Oh Canada!

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a patriotic birthday card.

The card base is of unknown origin.  The printed paper is also of unknown origin layered on a red, black and white Recollections.  The sentiment is Gina K Follow Your Dreams stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more red and black.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Heartfelt Travel jewels.

I just had to craft a birthday card with this paper.  I'm hoping that at least one resident has a July 1st birthday!  With just two colours in the printed paper, choosing a card base and layering colours was limited.  I love how the black layers make everything else pop!  I wanted a bit of a more bold sentiment and this one from Gina K really suits.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

A Colorful Thank You

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another fun Stampin' Up 'thank you' card.

The card base is Recollections Grey.  The printed paper is Stampin' Up Sweet Sorbet layered on Stampin' Up Summer Starfruit.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Ornate Thanks stamped in Altenew Lava Rock on Recollections White and layered on more Summer Starfruit.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Class Act Mini Jewels.

I have a wide variety of older Stampin' Up designer series papers that I'm really trying to use as the stash needs reducing.  This is a great paper for a neutral card.  It's not too fussy and there are a lot of coordinating colour options.  I also think it works great on the horizontal.   This 'thank you' stamp set is also great with a ton of different options.  

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

Vintage Christmas Drive-By

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another really fun vintage style Christmas card.

The card base is an ivory Bazzill.  The printed paper is layered on more ivory Bazzill, Stampin' Up Ridinghood Red and Recollections Black.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart A Holiday stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Christmas Cheer Jewels.

Slimline cards are a bit of rage at the moment so when I found this piece of printed paper I knew it would be perfect for a more oblong card.  It actually worked so much better than I had imagined.  The image is so fun I'm glad I hadn't trimmed it down to use on two smaller, traditional sized cards.  The layout is so straightforward and really focuses on the paper.

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

Gisèle

Vintage Holiday Bustle

 Hello everyone,

I'm posting another great vintage style Christmas card.

The card base is an ivory of unknown origin.  The printed paper is also of unknown origin layered on a dark green Bazzill.  The sentiment is Penny Black Vintage Snippets stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections white and layered on more dark green Bazzill.  The embellishment is TPC Studio Holly Jolly.

As with yesterday's card, this is another wonderful piece of printed paper with a definite vintage style.  Though I doubt we'll see the kind of Christmas shopping bustle in 2020 that many enjoy, it's rather fun to remember how things use to be.  The sentiment placement was a little more challenging given the 'Merry Christmas' on the printed paper but I think the banner style on the left side works rather well.  It's a pretty great result.

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

Gisèle

Another Vintage Winter Scene

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another lovely winter scene Christmas card.

The card base is an ivory of unknown origin.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a red Bazzill.  The sentiment is Impression Obsession Triangle Trees stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Holly Jolly.

This printed paper is obviously from the same collection as yesterday's card I just have no idea to which company is should be attributed.  It does have the look and feel of a Heartfelt Creations collection. I love the pop of the deep red layer.  I used these rather large embellishments because I don't have to worry about mailing bulk.  The red in the embellishments works wonderfully with the red Bazzill layer.  This was yet another very quick and easy card.

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

Gisèle

Monochromatic Christmas

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great Christmas card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Very Vanilla.  The image is Penny Black Christmas Montage stamped in Close To My Heart Ruby on Very Vanilla and layer on Ruby.  The embellishments are TPC Studio.

Like the last number of cards, this is a great image/sentiment combination stamps that makes for very quick and easy cards.  I chose a different shade of red which is deep and rich.  I love the embellishment placement and have used this particular layout many times.  It is a wonderful result that took no time at all to craft.

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

Gisèle

Sophisticatedly Parisienne

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a card which balances the non-traditional and traditional wonderfully.

The card base is Stampin' Up Very Vanilla.  The image is Penny Black Christmas in Paris stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Very Vanilla and layered on Recollections Black.  The embellishments are TPC Studio.

Black and vanilla are a classic colour combination which is perfect for this stamp however, it's actually quite a non-traditional Christmas card.  The two little red jewels add the smallest nod to the holidays.  As with the last few cards, this great result was achieved in less than five minutes.  I didn't waver over colour choices as I knew I wanted to use black ink.  I'm so please with the final result.

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

Gisèle

Just Dance

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a lovely card I crafted to send to a girlfriend.

