STARS and/or STRIPES Forever

Since tomorrow is Independence Day in the USA, we're asking you to incorporate either stars or stripes into your card design (it needn't be red, white or blue) … just stars or stripes (or both!) in any medium you choose.

Here's how we used our Stars and/or Stripes:

Stephanie's Card

Stephanie says, "I couldn't resist breakout out my Taylored Expressions Starry Background with coordinating Stencil & Cutting Plate.  I used the Starry Cutting Plate on Purple Glitter Cardstock and laid it over the Stamped Image on light purple cardstock that I stenciled with two colors of purple ink.   I finished with a sentiment from Taylored Expression Flip the Snowflake."

Lauren's Card

Lauren says, "I went with stars AND stripes, but my Simple Stories red-on -red stars are admittedly  quite understated. All of my papers are from 2018 or so, and came from my LSS, Paper Anthology in Kenvil, NJ. The sweet fussy-cut snowman and candycane striped paper are Authentique; the dimensional holly is from Prima Marketing and the sheet music is from my stash of vintage goodies."

Link your starry and or stripey creations right here, by 6pm (EDT) on Wednesday, July 15th. Keyword for galleries and Flickr is JB:20:14.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

We're In Great Shape!

And the proof is in the amazing readers' gallery of Shaped Cards, located two posts below this one. If you haven't checked it out yet, we highly recommend a scroll through! Meanwhile here are just a few that especially caught our eye:

Paper Papier

...created several incredibly creative designs using label-shaped dies 

that make us want to get our Nesties out RIGHT NOW! 

Tinz from Craft, Animals and Growing Veggies

... created this amazing and sparkly tree, then decorated it beautifully!

Fatima of Pink Clover Cards

...has us going round in circles with her elegantly layered (and perfectly colored!) creation!

And now I think we'd all like to know whose home that sweet little prize pack will be going to, right? Well the fine folks at Random.org have selected Lucky Number 100 which means that...

Jenni aka Mom2Two

of Wish I Was Scrappin'

is our lucky winner!

Congratulations!

Please send your snailmail info to Lauren 

at llaurenb @ hotmail.com 

so we can get that on its way to you!

Many thanks to everyone who played along, we truly do love seeing every single card! We'll be back at midnight with a brand new prompt we hope will make you starry-eyed! ;)

Shaping Up!

We're still making SHAPED cards --by which we mean anything except the standard rectangle or square-- and you're still invited to join us, which we hope you will!

Here's how we shaped up this week:

Lauren's Other Card

Lauren says, "I decided to make a heart shaped card, using my largest heart stencil, which is about 4 x 6". I made a fun scalloped border by punching about a dozen 1 3/8" circles and sandwiching them between the stripey heart and a hidden, heart-shaped, hinged cardbase that's the same size. All of the papers used in this card came from ancient and well-hoarded Basic Grey holiday collections, which I still adore. I'll be sad when I use up my dwindling stash, but I've made it last a good long time!" 

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "I enlarged a clip art picture of a mitten to card sized and then traced it onto a scrap of red designer paper for my mitten base.  Next I attached the green designer paper to the cuff and trimmed it to fit.  I tied a loop of kraft ribbon where the paper joined, and the attached my mitten to a small card base.  I decorated my mitten with a round holiday sentiment from Catslife Press punched with a 2" circle punch that I attached to a scalloped circle that was punched from the same green designer paper, but sponged with green ink for a slightly darker look (and to cover those little white bits that show when you punch designer paper).  I finished with a tiny red gem in the middle of the snowflake."

Link your shapely masterpieces in the original post, directly below this one (and remember, one lucky participant will win a fun prize)!

Get in Shape for the Holidays

The official start of summer next week seems like the perfect time to "get in shape" but luckily there's no diet or exercise required, we just want you to make a shaped card, by which we mean NOT a square or rectangle. Of course a fancy fold or some clever engineering (like an easel card, slider or pop-up) will also qualify.

Here's how we shaped up this week:

Stephanie's Card

Stephanie says, "I turned two die cut circles and dies from Paper Smooches Snowman Card Dies into this fun Snow Man card.  I added two different sizes of googly eyes, a carrot nose cut from a scrap of orange water colored paper, some flair on the scarf, and my very own hand-cut stove pipe hat decorated with some eyelet outlet bling."

