Here's a Present Sissy!

My word the holidays wear me out! I've been in transit too and just want to find some time in my craft room but alas it's going to have to wait until next week. I wanted to share a quick card I made for my Sissy. Actually her gift will be in it or part of it anyway. She wants cash for a new high tech camera, so I had to at least make her a pretty card to put it in, right?

This is Izzie has a Prezzie, a Cristy Croll image designed for Stamping Bella. I love Izzie, her curls and swaying skirt just make me smile. I was a little done with Christmas so I decided to color her in bright cheery colors and paired it with October Afternoon Sidewalks 8x8 design paper. Of course I started by stamping her in Memento Tuxedo black ink onto Bella's Bestest paper and colored with copics. I've added additional shading with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol.

Machine stitching, glitter, a border cut with a Fiskars punch and a new "package button" are the finishing touches. The sentiment tab was handmade using part of a Bella sentiment stamp and an inverted corner punch. This will be hand delivered so I could layer to my hearts content!

Have any New Year's plans yet? We'll be heading to Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada to celebrate with some of our Michigan friends. Stay safe and enjoy yourselves.

Thanks for stopping by.

Cath

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to send everyone some holiday greetings. I'll make this short and sweet because I'm sure that you are running around to finish your preparations or you're heading to a holiday party...

This is one of my all time favorite Christmas images from Stamping Bella. It's called Merry Christmas branch with birdies. The scene is so peaceful...with the stark branches and little birdies holding their holiday sentiment. I've added some snow to help add to the serenity of the scene and some red stickles to the berries so they sparkle.

The main image panel was cut using a Labels 14 Nestie. Bella's Bestest paper, Memento Tuxedo black ink, copics and prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol were the main tools. The design paper is from the Echo Park 6x6 Seasonal pack I bought from the Bella online store earlier this year. I've added machine stitching and a light application of Tim Holtz distress ink in Antique Linen to the edges of the image panel along with three clear baubles from my stash. I finished it up with a red seam binding ribbon and bow topped off with a button strung with a red jute bow.

I wish you all a safe and very Merry Christmas and holiday season!

Ciao,
Cath

Baby Boy

Are ya hanging in this week with all the hustle and bustle of the Holidays? I'm pretty set with all the shopping and just about all the wrapping too. I still have some special cards I need to make so I'll be spending some time relaxing in the craft cave before we leave for home on Friday evening. One of those special cards was this Baby Shower card for a co-worker. She's expecting her first, a baby boy, in three weeks. Her last day of work is Thursday and she and I are heading to lunch today for a little celebration. I couldn't let her go without a gift and card though.

I've used My Beary Best Friend, a stamp designed by Cristy Croll for Stamping Bella as my focal image. I stamped him onto Bella's Bestest paper using Memento Tuxedo black ink and colored him with copics. No pencil shading today...I was able to create the texture and shadows with the markers alone. This was a quick and easy card.

The design paper has been in my stash for years. It's a 12x12 piece that I rarely buy anymore. The name is Peek-A-Boo from the new arrival line by Pebbles. The Baby Boy sentiment is also by Stamping Bella. I don't own any of the fancy MFT tag dies but I love the look. So I simply stamped this onto Bella's Bestest paper and then used a corner punch to make it look like a tag. The open scallop border was cut using an MFT die - love how easy that is to use. Machine stitching and a twine topped button finish this off.

Hope you get all your last minute things done and can enjoy some quiet moments of the season. Thanks for stopping by and I'll see ya in a little bit.

Cath

Note: I can't connect to the Stamping Bella site right now so I'll have to update all the links for you this evening. Have a great day!

Happy Birthday Dana...

Happy Birthday to you! So glad to be sending you these wishes my friend. I've chosen to color up a Cristy Croll image called Cuppycake with a Huggabugg on top. She's just so irresistible and I know she's sitting atop a mound of frosting and you hate frosting but it still looks pretty.

