Loving Hearts

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last of the Valentines I crafted this year.

The card base is Recollections White Linen Texture cardstock.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a red Bazzill and Recollections Black.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Stampin' Up Resin Hearts.

This is the Valentine I crafted for my hubby who, under all his bluster and swagger, is a real romantic!  This piece of scrap Valentine paper is perfect for his card because it's not over-the-top, frou frou or feminine.  I love this simple sentiment and it expresses my feeling much better than "Happy Valentine's Day".  I like that the wider banner fits these three small resin hearts which are also mimicked in the pritned paper.  My favourite Valentine this year!

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

Gisèle

A Fantastic Floral

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a wonderful floral birthday card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Blackberry Bliss.  The image is The Artful Stamper stamped on Gina K Heavy White with Versafine Onyx Black and painted with LuminArte Razzleberry, Royal Orchid, Black Cherry, Lemongrass, Mango Mamba, Plum Blossom and Green Tea Twinkling H2Os.  The image panel is layered on Stampin' Up Granny Apple Green and Pale Plum.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and is layered on more Pale Plum.  The flower embellishment is of unknown origin and is highlighted with Fruit Punch Stickles.

I love everything about this card!  The image is an absolute favourite for painting because it is not overly intricate or fussy and if I'm careful, I can stay within the lines.  It also allows for a lot of different colours though I don't always make the best choices.  I try to use a heavier cardstock for painting because there is less chance of warping.  I really love the pop of the Granny Apple Green layer which, to my eye, is perfect against the richness of Blackberry Bliss.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Sympathy Arrangement

Hello everyone,

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

The card base is Recollections White.  The image is Great Impression stamped in Tombow 076, 098, 177, 528, and 757 on Recollections White and layered on Stampin' Up Rich Razzleberry and a green Bazzill.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Recollections Faux Pearls.

I really do love rubber stamps on which I can use markers.  It's rather like magic once you see the impression.  I had to do a couple of attempts with this image because the first colour combination was just too bright.  Perfection is not required but the colours do.  This is another favourite layout.  I wasn't sure about the white on white with the sentiment but using dimensionals add enough of a shadow that it doesn't get lost.

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

Gisèle

Happy Mother's Day

Hello everyone,

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

The card base is a red Bazzill.  The image is Art Impressions Strawberry stamped in Tombow 177 and 847 on Recollections White.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Altenew Jet Black on Recollections White.  The image and sentiment are layered on a dark green Bazzill, more red Bazzill and a white of unknown origin.

I have been so focused on crafting 'pandemic' cards lately that I almost completely forgot about Mother's Day today.  It would have been disastrous had I not gotten it together last weekend.  My mother loves strawberries and I've made a variety of strawberry cards for her over the years.  This stamp was bought years ago with her in mind.  It is a favourite stamp because it's really easy to colour with markers or watercolour crayons.  I love the layers that make the berry pop!  It's a simple card but so effective!

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

Gisèle

Leafy Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a simple birthday card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Gable Green.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Recollections Black. The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishment is Crafts, highlighted with Black Soot Stickles.

This is a great piece of paper.  I love the simplicity of the style and the colours are just wonderful.  The layout is super simple.  I thought the font of the sentiment and thought it worked well with the veins in each leaf.  The black Stickles in the brad adds just that little bit of fantastic sparkle.

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

A Cheerful Stem

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very feminine floral die cut birthday card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Melon Mambo.  The image is Sizzix Wildflower Stems #1 die cut from Close To My Heart Pear and Melon Mambo and layered on a piece of white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Altenew Parrot on Recollections White and layered on more Melon Mambo.  The embellishment is Me & My Big Ideas Rhinestone Singles.

I found this piece of textured white in my scrap bin and thought it was perfect for this die cut flower.  The texture is fantastic!  I love how the stem goes right off the paper.  I also find the bannered sentiment, crossing over the stem very appealing.  I messed up when attaching the flower to the stem so I covered it up with a few rhinestones adding a bit of unexpected glitter.  I'm so happy with this card that I'd like to try it in other colours!

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

Gisèle

Another Single Stem

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another single stem card.

The card base is Close To My Heart Colonial White.  The background is a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper layered on DCWV Silky Smooth card stock and a shimmery gold of unknown origin.  The image is Sizzix Thinlits Wildflower Stems #2 cut from a shimmery brown of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso.

I had so much fun with yesterday's card I couldn't resist crafting another.  I used the #2 set of the series which I picked up at the same time.  I've had this piece of alcohol inked paper in my stash for eons and was just looking for an excuse to use it.  I love the combination of colours on the alcohol inked paper which are the perfect background for this silhouetted stem.  I thought it was ideal for a sympathy card.

