Izzie has a Cherry on top!

Today I thought I would give one more shot at the June SFYTT. Since Stamping Bella is this month's sponsor, I decided to color an Izzie. They are one of my all time favorite Bella's. This one is Izzie with a cherry on top. I paired it with October Afternoon Fly a Kite design paper and thus the colors began.

First I stamped her on Bella's Bestest paper with Memento Tuxedo black ink. Then I colored with copiccs. I did add some shading with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol. Soft shading with French Grey 90% was done on the skirt and the cupcake, Burnt Ochre was used on her face and Scarlet Lake for the frosting. Since I cut her out, I didn't have to add any surround shading or ground. I did add Black Glaze pen to her shoes and Stampin Up! Crystal effects to the frosting for some shine.

Machine stitching pulled it all together along with Nestie Circle, Blossom and Petite Oval dies. The sentiment is also a Bella. It's not currently in inventory but there are plenty of others.

You still have a few more days to participate in Jen's challenge. Hope you can play along.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cath

A Sketchy Bellariffic Friday

I must say that I love sketch challenges more and more. I used to be scared stiff of them and have now grown comfortable in the fact that half of my guess work is done. And I even feel free to interpret the sketch in my own way. This week's Bellariffic Friday sketch from Jeaniebella was no different. When I got it, I immediately turned it on it's side and said sweet! Yup, it was just like that. Then the ball started rolling with the image. Cupcake princess Violet, a Mo Manning image released in rubber through Stamping Bella is a rather wide image. I didn't want to take up that much real estate on my card so I decided to leave some of her dress outside of the edges. The rest is coloring.

The story starts with Bella's Bestest paper and Violet stamped with Memento Tuxedo black ink to be colored with copics. But I wanted depth in the folds of her dress so I added my favorite French Grey 90% prismacolor pencil and blended with gamsol. I left the edges of the image free this time but I did add ground beneath her feet with pencil as well. Design paper is from Prima Marketing - The Madeline collection of 6x6 papers. Cardstock is Bazzil and the card base is Neenah Classic Crest solar white. The sentiment is from Bella as well and I framed it with a Nestie's Labels 10 die. I added soft shading using VersaMagic Wheat chalk ink. Then I added some glam with pink rhinestones and glitter to the dress ruffles.

Next week the Bella's are taking a break for the Canadian and American holidays. Don't worry, we'll be back the folowing week, July 8th, with a RIBBON challenge. Now that's a pretty easy one and you have plenty of time to get creative. If you need some Bella time before then, hop on the Bella Forum and see what's up there. Jessabella is always pulling something together. Like a Book club chat on Friday the 1st or the new monthly Forum challenge which happens to be a Citrus color challenge this month.

See ya soon and thanks for stopping by.

Cath

Summer Fun

This week's Bellariffic Friday challenge was to bring on Summer. Yeah Baby! That's what I'm talking about...I am so ready for summer heat, flowers, lazy weekends you bet. I colored Clara Lulu from Stamping Bella as a little invitation. I thought an inside sentiment of "for some sun and fun" would fit perfectly.

I started with a sketch from Jodi Collins that I fell in love with. Background paper is kraft cardstock that I ran through a Cuttlebug folder. Then I added various scraps I had on hand of October Afternoon paper. I stiched them to Bazzil cardstock. The bottom scallop was made with an EK Success punch and then I ran some Tim Holtz distress ink over the edge with a sponge. The sentiment is a Bella too. Actually it was a freebie I got one time and it had more words but I just inked what I needed.

You know I started with Bella's Bestest paper, Memento Tuxedo Black ink and copics. And of course I also added shading with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol. Mostly French Gray 90% to add depth to the image. I also added some glitter with a Quickie Glue pen and Black Glaze pen for her hair. The Banner flags were cut out from another sheet of October Afternoon paper and adherred with foam dots.

Next week's challenge is a sketch from Jenniebella. Won't you give it a try and play along with us?



Enjoy your weekend.

Cath

Thanks a Bunch

Today I have a Thank you card to share with you. I used Paisley Pixie from Stamping Bella because she looked so cute with her hand picked bouquet of flowers. This was also so appropriate 'cuz I'm giving this to my neighbor who came and watered all my flowers last week while I was away.

Ya know that I stamped Paisley onto Bella's Bestest paper using Memento Tuxedo black ink. My color medium of choice is Copics. You will find ground and surround shading with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol. The design paper is by My Mind's Eye Lime Twist Life of the Party. I hope they keep making these 6x6 paper packs because I couldn't live without them. The ribbon is aa scrap that I saved from some packaging I knew I could find a use for. I borrowed an idea from Karen Motz to highlight the image with a fine tip black marker and rhinestones. I've used it before but she recently posted a card and it caught my eye so I had to incorporate it into this.

