear Pizzazz on Recollections White, painted with LuminArte Buttercup, Deep Coral and Mediterranean Blue, and layered on more Twilight and Cotton Candy.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Express Yourself stamped in Twilight.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Blue Sparkles.

I couldn't resist picking up this colourful flourished paper.  It just presents so many wonderful possibilities!  I picked these particular images because I thought they worked well with the flourishes.  The young lady getting this card is extremely girly and she love pretty colours and glitter.  I dusted off the Twinkling H2Os because I couldn't craft this card without some significant glitter!

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

Gisèle

Autumn Money Holder

Hello everyone,

A girlfriend commissioned this money holder card for a fundraiser.  It was so much fun to craft!

The card base is Stampin' Up Old Olive.  The printed paper is Bella Blvd Thankful layered on Stampin' Up textured More Mustard and Recollections White.  The sentiment is Verve Celebration of Thanks stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections White and layered on More Mustard.  The ribbon and embellishments are of unknown origin.  The inside pocket strip and the envelop is textured More Mustard.  The outside strip is a piece of crimped Old Olive.

As much as I love this card, it was a bit of a challenge to pull together.  I was having a terrible time with my measurements.  I really enjoy crafting the multiple parts of this type of card.  I use a borrowed Stampin' Up envelop maker for the first time to make the envelop for this card and I'm totally hooked.  Once you've got it figured out (I used a You Tube video), it is the most awesome tool!

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

Gisèle

Christmas Blades

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card is a little on the funky side!

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Winter Wonder layered on Stampin' Up Soft Suede and Recollections.  The sentiment is a 2001 Stampin' Up sentiment from an unknown set, stamped in Soft Suede on Whisper White, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen and layered on Soft Suede.  The ribbon is from Multicrafts.  The embellishments are Dollarama Glittering Stickers.

I bought this paper a number of years ago because it was just so darn cute!  I've loved every card I've made with it.  There are only a few pieces left so I will be using them judiciously.  Notwithstanding the cute paper, I didn't have much mojo today so I stuck to a tried and true layout and embellishments.

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

Gisèle

Home Sweet Home

Hello everyone,

One of my girlfriends recently moved into her new home.  It was a long and pretty arduous process getting there but it all worked out well in the end.  I didn't manage to mail off a Christmas card so I thought a housewarming card would be appropriate.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Thankful 'Homey' layered on Close To My Heart Twilight and Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The sentiment is Annabelle Stamps Square Posies stamped in Twilight ink on Whisper White and layered on Twilight and Early Espresso.  The ribbon is Michael's Special Value.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Mocha Opaques.

I really love this printed paper and it couldn't be more perfect for this particular card.  I'm not as certain about the ribbon.  I wanted to try something different and I'm not so certain this particular layout is the ticket.

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

Gisèle

Bright Blades

Hello everyone,

Today's card is another in the Christmas commission for one of my colleagues.  It didn't come together easily.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Winter Wonder layered on Stampin' Up Soft Suede and a textured red of unknown origin.  The Soft Suede layer was textured with Couture Creations Drink Me embossing folder and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The hemp is Darice.  The embellishment is EK Success Harvests Dots.

I think I must have tried at least four iterations of this card before settling on this layout.  No sentiment cards are not quick and simple cards.  I hope this looks like a gift because that was my final intention.  This hemp is super fine so it adds no bulk to the card.  The embellishment is super flat for the same reason.  I highlighted the insides of the circles on the embossed Soft Suede layer so it would look like the skates had made the circles.  I don't know if it will be that obvious.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Stocking

Hello everyone,

I'm teaching a beginner's card class for a charity event tonight so the next few postings are cards I've designed for the class.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Christmas Wishes layered on American Crafts Crimson and Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi.  The stocking is a Martha Stewart Woodland Felt Icon die cut highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.  The sentiment is Inkadinkado Holiday Greetings stamped in Real Red on Whisper White and layered on Wild Wasabi.

Would you believe I've enough envelopes in my leftover stash to accommodate all five sets of six cards in this series.  It boggles my mind how I ended up with so many leftover envelopes.  None of the cards for this class are all that complicated as I want to show how to craft beautiful cards, simply.  I also wanted to take the opportunity to use up some of the materials I had on hand.

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

Gisèle

Skate Sensation

Hello everyone,

Today's card is just fun!

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Winter Wonder layered on Stampin' Up Soft Suede and Bashful Blue.  The sentiment is Technique Tuesday Good Cheer stamped in Soft Suede on Whisper White and layered on more Soft Suede.  The embellishments are a variety of My Mind's Eye Enamel Dots.

I bought this paper because I knew my sister, a former skater, would love it!  I love all the different colours and the skates are just too cute.  This is the first time I've broken out this Technique Tuesday stamp set and I can't wait to find other cards on which to stamp.  I used all the different enamel dots not only to coordinate with the skates but to add even more fun to this card.  Another non-traditional Christmas card that I'm confident my sister will love.

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

Gisèle

Dino Birthday

Hello everyone,

Another juvenile boy card today.  It is a good thing these cards are on the easier side as I'm utterly bagged tonight.

The printed papers are Bella Blvd Skippin' Stones.  The image is Karen Foster Designs Dinosaurs affixed to Stampin' Up Whisper White and layered on more Bella Blvd.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Birthday stamped in Wild Wasabi on Whisper White.  The brad is Making Memories.

I thought the circles on this paper were reminiscent of dinosaur eggs - well kind of anyway.  I love all these cheery colours.  They are not overpoweringly bright and just so perfect for a little boy card.  This is a really cute dinosaur too when all is said and done.

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

Gisèle

Christmas In July XXXV

Hello everyone,

I'm really regretting using roman numerals in the post titles this month.  I've never used this high a roman numeral and actually had to check to make sure I had the correct letters.  My sister, one of my best customers, has asked for a dozen Christmas cards.  I'm crafting a mix of funky and traditional that I'm confident she'll love.

The printed paper is Bella Blvd Winter Wonder layerd on Stampin' Up Old Olive.  The sentiment is an old Stampin' Up stamp but I've no idea which set.  It was stamped in Early Espresso on Whisper White and layered on Early Espresso.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Christmas Cheer Jewels.  The entire card is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

Are these skates not the cutest?  My sister was a figure skater for years and I know she'll love this card.  I rather like that it's not traditional Christmas paper but it turned in to such a wonderful Christmas card.  I've got a few tags to craft and I know that this paper will be wonderful!

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

Gisèle