All A Shimmer

Hello everyone,

Today's post is very pretty 'birthday' card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a pearlized pink and a shimmery copper both also of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamped in Altenew Industrial Diamond on an ivory of unknown origin and layered on more pearlized pink and shimmery copper.  The sentiment is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

Every now and again I come across a piece of paper that turns into the most beautiful card and this is one of those.  There are hints of shimmer throughout this paper.  I love all the images and the colours are so soft and pretty.  The shimmery pink and copper layers coordinate wonderfully.  I didn't add any embellishments because the different elements are lovely all on their own.  I had a hard time not keeping this card for myself.

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

Gisèle

Pretty Circles

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another lovely pair of 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are The Paper Studio and Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture.  The printed paper is My Mind’s Eye “Deena’s Penny Lane” Graceful Circles layered on Close To My Heart Baby Pink and Stampin’ Up Certainly Celery.  The sentiments are Flonz Happy Birthday stamped in Stampin’ Up Early Espresso on Very Vanilla and layered on more Baby Pink and Certainly Celery.  The cards are highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

This is some more very pretty paper.  I love all the paler pinks, blues and greens, which made coordinating solids really easy.  This set of Flonz sentiments is fantastic as there are a lot of options from which to choose and they're a great size for cards.  I love the bits of glitter from the rhinestone stickers!  More great results!

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

Gisèle

Vintage Gardens

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a pair of lovely vintage-styled garden 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Close To My Heart Desert Sand and a light pink Core’dinations.  The sentiments are Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamped in Altenew Industrial Diamond on an ivory of unknown origin, layered on more Desert Sand and light pink, and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The green/sage ribbon is from Michael’s while the other is of unknown origin.

This pair are some favourites in this commission.  I really love the printed paper and used different but similar elements to show it's versatility.  There were lots of options for colour coordination but I really like pink/green/beige together.  The browns of the second card are just great too.  Both are truly wonderful results.

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

Gisèle

Plentiful Pandas

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another 'thank you' card I crafted for my daughter'

The card base is Recollections White Linen Texture cardstock.  The printed paper is Bella Blvd "Popsicle Panda's" Panda Life layered on Recollections Black and Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Double Take stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade on Recollections White, layered on more Lucky Limeade and Recollections Black and, highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.

My sister and her partner graciously helped my daughter with her recent move so I crafted this special panda 'thank you' card for them.  My sister loves pandas (something she passed on to my daughter) so I was thrilled to finally use this panda paper I found a while back.  These bears are pretty darn cute!  There are so many colours with which to coordinate solids and I love how the green and black just make the printed paper pop!  It took me a couple of tries to get the sentiment to work and though the alignment still isn't perfect, it works well enough.  It's a great result!

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

Christmas Critters

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another really fun Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Darice Great White and a dark pink Recollections.  The sentiment is Flonz 808 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on more Darice Great White and layered on more dark pink.  The card is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen and Silver Stickles.

I couldn't resist the critters on this printed paper! I trimmed it carefully and used this particular layout so as not to cover either the dog or the bear.  The holly wreaths just added to my joy!  I also like the pink accents which lead me to choose the solid pink for layering.  It's an even better result than I'd imagined!

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

Gisèle

Another Nutcracker

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great nutcracker Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft Christmas Wishes layered on a pale green metallic of unknown origin.  The image is Old Island Stamp Company stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and coloured with Tombow 992 and 800, and Sakura Red, Green, Black, Yellow and Clear.  The image is layered on more pale green metallic.  The embellishment is a Close To My Heart Bitty Sparkle.

I'm loving this nutcracker stamp!  I've only played with it for a wee bit but so far the results are awesome.  The Sakura gel pens are a little on the pale side so it was a bit of a challenge finding a printed paper with which it would work.  The final result actually turned out better than I'd figured.

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

Gisèle

Nutcracker Season

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a wonderful nutcracker Christmas card.

The card base is an ivory of unknown origin.  The image is Old Island Stamp Company stamped in Versafine Onyx Black and coloured with Copic R29 and G09, Tombow N35 and 800, and Pentel gold.  The image is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Merry Christmas To All stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla.  The image and sentiment panels are layered on Stampin' Up Glorious Green.  The embellishment is a TPC Studio jewel.

