Ingenious Inkling

Neutral Layered Tag Holiday Gift Card Holder

For this week's card prompt at Jingle Belles is Neutral Noel where we're asking you to create holiday cards which embrace only the neutral color palette – white, cream, ivory, ecru, black, gray, charcoal, obsidian, brown, tan, kraft, camel, oatmeal, sienna (you get the picture). 

There's also burlap, jute, paper bags, cork, chalkboards, sandpaper or lace ... Use them all together or chose one hue and rock the monochromatic design … as long as it's NEUTRAL it's in.

My card was inspired by Ardyth's Layered Tag Card Tutorial that she recently shared on SplitcostStampers.  I used two Manila and one Kraft tag and tied them together using lots of non-holiday neutral items including three coordinated journaling cards, neutral hexagon tags and papers from Ciao Bella Blue Note Collection. 

 

I finished with three sizes of snowflake buttons, SRM Clear Stickers and Tim Holtz Holiday sentiment stickers.  

Here's the look when they are all aligned.  I knotted the ribbon loosely at the top, so the tags are easy to move around.

 

Here's the front card with a gift card in the pocket.  I used an old Spellbinders Die to trim the left edge of the journaling card & then attached it with thin foam tape on three sides to create a side-opening gift card pocket.

 

 

The middle card features a lovely vintage typewriter with a torn piece of paper leaving part of the kraft tag base visible.  I used Studio Calico Hexagon Stickers with music notes to tie into the musical themed background papers.

 

 

The back tag (that I left full-sized) features the darker journaling card.  I love how this design combines all of the neutral tones rather than being monochromatic.  

 

 

I hope you're inspired to use some of your non-holiday papers for lovely holiday designs.

Have a Blast!

When I saw the current Atlantic Hearts Sketch, it made me want to go cut strips of paper from my cardstock scraps ... so I did, using the color inspiration from the Cupcake Inspirations Challenge.

 

 

It was the perfect opportunity  to break out my stash of 4th of July papers and have some good old papercrafting fun.

 

I miss the fireworks from my childhood (Iowa doesn't have the roadside fireworks stands where I used to spend my allowance).  I finished with a vintage SRM Sticker Sentiment.

 

12 Tags of Christmas - Here Comes Santa Claus

On the Third Day of the 12 Tags of Christmas the Christmas Song theme is ... Here Comes Santa Claus.

 

 

I had several traditional Santa Claus Stamps on my studio table, but then I took a bit of a left turn with the Essentials by Ellen Bear stepping in for Santa. 

I started by die cutting one of my Marker Inked Backgrounds with one of the Essentials By Ellen Tag Trio Dies.  Then I added the die cut surface design using the Essentials by Ellen Stitches Cover Plate.

 

 

I stamped the bear on gray cardstock and added a Santa Hat Sticker and a Candy Cane 3-D Sticker in his paws.

I finished with some gift stickers, sentiment stickers and some tiny bits of red bling.

I'm also joining the Santa Hats Challenge at Double D Challenges.

Green Dinosaur Birthday

I told you I might re-visit this week's CAS(e) this Sketch! ... and tonight I did.  After a long day of mentally taxing work, I wanted to create something easy (that was not mentally taxing) ... so tonight that meant washi tape and a collection of stickers.

I used Green for the Cute Card Thursday Challenge and my intention was to make a St. Patrick's Day card (hence the gold tape in the middle)... only one problem ... literally no St. Patrick's day stamps or stickers.  I did however have a big green dinosaur and a Let's Party SRM Sticker, so a little boy's birthday card was born.

 

Balloons, gold metallic sentiment (hard to photograph because when I shined light on it to show the metal, you couldn't read the words) and of course ... a cupcake.  No rocket science ... but cute and fun, so I'm happy.

 

Hanukkah Song

Something that's pretty important to us ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ is to make sure our card-making festivities include EVERYONE who is special to us, whatever occasion or holiday in which they partake!

So this week we're making cards for our friends who don't necessarily celebrate Christmas. Hanukkah is the most famous of the other winter holidays, and it (plus our favorite Adam Sandler song!) inspired our title, but you could choose Kwanzaa, New Year, Hogmanay or Solstice; or you could go totally non-denominational with a general winter-themed card.

I started with this peaceful Penny Black Starry Night Stickeroo and built my Hanukkah card around it with a few more sticker sentiments and sticker letters too.  

 

Those Stickeroos have been in my stash for a very long time (and have been a titch neglected), so I'm linking-up at the Penny Black Anything Goes Challenge with an option of Old or Neglected.

