Ingenious Inkling

Holly and Ivy

The newest Shopping Our Stash Challenge is Holly and Ivy - create a card using Christmas plants and greenery (trees, boughs, poinsettias, mistletoe, etc.)

 

 

I went shopping in my stash and found a package of Idea-ology Pocket Cards Christmas that were filled with greenery.  I felt in love with the one featuring sea glass & black with a single pine branch, so I built my card around it.

 

 

I used one of the plaid pocket cards (I love that they are two-sided) and some Concord & 9th Sea Glass Cardstock for my layers.  I added a Tim Holtz Idea-ology Christmas Label Sticker for my sentiment and then shopped my drawer of washi tape adding three of them to finish the design (I really love the December 25th tape in Sea Glass).

Baby It's Cold Outside

Day 5 of the 12 Tags of Christmas at Ellen Hutson is Baby It's Cold Outside with Julie Ebersole.

 

 

I started with the adorable Snowman Snow Globe by CZ Design.   I added a tiny Hero Arts Coffee Cup from Kelly's Coffee & Donuts to keep him warm & for him to join the Snowman + Coffee Challenge at Caffeinated Christmas.

 

 

I positioned him on Essentials by Ellen Tag Trio Die Cut Tag from Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes Rainbow designer paper.  I finished with a vintage Memory Box Wood Block sentiment.

 

 

Since Caffeinated Christmas needs to be a card, I mounted my tag on another piece of paper from the Lawn Fawn Watercolor Wishes Rainbow papers.

 

Deck the Halls

Day 4 of the 12 Tags of Christmas is Deck the Halls with Vera Kuprick.

 

 

I started by stamping the Holly from Reverse Confetti Joys of the Season in Deck the Halls ink on coral cardstock and then die cutting using the Essentials by Ellen Holiday Tag Trio.  

 

 

I used Reverse Confetti Letter Cuts to cut out the song lyrics.  I finished with a green ribbon and a sentiment from Lawn Fawn Simply Winter Sentiments.

Mele Kalikimaka

Day Three of the Twelve Tags of Christmas is Mele Kalikimaka with Therese Calvird.

 

 

I'll confess, I hate sweating, so tropical images aren't something I collect, but I did have the same Essentials by Ellen It's a Jungle Set, so I built my tag around that.  I stamped, die cut & colored two trees and one of the Tikis (which strangely enough I do collect ... but most of my Tikis hold adult beverages LOL).  I found a Santa Hat sticker in my stash that fit perfectly on my Tiki Head.

 

 

As I thought about how to arrange those elements for a tag, I found these wonderful frames from Mintay Merry & Bright, so I used it to frame my design.  I love how the holly frame sort of looks like pine trees (sort of made me wish I'd colored the Palm Tree Coconuts red).  The sentiment is from Essentials by Ellen It's Christmastime.

I finished with rounded corners & coordinating red ribbon stapled to the top of my tag.

Feels like it might be time for some Christmas Cheer in one of my Tiki Glasses.

Winter Wonderland

Today I've got Day 2 of the 12 Tags of Christmas at Ellen Hutson - Winter Wonderland with Jeannie Lieu.

 

 

Once again I went to the lyrics to build my design.  It says "gone away is the blue bird, here to stay is the new bird" - I wasn't sure what color the new bird should be, so I went with a Pink Bird from Ellen Hutson's Essentials by Ellen Backyard Bird Friends.  "Sleigh bells ring" - I didn't have any bells, but but I did have a sleigh from Ellen Hutson's Bear Wear 5, so that was next.  Finally, I needed the Snowman, so I used one from Essentials by Ellen Snow Buds (I decided my "Parson Brown" is a female in this updated version, so I dressed her in the same pink as the bird).

 

 

Finally, I created my tag using a Gel Press Print that reminded me of a wintry sky at dusk, and I Die Cut it with Essentials by Ellen Twirling Flurries, backed with white cardstock.  I found a Christmas Tree in a bag of unidentified Ephemera that i added to finish the layout.

The sentiment is a tiny vintage wood block stamp from Hero Arts on Essentials by Ellen Tiny Tags.  I finished with a pink pearl at the top of the tree & some checked ribbon.

I had fun piecing it all together using different elements from the song.

I'm also joining the International Art & Soul Winter Challenge.

