Dashing Through the Snow (Week 2)

It's week two of our snow-centric Jingle Belles challenge for which we've teamed up with our friends at The Double Trouble Challenge, thus giving you a chance to participate in TWO challenges with ONE card! As the title implies, for "Dashing Through the Snow" the brief at Jingle Belles is merely to make a card that features SNOW, whether it be snowflakes, snowmen or a snowy landscape.

As you may know, the "Double" in "Double Trouble" refers to the fact that there are several parts to their challenges, though the only requirement is to play along with Thing 1, which in this case is to make a window or aperture card. But the Double Trouble Gang encourage you to add some fun... try their options by participating in Twisted Sister's Thing 3 and/or Double Dare's Thing 2 to earn additional chances in their random drawing. This time, those twists are as follows:

And here's what we made this week:

Lauren's Other Card(s)

Lauren says, "I had made a few extra white-embossed panels during our Jingle Belles' "EMBOSSING" challenge, and since they happened to be snowy, when I found them again, I decided they were perfect for making an aperture card. I used an ancient set of Nestabilities' Labels 20 to cut the largest size from a panel I had inked with Wendy Vecchi's Night Sky Archival; then the next size down to cut a smaller version of the same shape from a  Sky Blue Archival Panel; then I layered both of those over a third panel inked with Violet Archival. I embossed the "Noel" from Wendy's Statements Chippies, inked it with Night Sky, added it on top, embellished with a few diecut snowflakes, et voila. Since all of my supplies were still sitting there, including the beautiful label shapes cut from the apertures of card one, I decided to build a second card with the leftovers and another Chippie from the same set."

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "For this week's Double Trouble window card, I used Lawn Fawn Stitched sentiment banner to die cut the sentiment (which I attached to the inside of the card) and again on the front of the card, so the sentiment could peek through.  The sentiment & snow jar are both from Woodware Snow Jar stamp set."

Scroll down to the original Dashing Through the Snow post to find the linky tool, not to mention a photo of the fun little prize one random cardmaker will receive, just for linking up a snowy card with us here at Jingle Belles. If your card is snowy AND has a window, be sure to link up at Double Trouble Challenge #171 too, for a shot at their prize!

Dashing Through the Snow

It's the middle of July, which seems like an excellent time to team up with our friends at The Double Trouble Challenge, so that you have a chance to participate in TWO challenges with ONE card! As our post title implies, for "Dashing Through the Snow" the brief here at Jingle Belles is merely to make a card that features SNOW, whether it be snowflakes, snowmen or a snowy landscape.

As you may know, the "Double" in "Double Trouble" refers to the fact that there are several parts to their challenges, though the only requirement is to play along with Thing 1, which in this case is to make a window or aperture card. But the Double Trouble Gang encourage you to add some fun... try their options by participating in Twisted Sister's Thing 3 and/or Double Dare's Thing 2 to earn additional chances in their random drawing. This time, those twists are as follows:

Remember, you need only make a card featuring some sort of SNOW to enter here at Jingle Belles; and the only requirement at Double Trouble is to make a window or aperture card. BUT... if your card has both SNOW and a WINDOW... you can link up on both blogs for a chance at two different prizes!

Here's how we approached the challenges this week:

Stephanie's Card

Stephanie says, "This card started with me needing to clean & re-ink my gina k. designs white ink pad.  I had accidentally transferred some red ink onto the pad, and when I tried to use it for emboss resist last week, I kept getting ink instead of white.  I rubbed the ink pad direct to a piece of light blue cardstock until it appeared to be gone, and then re-inked.  As I went to throw the inky cardstock away, I thought - what if I embossed it with Hero Arts Iridescent Lavender Embossing Powder .. and voila.  

I decided to stencil that clean white craft ink through the gina k. designs Snowflake Mandala Stencil and emboss with white detail embossing powder.  Next I used the smallest of gina's double stitched circle die cuts to cut create the *window* in the center of the snowflake to create a shaker card (positioning the center cut portion at the back of the shaker).  The Pretty Pink Posh Winter Clay Snowflake Confetti fills the shaker and the sentiment is gina k. designs Sparkle and Shine.  With my shaker *window* and snowflake, I'm going with Double Trouble."

