Plentiful Hearts

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the first in the a series of the Valentines I recently crafted. 

The card base is Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture cardstock.  The printed paper is Making Memories "Je t'adore" Hearts layered on Recollections Vanilla Linen, Stampin' Up Blushing Bride, and Close To My Heart Barn Red.  The sentiment is Paper Smooches All Year Cheer stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Blushing Bride.  The embellishments are Stampin' Up Resin Hearts.

I made this particular Valentine for one of my daughter's new roommates.  I've not yet met her but I thought they'd get a kick out of receiving special cards.  I've had this printed paper is my Valentine stash for eons and still love it!  It's got a bit of a vintage style that appeals to me.  I love the angled sentiment and am quite pleased with how well I managed to center it.  The tiny resin hearts are perfect!

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

Gisèle

A Musical Birthday

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a card that I crafted for a girlfriend a couple of months back.

The printed paper is Forever In Time layered on Paper Accents Glossy Gold and Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The sentiment is Crafter's Companion Happy Birthday Die'sire cut from more gold and layered on a Bazzill Vanilla that was textured with Crafts-Too Musical Notes embossing folder.  The ribbon is Offray.  The '50' is a Making Memories Sticker.

My girlfriend wanted a special 50th birthday card for a musical friend.  I love making musical cards!  The colours in this printed paper offer wonderful coordinating options.  Having a chance to use this musical notes embossing folder just makes me happy!  She loved the results as much as I did!

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

Gisèle

Be Mine

Hello everyone,

This is the last of the 2016 Valentine cards.  It's for the mother of one of my colleagues.

The printed paper is Making Memories "Love Struck" layered on Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip.  The heart was found in my envelop of scraps and was die cut/punched from Real Red and Chocolate Chip.  The ribbon is American Crafts.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Chocolate Chip on Whisper White.

This four card commission was very last minute so when I found this large piece of scrap "Love Struck" paper I knew I could pull off a really great quick and easy card.  The heart embellishment was already made and it was perfect with this paper.  I love that I thought to add the ribbon.  I have a couple of spools of great Valentine ribbon but for whatever reason didn't think to use it on my own cards.  The hearts on the ribbon couldn't coordinate any better with this paper.

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

Gisèle

Hearts, Hearts And More Hearts

Hello everyone,

This Valentine was crafted with my colleague's mother-in-law in mind.

The printed paper is Making Memories Love Struck layered on Close To My Heart Cotton Candy.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Say It All stamped in Cotton Candy ink on Stampin' Up Very Vanilla.  The embellishments are Stampendous Red Velvet Hearts.

I love this Valentine.  All the hearts seem to have a bit of a vintage feel.  I didn't think the red velvet heart stickers would pop quite like these but I think its because they're a bold red which contrasts so nicely with all the pinks, white and ivory.  This was a quick and easy Valentine thanks to the great printed paper.

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

Gisèle

True Love

Hello everyone,

While Valentine's Day is over, I still have a few late commissioned cards to post.

The printed papers are BoBunny Gift of Love layered on Bazzill Cardinal.  The images and sentiment are TPC Studio Hugs and Kisses stamped in Stampin' Up Real Red on Whisper White.  The ribbon is Multicrafts.  The brads are of unknown origin, likely Making Memories.

This card was for a colleagues daughter and I wanted a Valentine that was fun!  The different layers and interesting tags are fun!  I don't have a lot of Valentine stamps but this TPC set has just about everything you'd need to craft some great cards.  In line with most of cards I've crafted, this cards uses some of the bigger scraps in my Valentine stash.

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

Gisèle

Hearts All A Twitter

Hello everyone,

Today's Valentine is for one of the girls at the office.

The printed papers are Making Memories Love Struck, American Crafts Pow! Rouge Heart glitter paper, DCWV Glitzty Glitter Matstock, and BoBunny Crush.  The owl was punched with the Stampin' Up Owl punch.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Say It All stamped in Pomegranate on a Vanilla of unknown origin.  The ribbon is Stampin' Up Silver 1/8" ribbon.

All these pinks and reds shouldn't work together but I think it does just because there are so many variations.  I coordinated the ribbon with the silver in the Rouge Heart paper of the owl.  I'm a little concerned that the owl doesn't pop enough against the busy background paper but it's actually not too bad.  The picture, as usual, doesn't do the card justice.

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

Gisèle

Hugs & Kisses

Hello everyone,

It's that time of year to craft a few Valentines, which next to Christmas cards, are my favourites.

