Happy Hats

Hello everyone,

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

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Quickutz Quick Stripz Garden.  The sentiment is Papercrafts General Sentiments stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on an ivory of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

Today's more informal card is in direct contrast to yesterday's formally flourished birthday card.  I couldn't conceive of crafting birthday cards without using this party hat paper.  The colours are a little more muted than I'd like but it sure makes the sentiment pop.  I chose a funky font sentiment because it worked so well with the designs on the printed paper.  Once I added the rhinestone gems to the pom-poms, I really liked the results.

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

Gisèle

Retro Merry Christmas

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is the final Christmas card of the year!

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is October Afternoon Silent Night layered on Stampin' Up Lost Lagoon.  The sentiment is Dee's Distinctively small Merry Christmas die, cut from Stampin' Up Ruby red and layered on a strip of Recollections Vanilla that was textured with Quickutz Ornaments Border embossing folder.  The card is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

The various elements of this card had been sitting on my desk for weeks until I finally had some time on Christmas afternoon to put them all together.  There is something about 'retro' that I find especially appealing.  It somehow seems especially fitting to think about better decades after the dumpster fire that has been 2020.  It's also a pretty nice capper to this year's cards if I do say so myself.

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

Gisèle

Small and Sweet

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a sweet little card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Whisper White.  The image is Magenta, stamped with Tombow 062, 126 and 373 on Whisper White and layered on Quickutz Tropical Quick Stripz and more Whisper White.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Tin of Cards stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.

I found a number of small (3" x 5") envelops in my stash and thought they'd be perfect for experimenting with some of the Magenta stamps I got in the mail yesterday.  Wow! They may be tiny but they are awesome!  This tiny stamp took marker and stamped beautifully.  It is the perfect scale for this smaller card.  The layout is simple and familiar.  I decided to forgo embellishments, not wanting to clutter up the white space.

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

Gisèle

Wheat Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another simple 'sympathy' card.

The card base is Momenta Textured Cardstock.  The image is Magenta, stamped in Tombow 977 and 991 on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Quickutz Garden Quickstripz and Close To My Heart Saddle.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Warmest Regards stamped in Altenew Espresso on Recollections Vanilla.

This is a perfect image for a sympathy card.  It's easy to apply marker and always leaves a great impression.  I chose to use natural colors, not only because it suits the image, but it's a little more somber without being maudlin.  The layout is straightforward but the layers, especially the offset amber piece, adds interest.

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

Gisèle

Warm Blooms

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another lovely 'sympathy' card.

The card base is Momenta Textured Cardstock.  The image is Hero Arts Tall Flower stamped in Tombow 126, 905, 933 and 985 on Stampin' Up Very Vanilla and is layered on Quickutz Tropical Quick Stripz and more Very Vanilla.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Say It All stamped in Early Espresso on Very Vanilla.  The embellishments are My Mind's Eye My Girl enamel dots.

I love this warm sympathy card.  It's very simple and usually takes marker easily but this image took three attempts.  No matter, it was worth it.  I intended to place the sentiment on an angle but decided to keep it horizontal so it wouldn't cover the three little berries.  This is a great result!

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

Gisèle

Bold Sentiment

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another commissioned birthday card that has a marker coloured image.

The image is Hero Arts Native Grass coloured with Tombow 076, 373 and 452 and stamped on Recollections vanilla.  The image is layered on Quickutz Tropical Quick Strips.  The sentiment is Inkadinkado Calligraphy Celebration stamped in Altenew Olive.  The embellishments are Doodlebug Spring and Boy mini pearls.

This is an image on which I often apply marker.  It's a very simple image that is easy to stamp.  I love the contrast between the small image and the big, bold sentiment. I think I did pretty well with the embellishment placement. I wish I wonder if it's as random as it seems or if there is a method to the placement that I just don't get.