Lauren's Card

Lauren says, "Generally speaking, if I'm making a window card, I go all out and make it a shaker; so that's what I've done here. Stephanie gave me an adorable set of Doodlebug Winter Wonderland stamps and dies for my birthday, and I was excited to be able to use them so quickly. I found a few sheets of D-bug's Polar Pals patterned paper to coordinate and used an older set of Spellbinders' Nestabilities to build up that fun scalloppy frame. Inside the shaker I placed a background of pale blue snowflakes, a glittery hill, a handsome yeti and a mix of Eyelet Outlet Snowflake and Round Sequins."

♥♥♥

To make this gala Christmas in July celebration even more festive, we have a fun little prize for one randomly selected cardmaker who links a snowy card up here at Jingle Belles:

Sunny Studio 6x6 All is Bright paper pad, Inky Antics Winter Song stamp set and some gorgeous Crafter's Square gems.

Link your SNOWY masterpieces right here, by 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, July 31st. Keyword for galleries, etc is JB2415.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter 

The EMBOSS-able Dream

So many wonderful, clever, beautiful takes on our embossing theme this fortnight; here are a just few that especially caught our eye; but we highly recommend scrolling through the entire Readers' Gallery if you haven't done so yet!

Leslie M of LRoseCreates

...used an embossed background and an embossed sleeve, paired with traditional holiday colors and several different star motifs to make this fun and festive coffee card shine!

Chris of And Here's One I made Earlier...

...added a white embossed panel behind her beautifully framed stamped image, with bonus points awarded for her exceptional coloring and shading skills!

Darnell of DJ Kard Kreations

...used the same embossing folder for both the crisp white background and the elegant framed focal image, but made them look entirely different by painting the latter with translucent gold ink!

♥♥♥

And now let's see who's won that very fun Gina K Holiday Embossing Folder:

The Random Number Generator has chosen...

Lucky Number #2

which means that...

Bonnie of Stamping with Klass

 is our lucky winner!

Please send your snail mail info 

to llaurenb@hotmail.com so we can get that on its way!

♥♥♥

Many thanks to everyone who played along, we loved seeing ALL of your beautiful cards. We'll be back at midnight with a brand new prompt AND a special "Christmas in July" crossover challenge! 

*Mission Embossable*

Your mission this week, should you decide to accept it, is to join the Jingle Belles in creating a holiday card that features heat and/or texture embossing.

Here's how we went all EMBOSS-ible this week:

Lauren's Other Card

Lauren says, "I stumbled upon this background panel, which, at some unremembered point in the past, I had embossed using Memory Box's Poinsettia Corner e/f, colored the raised design with Wendy Vecchi's Leaf Green Ink and Sunflower Liquid Pearls, and then set it aside. This serves as a good illustration of why I am a Setter-Aside rather than a Thrower-Out (ok apart from mild hoarding tendencies) and that is because although this did not originally meet whatever my goal or requirements might've been at the time, it was a beautiful background which seriously helped me out on a crowded and busy week. All I had to do to make the panel into a card was add Penny Black Poinsettia and Joy diecuts, plus a couple of coordinating mats et voila! Job done!"

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "I went with the oh-so-magical Emboss Resist Technique this week using stamps from Gina K. Designs (which is also perfect for her Christmas in July #monthlymixchallenge).  I just love how the image comes to life as you blend the ink into the cardstock."

And remember, one lucky participant will win the awesome gina k. designs Holiday Flora Embossing Folder

My Sweet EMBOSS-able You

This week's EMBOSS-able theme is asking you to create holiday cards that feature embossed texture or heat embossing (or both if you're an over-achiever).

