Back to School Blues

Happy Bellariffic Friday Folks! This week we're preparing for the return of all the kidlets to school. I know that some have already gone back and some are still sleeping in until after the Labor Day holiday. I have been saving this image for just this occasion! She joins the rest of her Uptown Girl sistahs...meet Tessie the Teacher one of the newest images from Stamping Bella.

I loved Katarina's release card so much and had nothing but black board images in my head but thought you might like to see another way to use this stamp. My first instinct was to pull red and black papers but as I searched my stash, I decided to go Fall burnt reds instead. I was inspired by the My Mind's Eye Union Square design paper. I stamped the image onto Bella's Bestest paper using Memento Tuxedo black ink and colored with copics. Prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol were used for the ground shading.

Extra's are machine stitching, EK Success border punch, dimensionals, upholstry pins with the stems cut off and applied with Helmar Scrap dots. The sentiment comes with the image and was made into a banner (my favorite thing to do).

Good luck to all parents and kids experiencing back to school for the first time! If you're home alone and need something to do, check out the Bella blog for some more inspiration. Maybe you'll find some spare time to participate in next week's challenge which is a sketch. Don't forget to send Em a picture of your card to Emily@stampingbella.com by Thursday night to be included in the Friday lineup and for a chance to win some Bella bucks!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Cath

Non-Traditional Wedding

Hello Folks! Today Hubby and I are flying to Colorado Springs to attend a wedding. I can not tell you how super psyched I am. I love visiting mountain states...and because we celebrted our 10th Wedding Anniversary last month, we decided to stay for a week so we could explore galore!

In honor of the wedding, I knew I had to make a card. The bride and groom are young and we didn't want the classic card. Yes, I say we because Hubby felt he had a say in the design since it's his family. So I pulled out Arthur and Annie, a Cristy Croll image from Stamping Bella - masked them into one image onto Bella's Bestest paper, colored them with copics and cut them out. I was again inspired by My Mind's Eye papers - this one is Lost and Found Two Breeze. If you look in the lower right corner there is a sentiment framed that I thought was perfect - Today, tomorrow & forever.

I even decorated the inside. I framed "Mr & Mrs". Because that's what we wish for them - Today, tomorrow and forever as Mr & Mrs.

Enjoy your week and I'll see ya back here on Friday for our Bellariffic Friday sketch challenge.

Thanks for stopping by,
Cath

The sentiment works...

Hello folks, today I have a card with no coloring to share. Now, there is lots of color on it but I didn't have to do any coloring. Here's the story. I was invited to my cousin's son's High School graduation party this summer. I have a ton of girl images I can use for graduation but none for boys. As much as it killed me, I set off to the store to buy a card. I know husband about died - he says I have so many supplies in my aresenal how could I not have something appropriate. Well, I came home empty handed. What I found was cheap paper and corny sentiments and no design. And it was like $5 a card. No way - I KNEW I could make something that was appropriate and was better than the lamo cards I found in the store.

So I used the sentiment from Mabel is reaching for the Stars - from Stamping Bella. I stamped it with VersaMark, black embossing powder and heated with Darice Heat gun. I then framed it in design paper cut using labels 21 dies from Spelbinders. Design paper is My Mind's Eye Lime Twist Fly a Kite 6x6 pack. Mat is Black Bazzil cardstock and it's mounted onto Kraft cardstock. The stars were also cut using Spellbinders star dies and topped with Dew Drop half moon embellishments.

So, what do you think? Not so bad for a boy graduation card. I'm sure you all have a ton of sentiments that can be mounted and framed with no coloring or ribbons to work simply fine for the boys/men in your life. And I know you have all the other supplies just waiting to be used. (And if it's used, it's a free ticket to buy more!)

Hope you are enjoying your day!

Cath

Brigitte the Beautiful Bride!

This card is one of my most favorites! I love when that happens. First off, I had been hinting to Emily to release a new Uptown Bride image since she came out with the Uptown Girl line. I knew it would be gorgeous and loved and used tremendously in my craft room. I don't know if she listened to me, had the thought in the back of her mind from the get go or Lulu just designed one and she fell in love with it - but regardless, we have an awesome image to play with, Uptown Girl Brigitte the Bride.

If you've seen the full image you know that her dress extends pretty long. I wanted to show case her a little differently and thought the oval image in this week's sketch would be perfect. And when all was said and done...I really felt that way. I started by stamping Brigitte onto Bella's Bestest paper and colored with copics - E50 and E51. Then I added prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol to fill in and add the additional shading. Glitter galore was applied on top using a Glitter Glue pen. I wanted the feel of a natural silk dress with a ton of bead work. I would never have been able to pull this style off but I sure love the way it looks! To keep the image soft - I colored the hair in pencils too. It's been a while since I've used my pencils for more than depth shading and I had fun playing.

