Boo to you...

Happy Bellariffic Friday!  Today's challenge was monochromatic and I have to tell you this was so very difficult for me.  I love color - lots of colors so the idea of one color for the whole card was hard to do.  My first thought was to go white and pick a Christmas holiday card.  Instead I went with shades of gray and black and colored up Stamping Bella's Battiful Darling.  And if you don't have this stamp yet, you're in luck as it's on clearance!

 
I stamped this charming bat onto Bella's Bestest paper, colored it with copics and pencils and then cut it out and backed it with Bazzil cardstock.  I cut the letters with Sizzix Sizlets and placed them on the die-namic Textile Rectangle frame which I used to cut design paper from Echo Park's Chillingsworth Manor. 

Next week our challenge is another sketch.  Check it out and hopefully we'll see you in blogland.

I've got my Mom and Aunt in town so I'll be playing this weekend!  Hope you have some fun plans too!

See ya later and thanks for stopping by!

Cath

You bring me sunshine...

Hello Everyone, I have another thank you card to share with you today.  I've colored up Stamping Bella's Uptown Girl Lolly and her Brolly.  I have a very dear niece that sent me the most gorgeous mixed media drawing for my birthday.  And golly, I can't let that go by without sending some love right back.  I thought Lolly would bring awesome sentiments for me.  I know she's not the typical thank you image but I figured I could add how the gift brought a little bit of sunshine to my world!

 

I have to share that I cased one of my own cards for this one.  I've always loved the layout so I gave it a quick whirl.  Lolly was stamped onto Bella's Bestest paper and colored with copics.  I added surround shading with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol.  Then I cut her out with Spellbinder classic circle dies.  The border punch is from EK Success, design paper is My Mind's Eye.  They were actually from 12 x 12 pieces that I had in my scrap pile - love when I get to use that up.  Machine stitching and a brown seam binding bow finish this off. 

 

 

Don't forget that this week's challenge is Monotone.  Create using one of your favorite colors (or one you have paper for) using a Stamping Bella stamp.  And don't forget to send a copy of your creation to Emily@stampingbella.com by Thursday night. 

 

Keep smiling - we're almost halfway through the week!

 

Cath

50 was fun!!!

Hello all, I have some catching up to do.  Now that my vacation and survivor tour are done, fall has come upon us and the calendar is racing towards the holiday season!  I've fallen behind in my Bella posts too.  So today I am sharing a card I made to send as a thank you for one of my Birthday gifts.  I've colored up Stamping Bella's Uptown girl Reilly loves to Relax. 

 

 

I used this past week's challenge sketch and inserted my own sentiment.  I wanted to add the numbers but couldn't find any stickers in my stash big enough.  Then I remembered that I bought some Sissix Sizzlits alphabets on super reduced clearance eons ago which also included numbers.  These came from the Endless Love set.  Yeah for being a pack rat!  I also couldn't resist coloring onto Bella's Bestest Kraft cardstock.  I used copics for the chair and prismacolor pencils for the ground.  Design paper is from My Mind's Eye Lost & Found 3 collection called Oliver.

 

I'm also sharing some of the pictures from our Salt Lake City/Moab, Utah adventure,  The views were so majestic - I can't wait to go back!



These are from Arches National Park in Moab, Utah

 

Can you see why they called this Arches National Park?

 

We hiked 3 miles to see Delicate Arch - the most famous of the Arches - and we had to

head up the "slick rock" (in the middle of the picture and it winds to the horizon along the left) to get there.  Hubby and son are looking at our path and hoping

that I don't notice how far it is!  We made this trek at dusk and I'll tell you it was beautiful

to see about 100 people work their way back down in the dark with various lights to guide

them.  I felt like we were on a pilgrimage - it was very moving!!!

 

Now we're on to dusk at Dead Horse Pointe State Park.  It borders Canyonlands

National Park. I love this because you get a great view of the red rock,

desert floor with the deep crevices and in the background you see the tall

majestic mountains.  Two very different climates and yet

both so full of beauty!

 

And just to show you the varying geography - this is in the back hills near Park City, Utah. 

The view was filled with Aspens that were just starting to turn colors.

The temperature was about 15 degrees cooler too.  Moab got up to 105!

This is Hubby and I.  I hate to have my picture taken - especially since my

hair is still coming in (about 1/2 inch a month - it's going to take me a year at this

rate to get it back to my shoulder length).

 

 

 

If you've made it this far...hope you have a fantastic fall day!

 

Thanks for stopping by,

Cath

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Love Fall...

So for today's Bellariffic Friday sketch challenge I pulled out Halloween design paper!!  This is from Echo Park called Chillingsworth Manor.  It's last years but I didn't even touch it.   Know how many times I do that!!!

