Sharing Birthday Wishes

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a set of six lovely 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are Stampin’ Up Shaded Spruce, Rich Razzleberry, Petal Pink, Pear Pizzazz and Mossy Meadow.  The printed paper is Stampin’ Up Share What You Love layered on more Shaded Spruce, Rich Razzleberry, Petal Pink, Pear Pizzazz and Mossy Meadow.  The sentiments are Verses Rubber Stamps, Penny Black Special Sentiments and Banner Sentiments, and My Sentiments Exactly Handwritten Sentiments stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Shaded Spruce, Rich Razzleberry, Petal Pink, Pear Pizzazz and Mossy Meadow.  The embellishments are Stampin’ Up Iridescent Pearls, a sticker of unknown origin, a Wish leaf die cut from Shaded Spruce, a glittered butterfly of unknown origin, Burgundy Stickles, Recollections Black Candy Dots and Pebbles Black Candy Dots.

I'm quite pleased with all six of these cards.  They're very much Stampin' Up cards but though they use many of the same elements, they all have a different look and feel. I love that some of the cards are pretty neutral.  I used some new-ish sentiments and am quite pleased with them.  I think I'll get a lot of use from them.  I used a wide variety of embellishments and wish I could say my stash is diminishing but it's not!

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

Gisèle

Just Delightful

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great cat card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The images are from Wish stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and coloured with Faber-Castell watercolour pencil crayons.  The image panel is layered on Recollections Black and brown of unknown origin and BasicGrey Porcelain.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Handwritten Sentiments also stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Recollections Black.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone stickers.

This Wish stamp set was borrowed from my cardmaking neighbor.  I couldn't resist this cute kitten and I loved the anticipation of a tussle with a ball of yarn.  How delightful!  I spent quite a while colouring.  First trying crayons then, a variety of watercolour pencil crayons.  I do so wish colouring came easier to me.  These are really simple images and shouldn't have caused such anxiety.  I love how well the sentiment applies to the images.  It's a wonderful result!

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

Gisèle

Retro Tulips

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another simple birthday card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is Stampin' Up layered on Close To My Heart Whisper.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Handwritten Sentiments stamped in Altenew Industrial Diamond on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Darice Self-Stick Gems.

This was a very unexpected result.  I never anticipated using orange and grey together but I really like the combination.  I played with any number of solid colours but wasn't thrilled by my choices until I layered the grey.  I decided to try angling the sentiment once again but still didn't manage to get it as centered as I'd hoped.  I'm still very pleased with the result.

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

Gisèle

Butterfly Birthday Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very pink butterfly birthday card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Melon Mambo.  The image is Memory Box Leaf Print Butterfly stamped in Altenew Coral Berry on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Stampin' Up Melon Mambo, a printed paper of unknown origin and more Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Handwritten Sentiments stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Melon Mambo.  The card is highlighted with Diamond Stickles.

This card was much more of a challenge than it should have been.  I just couldn't find an appealing layout and was utterly frustrated until I decided to look at the scrap bin of printed paper.  Once I found this love flourished paper, the card came together easily.  I really love the sentiment on an angle, especially when it's in the design sweet spot.  I didn't go overboard with the Stickles which I always find a bit of a relief.

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

Gisèle

Especially Vintage

Hello everyone,

The next few posts are vintage card that were commissioned by a colleague.

The card base is Recollections.  The vintage paper is of unknown origin layered on a teal Bazzill, a white of unknown origin,and Stampin' Up Pear Pizzazz.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Handwritten Sentiments stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart blue glitter dots.

The paper for this series of cards is actually a place mat from a birthday planning kit that likely dates back to the 1970s.  This kitten is really darn cute!  I love the watercolour style and the colours are absolutely lovely.  I was careful when I trimmed the paper to ensure that I got as much of this kitten's face as possible.  The sentiment was carefully placed for the same reason.

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

Gisèle

A Single Stem

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a lovely congratulations card.

