Ingenious Inkling

Sprinkled with Happiness

The December Jaded Blossom Challenge is to make a shaker card (my nemesis).  

I used some adhesive foam sheets together with the Jaded Blossom Circle Internal Scallops Dies 1 for my Shaker Opening.  I filled it with some shaker sprinkles that were included in my Spellbinders Crafty Advent Calendar (since they are my nemesis, I don't really buy good things to go inside a shaker, so I was thrilled to have these cuties).

 

 

I used one of my red gelliarts prints for the front of the card and added a sentiment from Jaded Blossom Sweet Christmas Wishes.  The circle felt like an ornament, so I added a ribbon bow on top and a Spellbinders ephemera sentiment on the shaker to finish the card.

I'm also linking-up at the Tuesday Morning Sketches Anything Goes Christmas Challenge and the Happy Prompt at Daring Cardmakers (because I've used a happy sentiment & actually finishing a functioning shaker card without making a total mess makes me happy).

Trading Stamp Ornament Tag

After seeing Lauren's take on the stamp Christmas Tree, and being reminded by my friend Karen of her fabulous stamp-y Ornament cards from several years ago, I had to pull out my trading stamps and vintage Spellbinders Nestabilities Ornament Die and make another stamping tag.

 

 

I added a stripe of glitter foil using strong adhesive tape and a Love from Lizi red Peel-Off.  I finished with a Santa and sentiment from my Spellbinders Crafty Advent Calendar.

I'm joining the Crafting Happiness Christmas Challenge, as well as the Simon Says DIE-cember Challenge to use Dies.

 

Five Favorite Holiday Cards - 2024

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, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 here) ... I always enjoy revisiting my creations for the year. 

Here are my favorites for 2024 (in no particularly order).

1. This card was made for the Sweet EMBOSS-able You Prompt at Jingle Belles.  The texture, ink, shimmer spray and layered die cut sentiment all came together for a winner.

 

 

2.  This Snarky Little CAS Card for the Jingle Belles Humor Prompt still makes me giggle.

 

 

3.   This card was for the Jingle Belles Die Cutting prompt.  I love a card that really makes one of my gelliarts prints shine ... not to mention all of those lovely snowflakes with the white-on-white sentiment that really pop against those unexpected holiday colors.

 

 

4.  I love the simplicity of this Wonky Tree design for the Old and New Prompt at Jingle Belles.  I loved finding the perfect die cut to use with that gorgeous left-over water colored paper ... and how the variance of color came together in the trees feels nearly perfect to me.

 

 

5.  This was my other Die Cut Prompt card at Jingle Belles.  That little snowman with his cup of coffee just makes me smile ... not to mention that perfect holly embellishment for his fancy hat.

 

 

Remember, Lauren and I will be back for our 15th year of our Jingle Belles Mayhem to help you make at least one holiday card a week, so you can take back your December one holiday card at a time.

Believe in the Magic

The newest Challenge at Shopping Our Stash is MY PRECIOUS - Use something on your card that you're been hoarding in your craft supplies for way too long ... it might be a piece of specialty paper, some vintage lace, a fancy embellishment.  We're asking you to be strong and give it a home on your card this week.

 

 

I knew exactly what I needed to use.  My crafty friend Leslie (aka The Crooked Stamper) gifted me with these lovely crocheted circles in a rainbow of colors.  I initially hoarded them, but after Leslie passed, they became even more precious to me.  I only have two left, so I pulled out the Red one for a holiday card.

 

 

I used the layout from Sunday Stamps Circlin' Around Sketch and three chipboard stockers from Echo Park Merry and Bright Collection together with the red sequins that were today's Spellbinders Advent Calendar Item.

 

 

I finished with a rub-on sentiment.  As I created, I thought about Leslie and the snark and laughs we shared.  I am so grateful for the friendships this creative community has blessed me with.

Spellbinders Advent Ephemera

The next day of my Spellbinders Advent Calendar was a packet of adorable ephemera die cuts.  I had fun using them with a sticker sentiment and one of the Spellbinders papers from yesterday.  What an adorable little quartet.

 

 

Next I used another paper and had fun making a holiday wreath with a lot of the smaller ephemera die cuts.  Rather than a bow on top, I positioned one of the larger holly leaves & berries. 

With my Polar Bear and my Reindeer, I'm linking-up at the Z is for Zoo Animal Prompt at ABC Christmas Challenge.  Santa Claus is also joining the Santa Claus is Coming to Town Challenge at Try it on Tuesday.

 

 

I added the same Kristina Werner Concord & 9th sentiment (I just can't put it away ... it so perfect for so many situations) and a bunch of tiny red gems for allover sparkle. 

With my Die Cut Circle & my Die Cut Sentiment, I'm linking-up at the Cut it Up Challenge to use More than One Die Cut.

Joyful Christmas

My Spellbinders Advent Calendar only has 12 days, so I opened the first one today.  It was a super-cute set of stickers.  Then I saw the TGIF Challenges Sketch, and decided I would use them immediately.

 

I had fun positioning most of the stickers using some foam tape for a few for overlapping dimension.  I just love kraft cardstock for Christmas.

 

Dancin' Yeti

When I saw a post featuring Rocky the Dancin' Yeti by Spellbinders, I knew I had to have him.  I had fun putting him together using the colors from the Color Throwdown Challenge.

 

 

I finished with a sentiment from Scrapbook.com Wordfetti December.  I love how his little legs swing back and forth.

 

Mr. & Mrs.

I needed to restock my wedding card stash, so I broke out this new (to me) Spellbinders Wedding Dress & Tux by Nicole Spohr.

I was really pleased with how quickly these dies came together (I had to watch a video to determine those were the tuxedo arms ... they seemed a bit thin to me when I was first looking at them). 

I cut the dress & tuxedo from specialty shimmery & glittery specialty papers (my marketing team saves me their paper sample books when they get replaced with new ones, and the pieces are large enough for die cuts like these, so make friends with the folks in marketing).

 

 

I paired it with some map paper, because we all know that marriage is always an adventure.  I die cut the boutonniere and bridal gown bands, bow & flower from gold glitter paper.  I finished with an A Muse Artistamps woodblock sentiment.

Forvevergreen Holiday

My Sweet EMBOSS-able You is our newest theme at Jingle Belles.  We're creating using texture embossing or heat embossing (or both if you're an over-achiever).

I embossed white cardstock with the Spellbinders Forevergreen Holiday embossing folder.  Next I applied ink using Catherine Pooler Deck the Halls Green ink.  Finally, I sprayed the panel with Crafter's Companion Bella Luna Gold Shimmer Spray.

 

 

 

Next, I matted the panel with gold and then dark green cardstock before adding the Simon Says Stamp STAMPtemper CZ Designs Merry & Bright die cut (layering the same gold & green cardstock).  I finished with a sentiment from Simon Says Stamp Abstract Holiday from at least 2020.

 

With my Retro stamps and other products, I'm linking-up at the Retro Rubber Challenge Christmas in July. 

 

 

We're also giving one lucky random participant the gorgeous gina k. designs Holiday Flora Embossing Folder.

 

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button

The newest challenge at Shopping our Stash is Button, Button, Who's Got the Button - creating a card with at least one button.

 

 

I die cut a rectangle of cardstock, and then covered it with white buttons attached with glue dots.  I added a Spellbinders butterfly sticker on top of the buttons.

 

I used a piece of designer paper from Dovecraft Bohemian collection for the card base and finished with an Impress birthday sentiment.