Raining Art Journal

I went out this weekend and picked up a few things so that I can continue my new love of art journaling. I bought a proper sketch book, some more acrylics and water soluble pastels - hurray! I was also inspired to try my hand at my own text. Christy from Tiddly Inks, sent me a link to an incredible art journaling artist Joanne Sharpe found here at Whimpsirations. I just had to try my hand at large scale hand drawn fonts.


I recently discovered that Bloggabella has Art Journal Monday every week. I was just hoping that my idea for a page would fit, and it did. Today's challenge was to use a magazine phrase or image or both to inspire your piece. This rain idea has been in my head a couple of days and funnily enough while poking through my local sale flyers there was a Fashion Store add with a lady under an umbrella, voila.

I glued on some DP and ripped book text then acrylic painted the entire page. I sketched over the painting in pencil, - which was a mistake, my colouring with the pastels was greatly hampered by having everything blue underneath show through.

I am not terribly creative in the font drawing department so I typed up the phrase in Word and played around with different font types. When I got what I wanted, I sketched it out in pencil while looking at the Word document.

The expression may seem odd. It is a take off on how happy I was last week to have gotten a brand new extra wide umbrella after having been soaked the day before discovering my fall coat was no longer water proof. When it down poured again a couple of days later, I was prepared and very happy.

I didn't use a single stamp on this page, everything was hand drawn. I will admit it took the entire school day today to complete this, and dinner was late getting to the table - yikes!

Mojo Monday on Wednesday

There is a really fabulous sketch over at the Mojo Monday Blog - sketch #193.

This was a fun challenge, I don't think I have ever made a non square or rectangle card before. It was super easy though with the Coluzzle tool. even cutting the pie shapes was quick - just fold your circle in half, cut, then fold and half and cut again.

I decided to make my Fathers Day cards and get them in the mail today since the Canadian Post Office may go on strike this Friday - I might just be able to get them on route before the strike. Fingers crossed.

I had paper pieced these retired Stamping Bella shirts last winter and set them aside intending to use for this Fathers Day, but couldn't quite fit them on the front of the card the way I wanted to, so used them as inside embellishment.

You can't tell by the photo, but the whole card has been paper stained with Antique Paper stain.

Sistah B-Day

I need to get this card in the mail today in order for it to arrive in the US next week. *sigh* wish my sister didn't live so far away.


The stamp is Stamping Bella: curlysurpriseabella (RAK from CardsbyKerry), the DP is DCWV - Blossoms & Butterflies with a little Stickles on the orange bow.

Fathers Day Feast

With fathers day fast approaching, I needed to whip up 4 cards. I usually send out duplicates to the Father and Father-in-Laws and something separate for my hubby, but this year I scrounged through my sample stamped pack and made individuals for everyone.

Pennyblack Bubbly Critters, DCWV The Fall matchstack dp, SU riding-hood red card stock, Copics, glitter gel pen and Studio G sentiment.

Dustin Pike digital art Fish Fear, coloured with Copics, SU from my scrap drawer and computer generated sentiment.

Stamping Bella beerafella, DCWV The Fall matchstack dp, SU riding-hood red card stock, Copics, glitter gel pen and Studio G sentiment.


The fourth Father's Day card for my hubby I won't post, he peeks at this site occasionally.

Here is one last card of thanks for my daughters Junior Kindergarten teacher.

Pennyblack Bubbly Critters, DCWV Blossoms & Butterflies dp, SU card stock, Copics, glitter gel pen, Studio G sentiment and sticker gems.

Tool-A-Fella

I really don't have very many masculine stamps, so I have been re-using the ones I do over and over again. I have WAY too many male cards to do for the month of June.

I had a little chuckle with myself thinking I could do up a computer generated sentiment "Your a #1 Tool", hehe. I'm not sure the receiver would appreciate the pun.

The hammer and tool box are a bit large for the Fella, but I wanted to a fella without golf clubs or beer, so used the tools from the Pink Cat Studio - Dress Up Billy set.

