All Bundled Up

As Spring is moving into high gear here in the northern hemisphere, we're bundling-up for Christmas at Jingle Belles ... which means we're asking you to make a card featuring three or more layers.  Maybe you like to layer your cardstock ... or your designer paper ... or both ... just make sure there are layers.

Here's how we layered-up this week.

Stephanie's Card

Stephanie says, "I used this week's Sweet Sunday Sketch as the starting point for my layered design.  My card base is covered with cardstock ... next I layered on some beautiful Birch Tree Designer paper from BoBunny Woodland Winter before layering on cardstock banners & finishing with Hero Arts Merriest Christmas Wishes and a tiny banner sentiment on top."

Lauren's Card

Lauren says, "I used the current Sweet Stop Sketch and gave each of my panels a skinny little mat in order to bring my layer total to *EIGHT* without adding too much bulk to the design. My only "lumpy" elements are a dimensional floral and a glittery chipboard sentiment, both of which will allow this card to fit in an ordinary envelope without too much trouble! Layers AND mail-ability? Big win, lol!"

And now it's time for you to break out YOUR favorite goodies and pile them onto your own lovely layery holiday cards! Link up before 6pm (EST) on Wednesday, May 7th. Keyword for galleries and our Flickr group is JB:14:09.

An InLinkz Link-up

Recyclicious

Your recycled designs blew us away ... we're always amazed at how you repurpose your crafting saves into awesome new cards.  Here are a few of our Earth Day Favorites:

Julene by Design

recycled book pages, product packaging, fabric, tulle ... and even disassembled a prior design team project to re-use those ferns ... fantastic!

Brenda of Brenda's Crafty Corner

always rocks this theme year-after-year ... this year she had three fantastic entries ... we loved how on this card she used tissue paper to create a pseudo-shaker card that looks like falling snow ... and that when she bought some defective gift bags, she saved them to turn them into something even more fabulous.

Lorraine of Paper Vernissage

recycled the paper from the top of a chocolate box together with die cutting foam packing wrap ... what a cool effect.  She also hand-cut her own letters from a scrap of glitter paper and re-used a pretty little bow.

Check back at midnight for another prompt to keep those holiday cards coming.

Peace on EARTH Goodwill to Men

We're still celebrating Earth Day by creating cards that featured recycled or repurposed elements.

Here's what we created this week:

Lauren's Other Card

Lauren says, "Would you believe this adorable santa and sleigh illustration was on the cover of a clothing catalog? Well, it was, a December or two ago! Of course I thought it was far too fabulous to toss away with the recycling, so I saved it, and this week it's the centerpiece of what I think is a really fun (and totally postage-friendly!!!) Christmas card. Gotta love that, right?!"

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "When I come across magazine illustrations I think would make fun art, I tear them out and save them in a file folder ... I think this one was from the December issue of Bon Appetit.  I just loved the peaceful feeling of the image.  All I added was a stamped sentiment and a little bling in the sky."

Remember, you have until 6pm (EST) on Wednesday, April 23rd to link-up your Earth Day card.

Joy to the Earth

Once again, it's the time of year to Celebrate Earth Day at Jingle Belles.

That means we're asking you to look around your house or your office and see what you can re-use, re-purpose, re-cycle or up-cycle ... maybe it's some twine in the kitchen, or even a bit of corrugated cardboard in the garage ... is there a gorgeous glossy advertisement in the magazine you've just finished ... or even some packaging from your art supplies that's just too pretty not to re-use.

Here's what we created for Earth Day:

Stephanie's Card

Stephanie says, "Last year I picked up a box of envelopes at an Estate Sale, and when I got home, I discovered that it also contained Christmas cards received by the owner.  For this week's card, I recycled one of those cards (aren't the colors fantastic) using the Sweet Sunday Sketch.  I even recycled the back of the card (which was the same perfectly aged ivory as the card front) by using it to stamp my sentiment ... I love that I was able to give such a beautiful design a second life.

Lauren's Card

Lauren says, "A few years ago at my local crafting store i saw cards sporting gorgeous metal embellishments, and asked who the manufacturer was. It turned out they were made by one of the employees using the store's Cuttlebug machine, and flattened-out soda cans! Of course I rushed home to try it myself and discovered that although one has to be VERY careful cutting open the cans, the diecutting process couldn't be more simple! I used a Tim Holtz steel-rule die for this card, and the only thing I like better than the handsome reindeer is that no one would guess he started life as a can of Diet Dr. Pepper!"

Link your own card here before 6pm (EST) on Wednesday, April 23rd. Keyword for galleries and our Flickr group is JB:14:08. Have fun and be creative!

An InLinkz Link-up

Vintage, With Style

We were spoiled for choice this fortnight, and had a grand old time soaking up all the inspiration in the gallery. Here are three completely different, but equally exceptional, takes on the "Spirit of Christmas Past"!

Katja of Katzz Creaties
...layered lots of lovely new goodies with vintage style to create this intricate masterpiece!

Cyndie of Reis' Pieces of Paper
...scanned a beautiful vintage postcard to be the centerpiece of her fun and festive card!


Claire of Claire's Crafty Creations

...used paint, gesso and ink to create this idyllic old-fashioned Christmas scene, literally from the ground up!

The lucky random winner of the Christmas ephemera pack and a $10 gift certificate to the "Just Enough Stuff" etsy shop, is #11, also known as...

*Brenda of Butlers Abroad*

Please email us at jinglebellesrock @ hotmail (dot) com to claim your prize!

We'll be back at midnight with a brand new prompt we hope will bring some holiday cheer to your environment, so be sure to check back then!

Walking in a Vintage Wonderland

We're still celebrating all things vintage or old-fashioned in feeling. Be sure to scroll down to the original post to see all of the cool and creative ways your fellow ♥JINGLE BELLES♥ have found to interpret this theme, and to link up your own card. Meanwhile, here's what we made this week:

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "I re-purposed another vintage holiday card I found at an estate sale ... my favorite elements are shadowy bells in the sky and the chunky glitter on the colored bells.  All I added were some cardstock mats and a Christmas Magic Sentiment."

Lauren's Other Card

Lauren says, "This is one of the quickest cards I've ever made. Partly because I happened to have a lovely little card-sized piece of vintage sheet music entitled "Old Santa Claus" and the perfect diecut Santa from an October Afternoon Miscellany Collection which did most of the work. Of course it didn't hurt, either, that I also had the gorgeous new Cardabilities Sketch (#96). Sometimes it's THAT EASY!" :)