The image was cut using Nestie Petite ovals small layered onto large and then the scallop oval behind it. The panel behind that was dry embossed with a Sissix folder and then I machine stitched it all. A sheer ribbon bow and sentiment tag aren't exactly as the sketch had them but I really didn't want to take away from the elegance of the image. You'll notice that I also left off the surround shading and opted instead for the simplicity of the image.

Next week our theme is Back to School. I know that most of the kids around here head back the Wednesday after Labor Day. This might be a great opportunity to prepare a note for a new teacher or even your favorite student! Hope you can find the time to play along. Don't forget to send a photo of your creation to Emily@stampingbella.com by Thursday night.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cath

Daisy Lion

Hello folks, today I share another card using Daisy Lion stamp by Stamping Bella. I love this little guy. He's perfect for circle layering. Last year I colored it on Kraft, but today I used Bella's Bestest paper.

Of course, my coloring medium was still copics while the ground shading was added using prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol. The surround shading is VersaMagic chalk ink applied with a sponge while still left in the Nestie die. I then layered circle dies with cardstock.

Design paper is from some older 12x12 paper I've had in my stash for eons but I don't have the manufacturer name. This card is heading to my 1 year old nephew and I thought the lion engineer on the design paper would tie to the lion stamp perfectly. I love the carefree feel of this ... right down to the wacky machine stitching along the edges. The sentiment was applied with Versamark, black embossing powder and a heat gun.

Simple and yet colorful enough for any young child (I hope).

Thanks for stopping by,
Cath

Cupcakes are in!

I don't know what it's like in your neck of the woods but cupcakes have become the "in" thing around here. There are quite a few bakeries that have opened by us that are dedicated to cupcakes. Personally I love them! They're a few bites of luciousness and then you can move on to the next flavorfull medley. This image titled Cupcake Thief and designed by Mo Manning to be released in rubber through Stamping Bella had me wishing my birthday would come a little quicker. And since this week's challenge is Birthday's - it was a winner!

I started by stmaping the image onto Bella's Bestest paper and colored with copics. As you can see, I then cut the image out and placed it onto a panel cut with Nestie Petite Ovals dies - large and small. I then distressed the edges with Tim Holtz Distress ink in Tea Dye and finished it off with machine stitching. The design paper is a combination of October Afternoon - the yellow is Farmhouse and the green is Campfire. They were matted with kraft colored Bazzil cardstock. The sentiment is also by Stamping Bella and was cut using the edge of a Nestie Labels 25 die. A bright green ribbon and twine adorned button finish it off. I did add some glitter to her wings and mask and some Clear Glaze pen to the cherry and stars on top of the cupcakes. You'd better protect your cupcakes or you never know who will come stealing by.

Next week we're back with another sketch challenge. Give this a try and send a photo of your creation to Emilly@stampingbella.com by Thursday night to be included in the Friday blog lineup and a chance for some Bella Bucks. Just want some inspiration, head on over to the blog and leave a comment - Em loves to hear from you and she gives away $10 each week to one lucky commentor.

I have a packed weekend ahead. Some family from home stopping in and dropping off their puppy for us to dogsit while they enjoy the lovely Catskill mountains, a party on Saturday and a trip to NYC on Sunday to see some of our Michigan friends. Enjoy yourselves and I'll see ya back here real soon.

Cath

Summer means Treats!

I promised you another before the weekend came to a close and here it is! Hope you likey! With Summer whipping by I decided to color up an image that has always had me thinking of summer's treats. These are the Turtle Tots Summer Girls by Stamping Bella . See even Emily thought they reminded her of Summer!

I stamped the girls onto Bella's Bestest paper using Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I then colored with copics. Ground and surround shading was done with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol. Now I've had quite a few questions about how I add the surround shading. I accomplish it in two steps. First I add color with pencils around the image. There are quite a few really great tuitorials out there and some from my fellow Bella Babes but here are some pictures to help you out.

First I apply the pencils in circular motion around the image. Like this...

Then I add gamsol to my blending stump and in a circular movement swirl the into the upper area and pull out and across. This will blend the color and allow you to stretch it across the white space. It will end up looking like this...

Then I put the image panel back into the Nestie Die and onto a mat.

Then I dip a sponge into VersaMagic Chalk ink in Wheat and start by swirling in a circular motion on to the mat and then pull on to the image to fill in the white space. Move the image around as you go - I like to pull down so the image is always below and the sponge is always on top for me. But do what feels comfortable for you.

And then when you take the die off it looks like this! Phew. Hope that helps you guys!

Ok now I'm off to watch the Olympics Closing ceremonies. See ya back here later in the week.