Lauren's Card

Lauren says, "I went with an ornament-shaped card, based on a homemade template from a year or two ago. It's decorated with quite a varied assorment of goodies: paper from Prima's "Georgia Blues" collection; older Petaloo flowers; velvetty 7 Gypsies leaves and a pearl flourish of uncertain origin. I cut a base from dark blue cardstock to make this unusually shaped card --with its very small hinge-- a little bit sturdier. But I also like how it sort of "outlines" the card!"

♥♥♥

For some added extra incentive we've got a little prize for one random cardmaker who links up with us this fortnight. It looks a bit like this... ok, technically, it looks EXACTLY like this, lol:

Link your shapely masterpieces here by 6pm (EDT) on Wednesday, July 1st. Keyword for galleries and Flickr is JB:20:13.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Take a BOW!

So much lovely ribbon filled our gallery for this prompt ... here are a few of that we're asking to take a Bow!

Bobbi of Bobbie's Treasure

used a traditional Holiday color palette and combined a

wide variety of holiday ribbon for her adorable Christmas tree.

The ribbon bow made the perfect topper

and the white embossing for the background

was the perfect subtle pattern.

Ans Gilbert of De Kaarten van ons Mam

made two lovely cards with this 

beautiful and intricate set of dies; 

we love everything about them,

but it's the combination of

tulle and twine that takes them to the next level!

Allisa of Rocky Mountain Paper Crafts

rocked a big bold bow with her ribbon,

which was the absolute perfect topper

to her lovely holiday ornament ...

and isn't that background embossing perfection?!

♥♥♥

Many thanks to everyone who linked their ribbon creations, we loved seeing ALL of them! We'll be back at midnight with a brand new prompt, we hope you'll be in good shape to join us then!

Ribbons and More Ribbons

We're still making cards that feature ribbons, trimmings and lace at Jingle Belles and you're still invited to "tie one on" with us! Here's what we made this week:

Lauren's Other Card

Lauren says, "This isn't the fanciest card I've ever made, but it incorporates a lot of older elements that look quite sweet together; and it's semi-flat, so I'm calling it a win! I chose the colors based on the ancient Daisy D's plaid patterned paper, found a Simple Stories journal card that matched perfectly and added ribbons and trims from an elderly assortment by Doodlebug. My Imaginisce flowers and brad, not to mention the fun Eyelet Outlet Enamel Heart, plus a little bit of machine stitching seemed like pretty good finishing touches."

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "Unique ribbon trims like this Red Truck carrying home the Christmas Tree are perfect for covering a kraft tag.  I just cut strips of ribbon, put adhesive on both sides of the back of the tag, and wrap alternating the position of the trucks.  I used a combination of Coordinating holiday papers including several from BoBunny Merry & Bright and a Gold Thickers Joyous Puffy Christmas Tree Sticker decorated with Eyelet Outlet Bling at the top.  A sticker sentiment finished the design using the Mojo Monday Sketch #538."

Scroll down to the original post to see the beautiful Readers' Gallery and add your ribbon-centric masterpiece to it!

Tie a Holiday Ribbon...

...around the Christmas tree! Because this fortnight we're making cards that incorporate ribbon, trimmings, lace or fibers! 

Here's what we made:

Stephanie's Card

Stephanie says, "In my very earliest card-making days, ribbon was often my only embellishment, so it was fun to revisit the ribbon wrap technique.  I wrapped three different ribbons around my card front and attached them to the inside with clear packing tape.  Then I attached another * inside front* to my card to cover the tape.  I layered on on felt snowflakes and a silver glitter sticker (to coordinate with my silvery hand-painted paper and two silver ribbons) and finished with a sentiment flag from my stash."

Lauren's Card

Lauren says, "This idea is making me wonder HOW I didn't think of it before? Because I've made similar cards where I've done a lattice pattern with washi tape, but somehow it never occurred to me to use ribbon. I suppose partly because it's hard to attach in strips that lie completely flat? Unless, that is, you have 1/8" wide Sookwang Scor-Tape, so you can basically make your ribbon into stickers, one piece at at time. I didn't need to sew all the way around the edges, because those ribbons were on there; but I did anyway and I like how it looks. A fabric poinsettia and a retired Eyelet Outlet paper flower are all the focal point you need when you have NINE different ribbons... am I right? "

Link your ribbon-bedecked masterpieces right here by 6pm (EDT) on Wednesday, June 17th. Keyword for galleries and Flickr is JB:20:12.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter