JB2620: The Stockings Were Hung

If you've already guessed that this fortnight at Jingle Belles we want to see cards which feature Christmas Stockings, then HOORAY you're right! If you're feeling ambitious, you could make a stocking-shaped card, for which we've found you some fun templates. But I elected to go with a journal card that has a stocking on it... and then I collaged lots of fun stuff around it. See?

That's an Authentique journal card from a year or two ago, and as soon as I saw it in my journal card stash, I was already pulling the colors and the vibes out for a little collage. I've got some nicely patina-ed sheet music; a page from an old Ideals Christmas magazine plus some poinsettias from another page (backed with cardstock and adorned with Sunflower Stickles in the centers); some text paper; a little border strip with the days of the week; a Graphic 45 sentiment; some miscellaneous holiday washi and a few super-skinny red mats. 

JB2620: The Stockings Were Hung runs until 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, October 7th. Visit Jingle Belles today to see Stephanie's inspiring card; then start planning your own Stocking-centric masterpiece!

Happy (Almost) Labor Day

Tomorrow is Labor Day here in the US, so this seemed like the perfect time to continue playing with my new Make-It Americana Stamp Set. Old Glory Red and Old Glory Blue are two brand new shades of Ranger Archival Ink and they really live up to their name. I used them with the Stars and Stripes Stencil and the Fireworks Stencil; then cut the larger panels I made into 1" squares and pieced them together into a fun tiled pattern. I had intended to fill the entire crimson square, but after I had completed these three rows (I started in the center and worked outward to get the spacing right) I really liked the look, so I stopped. It's hard to see in the photo, but I've added Christmas Red and True Blue Stickles from the new Liberty Kit to basically all of the red and blue inked bits, so IRL, it's quite sparkly.

Whether you're traveling this weekend, hosting a barbeque, or just chilling at home, I wish you a safe and happy Labor Dar Weekend!

More Make-It Americana

Here's another card I made with Ranger's new Americana collection, part of their Make-It line of affordable, practical, absolutely fabulous stamps, stencils and accessories.

This card has a background made with Old Glory Blue Archival Ink and the Stars half of the Stars and Stripes Stencil. I diecut a heart on which there are multiple layers of the Fireworks Stencil: Old Glory Blue, Old Glory Red and Beachcruiser to be precise. 

I added dots of the appropriately named Firecracker, White Opal and Blue Velvet Liquid Pearls to the centers of the fireworks and adorned it with stamped balloons and sentiment from the Americana Stamp Set.

All of these new red, white and blue products are in the Ranger Store now, just waiting for you to try them out in your next papercrafting project!

New! Make-It Americana-Inspired Collection from Ranger

The newest collection from Ranger's Make-It line of stencils, stamps and accessories is quite literally celebrating the Red, White and Blue! There are two gorgeous stencils (Stars & Stripes and Fireworks); a perfectly patriotic stamp set called Americana; brand new Freedom Stickles (packed as a trio with old favorites Christmas Red and True Blue called Liberty); plus two brand new Archival Ink shades (Old Glory Blue and Old Glory Red) packed in a set of mini ink pads with Shadow Grey and Jet Black called American Made; and finally the ultimate set of coordinating Liquid Pearls: Old Glory which includes Firecracker, White Opal and Blue Velvet. 

For my first card, I've used a little bit of everything except the Liquid Pearls. A diecut heart filled in with the Stars stencil and some Old Glory Blue sits atop a small panel of the Stripes stencil in Old Glory Red. I stamped the hat twice: one in Old Glory Blue and Once in Old Glory Red, then cut the red part out and mounted it on top of the blue. The hat is worn by the handsome eagle who is stamped in Dark Roast Archival. The sentiment was placed directly on the stripes, and the whole thing is backed by a panel of Fireworks stenciled half in OG Blue and half in OG Red, then painted with Christmas Red and True Blue Stickles.

Lightly inked edges, colored pencil detailing, machine stitching and an A6 kraft cardbase complete the design.

All of these new Make-It products are available in the Ranger Store... you should probably check them out, ASAP!

Flowery Bags Are My Bag, Baby!

