heavy metal holiday!

we're still rockin' the metallics at ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ and you still have loads of time to join us, which we hope you will! this week my card features silver and copper... not a combination i've tried before but i have to say i really like it:

idea-ology metallic cardstock background in silver, embossed with a sheena douglass e/f from the crafter's workshop; baubles handcut (using my own homemade templates) from strathmore watercolor paper painted with prussian blue colorburst; glitter copper tape, pearl brad and bling strips: eyelet outlet; copper embossing paste: dreamweaver; grey cardstock cardbase: bazzill; doily, lace and copper giftwrap from my stash; ink: colorbox; adhesives: elmers brand gluetape, 3m foam tape, sewing machine

i'm still fairly well smitten with the idea-ology kraftcore metallic cardstock, so this time i've used it as my background panel. a concept i was 100% happy with, until it came time for photographs. (...grrrrr...) because seriously, even when embossed and sanded, this stuff is *SHINY*! I'm still loving my gloriously dramatic prussian blue colorburst, as well, which i've painted onto watercolor paper and then later added copper accents in the form of embossing paste for the larger ornament and a diecut poinsettia on the smaller one. i've trimmed the baubles with eyelet outlet bling strip hangers, a pearl brad, and there's a bit of glitter copper tape peeking out in the background there, too.

this week i'm linking up with the paper players (PP372) who have a very very cool sketch ...that i rotated!

stephanie has a gorgeous card to show off... why not hop over to ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ and give yourself the treat of seeing that right now?!

stars and/or stripes (forever!)

ok, technically, it won't be quite forever, just till next wednesday night! but we are still celebrating holiday cards that feature stars or stripes or both at ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ and you still have time to join the fun, which we hope you will!

felt stickers: basic grey; chipboard stickers: my mind's eye; sentiment: simple stories; patterned paper: echo park, mme, simple stories; white glitter paper and ribbon: doodlebug; glossy white kromekote paper: the paper cut; adhesives: elmers brand gluetape, 3m foam tape, sewing machine

i went the "cute route" this week, having discovered a couple of basic grey dimensional felt stickers that i *think* may have been brought to this country on the mayflower, lol. ok, maybe they are not quite as old as that, but they're pretty old. still flippin' adorable though, and thanks to an awesome sketch (PP350) from the paper players i knew exactly how to use them!

stephanie also has an awesome card to show you this week, but then she always does, eh?! why not hop over to ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ and check it out!

more ombre, hombre!

we're still making holiday cards based on this gorgeous "rainbow ombre" inspiration photo at ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ so there's plenty of time for you to join in, and we hope you will!

here's what i made this week:

i added water to color burst pigment powders by ken oliver crafts and then used them to paint loads of circles on some strathmore watercolor paper, then outlined the circles with colorful sharpies and frixion pens; tattered snowflake die: tim holtz/sizzix; bling swirls and MEGA-bling brad: recollections; cardstock: coredinations; ink for edges: colorbox; adhesives: elmers brand gluetape, 3m foam tape, sewing machine

(if this background looks familiar it's because i test drove a similar idea in my sketchbook for one of the prompts in "30 days of watercolor"; this is why i never mind "wasting" time playing in a sketchbook or art journal and doing ICAD every year. the things we make that are NON-outcome-driven are quite different from what we make for assignments and whereas they don't usually translate quite so directly as this to a finished product, every once in a while they do, and it's very cool! but no matter what happens, "art play" is a great investment in future inspiration!)
♥♥♥

yep, i got out the color burst pigment powders again, this time i've used them to watercolor a background inspired by the luscious rainbow ombre tree in the photo. since it's quite a busy painting, i didn't add much in the way of embellishment, just a layered diecut snowflake. and plenty of bling. because bling is ALWAYS a good addition, lol!

there was some discussion here about which direction the card should face. jeff and i both liked it going horizontally, as in the photo above. my sister, though, felt very strongly that it should be placed vertically, as in the photo below. (and she was enthusiastic enough that this card miiiiiight just turn out to be hers at xmas time, so i've hedged my bets with the pics, lol!) :)

i'm linking up with the paper players' "xmas in july" challenge:

stephanie has also made a gorgeous card to inspire you, why not check that out at ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ right now?!

let's play...

...tic tac toe!!! and not just any tic-tac-toe, let's play ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ tic tac toe and make holiday cards that use three-inna-row from any row (or column, or diagonal) on the official board:

i chose the vertical column in the center. to wit: bling, diecuts, snow. is there anyone who's been on my blog more than once who is surprised that "bling" was my first choice? nobody??! well done, darlings! here's my card:

anna aspnes' snowy map overlay printed on an inkjet transparency; patterned paper: hambly, basic grey; vellum: glitz design; snowflake die: spellbinders; bling: recollections + heidi swapp; brad: american crafts; glossy white cardstock: paper accents; doily from my stash; adhesives: elmers brand gluetape, 3m foam tape, sewing machine

ok, yeah, it's BUSY... even for me, which is saying something lol. possibly even too busy, but a pretty good example of what happens when you force yourself to finish something when really, you're too tired. so why didn't i toss it and start over? i confess that when i first started making cards, i tended to get rid of the ones i didn't love. and then at some point i was forced, because of time constraints, to bestow card i reallllllllllly hated and was actually embarrassed by. and it turned out to be the person's favorite thing i'd ever made them! (??!?!?!) which blew my mind. but it just goes to show you that everyone's taste is different. so now my policy is: it's a handmade card... it's got interesting ingredients and unique features... it will brighten someone's day. in this case, i'd add the bonus elements that it fits the "tic tac toe" brief and it's a fair-n-square version of the paper players sketch (challenge #259). so there! :)

stephanie has chosen the top horizontal row (santa, bling, stamping) for her card this week, and the results, as always, are impressive. check it out, darlings! ♥