Thanks for stopping by,
Cath

50 Shades of Pink....

It's Bellariffic Friday once again! Can't believe how fast the summer seems to be slipping by. We're finally starting to see the fruits of my vegetable garden. The 30 tomato plants are bursting with yellow pear and red roma tomatoes. I'm having to go out daily to see what the sun has rippened. Last night there was a nice fat red pepper for us too! Woo Hoo. Sadly some moth turned white wormy thing infected all my summer squash and zucchini. I was so totally sick by it that I just pulled them all out. I don't think I could have eaten anything after seeing the nasty buggers all over and I don't think I'll be planting those next year!

So on to today's card, I know that's why you're really here! We were gifted with another sketch and at first I was a little challenged to pull together 4 different papers to follow it. Ida Lulu by Stamping Bella was on my desk from last week so I decided she would be my focus. Now I've colored her in pink before and had visions of yellow to try this time but Paulineabella did such a fantastic job last week in that color that I thought I needed to switch it up. I was drawn once again to shades of pink. The Echo Park Be Mine 6x6 paper seemed perfect for lots of pink options and I actually found 5 to use here.

I started by stamping Ida on to Bella's Bestest paper using Memento Tuxedo black ink. I then colored her with copics and added ground, surround and detail shading with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol. I cut Ida out using a Classic Oval Nestie die using care to extend the umbrella outside the edges. I placed this on a paper pieced background machine stitched together and cut using the Labels 25 Nestie die. Both layers were matted in black. I used a Stampin' Up! border punch for the vertical panel and topped that with a complimenting vertical stripe dp and then a satin ribbon and bow. The sentiment was cut into a tag and added underneath, it just didn't look right along the center panel as in the sketch so I improvised a little. Machine stitching and a twine topped button finish this off. Except... I forgot to mention the red gel pen framed glasses topped with Crystal Effects and the Black Glaze pen that made all the black areas pop. I just love using that pen - Ida's hair and the trim along her umbrella and dress look so much better after applying that pen.

Head on over to the Bella blog for some more inspiration. And then pull out your creative tools so you can play along with us next week. Our challenge is Birthday Wishes! I know I can ALWAYS use extra birthday cards.

Enjoy your weekend! I think we might be heading to Hunter Mountain ski resort up in the Catskills for the Octoberfest. I'm praying for sun, fun and beer!

Thanks for stopping by,
Cath

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...

Especially on their Birthday! Hello folks, I have another birthday card to share with you today. I actually should have shared this with you last week so just ignore today's date and know that I'll still be squeaking in two more cards before Sunday. (Fingers crossed!) Stamping Bella's Uptown Girls Victoria and Juliette's Night Out was the perfect image to toast another year for one of my friends. I mean who wouldn't want to be sharing either the Appletini or Red Merlot these girls have?

I had Crate Paper 6x6 design paper pads on my craft desk and decided to use a mix of Emma's Shoppe Collection and Random. I love that the two worked together especially with the funky paper pieced dresses. So to start, I stamped the image onto Bella's Bestest paper using Memento Tuxedo black ink. I then colored the faces and bodies using copics. The dresses were stamped again onto the dp and then cut out. Shading was added using Prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol. Glitter accents both hem lines. To help give this pop, I matted the layers with black cardstock. Image panel was cut using Nestie Classic Circle and Petite Scallop dies. The sentiment actually comes with the image, I simply stamped right onto the design paper. Two black brads and machine stitching hold this together. Finished card is 5 x 6 1/2.

I'm off to work on this week's sketch challenge so I'll see you back here soon!

Thanks for stopping by,
Cath

I Love Ice Cream...

Yup it's my downfall. I could eat it every night! I also really love Mo Manning's images and am thrilled that many are released in rubber through Stamping Bella. So with our challenge this week to use a Sum Sum Summertime image I couldn't resist Lacie with Ice Cream. Love all her dimples and fun fun spirit!

I started by stamping the image onto Bella's Bestest paper using Memento Ink and coloring with copics. I added shading with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol. The ice cream is complete with sprinkles AKA glitter. I know I had to gt it in! I also added Crystal Effects to the glasses for some shine.

You won't believe this but I used scrap 12x12 paper backed with kraft and distressed with Tim Holtz Tea Dye distress ink. I kinda fell for the American red, white and blue theme so I pulled out red brads and red gingham ribbon too. The sentiment is also by Stamping Bella and I hand cut it in a banner. Machine stitching finishes this off. Card size is 5 1/2 square. Center image panel was cut using Classic Circle Nestie dies.

Next week we're back to another sketch. Phew, our only decision is which favorite Stamping Bella image will we use. Hmmmm....what can I use? Hope you can decide and will join us for Friday's blog lineup. Send a photo of your creation to Emily@stampingbella.com by Thursday night and you might be the lucky winner of some Bella Bucks. And don't forget to leave Emily a message for another opportunity to win some spending money!

Enjoy your weekend!

Cath