Happy Spring

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a really cheerful 'hello' card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Whisper White.  The image is the Sizzix/Stampin' Up Butterfly Thinlits die, cut from Close To My Heart Sunny Yellow and highlighted with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Everyday Sayings stamped in Altenew Jet Black on Whisper White and layered on Close To My Heart Citrus Leaf.  The image and sentiment are adhered to a piece of Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper which was layered on a white of unknown origin and more Citrus Leaf.  The card is highlighted with Lime Green Stickles.

Not only is the novelty of physical distancing lessening but I'm tired of grey skies and cold temperatures!  I'm want sunshine and warmth!  I made this bright and sunny hello card instead.  I took some time to play with alcohol ink on the weekend.  It was pretty limited however I've only a little bit of isopropyl alcohol left and it's now impossible to find.  I do have some blending solution but that is really expensive compared to rubbing alcohol.  I'm quite happy with these latest pieces of alcohol inked papers.  This piece turned out as cheerful as I'd hoped.

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

Gisèle

Chintz Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another subtle floral birthday card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The image is Stampin' Up Painted Petals stamped in Altenew Frosty Pink, Rose Quartz, Pink Diamond and Frayed Leaf on Recollections White.  The sentiment is Flonz Happy Birthday stamped in Altenew Industrial Diamond.  The image/sentiment panel is layered on a pale pink Bazzill that was textured with Sizzix Flourish Texturz plate and sprayed with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist.  The ribbon is Michaels.  The flower embellishments is of unknown origin highlighted with Fruit Punch Stickles.

Except for the flower embellishment, this is one very subtly stamp birthday card.  Again, it's not quite as pale as the photo suggests but it is pretty soft.  I was attempting to mimic a vintage chintz fabric.  In this particular case, it ended up being a well worn piece of chintz.  No matter, I'm still very pleased with the final result.

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

Gisèle

Warm And Bright

Hello everyone,

The next few posts are cards that I crafted using some interesting backgrounds that I've made over the past while.

The image is Hero Arts Pop Stems stamped in Altenew Firebrick and highlighted with Diamond Stickles.  The vertical panel is a piece of watercolour paper sprinkled with Brilliant Red and Yellow Brusho and spritzed with water.  The piece was textured with Couture Creations Entangle embossing folder and sprayed with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Perfect Punches stamped in Altenew Firebrick on Recollections White and highlighted with more Diamond Stickles.

I had seen a couple of videos using Brusho so when I saw it in the recent Stampin' Up catalog I decided to give it a try.  This piece turned out particularly well, some of the others, not so much.  I thought this piece would make for a great warm, bright and sunshiny card, perfect for a cold and dreary February day.  It's such a happy and cheerful result.

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

Gisèle

Sweetly Simple

Hello everyone,

Today's birthday card post is another simple beauty.

The image is Hero Arts Native Grass coloured with Tombow 228, 565 and 725, then stamped on Recollections vanilla.  The image panel is layered on a pink Bazzill and watercolour paper painted with LuminArte Blushing Rose and Evening Primrose Twinkling H20s.  The watercolour panel was spritzed with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glitter Mist.  The sentiment is Sweet & Sassy Birthday Greetings stamped in Altenew Evergreen.

As soft as yesterday's card was, today's is beautifully bright.  The same image with different colours and layers leads to such a different card.  I love this aspect of stamping and cardmaking!  This is a very pretty card with the bold purple and pink but it's still very simple.  I used the Evergreen for the sentiment to coordinate with the colour of the stems but wish I'd used black instead.  Such a rather nitpicky detail as the card is lovely regardless.

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

Gisèle

Splattered Generosity

Hello everyone,

I'm posting yet another butterfly thank you card today.

The butterflies are Marianne Design Collectables COL1319 die cut from Ranger alcohol inked glossy paper, stamped with StazOn Jet Black and spritzed with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds.  The background was stamped with Stampin' Up Gorgeous Grunge and Close To My Heart Ink Blot with Stampin' Up Pacific Point and Blackberry Bliss and Ranger Spun Sugar Distress ink on Recollections White, and layered on Blackberry Bliss.  The sentiment is Papertrey Ink Signature Greetings stamped in Blackberry Bliss.  The embellishments are Crystal Stickers Mark Richards 2mm clear elements.

