It's a Sketchy Bellarific Friday!

Wowzers this was a tough Bellarific Challenge! In case you missed it, here's the inspiration piece Em gave us. We were to use Gold and Lotsa Bling! The bling part, no problem....the gold part, ummmmmm...not such a walk in the park for me. I'm a silver, white gold, platinum girl through and through so using gold just doesn't come naturally to me. THIS was a REAL challenge! My BFF Dana told me she gold embossed her image and that got me to thinking. The Faux Cloisonne technique uses gold embossing...hmmmmm...an idea was born. 

I used the Minty Coffee image from Stamping Bella along with the fabulous Happy Holidays sentiment (LOVE that mix of fonts!). No copics for me on this card...I KNOW!!! I can hardly believe it either! Anyway, there's a fabulous Faux Cloisonne tutorial on Splitcoast. Basically, it's paper piecing with glossy magazine pages and gold embossing. It's supposed to look like the Cloisonne type of jewellery. 

So as you can see, I used plenty of gold shimmer paper and gold embossing powder, all of which has it's own level of bling, and I added some Fuschia Bella Bonbons for more bling. Frankly, this isn't one of my favourite cards. I like the layout (which is Splitcoast sketch challenge 228), I like the image and sentiment, and I like the ribbon...my colour choices, not so much. Can you believe I voluntarily used Glorious Green...blech!!! But it matched the glossy magazine paper I used for the leaves. 

All I can say is I'm going to Bloggabella to see what everyone else came up with for this challenge, and I'm looking forward to the next Bellarific challenge.  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Just Because...

I made this card before Valentine's Day, with no intention of using it as a Valentine card. The layout is from a January sketch challenge my friend Joanne runs on the gallery forum of our LSS, and you know how much I {heart} sketches. 

I picked up the two large chipboard hearts at my LSS and knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. The scalloped heart is inked with Chocolate Chip to provide a good base colour. Then I covered the other heart with adhesive and set to work using up some ribbon scraps. Not sure what I was thinking, but I was convinced this card would put a dent in my scraps drawer. I think I'd need to make a hundred of these before I'd see a change in that ribbon drawer! LOL! The top heart is punched from Pink Pirouette then I added Hero Arts gemstones all around the edge. 

The papers are from Making Memories Paperie line and I stitched around the edge for some interest...my Janome was acting up though and the tension is all wonky...oh well. The rubon is from SU along with the chocolate grosgrain ribbon. 

Hey, I just now realized there isn't any stamping at all on this card...hmmm...how did I allow that to happen?  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Sporty Grad Card

I know this isn't a typical grad card, but there's a story behind it.

My neighbour asked me to make a card she could give her nephew for his graduation. She told me he's an athlete and will be attending college on a scholarship. I knew to make it personal I needed to use a sports image. Lucky for me, I picked up the Hanging Sports Block from Stamping Bella a couple of weeks ago. {grin!}

I wanted to use Jen's Sketch For You To Try for the layout so I started by stamping the Hanging Sports Block twice (side by side) to give it more width. I cut it out with rectangle Nestabilities then coloured it with Copics. 

I layered some chocolate chip onto the white card base then pierced around the edge. I picked up these fun, masculine patterned papers at my LSS last week with the grad card in mind. The star eyelets add that perfect "sports star" touch. 

The biggest hurdle (pardon the sports pun...I just couldn't resist!) was the sentiment. I didn't have anything that worked but yet I could picture exactly what I wanted in my mind. I played around on my computer for a little while trying to create it but I quickly got frustrated with my computer skills (or lack there of!) and emailed my amazingly talented friend Nancy. She saved me and created the perfect sentiment, complete with a watermark grad cap. It's like she was in my head and could see my vision...thanks for coming to my rescue Nancy!

So that's the story of my sporty grad card. Definitely not a conventional grad card, but my neighbour loves it. And I had fun using the Hanging Sports Block for an "out of the box" creation!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Manhattan Elegance

I don't know why, but I can't wrap my head around the fact that this stamp set is called Fifth Avenue Floral...I keep calling it Manhattan Flower and I've even labelled it that way on my shelf, otherwise I'd never find it! LOL!!!

I was blurfing a couple of evenings ago and came across this stunning technique. I watched the video tutorial on Patty Bennett's blog and was just amazed with how easy this was. And it truly was easy...toughest part was waiting for the paper to dry, and the flower just got more beautiful as it dried. 

