Monday, October 3, 2011

For the pleasure of sharing/Le plaisir de partager

After numerous changes, most importantly a change in location, it seems like a good idea to share a few of my most recent projects. Some of them are related to moving and all that is related: saying thank-you, gift-giving and friendship cards. Others are more of a special occasion variety...wedding and birthday.

Après des changements importants, notammement un déménagement, ça fait un moment depuis j'ai eu le temps de créer des projets ou mettre le blog à jour. Mais, j'aimerais quand même partager quelques projets récents qui sont où associé avec le déménagement où avec des occasions comme une anniversaire ou un mariage.

To begin, here is one of my favourites, for a friend getting married just this last weekend. I always love white-on-white and for a wedding it seemed doubly appropriate. The Bravo Burgandy ink and ribbon matches the official wedding colours almost exactly. To add a bit more elegance, I heat-embossed in white using the Very Vintage roller. Sometimes simple is the most beautiful.

Pour commencer, voici une de mes cartes préférées. Je l'ai fait pour un mariage qui a eu lieu ce weekend dernier. J'aime travailler blanc sur blanc, surtout pour les mariages. La couleur Bordeaux Bravo est exactement la même coulour que la mariée a choisi pour ses couleurs du mariage, alors je ne peux pas manquer en utilisant de l'encre et du ruban pareil. Pour rajouter un peu d'élégance, j'ai embossé avec de la poudre blanc. Le roue maxi est Very Vintage. Simple, mais jolie.Isn't it always nice to receive a new shipment of materials! I had my eye on the DSP (Chroniques botaniques) in the Mini Catalogue that just ended in September for quite some time and I was pretty disappointed that it wasn't continued in the new catalogue. So just before the end of the month, I snapped it up. The very same day that I got my box of goodies, I cracked it open so I could make this next card. I'm looking forward to grabbing the lovely stamp set that goes with this paper and go on a "Nature Walk!"

C'est fabuleux de recevoir des nouveaux fournitures, n'est-ce pas?! Pendant longtemps, j'ai voulu le DSP (Chroniques botaniques) qui était dans le Mini Catalogue jusqu'au fin septembre. Le jour qu'il est arrivé j'ai ouvert le carton en toute vitesse et crée cette carte juste pour le pur plaisir! J'attends avoir le set de stamp qui l'accompagne: Nature Walk.

Bon, j'ai le bon intention de faire plus de projets prochainement--ET de les mettre sur le blog pour votre plaisir et si j'ose, votre inspiration. Alors...à bientôt!

Well, I have every intention of getting busy making a few more things very soon--AND putting them up for you to see and enjoy. So...see you soon!

-Mer

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Flowering Spring

I haven't posted many cards lately, but I have been busy with them. I just often forget to take pictures. Or they were quick creations that get stuck in an envelope before a picture can get snapped, and then I think "Oops! I licked that envelope stuck too fast!"

But lately, I've slowed down long enough to drag the camera out, so I thought I'd show you a couple of my favourites.

This first one uses the masking technique. I haven't done much with this technique before, but I was extremely pleased with the results. Not only are these two of my favourite colours together (Perfect Plum and So Safron from SU!), but it uses the wonderful stamp set Greenhouse Garden.
Ah...I could look at that card all day, except that it is destined for a lovely new friend who spent the day showing me how to make bread with leaven. So a picture will have to do.

Here is one I just finished today. A lovely spring fling. A birthday card for a girl in love with blue. I got the surprising colour combination from an old Stamping 411 Colour Inspiration (thank goodness for old posts which pick you up when you need creative incentive!) which I picked because it included blue. When I looked at all the other colours, I wasn't sure how I was going to do it, but little by little it took shape. I think I may just do another one like this, I loved it so much. There is nothing like that lovely little Boho Blossoms punch!I also tried my hand with one of those little crumpled roses using the scallop punch in all the flower colours (Rich Razzleberry, Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight DSP). I only had ink in Pumpkin Pie and Daffodil Delight, so paper was the key with this one! I really love how bright this card is, and I'm sure that it will please the lovely birthday lady too!

Lastly is a card for my little niece. Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose and Perfect Plum...must be for a princess! I do hope that she'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it for her.
Isn't this one a cutey? And here's a little peek inside. It's always fun to dress up the inside a little bit too! Hope you've enjoyed these latest creations. Cheers!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Quick Little Guy

Here is another one of my favourites. Actually, I think every card becomes my new favourite when I do it! The time in the limelight is fleeting though, since there is usually another card which follows close on its heels.
I made this one twice actually, birthdays often come in groups. Just love the little owls, but waiting for the owl punch which isn't available here at the moment. All you lucky ducks in North America, remember to count your blessings!

Anyway, this was a good excuse to use up some old paper and ribbon and try out some new stamps. Turned out well for a guy card...sometimes I find those hard to do. Cheers!

Thinking Spring?


Last night I was browsing on Utah Divas International's website and their entry for Tuesday's challenge was "Think Spring". That made me kind of laugh because here in France we've really not had winter at all this year...which is wonderful, scary and sad. Wonderful because we've been able to get out and do stuff outside quite comfortably--and not drive around in snowy conditions. Scary because the spring months could be quite wet. Everyone here says we'll pay for the mild temperatures yet! And sad because snow is actually good for some things (snowshoeing, skiing, making snow angels) and we haven't been able to do those things.

Of course, this week is rainy and overcast, there are not any flowers to speak of yet and the farmers aren't seeding the fields quite yet. SOooo...I guess you could say that a little boost of spring thinking will do even me a bit of good!


