SPRING card

I saw a card that Lauri Seago had created, and I just fell in love. So I cased her card found here, and changed up a few things. For one, I used a bird instead of a butterfly, and I used different cardstock and designer paper colors. It's fun to make different kinds of cards now and then. Ya gotta shake up that creativity once in a while! :-)

Everything on this card is from Stampin Up!
CS: Chocolate Chip, So Saffron, Bordering Blue, Pink Pirouette
DSP: Bella Birds
Die cuts: Birds and Blooms sizzlit 4-pack (pg 201), Little Leaves sizzlit (pg 200), Serif Essentials Alphabet bigz (pg 196)

Belli Challenge #64 - jumbo eyelets/brads

Did you happen to notice that I didn't post a Belli challenge last week? The Belli Challenges will now be posted every other week, which gives you more time to work on your own Belli cards and post them to Mr. Linky. Isn't that great? :-)

This week's Belli Challenge is to use jumbo eyelets or jumbo brads on your cards. I used two jumbo eyelets on my card above. A Crop-a-Dile comes in really handy for setting the jumbo eyelets.

I'm loving this Dream Silhouettes stamp set from Sweet N Sassy Stamps. I can't seem to put it away - it keeps jumping out at me, begging me to get it inky! For this card, I found some Basic Grey Blush papers and tried to put together three different papers that would still complement each other. Since I still had my Dark Chocolate ink, cardstock, and satin ribbon out, I used those with the Blush papers.

Go check out what the other Belli Girls have created using jumbo eyelets or brads over at the new Belli Challenge blog. Then dig around for your own jumbo eyelets/brads and get those on a card and share with us.



Stamps: Dream Silhouettes (Sweet N Sassy Stamps)
Ink: Dark Chocolate (PaperTrey Ink)
CS: Dark Chocolate (PaperTrey Ink), Pink Pirouette (on the inside of the card - Stampin Up), Basic Grey Blush dsp
Other: Dark Chocolate satin ribbon, nestabilities, Antique Copper jumbo eyelets

CBCC #36 - color challenge

For this week's CBCC challenge, Courtney issued a color challenge. We used the colors Regal Rose, Certainly Celery, and Almost Amethyst on our cards/projects.



I wanted to try another Top Note quilt card, but I changed it up a bit. I found some really narrow white ribbon and I used that to define the seams.



Doesn't that look a little different? I rather like it with the tiny white ribbon. It seems to give it more of a real quilt feel.

Check out what the other Challenge Chicks have created and leave them some love:

Courtney Fowler
Maria Fiscella
Danielle Marcus
Sparkle Smith
Maria Gurnsey
Kim Gruetzmacher
Risa Malieta West


Stamps: Butterfly Kisses (PaperTrey Ink)
Ink: Basic Grey (Stampin Up)
CS: White, Basic Grey, Celery dsp, Regal Rose dsp, Amethyst dsp
Other: nestabilities, Top Note die (Stampin Up), narrow white ribbon, silver brad, prima flower

Chocolate Silhouette Dreams

Sweet N Sassy Stamps has a new blog called The Sweet Stop where they will have a new sketch challenge every week. I created this card for their first sketch challenge, and it felt good to get back into a stamping groove. (For more information on my lack of stamping, see the post from yesterday.)

This card came together after I randomly picked out a scrap of designer paper. A good friend had sent me a big box full of paper scraps, and this was in the middle of that pile. It still had part of the label on the paper, so I know it is from Fancy Pants Design. I also used Dark Chocolate ink, paper, and satin ribbon from PaperTrey Ink (yummy!).

The image that I stamped on the oval and the word "Dream" are from Sweet N Sassy Stamps, and this set is called Dream Silhouettes. Isn't that gorgeous? I wanted this set as soon as I saw it, and I was so thrilled to win this set! I had participated in a stamping challenge when Sweet N Sassy Stamps had their release party, and I won! Thank you, Korin!!

I found the yummy chocolate pearls at Michelle Rodgers' Stampers Dream store. These are made by Kaiser and they have several different sizes in each package (the packaging has them going around in a swirl - so cute). Don't they match perfectly with the Dark Chocolate satin ribbon? Mmmmm.........

