Butterfly Birthdays

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a great paper of butterfly 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are The Paper Studio and Recollections White.  The printed paper is Echo Park Hello Spring layered on Recollections Black, Close To My Heart Baby Pink and Stampin’ Up Soft Sky.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up Happy Thoughts stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Diamond Stickles and Creative Impression butterfly brads.

I think this Echo Park paper makes the sweetest birthday cards.  There are tons of colour options however in these cards I chose soft pink and blue, and black.  I love how the black makes everything else pop! Both layouts are very simple and are 'tried and true'.  Both are just great results.

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

Gisèle

A Panda Hello

Hello everyone,

Today post is a bright and cheerful 'hello' card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is an origami paper of unknown origin layered on a gold also of unknown origin.  The image is Local King Rubber Stamps Pandas - 4 stamped in Altenew Jet Black on Recollections White and layered on more gold.  The sentiment is Gina K Pleasant Plurals stamped in Altenew Heart Beat.  The ribbon is American Crafts.  The butterfly brad is Creative Impressions.

This was the first panda image I stamped last weekend.  I love those expressive eyes!  Before trimming the panel, I made certain there was enough room for a simple sentiment.  I've often used origami paper for Asian-style cards.  I love the warm reds in this particular piece.  The hints of gold made it easy to coordinate.  I hadn't originally planned to add a ribbon but like how it balances out the image.  I wish I'd had a panda brad!

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

Gisèle

Softly Water Coloured

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a lovely birthday card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is Ken Oliver Water Colored Memories layered on Recollections White and a yellow Bazzill.  The sentiment is Creative Expressions Celebration Sentiments stamped in Stampin' Up Elegant Eggplant on Recollections White and more yellow Bazzill.  The butterfly brad is Creative Impressions.

This is a great birthday card.  This paper is wonderful with a darker, glossier version of the same image on the flip side.  I was quite pleased to find a pale enough yellow to coordinate with the paper.  I do love this colour combination!  I couldn't resist using a banner for the sentiment.  It really is a favourite layout. 

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

Gisèle

Purple Glitter

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card uses another ornament from my stash of leftovers.

The image is a Peel-Offs Xmas Balls Outline Sticker glittered with a variety of Martha Stewart glitter.  The ornament is layered on an embossed brushed silver of unknown origin and a shimmery purple also of unknown origin.  The sentiment is My Favorite Things Merry & Bright stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Stampin' Up Whisper White.  The embellishment is Creative Impressions.  The ribbon is Multicrafts.

You can't put a glittered ornament as non-traditional and bold as this on just anyone's Christmas card.  My girlfriend, who commissioned this card, is someone who can absolutely handle this level of purple glitter.  It's almost as though I kept it just for her cards.  Given the elaborateness of the ornament and silver background layer, I purposely kept the sentiment simple, both in font and colour.  Although, nothing could really detract from all this purple glitter.

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

Gisèle

Sweet Snowman

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card is one of the more non-traditional in this series.

The printed paper is atd Snow Days layered on Stampin' Up Basic Black and Close To My Heart Twilight.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Wishes Come True stamped in Juniper ink on Recollections White, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen, and layered on more Basic Black.  The embellishments are Creative Impressions snowflake brads highlighted with White Opal Liquid Pearls.

I so love these cute little snowmen.  The blue, white and black together is one of my favourite non-traditional Christmas colour combinations.  I hadn't intended to add any embellishments but once I had the sentiment in place, I felt it needed more.  It also will give the ladies a chance to use a paper piercing tool.  I think they'll like it.

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

Gisèle

Bright Beauty

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for another girlfriend.  She likes it bright and shiny.

The printed paper is SEI Sunny Day layered on Stampin' Up Crushed Curry and Ruby Red.  The ribbon is Michael's Special Value.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Joyful Birthday stamped in Ruby Red on Whisper White and layered on more Ruby Red.  The embellishments are Creative Impressions Metallic Mini Rounds and Golden Rod Stickles.

You need sunglasses for this card so I know my girlfriend will love it!  These are all the colours that she loves and in combination, I couldn't pick any better.  I love the warmth of this card, even with the harsh, bright colours.  It is a wonderful sheet of paper and I've been using it quite judiciously, not just because I've only the one sheet, but not everyone can handle this loud a card.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Candy Cane

Hello everyone,

An amazingly simple Christmas card for today.

