Fabulously Feathered

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a great 'birthday' card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft “Elegance Collection” Boho layered on Stampin’ Up Tranquil Tide.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up Birthday Blossoms stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Tranquil Tide.  The card is highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

This is a piece of printed paper I've had in my stash for a long time.  I just couldn't resist these beautiful feathers!  I love the images against the gold background.  I've used this sentiment many panel and have often coloured the banner but in this case, I liked it well enough without any colour.  The feathers are so beautiful that I just had to use it with the 'beautiful' birthday sentiment.

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

Gisèle

Birthday Dominos

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a rather fun 'birthday' card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is Fancy Pants “Collecting Moments” Domino layered on Stampin’ Up More Mustard and Lucky Limeade.  The sentiment is Stampin’ Up Here’s a card stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are Kaisercraft Dec 25^th pearls.

My family loves playing dominos so when I came across this printed paper I just couldn't resist using it for a birthday card.  There were a ton of colours with which to coordinate but I wanted to keep the card fairly neutral.  The pearl embellishments were not my first choice but I couldn't find small white dots to mimic the dots on the paper.  This sentiment is one of a few that I mass stamped using my MISTI which worked really well.  It's a great result and I really hope someone at the seniors' residence is a domino player!

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

Gisèle

Botanical Thoughts

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is the first of dozen 'thinking of you' card commissioned by a girlfriend's mother.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed papers are Momenta Denise Urban.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Sincere Expressions stamped in Altenew Sicilian Amber on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Momenta.  The embellishments are Kaisercraft Dec 25th Jewels.

I received these last two commissions shortly before Christmas and had to have them ready by New Year's Eve so I was a bit of a production machine which had an impact on the creative mojo.  In order to keep the creative juices flowing, I kept to some tried and true layouts as well as printed papers that I loved and found inspiring.  It's made for some lovely results.

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

Gisèle

Another Nutcracker

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great nutcracker Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft Christmas Wishes layered on a pale green metallic of unknown origin.  The image is Old Island Stamp Company stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and coloured with Tombow 992 and 800, and Sakura Red, Green, Black, Yellow and Clear.  The image is layered on more pale green metallic.  The embellishment is a Close To My Heart Bitty Sparkle.

I'm loving this nutcracker stamp!  I've only played with it for a wee bit but so far the results are awesome.  The Sakura gel pens are a little on the pale side so it was a bit of a challenge finding a printed paper with which it would work.  The final result actually turned out better than I'd figured.

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

Gisèle

A Natural Arrangement

Hello everyone,

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

The card base is Stampin' Up Hello Honey.  The image is Great Impressions stamped in Tombow N57, 025, 947 and 969 on Recollections White.  The image panel is layered on a brown and a gold of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Gina K Framed Greeting stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections White and layered on more gold of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Kaisercraft Dec 25th pearls.

This card has somewhat of a 1970's feel with all of the natural colours.  This was the best impression I managed after about a half dozen attempts.  I love the image and can't quite figure out why it was so problematic to stamp.  I think the sentiment is wonderful in a circle with the two pearls anchoring it to the image panel.  It's a lovely result!

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

Gisèle

Seagulls Negative

 Hello everyone,

Today's post uses the negative die cut from yesterday's card.

The card base is Close To My Heart Grey Flannel.  The image is Kaisercraft Seagulls decorative dies, cut from an ivory of unknown origin and layered on a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper, more Grey Flannel and Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow.

I don't believe I've every used the negative of a die cut but I've though about it often.  I think this particular die is perfect for the negative if you manage to cut it relatively straight - something I made a point of doing when I was pulling the elements together.  I experimented with a number of background layers, knowing I wanted to use a piece of alcohol inked paper. I was also thinking that this is a bit more of a masculine sentiment-less card which would be good for this commission.

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

Gisèle

Seagulls in Flight

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another simple yet striking sentiment-less card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Taken With Teal.  The images are Kaisercraft Seagulls decorative die, cut from an ivory of unknown origin and layered on a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper and a mirrored teal of unknown origin.

