Hoppy Valentine's Day

Eyelet Outlet Frog Set Brads feature frogs (obviously) as well as cattails and waterlilies; everything you need to make a scene for Valentine's Day or any other "HOPPY" occasion. A pair of Mini Butterfly Brads have fluttered by to celebrate.

Hopping Shopping List:

Frog Set Brads 

Mini Butterfly Brads

Don't FROG-et to hop on over to the Eyelet Outlet Store for lots more fabulous brad styles!

Lauren Bergold

hopes your day is un-FROG-getable!

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SOS567: Bent Out of Shape

For the brand new challenge at Shopping Our Stash we'd like you to make a Shaped Card, by which we mean no squares or rectangles allowed. But round, oval, diamond, hexagonal or... my personal fave... CUPCAKE-SHAPED are all excellent choices!

I don't use my Stephanie Barnard Cupcake Fold-Its die set often enough, but to compensate, whenever it's out, I rarely stop at one cupcake-shaped card. This time I made a trio of treatos, in appropriately cupcakey colors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. I used scraps for all of the layers except the cardbases, for which you actually need 4.5 x 12" piece of sturdy cardstock.

SOS567: Bent Out of Shape runs until the evening of Monday, February 23rd. Be sure to check out all the fab shaped cards the Crew have made to inspire you at Shopping Our Stash!

MM06: Stencil Cleaning Background

When I'm using stencils and Ranger Archival Inks* I use alcohol wipes to clean the ink off the stencils. If my sketchbook or journal happens to be close at hand, I often turn to a blank page and wipe the ink off quite randomly onto the page. After a few repeats, depending on the colors and patterns, sometimes you have a random-but-interesting melange; sometimes you just have a grungy layer of more or less mud. Either way, your page is no longer blank. Occasionally, such a background might even turn out to be the start of something bizarrely cool, which is what happened here.

I had been using the three new Ranger Make-It Stencils (Bow Lattice, Peg Board and Sprinkle Hearts) with a palette of rainbow-inspired Archival Inks, so there are a lot of random shades. A few are the pure ink colors, but most are the mingling of two or more shades. I decided to draw a very loose mandala on top, and eventually instead of traditional petals I started adding swirls and flourishes and... tentacles? 

After all the shapes were on board I added doodles and some additional color. Feel free to hum along to Octopus' Garden... or any other silly, whimsical tune you like! I wish you a warm and colorful week! ♥

*This idea works with any type of ink, paint, spray or paste; but the heavier the consistency, the sturdier the journal or paper you use as the "clean up" page should be. Luckily, Dina Wakley's Mixed Media Watercolor Journal stands up to pretty much ANYTHING!

Here Fishy Fishy

Here's another collage I started last weekend when my friend Devon @futureperfect321 was here; I had made the background while we were together...

...then later I added the focal elements (fishies + cat) which I cut out from my friend Gina's @ginaisarty Clip Art Book.

I hope this weekend you'll get to hang out with friends, and/or make some art, and/or devour a delicious Thai takeaway! (Feel free to substitute your favorite people, activities and foodstuffs to create your own Perfect Day Scenario!)

Another Year Wiser

Ranger's new Make-It line of Stencils and Stamps, combine brilliantly with my favorite shades of Archival Ink, to totally streamline the cardmaking process. 

This card features the Bow Lattice Stencil applied in rainbow diagonals of Vibrant Fuchsia, Coastal Coral, Sun Dazed, Sea Grass, Aquamarine and Aubergine. Then the numerals from the Chic Birthday Photopolymer Stamp Set were added in the same colors, between the bows, for even more color and detail.

The sentiment, candle and tiny hearts were all stamped in Emboss It Clear Ink and embossed with Ranger White E/P; then covered with a nice bold coat of Aubergine Archival that was flicked with Isopropyl Alcohol to create a fun mottled effect that's duplicated on the background mat. The rose stamp is the only element that isn't included in the Chic Birthday Set; it's from the Wild Hearts Set and is embossed in Magenta Powder on scraps of Stark White Cardstock, then cut out and scattered around the card. 

Skinny green mats and a bit of wonky machine stitching complete the design of this colorful and exuberant birthday greeting!

Mid Century Modern Inspiration

At Jingle Belles we're still making cards inspired by this wonderfully intricate Mid Century Modern Holiday Decor photo and YOU are still invited to join the fun! 

