Ornaments Two Ways

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a pair of great ornament Christmas cards.

The card bases are Paper Accents Glossy Gold Cardstock.  The images are Stampin' Up Embellished Ornaments stamped in VersaMark on Stampin' Up Very Vanilla and heat embossed in Stampendous Green and Red Tinsel embossing powder.  The die cuts are Sizzix Delicate Ornaments Thinlits cut from a red and a green mirrored paper of unknown origin and more Paper Accents Glossy Gold Cardstock. The sentiment is Stampin' Up Teeny Tiny Wishes stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on more Stampin' Up Very Vanilla. The ribbon is a green of unknown origin and a sheer red from Multicrafts.

I love these ornaments cards!  I changed things up a little on each card by switching out the ribbon colours and the images.  Though the layout of each card is virtually the same, with each small difference they are still unique.  These ornaments were a lot more work than I thought they'd be due to the sheer repeating of the elements.  It was worth the effort!

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

Gisèle

Gloriously Golden

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a really spectacular sentiment-less card.

The card base is Paper Accents Pearlized Gold.  The image is Hero Arts Starburst Lace stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with Timeless Images gold sparkles embossing powder on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Joy Crafts mirrored card stock.  The embellishment is a Recollections gold glitter adhesive dot.

I had hoped for a whole lot more from this image.  I blame an embossing powder that didn't work as well as I'd anticipated.  I wanted something that really sparkled and shined but this particular embossing powder didn't provide the coverage it should have.  This image is really spectacular which is what disappoints in the embossing. I do however love the different layers of gold.

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

Gisèle

Such Pretty Circles

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another more modern card that has a fanciful and elegant touch.

The card base is Stampin' Up Soft Sky.  The image is Hero Arts Artistic Circles stamped in VersaMark and Altenew Teal Cave on Recollections White and heat embossed with Close To My Heart Silver Pearl. The image panel is layered on a shimmery white of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Crafts rhinestone stickers.

I absolutely love this card!  Given that the silver pearl embossing powder changes the colour of the image when heated, I practiced with a few different colours before settling on the Teal Cave. I just love the soft colours of the intricate circles.  This is another favourite image that I don't use all that often because it is just so striking.  It works well in every colour but can be tricky to stamp because it is so large.  I think the results are just spectacular.

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

Gisèle

In Black and Gold

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very simple sentiment-less card.

The card base is Paper Accents Pearlized Gold.  The image is Michael Strong Cloisonne Butterfly stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed in detail gold embossing powder on Recollections Black.  The image panel is layered on more pearlized gold and black.

This was one of the most quick and easy cards in this commission.  The only caution I have for heat embossing on black is to not forget to use an embossing buddy otherwise the panel will have gold embossing where you don't want it.  I debated adding some black or gold embellishments but rather liked the simplicity of the overall result.

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

Gisèle 

Canada Day Christmas

Hello everyone,

Today's post begins the 2020 Christmas In July series.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is Decorer Winter Moments layered on a red Bazzill.  The sentiment is Annabelle Stamps Holly Branch stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with Stampin' Up White embossing powder.

I love crafting Christmas cards and look forward to Christmas In July every year.  This is a very simple card which takes advantage of a lovely red and white Polish paper that I picked up years ago but have no idea from where.  It makes for the perfect for Canada Day Christmas card. Eh!

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

Gisèle

Boston Birthday

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a very special birthday card.

The card base is Recollections Black.  The image is cut with a variety of Spellbinders circle dies from Recollections White and Black and a yellow Bazzill and is layered on a white of unknown origin and more Recollections Black and yellow Bazzill.  The number was cut from Recollections Black with Provo Craft Wordsworth Olivia die.  The sentiment is Altenew Birthday Builder stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with Stampin' Up white embossing powder.

My neighbor is celebrating his 50th this coming Saturday and so he needed a very special card.  He is a huge Boston Bruins fan so I thought replicating the team logo would be eminently suitable for a milestone birthday card.  This card was not as straightforward as I anticipated.  Finding the appropriate colour was easy but cutting and adhering all the elements was a labor of love!  The most challenging aspects were the stripes within the circle which had to be trimmed, carefully, by hand, so the intersection would be flat.  The final result was better than I anticipated!  I think this is one of my favourite custom birthday cards ever!

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

Gisèle

Golden Thanks

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a more formal 'thank you' card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The sentiment is Inkadinkado Thanks Words stamped with VersaMark and heat embossed in detail gold embossing powder.  The sentiment panel is layered on two gold paper scraps of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Toga gold pearls.

As soon as I started this series of 'thank you' cards for my girlfriend I knew I'd use this stamp.  I love the different languages and fonts.  Though it looks sophisticated, this is actually a very quick and easy card that came together in no time at all.  As I write this post, I'm imagining it in multiple colours like the earlier bold 'Thanks' cards.  I may not be as completely finished with this series as I thought!

