wrap stars!

we're still making cards that incorporate giftwrap or tags at ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ and you're still invited to join the fun!

gold and purple snowflake giftwraps saved from the recycling bag on xmas day; patterned paper: lawn fawn, bo bunny; alphabet stickers from the dollar store; pearls: eyelet outlet; adhesives: elmers brand gluetape, 3m foam tape, xyron, sewing machine

this week i've used two different wraps: some gorgeous gold embossed paper that was on one of my own gifts, plus the vibrant purple and white pattern, which was actually on a gift my aunt gave to my mother... but i scooped it up to make a card, lol. there was a large and thankfully unwrinkled section, which became the background of my card and then i fussy cut a few of the snowflakes, as well. luckily i had the current sketch saturday, so i knew exactly where all my elements should go!

hop on over to ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ to see stephanie's card, and link up your own wrap masterpiece! 

Valentine, Je T'Aime!

Hi again, today I'm showing off a couple of Valentines with a French accent!

I love that Eyelet Outlet Eiffel Tower Brads come in two shades -bright silver and annodized copper- and that you get a mix of both in every packet. My first card features the silver, as well as one each of our Sun and Cloud Brads, to make a tiny landscape within a small heart shape. I've also added Heart Pearls to dot the I and J in "je t'aime" and two strips of Skinny Dot Washi Tape to set off the yellow cardstock panel.

But that's not to say I don't love the copper Eiffel Towers, as well! Here's one now, along with a Heart Brad, set against a carefully snipped panel of Wide Travel Washi, to show just the Parisian destination. My large heart panel was made by neatly lining up strips of Script Tape on plain white cardstock and then diecutting the result just like any other patterned paper.

There are so many cool ways to use Eyelet Outlet brads and tapes to make amazing and unique Valentines, I hope you'll stop by the EO Blog soon to see what the design team is up to next! ♥

SOS385: Winter Blues

This week's challenge at Shopping Our Stash is called, "Winter Blues" so we'd like to see cards with a winter theme OR which feature the color blue OR both, if you're feeling especially ambitious! Here's what I made:

In the spirit of Full Disclosure I have to admit that nearly all the papers in this post are brand spankin' new... even the ones I used to cut the small triangles! Because quite coincidentally we got Prima's gorgeous new "Georgia Blues" collection at Paper Anthology just before Christmas and I've been *dying* to break into it. I've got some good older stuff in there too though, honest! For starters, the tan, blue and white flower + flourish is absolutely ancient. So imagine my surprise when it matched every single color in the new collection perfectly! The dark blue panel behind the pretty seed packet is actually denim, from a pair of jeans that I think were probably last worn during the Bush administration. The G.H.W. Bush administration!!! But whenever I retire a pair of jeans, especially the ones made from thinner denim material, I save them, for crafty purposes. Like Xyron-ing them to cardstock, cutting them into mats, and stitching photos or decorative paper to them!

Speaking of stitching, I've done quite a bit, lol; it just seemed to fit the shabby chic vibe of the collection. I used my trusty Tonic distressing tool around most of the edges, and I'm pretty sure that thing will be old enough to vote in the next election! I've only owned the Diamond Nesties for about a year, but they belonged to Elisabeth Ostrowski before that, and were old enough that when I asked to borrow them, I was allowed to keep them! And yes, for the record, I'm definitely back in my Argyle Phase, so apologies for what I'm pretty sure will be a spate of diamond-centric creations coming up.

Speaking of elderly stash items, when I was putting away the Xmas tree decor in the basement the other night, I stumbled upon a bin with a bunch of wooden and papier mache items for altering. Including this tiny birdhouse, which I couldn't resist fancying up a bit! 

Hop on over to SOS and see what the other design team darlings have cooked up for you after our refreshing winter break. Hope to see you... in blue... on the blog later this week! ♥

pattern january!

i'm pretty excited that anika starmer is celebrating "pattern january" again this year on instagram and facebook. i'm planning to play along as often as possible. here's what i've done so far:

day 1: tea party

here's a secret: i'm really interested in handlettering again, so for the prompts where i'm not immediately sure what to do, i'm going to do something in the text art arena.

(i find a "default mode" HUGELY helpful when embarking on a daily challenge!)

day 2: wood grain

just in case you're wondering, you can get a really great wood look by painting alternating patches of burnt umber and sienna colorburst with a flat brush, letting it dry and then adding grainy details with a pretty dry fan brush in slightly darker versions of both colors... and maybe a little lamp black, as well. ;)

day 3: nocturnal

i had a lot of ideas for this one, but only one EYE-dea, lol!

day 4: prism

or... in this case... more of a prism break. definitely not my favorite in the series, but the nice thing about a daily challenge is you get another chance every single day!

day 5: sushi

more colorburst fun facts for you: a 3:1 mixture of pthalo green and lamp black gets you the perfect shade of nori; while 2:1 peony and lemon yellow is really very shrimp-like! :) 

ps: EVERYONE can play, all media are welcome and you needn't participate every single day. check out a is for anika on instagram for the prompt list and some really fab inspiration! ♥♥♥

January/February Classes

It's the start of a brand new year and I'm pretty excited about the classes I'm teaching this "semester" at Paper Anthology* in Kenvil, NJ; so if you happen to be in the area, come on out and play!

A Cupcake As Big As Your HEAD!!!

(aka 12x12 Cupcake Collage Art)

We'll use handmade templates and LOTS of patterned paper scraps to make this giant cupcake, with a swirl of icing, on a background of vintage collage paper. There will be an alternate colorway, for those who prefer a non-pink option. Students will need their own XL Gluestick... Scotch Create brand (available at Paper Anthology) is highly recommended.

Mandala Maker Magic

Using Gina (and Rina) K's wonderful Mandala Maker set and the Wreath Builder Template, we'll make three intricate, colorful and EASY 4.25" square cards. We'll also talk a little bit about choosing surefire color combinations. Students needn't bring anything but their basic class kit, but if those who own a stamp platform and/or the wreath builder template would bring them along, it will definitely be appreciated!

♥♥♥

Check the Class Page on the Paper Anthology website for dates, times and 

details on these and all the other awesome classes!

♥♥♥

*Paper Anthology posts 8-12 brand new classes every other month, not to mention all the once-a-month events like Junk Journal Junkies, Christmas Card Club, UFO Craft Night, the Scrap Addicts' Crop and more! Be sure to sign up for the newsletter so you don't miss a thing!

**Kenvil, NJ is in Morris County, near the intersection of Route 80 and US Highway 46; also near where Route 10 and 46 meet; here is a map!

Steampunk Valentine

Have you started thinking about Valentine's Day yet? Ok, yes, it's six weeks away, but I'm guessing that time will fly by, so I'm working on a few ideas now. This one has a bit of a Steampunk vibe, don't you think?

I cut out a heart nearly big enough to fill my A2 card front, from a scrap of Prima's "Craftsman" collection I found lurking in my paper stash, and put the sentiment on with some sparkly, vintage-looking alphabet stickers. Then I added lots of mechanical themed Eyelet Outlet Brads: Gears, a Compass, large and small Screw Brads and even the valve from the Pipe Brad set! Finally I scattered several sizes of grey Jewel Bling around the spaces in between. I like that the result is a bit elegant, but also quite masculine!

There will be lots more Valentine inspiration on the Eyelet Outlet Blog, all throughout January, so be sure to stop back often and see what the team is up to! ♥

It's Resolutionary! ♥

Well it's January first, and you know what that means: time to kick off another holiday cardmaking season at ♥JINGLE BELLES♥! Possibly to non-crafters that sounds ridiculous, but anyone who has ever spent the middle of December stressfully mass-producing 50+ cards knows that making one card a week, throughout the year, really does make quite a bit of sense. And doing so with your friends is just soooooooo much more fun!  

The first theme of the year is called "No Time Like the Presents" so before you put away your wrapping supplies, pull out some of your leftovers (or that bit of paper from a present you unwrapped that was just too pretty to toss) and make a card featuring wrapping paper or gift tags. Here's what I made this week:

plaid paper, lace and tartan ribbon from my giftwrapping stash; red gingham paper: stampin' up; reindeer and "merry" journal cards: carta bella; dimensional poinsettias and holly: heartfelt creations; pinecone and poinsettia brads: eyelet outlet; foliage dies: tim holtz/sizzix; adhesives: xyron, elmers brand gluetape, 3m foam tape, gluedots, sewing machine 

My card features a gorgeous plaid scrap leftover from my own giftwrapping duties this year. I typically mount thin papers like giftwrap or tissue onto a piece of lightweight cardstock that I've run through my xyron machine to make more sturdy, and that's what I did here. The tartan ribbon is also an offcut from this year's supplies... I went a bit mad for plaid! I've embellished that pretty reindeer journal card with some Heartfelt Creations dimensional poinsettias and a couple of gorgeous Eyelet Outlet Pinecone and Poinsettia Brads.

Be sure to hop over to ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ to see Stephanie's lovely card and check out the fun little prize that's on offer to one lucky random cardmaker who links up with us this fortnight! ♥