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

Gisèle

Swirling Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post uses a piece of printed paper that I found irresistible.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Close To My Heart Dutch Blue.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Thoughtful Messages stamped in Dutch Blue on Recollections White.  The embellishment is Sizzix Scribbles Swirls die cut from QuicKutz Garden Strips and Dutch Blue.  The sentiment and embellishments is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

I just fell in love with this paper when I found it in the scrap bin.  The colours are wonderful and the shapes remind me of water (ok, abstract water).  I repeated the swirl pattern and the colours in the die cut embellishment and the sentiment.  I didn't particularly need to highlight with the ever trusty Sakura pen but I just couldn't resist.  I'd hoped this card would be neutral and will still be considered neutral even with the little bit (minimal really) of glitter.

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

Gisèle

Autumn Tri-Fold

Hello everyone,

I was commissioned to craft a Fall wedding card for a colleague who was very intrigued with the recent tri-fold cards I've posted.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed papers are Cosmo Cricket.  The vertical elements are Recollections Kraft textured with Quickutz Leaves embossing folder, painted with LuminArte Ginger Peach, Burnt Umber and Hot Cinnamon Twinkling H20s, and highlighted with Wink Of Stella Clear 999.  The image is Penny Black Delicate Florals stamped in Stampin' Up Crumbcake on Recollections White and painted with LuminArte Ginger Peach, Burnt Umber, Hot Cinnamon, Rose Gold and Olive Vine Twinkling H2Os and highlighted with Wink Of Stella Clear 999.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Early Espresso and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

I'm not 100% certain about this card.  The tri-fold is great as are the images and colours but I think the painted and embossed element isn't working as well as I'd envisioned.  If I have a chance, I might make another attempt but used stamped images on those vertical element.  I also misplaced the sentiment as its cut off when the card is closed.  I'd like to experiment with placing on a brad swivel.

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

Gisèle

Tri-Fold Wedding

Hello everyone,

Today's post is for a wedding card that was commissioned by a colleague.  I was already in the tri-fold mode so I decided to see what I could come up with.

The card base is Recollections White.  The solid papers are Stampin' Up Going Grey, Recollections Foil, and a shimmery silver of unknown origin.  The outside grey strips were textured with Quickutz Leaves embossing folder, painted with LuminArte True Blue and Bolivian Blue Twinkling H2Os, and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The images are Verve Love Story and Artful Elegance stamped in Stampin' Up Pacific Point on Recollections White, and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The sentiment is Penny Black Full of Life also stamped in Pacific Point on Recollections White.

Whenever I get a commission with a lot of elements requested, I often wonder how I'm going to put it all together.  This card request was for charcoal grey, platinum, cobalt blue, center fold, birds, the Penny Black sentiment all for a September wedding which is to hold money.  I almost freaked out until I started pulling together the elements for this tri-fold card.  It was a great way to make all the requested elements become a very cohesive card.  I didn't think I would, but I actually really love this card.  I only hope my colleague will as well.

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

Gisèle

Happy For Him

Hello everyone,

Today's card is the masculine version of yesterday's card.

The printed paper is BasicGrey Lauderdale layered on Recollections White and Close To My Heart Pear.  The sentiment is Avery Elle So Happy stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Pear and white.  The Pear layer was textured with Quickutz Stripes Label.  The embellishments are punched from Basic Black and adhered with brads of unknown origin.

I'm not entirely certain how masculine this card actually is.  With the brighter green layers, it strikes me as more gender neutral.  I added the black flags because there was so much green space on the card I found it a little too much.  I had forgotten about the white core of the Close To My Heart paper so was a little disappointed at the 'distressed' aspect but decided to go ahead with it anyway because it actually adds another layer of overall interest.

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

Gisèle

More Wings In A Row

Hello everyone,

I was so happy with yesterday's card I just couldn't put that beautiful butterfly paper away.

The printed paper is Kaisercraft Bonjour Collection "Dijon".  The vertical strips are textured Bazzill and Quickutz Dreamscape.  The background image is Hero Arts French Writing With Butterfly.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Thoughtful Messages stamped in Close To My Heart Whisper ink on Recollections Vanilla.  The pearl embellishments are of unknown origin.