The printed papers are Making Memories Love Struck, DCWV Glitz Glitter Matstock, American Crafts Pow! Glitter Paper Rouge Heart, and Stampin' Up Sending Love.  The owl is punched from the Stampin' Up Owl punch.  The image and sentiment are TPC Studio Hugs & Kisses stamped in Colorbox ink.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Red Enamel Hearts.

I have more Valentine carding supplies in my stash than I can ever possibly use.  I successfully resisted any new acquisitions this year and challenged myself to use up some of the scraps on hand.  I also had a yen to play with my owl punch.  All of these bits and pieces shouldn't work but it comes together.  With love of course!

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

Gisèle

Sweetheart Valentine

Hello everyone,

I know that Valentine's Day was yesterday but I still wanted to post the super sweet card I crafted for my daughter.

The printed paper is Making Memories layered on Close To My Heart Hollyhock and Blush, and Recollections White.  Another Recollections White layer was sponged with Hollyhock and Blush inks, then stamped with Inkadinkado Hearts in more Hollyhock ink and sprayed with Smooch Spritz Vanilla Shimmer.  The sentiment is TPC Studio Hugs & Kisses stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart red enamel hearts.

I had so much fun crafting this card for my daughter.  As much as I like crafting more masculine Valentines for my husband, it's a joy to super girly for my daughter's Valentine.  Swirls, shimmer, a little bit of candy bling, it all comes together so wonderfully.  I debated using the Versafine for the sentiment element, trying some different options, but decided I liked the pop of the black against all the pinks and reds.

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

Gisèle

Baby Girl Hello

Hello everyone,

After all the past few sympathy cards it was really wonderful to craft this baby card that my mother commissioned.

The printed papers are Graphic 45 Little Darlings layered on Stampin' Up Very Vanilla.  The image is layered on a blue of unknown origin.  The sentiment Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Soft Suede on Very Vanilla.  The embellishments are brads of unknown origin, likely Making Memories.

This is such a sweet and pretty baby card.  My mother particularly loves these Graphic 45 images so it was pretty much a no brainer to use this paper.  A lovely change after all the sympathy cards of late.

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

Gisèle

Noted Birthday

Hello everyone,

Yesterday was my sister's birthday.  She is very musically inclined so this card was a joy to craft.

The printed papers are all of unknown origin.  The navy layer is Recollections.  The middle layer, is Stampin' Up Whisper White textured with Sizzix Sheet Music embossing folder and layered on more Recollections.  The sentiment is Verve Treasured Words stamped in Pacific Point on Whisper White and layered on Recollections.  The ribbon is Offray.  The embellishments are Making Memories eyelets and My Mind's Eye My Girl Enamel Dots.

My sister doesn't strike me as a particular 'orange and navy' woman but this colour combination just pops against the white.  I tried a number of different colours and none of them pleased my eye as much as these two.  I know, regardless of these colours, that she'll like this card because it was made just for her.

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

Gisèle

Pretty Poinsettias

Hello everyone,

Moving on with my 'Christmas In July' series.

The printed paper is BasicGrey Nordic Holiday layered on Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler.  The vertical element is Canford gold and textured Cherry Cobbler.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Very Merry Christmas stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Whisper White.  The embellishments are Making Memories Noel brads.

I've had these brads in my stash forever and was just waiting for the perfect paper on which to use them.  This is the perfect paper!

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

Gisèle

Daring Daughter

Hello everyone,

This is the last card in the 'Loved Ones' series.  I wanted it to be a wonderfully happy card.

The printed papers are BasicGrey Sugar Rush layered on Stampin' Up Almost Amethyst.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Loved Ones stamped in Riding Hood Red on Very Vanilla and layered on more Almost Amethyst.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Making Memories.  The card is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

This is exactly the kind of girly card I wanted to craft.  You wouldn't think purple, red and yellow would actually work!  Just about anything goes when using this BasicGrey paper.   I couldn't believe I actually I had red and purple heart brads and yellow ribbon in my craft stash and they actually work with this paper.  Amazing!

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

Gisèle

Best of Brothers

Hello everyone,

Today is the 'Brother' card.  I had my own brother in mind when I was crafting this one.

The printed papers are BasicGrey Oxford layered on Stampin' Up Basic Black.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Loved Ones stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Very Vanilla.  The embellishments are Making Memories brads.

This is another great guy card.  I'm really on a roll with the masculine cards.  My own brother is a really cool guy who prizes education greatly.  He would really get a kick out of all the writing tools on this paper.  I could make up my mind on which brads to use so I went with an assortment and I think it works really well.

