Loving Birthday Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another set of Stampin' Up 'birthday' cards.

The card bases are Stampin’ Up Pretty In Pink and Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture cardstock.  The printed paper is Stampin’ Up Sending Love layered on Stampin’ Up Pretty In Pink, Early Espresso and Real Red, and Recollections Vanilla Linen Texture cardstock.  The sentiments are Verve Happy Birthday and Just Rite Large Fancy Sentiments stamped in Early Espresso on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Pretty In Pink, Early Espresso and Real Red.  The embellishments are red pearls of unknown origin, Crafts Rhinestone Stickers, Close To My Heart Mocha Opaques, and Offray Ribbon.

This is another old Stampin' Up designer series paper.  I think it's intended to be Valentine paper but I decided it would make some very pretty 'birthday' cards.  Again, solid colour coordination was pretty easy. The most challenging aspect was probably choosing the sentiments.  The layouts are pretty straightforward and are ones I've used many times before.  I'm quite happy with these results!

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

Gisèle

Splashy Thanks

Hello everyone,

Today's post is the last 'thank you' card I crafted for a recent commission.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a green Bazzill and a bright blue of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Verve Amazing Wishes stamped in Altenew Starlight on Recollections White and layered on more Bazzill green and bright blue.  The embellishments are Jolee's All That Bling Variety Studs.

I've always love this piece of paper.  It reminds me of a splash of water.  The layout is not dissimilar to other cards in the commission.  I used the blue strip on the right side to anchor the oval sentiment.  The silver stud embellishments speak to the small circles in the printed paper.  It's a pretty decent result.

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

Gisèle

Silver Snowflakes

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is a wonderful shiny snowflake Christmas card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Recollections Silver Foil and a vanilla of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Verve Bright Spirits stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla.  The ribbon is from Michael's.  The snowflake embellishment is of unknown origin.

I crafted a couple of hundred Christmas cards for the senior's residence this year which gave me an opportunity to use some sentiments that I've really used.  This one from Verve is wonderful but a little awkward in terms of size and layout.  I was grateful for this tag punch because the sentiment fit perfectly.  It also facilitated this great layout.  A wonderful result.

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

Gisèle

Joyfully Tree Shopping

 Hello everyone,

Today's post is another vintage style Christmas card.

The card base is an ivory of unknown origin.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a dark green Bazzill.  The sentiment is Verve Glad Tidings stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are BoBunny jewels.

This is more of a different style of vintage Christmas card - perhaps more 1940s or 1950s.  It is a style to which I'm particularly drawn.  I really love the images. There are a wide variety of colours with which to coordinate which makes for a very quick and easy card.  I love this simple sentiment and I think the font works pretty well for the style.  I used a paper punch to cut out the and took some time with the placement.

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

Gisèle

Lovely Leaves

Hello everyone,

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

The card base is Stampin' Up Pumpkin Pie.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a white also of unknown origin and Stampin' Up Hello Honey.  The sentiment is Verve Amazing Wishes stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on Recollections White and layered on more Pumpkin Pie.  The embellishments are Stampin' Up Brights Candy Dots.

This is another great piece of printed paper!  The scale and colours of the leaves are perfect for crafting autumnal thank you cards.  At first I thought the white background was a little stark in contrast but once I pulled the layers together it was lovely.  I finally pulled out some of the Stampin' Up Candy Dots I've been hoarding, using two coordinating colours.  It's another great result.

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

Gisèle

Simple Cattails

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another paneled 'sympathy' card.

The card base is Momenta Textured Cardstock.  The image is of unknown origin stamped in Tombow 158, 228, 451 and 969 on Stampin' Up Very Vanilla.  The sentiment is Verve Forever In Our Hearts stamped in Altenew Lava Rock on more Very Vanilla.  The sentiment and image panels are layered on Close To My Heart Glacier, and Stampin' Up Very Vanilla and Lost Lagoon.

I was so pleased with Tuesday's card that I cased it for today's card.  I love the two panels layered.  This image is a little more fussy to apply marker but it comes out wonderfully.  I think it works really well with the sentiment.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Comfort and Strength

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another simple 'sympathy' card.

The card base is Momenta Textured Cardstock.  The image is Hero Arts Native Grass stamped in Tombow 098, 905 and 985 on Recollections Vanilla.  The sentiment is Verve Forever In Our Hearts stamped in Altenew Lava Rock also on Recollections Vanilla.  The image and sentiment panels are layered on Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow and more Recollections Vanilla.  The embellishments are Stampin' Up Metallic Pearls.