Here are our Sweet EMBOSS-able creations this week:

Stephanie's Card

Stephanie says, "I started with the Spellbinders Forevergreen Embossing Folder on white cardstock and then I applied dark green ink to bring out the embossed texture.  Next I added spritzes of Bella Luna Gold Shimmer Spray.  I finished with a Merry & Bright CZ Design STAMPtember Merry & Bright sentiment die cut in dark green & then layered with gold cardstock.  I finished with a stamped sentiment from Simon Says Stamp Abstract Holiday."

Lauren's Card

Lauren says, "I'm currently somewhat obsessed with the emboss/resist technique, so I chose to go with heat embossing. I stamped the gorgeous oversized Snowflake Spin background from Stampendous in Ranger's Clear Emboss It Ink, sprinkled with White e/p and once it was cool I applied a combination of Picked Raspberry, Kitsch Flamingo and Spun Sugar Oxide Inks, which I splattered lightly with a waterbrush for even more variation of shades. The "Merry" die is so old I'm actually not sure who made it, but I love how it looks cut from magenta glitter paper and mounted on some coordinating May Arts ribbon. 

And one lucky random participant will win the lovely gina k. designs Holiday Flora Embossing Folder.

This challenge runs until 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday evening, July 17th. Keyword for galleries, etc, is JB2414.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

In Fabulous Shape!

Slightly less participation this fortnight, but literally ALL of the linked-up SHAPED cards are outstanding, so without further ado, here they are now:

Susan B of Cardmaker's Garret

...performed a spell of enchantment with the fabulous foliage and beautiful bird on her hexagonal card!

Marianne of Marianne's Cards 'n Stuff

...created a fabulous snowflake shape, with a backer that's hinged to make it open-able AND that glimmering watercolor splatter takes the whole thing over the top! 

PS: Marianne also made the most adorable Mug Shaped Card, as well!

Riet Harikini of I Need to Stamp

...proves that the holidays are the perfect time for hangin' with your GNOMIES on this adorable trio of tags!

Fabiola of Mon P'tit Monde

...didn't just design a beautiful combination of colors and papers, she also created an original template for this stunning bauble!

♥♥♥

We'll be back at midnight with a brand new prompt we hope will inspire you, especially if you love TEXTURE! ♥

Holiday Shape-Up Continues

We're still Shaping Up for the Holidays, and as you'll recall, that means we're making shaped cards, for which anything other than a square or rectangle will do. Though some holiday ideas might be a star, stocking, candy cane, circle, ice-skate... ok, you get the idea, right? If not, jump down to the original Shaping Up post and take a scroll through the Readers' Gallery. Meanshile, here's how we SHAPED-up this week:

Lauren's Other Card(s)

Lauren says, "A few years ago I had downloaded a photo of a beautiful mitten-shaped card, printed it out on cardstock at 4x6" size, used it as a template and raided my stash of ancient Basic Grey holiday patterned paper to make THIS CARD. Luckily, I had saved the template and still had some nice big chunks of BG, so I'm back with the same idea... times two! Basic Grey flower layers, Recollections flair, scraps of felt  trimmings, 7 Gypsies velvet holly leaves, and a couple of buttons from my stash complete this pair of mixy-matchy mitten cards."

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "As a child, I loved making snowmen.  I think I had just as much fun making this paper version.  I started by die cutting two circles from white glitter paper.  I attached the circles to a card base (overlapping the fold slightly on the left) and then cut around my circles to create my snowman-shaped card base.  Next I hand-cut the hat from black cardstock with a wonderful gold shimmer.  I used the same black paper for the eyes, mouth and buttons.  I hand-cut the carrot nose from a scrap of orange designer paper.  The arms are made from a thin strip of brown woodgrain embossed paper.  I finished with some holly leaves and berry stickers and a fun little ice cold treat.

This challenge runs through Wednesday evening (6pm EST), July 3rd, 2024.

SHAPING-up for the Holidays

Since this prompt finds us half-way to Christmas, we figured it was a good time to start SHAPING-Up for the Holidays.  