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

Gisèle

Multiple Blooming Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a trio of birthday cards.  They all stem from the same set but turned into three very different and lovely cards.

The card base of the branch card is The Paper Studio.  The image is Stampin' Up Bloom With Hope stamped in StazOn Jet Black on Recollections White and coloured with Reeves and Faber-Castell watercolour pencil crayons.  The image is layered on Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow and Midnight Muse.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.

The card base of the daisy card is The Paper Studio.  The image is Stampin' Up Bloom With Hope stamped in StazOn Jet Black on Recollections White and coloured with Reeves and Faber-Castell watercolour pencil crayons.  The image is layered on Close To My Heart Sunny Yellow and Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow.  The sentiment is Penny Black Special Wishes stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Echo Park 'Have Faith' enamel dots.

The card base of the purple flower is Craft Smith.  The image is Stampin' Up Bloom With Hope stamped in StazOn Jet Black on Recollections White and coloured with Reeves and Faber-Castell watercolour pencil crayons.  The sentiment is Stampendous Retro Happy Birthday stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The image and sentiment are layered on Stampin' Up Elegant Eggplant which was textured with the Cuttlebug Oriental Weave embossing folder.  The ribbon is American Crafts.

I've been quite pleased with my personal challenge to use images for this commission.  I've been a little concerned that I'll run out before I'm finished but that will force me to be even more creative.  I rarely look at more than one image at a time so it's been fun to look at full sets at once.  Once I'd stamped and coloured the images, this trio came together pretty easily and the results are great!

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

Gisèle

Dandelion Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another very neutral birthday card.

The card base is from Craft Smith.  The image is Hero Arts Dandelion stamped in Stampin' Up Always Artichoke on a white of unknown origin.  The image panel is layered on a brushed silver of unknown origin and Recollections Black.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Always Artichoke on more white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is highlighted with Onyx Pearl Liquid Pearls.

I will readily admit that I'm really enjoying crafting these simple birthday cards.  Using straightforward images and coloured card bases with a variety of layers is leading to some really wonderful results.  I like how the font in this sentiment speaks to the lines in the image.  I originally planned to place the sentiment on the diagonal but found this offset placement in the design sweet spot was more appealing.  It's another great result.

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

Gisèle

Cheerful Spring Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a lovely spring birthday card.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on an orange Bazzill.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Altenew Olive on Recollections White.  The butterfly embellishment is from Multicrafts.

With a commission of over 100 cards, I realized quite quickly that I was going to have to keep the cards quite simple.  This is a great example of really quick and easy card.  The background paper is striking!  A simple punched sentiment and a sweet embellishment bring it all together.  A great result!

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

Gisèle

Simply Serene

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a birthday card I crafted for a girlfriend who loves the outdoors and has had a pretty tough year.

The card base is Stampin' Up Pistachio Pudding.  The printed paper is Stampin' Up Sweet Sorbet layered on a white of unknown origin.  The image panel is Stampin' Up Waterfront stamped on more white of unknown origin with Altenew Sand Dunes, Evening Gray, Frayed Leaf and Sunkissed, and Stampin' Up Bordering Blue.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are My Mind's Eye 'Lost & Found' Oliver enamel dots.

Ikat prints have been growing on my for the past few years.  Though from the same designer series as the previous two cards, this print is remarkably different.  I though it would be a good background for the serene image I'd intended.  It's not quite as stark in reality as this photo appears.  The colours I used in this card as ones that my girlfriend is drawn too.  She also lives on the water and takes advantage of kayaking on the river whenever she needs some respite.  I really hope this card will keep that serenity going.

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

Gisèle

Vintage Pink Roses

Hello everyone,

Today's recycled card is another beautiful floral.

The image is from a recycled card layered on Close To My Heart Cotton Candy and Fern.  The layers were cut with rectangular Spellbinders Nestabilities.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Altenew Lava Rock.  The ribbon is from Dollarama.

I didn't have a large enough oval die to cut this card front without losing a lost of the image so I decided to go rectangular.  I'm not sure I've ever used the rectangle Nestabilities that I've had since I bought my first Big Shot (I'm now on my third!).  I think the scallops really suit the vintage aspect of the card, as does the gingham ribbon.  It's a really beautiful Mother's Day card!

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

Gisèle

Vintage Kitten Cutness

Hello everyone,

I'm still crafting with vintage recycled cards.