I have always loved elaborate giftwrapping, stencils and inks... so here's a post that combines all of the above:

I used an ancient hollyhocks stencil on an 8 x10"(ish) white gift bag from the big box store. I applied Simon Hurley's pale pink Rosy Cheeks dye ink from Ranger to the entire flower and blended some darker pink Prom Queen into the centers. 

To make the flowers stand out more prominently, I put a soft shadow to the righthand side of each stalk with a medium grey brushmarker, then added messy outlines with a Letter It Fineliner. Sunflower Stickles centers and a scattering of Eyelet Outlet Clear Jewel Bling; because let's face it, a little bling is almost ALWAYS a good idea!

Pink ribbon, white tulle, a sparkly butterfly and a card with a coordinating envelope complete this Mother's Day gift bag design.

Wild for You

Who says Valentines have to be composed of any particular palette? Not me! This one is WILD-ly full of color (via Archival Inks); sparkle (using Stickles Glitter Glue); and pattern (thanks to Simon Hurley create. Stencils)! Read the step-by-step method I used on the Ranger Tutorials Page!

Dylusions Reusable Nesting Gift Boxes

One of my favorite ways to stretch my supplies (and my budget!) is making my own "fancy" gift bags and boxes. It's a lot of fun, and let's face it, I already have ALL the ingredients, because papercrafting supplies are ideal for gift wrapping, too. Today I'm up on the Ranger Project Tutorials Page, using Archival Inks, Stickles and Liquid Pearls to adorn a set of three Dylusions Nesting Boxes. I'd love for you to check it out!

Stickles Autumn Sparkle Card

Autumn is a season full of color and drama, but alas, not much sparkle... except, as in this case, in card form! Head on over to the Ranger Project Tutorials Page and follow along as I combine Stickles Glitter Glue and Archival Inks in lots of lovely fall shades to make...  

...this vibrant fall greeting!

Spring Stickles Card

Stickles Glitter Glue is the perfect way to add the twinkle and dimension of glitter to your projects; and glitter-phobes need not worry about shedding or mess! I'm up on the Ranger Project Tutorials Page with the step-by-step process in which I use multiple shades of Stickles (there are over 50 different colors!) in several ways (painting with them; using them dimensionally and making dew drops). 

See how I went from this...

...to this...

and find direct links to all of the papers, inks and stamps I used, 

on the Ranger Project Tutorials Page!

All That Glitters...

...doesn't necessarily show up well in a photograph. Case in point: this card, made for our Glitter Me Happy challenge at Shopping Our Stash, has three different shades of Stickles Glitter Glue on the watercolored flowers and foliage, plus a mat of salmon pink glitter paper. Can you tell that from the pic? Nope! It's still a pretty card, though, and a nice reminder that you still have a week to participate in the current challenge.

This card is a triumph of stash-usage in that nearly everything on it is not only elderly, it was mostly leftover bits that were ready to roll. I used Distress Oxide Inks to make an ink-blended sunset; placed the (leftover, white glossy) Honey Bee Palm Frond panel on top and matted on the salmon glitter cardstock. I added Stickles to the pre-diecut Lawn Fawn Happy Hibiscus and Tropical Leaf (in Sunburst, Wine Cellar and Garden State) and cut stamens from a scrap of bright yellow glitter paper which... you guessed it... doesn't show up either! The sentiment is from an older set of Paper Rose Studio Sentiment Sheets and the small scattering of bright pink sequins are from Eyelet Outlet.

SOS539: Glitter Me Happy runs until the evening of Monday, January 27, 2025, so join us today!

Ranger New Year Card

A New Year's toast to all the makers: May 2025 be our most creative year yet! Follow along as I kick off January with a super-sparkly card tutorial thanks to Stickles Glitter Glue, Stickles Glitter Gel and Tinsel Embossing Powder. It's on the Ranger Project Page, where there is literally always something new and wonderful to inspire YOU! ♥

Five Faves of 2024: Ranger Edition

I'm proud to have enough favorites from my posts for the Ranger Tutorials Page to make it difficult to choose! Having said that... it WAS difficult, lol! Click the bold text under each photo to get to the full tutorial on the Ranger Blog.