What that means is we're making shaped cards … anything other than a square or rectangle will do.  You might try a circle, star, stocking, candy cane ... we can't wait to see your SHAPE of Christmas creativity.

Here's how we SHAPED-up this week:

Stephanie's Card

Stephanie say, "I have no idea how long I've had this never-before-used Jolly Santa Shaped Gift Card Holder die cut set from Crafter's Companion, but it was certainly well past time to give it a go.  Rather than just use cardstock for my Santa, I created my own papers on my GelliArts Press for the face/nose and the red (with a tiny bit of gold paint mixed in) for Santa's outfit.  I added gold metallic paper for Santa's belt.  This will be a fun little way to share some gift card love for the holiday."

Lauren's Card

Lauren says, "I used the second largest bauble in an older set of older Hero Arts Ornaments Infinity Dies to diecut this charming, vintage-inspired Santa from Prima's Candy Cane Lane collection, then traced and handcut a few additional layers to make a slightly larger and sturdier card. I used Wendy Vecchi's brilliant "hinge" method to add another diecut piece to the back (with a crease scored at 3/4" from the top before affixing) and thus make this into a card that actually opens!* A few Impression Obsession diecut snowflakes, a seambinding bow and a scatter of golden star sequins complete the design."

♥♥♥

Link your SHAPED masterpieces right here by 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Keyword for galleries etc is JB2413.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Three by Three

There are some truly AMAZING cards in our Jingle Belles' We Three Kings Readers' Gallery, so if you haven't taken time to scroll through, we highly recommend the trip. In the meantime, here are three takes on three (or more!) patterned papers that especially caught our eye:

Becca S of Becca's Quest for Love and Country Creativity

...combined three patterned papers, one diecut tag, one washi tape and enough glittery glimmery snowflakes to make us forget the current "heat bubble" in the Northeast!

Liz of Old Right-Brain Madness

...constructed such a clever, quilt-inspired, scrap-using, pattern-combining masterpiece that we've saved it to our inspiration files as a secret weapon for the next time we do a similar challenge!

Cindy Major aka @encrepapierciseaux on Instagram

...linked up several AMAZING multi-patterned makes, all of which you really need to see, but this fun and fabulous holiday sweater design miiiiiiight be our fave!

♥♥♥

Many thanks to everyone who played along, we enjoyed seeing every single card! We'll be back at Midnight with a few ideas for getting IN SHAPE for the holidays... don't worry, there's NO diet or exercise involved!!! :)

Three of a Kind

We're still celebrating "We Three Kings" and thus creating cards with at least THREE designer papers this week; here's how we combined our patterns this week:

Lauren's Other Card(s)

Lauern says, "This week, I've used five patterned papers, across two cards: two shades of Lawn Fawn's Knit Picky line, plus a piece from Let it Shine; ancient MME Trees; and the Lawn Fawn Yeti are pieced in one of Bella Blvd's fabulous tone-on-tone plaids. The snowflakes are, of course, Eyelet Outlet Brads. I'm awarding myself bonus points for using both the positive and negative parts of the Dare 2B Artzy Stitched Framelits dies, instead of putting the unused pieces in the ever-increasing leftover die cuts pile."

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "I actually combined five different papers from the Echo Park Santa Claus Lane Collection including a mug of hot cocoa for the Caffeinated Christmas Masculine Card Challenge.  I added a little ink around the die cut star paper to give it a bit more contrast and finished with a Hero Arts Holiday Meal sentiment and a few enamel dots using a layout from the Sketch~N~Scrap Challenge."

Remember you have until 6pm EST on Wednesday, June 19th to join the fun. Scroll down to the original post to link your cards!

We THREE Kings

This week at Jingle Belles, we're asking you to dig into your stash of designer papers (we know you have one!) and use at least THREE different patterned papers in your card design (hence the prompt name of We THREE Kings).

It might happen by cutting into your favorite hoarded sheets of paper ... or by digging through your scrap paper pile.  You can combine three different patterns from the same paper collection ... or maybe branch out and choose unrelated prints that you just happen to love. Just be brave, be colorful, and have fun.

