JB-23-03: Stuck On You

If you've already guessed that at Jingle Belles this fortnight we're celebrating that most basic --yet still highly crave-able-- of craft supplies (by which I mean STICKERS!) then you've got a head start and I'll get right to the part where I show off my card(s):

These adorable snowpersons and the cute sentiment strips came from the Elements sticker sheet in Photoplay's Christmas Cheer collection, which I got at Paper Anthology last fall. The dies from which the cute tabbed frames are cut (out of Ranger's Distress Woodgrain Cardstock) using a set of Elizabeth Craft Designs' Planner Essentials Dies that I special-ordered over a year ago, but somehow only just opened?? (Don't worry, I'll make up for it by over-using them now, lol!) The plaid paper is ancient October Afternoon, as is one of the washi tapes; the sheet music is from my stash of vintage and found papers; the Snowflake Brads are Eyelet Outlet.

I'm willing to bet you have at least a sticker or two in your crafty stash, so I'd love for you to dust those off and use them, then link up with us at Jingle Belles. Need a little more inspiration? Be sure to check out what Stephanie has made this week.

Brads of a Feather Flock Together

Eyelet Outlet Bluebird and Robin Brads are a fine addition to pretty much ANY card, but when teamed with a sweet set of birdhouse dies, cut from our Wood Washi they have literally found the perfect home. Sun and Cloud Brads set the scene, a bright blue Heart Enamel adds another pop of color and Script Tape makes an excellent mat.

This design could easily be adapted to make a lovely Valentine OR an anniversary greeting, and there are lots more embellishments perfect for either in the Eyelet Outlet Store.

Wendy Vecchi Rainbow Thank You Cards

We all need a few extra thank you cards at this time of year, so I've gotten out my rainbow of Archival Inks and Wendy Vecchi's Merci and More Stamp, Die and Stencil Set to make thank you cards that are bold, bright and beautiful. There's a step-by-step tutorial on the Ranger Project Page today and I'd love for you to hop over and check it out!

 

Let's Get the Gelly Rolling

When you consider their low price, ability to write on most surfaces, long-lastingness (let's pretend that's a word, lol) huge range of colors, styles and ink types, the "humble" Sakura Gelly Roll Pen is a bit of a treasure, really! I don't use my collection often enough, but here's a super-colorful Gelly Roll Mandala Monday:

Jingle, Jingle, Jingle

It's the second week of our "Christmas Bells" prompt at Jingle Belles and this one is extra special for me as this design is part of my very first Holiday Jumpstart Card Kit from Paper Anthology. I'll tell you more about that in a minute, but first, here's the card:

Admittedly, there's only one jingle bell in Creative Expressions' Jingle All the Way die, but the sentiment is also bell-related, so I feel good about my choice. I cut the centerpiece from silver metallic paper and backed it with a perfectly sized diecut oval (also in the die set) on which I've ink-blended Distress Oxides in Chipped Sapphire, Prize Ribbon and Salty Ocean. I added texture to the background with Taylored Expressions Sheet Music Embossing Folder, which I softly inked as well. A few accents of Liquid Pearls, and a seam binding bow complete the design.

So what's this Holiday Jumpstart Kit from Paper Anthology? It's basically everything you need (except ink and adhesive) to complete FIVE copies of the card above. To illustrate, I chose to make the five sample cards using five different colorways, and I've included the recipes for those in the kit, but you can make them all the same OR rock your own favorite shades. For that matter, this design will work with ANY combination of blendable dye or hybrid inks you love. In the kit, you'll get: 

• Five white A2 tent fold card bases; 
• Five white panels embossed with the Sheet Music design; 
• Five plain white ovals of nice sturdy cardstock to create your own blendy goodness; 
• Five silver metallic cardstock "Jingle All the Way" diecuts;  
• Enough white seam binding to create five bows; 
• Complete directions, product details and full color photos. 

These kits are available in-store and online at Paper Anthology. If you'd like a little bit of a (ahem sorry, gotta say the name again lol) Holiday Jumpstart, I hope you'll check them out.

Meanwhile, the "Christmas Bells" challenge runs at Jingle Belles until 6pm on Wednesday, 1/25/23, so I hope you'll go and see what loveliness Stephanie has created to inspire you!

Honey, Bee Mine

Puns and brads make the BEST Valentines, and if there are a few styles of Eyelet Outlet Washi Tape in there too, so much the better. This card features Bumble Bee Brads, Heart Brads, vertical Heart Tape and Love Washi, all of which adds up to a HONEY of a Valentine a cardmaker can BEE proud of!*

The Eyelet Outlet Store has lots more brads, tapes, sequins, bling and other embellishments to give your Valentines ...and ALL your papercrafting projects... your own unique style!

*apologies, but you know I can NEVER resist a diabolical pun!!!

♥♥♥

SOS488: Winter Fun

If you've already guessed that the new challenge at Shopping Our Stash involves incorporating any fun winter activity (skiing, skating, sledding, snowmen, snow angels, etc etc) into your card then WOOHOO, you're absolutely right, and here's what I made:

My favorite aspect of challenges is that they push me to go in directions I wouldn't necessarily have thought of. The downside of that is: sometimes I discover I somehow have literally NO products that will work for a specific topic. This was one of those times. HOW is that possible?? I own at least 57 Lawn Fawn stamp sets with critters doing every conceivable human activity. Except, as it turns out,  winter sports. Luckily, as I was cruising through my holiday papers to make a Jingle Belles card, I came across the remainder of Ciao Bella's Snow and the City collection from a couple of years ago, and I found this pretty ice skating girl, with coordinating tags and papers. I considered making a holiday card, but then I realized that while these items are definitely WINTERY, they aren't necessarily holiday themed. And since my cousin's birthday is coming up and I really needed to make her a card, I just went a bit wintery and snowy and feminine. The sentiment is from an ancient Paper Smooches stamp set, with a Tim Holtz sticker beneath. I found some really cool glittery, pebbley red paper in my stash and the red sheet music is older Simple Stories. This is an A7 card, which is slightly bumpy because of the seambinding bows, but I really like how it came out.

Be sure to check out all of the design team goodness at SOS and then start planning what you'll link for this "Winter Fun" challenge!