Here's my card:

This week I chose to focus on that beautiful Christmas tree with its red, green and gold baubles and oversized star; which I recreated using Simon Hurley's Classic Christmas Tree Die Set from Spellbinders. I couldn't resist breaking out the woodgrain patterned paper again, and found another piece of so-old-I-can't-believe-I-have-it Daisy D's retro-inspired paper for the background.

JB2603: Mid Century Modern Christmas runs until the evening of next Wednesday, February 11th. Link your cards on the original post. 

Valentine Bouquet

Nothing says, "Happy Valentine's Day" quite as well as a classic bouquet of red roses. Unlike a real bouquet, Eyelet Outlet Rose Brads will last forever... and are much easier to fit into an envelope! A sweet Mini Ladybug Brad has arrived to investigate.

Bloomin' Beautiful Shopping List:

Rose Brads

Mini Ladybug Brads

Roses not your vibe? Visit the Eyelet Outlet Store for lots more Flower Brad Styles!

A Random Collage

Sometimes you just have to sit and cut up or tear pretty/interesting vintage papers and stamps and things, then quite randomly glue them together. If this activity happens to take place on a snow-free weekend, in the company of a fun artist friend like @futureperfect321 and you get to eat lots of yummy Thai food before or afterwards, so much the better!

On a side note, I was hoping to participate in #februllage2026 and I'm adoring all of the amazing creations people are posting to that thread. Maybe I'll get to jump in later this month...

New Stamps and Stencils (WOOHOO!)

I'm so excited to get my hands on Ranger's new line of Make-It Stamps and Stencils. There are (so far) three high-quality photopolymer stamp sets and three nice sturdy 6x8" stencils. The stencils are: Pegboard, Bow Lattice, and Sprinkle Hearts. The stamp sets are called: Chic Birthday, Charmed and Wild Hearts. I made some ATCs to test drive them.

I decided to make one ATC for each stamp set, without mixing them, so you could see that each set has more than enough images and sentiments to make a bunch of different projects. I did add some stenciled details in the backgrounds, though.

Here are the full sets; as you can see I barely scratched the surface, there are many ways to use each of them!

I did a rainbow version of each stencil so you could really see the patterns well. I love the size of these (6x8") as I often make A6 or A7 cards; and I have a couple of biggish art journals. But as you can see, the scale is still great for smaller items like ATCs. You could even add pattern to the front and back of an A2 card.

One of my favorite things on the "Cheers" ATC is the rounded panel under the martini. I made it by stenciling the Bow Lattice, moving it slightly and changing colors over and over; until I got a pattern that reminds me of funky "space age" 1960's Formica. 

Stay tuned for more ideas coming soon. In the meantime, be sure to check out the full line of Make-It items as well as all the inspiration on the @ranger_ink Instagram Page!

Sunshine Mandala

It's a bold and beautiful SUNSHINE Mandala Monday... on a library card; thus combining a bunch of my favorite things together in a conveniently portable 3x5" format.

Hope your week is off to a sunshiney start! ♥♥♥

In Winter...

...you have to paint your own flowers. So I did! In my Dina Wakley Watercolor Journal from Ranger. It's got really sturdy watercolor paper that has jusssssssst enough texture and stands up to watercolor, inks, glosses, pastes... basically anything you can throw, spray, scribble or brush onto it!

I smooshed some Simon Hurley Stellar Inks onto the craft sheet and used a waterbrush to paint swirls of pink and triangles of green; with a few splatters of both because I can never resist, lol! When the page was dry, I drew swirly rose(ish) shapes with a Letter It Fineliner and  et voila!

Wishing you a warm(ish) and wonderful day in which you get to take a little time out to play with your art supplies! ♥

Mid Century Modern Christmas

This fortnight at Jingle Belles we've got a fabulous photo inspiration based on this beautiful
Mid Century Modern Holiday Decor photo from Edward George. You don't necessarily have to embody the Mid/Mod vibe... but you can if you'd like to. Basically, you can take inspiration from ANY aspect(s) of the photo you like: the fun little Santas; the unique patterns and colors on the Christmas trees; the wealth of woodgrain; even the reindeer collection or the gold star on the top of the Christmas tree. Just make sure you tell us how you were inspired in your post.