Details:
Stamps: Stamping Bella - Beerafella, Pink Cat Studio - Dress Up Billy, Studio G sentiment
Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black, AMM - Chocolate paper stain, Copics, Tombows
Paper: SU - Old Olive Designer Series & Chocolate Chip, DCWV Fall Mat stack - shorts
Accessories: SU - Chocolate Chip ribbon

Fathers Day Shirts

This is my entry for the May 9th - Sketch for You To Try on I{heart}2tamp. I steered away from the sketch a bit because I really wanted to use my new SU - Top Note die. I couldn't decide which shirt I liked better. The blue shirt photographed better.




Details:
Stamp: Stampingbella - Fellashirt, Studio G Clear stamp sentiment
Paper: Su - Washington Apple, SU - bashful blue, pumpkin pie, whisper white
Ink: SU - pumpkin pie
Accessories: SU - top note die, hole punch, SU - riding hood red ribbon, Cuddlebug swiss dots emboss folder

Jamie Case

This week's SplitCoastStampers featured designer is Jamie at Sweet Little Designs. Jamie has a fabulous SCS gallery, it was hard to choose which card to case.

This is my take on Jamie's card Tip Your Waitress. I know that you aren't suppose to do Sketch Challenge cards, but this layout is from Taylored Expressions January 2009. I had wanted to try it out back then, but never got around to it. This was a fun card to make. I only wish I had a sentiment that said "dad" instead of "father", father sounds so formal, especially when your handing them a beer. As well I noticed after I had mounted the image that the orange cardstock mat should have been laced under the 3 horizontal stripes - my bad!

I of course paper pieced the Fella, it's my favorite thing to do to the Bella stamps.

Details:
Stamps: Stamping Bella - Beerafella, Studio G Clear stamp sentiment
Paper: SU: bashful blue, pumpkin pie, barley banana (should have been so safron, but I didn't have any), Designer Series - Washington Apple
Ink: Memento - Tuxedo Black, Copics
Accessories: Swiss Dots Emboss Folder, SU Mat Pack

Red Hot Bella Meets Grease Lightening

Yes I have other stamps sets, but I've had the plan for this card etched in my brain for weeks. When I read Sharon's blog LATE last night I knew I had to get my idea down on paper ;) immediately. Who needs sleep?

Here is my submission for the Stamp Simply Challenge #50 (Julie's Red Hot), on No Time To Stamp.

I will admitt, since it was VERY late when I read the challenge I only noticed that the card was suppose to be red inspired, I missed the part about emulating Julie's style (Out to Impress). However now going back and looking at Julies samples, this card still works! Julie has a lovely Inspire card using red organza ribbon and a beautiful bleeding heart's card where the image and the mat aren't centred on one another.

If I were to redo this card to truly emulate Julie's style I would swap out the white card stock to manila and use a scrolling image stamp not a bella.

My older sister's Fortieth birthday is coming up in December. I have been picking up the supplies for my card idea as I find them, but have been holding out for the Martha Stewart Doily Lace punch which until yesterday was sold out every where I looked.

The inspiration for the whole card is from the movie Grease. The paper pieced dress is a cross between Cha Cha DiGregori's and Rizo's dresses from the dance scene in the gymnasium. The sentiment I typed up on the computer - it sounded less harsh then "Lordy, Lordy, look who's forty!"

The edges of the red scallop as well as the red mat are brushed with purple chalk (thanks Kerry J.)

Supplies:
Paper: Red card stock, Making Memories - Black Small Dots
Ink: Versa Magic Chalk - Purple Hydrangea, Tombows
Stamp: Stamping Bella - Bellarina
Sentiment: done on the computer
Punch: Martha Stewart - Doily Lace
Embellishment: Red Organza ribbon

Cheers Baby!

After the week that we have had, my hubby is going to need to down a few cold ones on his Birthday just to de-stress, and we aren't drinkers.

Our littlest had 2 seizures, which were due to a viral infection. Pretty scary stuff, but thankfully he is fine.