The image is from a recycle card layered on Close To My Heart Clover Meadow and Baby Pink.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Altenew Lava Rock on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Recollections pink pearl stickers.

I love this kitten's beautiful green eyes.  I had to do a little careful cutting to remove the old sentiment and it was a challenge to trim everything square.  I used the mini pearls in the upper left corner (where the original sentiment was placed) to fill in what turned out to be a more of an awkward space than I'd figured on.  I think the final result is wonderful!

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

Gisèle  

Palest Pinwheel

Hello everyone,

Today's card is the second commissioned by a girlfriend.

The printed papers are Docrafts Papermania Lucy Cromwell.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite.  The pinwheel is highlighted with Platinum Liquid Pearls.

My girlfriend requested one the sympathy cards be quilt-themed in pinks and purples.  I went through a number of papers before I settled on this Papermania set because the tones were more muted.  I couldn't bring myself to craft a bright pinwheel for a sympathy card.  I used a small, simple sentiment so the focus would remain on the pinwheel.  I wasn't sure about this card until I'd finished and I actually think it turned out quite well.  Who knew!

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

Gisèle

More Coloured Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's birthday card is another sample of my colouring attempts.

The image is Stampin' Up Remarkable You stamped in StazOn Jet Black on Gina K Heavy White.  The image is coloured with Chameleon BV4 and Stampin' Up Old Olive Blendabilities.  The image is layered on a black Bazzill and a blue of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The card is highlighted with Platinum Liquid Pearls.

I'm not as fussy about this colouring effort.  I wish the shading was more evident but I think I may have been trying to hard to make it perfect.  You don't always need perfection!  I really like black layer in this and in yesterday's card.  It really helps highlight the images.

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

Gisèle

Glorious Golden Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another birthday card featuring a butterfly.

The printed paper is Kaisercraft Elegance Collection layered on a gold of unknown origin and Close To My Heart Juniper.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Stampin' Up Whisper White and layered on more Juniper.  The sentiment is highlighted with Gold Pearl Liquid Pearls.

I had to trim this piece of scrap so as not to cut away the butterflies that I really wanted to highlight.  I attempted to emboss the gold layer but by the time it went through my Big Shot, I lost the crispness of the images.  I decided to just leave the layer solid and I'm rather happy with the result.  The printed paper really pops and the butterflies are as prominent as I'd hoped.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Bears

Hello everyone,

My sister's birthday was earlier this week and I made her this special birthday card.

The background image is Stampin' Up Watercolor Wash stamped in Altenew Frayed Leaf.   The images is Serendipity Stamps stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and coloured with Tombow markers.  The bamboo die cut is Joy Crafts Orientals 6002/0230 in Bazzill green, sponged with Altenew Moss and highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.

Both my daughter and my sister have a special love of panda bears so over the years I've acquired more than a few panda stamps.  This pair are particularly sweet and quite easy to stamp.  Give the stash of stamps, when I came across this bamboo die, I thought it would be a good addition.  I quite like the added dimension it gives to this card.  I think my sister will be pleased.

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

Gisèle

Classic Hearts

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last commissioned valentine crafted for a colleague.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Recollections White and Black.  The image is Inkadinkado Hearts stamped in Close To My Heart Tulip on Recollections White and cut with Stampin' Up's Heart punch.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The brad is Keepsakes Memories.

Sometimes, simple and straightforward can say so much more than one would think.  That's how I approached this particular card.  I don't know this colleague particularly well and I certainly am not aware of the type of relationship she has with her husband.  By choosing some great but subtly patterned paper in a red/white/black colour combination, I thought this card was neither too feminine or masculine.  It struck me as a classic valentine.

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

Gisèle

Tulips Masked

Hello everyone,

The next few posts are cards using the Altenew Tulip stamp and die sets.

The image is Altenew Tulip stamped in Green Fields and Red Sunset ink sets on a vanilla of unknown origin.  The image is layered on a shimmery white of unknown origin and a Bazzill red.  The sentiment is Gina Marie All Seasons stamped in Altenew Evergreen on more vanilla of unknown origin.

This is the first card I've crafted using this Tulip stamp set and while I didn't get it aligned perfectly, it still turned out well enough.  I did do a little touching up with markers.  I decided I'd get ambitious and try masking after watching this Jennifer McGuire You Tube video.  I hadn't done any masking since a long ago card class.  It wasn't especially difficult just a little on the fiddly side.  I used some Post It notes because that's what I had on hand but I'm sure there are better options available.  Thought I'm more than satisfied with the results, I don't think I positioned the flowers as well as I could have as they're a little too close together.  More practice!

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

Gisèle