Here's my card:

The first thing I noticed in the photo was alllllllllll of that beautiful blonde wood. The walls, the mantel, even the small glimpses of the floor and ceiling we can see at the edges of the picture are covered in it. And since one of the "niche" collections inside my massive papercrafting stash happens to be woodgrain papers, I was pretty sure I could find one (or as it turned out three) woodgrain papers that would/WOOD work! I also stumbled upon some *ancient* Daisy D's retro-themed holiday paper which I cut into little shapes with my Hero Arts Fancy Ornament Infinity Dies, surrounded by shimmering stars and a (woodgrain, of course!) sentiment.

JB2613: Mid Century Modern Christmas runs until the evening of Wednesday, February 11th.

There's GNOME One Like You

Eyelet Outlet Gnome Brads and Girl Gnome Brads are the perfect couple for Valentines, Anniversary cards or any other happy occasion you can imagine. This punny compound sentiment is stamped, with the key word of "Gnome" in letters diecut from Gnome Mushroom Butterfly Washi. Bright Fresh Flowers, Hearts and Mini Butterfly Brads complete this happy little scene.

Gnomish Shopping List:

Gnome Brads 2

Girl Gnome Brads 

Bright Fresh Flower Brads

Heart Brads

Mini Butterfly Brads

Gnome Mushroom Butterfly Washi

Visit the Eyelet Outlet Store for more brads, embellishments and inspiration! 

SOS566: Love Me Do

The theme this fortnight at Shopping Our Stash is Love, so we'd like you to make a love-themed project.  Here's my card:

I've got LOTS of hearts and lots of color and lots of love, as befits the occasion of my (grown up) niece who was born on Valentine's Day. Being a scrap-saver, I had plenty of small patterned paper pieces from which I could diecut hearts, then handcut two layers of wonky squares to complete my grid design. Believe it or not, the most difficult part of this card was choosing a sentiment die of the right size and shape, then finding a shade of cardstock that stood out well enough on top of All. That. Color!

SOS566: Love Me Do runs until the evening of Monday, February 12th.

Dina-Inspired Mandala Monday

I used some gloriously colorful Dina Wakley Collage Sparks from Ranger to create the first few rounds of my mandala (I diecut them into small circles and hearts) then added Fineliner and Posca petals. I cut away the edges of the page after the last round and added a large Collage Spark to the next page as a background. Finished off with a Typed Ledger sentiment attached with a staple.

I hope this Mandala Monday finds my East Coast friends not too burdened with snow and ice!!!

Thank You Bouquet Doodles

I love how many ways there are to use Wendy Vecchi's Thank You Bouquet 3D Emboss and Cut Folder and Stencil Bundle from Spellbinders. You can (as the name implies) easily emboss, cut AND stencil; but you can also choose to do any of those options alone, for a different look. This time I used just the stencils with Wendy's Ranger Archival Inks and then added wonky outlines with a Letter It Fineliner.

The MAKE ART Stay-tion is ideal for effortlessly lining up layering stencils; the magnets hold them securely so there's no need for tape. For even more precision, I use Wendy's Tip Tuesday trick of employing the magnetic Perfect Stamp Positioner if I want to place the design on a smaller or oddly shaped panel. (That wasn't needed this time, though.)

 

Speaking of lining up... when I started to assemble the card the design panel was centered on the lacy diecut mat, and the whole thing neatly lined up in the center of my 5.5" square card. Then I accidentally bumped my table and everything slid a bit. Recognizing a Bob-Ross-style "happy accident" when I see one, I attached the layers crookedly, instead!

If, like me, you're in the path of the massive snowstorm brewing up here in the Mid-Atlantic region, I wish you a sturdy shovel, a strong back and accumulations lower than expected!

Old and New (Week 2)

It's week two of our "Something Old... Something New" prompt at Jingle Belles and we hope you're enjoying it as much as we are. Just a reminder that we'd like to see holiday cards on which you combine an item or two that you've had in your craft stash for a bit; with something new that you received for the holidays... or shopped for yourself!

I've had this adorable Simon Says Stamp Gnome Die for a couple of years, and I cannot imagine how I've never used it before?! In a way, it's both old and new, but I'm counting it as my NEW this week; whereas everything else --papers, ribbon, label tab sticker, etc-- are not only OLD but were in my stash as either scraps or things that I had pre-cut (snowflakes) or pre-made (lattice tag) so this 5.5" square card came together very quickly!