The card base is Stampin' Up Bermuda Bay.  The printed paper is Stampin' Up Lily Impressions layered on a white of unknown origin and Blackberry Bliss.  The image and sentiment are from Wish stamped in Altenew Jet Black on Whisper White.  The image was painted with LuminArte Blue Zircon and Black Cherry Twinkling H2Os.  The sentiment was layered on more Bermuda Bay.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Heartfelt Travel jewels.

I borrowed this set (which looks very similar to a Stampin' Up set) from a girlfriend a while back and hadn't spent much time experimenting.  I quite love the results.  I was hesitant because this is certainly outside my comfort zone!  Keeping the painting simple and the layout straightforward helped make crafting this card less stressful.  I'm thrilled with the embellishment placement!  How come that doesn't happen every time!

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

Gisèle 

A Birthday Rose

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a wonderful feminine birthday card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The image is Penny Black The Look of Love stamped in Tombow 098, 177, 905, 925 and 933 on Recollections Vanilla.  The image is layered on an orange Bazzill, an orange Recollections and more Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Perfectly Penned stamped in Altenew Jet Black.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Rockets & Rayguns mini jewels.

This has quickly become another favourite stamp!  It is so very easy to colour and I've always loved the results.  This is another wonderfully layered card.  I thought stamping the sentiment on one of the layers was inspired but I'm pretty sure I've done it before.  I'm also quite happy with the bling placement!  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Happy Hearts

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last of the Valentines I've been crafting.

The card base is Stampin' Up Raspberry Ripple.  The printed paper is K&Company Sweet Talk Pattern Hearts layered on a shimmery white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is TPC Studio Hugs and Kisses stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White and layered on more Raspberry Ripple.  The embellishment is Close To My Heart Enamel Hearts.

This is a really sweet Valentine.  I've used this paper before and love all the hearts.  They're a great scale for cards.  The variety of colours allows for easy colour coordination.  I've had this TPC Valentine stamp set forever and love the variety of stamps in the set.  I thought this font worked particularly well with the hearts in the patterned paper.  It's a great result!

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

Gisèle

Watercoloured Floral

Hello everyone,

Today's birthday card post is really cheerful!

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Ken Oliver Watercolored Memories layered on a yellow Bazzill.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamped in Altenew Jet Black on Recollections White.  The embellishments are TPC Studio So Delish mini jewels.

This is another great watercoloured floral card.  I had a bit of a challenge finding a coordinating solid colour, finally settling on a yellow because it was so cheerful.  I placed the sentiment on an angle to add interest.  The red embellishments on either long edge of the sentiment add even more interest without it being over-the-top.  It's another great, cheerful result.

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

Gisèle

Warm Rose Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very summer birthday card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Tangelo Twist.  The images are Stampin' Up Petal Palette coloured with Tombow 055, 098, 126, 933 and 985, and stamped on Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is Just Rite Large Fancy Sentiments stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The image/sentiment panel is layered on Close To My Heart Fern.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Rustic Garden mini jewels.

It's been a cold and grey spring day so I decided to heat things up by crafting this lovely warm card.  I chose this set because I could colour it before stamping and I chose the warmest colour palette possible.  These roses turned out a bit more orange than I intended so I use a more definitive yellow for the single blooms.  Stamping the sentiment and images on a single panel is a favourite layout.

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

Gisèle

Hope Grows Quartet

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a set of four birthday cards using Gina K's Hope Grows stamp set.

Owl Card:  The card base is Craft Smith.  The image is Gina K Hope Grows coloured with Tombow 228, 873, 969, N35 and N57, and stamped on Recollections White.  The sentiment is Inkadinkado Expressions stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The image and sentiment are layered on Close To My Heart Whisper, Stampin' Up Sahara Sand and Recollections Black.

Bird Card:  The card base is The Paper Studio.  The image is Gina K Hope Grows coloured with Tombow 062, 373, 443 and 491, stamped on Recollections White, and layered on Close To My Heart Lagoon and a brushed silver of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Inkadinkado Caligraphy Celebration stamped in Close To My Heart Lagoon on Recollections White and layered on more Lagoon.  The card is highlighted with Mermaid Stickles.

Flower Card:  The card base is The Paper Studio.  The image is Gina K Hope Grows coloured with Tombow 055, 228 and 969, stamped on Recollections White.  The sentiment is Gina K Labeled With Love stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The image and sentiment are layered on Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.

Butterfly Card:  The card base is The Paper Studio.  The image is Gina K Hope Grows coloured with Tombow 062, 761, 800, 873 and N89 and stamped on Recollections White.  The sentiment is Creative Vision Simply Said stamped in Altenew Autumn Blaze on Recollections White.  The image and sentiment are layered on Close To My Heart Tangerine and Recollections Mercury Glass.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Rustic Garden mini jewels.

