I’ve been juggling a lot of different projects over the past several weeks as I prepared for my Crafty Consignment Sale, wrapped and shipped ribbon from my ribbon share, got ready for my vendor bazaar and focused on growing my mustache (OK, that didn’t take too much time). All the while, work has been really busy, too. While work and the mustache continue, all the other events are over now, so it’s back to relaxing and taking it easy (what’s that like?). With so many “balls in the air” over the past couple of weeks, I couldn’t help but make a card that depicts “real life” over the past several weeks (substituting me for Santa and bells for balls). Here’s my card for this week’s “Bells” challenge for Merry Monday:
And here’s the Merry Monday Challenge banner for Sue’s Bells Challenge:
Tips, Tricks and Reminders
- Bells. I struggled all week with this challenge. I don’t have any Stampin’ Up! images with bells, so I was at a loss. As I was flipping through all the items that were in my house for the Garage Sale, though, I found a tiny container of bells (for 25 cents) and made an early purchase from the sale. The bells had little hoops on the back for stringing them up – I snipped the hoops off so they’d lay flat and glued them down with glue dots.
- Playing with the Patterns. For some things, there is no right or wrong way, but I usually consider all options anyway. The pattern in this Santa & Co Designer Series Paper is abstract, right? I think so, but this way looks more like roof tiles, so I thought that fit well with a wintery wonderland project. I suppose the tiles could look like fauna or feathers, but I went with abstract roof tiles. 🙂
- Santa’s Backside. Does that sound naughty? I used Blendabilities to color my Santa (not a big surprise because I love these things) before carrying him to the Snip Center, the newest dedicated space in the Fungeon. The Blendabilities can bleed through Whisper White paper (so don’t color directly on top of your dining room table), and I wanted to show you Santa’s backside:
Stamp Sets: Get Your Santa On Papers: Old Olive, Real Red, Whisper White, Santa & Co Designer Series paper Inks: Tuxedo Black Memento, Old Olive, Blendabilities (Cherry Cobbler, Smoky Slate, Skintones, Color Lifter), Gold Stampin’ Dazzle Marker Accessories: Stampin’ Dimensionals, Hexagon Punch for banner tips.
I hope you will stop by the Merry Monday Challenge blog to check out the great projects by the other design team members.
Thanks for stopping by today!
Brian
Just too cute!!!
Brian, this is too cuuute!!
Too cute, Brian!! Love it.
Adorable!!! Great use of what you have on hand. Thanks for sharing.
Fabulous as usual!!!!
Brilliant use of the bells! Adorable card!
This card is cute, and I love the story that makes it come to life! (How Christmas-y of you!)
LOL, Brian, this little card made me giggle! I love your juggling bell Santa! Too cute!
really clever!
Adorable!
Darn it Brian! That is one of the few stamp sets from the Holiday Catalog I do not have and now – because of YOU – I may have to get it and the crazy paper too! Very cute card!!
OMG adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You did it again Brian, too cute! I love it!
So cute! 🙂
Cute card and I agree that dsp could be Peacock feathers for non Xmas use !
So glad your big projects were successful ! You have been like the Road Runner !
“Santa’s backside”, my favorite part of your post.
This is over the top cute, Brian. I love it!
Love it! Love jingle bells!
Too late on the bleed through warning though. Oh well. Needed/ wanted a new dinning room table cloth anyway!
Your imagination knows no bounds! Who else would have seen roof tiles in that paper and thought of Santa juggling bells? LOVE this cute card! Although I don’t comment often, I am a daily reader of your whole blog, even including the comments by others. Keep up the good work! You inspire me every day.
Such a pretty and cute card! Clever to snip off those hoops on the bells!
Love it, love it, love it! The card screams “HAPPY”!
Brian, your project is just darling! What a super idea! Love the colors, that dsp and of course the biggest elf, Santa, is front and center. I love this! Thanks for sharing, and I’m glad you had such a successful event. I’m sure you are also working hard on gathering up all of our Holiday share cards too. Hope you got mine. 🙂 Have a great week!
Just so cute! He makes me smile, what a precious design to fit your life these past few weeks! Cheers to some down time this week after your work days!
Love your juggling Santa 🙂
Simply adorable and your description is even better!
a juggling Santa, very cute idea! love the dsp as well.
Love him. So cute with actual
Bells
Too cute for words, but I’ll try anyway. Brian, your creativity never ceases to amaze me. I love this card, it’s just so clever and fun. The Old Olive and Real Red work so well to convey the holiday feel . Awesome job
Brian, you have outdone yourself with this one! Your brain must be a fabulously fun place to hang out! 😉
Love it and I was wondering how you were holding up! I barely can handle having 1 card class a month and I was in awe at how many projects you were talking AND keeping up with your blog AND still having time to make cards! You amaze me – do you sleep?! LOL
Rest up and enjoy your “down time”….
Looking forward to getting the ribbon share! Yippee & TY!
I love this card, Brian! The jingle bells are just the right touch. I have a question – I often mail my cards and some of them have the pearls, candy dots or ribbon tied in a bow – I worry about them being torn as they go thru the machine at the post office. What can I do to keep them from being torn?
Hi Mary, If you have lots of texture on a card, you will likely have to put the card in a bubble mailer or box. This one would get destroyed in an envelope, so I’d probably store it in a DVD case to mail. If you don’t have A LOT of embellishments, you can always add a piece of cardstock or a cutout from a cereal box to the envelope to hold that stuff in place. I hope that helps.
That is so cute, Brian
Love your card. It a great image of what your life has been recently. I appreciate the effort as others do as well I’m sure. I’m also in love with the great paper behind Santa. Whether it’s roof tiles or feathers I’m really liking it.
Love your card. I bought this stamp set with some reservations about whether I would be able to work with it. So far, I have loved it. I feel a CASE coming on. I hope you won’t mind.
super, super ~ SUPER cute!
Oh Santa Brian! You juggled your week very well! The card is wonderful!
Hello Brian,
your card is fantastic with all the little bells and the cute santa, so much fun..:-))
How sweet! And what a great idea with your bells Brian. Thanks for the insperiation!
Love the DSP you chose for this card. I don’t think I would have thought of it but it looks great! Very cute card.
Such a fun card design – love the idea of Santa juggling bells 🙂
Love the jingle bells, Brian! It would be great if there was a way for you to use white embossing powder on the “roof tiles” to make it look like snow! Unlike you, I AM a glitter fan, so I would use a fine-tipped glue pen to outline the bottom curve of the tiles, and then sprinkle some fine white glitter on it as “snow.” Thanks for all the creative ideas!
Oh my goodness Brian, this card depicts my life right now! Love it, Nd Santas back side too!
What a cute idea! I love this card.
This is perfect and so clever to have Santa juggling bells. haha Awesome card.
Have a great week!
Brian, I received my ribbon share today, and it’s wonderful! If your life has been hectic, please take satisfaction in knowing you handled everything so well. Thank you for your work.
Hi Brian, I’m glad you were able to play along with my challenge. I love the juggling bells, such an awesome fun card.
I love this, Brian – the juggled bells have such a great sense of movement – wonderful!
What a clever and fun card, Brian! I find it’s a good idea to have some scrap paper behind my Whisper White when I’m coloring with Blendies. It helps to blend the inks as well as preserving the dining room table.
Super cute card Brian, I love your juggling Santa.
This is too much fun and such a clever take on the challenge! Great job!