The printed paper is Forever In Time Festive Fun layered on American Crafts Crimson.  The sentiment is Impression Obsession Christmas Expressions stamped in Stampin' Up Real Red on Whisper White and layered on more AC Crimson.  The embellishments are Creative Impressions Metallic Mini Brads.

I loved this candy cane from the first I saw it!  There is another larger candy cane on another corner of the paper and I can't wait to use it!  The only goof, that I couldn't fix, on this card is the placement of the brads.  I attached them before I'd selected the sentiment so it's not an even placement.  It's still a really wonderful card, notwithstanding those brads.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Beauty

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for my father's homecare worker. She loves bright and cheerful colours so it was a pretty easy decision to use this wonderful Bazzill paper.

The background paper is Close To My Heart Ocean. The printed paper is Bazzill Basics Holiday Style Merry Mixed layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White and texture Melon Mambo. The sentiment is Hero Arts Wishing You Flourish stamped in Melon Mambo on Whisper White. The embellishments are Creative Impressions Mini Metallic Brads.

I love, love this paper! It is making such fantastic, non-traditional Christmas cards. It is such happy paper cheery how can you not be cheered by such a great card. I wish I had more than one sheet.

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

Gisèle

One Sheet Wonder 13 & 14

Hello everyone,

I have the last two cards, thirteen and fourteen, in the traditional Christmas One Sheet Wonder charity cardmaking project.

The paper is Close To My Heart - Colonial White, Cranberry, New England Ivy and Mistletoe. There is also two different types of textured Bazzill card stock. Some Stampin' Up Very Vanilla has also been thrown into the mix.


The background paper is textured with Crafts Concepts Merry Christmas embossing folder highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen. The embellishments are Creative Impressions Metallic Mini Rounds.


The sentiment is Close To My Heart Christmas Love stamped in Nick Bantock Vermillion Lacquer. The elements are highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

I've loved each and every card in this series. I know part of it is the paper, all that holly, but I also love the simplicity of the all the layouts. Keeping everything simple, including the embellishments makes these cards really wonderful. They'll be perfect for this card sale.

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

Gisèle

Pals Winter Ribbon Tree

Hello everyone,

Tonight's card came to me in the shower this morning. I think the idea is sound, this particular execution though, I think needs some adjusting. I decided this would be the perfect card to use in today's Pals Paper Arts challenge - a Winter Wonderland card.

I used the Michelle Zindorf technique for the background paper. I stamped Stampin' Up Serene Snowflakes and Snow Flurries in VersaMark then heat embossed with clear embossing powder after which I brayered with Stampin' Up's Brilliant Blue, Brocade Blue and Bordering Blue. The blue background paper is Stampin' Up Night of Navy. The ribbon is Offray Lovely Silver, Crafts Dollarama, Michaels Celebrate It Sheer Creations and Michaels Home and More. The snowflake brad is from Creative Impressions. The sentiment is Close To My Heart Christmas Scripts.

I just love Michelle Zindorf cards but have always hesitated to make them because I've no sense of how to brayer the perspective properly so the card actually works. It takes practise and I have to stop being afraid.

I know this card won't be for everyone. Not all shower ideas are actually worth executing. This has potential though so I'm inclined to try again. Maybe if I'd used all the same ribbon?????

Enjoy this Winter Wonderland card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Snowflake Fraction

Hello everyone,

It's been a long day, most of my Wednesdays are, so I turned to today's 365 Cards challenge and am I glad I did as it was a great challenge.

Again, because my creativity is at such a low ebb, I decided to turn to my Stampin' Up products because everything coordinates so easily. I used some Christmas Cocoa Specialty paper accented with some Rich Razzleberry. My ribbon is Soft Suede and some of my favourite Offray white organdy. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Small Script. The image, one I've been dying to use, is Inkadinkado Holiday Silhouettes stamped in Soft Suede and clear heat embossed. The snowflake brads are from Creative Impressions.
I'm very pleased with this card and only wish that I had either stamped the image more offset or completely straight. I really love all of the Stampin' Up In Colours this year and I especially love how well they go together.
I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.