 

 

With my cute little decked-out snowman, I'm also joining the Time Out Challenges Winter / Holiday Season Challenge.

Holly Jolly Christmas

It's one of my favorite times of the year - the Ellen Hutson Twelve Tags of Christmas.  I've played along with all twelve challenges since this challenge first started (it was originally the Feminine Tags of Christmas as a counter-point to the Tim Holtz Twelve Tags of Christmas).  I love how it has morphed to being inspired by holiday songs.

 

 

First up is Holly Jolly Christmas with Carissa Wiley.  I always go read the lyrics and see what might be inspirational - for this song it was "Now I don't know if there'll be snow but have a cup of cheer".  That lyric seemed perfect for the Caffeinated Christmas Challenge of Coffee + Snowmen (however I got notified that tags are not eligible for the challenge ... unfortunately, I made the tag into a card, but I've already mailed it, so it's been removed).

I chose my new Hero Arts Merry Snowman, since his hand was perfect to hold an Eyelet Outlet Holiday Coffee Cup Brad (which you know has a bit of Kahlua added in for some cheer).  I colored him in traditional red and green to coordinate with his coffee.

 

 

When I was thinking about my tag design, I decided to use both the design & sketch from the Fusion Card Challenge.  This is their final challenge, which makes me sad.  My time as a Design Team Member for that challenge blog is filled with wonderful creative memories. 

 

I found this white on black stenciled design in my stash that reminded me of the chalkboard technique in the inspiration photos, so I die cut into a tag with my Nested Tag Dies, sizing it for my snowman.  Then I used the retired Carta Bella Christmas Words on green cardstock and cut it into a circle for the sketch element.

I searched for a Holly Jolly sentiment, but had to settle with just Jolly from the Hero Arts Ho Ho Ho Santa Stamp Set.

 

 

My cute little Snowman is also linking-up at the Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero Challenge - The Great Outdoors.

big-old-pile-o-Christmas-cards

We've finished another Jingle Belles year, where Lauren & I took back December one holiday card at a time.

 

 

I love making holiday cards all year long ... and I love that all I have to do is write a holiday message and send them on their way.

We have a link-up through December to share the rest of the holiday cards you're making, and we'll be back January 1st for another year of holiday card making mayhem.  If you'd like to have a big-pile-o-Christmas cards, come join us.

Thursday Link Love

Another week of blogland fun:

• who wouldn't join you for Breakfast Disco Fries
• DIY Tinsel & Bauble Trees (shown)
• Raspberry Crumble Cookies
• Recycled Book Page Christmas Tree
• Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Egg Nog Muffins
• tutorial for Mason Jar Lid Ornaments (I remember making Mason Jar Lid Pin Cushions with my Grandma).
• this Pin Cushion in a Cup is super-cute
• I've yet to visit the Crumbl Cookies in our town (tried twice, but both times no parking and lines out the door), but I have been saving the copy-cat recipes like this Buckeye Brownie
• Caramel Snickerdoodle Pie
• DIY Clay Botanical Ornaments (these would be great for some essential oils)
• Double Brownie Muddy Buddies
• Rustic Almond Coffee Cake with Cranberries

Have a tremendous Thursday!

Because I Didn't

The current AAA Cards Challenge is to create with a few small images + Baked Goods.

 

 

I decided to feature the cupcake & coordinating sentiment from the Taylored Expressions Big Grumpy Birthday (and coordinating cupcake die cut) that I colored with my Graph'It Alcohol Markers.

 

 

My scored lines were inspired by Design Team Member Nancy's card.

I'm also joining the Let's Eat Challenge at the Little Red Wagon Challenge.

Unity Stamp Holiday

The November Unity Stamp Company Challenge is to Build Your Holiday Stash.

 

 

I started with a card inspired by this week's TGIF Inspiration Challenge.  I stamped Unity Stamp Company Oh Deer - it's here in black ink on woodgrain designer paper that I die cut with a stitched rectangle.  Next I die cut some branches that I decorated with some white glitter balls.  I finished with a sticker sentiment across the bottom.

 

 

Next, I paired a classic sentiment from Unity Stamp Company Naughty is the New Nice with a Santa Journaling Card from Mintay Merry & Bright.

 

 

 

This one is linking-up at the Winter Challenge at Global Design Project.