The shimmer white paper adds a very pretty sparkle to the rose and it catches the light beautifully. I attached the flower with dimensionals to some regal rose which I cut out with my Labels 3 Nestabilities. 

The card base is white, followed by a layer of Rose Red. Next I ran So Saffron through the Big Shot with the 'friends' texturz embossing template then I pierced around the edge for more detail. Three circles of Pink Pirouette complete the layout, which is for the Corrosive Challenge #11. I added the ribbon in place of the sentiment because of the words in the background. 

I used the same colours for the flower, Pink Pirouette, Regal Rose, Rose Red, So Saffron. I whipped up six flowers in no time flat...now, what shall I do with the rest of them??!!?? 

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

I'm on Cloud Nine!

Really...I am! I'm on cloud nine cause my friend Leslie is visiting. She drove back with me last week and we've been having a fabulous time. Sadly, she heads home tomorrow, but I've thoroughly enjoyed our time together, shopping, stamping, shopping, dining out, shopping.  :)

We took a little trip to my LSS to see what's new and I picked up some fabulous papers by My Mind's Eye, the Pretty Please line...they're GORGEOUS! I decided to pair them with the new Altee 'tude image (which includes the sentiment) from Stamping Bella and the Weekend Sketch Challenge hosted by Cambria WSC80. 

I started as I always do, by stamping Altee 'tude with Memento Tuxedo Black onto white. Then I cut her out with circle Nestabilities and pulled out the copic markers to coordinate with the patterned paper. I set to work colouring this darling image and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I added a smidge of Crystal Stickles to the flower center on her hat then layered her onto some pumpkin pie cardstock. 

The card base is white with a layer of Pretty Please patterned paper. Next is some rose red with three panels of one of the other patterns in the Pretty Please line. I sewed around the edge of the panels to unite them then tied some rose red ribbon. The sentiment is stamped in black and I added three 5mm Hyacinth Bella Bonbons. 

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Feel Better!

Here's a darling get well card with the brand new Doctor's Orders set from Taylored Expressions. There are so many wonderful Cuppie images in this set, I had a tough time deciding which ones to use first. 

I started by stamping the Cuppie image (which has 'get well' already written on the balloon) with Memento Tuxedo Black onto Choice Snow White. Next I stamped the "feel better" sentiment close to the image and cut it out with octagon Nestabilities. I coloured the image with copics and paper pieced the cupcake liner. 

I pulled out my My Mind's Eye Penny Lane papers again for this card...I just can't seem to get enough of those purples! The card base is Choice Snow White, followed by a layer of eggplant. I sewed around the edges of the striped paper and distressed it a little. I used my scallop border punch on a piece of orchid opulence and added some Bella dots to the scallops. The image is layered onto eggplant and I tied a big fluffy kiwi bow to finish it off. 

Hopefully I won't need to use this card any time soon, but I have one in reserve now. Don't you find that 'get well' cards are the ones you need last minute and never seem to have? And if this card doesn't brighten someone's day, I'm not sure what will.

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Patricia's Bellarific Birthday

Happy Bellarific Friday! This week's challenge was fun...the theme was Birthdays! Perfect...who doesn't need birthday cards all year long!

I started by inking Patricia Birthdaycake from Stamping Bella with Memento Tuxedo black and colouring her with copics. I cut her out with my new Octagon Nestabilities...what a fun shape and a nice change from circles and ovals. These aren't colours I would normally work with, but I really like how the image turned out. I gave her hair a bit of a reddish tinge to coordinate with her pretty orange dress. For the layout I used Jen's Sketch For You To Try from last weekend. 

The card base is rust with Dream Street Heartsong patterned papers sewn onto the base. I wrapped some blue ribbon around the card base. I had to put some cardstock on the inside of the card because it was looking a little ugly with the stitching and ribbons...ah, the perils of only one layer on the card base...LOL! For some bling I added 5mm Pumpkin Glitter Bella Dots all around the scallop octagon. I just love how the dots fit perfectly in the scallop. 

It's my friend Janet's birthday today, so after I made this card I popped it in the mail to her. Happy Birthday Janet!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Latte Anyone?

It's been a while since I've used one of my Bellas (the original girls, I mean) so when I saw Taylor's Cupcake Challenge sketch from last Friday, TECC66, I figured it was a perfect layout for one of the girls that started my Stamping Bella obsession. 

