Perfect Plaid Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is an awesome plaid 'birthday' card.

The card base is Stampin’ Up Early Espresso.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a tan and white Recollections.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Hero Greetings stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections White.  The embellishments are BasicGrey Metal Studs.

I'm generally not a big fan of browns but this predominantly brown plaid paper is fabulous and makes for a great, more masculine, 'birthday' card.  I think the different shades of brown just work really well together.  The square copper embellishments placed on an angle couldn't be a better finishing touch.  It's a fantastic result!

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

Gisèle

Dotted Wishes

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a fun, floral 'birthday' card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a green Bazzill and Stampin’ Up Wisteria Wonder.  The green layer was textured with Cuttlebug’s Swiss Dots embossing folder.  The sentiment is Hero Arts – Small Greetings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more green Bazzill and Wisteria Wonder.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

This is another scrap where I only had enough for a layered strip.  The flowers are in a rather funky style and have great colours for coordinating.  I chose Wisteria Wonder because it's not a solid I use all that often because I'm not a huge fan.  I prefer a deep, rich purple!  The white dots inspired using the Swiss Dots embossing folder.  It coordinates wonderfully with the printed paper.  The sentiment has a simple font which I think works great with the style of the images.

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

Gisèle

Fall Tree Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very neutral 'birthday' card.

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up River Rock and Soft Suede.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Happy Birthday stamped in Soft Suede on an ivory of unknown origin and layered on more River Rock and Soft Suede.

I had just a little strip of this paper but managed to make is work for this great, neutral card.  I just love the subtle colours and think the River Rock and Soft Suede layers work perfectly to highlight the printed paper.  I'm really loving adhering the sentiment on an angle!  I think by not layering the sentiment panel it just adds to the simplicity of the overall effect.  This card could easily be turned into a 'sympathy' or 'thinking of you' card with a simple change of sentiment.

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

Gisèle

For the Gentlemen

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last two French cards I crafted for this 'birthday' card commission.

The card bases are Craft Smith.  The printed papers are PhotoPlay “Here and There” By Land, Air and Sea, and of unknown origin.  The printed papers are layered on a vanilla of unknown origin and Recollections Black, and Close To My Heart Barn Red.  The sentiments are Bonnidée French Wording #1 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on a vanilla of unknown origin and are layered on more Black and Barn Red.  The embellishments are Hero Arts Midnight Black Accent Pearls and Close To My Heart Round Durables.

I love finding printed paper that is especially masculine.  These scraps worked beautifully for two really masculine French cards.  The layouts are quite straightforward and were used to maximized the printed paper.  I think the font of the sentiments also works really well with the printed paper.  Also, the embellishments were chosen with the images in mind.  These are two really wonderful results.

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

Gisèle

Funky Floral Pair

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another pair of great floral 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are The Paper Studio and Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin’ Up Lost Lagoon.  The sentiments are Hero Arts Greetings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Lost Lagoon.  The embellishments are Recollections rhinestone stickers.

I love this pair of cards!  The images are the perfect scale for cards and are wonderfully funky!  The colours are fabulous and the options for colour coordination are infinite which makes crafting so easy!  I decided to use the same layouts but different colours because I was so happy with the white card I just had to repeat it!  This is a card I could easily often repeat!

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

Gisèle

Best Year Ever Birthday Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a set of great 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are Stampin’ Up Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana and Crushed Curry.  The printed paper is Stampin’ Up Best Year Ever layered on Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry, Soft Suede and Recollections White.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up A Wish For Everything stamped in Soft Suede on Recollections White and layered on more Calypso Coral, Coastal Cabana, Crushed Curry and Soft Suede.  The embellishments are Forever In Time Gemstone Stickers and Pearl Accents, a light teal ribbon of unknown origin, Recollections Woods Dots and Rhinestone Stickers and Hero Arts Silver Metallic Décor.