I wanted to case yesterday's card but not exactly.  I decided to play a bit with this word stamp because the butterfly looks very much like the ones on the printed paper.  I also decided to round the corners of the vertical strips instead of making banners.  I'm as happy with this results and I was with yesterday's.  I plan to use this as part of a gift set.

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

Gisèle

Wings In a Row

Hello everyone,

Today's card was crafted for a friend and colleague whose birthday was Sunday.  She is one really busy lady so I wanted to make sure her card was really special.

The printed paper is Kaisercraft Bonjour Collection "Dijon".  The vertical strips are textured Bazzill and Quickutz Dreamscape.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Thoughtful Messages stamped in Close To My Heart Whisper ink on Recollections Vanilla.  The pearl embellishments are of unknown origin.

I've always loved this sheet of butterflies.  The pale colours mixed with the shimmer is a really wonderful combination.  I don't have much left so I use it really sparingly.  Whenever I pull it out, I always think I need to pair it with a metallic but it doesn't work at all.  I found these three strips in my scrap bin and they couldn't have worked better!

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

Gisèle

Oh Oscar Baby!

Hello everyone,

Today's card was commissioned by a colleague and it's just fun!

The printed paper is BoBunny Hip Hip Hooray Primary Stripe layered on a piece of My Mind's Eye from an unknown collection.  Oscar was built from a variety of punched scraps of unknown origin.  The garbage can was crafted from a shimmery grey of unknown origin and textured with a Quickutz Stripes Label embossing folder.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Whisper White.

My colleague commissioned this card for a friend who is having a baby boy who will be named Oscar.  The name is prompting an overall Oscar theme for this yet-to-be born baby boy.  My colleague asked if there was a way to craft a card along the Oscar theme and I found this post via Pinterest, which was exactly what I had in mind.  It is extremely rare for me to craft this type of card but I couldn't think of any other way to craft Oscar!  This was so much fun, I think I'd like to try some of the other Sesame Street punched characters and other ideas shared by Patti Lee.  I love this unusual baby card!

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

Gisèle

Thank You Dear Father

Hello everyone,

Today's redesigned card was first posted on May 17, 2010.

I think this card remained unsold because it was just a little too feminine for a masculine card so I figured a whole different purpose would work better.  The images are Stampin' Up Pocket Silhouettes stamped in Taken With Teal, Chocolate Chip and Old Olive and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Express Yourself stamped on Whisper White in Taken With teal and layered on Chocolate Chip.  The Taken With Teal piece on the focal element was textured with Quickutz Plants embossing folder.

This new card is so much better.  The original image that was over stamped with more Pocket Silhouettes is no longer floating.  The embossed piece speaks to the stamped image perfectly.  The new sentiment also no long floats, being grounded with the layer of Chocolate Chip that overlaps the embossed Taken With Teal piece.  I think this redesign works perfectly.

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

Gisèle

Busy Birthday

Hello everyone,

Today's card just pops with this really busy paper.

The printed paper is Me & My Big Ideas Mambi Sheets layered on a printed paper of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Delightful Dozen stamped in ColorBox Aurora on Whisper White and layered on Quickutz Tropical QuickStripz.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.

Your eyes rather pop out when you first look at this card but when busy is what you've got, just run with it.  Not much else is needed when you've got this much print so the ribbon was somewhat of an after thought.  I do think it helps draw the eye to the sentiment and provide some texture to bring it all together.

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

Gisèle

Formal Birthday Shimmer

Hello everyone,

I have a few cards ready to post but didn't manage to get to my laptop yesterday or the day before thanks to work.  I hate it when that happens.

Today's card is one of three that I crafted for a colleague but couldn't decide which one I was going to give her.

The printed papers are Stampin' Up Lap of Luxury designer series paper.  The top layer is Very Vanilla textured with Quickutz Frame embossing folder, highlighted with LuminArte Ice Twinkling H2Os and layered on more Lap of Luxury.  The sentiment is Serendipity Stamps stamped in Elegant Eggplant and Illuminate.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Pearl Opaques.