For a little extra, I also added Bella glitter using a Quickie glue pen. I love the way it sparkles and looks like dew drops.

I'm cramming to get my card finished for Bellariffic Friday. The theme is Bring on Summer. It seems that our change from early 90's to 60's last week presented my body with more than it could handle and I've caught a summer cold. Ack! Don't worry, I think I can make it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cath

Paper Pieced Challenge

Well another week has flown by and here we are at Bellariffic Friday again! I love Friday's...it's a great opportunity to see some awesome talent. Hope on over to the Bella blog and see for your self.



For me, I pulled out my new Umbrella Peep stamp. I knew the umbrella would be awesome to paper piece. So I pulled out the My Mind's Eye Lime Twist paper pack and found a petite flower pattern that seemed to be the perfect design for a spanky 'brelly. Wish I had it actually - mine is a boring black. Of course, I stamped the image onto Bella's Bestest paper using Memento Tuxedo black ink. Then I colored little peep with copics but really there was so very little that this came together rather quickly. I did add some shading with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol around the image and for the ground. The sentiment comes with the stamp and it's pretty big so I tried a layout that went horizontal. My finished card size is actually 5 x 6 1/2.

I added an open scallop border using a MFT die-namic. The skies ar still blue but filled with a little rain. I simply added some glitter to a fine application of Quickie Glue. I felt like this still needed something so I followed the flower theme and made my own paper rosette. Yup you read that right...I used the MFT Large zig zag die-namic and then curled it until it looked like a rosette. The leaves are cut from an EK success punch. Nesties helped make the image panel.

Next week's challenge is all about Summer. So bring it on with your stamps, your colors or your embellishments. Can't wait to see what you come up with.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cath

CruisinBella

I love thinking outside the box. What I mean is that I have a need for a graduation card for a niece heading into the world having completed her Bachelor's degree from LeMoyne. I didn't want to make a traditional cap and gown card though. So I pulled out Cruisinbella. Perfect! The cover sentiment is "Good Luck". The inside says "On the road to success!" I'm telling ya, I love my Bella's. I can find a stamp there for every occassion.

Let's get on to the details about this card or I'll be going on and on about my stamp collection. I stamped Bella onto Bella's Bestest paper using Memento Tuxedo black ink. I colored her with copics and added lots of detail shading with prismacolr pencils blended with gamsol. I envisioned this 'vette colored in shades of peach/orange so I went on the hunt for paper to match. I found what I was looking for in the My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose 6x6 paper packs. I think this is Mabel but I often take pages out and have them laying on my desk so they get jumbled up. The sketch is a Sweet Sunday sketch from a few weeks back. Fellow Bella Babe Dana is on the design team and I often find inspiration with this challenge.

The border was made using the MFT die-namic scallop. The ribbon is actually seam binding tape but I didn't crinkle this one up like I usually do.

You still have time to get a card done for this week's Bellariffic Friday challenge. This week we are honing our paper piecing skills. So get crafty and send a photo of your creation to Emily@stampingbella.com by Thursday night.

See ya on Friday! Thanks for stopping by.

Cath

French Style Birthday

I've owed you some extra lovin after leaving you high and dry last week so I spent extra time in my craft room and have a few extra things to share this week. First up is a Birthday card that has a French Flair, or so it feels to me.

This is Cuppycake with a Huggabugg on Top by Stamping Bella of course! Ack, I saw her and had to have her. I must say that I sat with her in front of me for some time though before I knew how I wanted to color her. Then it hit me, how about some chocolatey brown/black with a lucious yellow? So the ball started rolling.

I stamped this little Huggabugg onto Bella's Bestest Paper with Memento Tuxedo black ink. I then colored her with copics but I added LOTS of shading with prismacolor pencils. You see I started with pink frosting. But it didn't have the right feel for me so I added Pale Vermillion PC921 and Pumpkin Orange PC1032 pencils and of course French Grey 90%. It made such a difference on the frosting - mellowed it and made it dreamy. If matched the chocolatey colors much better. Wanna know what I used for the cupcake base? Well E77, E74 and E71 copic colors did that with French Grey 90% again. It really makes a difference to use it to add definition - I've got fellow Bella Babe Paulabella to thank for that wonderful tip.