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

Gisèle

Golden Trio

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great cat trio card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The images are from Wish stamped in VersaMark on Recollections Vanilla and heat embossed in detail gold.  The image panel is layered on DCWV All About Girls card stock and a burnished gold of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Annabelle Stamps Square Posies stamped in Stampin' Up Soft Suede.

These cats are wonderful!  I love the funky patterns and couldn't resist heat embossing.  I was going to try embossing in different colours but that is going to take some experimenting!  I wanted the focus to be entirely on the images so I kept the sentiment short, sweet and small.  I think it's the perfect expression for these three kitties.  It's a better result than I even imagined!

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

Gisèle

A Simple Hello

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a simple hello card.

The card base is The Paper Studio which was stamped with Stampin' Up Watercolor Wash in VersaMark and Stampin' Up Timeless Textures in Altenew Blush.  The image is Hero Arts Native Grass coloured with Tombow 158, 761 and 772, stamped on Recollections Vanilla, and layered on Close To My Heart Pixie and Garden Green.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Classic Messages stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.

Out of all the stamps I have in my stash, this one is, by far, the easiest to colour.  The scale is absolutely perfect for cards.  It is a more horizontal image which I particularly like.  I wanted to add some interest to the card base, without overshadowing the image, so decided to break out the VersaMark.  I wasn't particularly happy with the results so I over-stamped with another background image and the Altenew Blush.  It's is very, very subtle and isn't exactly what I had envisioned.  Still, a great result.

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

Gisèle

In Teal & Gold

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a French birthday card commissioned by a colleague for his mother.

The images are Altenew Frosted Garden stamped in VersaMark on Recollections Vanilla and heat embossed with Close To My Heart gold embossing embossing powder.  The sentiment is Bonnidee French Wording #1 stamped in Stampin' Up Taken With Teal on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Taken With Teal.  The image and sentiment are layered on a printed paper of unknown origin and gold of unknown origin.  The embellishments are Crystal Stickers Teal Elements.

I didn't have much to go on when crafting this card so I started with this great piece of printed paper.  I love the design and the teal and gold elements are beautiful together.  This is a card from a son so I didn't want to be too overly feminine so even though this is definitely a floral, it's still most appropriate.  I love the angled images and sentiment, it's a design element that I've been drawn to the last little while that seems to be working.

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

Gisèle

Embossed Wings

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another birthday card with embossed images.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The images are Michael Strong Mini Cloisonne Wings stamped in VersaMark on Recollections White and heat embossed with Close To My Heart gold embossing powder.  The image panel is layered on a gold of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Happy Birthday also stamped in VersaMark on Recollections White and heat embossed with Close To My Heart gold embossing powder.

This is another stamp that heat embossed beautifully.  I will admit it took me a couple of tries because I was pressing just a little too hard.  I also forgot to use my embossing buddy which you should always, always, always use for this technique.  I love the gold/white/navy colour combination.  The vertical sentiment couldn't work better.  Once again I debated using some embellishments but was quite satisfied with the final result.

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

Gisèle

Butterfly Beautiful

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a really lovely butterfly birthday card.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The image is Michael Strong Cloisonne Butterfly stamped in VersaMark and Altenew Teal Cave on Recollections White and heat embossed with Fun Stamps Peacock Glitter embossing powder.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Happy Birthday stamped in Altenew Teal Cave on Recollections White.

There is something about this image that I find truly appealing.  I don't know if it's the somewhat African style of the image or the striking colour against the white paper.  The photo doesn't do justice to the final result which has a beautiful shimmer from the embossing powder.  I see so many possibilities with this image that I can't wait to experiment and see what else I can do with it.

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

Gisèle

Ornament Thoughts

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a Christmas card that was part of a commission I crafted for a girlfriend's mother.

The card base is Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a red also of unknown origin.  The image is Stampin' Up Embellished Ornaments stamped in VersaMark on Recollections Vanilla, heat embossed with Close To My Heart gold embossing powder and cut with the coordinating Sizzix Delicate Ornament Thinklits die.  The sentiment, also Stampin' Up Embellished Ornaments is stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Mossy Meadow.  The image is highlighted with Xmas Red Stickles.

This is one of the first of over one hundred Christmas cards I crafted this year.  I love the embossed ornament and of course, chose it because of the ornaments on the printed paper.  Even though the shape is exactly the same, they still 'speak' to one another.  The image heat embossed really well as I actually remembered to use the embossing buddy to remove the static before I stamped the VersaMark.  Would that I always remembered that important step.

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

Gisèle

Striking And Simple

Hello everyone,

Today's post is one of the easiest and quickest cards in this Christmas series.

The card base is Recollections Black.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a red Bazzill.  The sentiment is Flonz Merry Christmas 808 stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with Stampin' Up white embossing powder.

I think this is one of the most striking cards I've crafted in this series!  I found this image in my stash of leftovers.  By keeping the layout extremely simple and heat embossing the simple sentiment so it really pops makes for an incredible result.

