Many Merry Christmas's

Hello everyone,

This should be one of my last Christmas cards this year although given my depleted stash, I'll have to work hard to build it up again. This card is for one of my best friends. I had a chance to do some blog surfing today and there are any number of challenge for which this card will suit. Last Friday's Stampin' for the Weekend asked for a Christmas card. Saturday's Allsorts challenge was anything goes. Tuesday's A Spoon Full of Sugar was a Christmas challenge and Papertake Weekly's challenge was anything goes. Today's ABC challenge was to keep it simple; the Fab 'n Funky challenge was to do a quick and easy project; the For Fun challenge was anything goes and the Belli challenge was anything goes.

The focal image is Stampin' Up Brushed Gold textured with Crafts-Too Christmas Greeting folder layered on a piece of Cherry Cobbler and Early Espresso textured with Sizzix Small Dots. The image was highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

This was a super easy and very quick card. I've been trying to use this embossing folder since I first picked it up and I'm not disappointed. This card turned out beautifully and my friend will just love it!

Gisèle

Four Father's Day

Hello everyone,

I couldn't wait to get at this card tonight. It combines four challenges. Clean & Simple Stamping provided the sketch, which I flipped. Paper Cutz was looking for a card with a dog or a cat. Stampin' For The Weekend asked for a male card. Everything Old Is New Again was looking for brads. Whew! It's been a long time since I've combined so many challenges in one card. I usually find it really difficult but today, it all came together beautifully.

The card base is Recollections. The bottom layer is Close To My Heart Citrus Leaf. The top layer is Stampin' Up Whisper White. The images are from an unknown stamp set that I bought through Crafters Choice Book Club. The paw prints are heat embossed with Close To My Heart Cocoa embossing powder. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Well Scripted. The brads are Making Memories from Michael's. The ribbon is a dollar store find.

I really like this Father's Day card. It is really quite cute. The green, white and brown are a lovely colour combination without being drab. The only issue I have with this card is that I managed to get a few smudges on it which I find irritating in the extreme.

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

Gisèle

Habby Father's Day

Hello everyone,

I'm so excited about today's card. It is inspired by the Montreal Canadiens (Habitants) hockey team. I'm so grateful for yesterday's Stampin' for the Weekend challenge, to make a male card, because this fits that challenge to a tee.

I feel the need to explain why I'm making hockey cards. One of my colleagues is quite ill and at last weekend's crop, I made him a Montreal Canadiens-inspired get well card. Doubting myself, I checked with his wife and found out that he is actually an Ottawa Senators fan. I knew it just wouldn't be right to give him a Canadiens card so, I made him a new Sens-inspired get well card. The old card was changed into a male birthday card. Whew! Anyway, another colleague heard about the Canadiens card and asked me if I could make her a Montreal Canadiens Father's Day card. It turned out great and I know she'll love it!

This is the first card. The blue strips are unknown scraps textured with Sizzix Ring-a-Dings. The center strip is the Recollections card base stamped with 'C's and 'H's from the Image Tree. The focal image is Stampin' Up Real Red and Whisper White cut with a Spellbinders label die. The sentiment is Hero Arts Thoughtful Messages.


The Ottawa Senators card uses another Recollections card base stamped with red and black 'O's from an unknown stamp set. The horizontal strips are Stampin' Up Real Red and Basic Black, textured with Sizzix Circle Circus. The focal ovals are cut with a Spellbinders die. The sentiment is Hero Arts Thoughtful Messages.


This second Canadiens card uses Stampin' Up Real Red and Whisper White and an unknown stash of blue. The horizontal strips are textured with Sizzix Ring-a-Dings. The focal ovals are cut with a Spellbinders die. The sentiment is Stampin' Up All Holidays.

I'm not a huge hockey fan but I enjoy watching Hockey Night in Canada. I do love these cards! They turned out so much better than I envisioned. I do think I did better with the second Habs card but both are unmistakeably Canadiens. Of course, I think it all started with the Toronto Maple Leafs-inspired Valentine. All these cards give me an idea for a whole series of cards based on all the Canadian hockey teams.

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

Gisèle

Christmas Double Challenge

Hello everyone,

Today's card covers off two challenges. Today's awesome 365 Cards challenge is red and white stripes and this week's Stampin' for the Weekend challenge is red, green and gold.

I wanted some texture on this card so I used some red and white Bazzill Textures paper to create the background. The image is Inkadinkado Holiday Silhouettes embossed with Close To My Heart Gold and highlighted with Holly red Stickles. The white and green paper is from my scrapbox and were cut with a Spellbinders label. The green paper is also textured with Sizzix Small Dots. The ribbon is Michael's Holiday Cheer and the snowflake brads, also highlighted with some Holly red Stickles, are from Multicrafts.

The photo doesn't do the background justice but there is a great texture and sheen to this card. I also love Inkadinkado's Holiday Silhouettes stamp set. It is absolutely striking! If I couldn't ever buy another stamp set, I'd be fine with just this one. I also had to use this ribbon, it has candy canes on it and I love it! I actually have only enough ribbon for maybe two more cards so I use it judiciously.

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

Gisèle