Head on over to The Sweet Stop and check out the sketch challenge. Hopefully it will inspire you to create some cards today. :-)

Rubbernecker Challenge #8 - chipboard and buttons

This week's Rubbernecker challenge is to use chipboard or buttons on a card. I decided to use both here. Let me start off with a little disclaimer, though.

It has been very hard for me to get back into stamping again without my sweet Queenie baby keeping me company in my doorway. She was always right there every time I was working in my studio, and I would sometimes take breaks and get down there with her and talk to her and rub her thick yellow fur. When working on my card for last week's Rubbernecker challenge, it was a rude awakening that Queenie baby was no longer there. I miss my sweet Queenie so much.

It was a week before I could even think about touching any stamps or papers or inkpads. And thus, it has taken me three days to finish this card, which is totally out of sync with my normal stamping style. Doesn't this card look totally different? It's not a "Holly" card, as my mom would say.

Now on to the deets for this card.

I picked out the round swirly flourish from a package of Tim Holtz grungeboard and covered it with Antiqued Bronze distress crackle paint. (Yes, I LOVE my crackle paints!!) After it finally dried, I sponged some Dusty Concord distress ink into the cracks and buffed it off.

Meanwhile, while I waited for the paint to dry, I cut into my precious stack of Scrapperdashery papers that I bought from Rubbernecker. This particular GORGEOUS paper is Rudyard Kipling's "IF" paper. It comes with all these variations of color and the hint of writing on there. I stamped the new floral background from Rubbernecker onto this sheet with Versamark and poured Irridescent Ice embossing powder on and heat set it. That's why it's a little bit glittery - I just had to have those pretty flowers and sparkles on there.

To finish off this card, I punched out some butterflies, sponged So Saffron ink (Stampin Up) and Dusty Concord distress ink (Ranger) in different patterns. On two of the butterflies, I inked up the same floral background (Rubbernecker) with the Dusty Concord distress ink and pressed the butterflies into the stamp. The other butterfly has some Spiced Marmalade distress stickles where the body is.

Look closely at the little tag. I stamped that same floral background with So Saffron ink onto Saffron cardstock and glued it to the back of the tag. The sentiment (from Cornish Heritage Farms) is stamped on the front with Royal Purple Stazon ink.

Because the challenge was to use chipboard or buttons, I wanted to at least have one button on there, but it just didn't look right. So I used three different buttons, but broke them up across the card.

I hope you enjoy this eye candy. Enjoy your weekend!

Rubbernecker Challenge #7 - chalk lines

I'm going through a very rough time right now, and I wanted to try to stamp something to get my mind off things. Can't say it worked at all, but at least I got to finish the Rubbernecker challenge. This challenge is to look at the inspiration piece and create something from it.

I ended up doing a chalk lines background (a new technique from the Technique Junkies newsletter) which sort of emulates the inspiration piece. I picked out the colors - blue, green, pink, and purple - from the inspiration piece and tried to copy the grid pattern you see there. The sentiment is from Rubbernecker, and the little silver charm says "imagine" on the front.

Coral Flowers

This is a "just because" card. I was just playing around with the 5-petal flower punch from Stampin Up and the sprig of leaves (from the Stampin Up Little Leaves sizzlit die cut) and somehow ended up with this card. LOL

Everything on this card is from Stampin Up. You may be looking at the ribbon and thinking, no.......... that's not Stampin Up........... But it is! :-) I bought the new 5/8" white satin ribbon from the new Occasions mini catalog, and simply sponged it with Cameo Coral ink to get it to coordinate with my card. How cool is that? You can have any color of ribbon you want - just sponge the color onto this Whisper White satin ribbon. It takes the ink so beautifully!

For the flowers, I did a little trick that I showed you last year on my blog. I punched out the flowers, and then went back over the petals with a pair of scissors and notched out each of the tips. I love how this gives the flowers such a different look.