Design papers are from Pink Paislee and colored cardstock is Bazzil. Now I wanted to link this up for the new Monthly Forum challenge as well. This month we are challenged to Bring on the Bellas and Embellishments. So Jess here goes, I have three buttons, lots of glitter on the frosting and on her antenas oh and I have a hemp cord bow and some grossgrain ribbon along a Stampin Up! border. So did I add enough? Hope so. You all have until June 14th to link up your creation and try for some free Bella Bucks. Can't wait to see what you have to share.

I'll be back before the end of the week with another creation so come on back now ya hear? Oh, and thanks for stopping by. Have a great week. Don't forget to get your paper piecing project done for this week's Bellariffic Friday challenge. Mine is done and posted waiting for the clock to tic. Ha, told you I was busy.

Take care!
Cath

June SFYTT

Hello sports fans...sorry, I meant crafty fans! I let on last week that Stamping Bella would be sponsoring this months Sketch For You To Try - by Jen del Muro. I usually play anyway - it's actually where I started. Seriously, look back in my archives and you'll see that I always did the SFYTT. (Well that and anything that Amy Sheffer was making.) But seriously, it's actually how I found Bella. You see, at the time Jen was a Babe and I loved everything she did. So, I of course had to have me some Bellas. And thus the craze began! Never thought I would find myself amongst such great talent but I'm lovin it and am so thankful for the opportunity.

What to color for this special occasion? Well my new Lulu loves Poppies made the cut. Yup back in the day I bought one or two stamps every now and then. Today, UPS makes a trip to the homestead every month from Canada. I could not wait for this release to make it's way here. So glad that I am finally able to play! And guess what - I love Poppies too! Nice big orangey red ones. So I natuarly went red on this card. I thought the pop of green was a necessary break from all that red - how about you?

Since we were given the sketch, I really got to focus on coloring Lulu up. I started with Bella's Bestest paper and inked Lulu with Memento Tuxedo black ink. Then I colored her with Copics. I wanted pop so I cut the completed image out and placed her on layered circles cut using Spellbinders Nestabilities. The green was also cut with a Nestie. It was actually too wide for the area I wanted to use it in so I cut it down the middle and layered it on top of itself behind the middle panel. There - fixed that problem. The design paper has been in my stash for years - told you I love poppies. It's a 12x12 pack from Autumn Leaves called Pretty Poppies. Some of the designs are a little too big but I thought these were perfect. The sentiment is one of Stamping Bella's but the font is a little different and I don't have it so I generated this one on my computer. A button and black hemp are the only adornment. Well that and some machine stitching of course.

I hope you'll give this sketch a try - it's yet one more chance for you to win some Bella bucks. You've got all month so find some time to play along and link up your creation on Jen's blog post here.

See you later and thanks for stopping by.

Cath

You're our Grill Guy

Sorry if you stopped by this week and found last Friday's post staring you in the face. With my trip to my sister's over the Memorial day weekend, I couldn't get ahead. Can't tell you how much I look forward to heading to my craft cave tomorrow. I did have time to create a card for this week's Masculine Bellariffic Friday challenge. And this also puts me ahead for Father's Day. Yipee! I share with you, Big Guy Grilling, a Mo Manning image released in rubber through Stamping Bella. Looks just like my DH. And of course, I think he's hot so this card is for him!


I stamped the Big Guy onto Bella's Bestest paper with Memento Tuxedo black ink. I then started to color with copics but also added shading with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol. I bought the October Afternoon Seaside plaid design paper earlier this year from the Stamping Bella online shop. But I hoarded it. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to pull it out. The green polka dot paper is also October Afternoon - from the Campfire 8x8 pack. Colored cardstock is a combination of Stampin Up! and some scraps. The navy "plaid" border is from EK Success - Paulinabella got me looking high and low for it and I found it at Scrapfest. The sentiment was computer generated and cut using Nestabilities dies.

We have a few exciting things going on I wanted to share with you. First, our new Bella Forum Challenge. You have until June 14th to participate. This will be a monthly challenge for Forum participants. Another chance for you to win some Bella Bucks...pretty cool huh? Our first challenge is a BABE challenge, Bella's and bring on the embellishments! Not too hard right? Also on the Forum is a new Bella Book club. If you love to read, this is the spot for you.

Next, Stamping Bella is sponsoring Jen del Muro's June Sketch For You To Try. Check it out tomorrow and get your Bella's out - you have all month to play along.

Now if you're still with me, I'll share that next week's Bellariffic Friday Challenge is Paper Piecing. New to that, no problem. Simply stamp an image onto your favorite design paper then cut out part of it to piece onto another image stamped onto your favorite cardstock - like Bella's Bestest. It's fun and guess what - no bleeding or coloring outside the lines to worry about. Can't wait to see your creations.

Enjoy your weekend and thanks for stopping by.

Cath