JB2602: Something Old... Something New runs until the evening of Wednesday, January 28th. Hop over to Jingle Belles to see Stephanie's beautiful card and start planning what you'll link up with us this time!

Holiday Jumpstart: Very Very MERRY

CLICK HERE to visit the “Very Very MERRY” page in the Paper Anthology Etsy Shop!

Holiday Jumpstart: Very Very MERRY is Paper Anthology's newest holiday card kit, which features a retro-inspired greeting in traditional colors, plus lots of sweet floral touches.

Paper Anthology’s Holiday Jumpstart Card Kit is a pre-packaged kit that includes everything you need (except adhesive) to complete FIVE copies of this new original holiday card design. This edition is called “Very Very MERRY” because of the oversized sentiment.

We all love the IDEA of making holiday cards throughout the year, instead being overloaded in November and December; but sometimes it’s hard to be inspired during the “off-season”. That issue is solved by this pre-packaged kit, which features everything you need (except adhesive) to complete five copies of this original design. Also included are complete written instructions (not pictured, but included!) and a nice big photo for reference.

This kit contains everything you see here PLUS complete written instructions. Visit the “Very Very MERRY” page in the Paper Anthology Etsy Shop.

Hip Hip(po) Hooray!

Nothing puts more HAPPY into "Happy Valentine's Day" than a bunch of Eyelet Outlet Hippo Brads dancing joyously across a card! Some pink Heart Brads and a mat of Pink Dot Washi Tape add a touch of seasonal color to the design.

Happy Hippo Shopping List:

Hippo Brads

Heart Brads

Pink Dot Washi Tape

The Eyelet Outlet Store has all the brads and embellishments you need for Valentine's Day... and the rest of the year, as well!

Rainbow Mandala

It's a Many Splendored Mandala Monday, featuring lots of my favorite Tombow Dual Brush Pens, splashed (and sometimes gently brushed or blended) with my favorite chunky waterbrush for a fun watercolor effect! Because you can never have too many bright colors, imo... especially in JANUARY!!!

JB2602: Something Old... Something New

You've probably guessed from the title, "Something Old... Something New" that this fortnight at Jingle Belles we'd like to see holiday cards on which you combine an item or two that you've had in your craft stash for a bit; with something new that you received for the holidays... or shopped for yourself!

My NEW things consist of: lots of stickers from the Tim Holtz/Idea-ology Christmas Sticker Book I treated myself to; a brand new pack of EO Angel Brads that I got last summer, promptly lost and just now found again (yay!); and snowflakes diecut from very cool sticky-back felt that a friend gifted me. The OLD stuff is... everything else, lol; including: papers from Prima's Pretty Pale collection; doily scraps; gold glitter cardstock; and chipboard letter diecuts made from well-patina-ed vintage sheet music. The only downside to this card is that both my mom and my auntie have seen it and if I don't make second before December, there could be some trouble! ;)

JB2602: Something Old... Something New runs until the evening of Wednesday, January 28th. Hop over to Jingle Belles to see Stephanie's beautiful card and start planning what you'll link up with us this time!

Valentine ATCs

Eyelet Outlet Bacon, Egg and Toast Brads aren't just for breakfast anymore! Combine them with cute stamps and diabolical puns to make adorable Valentine themed Artist Trading Cards. Heart Washi and Tiny Heart Tape form the perfect seasonal background; Egg Brads, Bright Fresh Flowers and the Waffle from our Chicken and Waffles Set (the last three are on sale!) set the scene.

Handy Shopping List:

Bacon, Egg and Toast Brads

Egg Brads

Chicken and Waffles Brads

Bright Fresh Flower Brads

Heart Washi Tape 
Tiny Heart Washi Tape 

Check out all of the fabulous brads, tapes, bling, sequins and embellishments in the Eyelet Outlet Store!

