Bellarina

I stamped and coloured this Bellarina before I got sick, but never got around to making a card with her. So here goes:

I didn't have quite the right colour pink to match the dress which was coloured with my Staedtler water-colour pencils, so I used some standard pink paper that stamped over with SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds in Pale Plum. I used SU - Cross stitch on the white background. I also used chocolate chip card stock, My Minds Eye paper, Heidi Swapp sticker ribbon (brown w/ pink spots), Karen Foster Scrappers Floss, and Sei Sweetie buttons.

Happy Love

I had to make an Anniversary card for my husband, we will be married 15 years tomorrow. Since its so close to Valentines Day, I couldnt help but use red and white.


The candy machine stamp (retired SU - Treat Yourself) was coloured with my Staedtler water colour pencils and I used a the following all from the dollar store: heart punch, heart ribbon and pre-made sentiment.

Let the Sunshine In

So a viral infection made the rounds in my house, and hurray, mine turned into a double ear infection, hence no posts.

Now I am feeling like a need a shot of sunshine to beat the winter blahs.

This is such a simple idea that I am sure someone else out there has already done it but, great minds think alike. Originally I had thought of making a whole sunflower, but when adding the pedals to the scallop circle, I realized the flower was going too be big, so I loped it in half. The gingham paper is from My Minds Eye and was run through the cuttlebug machine. The stamp is SU - Warm Words, in chocolate chip.

I like the out come ...it's a very happy card and can be used for any occasion.

Money Shy

Being so new to card making, I am sometimes a little hesitant to run out and buy some of the amazing products I see on other sites. I have been doing some research for myself and I thought I would share for those who are in the same boat as I am.

Instructions for using Prismacolour pencils and gamsol on here, it's a pdf from Inky Antics. However, according to a post from "Barbie Boop" @ Rubber Stamp Club, you can use blending pen with prismacolour pencils? "Trace around the inside of your stamped images with WC pencils or crayons! Then using your blender "pull" the color in towards the center of the image.. it looks painted and shading is perfect! Simple. Use them with your ink pads.. esp vivid!" I've never tried it myself, but it is worth a try.

How to refill your blending pen: (I had no idea it could be refilled) here from Rubber Stamp Club. This site has a lot of other techniques too, as well as the above mentioned post regarding blending pens and pencil crayons.

Instructions for Tombrow markers: I found these fabulous instructions today at Moonlight Inker blog site. It's a great tutorial, and the pictures make it look so easy. Sophia is amazing at watercolouring.

And of course least we forget Splitcoaststampers.

Sorry if this is a review for most of you, if not all of you.

If you know of any other great tutorials on other great products, I'm all ears.

And the Winner Is ...

This was a lot of fun. Thanks to everyone for stopping by my site, it has never had so much traffic. Here's how the selection processed work, myself, my husband and my eldest daughter randomly chose numbers from 1 - 29 until we had 10 winners.

And the winners are:
lilian
baronreads
sheila
rosella
cakvd
chelemom
nettystamps
all pink girl
jenmarie
tyrymom29

All of the parcels have gone out ladies, enjoy your prize and thanks for stopping by.

Sweet Stuff - Oldy, but goody

This is my submission for the sketch challenge on I Heart 2 Stamp. It's BRIGHT, but sweet, the paper just reminded me of candy.


It looks like everything old is new again. I used retired SU Very Punny for the image and sentiment. As well, to my great delight I found (stored away in an art box), my Staedtler watercolour pencil set. I bought them a few years back for a watercolour class I had taken, but had forgotten I had them. They are SO EASY to use. You don't need any other product to lift or spread the colour. You just use a damp paint brush. I then clear embossed over the lolly's. The emboss changed the pigment of the lolly's some and I think my emboss stamp may have been slightly dirty. I will have to be more careful next time.

Polka Dots and Paisley

Alright, alright, it's a bit too early for Mother's Day, but once I had this card almost complete I was thinking about a sentiment, Happy Mother's Day seemed to fit the bill.


