Ingenious Inkling

Merry & Bright

At Jingle Belles, we're still making cards with things Santa brought us.

In my Christmas Stocking from Santa Lauren there were these adorable little chipboard bingo cards ...  I was going to just leave the numbers on the card, but ultimately I covered them with the flower embellishments.

 

I chose to pair two adorable little Christmas Sprites with the Merry & Bright sentiment ... then I built the rest of my card around the floral elements on the Merry & Bright square.  I have quite a collection of holiday designer papers after 9 years of Jingle Belles, and I found the perfect card base paper in a brand new paper pad Bella Boulevard Santa Squad.  And that paper is what led me on the search for the pink flowers I added to finish the design (my original plan had been to go with holly ... but you have to just let the creative muse take you where it may).

I love the **happiness** of this card.  Hope you'll come join us.

Christmas Quartet

At Jingle Belles this week we're still creating with leftover wrapping paper and tags.

Since I started cardmaking, a key element in choose wrapping paper is answering the question ... could I make a card with that (because at our house we pride ourselves in collecting things that have more than one purpose).  When I saw these cute little framed critters, I knew this holiday wrapping paper made the cut.  I mean seriously ... how cute is that fox with the figgy pudding and the reindeer in a sweater.

 

 

The frames were a little wonky, so I hand-cut them to keep that feel.  I finished with a sentiment from Gina K. Designs Seasonal Greetings and a double-wrap of twine.

 

 

No Time Like the Presents

For our first prompt of Jingle Belles 2020 the theme is No Time Like the Presents - to use some of the holiday wrapping paper or tags to make a card. 

I've mentioned it before, but Lauren is seriously the best gift wrapper on the planet (on the other hand, when I tried to wrap one of her gifts, it looked like it was assembled by a kindergarten classroom).  In addition to wrapping all of my fabulous gifts in this adorable Yeti Wrapping Paper, so Xyron'd a few sheets to include with my gift, so I could cut out the adorable picture frames for my card.

 

Growing-up, my Dad created a photo collage and the end of each year and hung them on the stairway or hallway depending on the home.  It was always fun (and to be honest, usually a bit cringe-worthy) to go back and revisit each year's high points.  That's what making this card reminded me of.

I detail cut the photos and arranged them on a Gel Press Print wall (the background of the paper was red, so I thought this red & blue Gel Press solid worked perfectly ... and it also starts me on my goal to incorporate more of my Gel Press prints into cards this year).

I finished with a tiny pearl for Yeti Girl's Flower in her hair and a few sticker sentiments attached with foam tape for dimension.  This one makes me smile for sure.

And ... to start our 10th Year off with a bang, one lucky participant will receive the adorable Lawn Fawn Say What Christmas Critters Stamp Set (and coordinating Dies) ... because yes, I clearly liked it so much, I bought it twice.

 

Five Favorite Christmas Cards - 2019

Since Lauren & I started Jingle Belles in 2010, I've been recapping my five favorite Christmas cards of the year (you can find 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, & 2018 here) ... I always enjoy revisiting my creations for the year.

Here they are in no particular order:

1.  This card is from May 2019 for our Jingle Belles Very Vintage Christmas Prompt ... I really love how all the vintage elements work together, especially the four different kinds of vintage trading stamps and a dictionary page.  I collect way more vintage stuff than I use ... so it was fun to get a lot of favorites together on a card.

 

 

2.  This card features Pantone's Color of the Year - Coral fpr gina k. designs Monthly Mix Challenge.  It reminds me that despite being flooded out of my home ... and creating in borrowed space (thanks Laura), I could still make beautiful things (which is pretty much how I kept it all together).  Love Gina K.  Love her stamps.

 

3. I have a bit of a *thing* for Yetis ... they always make me smile and they are scattered throughout my house.  I fell more in love with Hello Bluebird stamps this year and this Yeti or Not set was a favorite ... love all of the fun little accessories (including the tiny snowflake which is perfect to help hide any boo boos).

 

4. This vintage car die cut makes me smile ... and the fact that multiple elements are recycled also makes me smile ... this card reminds me of picking out the Christmas Tree each year.

 

 

5. This card was inspired by the gorgeous blog banner that Lauren made for us at Jingle Belles.  This will be our 10th Year making Christmas Cards together ... and it's just as fun today (maybe even more fun).  I am so grateful that this hobby gave me one of my best friends, and that I continue to have the pleasure of being inspired by her ... channeling my inner Lauren often results in cards I love (so clearly I should do it more often).

 

As always, hard to pick favorites, but also fun re-visiting all the holiday cards I made (and gave) this year.  Remember, if you'd like to have lots of holiday cards ready when December rolls around, you can join us for our 10th year of Jingle Belles Mayhem beginning January 1st

a BANNER Holiday

For our final prompt of 2019 at Jingle Belles, we're creating cards inspired by our lovely Blog Banner that Lauren designed ... I always love seeing what she's going to come up with for our year together.