Here's how we combined at least THREE patterned papers this week:

Stephanie's Card

Stephanie says, "I chose three designer papers from the Mintay White Christmas collection for my card this week.  With that great holiday scene on one of the papers, all I needed to do to finish the design was at a few bits of bling and a sentiment from Kerri Bradford's Oh What Fun stamp set.

Lauren's Card

Lauren says, "It's no surprise that I love 49 and Market's Christmas Spectacular 2023 collection, so all four of my papers come from that set. I especially love it with lots of distressed layers and machine stitching, as my card reflects. In addition to four different patterns from the collection, I've got four strips of washi tape (admittedly hard to see... they're wrapped around the decorative band that's mostly hidden by the flower) as well as a sentiment sticker, and an ancient Petaloo velvet flower."

We THREE Kings runs until 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday evening, June 19th. Keyword for galleries, etc is JB2412.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Tic-Tac-Toe Titans

Crafty Tic-Tac-Toe is always one of our favorite events, because those nine boxes seem to hold an infinite amount of inspiration! Here are three takes that especially caught our eye this time:

Gail of What's Normal?

...selected the top row, which gave her Snowman + Embossing + Ribbon; each of which she's used to great advantage; with bonus points for the fun, fresh purple and white color palette!

Aimeslee of Paper-Paisleys Art Adventures

...used the center row of Glitter or Bling + Red or Green + Stamping to create a kraft and copper design with loads of texture and interest!

Liz Williams of Old Right Brain Madness

...chose the center column of Embossing + Red or Green (in this case both) + Diecuts and came up with this vibrant, elegant design in traditional holiday colors!

Many thanks to everyone who played along, we loved seeing every single inspiring card. We'll be back at midnight with a brand new prompt that we hope you'll find especially inspiring! 

Saint Nick-Tac-Toe

We're still playing crafty Tic-Tac-Toe this week, so here's another look at the board with all its inspiring possibilities:

And here's how we played the game:

Lauren's Other Card

Lauren says, "This week I chose the diagonal that runs from top left to bottom right, which gave me Snowman + Red or Green + Tree(s), mostly because I was gifted Lawn Fawn's "Snowball Fight" stamps and dies, and I couldn't wait to use them. Technically I've got a snow-mouse rather than a SNOWMAN, but I am unrepentant about this minor example of cheating, lol! My GREEN comes in the form of said snowrodent's scarf as well as the TREES which I punched from scraps of LF's Spiffier Speckles. I'd planned on making this into a shaker card, and thus created the raised heart aperture, but in the end I felt like the shaker sequins would've obscured the adorable details of the stamps, so I opted for the slightly simpler design you see here."

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "This week I played vertically straight down the center with Embossing, Green & Die Cuts.  I started by die cutting the Impression Obsession Layered TreeImpression Obsession Layered Tree from Core'dinations Cardstock.  Next I embossed a lighter shade of green cardstock with the Simon Says Stamp Streaming Embossing Folder.  I used the Sketch from The Paper Players and cut the embossed panel in two.  I added a horizontal piece of brown woodgrain embossed cardstock and then used foam tape on every other bough of my tree for some dimension.  I die cut the stitched star from Impression Obsession Patchwork Tree from Gold Glitter Cardstock & decorated my tree with golden ivory gems.  I finished with a sentiment from Impression Obsession Holiday Words."

♥♥♥

JB2411: Tree Skirt Tic-Tac-Toe runs until next Wednesday evening, June 5th; scroll down to the original post for the linky tool and Readers' Gallery!

Tree Skirt Tic-Tac-Toe

This fortnight, we're playing a game of Tree Skirt Tic-Tac-Toe, which is kind of like "Beach Blanket Bingo" but... you know... more Christmassy; and with LOTS more embellishments!

We'd love for you to join the fun ... all you have to do is pick a row (horizontal, vertical or diagonal) and a create a lovely new holiday card featuring all three elements in that row. There are loads of possibilities, so let's get started.

