Golden Reindeer

Hello everyone,

This card is inspired by today's Allsorts challenge which is gold, cream with a hint of red. I found today's Card Patterns sketch an inspiring jumping-off point.

The card base is Recollections pearlized gold. The red layers are Stampin' Up Cherry Cobbler. The gold layers are Recollections gold foil which are textured with Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland. The image, stamped on Stampin' Up Very Vanilla, is Inkadinkado Holiday Silhouettes in Color Box Gold and heat embossed in clear embossing powder. The embellishments are from Multicrafts.

I'm quite impressed with this card. I love the pearlized gold card base as it adds a wonderful elegance to the card. I find this set of Inkadinkado stamps gorgeous as they beautifully incorporate great Christmas symbols.

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

Gisèle

More Clean & Simple Holly

Hello everyone,

I so loved yesterday's card that when I looked at today's Clean & Simple Stamping one layer sketch, I decided I would use the same coloured holly images on this card.

The card base is from Recollections. The images are Annabelle Stamps Holly Branch stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso, heat embossed with clear embossing powder and coloured with Sakura Gelly Roll Gold Shadow pens. The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Christmas Expressions.

I love this card as much as I love the card I made yesterday. I think the holly images have turned out so beautifully that I suspect you'll see a few more of them on my cards over the next few weeks.

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

Gisèle

Clean & Simple Holly

Hello everyone,

This must be the week for clean and simple cards because I came across three during my recent blog surfing. Last Friday's Clean & Simple Stamping provided a great sketch. Both Wednesday's Fab 'n Funky and Thursday's CCEE - Cheers & Challenges Eclectic Ensemble asked for clean and simple cards. Wednesday's Color Throwdown was looking for cards with vanilla, Riding Hood Red and Certainly Celery.


The card base is Recollections vanilla. The remaining papers are Stampin' Up Riding Hood Red, Certainly Celery and Very Vanilla. The red strip was textured with a Cuttlebug Winter Wonderland dry embossing folder. The green squares were cut with Spellbinders Nestabilities Classic Small Squares. The images are Annabelle Stamps Holly Branch, stamped in Stampin' Up Early Espresso and heat embossed with clear embossing powder and coloured with Sakura Gelly Roll Gold Shadow pens. The sentiment is Cornish Heritage Farms Christmas Expressions. The embellishments are Multicrafts Keepsake Memories.

I love this card. Notwithstanding the beautiful holly image, I love the sketch and the colours. Everything works so well together. It is simple and warm. I think I could recreate this card over and over and not tire of it.

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

Gisèle

Vintage Holly

Hello everyone,

Today's card is another all about vintage. I used Monday's Lunchtime Sketch as a starting point and was really inspired to keep it vintage to meet last Thursday's Charisma Cardz challenge.

The background paper is by Anna Griffin as are the two papers in the middle layer. The element on the left was textured with Cuttlebug's Holly dry embossing folder. The image is Annabelle Holly Branch which is stamped is Color Box gold and heat embossed with Close To My Heart gold embossing powder. The sentiment, treated just like the image, is Cornish Heritage Farms Vintage Christmas Expressions. The embellishments are American Crafts mini glitter brads.

I've come across some really nice vintage Christmas papers and stamps in the last while and have been very inspired by the feelings invoked by old Christmas cards and decorations. They just are not made that way any more. I think this is a great vintage card and am so pleased with the results. Holly will always be a favourite holiday image and I love the warmth of this card with just that little sprinkling of gold.

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

Gisèle

Frosty

Hello everyone,

Today's card fulfills a multitude of great challenges. I had only planned to use three challenges but when I looked over my list, it worked for a bunch of challenges. The latest ABC Christmas Challenge is 'V' for vertical with a great sketch to follow. Today's Artful Inkables is a blue, silver and white card. Today's Cards for Men is an anything goes challenge as long as it is for a man. The Flourish Timeless Tuesday Challenge was to embellish with anything but buttons or bows. Papertake Weekly is looking for sparkly and bright. Finally, this week's Tuesday Throwdown was to focus on a sentiment. Whew! I'm glad I didn't plan for all of these otherwise a card likely wouldn't have happened.

The background paper is DCWV Pastels card stock. The navy layer is of unknown origin from the stash, likely Recollections. The silver paper is Recollections and is textured with the Sizzix Ornaments plate. The white strips are Stampin' Up Whisper White textured with Sizzix Small Dots. The ribbons are from Michaels, Celebrate It Holiday and Home & More Classic Collection. The sentiment is Close To My Heart Magical Season stamped in Nick Bantock Charcoal Grey and heat embossed with Silver Pearl. The sentiment was cut and layered with the Spellbinders Labels Three die. The embellishments are Close To My Heart Licorice Opaques.

I love, love, love this card. The blue, silver and white is a favourite colour combination and perfect for a man-card. I was tempted to add some silver Stickles but I figured that would move the card away from manly and I really wanted to craft a card that I could pass along to a male colleague. There is enough sparkle in the ribbon.

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

Gisèle

Blinged Holly

Hello everyone,

Thursday's Pals Paper Arts challenge, a clean and simple card with bling, was right up my ally. I knew I would make a card. Low and behold, some new stamps arrived in the mail today and my Pals Paper Arts card almost make itself.

The card base is from Recollections. The image is Heartfelt Creations Elegant Holly Swirls. The image was coloured with Sakura Glaze pens and highlighted with Sakura Gelly Roll Gold pens. The sentiment is Close To My Heart Christmas Scripts. The embellishments are Close To My Heart Bitty Sparkles.

I love this card. Holly is one of my favourite holiday images and I find this new stamps especially appealing. They are designed to work with specific Spellbinders dies. I can't wait to play with them and see what happens.

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

Gisèle

Silver Trees

Hello everyone,

I just hate it when I misplace a challenge. Every day I go through a number of blog challenges and when I find a particularly appealing one, I put it on my list. Every once in a while though, I miss something or start a card without posting it. Today's card started as a green and silver challenge one day last week. I can't remember which blog and when I went looking, I just couldn't find it. I still loved the idea though and the card still fits any number of challenges, including, today's Paper Players recipe challenge (one designer paper, one punch and one sentiment), Friday's Frosted Designs challenge was to use die cuts, the Fussy and Fancy Friday Challenge was winter wonderland and the Paper Garden Projects is looking for holiday cards.

The background paper (perfect for a green and silver challenge) is from the dollar store. The trees in Canford Silver and Stampin' Up Whisper White, were cut with Spellbinders Shapeabilities Nested Pine Trees and textured with Cuttlebug's Winter Wonderland. The ribbon is Shimmering Crystal from Michael's. The sentiment is Close To My Heart Christmas Scripts. The entire card is highlighted with silver Stickles.

I love this card. It is so cool and fresh, the photo really doesn't do it justice. I'm really glad I went ahead with this card even though I misplaced the original challenge. With so many challenges each day, it will always be tough to keep track of them all. There will always be a new and appealing challenge tomorrow.

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

Gisèle