The card base is Close To My Heart Colonial White.  The background image is Stampin' Up Bokeh Dots stamped in Altenew Aqualicious on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Recollections Vanilla and Close To My Heart Lagoon.  The image is Sizzix Thinlits Wildflower Stems #1 cut from Close To My Heart Fern and Eggplant.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Handwritten Sentiments stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The card is highlighted with Diamond Stickles.

I picked up this set of die cuts earlier this spring and just needed some time to play.  I'm not at all disappointed.  I figured out quite some time ago that in order to incorporate multiple papers into a single die cut, you need to cut multiple images and adhere them together.  It's so ridiculously simple I literally slapped my own head!  It never hurts to have a few congratulations cards in my stash though this card could easily be used for any occasion with a simple change in sentiment.

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

Gisèle

Sweet Santa IV

Hello everyone,

Today's post is yet another pair of teacher Christmas cards.

 




The card bases are Stampin' Up Mint Macaron.  The printed paper is Stampin' Up Home For Christmas.  The printed paper of the left-side card is layered on a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Technique Tuesday Classic Christmas Sentiments stamped in Altenew Jet Black on a white of unknown origin and layered on Real Red.  The candy cane embellishment is Recollections Glitter Embellishments.  The printed paper on the right-side card is layered on a white of unknown origin and Early Espresso.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments stamped in Altenew Jet Black on a white of unknown origin and layered on Real Red.  The tree embellishment is Recollections Glitter Embellishments.

This pair of cards is so similar but do show the difference of a vertical versus an horizontal layout.  Once again I used some bulkier embellishments. These two add just a bit of glitter that I really like.  So simple, they took only a few minutes to put together once I had selected the various elements.

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

Gisèle

Christmas For You

Hello everyone,

Today's I'm posting card number five in the holly one sheet wonder series I've been posting.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Home For Christmas layered on Bazzill Cardinal red and Mossy Meadow.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Very Vanilla.  The embellishments are Forever In Time Diamond Gem Strips.

I'm not following the exact layouts for this particular one sheet wonder.  Once I have the pieces cut, I usually just put the cards together as I see fit.  These two piece really confounded me however until I looked at the instructions.  Basically you're suppose to flip the smaller piece to the opposite print.  I would have done it too but the back of this piece is deer and it just looked much too weird.  I adapted and I'm very happy.  I love having the sentiment framed by the two printed pieces.  I raised the sentiment panel on dimensionals so it would stand out even more.  I probably could have used more pearls but I liked this more as it's kind of like the period on a exclamation mark.  A happy exclamation mark!

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

Gisèle

Christmas Simplicity

Hello everyone,

The third case is this current one sheet wonder series.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Home For Christmas layered on Bazzill Cardinal red.  The image is Winterland Holly Cottage Cutz die cut from Mossy Meadow and Bazzill Cardinal.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Very Vanilla and layered on more Cardinal.

As with holly images, I've got quite a collection of holly dies and this series is the perfect excuse to experiment with some of them.  This particular die cut has both a large and a small branch.  I couldn't figure out how to use the smaller branch is a pleasing way so decided to just use the large branch.  It was a good choice because I think this would have appeared quite cluttered if I'd tried to use both.  I really like all the 'white' space that is behind the branch.  The font of this sentiment is quite effective too, not overpowering so that 'white' space is still effective.

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

Gisèle

Cowboy Love

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a card that was commissioned by a colleague for an anniversary.  He want big, bling, shine and Western.  It was really no more strange than crafting a sympathy card from a Coke case.

The card base is Recollections Mercury Glass Christmas.  The images and sentiments are Rusty Pickle Git R' Dun and My Sentiments Exactly stamped in Stampin' Up Soft Suede, Cherry Cobbler, Midnight Muse or Close To My Heart gold heat embossed on a vanilla of unknown origin.  The printed paper is Best Creation Inc Cowboy Up.  The card is highlighted with Wink of Stella Clear 999.  The embellishments are Eyelet Outlet enamel dots.