I've had these die cut images forever but don't readily think to use them.  I was inspired by adhering them on top of this scrap of alcohol inked paper that reminds me of the sky.  I wish it had been as easy finding a piece of mirrored blue paper for the layer. Though I could have used white, I love how the birds really pop!

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

Gisèle

More Winter Birds

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a red and a brown Bazzill and a green Core'dinations.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Merry Christmas Writing stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more red Bazzill.  The embellishments are Kaisercraft December 25th jewels.

This is another wonderful piece of printed paper.  Not only are the birds great but I love the pine cones and holly that were incorporated into the design.  I placed the sentiment on an angle otherwise one of the birds would be covered.  The three brown pearls work great to anchor the sentiment.  It's a great example of a 'Z' design layout which is apparently very pleasing to the eye.

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

Gisèle

A Simple Hello

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another tiny 'hello' card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Whisper White.  The image Memory Box Tissue Flower stamped in Tombow 158 and 676 on Whisper White and layered on a dark purple and a dark green Bazzill.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Bloom and Grow stamped in Close To My Heart Ponderosa Pine.  The embellishments are Kaisercraft Dec 25th jewels.

I'm really not sure about this card.  I think the image may be too light compare to the layers and the sentiment.  I probably could have forgone the embellishments too.  In the past when I've used this image I've added some Twinkling H2Os.  It's not a terribly card but I think I could have done better.

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

Gisèle

Blooms and Vines

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another soft and pretty birthday card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is K&Company Emma layered on green Core'dinations and Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Warmest Regards stamped in Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more green.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Kaisercraft December 25th pearls.

This is another really pretty piece of printed paper.  I love the colours and the images are so delicate.  Again I wasn't planning to add a ribbon but I was so happy with yesterday's results I couldn't resist repeating it.  The sentiment is from a really old Stampin' Up set that I love even though I don't use it all that often.  I think the pearls work great!

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

Gisèle

Winged Triptych

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another lovely birthday card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is K&Company Emma layered on green Core'dinations.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Take Three stamped in Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more green.  The ribbon is from Michael's.  The embellishment is Kaisercraft December 25th pearls.

This is another really pretty card in this commission.  I love the images against the written background.  I didn't plan on the ribbon when I was pulling the elements together but thought it was a nice addition.  I think the simple knot to the left of the sentiment is just the right touch.  I picked up this stamp set second hand eons ago but just never got around to using it.  It's perfect for this card.

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

Gisèle

Pretty In Purple

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another lovely birthday card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft Violet Crush layered on Recollections Black.  The sentiment is Just Rite Large Fancy Sentiments stamped in Altenew Jet Black on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Forever In Time.

I think this purple card is just pretty.  The printed paper is wonderful and the perfect scale for a card.  I love the touches of black which just seem to make the rest of the card pop!  This is a really simple layout although the final results are anything but.

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

Gisèle

More Feathered Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another lovely birthday card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft "Elegance" Boho layered on a light and a dark teal of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamped in Altenew Aqualicious on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Aqua Dots.

This is one of those cards that turned out better than I envisioned.  The light and dark teals are fantastic layered with this printed paper.  I couldn't believe how well I found the right colours to coordinate with the feathers.  I thought the font of the sentiment worked especially well.  I wasn't so surprised to find a teal ink that worked.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Holly Berry Bunches

Hello everyone,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Today's post is another great Christmas card I crafted for a colleague.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft Peach & Joy layered on Stampin' Up Real Red and an olive green of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Bonnidée C'est Noël stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Real Red.  The embellishments are Sizzix Holly Berries dies, cut from Real Red and more olive green, and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

As has been well documented, I just love holly and this paper makes me so happy.  I think I bought the paper pad just for this piece of paper.  I also wanted to play with some of the multitude of holly dies and extras I have in my stash.  This is another simple card that looks way more than fancy than it really is.  While the holly die cuts are a little on the folk side, I added the Sakura to glitter them up a bit.  I won't profess that it worked all that well but I love the result just the same.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Cardinals

Hello everyone,

Today’s post is another Christmas card that I crafted for a colleague.