I started by stamping this Huggabugg onto Bella's Bestest paper with Memento tuxedo black ink and coloring with copics. I then added shading with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol. The cupcake is adorned with glitter and her antennae with rhinestones. The sentiment (one of my favorite Bella's that isn't currently available) was stamped using the stamp-a-ma-jig so I could ensure the placement of each word. The sentiment panel was cut with various oval Nesties and was also adorned with rhinestones. The leaves were cut with an EK Success punch. The layout is another one from Karen Giron and the SSSC #148 and it looked perfect for my image.

The papers are also from the Echo Park Victorian Garden 6x6 paper pack. I couldn't resist the musical note paper...can't you just hear me singing Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you...

Have a great year Danabella!

Love ya,
Cath

A Bunch of Thanks

Happy Saturday folks! Today I'm sharing a card that I was asked to make for a neighbor well actually the neighbor's sister-in-law. There's a story here, as if you didn't expect that from me! Well, Shannon is quite young, just had her fourth child and was having headaches. She went to see what was up and low and behold she had a brain tumor. They did surgery the next day. I was in shock! The poor thing had no warning but she's recovering and doing great. She asked if I would make a card to send to her surgeon. As if I'd turn that request down!

So out pops Paisley Pixie, a Cristy Croll image released in rubber through Stamping Bella. The bouquet of flowers is just so sweet and exudes thanks so it was a perfect fit. I used Karen Giron's Sweet Sunday Sketch Challenge layout again, as it too was a perfect fit! Sweet!

I stamped Paisley onto Bella's Bestest paper using Memento Tuxedo black ink (do you tire from reading that each and every post? hehe I just figure that anyone new stopping by should know the tools I like to use). Of course, you can probably guess that I also like to color using Copics. I did add some shading with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol too. And as if a fresh kiss of dew came by, I added glitter with a Quickie Glue pen to some of the flowers. You might want to click on the photo to enlarge it to get a better look. (If it still comes out the same size, simply increase the page size - I do it all the time to see the detail people put into their creations).

Design papers came from the Bella shop, it's a 6x6 double sided pack of papers from Echo Park Paper named Victoria Garden. Oh how I am addicted to paper! A satin wire ribbon helped me form the bow and little purple rhinestones finish off the left corner. The sentiment is also from the Bella shop. I didn't want to add too much stitching because I didn't want to crowd the edges of the paper but I did add it to the image panel. Voila, another card done.

Off to wrap a bizzillion presents! Enjoy your weekend and thanks for stopping by!

Cath

Last Bellariffic Friday Challenge of 2011

WOW...I can't believe we've reached the end of another year. Now hold on to your panties...I know there are a few more weeks left before we hit 2012 but this is our last Bellariffic Friday challenge. Up this week was an awesome sketch by Robinabella...wanna see what I did with it?


I looooved this sketch. It was the perfect backdrop for Lulu's Birthday Cake, an image from Stamping Bella.

I started with Bella's Bestest paper, Memento Tuxedo black ink and copics. Of course lots of shading was added with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol. Colors were inspired by the My Mind's Eye Lost and Found "Rosy" 6x6 design paper ...yummy chocolate browns and corals which I accented with kraft. After all the shading was done I added Stampin' Up! Cryastal Effects on the frosting for shine and glitter to the flowers and candles for sparkle. A seam binding tape ribbon and bow were topped with a button and jute. I also added Bella Birthday sentiments (this one is no longer available but there are plenty of others) cut using the Stampin' Up! Word Window punch.

Additional details can be found in the machine stitching, rounded edges cut with a corner punch and brown rhinestones in each of the four corners.

Hope you have some great weekend plans. Don't forget to keep checking the Bella Babe blogs over the next few weeks to see some more inspiration. We might not have challenges but we still have projects to share.

Ciao for now,
Cath

Over the River...

A very welcome sight this weekend was all the cars heading down the road with fresh evergreen trees on top. One of my favorite memories of Christmas past was the simple joy of heading into the woods, with a fresh coat of snow to pick out the annual Christmas tree. I had fun with that task every year with my daughter as well....until I met the dear Hubby and his kids. They would go to the Nursery at the end of the road, into the greenhouse, to the very back and pick the tallest, fatest tree. Hmpf! Daughter and I miss hunting down our tree to this day.

