Blinged Holly

Hello everyone,

Thursday's Pals Paper Arts challenge, a clean and simple card with bling, was right up my ally. I knew I would make a card. Low and behold, some new stamps arrived in the mail today and my Pals Paper Arts card almost make itself.

The card base is from Recollections. The image is Heartfelt Creations Elegant Holly Swirls. The image was coloured with Sakura Glaze pens and highlighted with Sakura Gelly Roll Gold pens. The sentiment is Close To My Heart Christmas Scripts. The embellishments are Close To My Heart Bitty Sparkles.

I love this card. Holly is one of my favourite holiday images and I find this new stamps especially appealing. They are designed to work with specific Spellbinders dies. I can't wait to play with them and see what happens.

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

Gisèle

Kissingly Male

Hello everyone,

This card was crafted for today's Pals Paper Arts challenge to create a Masculine KISS (Keep It Simple Sweetie) card. This challenge couldn't have come at a better time as I had a colleague looking for a thank you card for a man and I had nothing 100% suitable in my stash. Note to self - more masculine cards.

The base is a vanilla Recollections card. The image is Sweet 'n Sassy Autumn Blessings. The sentiment is Penny Black Thanks, Thanks.

I love this clean and simple card. It is just perfect as a masculine KISS card. I can't wait to do a few more along this line.

Please enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Happy Birthday!

Hello everyone,

Today's card is based on the latest Pals Paper Arts sketch. I wanted to do a birthday card that wasn't too frilly nor too boyish and I think this fits the bill.

All the paper on this card is from Stampin' Up - Kraft, Basic Black, Whisper White and Urban Oasis. The background kraft layer is textured with Sizzix Large Dots. The image and sentiment is Stampin' Up Happy Moments. The brads are of unknown origin from the stash but most likely from the dollar store.

I really like this card. I find it fresh, sweet and simple. Exactly what I was looking to create.

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

Gisèle

Good Luck, Good Luck, Good Luck

Hello everyone,

Today's card is another goodbye. One of my colleagues is transferring to another section. He has been absolutely wonderful to work with and I hope I will be fortunate enough to have another opportunity to do so in the future.

This card is inspired by two challenges, Pals Paper Arts provided the sketch while Terrifically Thrilling Thursday Challenges offered up a theme of three.

The background paper is Stampin' Up Bordering Blue that has been textured with Sizzix Circle Circus. The patterned paper is three different sheets of BasicGrey Granola. The sentiment is Waltzingmouse Say It With Style stamped on Stampin' Up Whisper White. The embellishments are Peggy's Pretties.

Have I said how much I love BasicGrey Paper? How great is this paper for a male colleague? I know male cards can be tough but it is even worse for a male colleague. I'm actually pretty excited about this card because I'm pretty sure Phil will be touched knowing that I made it especially for him - he won't show it though...

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

Gisèle

Simply Wonderful

Hello everyone,

I'm finally feeling like I've got my mojo back. Yesterday's Pals Paper Arts challenge was to 'Keep It Simple Sweetie', the type of challenge that I love so I decided to just go for it. I went through my stamps to see what appealed and came across Stampin' Up's Botanical Blooms. Am I ever glad this set was inspiring because this card is spectacular!

The card base is from Recollections. The images are the two-step Stampin' Up set Botanical Blooms. The first part of the stamp, the outline, was stamped with Soft Suede. The second part of the stamp, the fill, was stamped after being coloured with watercolour crayons and spritzed with water. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Warm Words.

I love this card! It is truly a KISS card. While I could have positioned the leaves better, it adds a certain dimension because it isn't perfect. Thank goodness for the Stamp-a-ma-jig! This is a tool I don't think I'd want to live without.

Please enjoy and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Asian Butterflies

Hello everyone,

So, I am not quite finished with the watercolour technique after all. Today's card was inspired by today's Pals Paper Arts sketch and Flutter By Wednesday's open challenge.


The background paper and the vertical strip is DCWV Far East stack. The image is Impression Obsession Butterfly. The stamp was coloured with Stampin' Up watercolour crayons, spritzed with water and stamped on watercolour paper. The ribbon is Michael's Special Value.

I just love this card! Asian motifs are not necessarily my style but there was something so very appealing about this paper. I'm very excited to explore the possibilities. The butterfly stamp was just irresistible and it works so beautifully with the watercolour technique.

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

Gisèle

Pals KISS

Hello everyone,

Well my back is certainly feeling better so I thought it would only improve more if I got a card made today. I'm really enjoying clean and simple cards these days so I thought I would use today's Pals Paper Arts KISS challenge. That I decided to make yet another sympathy card is not a reflection on how I'm feeling but rather I can't keep up with the demand for sympathy cards at the office.

>The card base is from Recollections. The image is Inkadinkado Delicate Branches which was highlighted with Cinnamon and Crystal Ice Stickles. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Warmest Regards.

This is the first time I used this set from Inkadinkado and I can't wait to play with it to see what else I can come up with. I'm hoping it will make some really nice masculine birthday cards.

Please enjoy and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle

Pals Thanks

Hello everyone,

It's been one heck of a day so I really appreciated Pals Paper Arts simple sketch. We had a new furnace installed so I took the day off and planned to get a few things done around the house. I had three things on my list and only accomplished one of them. I did manage to work on my blog - you may notice that I've re-organized the challenges that I SPI, which are now by day as it will be easier to find something each day. If you're a cardmaker and inclined, give a challenge a try, it's a lot of fun!

The background paper is some old Stampin' Up designer paper, Spring Fling. The yellow element is a piece of textured paper from my scrap box. The sentiment is also Stampin' Up, Lots of Thoughts. The ribbon is the last of a dollar store find and some very old Charmin from a long out of business local retailer.

I like the freshness of this simple card. It is just so very cheerful. I'm giving this card to my neighbors. They are wonderful folks. The didn't utter one single peep, when I parked my car in their driveway today to make room for the furnace guys. I didn't ask permission, as they were at work, and I didn't manage to move my car until dinner time, long after they got home. We are very, very fortunate to have such great people living beside us and I am so grateful.

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

Gisèle

Pals Winter Ribbon Tree

Hello everyone,

Tonight's card came to me in the shower this morning. I think the idea is sound, this particular execution though, I think needs some adjusting. I decided this would be the perfect card to use in today's Pals Paper Arts challenge - a Winter Wonderland card.

I used the Michelle Zindorf technique for the background paper. I stamped Stampin' Up Serene Snowflakes and Snow Flurries in VersaMark then heat embossed with clear embossing powder after which I brayered with Stampin' Up's Brilliant Blue, Brocade Blue and Bordering Blue. The blue background paper is Stampin' Up Night of Navy. The ribbon is Offray Lovely Silver, Crafts Dollarama, Michaels Celebrate It Sheer Creations and Michaels Home and More. The snowflake brad is from Creative Impressions. The sentiment is Close To My Heart Christmas Scripts.

I just love Michelle Zindorf cards but have always hesitated to make them because I've no sense of how to brayer the perspective properly so the card actually works. It takes practise and I have to stop being afraid.

I know this card won't be for everyone. Not all shower ideas are actually worth executing. This has potential though so I'm inclined to try again. Maybe if I'd used all the same ribbon?????

Enjoy this Winter Wonderland card and come back to SPI again soon.

Gisèle