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

Gisèle

Dino Birthday

Hello everyone,

Another juvenile boy card today.  It is a good thing these cards are on the easier side as I'm utterly bagged tonight.

The printed papers are Bella Blvd Skippin' Stones.  The image is Karen Foster Designs Dinosaurs affixed to Stampin' Up Whisper White and layered on more Bella Blvd.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Birthday stamped in Wild Wasabi on Whisper White.  The brad is Making Memories.

I thought the circles on this paper were reminiscent of dinosaur eggs - well kind of anyway.  I love all these cheery colours.  They are not overpoweringly bright and just so perfect for a little boy card.  This is a really cute dinosaur too when all is said and done.

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

Gisèle

Thankful Dogs

Hello everyone,

This is the second of two cards commissioned by a couple of my dog walker friends.  It is for the fire fighters who rescued their dogs last weekend.

The printed paper is DCWV The Pet's Stack layered on Stampin' Up Really Rust and Chocolate Chips.  The image is layered on Chocolate Chip and Certainly Celery. One of the sentiments was printed on my computer and layered on more Certainly Celery.  The other sentiment is Hero Arts Thank You Messages stamped in Chocolate Chip on Very Vanilla.  The image is Plaid All Night Media Cats stamped in Chocolate Chip on Certainly Celery.  The embellishments are Making Memories.

This is a much busier card than yesterday's but I still think it's great!  Are these not two of the cutest pups?  I'm so glad they were none the worse for wear after their grand adventure.  These cards are going to work great for the fire fighters.

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

Gisèle

Plaid Thanks

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another Crop 'thank you' card, designed for a guy in mind.

The printed paper is BasicGrey Oliver layered on Stampin' Up Wild Wasabi.  The vertical element is textured Night of Navy.  The sentiment is Purple Sky Limited stamped in Night of Navy on Whisper White.  The brads are Making Memories.

This is a really simple masculine card.  A great scrap of BasicGrey, some wonderful coordinating colours and a few brads.  How much better could it be?

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

Gisèle

Slices of Thanks

Hello everyone,

Today's Thank You card is for another grocery store which also provided the crop a gift card to help cover food costs.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Berry Blossoms layered on Lucky Limeade and Whisper White.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Curly Cute stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White.  The brads are Making Memories.

I love how fresh this card appears.  For some reason, I find these fruit slices particularly appealing.  I did a similar card last year but this one has, what I think is, a more sophisticated layout.  I really like the rounded corners and can't figure out why I don't do them more often.

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

Gisèle

Thank You Pears

Hi everyone,

Between yesterday's snowstorm and my daughter's curling schedule, I just couldn't get a card done yesterday.

Now that we've another very successful crop behind us for another year, its time for the thank you cards.  Today's is for a grocery company who provided us a gift card.

The printed papers are all Stampin' Up Good Morning Sunshine.  The image is Stampin' Up Faith In Nature stamped on Very Vanilla in Chocolate Chip.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Thank You Messages also stamped on Very Vanilla in Chocolate Chip.  The brads are Making Memories.

This is the perfect Thank You card for a grocery store manager.  This card also needed to be masculine and this card certainly is that.  I love this paper and the colour combination.  So very natural.

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

Gisèle

Thank You Train II

Hello everyone,

When my girlfriend's son is with the two ladies who are receiving these cards, he pretends he is a train conductor.  I couldn't resist using a 'train' theme when I heard this wonderful story.

The printed papers are BasicGrey Oliver layered on Stampin' Up Night of Navy.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Thank You Messages stamped in Night of Navy on Whisper White.  The embellishments are Making Memories.

This is really not a feminine card but it has such cute little trains.  I did try to 'girl' it up a bit by adding a few flowery brads.  Unfortunately, I think the brads really mimic the circles on the trains fronts.  I know she'll like it regardless.

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

Gisèle

Be Mine

Hello everyone,

As usual things rather got away from me today.  I pulled out some scraps and just got at it!

The printed paper is Making Memories Love Struck layered on Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler.  The ribbon is Dashes, Dots & Checks.  The sentiment is Gina K Fanciful Tags stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Whisper White.  The embellishments are My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 3 Ruby Enamel Dots.

I didn't think too much about this card before I got going.  Sometimes that works for me as I can really over think things and get totally frustrated.  If I don't think too much and just go for it, the results are usually just fine.  This paper really helped, because it is rather busy, I didn't have to add a lot of extras to make this card work.

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

Gisèle