SOS565: Out with the Old and in with the New

This might be one of the longest-ever titles for a challenge at Shopping Our Stash, but all we really want is for you to take some lovely OLD stash and pair it with something NEW you got over the holidays... or even something that you've had for a while but haven't used yet. Sound good? Here's what I made:

Stephanie, who knows how much I LOVE narwhals, gave me this super-duper-cuuuute Whimsy Stamps' Be Unique Stamp Set which has not one, not two, but three adorable narwhals; plus a tail and a bunch of great sentiments... which I didn't use this time, lol. I colored them with my Tombows and paired them with faux polaroids, alphabet stickers and cardstock buttons from Echo Park's Sweet Day collection, circa ten-or-so years ago? (Not sure exactly how old it is but it's OLD!) I added a plaid background from Photoplay and some yellow cardstock accents and called it good. 

SOS565: Out with the Old and in with the New runs until Monday evening, January 26th. Hop over to Shopping Our Stash and join the fun!

The Highlight(ers) of Mandala Monday

It's a soft and dreamy Mandala Monday thanks to these really fun double-sided pastel highlighters my mom found at the big box store. Gotta love it when an inexpensive art supply turns out to be fairly awesome, right?! 

Songbirds

It's my first art journal page of 2026, featuring my friend Gina's unique and colorful illustrations, fussycut from the fabulous Gina Is Arty Clipart Book, which she released this past Fall. There's a flip-through pinned to the top of her @ginaisarty profile if you'd like to see ALL the pages.

The sweet birds, the colorful tags and the gorgeously grungy heart are all from Gina's book. The Ledger Journal and the Typed Ledger quote are from Dina Wakley MEdia and are available on the @ranger_ink website. The rest of the items are from my embarrassingly large stash of collage goodies, including sheet music, an old Chinese astrology calendar, some washi tape, and gorgeous Big Dollar Trading Stamps that Stephanie found and gifted to me.

Here's a photo of the book, available on Amazon!

I hope you'll find some time this weekend to make something just for yourself! ♥

Wrap Artists

It's the second week of our "No Time Like the Presents" prompt at Jingle Belles, so Stephanie and I are still making cards using bits of leftover holiday wrapping paper and tags. You could make one, too, link up with us, and have a chance at a sweet little prize!

Here's my card:

I've got TWO styles of carefully-saved giftwrap here (the pink snowflake paper and the white snowflake paper in the background); plus the white tag with the pink tree was on one of my presents. (Pink Christmas runs in my family, lol!!!) I added some (ancient) KI Memories lasercut snowflake paper, and lots more tags and stickers to make a little collage on my 5.5" square card.

Hop over to Jingle Belles to link your giftwrap-inclusive cards and check out the inspiring Readers' Gallery. JB2601: No Time Like the Presents runs until 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, January 14th.

Forever in Your Heart

The loss of a beloved family pet truly is like no other; our four-legged friends leave their paw prints on our hearts. Here is a pet sympathy card featuring Eyelet Outlet Kennel Mix and Heart Brads, as well as Paw Print Brads and Washi Tape.

Shopping List:

Kennel Mix Brads

Heart Brads

Paw Print Brads

Paw Print Washi Tape

Visit the Eyelet Outlet Store to see our full selection of brads, tape, bling, enamels, sequins and more!

Perfect Pearls Winter Cheer Card

Ranger's Perfect Pearls add magical shimmer and shine to any project, whether used wet or dry. Hop over to the Ranger Tutorials Page and follow along as I mix them with water to create pearlescent watercolor effects on this sweet and snowy winter cheer card.

First Mandala Monday of 2026

I'm making a POINT(settia) this Mandala Monday, with an extra-vivid, poinsettia mandala in my sketchbook. Made with Tombow Dualbrush pens and Letter It Fineliners. I hope your first full week of 2026 is off to a good start!

Let's TACO 'bout Ornaments

The last few years I've made some sort of holiday ornament for my nieces and nephew; usually crocheted... often an amigurumi food. In a good year, I make a bunch and other folks get them too; but this year was a bit of a limited edition:

This "Happy Lil Taco" pattern came from The Knotty Boss, but it's an older pattern and I can not seem to find a link to it. 

Here are some happy Taco Lovers (& their Abuela; aka my mom) showing off their Happy Lil Tacos.

I used Lion Brand's Vanna's Choice yarn in Mustard and Chocolate (a combination that works beautifully as colors but probably NOT as foods, lol) with several different shades of red and green for the lettuce and tomatoes, because I had leftover balls of yarn to use up.

Just in case you're thinking that Taco Ornaments are utterly bizarre and unprecedented, here's proof from my last trip to Wegman's that they are, in fact, perfectly on trend! :) :) :)