I loved the colours for the challenge and it was the perfect excuse to try out some of my new stamps from the Sale-a-bration that I hadn't quite got to yet...Sweet Summer. Hmmm...perhaps there is a seasons theme here? Well let's get to some pictures!

The card is simple, but bright. I suppose I could have added more, but sometimes, less is more.

I was excited to use a chocolate chip base that has been folded and waiting around to be loved for a while now. I am sure he had lost all hope. Not any longer. The inside flap gives this a different look from many of my other cards.

That Melon Mambo is a fun colour isn't it? Coupled with Certainly Celery and you can't go wrong. Thanks to everyone over at UDI. This is the first challenge I've done there, but it probably won't be the last. I had fun with this!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

D'autres projets...enfin

En regardant mon blog, on dirait que je n'ai rien fait depuis Noël au niveau des cartes. Mais en fait, c'est plutôt que j'ai fait plus que jamais...et par conséquence je n'ai pas eu le temps de les poster! Bon, je vais vous montrer quelques unes toutes en même temps. Allons-y!

Looking at my blog posts, you would think that I haven't been crafting since Christmas! But in fact, the opposite is true. I've been doing so much crafting that all of my spare time has been filled with that...and not with blogging. So I decided to let you have a peek at a few of the cards I've done in the last little while. Let's go!
Cette carte est la plus récente, faite pour des amis cette semaine. J'aime beaucoup la combinaison des couleurs...elles me font penser au printemps. Je me suis donnée seulement une demi heure de la réaliser...et j'ai fait. Pas mal pour moi qui souvent me mets du temps pour créer quelque chose ou trouver une idée.

Cette deuxième était une carte que j'ai fait avec un groupe en atelier. Une carte pour fêter St. Valentine...toute en rouge et rose. J'aime bien embosser, et ça se voit avec cette carte.

This was a card I created to present at a workshop with a lovely group of ladies...and their daughters. We had fun creating this card...especially as each one personalized their own card in a particular way.
Here I combined the old and the new with some stamps from my favourite retired collection (Carte Postale) and the punch Potpourri. I had some trouble deciding whether to leave the bow on. Perhaps if I was to do it again, there would be no bow...it seems a little busy to me.

Here's another view to show off the embossing a little better. If you look carefully, you may notice that the design under the heart is also embossed.










Then comes another Valentine's project...this time for my mom and dad. (Hopefully they receive their package before she sees the card here!) With this card, I was experimenting with my new bird punch from SU! I do enjoy it. I took the colour inspiration from a tea towel I have around the house...which explains the green surprise on an otherwise red-and-white theme. Just love the cherry cobbler colour...so great for Valentine's day!

Voilà une petite carte...ma première expérimentation avec la perforatrice oiseau. J'étais inspirer d'utiliser rouge et blanc--avec un peu de vert--en regardant un torchon dans ma maison. Violà pourquoi il y a une petite tache de Wasabi Insoumis. C'est peut-être un peu surprenant, mais c'est une belle surprise! Alors...n'oublions pas de regarder autours de nous pour l'inspiration de créer!

Voilà une de mes préférées! J'aime ces deux couleurs ensembles...Tellement Safran et prune parfaite. Merci à ma mère qui m'a donné l'inspiration d'essayer cela. Maman a le même tampon et elle ma fait un carte pour mon anniversaire un peu dans le même style...mais avec des couleurs différentes. J'ai reçu ce tampon pour un cadeau de Noël, mais jusqu'au ce moment là, je n'avais pas trop utilisé (ce n'est pas exactement un tampon de Noël!). Avec ce projet, j'ai tombé amoureuse de ce set et vous allez le voir encore dans l'avenir, c'est certain!

Here is one of my favourites...especially 'cause it came uses two of my favourite colours together AND because of the subtle-but-present sparkly grass. Thanks to mom for the inspiration and to my sister-in-law for the stamp set.

Here you'll see the first card I made with this stamp set, "Inspired by Nature", my mom's birthday card. Perhaps this is one of the most complicated cards of late...I tend to stick to simple designs. But this one was created to reflect the intricate and amazing woman that my mother is...so it was decorated on every surface! To the right you'll see the inside flap which is normally folded in under the front face of the card.

Voici la carte que j'ai offert à ma mère pour son anniversaire. Vous voyez que c'est encore avec Prune Parfaite...pas de coïncidence...le nom dit tout! Cette carte était un œuvre d'amour pour une personne très importante dans ma vie. J'ai essayé de faire une carte qui montre toute la beauté de la personnalité de ma mère. Peut-être j'ai réussi...

Voilà! Quelques projets pour vous inspirer de continuer à vous exprimer votre propre créativité. Continuez bien!

Well there you have it. A few little projects to encourage your creativity to keep blooming! I'd love your comments if you'd like to leave some!

Pour le plaisir d'un défi...

Voici un petit projet que j'ai réalisé pour un défi récemment. Il s'exigeait d'inclure uniquement trois couleurs: vanille, fruits des bois et soft suede. Trois de mes couleurs de Stampin' Up! préférées, alors j'étais "obligée" de participer. Je suis contente avec le résultat. Mais la grande question est: Qu'est que vous en pensez?
Here is a card that I made to participate in a little challenge that required the use of three Stampin' Up! colours: Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry, and Very Vanilla. As these were three of my very favourite colours, I couldn't help but participate...just for the fun! Well, what do you think of my little creation?

Then, as I was looking at Stampin' 411's challenge for this weekend, I thought, "Hmmm...I think I unwittingly qualified for theirs as well. The layout is just turned on its side! So, here it goes!