On the white diamond panels in the background, I stamped them with the large collage stamp from Fresh Cuts. Then I simply layered the die cut leaves and punched out flowers on top. It's a fun and bright and summer-y kind of card, isn't it? :-)

Stamps: Fresh Cuts, Heard from the Heart
Ink: Cameo Coral, Tempting Turquoise
CS: Cameo Coral, Tempting Turquoise, Whisper White, Kiwi Kiss
Other: Little Leaves sizzlit die, 5-petal flower punch, sponge, 5/8" Whisper White satin ribbon, Fresh Favorites I buttons

Belli Challenge #63 - dry embossing

This week's Belli Challenge is to create a card with dry embossing. This could mean using your Cuttlebug folders, the new Stampin Up embossing folders, or a brass stencil with a light box and stylus. The subtle raised designs always add such a wonderful textural feel to a card.

For my cards above, I was playing with my newest toy from Stampin Up! If you have a Stampin Up catalog, look on page 202. Do you see the new Textured Impressions Die called Manhattan Flower? This is what I used on my cards. It looks just like a Cuttlebug embossing folder, and you just put your cardstock in there and run it through your Big Shot. So cool!

I did 7 of these cards in 10 minutes flat. No joke. Can you say QUICK and EASY?? Hee hee hee! You can put any sentiment you need on these cards. Just tie your Stampin Up White Organza Ribbon around the top and ta-da! Beautiful and quick and elegant cards ready to go, lickety split.

Go check out the Belli Blog to see more dry embossing artwork. You'll love the fabulous eye candy. :-)

Rubbernecker Color Challenge #6

There is a color challenge over on the Rubbernecker blog today. Linda wants us to use pink and purple on our cards! Isn't that sweet?? I just had to pull out this super cute "Girl on Swing" set from Rubbernecker and use that for this color challenge. :-)

It's a pretty simple card - Pink Pirouette, White, and Lovely Lilac cardstock, along with a sheet of Amethyst designer paper and some pink gingham ribbon. The image was stamped with Memento Tuxedo Black ink and colored with copics. I couldn't find a sweet little Rubbernecker sentiment, so I opted to use this general purpose Penny Black sentiment. :-)

Why don't you try making a card with pink and purple today? It will make you smile! :-)

Simply Said

In the latest issue of Stamp It magazine (which I stole from Mom - shhhhhhh....... I'll give it back to her.........someday........), there is a card by Debbie Seyer that really inspired me. Mine is very different - different colors, different stamps, and no ribbon on mine.

The colors are Vanilla, Sahara Sand, Baja Breeze, and Chocolate Chip. I used a combination of die cuts from the Birds and Blooms sizzlit (from Stampin Up) and some felt flowers (also from Stampin Up) to surround the Top Note die shape. Instead of stamping a bunch of flowers, I kept it very simple and just stamped this sentiment from the Simply Said stamp set.

I'm in love with this birdie! The wings really give it a 3D effect and it's so perfect for spring-time. It just makes me smile to look at it. :-)

All supplies from Stampin Up:
Stamps: Simply Said
Ink: Chocolate Chip
CS: Baja Breeze, Chocolate Chip, Vanilla, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip dsp (behind the Top Note shape)
Other: Birds and Blooms sizzlit die, Felt Fusion Too, silver brads, cropadile (punched small circles for center of flowers), dimensionals, Top Note die

Belli Challenge #62 - cello bags

This week's Belli Challenge is to create something using a cello bag. I really had to think about this one, and I went looking for inspiration on Splitcoast. I found a tutorial by Andrea Walford to create this cool Top Note candy holder - click here to see that tutorial.

I changed mine up to be a bit more spring-like, and I used the Raspberry Tart papers from Stampin Up. The little tag is stamped with a new set called Oval All, which you can find in the new Occasions mini catalog (Stampin Up), as well as the new scallop oval punch. I love this punch! It layers perfectly with the large oval punch from Stampin Up.

I used a cello bag to place the candy inside, and I taped that cello bag to the inside of this candy holder. This is so darn cute, I want to make about 10 more. Can't you just see this in all kinds of colors and designer papers? :-)

To see more cello bag inspiration, please check out the Belli Challenge blog. When you upload your own project to SCS or to PCP, please use keyword CBC62.