I love these six cards.  Even though the paper is quite a few years old, I find it's still fresh and fun!  I really enjoyed using the different designs in the collection to make six quite different cards.  I really like that I ended up with neutral, masculine and feminine cards.  I was grateful that Stampin' Up's ready colour coordination allowed me to quickly pull together these six cards.  I have a fair amount of Stampin' Up paper in my stash so will try to do a few more of these sets for this commission.

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

Gisèle

Beautifully Bold

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a 'thinking of you' card that is quite different from the other cards in this commission.

The card base is Recollections Black.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Poppy Parade.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Everyday Sayings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Poppy Red and Recollections Black.  The embellishments are Forever In Time Rhinestone Medley.

I've always loved this red and black floral paper but have hesitated using it because it's quite dark.  I do really love this red and black combination regardless.  The poppy red layer is quite bright and I think helps makes this a more cheerful card than it may otherwise be.  This sentiment is quite large with the vanilla that just pops.  I love the row of rhinestones even though they may be a little on the darker side.  It's a much happier result than I thought I'd get when I first started pulling all the elements together.

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

Gisèle

Poppies and Polka Dots

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another wonderful 'thinking of you' card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is Momenta layered on Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Say It All stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on a vanilla of unknown origin and is layered on more Lucky Limeade.  The polka dot ribbon is of unknown origin.

I really love this card.  The pink/green/cream color combination is wonderful.  I think the images and sentiment work especially well together.  The ribbon is a flat bow which makes mailing much easier.  I didn't add any additional embellishments because I thought the card was pretty decent just like this.

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

Gisèle

Sweet Thoughts

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a sweet 'thinking of you' card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi and a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Everyday Sayings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Wild Wasabi.  The card is highlighted with Patina Stickles.

I love this fresh and simple floral card.  The different shades of green are lovely as is all the white space.  I love the sentiment placed on the angle!  The Patina Stickles works wonderfully with the different greens.  This is a layout I could easily and often repeat. It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Another Argyle Thanks

 Hello everyone,

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

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Soft Suede and Lost Lagoon.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Thank You Messages stamped in Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Soft Suede and Lost Lagoon.  The square brad embellishments are Crafts.

I think argyle is perfect for a corporate thank you card, especially for masculine clients.  The colours in this argyle paper are especially appealing with so many options for coordinating.  For quite a while now I've been loving using banners so I couldn't resist for this commission.  I love how the layered banners anchor the sentiment and this wider one is perfect for these rather large square brads.

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

Gisèle

Green Plaid Thanks

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very simple plaid card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is Reminisce "Lucky Day" Lucky Plaid layered on Stampin' Up Garden Green and Apricot Appeal.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Thank You Messages stamped in Close To My Heart Ponderosa Pine on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Garden Green.  The mini banners were punched from Apricot Appeal.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Artisan Stud Durables.

I often say that a card doesn't need to be complex to be great!  This is a truly simple card using a great piece of plaid paper with a bold sentiment.  I love the mini banners and use them quite often.  I'm a little concerned that the embellishments may be a little on the large size but hope they'll go through the mail all right because they're metal.  Fingers crossed.

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

Gisèle

Thank You Plaid

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a great plaid 'thank you' card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed papers are of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Elegant Eggplant.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Say It All stamped in Elegant Eggplant on Recollections White and layered on more printed paper and Elegant Eggplant.  The embellishments are Eyelet Outlet enamel dots.

When choosing the elements for these cards I was often thinking of men's suits, ties and shirts as inspiration.  This plaid would be great for a shirt!  I just love a purple and green colour combination.  I also find plaid a great pattern for more neutral cards. I couldn't resist using a banner for the sentiment and think the pale lavender enamel dots work great!

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

Gisèle

Dots of Thanks

 Hello everyone,

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

The card base is Recollections Grey.  The printed paper is Stampin' Up Birds of a Feather layered on Stampin' Up Summer Starfruit and Island Indigo.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Thank You Messages stamped in Altenew Lava Rock on Recollections White and layered on more Island Indigo.  The embellishments are Echo Park "Have Faith" enamel dots.