I love this sentiment!  It's is so heartfelt.  I decided to pair it with this simple image and think the overall result worked quite well.  I spent some time considering the placement of the sentiment and liked all the options but decided on this one because it facilitated adding a row of small pearl embellishment.  I quite like the results and think it actually turned out better than I imagined.

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

Gisèle

Tagged Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is another great birthday card.

The card base is Stampin' Up Mossy Meadow.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on a black Bazzill and tan Recollections.  The tag is stamped with Stampin' Up Artisan Textures stamped in Altenew Morning Frost, Sand Dunes, Arctic and Silver Stone.  The butterfly is Stampin' Up Creative Elements stamped in Altenew Dusk.  The sentiment is Verve stamped in Altenew Jet Black.  The embellishment is a Crafts brad.

I've been looking for this tag punch for a while.  I've come across a ton of great cards that incorporate the punched piece.  I'm not disappointed with this result.  It was fun to mimic the printed paper on the tag though I added the butterfly because I could.  The sentiment couldn't fit more perfectly on the tag.  It's a great result.

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

Gisèle

Simple Wishes

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a wonderfully simple birthday card.

The card base is Recollections White.  The printed paper is BoBunny Primrose layered on Stampin' Up River Rock.  The sentiment is Verve stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The ribbon is Michael's Sheer Creations.  The embellishments are Recollections.

This is another very simple birthday card.  The printed paper is beautiful and allowed enough space on which to stamp the sentiment.  The offset knot of the ribbon is offset as are the five simple gems.  Elements in threes are always pleasing from a design sense and that they're in the 'sweet spot' makes it even more appealing overall.  It's a fantastic result.

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

Gisèle

Funky Kitties

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a sweet kitty birthday card that will be part of the Christmas package I'm putting together for my brother's girlfriend.

The card base is Craft Smith.  The printed paper is Photoplay "Here Kitty Kitty" layered on Stampin' Up Basic Grey.  The sentiment is Verve Treasured Words stamped in Altenew Lava Rock and Velvet on Recollections Vanilla.  The twine is from Target.

This cat paper is just too fun!  I love the wide variety of colours which make coordinating solid layers really easy.  The two flat twine bows were a challenge and lead to an inordinate amount of cursing.  I wanted to use flat bows in the event that this card will be mailed but the holes were a little to close together and smaller than was needed.  Once committed however, I stuck with it even though it probably would have been easier to just start over.  On top of it all, my broken, though jury-rigged, corner rounder punch finally gave up the ghost.  I'm surprised at how much I like the result given the angst endured.

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

Gisèle

Neighborly Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a sympathy card I crafted for a neighbor whose wife passed away last week.

The card base is Stampin' Up Soft Sky.  The printed/textured papers are of unknown origin layered with a gold of unknown origin and Recollections Black.  The sentiment is Verve Forever In Our Hearts stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Soft Sky.  The ribbon is of unknown origin.

My neighbor's wife was a lovely woman who'd had some significant health problems over the past few years.  He has a difficult time ahead.  I hope this card conveys the acute sympathy we feel for him and his family.

Gisèle

Another Modern Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Today's post is yet another sympathy card.

The card base is Recollections Vanilla.  The printed paper is BasicGrey Marjolaine layered on DCWV Cool Neutrals.  The sentiment is Verve Forever In Our Hearts stamped in Altenew Pure Graphite on Close To My Heart Colonial White and layered on more DCWV Cool Neutrals.  The embellishments are Teresa Collins Far and Away enamel dots.

This is another lovely piece of BasicGrey printed paper.  I love these 'splashed' flowers.  They're so simple but very effective.  The colours are also wonderful and I was happy I'd still had the DCWV Cool Neutral stack on my desk because it was so much easier to find a great solid to work with the paper.  I thought it would be more difficult to find embellishments but with all the different shades of blue in the printed paper, I was pleasantly surprised.

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

Gisèle

Happy Heart

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a wedding card I crafted for friends who are getting married next month.

The card base is Ruby Slippers Bazzill.  The image is Hero Arts Fancy Hearts stamped in Altenew Ruby Red on Recollections White and layered on a glittered silver of unknown origin, and more Ruby Slippers and Recollections White.  The sentiment is Verve Love Story stamped in Altenew Ruby Red on Recollections White and layered on more glittered silver.

I've had this stamp in my stash for eons but rarely use it because I find it challenging to place in a pleasing layout.  In this case, I used a square card base which made all the difference.  I didn't plan for a sentiment but then realized I'd had great success when I used this angled corner sentiment.  I'm so very happy with the result and I hope the happy couple are just as pleased.