Liquid Pearls and Stickles Thank You Card

...much of the time I use Liquid Pearls dimensionally and Stickles more or less flat; but as a matter of fact, you can PAINT with LP's and make ridges with Stickles. 

(Also there's always just the right shade of Archival Ink to coordinate!)

Trading Hearts Layered Embossing Cards

...apart from the fact that I'm in love with the bears from Simon Hurley's Winter Woodland stamp set, my favorite thing about this project was the realization that I could emboss sequentially on each of the three layers of Simon's Dazzling Diamonds Layered Stencil Set. 

Archival Ink Mother's Day Card

...I had a plan going in but it morphed into something completely different and much, much, cooler...  which is always exciting. Dina's Pocket Circle Stamp Set was the pivot; Letter It's Family and Loves sets were crucial.

Stickles Glitter Gels Greeting Card

...here's a shocking true confession: this was my first time using Stickles Glitter Gels; I hadn't realized how much more dense the colors are, that they look fab on dark cardstock, or that each shade has a different combo of chunky glitter shapes. Needless to say I was immediately HOOKED!

Glossy Accents Shower Cards

...in this case the occasion (baby or bridal shower) and featured product (Glossy Accents) were suggested by Patti Behan, I love getting a "headstart" that way. Letter It's Shower Clear Stamp Set made it work.

BONUS PROJECT

(I did say it was hard to choose lol)

Liquid Pearls Celebration Cards

...have serious amounts of stenciling and use the fab Liquid Pearls in several different ways!

Customized Notebook

I'm happy to be up on the Ranger Project Page with a very fun and funky composition book I altered using some of my favorite products: Ranger Archival Inks, Liquid Pearls, Stickles and more! I'd love for you to CLICK THIS LINK and visit the step-by-step tutorial! ♥

Ranger Fluttering Stickles

Summer is the perfect time for cards with bright colors and LOTS of sparkle! Head over to the Ranger Project Page and follow along as I use rainbow shades of Ranger Archival Inks and Stickles Glitter Glue to make a card that's almost literally over the rainbow!

Celebrating MOM!

Here in the USA we'll celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday, May 12th; so this is the time to go all-out for our favorite ladies! Today I'm up on the Ranger Project Page using bold and beautiful Ranger Archival Ink shades with Dina Wakley Pocket Circle Stamps, Simon Hurley Sunrays Layering Stencils and Letter It Sentiment Stamps in STARRING roles, I'd love for you to head over there and see the full tutorial!

Archival Inks and Stickles All Occasion Card by Lauren Bergold

Did you know that Ranger Archival Inks emboss beautifully? Not that there aren't enough gorgeous Ranger Embossing Powder shades for nearly every project, but if you want to use a specific Archival color (like my current favorite Graphite!) being able to emboss with Clear Powder gives you even more options. Ranger's six bold new Archival Ink Shades (Cayenne, Wine Cellar, Mountain Lake, Beach Cruiser, Aubergine and Graphite) with coordinating Stickles Glitter Glues are bound to inspire lots of beautiful palettes. I'd love for you to hop over to the Ranger Project Page to see a card tutorial in which I've paired Beach Cruiser and Aubergine (with YES, plenty of Graphite!) to create a bold all-occasion card; be sure to read all the way to the end, there's a surprise involving a few extra shades, as well. Oh and don't forget to visit Scrapbook & Cards Today's feature on the new Archivals for a chance to win the complete set AND a $50 Ranger giftcard!

Aubergine, Beach Cruiser and Mountain Lake

The six brand new (gorgeous!) Ranger Archival Colors came out on Monday, and I cannot stop playing with them in various combinations. My first card used all six shades and there's a full step-by-step tutorial on the Ranger Project Page. This card uses just the two blues (Beach Cruiser and Mountain Lake) with Aubergine and Graphite accents; though once again I've stenciled OVER a white-embossed stamped background, in exactly the same way as the tutorial card.