Over the past number of years, nutcrackers have become a big part of our family's Christmas traditions and our collection keeps growing.  This year, my husband gave me an early birthday present of this nutcracker rubber stamp.  It is awesome!  The size is perfect for cards and it's so easy to colour.  I'll be posting a few cards with this image over the next few weeks.

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

Gisèle

More Trees of Three

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another tree 'thank you' card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Taken With Teal.  The printed paper is Stampin' Up Sweet Pea layered on Pretty In Pink and Early Espresso.  The sentiment i Stampin' Up Double Take stamped in Taken With Teal and Early Espresso on Recollections White, layered on more Early Espresso and Taken With Teal and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The brown brads are of unknown origin.

This is the same printed paper as yesterday's card just in a different colour.  This piece is a little more fanciful with its teal trees.  I do love the sentiment.  It beautifully bold!  It's a two-step stamp that it very easy to use.  The results are wonderful.  I would suggest playing with it a bit to figure out the best colour combinations.  I prefer a darker colour for the shadow.

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

Gisèle

Traditional Holly

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a more traditional holly Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow and Ridinghood Red.  The sentiment/image is Frog's Whiskers stamped in StazOn Timber Brown on Recollections Vanilla, coloured with Stampin' Up Old Olive and Cherry Cobbler Blendabilities, and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

I'm not a fan of colouring, especially with markers, but I think I did all right in this case.  To be fair however, this is a pretty basic image.  My StazOn Timber Brown ink pad needs re-inking but I've a feeling it might be hard to find.  This is a very simple and straightforward layout that I've used many, many times.  It's natural to center the sentiment/image when it's a little on the larger size.  I didn't ad any embellishments because I found the Sakura just enough.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Winter Deer

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a soft and cool Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Close To My Heart Lilac Mist and Glacier, and Recollections White.  The sentiment is Penny Black Banner Sentiments stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

This is my favourite card so far in this series.  I just love the cool tones of blue, green and lilac.  The sentiment didn't stamp great but after adding the Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll, the black ink was softened and coordinates perfectly with the deer noses.  The photo really doesn't do the final result justice! There is nothing I don't like about this card and I think I'll have a hard time mailing it.

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

Gisèle

Sending My Best

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another pretty card crafted for a friend.

The card base is Stampin' Up Very Vanilla.  The printed paper is Close To My Heart Miracle layered on Colonial White and Crystal Blue.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Happy Wishes stamped in Close To My Heart Sweet Leaf on Colonial White, layered on Sweet Leaf and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The card is highlighted with Diamond Stickles.

I've always loved this piece of printed paper.  The images and colours are so pretty.  All I've left of this collection is one little piece of Miracle and I'm really not sure if there is even enough for a card.  I bought this Stampin' Up sentiment set quite a while back but have not taken much time to experiment.  I thought this occasion was the perfect time to see what I could come up with.  I think the results are great!

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

Gisèle

Colourful Leaves

Hello everyone,

Today's post is an awesome French birthday card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Rich Razzleberry.  The printed paper is Stampin' Up International Bazaar layered on Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade.  The fan of leaves is cut with a Docrafts Xcut Leaves die from Stampin' Up Rich Razzleberry, Daffodil Delight, Pacific Point, Tangerine Tango, Pool Pary and Lucky Limeade.  The leaves are highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The sentiment is Bonnidée French Greetings #2 stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Lucky Limeade.

I'm absolutely in love with this card!  It's just as good as I had imagined!  I was inspired, of course, by the leaves on the printed paper.  I was thrilled to have the perfect die for cutting the leaves whose colours were drawn from the printed paper.  I have visions of using this leaf fan for a peacock card.

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

Gisèle

Hello Kitty

Hello everyone,

Today's post is an Asian inspired cat card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Very Vanilla.  The image is cut with the Stampin' Up Cat paper punch from more Very Vanilla and is layered on an origami paper of unknown origin.  The image panel is layered on a green Bazzill, a gold of unknown origin and a Recollections red.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Four You stamped in Altenew Hunter Green on Very Vanilla and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

When I was looking for inspiration on Pinterest, I came across a number of cards which used the negative of the punched image.  I've seen it before but have never given it a try so figured this series of cards was the perfect opportunity.  It's certainly not difficult but it took me a little more time to find a backing paper.  I thought this origami paper was perfect because the scale of the images are great.  I drew the solid colours from the origami paper.  I spent some time looking for a sentiment that would fit in the space, finally settling on a simple 'hello' card which can be used for any occasion.  I'm quite happy with the results.