I just have to admit that using up all the alcohol inked die cut butterflies is starting to be a bit of a challenge.  I think I went a little overboard.  I'm certainly not tired of butterflies but I probably could have stopped a couple of cards ago.  I pulled out this sentiment because I'd not used it in a while.  I also wanted to pull out some of the accent stamps that I've discovered I love but haven't played with all that much.  I have to say I think Blackberry Bliss is one of my favourite colours ever.  It works so perfectly with these butterflies.

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

Gisèle

Thinking of Butterflies

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for a colleague whose life is in a bit of a tangle at the moment.  I'm hoping these cards will keep her spirits from sagging.

The card base is Studio G.  The background is Impression Obsession Cover-A-Card Butterflies stamped in Close To My Heart Blush.  The butterfly is Marianne Design Collectables COL1317 die cut from glossy paper that was smooshed with a variety of Ranger alcohol ink and spritzed with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds.  The image was stamped in StazOn Olive Green.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker Best Wishes stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso.  The embellishments are Queen & Company Irridescent Rhinestones.

This is one heck of a butterfly card!  I was playing with my stash of alcohol inks a few weeks back with some very interesting results.  I couldn't resist using these papers to  die cut some of the butterflies I also have in my stash.  In crafting this particular card, I decided to pull out one of the Cover-A-Card stamps.  I knew it would work well on this smaller, squarish card.  It's a little busier than I'd envisioned but knowing my colleague, it will be perfect for lifting her spirits.

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

Gisèle

More Butterfly Blues

Hello everyone,

I'm not really finished with either the alcohol inked papers nor the butterfly die cuts.

The butterflies are made from a piece of glossy paper covered with a variety of Ranger alcohol inks and die cut with Memory Box Fairyland Butterflies. The background layers are Recollections White textured with Craft Concepts Butterfly Kisses embossing folder sprayed with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist and layered on Stampin' Up Brilliant Blue.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker Happy Birthday stamped in Brilliant Blue.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Bitty Sparkles.

This card makes these amazing die cut butterflies pop!  It is more like what I'd hoped for from yesterday's card.  The other wonderful result is that the blended ink is much more noticeable against the white background.  Alcohol ink is probably one of my favourite things but I don't use as much as I would like to.  Like glitter, it is very messy and I tend to blitz with it when I have everything out on my desk.  This card certainly hits my all time favourites list!

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

Gisèle

Pretty Pansies

Hello everyone,

Today's card is for my girlfriend's birthday.  She loves pansies and this was the perfect excuse for trying these butterfly punch flowers.

The background paper is Autumn Leaves Emily textured with Darice Flower embossing folder and highlighted with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist.  The flowers are textured DCWV, highlighted with Y&C Gold Gel Xtreme and Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The brads are of unknown origin.  The horizontal strip is more textured DCWV punched with EK Success Bangle Chain Trim.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Joyful Birthday stamped in Stampin' Up Elegant Eggplant on Whisper White.

I've always thought these butterfly punched pansies are really sweet.  Best of all they are so easy!  I love the purple and yellow combination which always speaks pansies to me.  I think my girlfriend will love this card.

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

Gisèle

Special At Sixty

Hello everyone,

The mother of one of my colleagues is turning 60 and she commissioned a very unique birthday card.

The printed paper is DCWV Pet's Stack layered on DCWV Glitter Cardstock and Stampin' Up Tempting Turquoise and Cameo Coral.  The Tempting Turquoise layer was textured with Darice Paw Print Background embossing folder and highlighted with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart For Every Occasion stamped in Cameo Coral on Very Vanilla and highlighted with Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.

My colleague's mother has a dog which she is utterly besotted with, thus the paw print theme.  You'd think I'd have reached the point where nothing would now surprise me when someone commissions a card.  I never thought I'd craft a doggy card to celebrate a 60th birthday.  This is a cute card and I really played up the sparkle because at sixty, a dog lover should have some sparkle.  My colleague loves the card and I'm confident her mother will as well.