I stamped Lattebella with Memento Tuxedo Black and coloured her with copics. I've had this Bo Bunny paper for a while now and I keep casting it aside, not sure why cause I really love it, so I pulled the browns and teal colours from the paper to make sure I'd use it this time. Lattebella is cut out with rectangle Nestabilities and layered onto a scallop rectangle of teal.

 

I started with a white card base then ran a layer of chocolate through my D'vine Swirls Cuttlebug folder. But I flipped it over for a change and used the debossed side...I felt like such a rebel doing it too! LOL! No major layering here...just the patterned paper next. I tied some white ribbon for an accent on the right side...I thought it needed a little weight to balance the flowers. Which, by the way, are Primas, and I was tickled to find the teal polka dot one...it matches her top!!! The buttons and corduroy brads are SU. 

Mmmmm...lattes...there's no Starbucks in my parents' town...talk about withdrawal! So I've been treating myself since I got home on Tuesday. I deserve it after two days of driving...right? My dad got out of the hospital last week...he's recovering very well, back to his old tricks and humour, so I figured it was time for Shadow (our mini schnauzer) and I to head home, back to Massachusetts. Thanks again to everyone who had my dad in their thoughts.  :)

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen

Three Little Trees

I love the bright happy colours of this patterned paper by Bo Bunny and I thought it was perfect with the Three Little Trees image from Stamping Bella. I still can't believe I haven't missed a week of making one Christmas card since I started back in February. I actually look forward to making them now. The only thing I'm getting tired of is my stash of Christmas papers...so I was pretty excited to find this line at my LSS a couple of weeks ago. I'm sure it's not a new line for the store, but it's new to my stash.  :)

I stamped the trees (they come as one image) with Memento Tuxedo black and coloured them with copics. I stamped the middle tree a second time, cut it out and popped it for some dimension. I used my new Labels Three Nestabilities to cut out the image and rather than matting it I decided to shade in the background with E41 but I left a white border so it stands out against the background. I don't have the copic airbrush system so I worked in circles to cover the background. I was going for an uneven look...more suede-like, I think. I added Crystal Stickles for some sparkle on the middle tree and the snow line. 

The background papers are Bo Bunny Holiday Cheer, which I sewed together before tying the hot pink twill. The Merry Christmas sentiment is also from Stamping Bella. I didn't have any ghost snowflakes so I used my Spellbinders Snowflake Wonder Shapeabilities die cuts to create an accent. I'm still waffling on this one...to me it kinda looks like the steering wheel on a ship, but it'll have to do. I blinged out the center of the with a 5mm Fuschia Bella Bonbon...Ha, take that Mr. Steering Wheel...Have you ever seen a steering wheel with such a pretty center...LOL!

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen 

It's Release Day at Taylored Expressions!

Two new sets are available today at Taylored Expressions...Doctor's Order and Boys Will Be Boys, along with the Father's Day Key Ingredients and a fabulous Boys Will Be Boys Bundle.

I thought I'd show you another card with the Boys Will Be Boys set. I LOVE this set...with all the boys/men in my family, it's absolutely perfect for several occasions. I used Karen's Sweet Sunday Sketch #16 for the layout. 

I stamped the ties with Memento Tuxedo Black twice onto Choice Buttercream. I cut out one of the images with square Nestabilities then coloured and cut out the individual ties and popped them for dimension. I decided to make the frame out of ribbon and I added some screw brads to the corners. 

For the sentiment, I stamped it first then cut it out with one of the shapes from the Spellbinders Ribbon Tags Trio, then I cut off the ribbon slide part and sanded the edges to round them a little. I like that it looks like a plaque under art work on a wall. 

All the papers, ribbon and screw brads are included in the Father's Day Key Ingredients. 

Check out the fabulous Boys Will Be Boys Bundle for your manly crafting needs! To see all the new products in one place, click on the Fresh Out of the Oven tab at Taylored Expressions. 

There's plenty more eye candy waiting for you on the rest of the Baker's Dozen's blogs.

Ana Wolhfahrt

Charmaine Ikach

Dawn Easton

Denise Marzec

Donna Baker

Jen del Muro

Jodi Collins

Karen Giron

Laura Fredrickson

Laurie Schmidlin

Sankari Wegman

Taylor VanBruggen 

and Jami Sibley

Thanks for stopping by!

Karen