I tried to make the beer bottles look like Corona, but I couldn't remember what colour the labels were and I accidentally got some smutz on the card while staining the edges:


Supplies:
DP - crap from various projects.
Stamp - Beerafella by Stamping Bella, American Art Stamps "Cheer!", Anita's "Birthday"
Ink - Tombow markers

Take Two Challenge - Stamp Simply #48

The challenge was to take one of your own cards and basically case it, making as many or as little changes as you felt necessary. I chose this card to case from January 2008:

I had already planned to try to re-make this card using paper piecing on the dress since this was a technique I have often admired but never tried myself. I made half a dozen of the dresses however because I just couldn't decide which pattern I liked best. Here is the end result.

I didn't change much to the layout, it was more so to attempt the paper piecing, which I am TRES happy with. It's a great effect, I will have to try it more often.

Cosmopolitan Anyone?

I made the background of this card last weekend when a girlfriend came over to make cards. We shared stamps and such, and the patterned circle paper was from her collection. I wish I had made note of the name, it's too cute.

I actually never finished the card because I couldn't decide on a stamp & sentiment to go with it. When I was cleaning up my work space this morning (after a long night of scrapbooking for my kids), I came across a pre-stamped Cosmobella just waiting to be coloured in. The sentiment is from Studio G Clear stamps from Michaels.

Some exciting news, well for me any way... my local scrapbooking store now sells Cuddlebug accessories. I have been purchasing my die cuts and embossing folders online so have to not only pay shipping, but WAIT forever for them to arrive. Now I get the immediate satisfaction of bringing them home and NOT paying shipping. Could make it more tough on my wallet though.

I purchased Swiss Dots and one that is all tree branches but kind of looks a bit like the Distressed Stripes.

They have some really cool new ones that I haven't even seen online any where yet. There is four folders in one that do just a line of imaging like Zig Zag stitch or a row of flowers. Can't wait to see how everyone uses those.

Fore You - Gulfafella

I designed this background originally for my Father's Day cards, but didn't end up using them because it didn't go with the stamp as well as I had envisioned. However, I love it with the Gulfafella stamp, it is much bolder in person, the picture seems faded. As well, the Stickles aren't so bright in person eihter.

I had some trouble staying in the lines with the watercolouring, story of my life : D

More Bella Fellas

I have extra work cut out for me on Mother's and Father's Day. Both my husband and myself come from divorced homes and our parent's are all remarried. So that means: 4 sets of cards per holiday not including my hubby which makes five. Then just to add a little more to the mix I also have four June birthdays, two on the eighth and two on the twenty-fourth, bizarre, but true. Two of those birthday's are for above mentioned fathers, so that makes 7 Father Style cards to make in one month. I do a lot of cheating though, I will make only 3 designs and make duplicates accordingly.

Here is the card design for the other Father's in my life for Father's Day: (I am much too lazy to make individual cards)


Hmm, I think it needs a sentiment though?

Chatterbox - Loft Argyle
Stamping Bella - Dotty Tie Circle
Tombow markers and watercolour pencils

Stamping Bella - Fella

Yes, it's been a while. Very long story, no need to bore you with it. I am back though, and I probably have no visitors any more, but that's okay.

Here is my "Fella's" Father's Day card. When I saw this stamp online I envisioned a bold and graphic card. I think I succeeded.

My props: Fella Shirt - by Stamping Bella, sentiment by Clear G dollar stamps, Tombow markers, North Shore Benson by Scenic Route Paper Co.

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.

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.

Scraps of Fun

So I was feeling the colour purple this evening and craving to ink up my new Imeldabella . Not having any new paper to play with, I decided to rummage through my scrap paper drawer. Because it's all scraps, I can't tell you the paper I used.

I am finding it hard at this time of year to do much of anything. It seems your thoughts and time are constantly being pulled in different directions. It's nice to have these little diversions.

Kerry's Bella's

Here are some more one offs from my care package. I love the Bella Stamps. I like them all so much that I just can't decide which one to buy first. Hmm ...maybe "frizzybella" or "imeldabella" because I have a great shop til you drop stamp that came with a Christmas sentiments set.

I am a little embarrassed by this last one. I had the greatest intentions when making it. It just turned out a lot "louder" then I had envisioned. Oh well, I will keep it and give it to a little girl some time down the line.