Collages: Art for a Cause

If you've ever visited my blog before, you'll already be aware that I LOVE making collages, so when I saw this call for original collage art on Jennifer Wilkin Penick's Instagram account, of course I wanted to participate! If you'd like to take part, keep reading for details OR visit the first pinned post in the @jenniferwilkinpenick feed on Instagram!

This call, from the Arts and Humanities Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, invites artists to make a maximum of four collages, each measuring 4" square, created on sturdy backing paper and with all of the elements firmly attached. I chose to make my collages be "a set" of four, though of course you can make all of them different, or for that matter, you only need to make one!

My collages feature crocuses (appropriately for Spring!), vintage cars, green stamps, bits of road map, solitaire diagrams, deeply patina-ed text paper, and some absolutely ancient white text rub-on transfers.

This is the second call from the Arts and Humanities Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (AHP). Works submitted to by the deadline of April 20, 2025 will be included in an online “gallery” that will open on World Collage Day (May 10th) and will later be featured in a book that will be made available for purchase. Each original collage will be attached to a blank greeting card and made available to patients, caregivers, their families, and hospital staff. Works will not be sold nor returned to the artists. Please consult the appropriate post on Jennifer's account for details as to how to label your artwork and the address in Washington, DC to which it should be mailed. 

Peace on EARTH DAY

It's time for one of the Jingle Belles' favorite holidays (apart from Christmas, obviously!) which is: Earth Day!

Each year, our EARTH DAY prompt each year is all about RECYCLING, so we'd like you to create a holiday card that features re-cycled, re-used or up-cycled elements. We know you've got that stash of things that you saved because they were just too pretty to throw away: pretty packaging, old holiday cards and tags, etc etc; it's time to break them out and create with them! In the past we've used everything from Kleenex Boxes & Soda Cans to Gift Wrap and we *always* have a lot of fun making our own cards and admiring yours!

Here's how I recycled this time:

In December, we received an advertising mailer from a local bank that was about 5x9", made of sturdy cardstock, and bright teal with beautifully dimensional-looking snowflakes on it; so OF COURSE I saved it. Later that month, a second and third mailer arrived and I put those aside too. And here they are, trimmed down and paired with a plaid from Dare 2B Artzy's Snow Much Fun collection. I added strips of foil washi tape, the last two sentiment stickers in a pack bought circa 1998 (ok they may not be that old; but they're OLD!) plus some red metallic poinsettias and TA-DA! A pair of mini slimline greetings that I don't think anyone will know are partially composed of recycled advertising postcards.

JB2508: Peace on EARTH DAY will run until 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, April 23rd. Link your newly made holiday card(s) featuring at least one re-cycled, re-used or up-cycled element at Jingle Belles!

Happy Spring

The grass is getting greener, the flowers are starting to bloom... it must be Spring! Celebrate with a bright and beautiful card featuring Eyelet Outlet Chick Brads, brand new Tulip Brads, Bright Stitched Flowers, Heart Brads and a big, bold sentiment cut from Pink Dot Washi Tape!

Spring-Centric Shopping List:

Chick Brads

Tulip Brads

Bright Stitched Flowers

Heart Brads

Pink Dot Washi Tape

The Eyelet Outlet Online Store has fabulous embellishments for EVERY season!

SOS545: Hippity Hop

As you may have already guessed from the title, this fortnight at Shopping Our Stash we'd like to see cards that feature bunnies; but... we'd be happy to see chicks, as well. Oh and it can be an Easter card if you want; but... it doesn't have to be. Here's what I made:

I will pretty much take any excuse to break out my Avery Elle Feels Like Home stamps and add-on sets. They are several years old (and sadly out of print, sorry) but I still adore stamping and coloring (or paper-piecing) them and making a little scene of adorable reading critters. I love how just adding a soft patterned paper print at the top two-thirds of a circle, and a brown geometric at the bottom third, makes the whole thing instantly look like a room instead of just a background; almost as much as I love stamping the armchair with Ranger Jet Black Archival Ink on top of a piece of cardstock covered in Eyelet Outlet Strawberry Washi Tape. (I would seriously love to have such a chair in my home!) Please note that I have included a bunny, a chick and even A CARROT... but it's definitely not an Easter card. :)

SOS545: Hippity Hop runs until the evening of Monday, April 21st. Check out the fabulous cards the Crew have made to inspire you at Shopping Our Stash.