To keep the joy of that moment alive I have colored up "Car with tree on top" a stamp from Stamping Bella. Is that appropriate or what? I also decided to play along with fellow Babe Danabella and this weeks SSSC over on Karen Giron's blog. I have altered the sketch a little. I've turned it a bit and added the strip in front of the image instead of behind it. I was not happy with the shading of the Tim Holtz distress ink this one is Rusty Hinge...it didn't blend into the shading surrounding the image very well. So I glittered the heck out of the edge and thought it reminded me of a snow storm...perfect for the over the river and through the woods adventure.

I stamped the image onto Bella's Bestest paper of course using Memento Tuxedo black ink and colored with copics. The design paper is called Christmas Home by Teresa Collins - thank you Sissy! It's a 6x6 paper pack and I love the deep patterns. A Memory Box die was used to cut the snowflake adornment. Then I spritzed it with Ranger Perfect Pearls Mist in Heirloom gold. It's really sparkly IRL! The sentiment is also from Bella and I cut it out with Nesties Labels 19. Finished card is 6x5.

Love the fun feel of this stamp...it brings a smile to my face!

Hope you enjoy.

See ya back here again in a little bit. I've got some catching up to do with you all.

Ciao,
Cath

Decorating with White

Hello Folks! So sorry to have dropped out of commission...my computer would not understand that the power cord WAS attached so it drained the battery. I've been struggling for weeks with it...holding the cord ever so delicately so that it recognized the much needed power source but then I'd look and it was draining again. I finally gave in and took it to the shop. This is the first time I've bought a service warranty that I actually got to use. Anyhoo, they beat their repair estimate by two weeks and that made me so happy.

So now that I'm back in commission, I have my all white card to share with you from Stamping Bella's Bellariffic Friday. I've colored Ornament with Holly. The delicate lines of this one appeal to me. So I started with Bella's Bestest paper and Memento Tuxedo black ink. Then I colored with copics but I did need prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol to add shading. Then I glittered it up.

Oh, and I added Stampin' Up! Crystal Effects onto the berries for a little shine and copper Viva Decor Pearl Pen to the "dots" on and around the ornament for just a little more pizzaz. The image was cut and layered using Nestabiites Classic Rectangles in Large and Small and then Large Scallop. I cheated a little bit if you haven't noticed...I added a layer of creamy ivory to help make the ornament pop. I also think it helps pull your eye across the page. The background was dry embossed using my new Sizzix embossing folder from the Sugar and Starry Night set. T


Next week we have a wonderful sketch from Robinabella. Hope you can find time to play along.

Ok that's it for today. But I've got some more creating to do. Enjoy the rest of your weekend and holiday preparations!

Ciao for now,
Cath

I Even Love the Box (2)

Bellariffic Friday is once again upon us. This week we are inking up more Holiday images to share with you. I decided to dust off I Even Love the Box, a Mo Manning image released in rubber through Stamping Bella. Can't tell you how thrilled I am that Emily decided to bring us these great images to color. The expressions are so fantastic. This one melts my heart. Every kid shows more excitement from sitting in the box than the actual gift...that's for sure. I colored this up last year for a Mary Maxim class but this year I went with a little softer palet.

You know that I started by stamping this with Memento Tuxedo black ink onto Bella's Bestest paper...white if you can believe it. I added lots of surround shading with Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress ink. The image was colored with copics but I did add shading with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol.

The design paper came from last year's Bella stash. I brought home a boat load of it when I went for a visit and should have realized that there was no way I could use it all...but I loved all the papers and couldn't decide. I'm sure that you've never had that happen to you have ya? As if I needed more, I bought the red paper this year online from the Bella shop. It's from the Echo Park 6x6 holiday pack. I accented with a seam binding ribbon, some light green dew drops, and a metal tag that says "believe" that I thought would be perfect.

Next week we have an all white card challenge. These cards can be so elegant looking. Can't wait to see what you come up with. Hint hint...won't you play along? Now head on over to the Bella blog to see some more inspiration.

Ciao for now.
Cath