i don't really *LIKE* them...

...but on the plus side, i made TWO! :)

cards, that is; for the current ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ prompt, peace on EARTH(DAY) for which we're making holiday greetings which incorporate a bit of re-using, re-cycling, re-purposing, or "rescue" of discarded items of some sort.

also, each card has TWO re-cycled elements: my very last scrap of lovely woodgrain giftwrap, AND a bit of denim from a discarded pair of jeans that i xyroned onto cardstock*... both of which have been diecut** using a nestie frame and my trusty tim holtz reindeer. then i managed to use nothing but paper scraps, some seriously ANCIENT florals, and a bit of fabric deco tape to trim them up. in fact, the only new/whole/entire thing used here is the 12x12 sheet of kraft patterned cardstock for the card bases.

(recycled: denim fabric and woodgrain giftwrap; patterned paper: tim holtz, + scraps ofbasic grey, pink paislee; florals: petaloo; velvet flower brads: marah johnson; floral fabric tape: romanticpink.com; ink: colorbox; pen: copic multiliner; adhesives: xyron, tombow monorunner) 

here are the things i LOVE about these cards: the denim, generally***; the woodgrain reindeer (!!!); the use of mostly non-holiday products on xmas cards; the combination of deep blue, hot pink, and kraft; and... ummmmmmmmmm... ok, no, that's about it.

...but... seriously, it's *enough*!

the great thing about the JB experience, making one card per week january through november, is that i get 48 shots to try out something BRAND NEW and potentially cool! sometimes i also love the finished product, but i think i actually quite like to have the occasional "meh" result, because it means that i'm straying out of my comfort zone and trying something *different*... which i think is absolutely vital for creative people. ok, no, let me amend that: i think it's absolutely vital for ALL people!

if you've been reading this blog for a while, you'll realize that i just spent an entire post waffling on about something bruce mau managed to sum up several years ago in just six words****, as point three of his incalculably valuable and inspiring "incomplete manifesto for growth". i think i'll just go read that again, actually!

ciao, darlings! ♥

*yes, i know, if i was more fabric savvy i'd use that fusible web stuff; but at some point in a fit of lazy desperation i discovered that for all but the heaviest fabric--and this is quite thin denim--if you just run a piece of heavy cardstock through the xyron and then smooth/burnish the fabric on there really well... it's FINE... and does not involve getting out the iron! score!!! :)
**for the record: the TH (sizzix/steel rule) die went thru the fabric/cardstock combo LIKE BUTTA with just one roll; the nestie needed 4-5 passes and i still had to snip the corner bits with scissors. 
***yeah... you'll be seeing THAT again!
****an imcomplete manifesto for growth, by bruce mau, point 3: PROCESS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN OUTCOME. (he's *RIGHT* you know!) :)