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

Gisèle

Sweet Simplicity

Hello everyone,

These two cards are probably my favourites in this one sheet wonder series.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White and Close To My Heart Crystal Blue. The Crystal Blue layer is textured with Sizzix Circle Circus texture pad and spritzed with Tattered Angles Dazzling Diamonds.  The sentiment is Impression Obsession stamped in Baja Breeze on Whisper White.  The embellishments are Crafts Pearl Halves.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Stampin' Up Whisper White and Close To My Heart Crystal Blue. The sentiment is Hero Arts Happy Birthday stamped in Baja Breeze on Whisper White.  The embellishment is Forever In Time 3-D Wing Lifters Stickers.

I love these beautiful cards.  They are both very simple with minimal embellishment and easy layouts.  They came together beautifully and I could repeat them over and over and over.

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

Gisèle

Wings For Mother

Hello everyone,

I'm on a little bit of a Mother's Day card kick.

The printed paper is K&Company Jubilee layered on Stampin' Up Pale Plum and Crumb Cake.  The Pale Plum layer was textured with Sizzix Pattern 1 and sprayed with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist.  The image is Heartfelt Creations Butterfly Medley stamped in Crumb Cake on Whisper White and coloured with a variety of Stampin' Pastels and Sakura Clear Star Gelly Roll pen.  The butterfly is Spellbinders Shapeabilities Les Papillions.  The top layer of the butterfly was cut from Orchid Opulence.  The bottom layer of the butterfly was cut from Pale Plum which was glittered with Crystal Glitter Ritz.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Pale Plum.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Pearl Opaques.

I'm in love with this card.  It is so very, very pretty.  This piece of printed paper coordinates well with a multitude of solid papers.  It inspired me to use the Crumb Cake paper.  This is another of the butterflies that I cut yesterday.  I'm not as fussy about the Orchid Opulence with the rest of my colours but it isn't too bad.

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

Gisèle

All Natural

Hello everyone,

I had some leftover textured copper from the card I crafted yesterday and decided to use it up right away or it would likely sit in the scrap stash for ages.

The printed paper is Prima Reflections Kashana layered on Stampin' Up Soft Suede. The focal element is a copper sheet textured with Craft Concepts Dandelion Whisper embossing folder. The copper was then smooshed with Red Pepper, Espresso, Ginger, Oregano and Gold Mixative Ranger Alcohol ink, then spritzed with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist. The sentiment is Serendipity stamped in Soft Suede on Very Vanilla and layered on more Soft Suede. The embellishments are Close To My Heart Round Durables.

I used Glimmer Mist on the copper sheet but it really had no results at all.  I just wanted to try it to see what would happen.  At least I didn't wreck it.  I love the Serendipity sentiment.  I have a few sentiments and find them great as they have a great font and are a really decent size.  This is another very natural card with the browns and metals.  It is not for everyone.  I wonder how long it will sit in my stash.

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

Gisèle

Tantalizing Trees

Hello everyone,

It's now time to get moving on my own Christmas cards.  This is always fun for me because I have no qualms about going just that little bit overboard.

The background layered are Stampin' Up textured Cherry Cobbler and Always Artichoke.  The Always Artichoke layered was textured with Sizzix Thin Ice then misted with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamond Glimmer Mist.  The image and sentiment are Gina K The Magic of Christmas stamped in Always Artichoke on Very Vanilla and layered on Cherry Cobbler.  The embellishments are TPC Studio Timeless Christmas jewels.

I wasn't crazy about this card when it was finished but once I looked at it in the light of day, I found it was OK.  It seems weird to craft a card without printed paper but with this embossing, it really wasn't needed.

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

Gisèle

Butterfly Beauty

Hello everyone,

Every since I learned the tip about using wax paper when cutting with intricate dies, I've needed no excuses to play with some of my more complex dies.  I've kind of been avoiding them because it can be so hard, if not impossible, to get the paper out of the die in one piece.

The printed paper is Stampin' Up Berry Blossoms layered on Calypso Coral and Lucky Limeade.  The butterfly is a Spellbinders Wings of Hope die, cut in Wisteria Wonder and spritzed with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist.  The sentiment is Stampin' Up All Holidays stamped in Nick Bantock Chartreuse Leaf on Whisper White and layered on Lucky Limeade.  The embellishments are Martha Stewart Pastel Mini Pearls.

Isn't this butterfly incredible?  The photo really doesn't do it justice as the Glimmer Mist adds a beautiful sheen to the Wisteria Wonder.  I loved being able to add these pearls to the butterfly, it was a great die with which to embellish.