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

Gisèle

Butterflies of Sympathy

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a sympathy card I crafted for a friend whose mother passed away.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The printed paper is Kaisercraft "Enchanted Garden" Fly.  The sentiment is Verve Forever In Our Hearts stamped in Stampin' Up Soft Suede on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Soft Suede.  The butterfly is Joy Crafts Vintage Flourishes 6003/0023 cut from a shimmery vanilla of unknown origin.

It's one thing to craft sympathy cards for my office stash but much more sentimental to craft one for a friend.  I was really drawn to this paper, loving the colours and style of the butterflies and all the glitter is perfect for my girlfriend even in sympathy.  This is a favourite sentiment for sympathy cards because it is so very heartfelt.

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

Gisèle

A Pink Floral Spray

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a birthday card that uses another favourite image.

The card base is The Paper Studio.  The image is Altenew Extra Special stamped in Versafine Onyx Black, and Altenew Pink Pearl, Rouge, Frayed Leaf and Forest Glades on Recollections White.  The image was cut with the coordinating die.  The sentiment is Verve Amazing Wishes stamped in Versafine Onyx Black.  The embellishments are Crafts rhinestone stickers.

Like Altenew's Frosted Garden set, this Extra Special stamp is a 'go to' set for any type of card I'm crafting.  It's another very easy set to use even though it's got quite a few pieces.  I chose to stamp in pink this time because of the color card base I selected.  It's worked great however in every colour I've used. I only added gems to the flowers but could easily have added them to the card base as well.

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

Gisèle

An Asian Trio

Hello everyone,

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

The card bases are Craft Smith.  The images are Stampin' Up Asian Artistry.

The flower card was stamped with StazOn Timber Brown on Recollections Vanilla and coloured with Faber-Castell watercolour pencil crayons.  The sentiment is Verve Amazing Wishes stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso on more Recollections Vanilla.  The image and sentiment are layered on a Groovy Guava banner.

The bird card was coloured with Stampin' Up watercolour crayons then stamped on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Stampin' Up Lucky Limeade.  The sentiment is Close To My Heart Word Puzzle stamped in Old Olive on more Recollections Vanilla.

The grass card was coloured with Stampin' Up watercolour crayons then stamped on Recollections Vanilla and layered on Stampin' Up Midnight Muse.  The sentiment is Kaisercraft Occasions stamped in Altenew Desert Night on Recollections Vanilla and layered on more Midnight Muse.  The embellishments are Close To My Heart Blue enamel dots.

This is a stamp set that I actually use fairly often because I love each of these images.  The flower colours beautifully and is very forgiving.  The bird and grass images are perfect for watercolour crayons.  I'm always really pleased with the results.

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

Gisèle

Flourished In Black And White

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a wonderfully flourished black and white thank you card.

The card base is DCWV Silky Smooth card base.  The printed paper is of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Verve Amazing Wishes and Stampin' Up Four Frames heat embossed is Stampin' Up White embossing powder.

This couldn't have been an easier card to craft.  I did trim the paper carefully so I had enough room to place the sentiment.  I think the contrast of the white on black sentiment against the black on white printed paper is really sharp.  Once again I debated adding embellishments but in the end, I don't think it was needed.

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

Gisèle

Teardrop Thank You

Hello everyone,

This very simple thank you card uses an amazing metal accent.

The card base is French Vanilla Bazzill.  The shimmery striped paper is of unknown origin layered on a shimmery copper also of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Verve Amazing Wishes stamped in Tsukineko Delicata Metals gold on a white of unknown origin.  The filigree teardrop metal embellishment is of unknown origin affixed to the card with an American Crafts Mini Earth Tones Elements brad.

This card is so simple, taking advantage of this phenomenal metal accent that I found at one of my favourite local scrapbooking stores - Crop A While.  I love how the pewter colour of the accent pops against the gold and copper.  The accent actually moves as I only used the brad to attach it to the card.  It was an even better result than I had in mind.

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

Gisèle

Wavy Thanks

Hello everyone,

Today's post is a bright and cheerful thank you card.

The card base is Close To My Heart Sunny Yellow.  The printed paper is of unknown origin layered on Close To My Heart Glacier and a white of unknown origin.  The sentiment is Verve Celebration of Thanks stamped in Versafine Onyx Black on a white of unknown origin and layered on more Glacier and Sunny Yellow.  The striped flower is of unknown origin.

This is a really happy card and so very different from yesterdays black/white/grey butterfly card.  I love the variety of colours in the wavy lines and could have used any number of coordinating colours.  I thought the striped fabric flower worked well even though the green colour isn't found on the printed paper.  I played with a number of paper punches for layers under the sentiment.

I hope you enjoy this card 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