I've not used the few frame or border embossing folders that I have in my stash because I find them a challenge and they usually leave lines on the paper once I've run them through my Big Shot.  There is a Pinterest article going around suggesting using plumber's mat as part of the sandwich to emboss without these lines.  I've had no luck finding the plumber's mat but I've manage to find another option.  I'm playing with some of the thicker drawer lining material.  There are some that have no texture and so far, I'm pleased with the results.  I have been playing with the sandwiches to get the optimum images but I think it will ultimately work.  More to follow of this.

Anyway, this is one of those folders that I find tricky to get pleasing results.  The tone on tone embossing either needs highlighting, as I've done here, or layering.  I've also had challenges finding sentiments that work well with the texture.  I know I just need to play with them to find something that works.  In the end, I didn't use this particular card because I found the results too formal for a vibrant young woman whose is turning twenty-nine.

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

Gisèle

Good Leafs

Hello everyone,

I like hockey.  I don't live for it, but I enjoy catching a game every now and again.  Ironically, as the NHL lockout ends, a colleague asked me to make a good bye card for a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.

The background paper is Recollections that is dry embossed with QuicKutz Leaves embossing folder, stamped with an Inkadinkado leaf stamp in Stampin' Up Pacific Point ink and layered on Whisper White and more Recollections.  The horizontal strip is Whisper White also stamped with an Inkadinkado leaf stamp in Pacific Point ink.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart For Every Occasion stamped in Pacific Point on Whisper White and layered on more Recollections.  The embellishments are Pebbles Candy Dots.

I loved making this card.  Whatever you may feel about the Toronto Maple Leafs, their colours make for great cards.  I think this turned out wonderfully and I'm pretty sure my colleague will be very pleased.

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

Gisèle

Good Bye Friend

Hello everyone,

I hope I'm not getting known for these types of cards.  I've another pet sympathy card tonight.  It for a friend of one of my dog park friends.

The printed paper is DCWV Pets Stack layered on QuicKutz QuickStripz Garden.  The sentiment is Gina K Framed Greeting stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Whisper White.  Both the sentiment and image are layered on Early Espresso.  The embellishments are Doodlebug Baby Boy Assortment mini pearls.

My friend was really happy with this card and I hope it makes her girlfriend feel better about losing her beloved pet.

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

Gisèle

A Blessing

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for a very, very good friend. I picked her up a little something on my recent travel and wanted to craft her a special card to go with it.

The patterned paper is Pink Paislee Indigo Bleu Denim and Jacquard. The butterfly is a Spellbinders Wonderful Wings which was cut from a piece of watercolour paper that was painted with LuminArte Twinkling H2Os and glittered with Glitter Ritz Cool Highlight Microfine Transparent glitter. The bottom butterfly is cut from more of the Pink Paislee paper. The vertical strip is Quickutz Quickstripz Tropical which was textured with Craft Concepts Butterfly Kisses embossing folder.. The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Greetings stamped in Nick Bantock Prussian Blue on Stampin' Up Very Vanilla. The embellishments are Oregon Raindrops.

I love this card. I just picked up this Pink Paislee paper because I thought the pattern was perfect for cards and I found the colours very appealing. That being said, it was more difficult than I thought to find a green that would work. Next time it will be blue all the way.

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

Gisèle

Wedding Bliss

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for the daughter of a colleague who is getting married next month.

The card base is from Recollections. The coloured paper is Stampin' Up textured Pumpkin Pie, Early Espresso and Really Rust. The Really Rust piece was dry embossed with QuicKutz Leaves and highlighted with LuminArte Ginger Peach and Deep Coral Twinkling H2Os. The sentiment is Inkadinkado stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Pearlized Gold and highlighted with Ginger Peach Twinkling H2Os. The embellishments are Crystal Stickers Brown Mosaics. The ribbon is of unknown origin.

I think this is a great fall wedding card. It was rather fun to craft something so fallish for a wedding. The colours are a given and work together beautifully. I love how the Twinkling H2Os worked on the embossed leaves. It adds just that extra little touch.

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

Gisèle