Celebrating the Season

Hello everyone,

Sometimes a short break is a really good thing. Between the garden, laundry, visiting and homework, card making just didn't happen this weekend. I think I've made up for it with today's card. This card was requested by my boss (gulp - no pressure) for a visiting male colleague. I worked this card into so many challenges from the past seven days it is amazing! I never use this many challenges on one card! I started with Saturday's Unscripted Sketches. Saturday's One Stop Craft Challenge and today's Crafty Cardmakers both asked for embossing. This week's Paper Sundaes challenge was 'Let It Snow' and Wednesday's ABC Christmas Challenge was W for Winter Wonderland. Finally, the ABC Challenge for the past two weeks has been G is for glitter.

The background paper is Webster's Paper Winter Wonderland Collection "Twinkle" which was dry embossed with the Sizzix Snowflakes plate. The layers are Stampin' Up Bravo Burgundy, River Rock and Very Vanilla. The Bravo Burgundy layer was dry embossed with the holly Cuttlebug folder. The image is Gina K's Tree Silhouettes which is highlighted with Glitter Ritz Warm Micro Fine Glitter. The sentiment is Impression Obsession (IO) Christmas Sentiments. The snowflakes are cut from a scrap of Very Vanilla covered with more glitter and cut with Spellbinders Shapeabilities Create A Flake 1 and 2.

I love this card! To me, it is a perfect card for my boss to give to a visiting colleague. It is very wintry but not overly feminine even with the glitter. I think the Bravo Burgundy and River Rock are a great colour combination and with that bit of glitter, awesome! What astounds me even more is the number of challenges I applied to this card. I usually keep it to just a couple because I otherwise find the card becomes more about the challenges than the card. That just didn't happen with this card. Maybe I'm just getting better at it.

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

Gisèle

Asian Thanks

Hello everyone,

Nothing like a good night's sleep to get the card making mojo back. This card is based on today's Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps sketch challenge and yesterday's One Stop Craft Challenge which is an Oriental Delights challenge.

The background paper is DCWV Far East Stack. The red strip is Stampin' Up Ruby Red. The image, from Inkadinkado, is stamped on a scrap of Very Vanilla and layered on a piece of textured Soft Suede card stock. The sentiment is Craft Lounge Friendly Flowers.

I think this is a great card. I love the colours. The entire Far East stack is just wonderful to work with and very inspiring.

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

Gisèle

To Have & To Hold

Hello everyone,

One of my husband's young colleagues is getting married next weekend so a card was needed. I didn't want to do something really traditional so I thought outside the box. I used Friday's Get Sketchy Card Challenge as a jumping off point. Today's Just Us Girls challenge was a wedding card and the One Stop Craft Challenge was looking for texture. For good measure, this week's Paper Play Challenge was 'anything goes'. How could I go wrong?

The background paper, textured with Sizzix Pattern 1, was part of the stash I got at the crop I attended last May. The patterned layer is affixed to a piece of Stampin' Up Shimmery White. The ribbon is Sheer Creations from Michael's. The sentiment, stamped on another piece of Shimmery White, is American Crafts Wedding. The embellishments are Crafts from the dollar store. The entire card was Vanilla Smooch Spritzed.

This is not quite what I pictured in my mind. I don't hate this card but it isn't a favourite. I love the colours together but I don't think it is enough of a wedding card for me. That being said, I suspect my husband's colleague will love it.

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

Gisèle

It's A Boy!

Hello everyone,

Keeping to the baby theme I set for myself this weekend, I put together two cards today. I couldn't resist today's Waltzingmouse Sketch Challenge so I made a boy card and a girl card (next post). I also was inspired by today's One Stop Craft Challenge to make a monochromatic card for this baby boy card.

The background paper is DCWV Die Cuts With A View Baby Boy. The white strip is Quickutz Quickstripz Manhatten which was scored with a ScorPal. The ribbon is Dashes, Dots and Checks from Michael's. The focal layers are Stampin' Up Bordering Blue and Whisper White. The image is Heidi Grace Baby. The embellishments are Denim Oregon Raindrops.

I just love this card. It is so perfect for a baby boy without being too cutesy.

I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI the baby girl card.

Gisèle

Spotted & Dotted

Hello everyone,

Today's card was commissioned by a male colleague who needs a baby card. I used the One Stop Craft Challenge, to use spots and dots and the i{heart}2stamp, Sketch For You To Try as inspiration.


All the paper on this card is Stampin' Up Delicate Dots, Certainly Celery, Bashful Blue and Whisper White. Cuttlebug Spots & Dots and Sizzix Small Dots were used to provide texture. The focal image is Gina K Lovely Labels and Stampin' Up So Many Scallops. The brad is from the dollar store and was re-invented with scrap bits of Stampin' Up paper and Star Dust Stickles. The ribbon is Stampin' Up and Textured Trios.

I think the only thing on this card that doesn't have a spot or dot is the scrap of Bashful Blue on the brad. I really like making baby cards. I don't do them all that often but I sure like how they turn out. Of course, the Delicate Dots paper really helps because it lends so well to gender neutral baby cards. I think this is a great card for my male colleague to give as it's certainly not frou frou.

Please enjoy and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

One Sweet Stop

Hello everyone,

Today's card is based on two challenges. The first is a sketch from The Sweet Stop blog with a twist to stamp only a sentiment. The other challenge is from the One Stop Craft Challenge blog which was to use fancy edges or corners.

This is a 100% Stampin' Up card. I used Cottage Wall designer paper, Rich Razzleberry, Old Olive, Orchid Opulence and Whisper White. The sentiment is Live Like You Mean It. I did use an Itty Bitty Bud stamp to pattern the Old Olive element as it was too bland otherwise. The ribbon is Rich Razzleberry.

I really love the Cottage Wall paper and this colour combination is wonderful.

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

Gisèle