MM14: Fly High Mandala

I've now had three or four different Dina Wakley MEdia Journals from Ranger, and they're always my favorites because Dina actually IS an art journaler and thus knows what sizes, shapes and paper styles are going to be the best, the sturdiest and the most inspiring. The new Ledger Journal* is a reproduction of an authentic 1920s hardware store ledger (but with sturdier pages!) and is a lot of fun to work in. 

My first page in any new journal is nearly always a mandala and this is no exception. I used Dina's Fly High Stamps, Feather Chipboard Shapes and one of her fabulous Coaster Stencils to create this page. I also broke out my sadly neglected Gloss Sprays and remembered how much I enjoyed using those; though I often use them more like paints* than sprays (by dispensing a small amount into a palette and using a brush to apply) and that is mostly what I did this time, too. 

Oh yes, and before I started I randomly glued down some scraps of Gridded Collage Paper, drywall tape (from the big box home improvement store!) and a bit of the final remaining roll from my ancient, well-hoarded, original Dina Wakley Washi Set.

*The new Dina Ledger Journal seems to be out of stock at this precise moment, but there is a button on the product page you can click to be notified when it returns! In the meantime, you can add Dina's Typed Ledger Sheets to your existing journal OR try a Dylusions Ledger Journal or Square Ledger Journal with blank ledger pages as well as dots and grids 

*Apparently other folks do this, as well; there's a second line of Dina Wakely Gloss that comes with droppers instead of sprays!

Fun Folds... Mach Two

We're still making cards with Fun- or Fancy Folds at Shopping Our Stash and you're still invited to join the fun! So today I'm back with a card that's similar to, but different from, the one I posted last Tuesday.*

This card also features mostly 49 and Market papers, rub-ons and diecuts that are a couple of years old, from various collections, including Kaleidoscope, Vintage Artistry Sunburst, and Spectrum Gardenia and Spectrum Sherbet.

For the complete details and measurements of my Modified Z-Fold card design, visit my original Fun Folds post. SOS544: Fun Folds runs until the evening of Monday, April 7th; head over to Shopping Our Stash for all the challenge info!

*Because two family members who have occasions coming up both saw/loved the first card, and I am just not equipped for that level of Sophie's Choice decision-making! 

JB2507: Flat Feliz Navidad (week 2)

It's the second week of "Flat Feliz Navidad" at Jingle Belles so we are still making one-layer Christmas Cards; a feat which is more challenging for some (like ME!) than it is for others (like Stephanie, who is great at it). Here's what I made this week:

I'm currently a little obsessed with had Simon Hurley's create Sketched Snowmen stamp set and Simon's Dye Inks from Ranger. Luckily these were perfect for watercoloring the images and background. I embossed the snowmen and sentiment in black; then embossed the snowflakes in white; colored everything in... et voila! I confess that while I love how it came out, my natural instinct is still to make this a panel on a layered card with machine-stitching and maybe some brads; but I'm resisting. (For now!)

Head on over to Jingle Belles to see Stephanie's card and link your own Single Layer Masterpiece. JB2507: Flat Feliz Navidad runs until next Wednesday evening, April 9th.

Hop, Hop, Hop!

It's a Hippity, Hoppity, Happy Easter card featuring our adorable Rabbit Brads, White Daisies and the new Mini Butterfly Brads. Not to mention Wood Washi and the best Easter-themed item EVER (in Lauren's opinion) Carrot Tape!

Hippity Hoppity Shopping List:

Rabbit Brads

White Daisies

Mini Butterfly Brads

Wood Washi

Carrot Tape

The Eyelet Outlet Online Store has all of the Spring and Easter embellishments you could possibly wish for; and Trade Show season has begun, so check the schedule to find out when the EO Booth will be coming to your town!