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

Gisèle 

A Simple Valentine

Hello everyone,

While I'm in a Valentine's frame of mind I thought I'd keep the heart mojo going.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Recollections All Seasons layered on a white of unknown origin and Stampin' Up Melon Mambo.  The sentiment is Paper Smooches All Year Cheer stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The heart brads are of unknown origin.

I love this simple Valentine.  The patterned paper is with the line drawn hearts makes for a great background.  The small reveals of the layers adds some depth to what would otherwise be a pretty flat result.  I didn't have dark pink heart embellishments but these red ones work just fine.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Holly Berry Bunches

Hello everyone,

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.

Today's post is another great Christmas card I crafted for a colleague.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft Peach & Joy layered on Stampin' Up Real Red and an olive green of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Bonnidée C'est Noël stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Real Red.  The embellishments are Sizzix Holly Berries dies, cut from Real Red and more olive green, and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.

As has been well documented, I just love holly and this paper makes me so happy.  I think I bought the paper pad just for this piece of paper.  I also wanted to play with some of the multitude of holly dies and extras I have in my stash.  This is another simple card that looks way more than fancy than it really is.  While the holly die cuts are a little on the folk side, I added the Sakura to glitter them up a bit.  I won't profess that it worked all that well but I love the result just the same.

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

Gisèle

Cheerful Noël

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a fun French Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Penny Black Wintertime layered on a green and a grey Bazzill.  The sentiment is Magenta stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Recollections White, layered on more green Bazzill and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are Maildor Cooky stickers.

This is a really fun Christmas card.  The sentiment and embellishment are in the design 'sweet spot' which makes the overall card even more appealing.  I wasn't crazy with the impression of the sentiment so I applied the Sakura pen.  It often improves a less than perfect impression.  It's a great, fun result!

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

Gisèle

Purple Leopard Print

Hello everyone,

Today's post is one of the funkiest birthday cards I think I've ever crafted!

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a white of unknown origin and Stampin' Up Pale Plum.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Birthday Blossoms stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on more white of unknown origin and is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The embellishments are Forever In Time.

Sometimes a birthday card just needs to be funky!  You can't get much more fun than a purple leopard print.  This paper is most certainly not in my comfort zone!  Purple leopard print!  I didn't even consider attempting anything too complex but kept this card to simple layers and a straightforward layout.  I included a couple of large shiny embellishments.  I figured if you could handle purple leopard print, these square embellishments would be equally appreciated.

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

Gisèle

Sweet Christmas

Hello everyone,

Today’s post is another Christmas card that I crafted for a colleague.

  

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Wild Rose Studio Frosted Lace layered on a light blue Recollections and a pink Bazzill.  The sentiment is Stampendous Merriest Wish stamped in Close To My Heart Juniper on Recollections White and layered on more pink Bazzill.  The card is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen and Diamond Stickles.

This is a favourite non-traditional Christmas card.  I love the colours, and this is one of my all-time favourite Christmas sentiments.  The colleague who received this card is a very feminine woman but also a little quirky, so I knew her card had to be a little different.  This is a very straightforward card with a very simple layout.  A great result.

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

Gisèle

Happy Spring Thoughts

Hello everyone,

I've another 'thinking of you' card post today.

The printed paper is BasicGrey Euphoria layered on Stampin' Up Gable Green and a light pink Bazzill.  The image/sentiment is Inkadinkado Garden Greetings stamped in Aurora Color Box ink on Recollections White the clear heat embossed.  The image/sentiment panel is layered on more Gable Green and is highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The card is highlighted with Diamond Stickles.

I love and hate this paper all at the same time.  The design is quite eclectic and fun but the colours are a headache to coordinate.  I can't ever seem to find the right shade of pink/green/blue/purple or fuchsia.  I've never really liked Gable Green as it's really too bright.  In this case however the funky green, even though not a perfect match, works pretty well.  The pink solid was just about as good as I was ever going to find in my stash of scraps.  It's a very happy spring card and, all in all, it's a pretty decent result.

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

Gisèle