Does this card not have everything that was asked for? There is shine, bling, sparkle and cowboy!  I actually had a lot of fun crafting this card.  I just love this Mercury Glass paper.  I debated buying the pad because it was a 12X12 which are so hard to use up when you're only crafting cards.  This is pretty heavy cardstock so I can easily use it for card bases as well as for layering.  It has a number of colours which are all just sumptuous.

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

Gisèle

Simple Holly

Hello everyone,

While I was on a roll with Stampin' Up's Work of Art stamps, I thought I'd try some holly cards.

The images are Stampin' Up Work of Art stamped in Always Artichoke, Illuminate, and Close To My Heart Ruby on Whisper White.  The images are layered on Simple Stories December Documented Red Snowflake.  The sentiments are My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments and Bonnidee C'est Noel stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Crystal Stickers Red Glitter Dome Stickers.

Once I got out of the 'I SPI' box, I just kept going.  I think these are great holly cards.  Again, super quick and easy.  I did practice on some scrap paper before trying it on card stock as I couldn't find a Pinterest image to case.  I think I should have used a more bold sentiment on the English card but by placing the embellishments right below the wording, I think it works okay.

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

Gisèle

Holiday Horses

Hello everyone,

One of our Calgary outings was a spectacular trail ride in Kananaskis park.  We got some lovely photos which are just perfect for Christmas cards!

The printed paper is Echo Park Reflections Christmas layered on Stampin' Up Gumball Green.  The images are layered on more Gumball Green and Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments stamped in Ruby Red ink on more Vanilla.  The embellishments are BoBunny Elf Magic Jewels and Martha Stewart Cottage Christmas Ornament Stickers.

This printed paper is from a Christmas stack but doesn't necessarily evoke Christmas so adding this wonderful Martha Stewart stickers certainly made all the difference.  I probably could have held back on the jewels but I miss cut the paper and had to fill in the blank space somehow.  It still works.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Owls

Hello everyone,

Today's I'm starting to post a series of Christmas cards that I crafted for a girlfriend.  These have to be twelve of the cutest cards I've made in a while.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Snow Festival.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments stamped in Cherry Cobbler on Confetti White and layered on Gumball Green.  The embellishment is a Recollections sticker.

My girlfriend is an owl collector and I'm pretty certain I was thinking of her when I picked up this paper.  These owls for Christmas are really spectacular.  I love the layering of the patterns, it really works well.  I decided to sticker with 'Stampin' Up' cards because I am a little pressed for time and wanted to keep them as quick and easy as possible.

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

Gisèle

All About The Ornaments

Hello everyone,

This Christmas card is especially fun!

The printed paper is Kaisercraft Christmas Carnival layered on a metallic Rose Red of unknown origin and DCWV Tis The Season.  The image is a Peel-Offs Xmas Balls outline sticker glittered with Martha Stewart Golden Beryl, Kunzite, Turquoise and Florentine Gold, and Craft Décor glitters.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments stamped in Close To My Heart Twilight ink on Whisper White.  The embellishments are Crystal Stickers gold Glitter Domes.

Some years it's been holly, other years, snowflakes, this year, I'm really into Christmas ornaments.  I think it is because they are so fun to glitter, turn out spectacularly and really remind me of the ornaments on our family tree when I was growing up.  The paper was irresistible - ornaments in non-traditional colours.  You'll see more of this over the season.

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

Gisèle

Sledding Greetings

Hello everyone,

I'm still plugging away at my 'Christmas In July' series.

The printed papers are American Crafts Jolly layered on Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler.  The vertical elements are textured Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso.  The image is Gina K The Magic of Christmas stamped in Early Espresso on Whisper White and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments also stamped in Early Espresso on Whisper White.  The ribbon is Crafts.  The embellishments are Forever In Time Gemstone Stickers and Close To My Heart Mocha Opaques.