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

Gisèle

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hello everyone,

I'm still on the Valentine's kick. Today's card uses a card base which I accidentally smeared with ink. It was right on the edge so I either had to get creative or lose the card base.

The card base is inked with Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler, Early Espresso, Melon Mambo and Soft Suede and highlighted with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist. The Early Espresso layer is stamped with I {Love} Love wheel. The printed paper is BoBunny Gift of Love Crazy Love Have A Heart which is layered on Pixie Pink. The sentiment is TPC Studio Hugs & Kisses stamped in Early Espresso on Whisper White and layered on Early Espresso. The embellishments are Watermelon and Cocoa Oregon Raindrops.

I can't say this is one of my favourite cards but I don't hate it either. It is probably just a little to 'shabby' for my taste.

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

Gisèle

ABC Ornament

Hello everyone,

I realize it is really early for Christmas cards but seriously, if you make Christmas cards, you have to start early. Though I really love making Christmas cards, I've not really been in that Christmas card making mood. That being said, there are challenges out there that really inspire me. The current ABC Christmas Challenge is O is for Ornaments and, next to holly, I love crafting all things ornament-related.

The background paper is atd Under The Tree. The red layer is of unknown origin from the scrap bin and is textured with the Sizzix Ornaments plate and highlighted with Tattered Angels Dazzling Diamonds Glimmer Mist. The remaining paper is Stampin' Up Tempting Turquoise and Whisper White. The image is Inkadinkado Holiday Silhouettes stamped in Color Box gold then heat embossed with Stampin' Up clear embossing powder. The sentiment is Impression Obsession Christmas Sentiments. The embellishments are Hero Arts Metallic Decor.

I really like this ornament card. The colours are lovely with the Tempting Turquoise adding just that non-traditional splash of colour. I love the image. This Inkadinkado set is really compelling given all the tiny images incorporated within the overall image. I suspect you'll see many of these images as I get into the swing of Christmas cards.

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

Gisèle

Two For One

Hello everyone,

You would think, having taken yesterday off, I would have managed to make a card. Things rather got away from me. I'll make up for it today. I love sketch challenges that inspire me to make multiple cards and yesterday's Clean & Simple Stamping sketch challenge was just such a sketch.

The card base is Recollections in vanilla. The background paper is Martha Stewart Heirloom. The focal layer is BasicGrey Wisteria. Both of which are textured with Sizzix Flourish and highlighted with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Dazzzling Diamonds. The sentiment is Stampabilities Changes Everything. The embellishments are Hero Arts Pearls.


The card base is Recollections in white. The background layer is Close To My Heart Hollyhock. The focal layer is BasicGrey Porcelain which is textured with Sizzix Pattern 1. The sentiment is Hero Arts Thoughtful Messages embellished with Hero Arts Pearls.
I just love both of these cards. I know I could probably make another dozen cards with the same sketch and different themes. We'll see how the rest of my weekend goes.
This sketch just cried out for BasicGrey paper of which I'm such a huge fan. It also suits Hero Arts pearl embellishments perfectly. I've used the pearls on the Hero Arts sentiment and you'd think they were made for one another.
I hope you enjoy these cards and come back to SPI again soon.
Gisèle

Unscripted Good Luck

Hello everyone,

Today's card is a commissioned card for a colleague who has a friend that is being posted to the US. Her friend isn't into frou frou so I was inspired to make something with a more Americana feel to it. I like the results.

The layout is based on today's Unscripted Sketches. The background paper is Stampin' Up Mellow Moss textured with Sizzix Pattern 2 embossing plate and highlighted with Tattered Angles Glimmer Mist Dazzling Diamonds. The rectangles are mounted on Stampin' Up Whisper White and are comprised of pieces of Night of Navy textured with Sizzix Small Dots, Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Chip textured with Cuttlebug Moroccan Screen. The patterned paper is BasicGrey Marrakesh. The sentiment is Waltzingmouse Say It With Style.
I think this is a wonderful card. The sketch does have a quilty feel to it that is quite Americana. I love the BasicGrey paper and it was ideal for choosing the remaining colours. This is the first time I've used the Glimmer Mist and I love how subtle an effect it made on the background. Just a tiny bit of shimmer.
I hope you enjoy this card and come back to SPI again soon.
Gisèle