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

Serene Snowflakes

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another wonderful Christmas card.

The card base is Darice Great White cardstock.  The images are Stampin' Up Scandinavian Season stamped in Altenew Iceberg, Ultramarine and Eastern Sky on more Great White and layered on DCWV Arctic Wishes.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Holiday Sayings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

I really wanted to craft a cool light blue card so I pulled out this old Stampin' Up set.  I love these snowflakes and the tree is just beautiful.  I wish I'd chosen a lighter blue for the darkest snowflake but it's not absolutely terrible.  The embellishments are truly perfect for this card and they add just the right amount of sparkle.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Cats

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the birthday card I crafted for my brother.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is DCWV The Pets Stack layered on Stampin' Up More Mustard and Granny Apple Green.  The image were cut with the Stampin' Up cat paper punch from Stampin' Up More Mustard, Soft Suede and Close To My Heart Whisper.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up A Wish For Everything stamped in Altenew Dark Chocolate on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are Stampin' Up gold metallic pearls.

For some reason, this is not my favourite cat card ever.  I don't know if it's the busy background or the line of cats.  I think the intertwined tails are great and I love the split sentiment but there's something just off.  I may have to re-think and come up with something a little more pleasing to my eye.

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

Gisèle

He Rocks

Hello everyone,

Today's post is card I crafted for my father-in-law.

The card base is Stampin' Up Very Vanilla.  The printed paper is DCWV Rockstar Star layered on Stampin' Up Taken With Teal and Early Espresso.  The sentiment is Gina K Tag Lines stamped in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla.

This is part of series of cards I'm making for family and friends to perk them up with physical distancing.  My father-in-law recently picked up the guitar again and has been having a lot of fun playing.  I thought this guitar card was the perfect way to encourage him while at the same time lifting his spirits.  I can't wait to hear him play!

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

Gisèle

Birthday Stem

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a great French birthday card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Night of Navy.  The image is a Sizzix Wildflower Stems #1 die, cut from a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on DCWV Foiled silver card stock. The card is highlighted with Silver Stickles.

I've decided to make a series of all occasion cards as a thank you for my French teacher.  I've been spending some time playing with alcohol inks lately and decided a few alcohol inked wildflower stem cards would be perfect.  These are quite simple cards with an easy elegance.  Of course, a little sparkle is just a necessity.  I love a blue/silver/white colour combination with the alcohol inked stem blending all these colours.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Cat Friends

Hello everyone,

After a week long break, I'm finally back to crafting.  Today's post is a great cat card!

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The image are cut with the Stampin' Up Cat paper punch from DCWV Pet Stack, Close To My Heart, Recollections Black and a dark grey of unknown origin and adhered to an ivory of unknown origin.  The cat images are layered on an orange of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Sweet Essentials stamped in Soft Suede on more ivory and layered on more orange.

This card was CASED from this PIN.  I was drawn to the simplicity of the card.  I switched things up a little bit by punching some of the images from printed paper.  While the PIN was a sympathy card, I decided to make this a 'friends' card because with that many cats on one card, how could you not send it to a friend.  I'm really happy to have found the PIN because this is a great result.

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

Gisèle

Golden Trio

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great cat trio card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The images are from Wish stamped in VersaMark on Recollections Vanilla and heat embossed in detail gold.  The image panel is layered on DCWV All About Girls card stock and a burnished gold of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Annabelle Stamps Square Posies stamped in Stampin' Up Soft Suede.

These cats are wonderful!  I love the funky patterns and couldn't resist heat embossing.  I was going to try embossing in different colours but that is going to take some experimenting!  I wanted the focus to be entirely on the images so I kept the sentiment short, sweet and small.  I think it's the perfect expression for these three kitties.  It's a better result than I even imagined!

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

Gisèle

Get Well Kitty

Hello everyone,

Today's post is happy cat get well card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on DCWV All About Girls card stock and a yellow Bazzill.  The image is Plaid All Night Media stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more DCWV and Bazzill.  The brad embellishments if of unknown origin.