For every card that I craft that I'm not so crazy about, there is a card that I just love and this is one of those cards.  I didn't really have a plan in mind when I started but as things started coming together, I liked this card more and more.  As many of you know I'm rather partial to the printed papers on my cards so I'm stepping out of the box and trying to use a few more of the lovely Christmas images from my stamp stash.  We'll just have to see how well I can stick to it.

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

Gisèle

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas!

I'm still posting the Christmas cards I crafted for my colleagues.

The printed paper is Forever In Time layered on Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy and more Forever In Time.  The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments stamped in Bravo Burgundy on Whisper White and layered on more Bravo Burgundy.  The ribbon is Recollections Glitter Tape.  The embellishments are Kiwi Oregon Raindrops.

This was interesting paper to work with as it had, in the corners, some really beautiful candy canes.  I used one on this card.  Those parts of the paper without images are still really usable on cards and this one shows exactly how well it works.

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

Gisèle

Quick Christmas 11 & 12

Hello everyone,

Here are cards eleven and twelve in this latest one sheet wonder Christmas card project.

The card base is a green of unknown origin. The printed paper is Debbie Mumm Harvest & Holiday. The red strip is Stampin' Up Real Red. The sentiment is Stampavie Tina Wenke Holiday Wishes stamped in Riding Hood Red on Whisper White and layered on more green of unknown origin. The ribbon is Michaels Holiday Cheer.

The card base is Stampin' Up Real Red. The printed paper is Debbie Mumm Harvest & Holiday which layered on a green piece of unknown origin and Whisper White which was textured with Sizzix Thin Ice embossing folder. The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments.

I think both of these cards are just wonderful. This printed paper offered so many different options and it was a lot of fun just pulling all these cards together.

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

Gisèle

One Sheet Wonder 7 & 8

Hello everyone,

Today cards seven and eight in the traditional Christmas One Sheet Wonder charity cardmaking project are being posted.

The paper is Close To My Heart - Colonial White, Cranberry, New England Ivy and Mistletoe. There is also two different types of textured Bazzill card stock. Some Stampin' Up Very Vanilla has also been thrown into the mix.


The focal element is Marianne Creatables LR0182 which is affixed to the card with a Making Memories Mistletoe brad. The sentiment is Stampavie Tina Wenke Holiday Wishes stamped in Nick Bantock Vermillion Lacquer.


The vertical element is layered on Stampin' Up textured Soft Suede. The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments. The brads are of unknown origin. The entire card is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

Another couple of Christmas cards which I really love. I'm half hoping all of the cards don't sell because I know I'll use them for my own Christmas cards.

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

Gisèle

Happy Holidays

Hello everyone,

I'm still playing with my new LuminArte H2Os and couldn't resist trying my hand at Christmas card.

The background paper is from Recollections which was embossed with Sizzix Holly & Berries texture plate and spritzed with Vanilla Smooch Spritz. The middle layers are Recollections Pearlized Gold and K&Company SW Glad Tidings. The image is Impression Obsession Candy Cane which was stamped in StazOn Black on Stampin' Up Very Vanilla and painted with LuminArte H2Os. The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments. The embellishments are Crystal Stickers Gold Pearls.

I really like this card. I couldn't resist picking up this stamp because of the holly. A very elegant image and it looks so great painted! This is actually a really simple card with a pretty basic sketch and lots of layers.

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

Gisèle

Simply Christmas III

Hello everyone,

My last two cards turned out pretty well if I do say so myself. One red, one green. I thought I was done until a cardmaking girlfriend suggest I craft one red/green combined. I wish I had thought of it!

The card base is from Recollections. The images, Impression Obsession Cover-A-Card Holly, is stamped in Stampin' Up Garden Green and layered on Real Red and Garden Green. The sentiment is My Sentiments Exactly Holiday Sentiments stamped in Real Red on Whisper White and layered on Real Red. The embellishments are TPC Studio Holly Jolly Jewels and Holly Jolly Mini Jewels.

Nothing beats the traditional Christmas red and green. As nice as my earlier two cards were, this one tops it I think.

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

Gisèle