 

 

I started my card with a vintage doily on a neutral kraft card base.  Next I added a Champagne Swirl Bling from Eyelet Outlet on the left side of the design.  I wanted some frames, and the first one I found was this Little Bits Tiny Frame 3 from Taylored Expressions, so I cut three from Ivory cardstock.

 

Next I die cut my deer from slightly lighter ivory cardstock and then punched three snowflakes from the same paper.  I added champagne bling centers to help tie it all together and finished with a tiny sticker sentiment.  Love when I get to channel my inner Lauren.

We hope you'll come join us as we complete another year of taking back December one holiday card at a time.

Alexandra Renke Jingle Belles

For our final challenge of 2019 at Jingle Belles, we're making cards inspired by Lauren's gorgeous Blog Header design.

 

I took a loose approach to the design this week ... moreso trying to capture the feel than exactly replicate.  I used Alexandra Renke products, which are absolutely gorgeous.

I started with a brush and Iced Spruce Distress Ink and Alexandra's Orient Mandala Stencil.  I purposely didn't try to go for full coverage to give it more of a distressed feel.

Next I die cut her Rectangle Frames from a piece of texty paper and attached them before placing three circles that were punched from her papers using this week's Sunday Stamps Sketch.

 

 

I finished with champagne pearl flourishes and a typed sentiment, both inspired by the Blog Header.

I hope you'll find inspiration with us as we take back December one holiday card at a time.

 

Bringing Sexy Sweaters Back

I knew I had to break out the don we now our ugly sweater stamps from Simon Says Stamp for this week's Baby It's Cold Outside Jingle Belles card.

 

I did an oops when I scored my card base and scored the front too short ... I decided to work with it and trimmed it even shorter, so I could attach several rows of washi tape to the inside of the card (like I did last weekend on one of my Christmas tags) ... and I loved the effect.

I colored my sweater with markers and then added some gems for embellishments.  Such a fun card to make.

Baby, it's Cold Outside

This week at Jingle Belles we're making cards featuring things you wear when it's cold outside … gloves, earmuffs, mittens, scarves, coats, Christmas Sweaters, socks … you get the picture.  We had snow twice last week in Iowa, so I had to pull out my hat and gloves a bit earlier than I would have liked.

I pulled out one of my favorite winter hats from Reverse Confetti's Happy Winter.  I love how the pieces of the hat are all stamped and die cut separately, so you can create whatever color combination you want.

I chose Teal & Yellow from the colors at this week's Sunday Stamps Challenge ... a bit unusual for a Christmas card, but I love the masculine vibe.

 

 

I used one of my Gel Press Printed Tags which was the perfect rusty orange for my base with snowflake embossing on the background and a sticker sentiment to finish.

 

I'm also Stocking my Stash with Reverse Confetti on the last big push to get all of my holiday cards done & mailed by the end of November.

Yeti or Not

Santa will soon be making his appearance and he has no chance of getting here if not for his trusty reindeer ... so that's our theme at Jingle Belles this week ... Make a card with a reindeer.

However, we don't want to leave out their other cousins in the Cervidae family so you can also include deer, moose, elk OR caribou in your design … oh heck, just include any animal on your card (or even a monster if you're so inclined & want to stretch the theme ... yep, that's how we roll).

If you know me at all ... you know that it's very likely I'll be creating with a Yeti.  I found this adorable Yeti or Not Stamp set at Hello Bluebird and had to have it.  I started with the snowflake paper and then used Essentials by Ellen Landscapes dies to create the snowy scene.

 

I combined pencil and alcohol marker coloring, as well as paper piecing for the Christmas tree ... I love all of the fun accessories that are included in the stamp set including the tiny little snowflake for the yeti to catch on his tongue.  

I'm also linking-up at Anything Goes Christmas at The Holly and Ivy Challenge.

We hope you'll pull out your favorite creature and join us at Jingle Belles.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Santa will soon be making his appearance and he has no chance of getting here if not for his trusty Reindeer ... so that's the theme at Jingle Belles this week ... Reindeer.

However, we don't want to leave out their other cousins in the Cervidae family so you can also include deer, moose, elk OR caribou in your design … oh heck, just include any animal on your card (or even a monster if you're so inclined & want to stretch the theme ... yep, that's how we roll).

When I saw this week's Sunday Stamps Sketch and this Rudolph Ornament sticker in my stash, this card almost made itself.

 

I used a 6" snowflake embossing folder and embossed the background twice (meeting in the middle) and then added two strips of patterned paper from my stash.  A white doily, a sticker sentiment and a gold bow to match my sentiment, and I called this one done.

 

I'm also linking-up at Sweet Stampin' Challenge where the theme is Feature a Creature.

We've also got a nice little prize for one lucky participant, so pull out your favorite creatures and join the fun.