Merry Mistletoe

This week we're continuing with our Poinsettia Perfection theme - asking you to make cards featuring Poinsettias or other holiday blooms; plants or greenery like Mistletoe or Holly; or even a Pine Branch wreath.

Here are our creations for week two:

Lauren's Other Card

Lauren says, "Way back in February, for the "Midnight Clear" prompt, I had made a card built on a well-hoarded, super-sturdy Hambly Screen Prints transparency base, which reminded me how much I love those AND generated an interesting idea involving washi tape which I've finally gotten around to right here! As you can see, I just added strips of red and green washi dangling down from the topfold of the card. I've wrapped them around to the back as well, but trimmed those edges slightly shorter than the ones on the front so that they don't show. I was on the point of attaching some poinsettia diecuts when this hand-painted, machine-stitched poinsettia (that I made a while ago but for some reason didn't use) literally fell out of an envelope full of crafty "leftovers" which seemed like a pretty clear SIGN, so of course I used it, lol."

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "I loved the gorgeous poinsettia paper from the Mintay Merry Little Christmas Collection.  I paired it with the pink snow design that was on the reverse side and a poinsettia decked mug of hot chocolate using the July sketch from Build Your Stash Holiday Cardmakers.  I'm also joining the Caffeinated Christmas Card Challenge.  The sentiment is a vintage woodblock from Hero Arts."

Remember, you have until 6pm on Wednesday, July 16th to link-up your festive foliage cards on the original Poinsettia Perfection post (directly underneath this one).

Poinsettia Perfection

This fortnight's Poinsettia Perfection prompt is asking you to create a card that features a Poinsettia or other holiday blooms; plants or greenery like Mistletoe or Holly; or even a Pine Branch wreath.

Here are the blooms we're sharing this week:

Stephanie's Card

Stephanie says, "This was the perfect opportunity to break out my never-before-used Hero Arts Color Layering Poinsettia Window Stencils.  I used four colors of Distress Ink - Candied Apple, Fired Brick, Distress Oxide Mowed Lawn and Rustic Wilderness.  I die cut the blooms with the Hero Arts Nesting Rounded Rectangle Infinity Die and finished with a sentiment in the window from Hero Arts Comfort and Joy Messages."

Lauren's Card

Lauren says, "I have a few choices for holiday foliage and flowers, but one of my favorite options is the Christmas Add-On set for Wendy Vecchi's Essential Envelope dies from Spellbinders. I used the triple holly leaf die on two shades of glimmery yellow/gold cardstock to build double-layer poinsettias, which the set's  feathery foliage die complements beautifully. I broke out Wendy's Studio 490 Perfectly Plaid stamp to use as the background (embossed in Ranger's Vintage Pearl powder) and again on a Statements Chippie (in Marigold powder). A sage green mat and some WV Washi Tape complete the design of my 5.5" square card."

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Link your own poinsettia-centric masterpieces right here, by 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, July 16th. Keyword for galleries and socials is JB2514. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Fa-La-La-La Frames!

It turns out there really is NO bad way to use a frame... especially in the hands of our expert cardmaking Jingle Belles! Here are a few that especially caught our eye this time:

Brenda B of Brenda's Scraps of Life

...framed her lovely vintage-style sentiment with an elegant and intricate white frame, thus making her bold and beautiful blooms stand out even more!

Cindy Major aka @encrepapierciseaux on Instagram

...set off her adorable Santa in the perfect fancy frame; he's the perfect star of her wonderfully vibrant and festive card!

Chris of And Here's One I Made Earlier

...chose a bold plaid frame in black and red to highlight the perfection of her coloring on the lovely lady image! 

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Many thanks to all who participated, we loved seeing all of your beautiful and inspiring cards. We'll be back at Midnight with a brand new prompt and we hope you'll see the "point" of it and join in the fun once more! ;) 

Feliz Navidad Frames

We're still creating with Festive Frames this week ... include at least one frame in your card design.

Here's how we got framed this week:

Lauren's Other Card

Lauren says, "A few years ago I purchased a set of holiday postcards that were not in good condition, but since I wanted to use them on Christmas cards, that was fine with me. This one was the most battered of the lot:  it had several very large creases and was entirely missing its lower righthand corner. But luckily, by finding two frame dies of just the right size, I was able to select the nicest bits, frame them up, and showcase them in a collage of Tim Holtz/Idea-ology Pocket Cards, 7 Gypsies velvet holly leaves and assorted festive washi tape in coordinating colors."

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "My frame for this week's card is a chipboard polaroid shaped frame from Crate Paper's Mittens and Mistletoe Collection.  I positioned it over one of the stars in paper from the same collection and then filled it with another chipboard sticker.  I finished with a couple of postage stamp stickers over the other two stars."

Remember, you have until 6pm EST on Wednesday to link-up!

Festive Frames

This fortnight we'd like to see cards that incorporate at least one frame as part of the design. Here's how we got festively frame-y this week:

Stephanie's Card

Stephanie says, "To make my frame, I used two Nested Ovals Double Stich Dies from Pinkfresh Studio and silver glitter cardstock.  I used this week's Sketch Saturday layout together with a tree from Fancy Pants Cookies for Kringle Ephemera, a vintage Memory Box sentiment and an edge die cut from Tim Holtz Sizzix Vault Edges Thinlets."

Lauren's Card

Lauren says, "One of my favorite ways to make frames is using a set of nesting shape dies... of which I have an (almost) embarrassing variety! With my Hero Arts Circle Infinity Dies, it was simple to make four different sizes of circle frames (I used the smallest twice); I then used the same circle dies on some very fun Photoplay Holiday Gnomes journal cards. I clustered the framed gnomes, added a sentiment, scattered a few (ancient) coordinating circle brads, and my 5.5" square card was complete."

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Link up your own Framed masterpieces right here! JB2513: Festive Frames runs until 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, July 2nd.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Fa-La-La-La-Lovely!

Holiday music, Christmas carols, and other sounds of the season are always inspiring and there are some lovely cards for you to check out in the Fa-La-La-La-La Readers' Gallery. But first, here are a few that especially caught out eye... or, in the case, ear! ;)

Shani of Paperesse

... not only built her adorable and beautifully colored card around holiday song lyrics, she made them PUNNY! Be still our hearts!

Fabiola of Mon P'tit Monde

...built her vibrant and festive card around an adorable trio of singing mice; a concept guaranteed to make us smile!

LeAnne Pugliese of Wee Inklings

...set all of our Joy Bells ringing with this elegant, sophisticated card; and we're not just saying that because those bell dies were part of the prize she won last month right here at Jingle Belles, but it is especially impressive that she's already making awesomeness! 

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Much appreciation to everyone who played along, we loved seeing all of your clever and creative cards. We'll be back at Midnight with a brand new prompt we we think is deserving of the hall of frame! 

A Caroling We Will Go

This week at Jingle Belles the theme remains Fa-la-la-la-la ... We're asking you to create a card that incorporates music, a musical instrument, or a holiday song title or lyrics.

Here's our tune this week:

Lauren's Other Card

Lauren says, "This week I raided my stash of vintage sheet music and I chose a nicely patina-ed page to coordinate with this fun (ancient!) Basic Grey flower sticker. I added a few strips of washi tape, some inked edges, a chipboard sentiment and a shimmery red mat... et voila!"

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "I found music for a Christmas Carol in a children's song book that happened to be perfectly card-sized.  I used the original music adding a stitched oval cut from a vintage holiday card and finishing with a 2002 Stampin' Up wood block stamped sentiment."

Remember, you have until 6pm EST on June 18th to link-up your Fa-la-la-la-la creations.