I think this is a perfect neutral 'thank you' card.  I love this very simple printed paper and all the different colour coordination options!  I chose this particular sentiment because I could mimic the dots on the printed paper.  I was rather surprised (sort of) to find enamel dots that matched the Summer Starfruit layer so well.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Ornament Joy

 Hello everyone,

I was so distracted by good news yesterday that I forgot to post a card!

Today's post is a lovely ornament Christmas card.

The card base is Darice Great White.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Clear Stamp Set stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on more Darice Great White and layered on Stampin' Up Taken With Teal.  The background layers are Stampin' Up Soft Sky, textured with Sizzix Thin Ice embossing folder, a white of unknown origin and more Taken With Teal.  The ornament is a Recollections sticker.  The other embellishments are Crafts.

I've had these Recollections ornament stickers for eons but just hadn't found an opportunity to use them.  I love that it's somewhat non-traditional.  The colours are wonderful and the texture of the Soft Sky layer is magnificent.  The layout isn't at all complex but was chosen to fit the hanging ornament. This card is absolutely perfect!

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

Gisèle

Christmas Fun

 Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card post is another fun card.

The card base is Recollections White Linen Texture cardstock.  The printed paper is Penny Black Wintertime layered on a white of unknown origin and Stampin' Up Real Red.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Clear Stamp Set stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi.  The stickers are of unknown origin.

This card is part of a set of ten which used a variety of holiday themed stickers as embellishments.  The layout was determined based on the stickers available.  The entire set took me less than 30 minutes once I'd pulled all the elements together.  I used the MISTI to stamp all the sentiments which was likely the biggest time saver.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

A Wee Wreath

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a really quick and easy Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Green.  The printed paper is Recollections Retro Christmas.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Joy To All stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Darice Great White and layered on Recollections Red.  The embellishment is also Recollections.

A great card doesn't need to be elaborate or complex.  This card is beautiful in it's simplicity. Once I'd selected all the elements for this card, it took less than five minutes to craft.  I did end up crafting multiples but thanks to my MISTI, it was a breeze!  I love this glittered wreath embellishment.  It has a fair bit of bulk but as these cards won't be mailed, it isn't an issue.

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

More Peace, Love and Joy

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very traditional Christmas card.

The card base is Darice Great White.  The printed paper is Stampin' Up Under The Mistletoe layered on Recollections Christmas Red.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Wishes Come True stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on more Darice Great White and layered on more Christmas Red.  The embellishment is a bow punched from Stampin' Up Shaded Spruce and a Forever In Time Gemstone sticker.

I just love this designer series paper from Stampin' Up.  It's just the perfect scale for cards!  There is a wide variety of colours with which to coordinate - as expected from Stampin' Up.  This is a very simple layout but was very quick and easy.  A great result!

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

Gisèle

A Crowd of Santas

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another fun Christmas card.

The card base is a red Bazzill.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Hero Arts We Wish You Message stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The sticker embellishments are of unknown origin.

So this sentiment was a little bigger than I realized, covering much more of the printed paper than I intended. That said, there were enough Santa images still visible that I decided to go ahead.  I did forgo adding a layered to the sentiment because I didn't want to cover up any more of the paper.  The sticker embellishments have been in my stash for eons and they work pretty well here despite being a titch lopsided in relation to placement.

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

Gisèle

102 Birthday Wishes

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very special birthday card that I crafted for my grandmother-in-law's 102nd birthday!

The card base is a shimmery green of unknown origin.  The printed paper is Recollections Glitter cardstock layered on a shimmery yellow of unknown origin and a shimmery dark pink Bazzill.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Hero Greetings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more shimmery green.  The embellishments are Recollections rhinestone stickers.

My husband's grandmother is the sweetest woman.  She loves all things sparkly so I've laid on the glitter for her birthday card.  Her eyesight isn't what it use to be so I decided a simple and easily read card would be best.  I think the widely spaced butterflies and the simple font of the somewhat bold sentiment, both against a white background, will be easiest for her to see.  I loved being able to use a wide variety of coordinating colours, again all shimmery.  I know she'll love this card and the special wishes we'll send inside.

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

Gisèle