This card filled a few briefs for me: 1. It's not cased - hurray! 2. It fits the requirements for the "Tall and Thin" challenge on No Time to Stamp 3. I finally used the bleaching effect from the tutorial on SCS found here, and 4. It's monochromatic which has been catching my eye lately.

Both the background and the main image are bleach stamped with Polka Dots and Paisley. I am happy with the end result. I had at one point tied a small bow at the bottom of the image, but decided less is more and removed it.

To Case or Not to Case?

I am not so good at making time to stamp, however, I always manage to find time through the day to browse through many of the amazing card sites online. I am constantly finding new sources of inspiration, whether it is finding a new technique or new stamp, inventive layout or just a way to use a product I hadn't thought of or many times a way of using a stamp I already own.

Here's the dilemma. Once I finally sit down to stamp, I have other peoples cards burned into my brain. Sometimes I can't shake their idea in order to create one of my own. Original image is from My Paper World.

Take last night for example. I knew I was going to sit down and make a congratulation card for a friend who had a baby boy. I intentionally did NOT go seeking boy card inspiration. However two things happened during the day. I have been trying to be good about visiting the sites of people who leave messages on my site and whilst doing that, I saw a cute BOY card. Not only was it cute, on closer inspection I realized I HAD that stamp too. So low and behold when I sat myself down at my crafting desk, the image I happened across was burned into my brain and I ended up yet again casing instead of creating.


The second thing that happened yesterday was that my new Cuddle Bug folders arrived in the mail. Over the holidays, I had seen on No Time to Stamp a challenge using only one layer of paper. Many people used embossing folders, so I ordered some from online. When my folder arrived yesterday even though I intentionally did not go back to look at the site, the image was burned into my brain and I ended up casing.

I don't think casing is a horrible thing, I just feel more proud of myself when I know it was from my head and not someone else's.

Maybe in order to subdue some of the guilt, I should attempt more layout challenges, at least until those creative juices come back.

I also wish to add that I am disappointed with the last card, well, the execution any way. The ink kept pooling on the stamp and wouldn't stamp clearly on the paper. I even tried doing a double stamp over to create a shadow and even though I used two different brands of ink, the same result - uneven saturation on the paper. As well, any suggestion on how to fix the ends of the ribbon? Because I used only one layer of paper, I couldn't tuck the ribbon ends under a glued surface of paper and had to tuck it under it self which left the ribbon ends looking bulky.

Blog Candy Newbie

I cannot in any way take credit for this find or idea. Kerry from Cards by Kerry told me she had found some Berol Prismacolor Professional pencil crayons at her local discount supply store. I checked the Liquidation World store in my home town; low and behold, I found packages of 12 pencils in four different colors. Aquamarine, Spring Green, Olive Green & Rojo Bermellon (translate to Red Vermilion). Sorry, I forgot to mention the packages are in Spanish, but the English color is on all the pencils except the Vermilion.


Here is my give away. Leave a comment on my blog and I will randomly select 10 people, who will each receive four pencils, one of each color I found.

You have until 5 pm Sunday January 13th.

That is providing I GET 10 posts - haha, I don't have regular traffic yet.

Good luck!

Thanks a Bunch

CASE Alert!

I ordered some stamps just before the Holidays in preparation for the many thank you cards I will have to send out. I hadn't yet planned the layout however.
Low and behold my Stampin Up supplier sent me an adorable Christmas card and I fell in love with her layout. Due to Copy Right laws, I am not sure about posting her card, but here's her site: Stamp with Jenn

I used Changito Banana by Stampendous and Thanks a Bunch by Earth Sonnets Rubber Stamps. I basically just did a search for a Thanks a Bunch stamp until I found one that I liked the lettering style of. The Yellow Minds Eye paper is speckled using SU - Itty Bitty Backgrounds.

Here's my mock up of Jenn's layout.

Lost in the Debris

I feel like I have been lost in the debris of my life. Christmas is over whelming enough, then throw in half a dozen house renovations needing to be done in 2 short weeks (that's all the time off my husband has), and well, no time to stamp!

Phew! A lot of the honey do list was accomplished and I found some time to be creative. Not too creative though, I am sort of improvising on a previous post, but with a new Bella.