Belli Challenge #40 - Thanksgiving

This week's Belli Challenge is focused on Thanksgiving. Make a card with a turkey on it, the word "thanks", or any image associated with Thanksgiving, such as a cornucopia or pumpkin pie. I chose to stamp the word "Thanks" on this card.

I stamped the tree trunk first, then added the leaf punch-outs to give a sense of the leaves falling. The leaves are punched from glossy paper that I had created a polished stone background on. Remember the previous card posted below, Autumn Beauty? I had done several sheets of polished stone, so I just used one of those sheets to punch out my leaves.

The sentiment and the tree trunk images are from Cornish Heritage Farms. The leaf punch is from Martha Stewart.



This coaster frame is something I threw together this weekend. My mother and a couple of other ladies came over to play, and we all made coaster frames. I love this pumpkin image (Stampin Up Harvest Home), and it is so easy to color. I stamped it on watercolor paper first, then picked some colors to match the paper. This background paper is from Stampin Up - last year's Apple Cider. I found my now-retired River Rock paper so I could stamp the sentiment on the left side.

Did you see the cute little raffia bow? Folks who know me, know that I am bow-tarded. I don't do bows. My mother, however, is the ribbon queen, and I begged her to make me a bow from a bundle of raffia. She did an excellent job! Thanks, Mom!!!

Would you like to play along with the Belli Challenge? Create your own card or project with a Thanksgiving theme, post it to your blog or to SCS (keyword CBC40), and post your link to Chrissy's blog posting.

Check out what the rest of the Belli Team has created:

Rochelle Wick
Shelly Koskinen
Debby McGivillray
Jennifer Greco
Chris Dickinson
Ceal Pritchett
Lorie Ames
Courtney Fowler
Danita Hollander
Joan Ervin
Sarah Anderson

Autumn Beauty

It is FINALLY starting to feel like fall here and I love it! Cool mornings, warm breezy afternoons.........ahhhhhhhh heaven............

This card is so perfect for today. All the touches of reds, greens, and yellows mingled with the dark brown tree trunks...... it truly is Autumn Beauty.

I started this card by making a polished stone background with alcohol inks and Copper Mixative onto glossy cardstock. For a more detailed explanation of a polished stone background, please check out the Technique Junkies newsletter.  I stamped the woodsy image with Timber Brown Stazon ink onto the glossy cardstock after I was sure the inks were dry.

To preserve the beauty of the rich fall colors, I opted for a very simple sentiment (from Sweet N Sassy Stamps). I just cut the sides into points with scissors and added the aged copper brads on each side.

Someone special will be getting this card in the mail soon. I wonder who it could be?? ;-)


Stamps: Autumn Blessings (sentiment - Sweet N Sassy Stamps), Walk in the Woods (Innovative Stamp Creations)
Inks: Timber Brown stazon, alcohol inks with Copper Mixative
CS: Old Olive, Chocolate Chip, More Mustard, glossy white
Other: aged copper brads (Making Memories), sponge, 1/16" hole punch

Red Kiss Boxes

Does this look yummy? Hee hee. My dear friend Debby shared the pattern for these Hershey's Kiss boxes, and I made these in less than 15 minutes. If you didn't have any designer paper, you could simply stamp on the cardstock box instead. Quick and easy - gotta luv that! :-)


Stamps: NONE
Ink: NONE
CS: Real Red, Real Red dsp
Ribbon: Real Red wide grosgrain

Blog Candy winner!!

We have a winner for the blog candy! Random.John (my hubby) picked a name out of the 13 comments in the post below, and came up with this one:

TinaJewel said...
That card is beautiful! Would love to win it! I subscribed to your website and loved your ideas!

Congratulations, Tina! I will email you for your mailing address.

Thanks to all of you for your sweet comments. Stay tuned as I will offer up more blog candy soon. I have way too many cards here, and I would love to start mailing them out to random blog candy winners.

Have a great evening!

Holly Cupcake and Blog Candy!