I die cut some metallic silver into an oblong octagon and then die cut some Swirling Stars.  I finished with a wrap of ribbon and a few sprinkled gems."

Magical Birthday

The Challenge theme at Shopping Our Stash this week is No Ink ... the perfect opportunity to use some papers & coordinating die cuts from Echo Park Imagine That Girl collection in my "not yet been used" stash.

I finished with some Eyelet Outlet bling jewels and SRM Stickers Birthday Stickers for my sentiments using a sketch from Feeling Sketchy.

 

STAMPlorations CAS Challenge

After Guest Designing, I am thrilled to a full-time member of the STAMPlorations CAS Design Team.  Our first challenge for October is ...

I love Orange ... it's one of my favorite colors.  I started my design with a small piece of orange & gold metallic Gel Press print from my Art Camp adventures.

I die cut CUTplorations Fearless Word Die in red & gold metallic cardstock and then layered them slightly offset to create a shadow.  

The sentiment is from Bold Sentiments: Fearless.  I added a few stitches stickers from SRM Stickers.

Here are the details for the challenge:

• Players can link up to 3 CAS cards.
• Players can enter a CAS card with or without the optional color twist.
• Non-STAMPlorations products are OK (but we'd love to see you rock STAMPlorations products)
• Prizes: $10 Gift Certificate for the winner; $5 Gift Certificate to the top picks
• If there are 50 or more entries: 1 random winner of product of choice (3x5 stamp set OR 2 standard size stencils OR 1 CUTplorations word/phrase die)

Come join the fun.

Holiday Wreaths

We are still celebrating the Holly & the Ivy at Jingle Belles.  

For this week's foliage card, I decided to make a punched leaf/branch wreath card.  I've made quite a few as I wandered back through my blog, but this time I decided to combine three different leaf/branch punches in my design.  I started with lots of tiny scraps of green cardstock (this technique is a great way to use those little scraps).  Remember to flip your punches over and punch both ways, so you end up with leaves moving in two directions.  I even did a few out of patterned paper.

Next, I punch a circle around the size I want for the center of my wreath and start attaching leaves around it (I use a small glue dot for each leaf) until I have the basic circle formed.  I remove the circle and complete by adding more and more layers, tucking them in as I go (like you would with real foliage).

For the first one, I used a 4" square of birch bark paper and decorated the wreath with Eyelet Outlet Poinsettia Brads.  I used an SRM sticker for the sentiment before attaching to my red card base using foam tape.

Since I had lots of leaves left, I made a second card.

For this one I used this week's Tuesday Morning Sketches and decorated my wreath (and card) with red adhesive gems.  The finishing touches were more SRM stickers.

 

Dedication & Determination

Today at the Eyelet Outlet Blog, I am making cards that feature the Army Men Brads ... these cards are a great way to send encouragement and appreciation to those serving in the military.

 

I combined them with Express Yourself Military Stickers from SRM Stickers for some quick and easy card designs.

 

 

I attached my Army Men Brads to a piece of white cardstock and then attached that strip of paper to my card front using foam tape.  I added a strip of designer paper and three stickers to finish the design.

 

 

Here's a close-up of the three different brads included in the set.

 

 

I used the same technique for this design, this time only using blue stickers.

 

 

Christmas in July

Those of you who follow my blog know that I make Christmas cards all year long.

I love that I never have to put away my favorite Christmas products ... and I love that when November comes to a close, I have lots of one-of-a-kind Christmas cards to send across the miles.

I also love that a Santa Hat can turn almost any creature into a Christmas icon ... even a skunk.

 

For my focal image, I combined the cute little skunk from the Woodland Animal Brads with a Santa Hat Brad ... isn't he adorable.

I used Green Glitter Washi Tape on Holiday paper to create the starburst for this week's Retro Sketch.  I added multi-size black pearls to accent my little skunk and a sentiment sticker from SRM Stickers.

Here's a close-up of this cute little Christmas Critter.

Of course I couldn't stop with the Skunk ... I had to make a card featuring his friend the Raccoon.

 

This layout is from The Paper Players and features more SRM Stickers and multi-sized Adhesive Pearls.

 

Here's another view of this cute little guy.

 

 

Remember, it's never too late to start taking back your December one holiday card at a time.

Products used

• Woodland Animal Brads
• Santa Hat Brads
• Glitter Green Washi Tape
• Pearl Bling - Multi-Size - 100 Count