Here's how we played the game:

Stephanie's Card

Stephanie says, "I went Vertical down the left side with Snowman, Glitter/Bling and Silver.  I inked-up a much loved woodblock Inkadinkado snowman with two shades of blue ink.  I die cut using stitched Hexagon die cuts using the next two sizes for blue cardstock and Silver Glitter Paper.  I stacked them together and used foam tape to attach them to Lawn Fawn silver foiled snowflake designer paper.  I finished with a scattering of bling and a sentiment from Taylored Expressions Sentiment Strips - Christmas."

Lauren's Card

Lauren says, "I chose the center column and thus had Embossing + Red or Green + Diecuts to work with. I broke out the Big Box of Bits and Bobs and lucked into the grocer's kraft panel (Simon Hurley Evergreens embossed in a combination of Ranger's Lime Tinsel and matte Green Embossing Powders, with a couple of Raspberry Liquid Pearl hearts on top); the glossy mat with the green stamped foliage from Wendy Vecchi's Doodle Holiday set, and all of those diecut Penny Black Layered Poinsettias to which I've added green Eyelet Outlet Snowflake Bling."

JB2411: Tree Skirt Tic-Tac-Toe runs until 6pm (Eastern) on Wednesday evening, June 5th; so put on your thinking cap and start planning what you'll link up with us! 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Cavalcade of Cardstock

We thought (ok at least Lauren thought, lol!) the No Patterned Paper challenge was going to be a tough one but every single one of you ROCKED it! If you haven't already checked out the Readers' Gallery, we highly recommend that inspiring trip; meanwhile here are three cardstock-centric cards that especially caught our eye:

Helen of Helen's Craft Haven

...pieced together four embossed cardstock squares in two vivid shades to create a background perfectly matched for her stylishly stamped and colored snowperson! 

Wies of Wies Creablog

...cleverly used the Bargello Technique with brightly colored scraps set off by a dramatic black frame which makes that gorgeous diecut poinsettia stand out even more!

Jan R of Huh. So This Is A Blog.

...not only met the brief, she exceeded it with a one-layer CAS masterpiece for which only WHITE cardstock, a couple of stamps and coloring implements were needed!

We'll be back at Midnight with a brand new challenge that we hope you'll think is (Tic-Tac-)TOE-tally awesome! ;)

The 12 Days of Cardstock

We're still celebrating a Cardstock Christmas at Jingle Belles (no designer papers allowed).  You can die cut it, stamp on it, tear it... just make cardstock the star of the show.

Here's how we created with Cardstock this week:

Lauren's Other Card

Lauren says, "I stamped half a dozen poinsettias from Wendy Vecchi's Doodle Christmas Stamp Set and a bunch of holly leaves from the Doodle Holiday set, embossing them in Ranger Lilac Pearl and White Embossing Powders, respectively. I colored them with Petunia, Peat Moss and English Ivy Archival Inks, then did a bit of fussy-cutting before adding Sunflower Liquid Pearls to the centers. I stamped the large swag of greenery from Doodle Holiday in English Ivy across the chunky chipboard "Joy" from Wendy's Statements Chippies; then mounted all of the above on a cardstock panel to which I gave quite an impressive bit of dimension with Spellbinders' Flowers & Foliage 3D Embossing Folder. One skinny Petunia mat later, my 5.5" square card was complete!"

Stephanie's Other Card

Stephanie says, "I can't think about cardstock without thinking about the fun ways you can use Core'dinations Cardstock.  This time I chose to tear two shades of blue cardstock exposing the coordinating color of the core and layered it on my card base.  I paired it with a puffy hot chocolate mug that a topped with puffy poinsettia for the Caffeinated Christmas Flower Challenge.  I finished with some Eyelet Outlet Glitter Enamel Dots and a sentiment from Impress."

Make sure you link-up your Cardstock Christmas creations by 6pm EST on Wednesday, May 22nd.