I wanted to include a get well card in this series and decided to make it a happy one, more of a pick me up than a sympathetic card.  This plaid paper is wonderful and has tons of solid colour coordination options.  Except for pink, I think I used every possible colour option.  This is a really fun image which I thought was perfect for this happy card.  I this card helps put the recipient in a happier place.

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

Gisèle

Grinning Fat Cat

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another cat card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is DCWV The Pet's Stack.  The image is Plaid All Night Media Cats stamped in Altenew Dark Chocolate on Recollections Vanilla and layered on corrugated green of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Altenew Birthday Builder also stamped in Dark Chocolate on Recollections Vanilla.

When I started working on these cat cards I'd forgotten I had these cat stamps which is a really fun set that I don't use all that often.  I love this fat grinning critter!  The background paper is a scrap that fit the card base perfectly.  I love the texture of the corrugated piece of green which adds interest because placed horizontally, it contrasts with the vertical application of the printed paper.  A great result!

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

Gisèle

Environmentally Inspired

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another environmentally friendly card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Blue Bayou.  The printed paper is DCWV Green Stack layered on Stampin' Up Dusty Durango.  The sentiment is of unknown origin stamped in Close To My Heart Twilight on Recollections White and layered on more Blue Bayou.  The brads are of unknown origin.

I really like the flourishes on this sheet of paper.  The colours are great for coordinating solids and the scale is perfect for a card.  It was a bit interesting to punch the banner shapes on both ends of the sentiment, in layers to boot, but I think it worked pretty well.  I believe I got things much better centered than I did on yesterday's card.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Friendly Birdies

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a card that I crafted for my brother's girlfriend as part of her Christmas gift.

The card base is Stampin' Up Crumbcake.  The printed papaer is DCWV Green Stack layered on Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Early Espresso ink on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi.  The card is highlighted with Candy Cane, Gold, Lime Green and Waterfall Stickles.

My brother's girlfriend is very environmentally conscious so I dug through my stash to find this pad of recycled paper.  I do love these little birds.  I didn't get the sentiment as centered as possible after discovering that centering on an angle is extremely difficult.  I don't find the odd number of Stickles dots too disturbing and hope no one else does either.

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

Gisèle

Another Blue Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last of the sympathy cards I've been crafting.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a white and a light blue also of unknown origin and DCWV Cool Neutrals.  The sentiment is Bonnidée French Wording #1 stamped in Close To My Heart Outdoor Denim on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Licorice Opaques.

I love this simple blue sympathy card.  It's a very straightforward layout that keeps as much of the printed paper as visible as possible.  I will admit it was a bit of a challenge to find the right shades of blue to coordinate with the printed paper but I think the ones I found work pretty well.  It's a pretty good result.

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

Gisèle

Butterfly Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Today's post is yet another sympathy card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on DCWV Cool Neutrals, a white of unknown origin and Close To My Heart Sapphire.  The sentiment is Gina K Hope Grows stamped in Close To My Heart Outdoor Denim and layered on more DCWV Cool Neutrals.

This is one of my favourites in this sympathy card series.  I love the colours, the images and the layers.  I can't remember when I last used this Gina K sentiment but I really, really liked it!  It seems especially fitting for these Seniors' residence cards.  I chose not to add any extra embellishments because I didn't want to detract from this great printed paper.

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

Gisèle

Another Modern Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Today's post is yet another sympathy card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is BasicGrey Marjolaine layered on DCWV Cool Neutrals.  The sentiment is Verve Forever In Our Hearts stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Close To My Heart Colonial White and layered on more DCWV Cool Neutrals.  The embellishments are Teresa Collins Far and Away enamel dots.

This is another lovely piece of BasicGrey printed paper.  I love these 'splashed' flowers.  They're so simple but very effective.  The colours are also wonderful and I was happy I'd still had the DCWV Cool Neutral stack on my desk because it was so much easier to find a great solid to work with the paper.  I thought it would be more difficult to find embellishments but with all the different shades of blue in the printed paper, I was pleasantly surprised.