This time I white-embossed Simon Hurley's Handwritten Background Stamp* and used Simon's In Bloom layering stencil set to apply the Beach Cruiser, Mountain Lake and Aubergine Archivals on top; then I wiped off the excess inks with a rubbing alcohol wet wipe, to keep the background embossing nice and bright. On the second panel, I did the same white embossing, but just used a Mini Ink Blending tool to add the inks on top, without the secondary pattern from a stencil. Finally, I used the new shades to stamp some of the blooms (and a sentiment) from the Watercolor Flowers clear stamp set, which I cut out and added some coordinating Stickles** with the super-useful new Angled Brushes as a sparkly accent.

Of course, the very first thing I do with new inks is SWATCH them! Above you can see a little 3x3" ring-bound book I made to hold all of my Archival Inks, as well as the new pages I made for these six colors. I find swatches very handy indeed, because you can compare every color to every other shade and see how they relate to each other. If you embark on a swatching project of your own... this may sound weird and counter-intuitive... I highly recommend using more than one stamp or stencil and also, don't make your pages too perfect! Because if you add and/or subtract colors in future you don't want to pressurize yourself to spend ages finding the stamps you used last time or to make the pages exactly the same or perfectly aligned; these are SWATCHES, they're there to work for you! Save any perfectionist tendencies for your projects or better yet, let them go and just have FUN!

Here's one more shot of today's card, just because I took some extra pics, so of course I want to use them, lol. I hope your week has been fun and creative but if not, take heart... the weekend is nearly here!

*The Handwritten Background Stamp is out of stock as a single item, but can still be purchased as part of Simon's new Release Bundle; though if you missed it, any background stamp with small to medium text will work, as will any fairly dense background, for that matter!

**All of the new colors also have Reinkers and coordinating Stickles, which you can purchase separately or as bundles... check out the Ranger New Product Page to see all the different combos.

NEW Ranger Archival Colors!

Today at Ranger we're celebrating the debut of SIX gorgeous new Archival Ink Colors: Wine Cellar  (a deep rich red); Cayenne (a medium-hued red with orange undertones); Beach Cruiser and Mountain Lake (two lovely medium blues that go with everything); Aubergine (a gorgeous purple that perfectly splits the difference between red- and blue-toned); and Graphite (perhaps the most beautiful and useful shade of grey EVER?!) Oh and did I mention that not only are there Ranger Archival Reinkers for all of the above, there are coordinating Stickles for each shade, as well!

I'm up on the Ranger Project Page with my first make to feature these fantastic new shades; it's a card on which I've white-embossed Simon Hurley's Bitty Botanicals background, then used Simon's The Loo! stencil on top, to make a very detailed multi-color ombre tile effect... with accents of glittery Stickles, of course! I'd love for you to jump over there and read all about it.

Seeing RED!

It's the second week of our "Rudolph the RED-Nosed Reindeer" theme at Jingle Belles, so we're still creating holiday cards that are predominantly red!

I recently got this beautiful Altenew Perfect Poinsettia 3D Embossing Folder at Paper Anthology, and I couldn't wait to use it! I embossed the design on watercolor paper, added color by scribbling all my favorite RED (plus a bit of yellow gold) Tombow Dual Brush Pens onto my craft mat, then picking them up with a waterbrush and painting the flowers. When the panel was thoroughly dry, I added some RED Metallic Rub-On to make the design stand out even more, with a bit of Sunburst Stickles on the berries. I diecut the sentiment (ancient Hero Arts) from both deep red cardstock and Red Non-Shed Glitter Paper, which I also used to mat my card. It's a poor workwoman who blames her tools, and a poor blogger who blames her camera, but I have to tell you that this photo reallllllly does not do justice to all the tones, dimension and shimmer of the original!

Be sure to hop over to Jingle Belles to see Stephanie's beautiful card (Spoiler Alert: It's RED!!!) and start planning what you'll link up with us. The challenge runs until next Wednesday evening, February 14th.

Liquid Pearls and Stickles Rainbow Thank You Card

I'm delighted to be on the Ranger Project Page today with a timely Thank You Card tutorial, featuring bright and cheerful rainbow shades of Liquid Pearls (which I've thinned down a bit and used like sheer, shimmery acrylic paint; which... afterall... is what they actually are; thank you Patti Behan for that inspiring insight!) and set off with Glittery Stickles, gorgeous bright Archival Inks and White Embossing... which always looks very fresh and clean, imo. I'd love for you to check out the full post, if you have a minute!