The card base is Stampin’ Up Baked Brown Sugar.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft Peace & Joy layered on a red Bazzill.  The sentiment is Bonnidée C’est Nöel stamped in Stampin’ Up Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more red Bazzill.  The holly embellishments are of unknown origin.

The colleague who received this card has a couple of cardinal pictures in her office, so it seemed very natural to use cardinal paper for her card.  I love the brown card base as it suits the theme of the printed paper.  I used more bulky embellishments because this card wasn’t going to be mailed.  It’s a great result.

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

Gisèle

Father's Day

Hello everyone,

Today's card is the Father's Day card I crafted for my awesome husband.

The card base is Core'dinations.  The images are Paper Roses Golf Accessories die, cut from a variety of scraps, adhered to Recollections White and layered on Recollections Black.  The sentiment is Kaisercraft Occasions stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.

I was ecstatic to come across this die cut.  It is the perfect scale for cards.  It will also give me more options when crafting my hubby's cards.  I do get tired of the same old stamps and stickers.  It's also perfect for using tiny bits of scrap paper.  I wasn't quite sure of the golf cart placement and will admit to fussing around with the layout for quite a while.  Heaven help my husband if he does any kind of a critique.

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

Gisèle

For Dad

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a Father's Day card.

The card base is of unknown origin.  The printed paper, also of unknown origin, is layered on Close To My Heart Citrus Leaf.  The sentiment is Kaisercraft Occasions stamped in Altenew Starlight on Recollections White.  The brads are of unknown origin.

Father's Day is just around the corner so I thought I'd add a few simple cards to my stash.  This is the perfect paper for a Father's Day card.  It really fun with lots of great colours for coordinating.  I chose this super bright lime green with a smaller reveal.  The Citrus Leaf could easily over power any other colour.  Finding these limey green brads in my stash was a real bonus.

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

Gisèle

In Teal & Gold

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another very pretty thinking of you card.

The card base is gold Paper Accents.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft "Elegance" Flight of Fancy layered on Close To My Heart Juniper and highlighted with Golden Rod Stickles.  The sentiment is Creative Expressions Petite Scribbled Sentiments heat embossed with Close To My Heart gold embossing powder.

This has always been a favourite piece of paper.  I especially love the colours but the actual design is very appealing as well.  I kept the layout very simple because I really wanted the paper to be highlighted.  I think the sentiment, in the design sweet spot, works perfectly in embossed gold.  I really love the result.

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

Gisèle

A Winged Wish

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a birthday card that uses leftover printed paper from yesterday's sympathy card.

The card base is Recollections.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft "Enchanted Garden" Fly layered on Stampin' Up Soft Suede and Groovy Guava.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Small Script stamped in Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishment is Close To My Heart Gold Bling Gems.

This card uses a few leftover bits from earlier cards that were on my desk.  It seemed easier to make a card than actually put them away!  I love the angled sentiment from this very old Stampin' Up set.  I was quite pleased with this Groovy Guava banner which couldn't coordinate any better with the printed paper. I actually think I brought the leftovers together into a lovely card. 

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

Gisèle

Butterflies of Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a sympathy card I crafted for a friend whose mother passed away.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft "Enchanted Garden" Fly.  The sentiment is Verve Forever In Our Hearts stamped in Stampin' Up Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Soft Suede.  The butterfly is Joy Crafts Vintage Flourishes 6003/0023 cut from a shimmery vanilla of unknown origin.

It's one thing to craft sympathy cards for my office stash but much more sentimental to craft one for a friend.  I was really drawn to this paper, loving the colours and style of the butterflies and all the glitter is perfect for my girlfriend even in sympathy.  This is a favourite sentiment for sympathy cards because it is so very heartfelt.

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

Gisèle