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

Gisèle

Modern Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another sympathy card in the series I've been crafting for a neighbor to take to work.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is BasicGrey Marjolaine layered on Close To My Heart Colonial White and DCWV Cool Neutrals.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Everyday Sayings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on more Colonial White.  The embellishments are Keepsakes Memories.

BasicGrey has always been a favourite company for wonderful printed papers.  The colours in this particular piece is are especially pleasing in cream and blue.  I love the simple images which led me to choose this equally simple sentiment.  The embellishments were chosen to mimic the dots in the flowers.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Teacher Thank You VI

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last of the teacher thank you cards that one of my girlfriends commissioned.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is DCWV Rock Star Stack layered on a red of unknown origin and Paper Accents Mirrored Silver.  The sentiment is Gina K Labeled With Love stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The embellishments are EK Success Harvest Dots Dimensionals.

This is one of my favourites in this series.  I love the red/black/white/silver colour combination.  This photo doesn't really do this card justice.  It's very challenging to get a good photo with the mirrored silver.  It took me a while to find a suitable sentiment.  Everything I looked at was either too small or too large and I wanted to be sure I had enough room for the red dimensionals.  That little bit of bling just brings it's all together!

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

Gisèle 

Teacher Thank You V

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another teacher thank you card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Old Olive.  The printed paper is DCWV Rock Star Stack layered on Close To My Heart Crystal Blue and a white of unknown origin.  The background image is Stampin' Up You've Got This stamped in Altenew Sand Dunes on a white of unknown origin and layered on more Crystal Blue.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart For Every Occasion stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The star embellishments are of unknown origin.

I think this is a great piece of printed paper.  The guitar is perfectly situated thanks to some careful trimming.  A great piece of printed paper like this one means the rest of the card can be pretty straightforward.  I was a little more creative with the sentiment by using an over-stamping technique.  It adds just that little bit more interest.  It a great result.

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

Gisèle

Teacher Thank You IV

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the fourth in the teacher thank you card series that a girlfriend commissioned.

The card base is Stampin' Up Creamy Caramel.  The printed paper is DCWV Rock Star Stack layered on Recollections Black and more Creamy Caramel.  The sentiment is Impression Obsession Vertical Greetings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on a white of unknown origin and layered on more Creamy Caramel and Recollections Black.  The embellishments are Fabricland.

I love the font of this sentiment.  It is very 'teacher'!  I also love that it is vertical.  I've never been a fan of Creamy Caramel.  It's really a disgusting brown.  It did however coordinate perfectly with this piece of printed paper.  I think the smaller offset against the black makes this particular Creamy Caramel example quite palatable.  A great result.

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

Gisèle

Teacher Thank You III

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the third teacher thank you card in this series.

The card base is Stampin' Up Pool Party.  The printed paper is DCWV Rock Star Stack layered on Stampin' Up Melon Mambo.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up So Very Much stamped on a white of unknown origin with Melon Mambo ink and layered on more Pool Party.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Rhinestone Flowers highlighted with Diamond and Fruit Punch Stickles.

Though I said I was going to try to keep these cards as neutral (masculine) as possible, this is most certainly not a neutral card.  Oh well!  I really like paisley but this is not the nicest I've ever come across.  It may be the skulls that turn me off.  There is also only a few colours with which you can coordinate - blue or pink.  The teacher who receives this card will appreciate it, the boys, I'm not so certain.

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

Gisèle

Teacher Thank You II

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the second teacher thank you card in this series.

The card base is Paper Accents mirrored silver.  The printed paper is DCWV Rock Star Stack.  The sentiment is Stampin' up Another Thank You stamped in Altenew Dusk on Recollections White and layered on more silver, Recollection White and Close To My Heart Peacock.  The embellishments are Jolee's All That Bling Dimensional Stickers.

This card is particularly special for my girlfriend's family as it's for a teacher who took a special interest in the boys and is now retiring.  Teaching is truly a vocation and it's wonderful to hear of a teacher who imparted an amazing legacy.  My special teacher was Miss Corey in grade five.  We kept in touch for a good 25-30 years until she passed away a few years ago and I was truly affected by the  loss.  I hope this special silver card will do justice to this amazing teacher.

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

Gisèle