Ingenious Inkling

Peeking In

The January #TEMakerChallenge is to use stitching or faux stitching on a card.

 

I stamped the Taylored Expressions Good Hearted Background in Guava ink on a piece of pink Tayored Expressions Hello Happiness designer paper.

Next, I used the Taylored Expressions Frame in Frame 2 Cutting Plate to die cut the stamped paper and Cherry Cardstock to create a fun tag with my favorite pink ribbon.

 

 

I added a fun Taylored Expressions Little Critters Bear & sentiment to finish the tag before attaching it to a Taylored Expressions Harlequin Embossed card front.

 

 

I'm also linking-up at the Tag You're It! Challenge at The Paper Players.

Five Favorite Holiday Cards - 2022

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 and 2021 here) ... I always enjoy revisiting my creations for the year.

Here are this year's favorites in no particular order:

1.  This card was for our We Wish you a Plaid Christmas Prompt at Jingle Belles.  Paper Piecing and Yetis have been two of my favorite things for years, so it was fun to combine them with some of my favorite bright and happy colors for the holidays.

2.  This card was for the 12 Days of Christmas prompt at Jingle Belles to make a card for your true love that featured hearts.  I love the cool effect of the embossed metallic gel printed paper for the background combined with old-school detail cutting of my wintry scene.

 

 

3.  The Naughty Tag was my favorite from the 12 Tags of Christmas at Ellen Hutson inspired by Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.  And when my boss asked me if everyone got Naughty Cards for Christmas, I got to tell him it was a design specially reserved for him (he's a prankster who often exhibits what I would define as naughty behavior).

 

 

4.  Every year at least one Taylored Expressions Grumpling has to make an appearance in my year of card making, and I really loved how this one turned out ... the colors, dotty background, curled edge of the papers, and embellishments all worked together so well.  This one was for C is for Christmas (in July) at the Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers.

 

 

5.  My final card was a winner of the November Anything Goes Challenge at Jaded Blossom.  I was pretty proud of how I was able to turn my Coffee Gnome into a Grinch for the Caffeinated Christmas Holly Challenge, since I had the perfect sentiment.

 

 

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 13th year of Jingle Belles Mayhem beginning January 1st

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

The final challenge for Day 12 of the 12 Tags of Christmas at Ellen Hutson is - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with the fabulous Ellen herself.

 

 

I used my never-been-inked Reindeer from Catherine Pooler Dasher and added red nose to turn him into Rudolph.  He was so easy to color with my Graph'IT Markers.

 

 

I embossed my Tag with the Sizzix 3-D Textured Impressions Winter Snowflakes Embossing folder and a sentiment from Catherine Pooler Merriest Sentiments.

 

 

I added my tag to a watercolored card base for the Let's Squash It! Challenge with snowflakes on my tags and Stars decorating Rudolph's Antlers (colored with an awesome silver glitter pen),

 

Jingle Bells

Day 11 of the 12 Tags of Christmas at Ellen Hutson is - Jingle Belles with Carly Miner.

 

 

I die cut my Jingle Bell from Silver Mirror cardstock with a bow made from Lawn Fawn Pink Lemonade Trimmings.

 

 

I paired it with a fun snarky sentiment from Sassy Christmas Peace on Earth.

I'm also linking-up at the Tag It! Challenge at Simon Says Challenge.

Frosty the Snowman

Day 10 of the 12 Tags of Christmas at Ellen Hutson is - Frosty the Snowman with Amy Tsuruta.

 

 

I started with the Poppystamps Whittle Friendly Snowman and dressed him with a black glitter top had and plaid scarf using Memory Box Dashing Holiday designer paper.  I added some Doodlebug Eye See You Shape Sprinkles.

 

 

I used a vintage A Muse sentiment stamp to finish the design.

I'm also linking-up at the Poppystamps Gift it! Challenge with my cute little gift tag.

I used the pretty plaid Memory Box Paper to turn this tag into a card that I'm linking-up at The Holly and Ivy Anything Christmas Challenge.  

 

Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer

Day 8 of the 12 Tags of Christmas at Ellen Hutson is - Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer with Daniel West.

 

 

I started with the fun little Animal Reindeer Box Topper from Essentials by Ellen with some googly eyes attached with foam on an Essentials by Ellen Farmhouse Tag cut from Tim Holtz holiday plaid paper.

 

 

 

Clearly if this reindeer ran over Grandma, he's now on the naughty list, so I added a stamped Naughty sentiment from Taylored Expressions Spoiler Alert.  I added wraps of jute twine in a bow.

 

 

My naughty reindeer is also linking-up at the N is for Naughty or Nice Challenge at Sisterhood of Snarky Stampers.

 

 

I attached my naughty reindeer to a card based embossed with the Tim Holtz Texture Fades Holiday Knit #2 folder, so I'm also joining the Can You Handle The Pressure? Embossing Challenge with an optional twist of Christmas.

I'll Be Home for Christmas

Day 8 of the 12 Tags of Christmas at Ellen Hutson is - I'll Be Home for Christmas with Tiffany Pryce Russom.

 

I decided to combine it with the December Taylored Expressions #TEMakerChallenge of Tag You're It with Cilantro & Cherry Pop Inks.

 

 

I stamped the Taylored Expressions Winter Village Background in Cilantro on a light blue tag base.  I added Santa & his Reindeer in Cherry Pop Red in the sky.

 

 

I added a snow storm with Dylusions Inkssentials White Linen Spray.

I finished with a sentiment from Taylored Expressions Simple Strips Christmas and some velvet ribbon.

(It Must Have Been Ol') Santa Claus

Day 7 of Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas is - (It Must Have Been Ol') Santa Claus with Heather Meeson)

 

 

I loved Heather's Ho Ho Ho Shaker Tag, which is also perfect for the Shake It Up Challenge at Stay Crafty with a Blog Named Hero.

 

 

I used Spellbinders Die-Lites Jolly Ho Ho Ho with Concord & 9th Tutu Glitter paper.

 

 

True with the song lyrics, I added the Santa from Hero Arts Merry Christmas Santa & Reindeer.  I filled my shaker with sequins and finished with a bright blue ribbon to coordinate.

I'm also linking-up at the Simon Says: Add Sparkle Challenge.

 

 

I also made a tic tac toe across the center for the Papercraft Crew Tic Tac Toe Challenge with Circles (from my O's), Die Cuts & Ribbon.

Let It Snow

Day 6 of Ellen Hutson's 12 Tags of Christmas is - Let It Snow with Angela Simpson.

 

 

As I looked through my stamps for ideas, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to combine this challenge with Amy Tsuruta's Woodblock Wednesday Challenge.  I pulled out my favorite and much-loved Frosty Stamp from Penny Black and paired it with Let It Snow from Impress. 

 

 

The Penny Black Saturday Challenge is Anything Goes with an optional theme of Christmas.

 

 

I used this week's Freshly Made Sketch as the layout for my tag.

 

 

I added a silvery glittery snowflake and white snowball and finished with some plaid ribbon.

 

 

I'm also joining the Allsorts Challenge where the theme is Anything Goes with an option of Let It Snow.

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.