These are four great cards.  The set is red rubber and the simple line images take marker easily and the impressions are wonderful.  I had a lot of fun with different colours and layers.  Though the four images are from the same set and have the same feel, the cards are all so very different.  The results are really wonderful.

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

Gisèle

Autumn Grasses

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a really warm, natural birthday card.

The card base is Craft Smith.  The image is Hero Arts Woodland Grasses stamped in Stampin' Up More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie and Really Rust on Recollections Vanilla.  The image panel is layered on Recollections Vanilla and Close To My Heart Gold Rush.  The sentiment is Hero Arts C5594 Happy Birthday stamped in Stampin' Up Chocolate Chip on more Recollections Vanilla and cut with Sizzix Banners Framelits.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Rustic Garden mini jewels.

I so love this card!  The image is so simple and takes multiple inks really well.  It's great vertical image and though I could have easily done a vertical sentiment, I was in the mood for a banner.  By off-setting the image a little more to the left, I was easily able to center the banner.  The two little jewel embellishments are a perfect anchor for the sentiment and the perfect colour as well.

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

Gisèle

Neutral Stripes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another commissioned thinking of you card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Night of Navy.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Smoky Slate and a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Curly Cute stamped in Night of Navy on Recollections white and layered on more Night of Navy.  The banner embellishments are punch from a brushed silver of unknown origin and are highlighted with TPC Studio Heartfelt Travel mini jewels.

This is a great masculine card.  The colours of the stripes on the printed paper allow for easy colour coordination.  I chose this particular sentiment because the dots in the font seem to speak to the 'v's which make up the stripes.  I used this favourite and simple layout and of course, adding these mini banners is another favourite element.

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

Gisèle

Sweet Santa III

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another pair of teacher Christmas cards.

 



The card bases are Stampin' Up Mint Macaron.  The printed paper Stampin' Up Home For Christmas.  The printed paper on the left-side card is layered on a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Bonnidee Christmas Wording 3 stamped in Altenew Jet Black on a white of unknown origin and layered on Real Red.  The embellishments are Bazzill WR Adhesive Pearls.  The printed paper on the right-side card is layered on a white of unknown origin and Real Red.  The sentiment is Technique Tuesday Classic Christmas Sentiments stamped in Altenew Jet Black on a white of unknown origin and layered on Real Red.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Holly Jolly Pearlized and Glittered brads.

One of the great things about these cards is that they will be hand delivered so I didn't have to worry about the bulk of embellishments.  I took the opportunity to use some of the bulkier embellishments in my stash.  I was pleasantly surprised to find some mint green pearls that worked perfectly with the card bases and printed paper.

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

Gisèle

Classy Butterfly

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another thank you card commissioned by a girlfriend.

The white card base is of unknown origin.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Paper Accents Mirrored Glossy Silver.  The image is Memory Box Leaf Printed Butterfly heat embossed with Stampin' Up white embossing powder on Recollections black and layered on more Paper Accents Silver.  The sentiment is Verve Celebrations of Thanks also heat embossed in white embossing powder.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Class Act mini jewels.

This is such a classy, sophisticated card.  I love white heat embossing on a dark background.  I thought about painting the butterfly in a 'black magic' technique but against the silver and grey, more colour would have been too much contrast.  It's a great result as is.

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

Gisèle

For Hubby

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the valentine I crafted for my husband.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Recollections Black and Bazzill Red.  The sentiment is TPC Studio Hugs & Kisses stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections White.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Enamel Hearts.

This awesome printed paper makes for an awesome valentine!  I love the 'graffiti' feel of the paper and I think it couldn't work better for a masculine card, even with the few touches of pink.  The layout is super simple to take full advantage of the great paper.  I'm so happy with the result and I know hubby will be happy too.

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

Gisèle

Butterflies In Blue

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another beautiful butterfly birthday card.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a black Bazzill.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Happy Birthday stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are TPC Studio So Delish mini jewels.

What I said yesterday about everything butterfly in my stash is ditto today.  This particular piece of donated scrap was especially appealing because the butterflies are blue, one of my favourite colours. This paper pops so spectacularly against the white and black.  The butterflies are a little large in scale for a card but that turned out to be a non-issue because of the layout, simple sentiment and minimal embellishments.  A fabulous result!

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

Gisèle