I colored up Stamping Bella's Uptown Girl Madison has a Margarita.  LOOOOOVE this stamp.  Stamped her onto Bella's Bestest paper and colored her with copics.  Then I cut her out so I could have more paper to be seen.  The sentiment also comes with the image and I stamped that onto Bella's Bestest as well.  I then topped it with a brown button topped with Black twine I found in my Salt Lake City travels.  Only other addition is Charcoal glitter applied with Quickie Glue Pen along the hem.

Cardstock is Bazzil and Neenah Classic Crest Solar White.  Finished card is 6 3/8 x 5.

Next week our challenge is Monochromatic Friday.  Pick your favorite Bella and choose one color to bring it to life including your papers.  Now this is going to be a hard one.  I love color.  Hmmm what shall we do?  If you find time to participate, send a copy of your creation to Emily@stampingbella.com by Thursday night.  She'll include it in the Friday blog lineup and you might win $25 in Bella Bucks.  If you can't create - stop by and catch the inspiration.  You can leave a message for a chance to win $10 in Bella Bucks.  Not that hard right?

Have a great weekend.  I've begun to bring the fall decorations out, bought the mums for my porch and I'm on the hunt for good apple cider donuts.  Yup, I love Fall!

Enjoy,
Cath

Circles are it!

This week's Bellariffic Friday challenge was circles!  I must say that I had an idea and the finished product is completely not what I had envisioned.  Have you ever done that?  Actually the one I started ended up in the trash.  So I cruised Pinterest for ideas.  I came up with this lovely layout from Inge Groot.  I loved how she colored onto the kraft and incorporated circles into the layout.

Here's my take...

 

 

I stamped Mo Manning's Jill is Two released in rubber through Stamping Bella onto Bella's Bestest Kraft cardstock.  I then colored her with copics and shaded with prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol.  The circles were cut with Spellbinders circle dies from Stella and Rose Hazel 6x6 paper.  I added butterflies cut from Martha Stewart punches and roses rolled from MFT mini-rose die-namics.  Ta da - that's it.  I know I will color on Kraft again - I actually loved it!

 

Next week we have another sketch for you to try.

 

 

 

Now head on over to the Bella Blog as Emily is releasing 10 new stamps today!  Yay!!!!! So much fun as she has a new line of stamps from designer Christine Grove called the Senior-itas. 

 

And I have a winner from my Birthday post - the random number was #2 and that's Leslie!  I'll be in touch!  Thank you to those of you that participated and left me comments!



Have a great weekend!

Cath

Senior-itas are coming...

Hello Everyone, I'm back from my Western adventure and just in time!  Have you heard that Stamping Bella is about to have another release?  I've caught a glimpse of some images from our newest artist, Christine Grove!  She had some awesome animal characters for us to color last release and with this one she is introducing a new line of stamps called the Senior-itas!   Another perfect line!  They offer great images for just about any occasion and sentiments that tug at the heart!

Today I'm sharing Magda!  She isn't in the shop just yet but keep checking the Bella blog because I think these girls will be coming to the shop this week! 

I stamped the image onto Bella's Bestest paper and used a combo of paper piecing, copics and prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol to bring her to life.  The house dress was cut from Authentique Delightful 6x6 pad and shaded.  When I saw this image I immediately thought of my Grandma and the house dresses she wore.  I hunted to find a small floral print just like she used to wear.  Glitter was used to dress up the boa.  The sentiment comes with the image and I hand cut it into a banner and added swarkovski crystals in black.  The cardstock is bazzil and a vintage piece of cream lace and zig zag cording finish this off.

Check out the Bella Blog to see all the sneak peaks and to meet the rest of this adorable line.  I might have another image to share too.  Just sayin!

Have a great week!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cath

Scribles can make the best art!

Happy Bellariffic Friday!  I'm still roaming the mountains near Salt Lake City but I was able to get my card done in time to share with you.  We had a sketch to work with...I know this card would probably be better for last week's flower power challenge but I always find it easier to use challenge items when they aren't the challenge.  Do you have that struggle too?  hehe.  So this beautiful art piece is called Scribble Garden.  I've actually only used a portion of it to fit in the space.

I stamped it onto Bella's Bestest paper and colored with copics.  I added shading using prismacolor pencils blended with gamsol for the blue sky.  Viva Paper Pen in cream was used for the dots and glitter helps add some sparkle.  The design paper is a scrap I had from the Graphic 45 Once Upon A Springtime 8x8 pack.  I topped it with grey Bazzil cardstock cut from the MFT Simply Scallops Medium Die-namic.  A simple ivory satin ribbon bow tops that.  The sentiment is from Stampin' Up!

Next week our challenge is to use Circles on your card.  You know that means I'll have a hard time with this very easy challenge!  UGH!!  I'll be looking for your creations to see if you have the same trouble.

You still have time to leave a comment on last Friday's Birthday celebration post (August 30th) for a chance to win $25 in Bella Bucks!  I'll be picking and announcing a winner on Sunday, September 8th!  Good Luck!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Cath