I was cleaning up in my studio tonight, and this holly cupcake stamp was calling my name. It was fate that I just happened to have AmyR's latest sketch on my table - it is perfect for this stamp!

I inked this up with Brilliance Graphite Black ink, let it dry, and then colored it with Copics. I went back over some of the leaves and the berries, as well as the cupcake liner with my Gold Spica glitter pen. Ohhhhh, I love the glitter........ Here is a close up:



I only used 4 Copic markers on this card - quick and easy. Here's a picture of the colors I used:



I'm sure you all have been waiting to hear what blog candy I will offer up. In celebration of going over 10,000 hits, and to celebrate Mom's new blog, I am going to pick a lucky person to receive this card in the mail. Most of you said that you would love to see a handmade creation for blog candy, so here's your chance! Leave a comment on this post, and I will pick a winner on Monday evening. Good luck! :-)


Stamps: Lockhart Stamp Company (holly cupcake), sentiment from To You and Yours (Stampin Up)
Ink: Brilliance Graphite Black
CS: Real Red, Very Vanilla, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive
Paper: Basic Grey Fruitcake
Other: Copics, glitter pen, Prima poinsettia, small and large oval punches, gold Dew Drop, American Crafts Solid Shimmery Gold ribbon (Michaels)

Belli Challenge #37 - paint

This week's Belli Challenge is to use paint. It can be any kind of paint - crackle paint, Radiant Pearls, Shimmerz, paint dabbers, regular ol' acrylic paint, what have you....

On my card, I used Shimmerz paints to paint the wreath image as well as the white cardstock. I used Candle Light Shimmerz all over the white circle to give it a nice shimmery appearance, and then painted in the wreath with Evergreen Shimmerz and the bow with Rustic Red Shimmerz. These paints are SO ridiculously shimmery! I love em! You can find Shimmerz here.

Check out what the rest of the Belli Team has done with paints:

Shelly Koskinen
Jennifer Greco
Christi Thorsen
Ceal Pritchett
Courtney Fowler


Stamps: Christmas Cheer (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Ink: Jet Black Stazon
CS: Sage Shadow, Whisper White, Basic Black, Rose Quartz (shimmery pink paper - not SU)
Other: nestabilities, white dotted sheer ribbon (May Arts), Swiss Dots embossing folder, small paint brush
Shimmerz: Candle Light, Evergreen, Rustic Red

Poinsettia Wreath

I created this last night during the Sweet N Sassy Stamps release party. My friend Chrissy had sent me some stamped images of her latest set, Christmas Poinsettias, and I just had to use the wreath. I am in LOVE with this image. This set and 5 other new ones are on sale over at Sweet N Sassy Stamps - click HERE.

The JOY is from Cornish Heritage Farms' Christmas Expressions. This is about the only thing I could find that was small enough to fit in this Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware piece (Stampin Up!).

Now on to some exciting news. Are you ready for this? My mother, self-proclaimed "tech-tard," has been BLOGGING! Yes!! On top of that, she is also on the Clear Dollar Stamps Design Team. WHOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Way to go, MOM!!!!! Go check out her blog and then come on back for more exciting news.

Ready for the second piece of exciting news? Mom texted me last night to tell me that I have over 10,000 hits on my blog here. Wow, I had no idea! Ya think this calls for some blog candy? What would you like to see for blog candy? Stamped cards? Free paper? Bellies?? Leave me a comment and tell me what you would like to see. I'll have a post up this weekend sometime with my blog candy. :-)



Stamps: Christmas Poinsettias (Sweet N Sassy Stamps), Christmas Expressions (Cornish Heritage Farms)
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Riding Hood Red, Summer Sun, Old Olive
CS: Whisper White, Riding Hood Red, Basic Black
Paper: Bella Rose (red paper - from Stampin Up!), Basic Grey Fruitcake (green paper)
Other: nestabilities, aquapainter, Styled Silver Hodgepodge Hardware (SU), 3/4" & 1" circle punches, black gingham ribbon (Walmart)