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

Gisèle

Nutcracker Sophistication

Hello everyone,

My girlfriend asked me to craft a special nutcracker Christmas card for her mother.

The printed paper is Anna Griffin Georgette Christmas Collection layered on Stampin' Up shimmery white and a pale gold of unknown origin.  The image is Tattered Lace Nutcracker die cut from a shimmery vanilla of unknown origin and layered on more pale gold.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Clear Stamp Set stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with Close To My Heart gold embossing powder. The card is highlighted with Gold Pearl Liquid Pearls.

My girlfriend's mother love nutcrackers and she's a pretty sophisticated lade so I was inspired to craft this neutral layered card.  The snowflakes are flocked and add beautiful texture.  I've been very pleased with the latest embossed sentiments that I've done so I decided to try again.  This is the perfect scale and colour for the sentiment.  A wonderful result!

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

Gisèle

Bejeweled Tree

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card is another commission from a colleague

The image is Penny Black Tannenbaum stamped in Altenew Moss on Recollections White and layered on a shimmery red of unknown origin and Close To My Heart Fern.  The image is highlighted with Crafts Rhinestone Stickers.  The sentiment is Hero Arts Holiday Says stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with Stampendous Red Tinsel embossing powder.

My colleague asked for a special card for her Great Aunt who likes all things that sparkle.  She had mentioned a tree so this stamped seems to be a perfect fit!  I really love the rhinestone garland and this image provides the perfect circles for it.  I can envision another card with a Stickles garland.

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

Gisèle

Beautiful In Blue

Hello everyone,

Today's card uses another image panel that I found when I was going through my stash of leftover bits.

The image is Stampin' Up Embrace Life stamped on Crumbcake in VersaMark and heat embossed in white.  The images are coloured with a variety of Stampin' Up chalks and highlighted with Sakura yellow Gelly Roll pen.  The focal panel is layered on a navy of unknown origin.  The sentiment, Stampin' Up Warmest Regards, is stamped in Close To My Heart Outdoor Denim.

I'm pretty sure this image panel is a few years old as I suspect I crafted it when I was experimenting with white embossing on kraft and black backgrounds.  Why I didn't use it back the, I've no idea.  It's a perfectly suitable image and while the colouring isn't perfect, it's not terrible either.  I couldn't decide which way was up so decided having the leaves as a border on the bottom would be a nice anchor for the sentiment.  I'm quite happy with the result.

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

Gisèle

Twinkling Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's birthday card is an example of productive play time.

The images are Stampin' Up Bordering on Romance stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with Close To My Heart gold embossing powder.  The images are painted with LuminArte Deep Coral, Forest Green and Mango Mambo Twinkling H20s.  The sentiment is Rubbernecker Best Wishes also stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed in Close To My Heart gold embossing powder.

I will never claim to be a painter but I get this yen every once in a while to try my skills.  In this particular case I'm more than happy to claim this card.  The painting  turned out way better than I ever expected!  Whenever I decide to try to paint, this is one of my go to images.  It's pretty easy to paint but still allows for some shading practice.  I like painting embossed images because it's a little easier to stay within the lines which allows me to focus more on shading.  I don't know why that is my biggest challenge.  Regardless, this is a great card and I'm thrilled with the painting.

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

Gisèle

In Dark Teal

Hello everyone,

Today's Christmas card uses more non-traditional colours.

The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Bazzill white.  The background text layer is a stamp of unknown origin stamped in an ink of unknown origin on a white of unknown origin.  The image is Rubber Stampede Santa Collage stamped in VersaMark on Bazzill Mysterious Teal and heat embossed with Stampin' Up White embossing powder.  The image is highlighted with Star Dust Stickles.

I thought I would give embossing this Santa image another try.  I'm still not happy with the results.  It's too fine and detailed an image for embossing.  I love the idea of a white image on a dark background to work with the dark blue in the printed paper.  It's not a truly terrible card but not a seller either.

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

Gisèle

Santa's Window II

Hello everyone,

Yesterday's card turned out so well (notwithstanding the smooshed ink on the inside) that I decided to try again with a red card base.

The image is Rubber Stamped Santa Collage stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with Stampin' Up white embossing powder.  The sentiment is Technique Tuesday Jingle All The Way also stamped in VersaMark and heat embossed with Stampin' Up white embossing powder.  The embellishments are Recollections enamel dots.

I knew that using this red card base would require embossing for any image/sentiment to work.  Unfortunately, this image is so detailed, it wasn't the best choice for heat embossing.  I did everything right, I used my embossing buddy, I tried not to press the stamp to hard, I wasn't overly generous with the embossing powder, but the image still isn't as sharp as I would have liked.  The sentiment is perfect!  I'll likely keep this card for myself too just because the quality of the image isn't what I'd want to put forward for the sale.

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

Gisèle