CBCC #33 - coke can pull tabs

This week's CBCC challenge is to use the silver pull tabs from a coke can. I have used these before to act as a ribbon buckle, but I wanted to come up with something different this time. Is this different enough for ya? ;-)




The diploma and the Congratulations sentiment are digital stamps created by my very own friend Chris Dickinson. You can find these over at Sweet N Sassy under digital stamps. All you have to do is order these, submit your payment, and then you can download the images and print them off. How cool is that? No waiting for the stamps to be mailed to you. AND you can make these any size you want - I love that!

For the pull tab, I begged my hubby to pull it off of his Coke can, and I went to work. The hole was too big at first and the light blue rhinestone brad kept falling through the hole. How was I supposed to fix that??

Lightbulb! I found the jumbo silver eyelets I've been hoarding, and attached that to the white paper with the coke pull tab between them. Then I put the rhinestone brad in there and it didn't fall through. :-)

Save the tabs from your own Coke cans (or Sprite or Pepsi or whatever you like to drink) and put them to work on your own cards. Need more inspiration? Check out what the other Challenge Chicks came up with:


Courtney Fowler
Maria Fiscella
Danielle Marcus
Sparkle Smith
Maria Gurnsey
Kim Gruetzmacher
Risa Malieta West


When you create your card and upload it to SCS or to PCP, please use keyword CBCC33. Have fun playing along with this challenge!

Rubbernecker Challenge - backgrounds

The Rubbernecker blog's new challenge this week is to use background stamps. I had bought this particular background stamp called Baroque Background last year at a convention where I had the great honor of meeting Miss Sherry Cheever and Miss Bev Gerard and, of course, Mr. Dave (Mr. Rubbernecker himself). I have known Bev for years as TexasGrammy on Splitcoast, and it just tickled me to meet her in person!

Okay, back to my card. I have loved seeing all the quilt cards this past week on blogs and my email groups, so I wanted to use that with this background. I punched out some designer papers with my 1 1/4" square punch, and glued them down to a scrap sheet of paper. Then I stamped the background onto that, and cut it out with my Top Note die. I had to keep the rest of the card simple so that the background quilt would remain the focus. Just some satin ribbon and a sentiment was all that I needed to complete this card. :-)

Stamps: Baroque Background, Petite ATC Sentiment set (both from Rubbernecker)
Ink: Timber Brown stazon
CS: Chocolate Chip, designer papers from My Mind's Eye
Other: nestabilities, Top Note die (from Stampin Up), wide satin chocolate chip ribbon, 1 1/4" square punch

Truly Scrumptious blog - sketch challenge #4

I decided to give the sketch challenge from the Truly Scrumptious blog a shot tonight. Next week is my Gramma's birthday, so I needed to make a card for her. With this in mind, I picked soft pretty colors, and pink is her favorite color. She loves flowers, and one stipulation of this challenge is to include flowers, so that worked out great.

The flower on here is something that I had to put together and form and shape and color to get it to look right. About a month ago, I bought a special punch at a LSS, and played around with it several times, but they still looked amateurish. I gave it another shot and it looks so much better than my first few attempts. This flower is comprised of many layers of punched cardstock glued together and rolled and shaped and colored with glittered chalk.

If you have ever heard of Susan Tierney Cockburn, then you know where I got the inspiration for the flower from. She does a lot of gorgeous shaped 3D flowers, and she's written several books on how to make them.

The two little scallop circles next to the center oval actually have sheet music stamped on them with Versamark, and then they were covered with glittery chalk. I wanted a very subtle effect, because the main focus on this card should be on the 3D flower. Gramma was a music teacher and she taught me how to play when I was a kid. In fact, the other day she gave me some sheet music that I used to play all those years ago. :-)

I hope my Gramma likes her birthday card. This is more foo-foo than I normally get, but I think my Gramma deserves a little extra oomph from me.

Stamps: Warmest Regards (retired Stampin Up), sheet music (Stampabilities)
Ink: Versamark, Mellow Moss
CS: Regal Rose, Mellow Moss, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Porcelain dsp by Basic Grey
Other: nestabilities, flower punch from The Punch Bunch, glittered brads (Making Memories), white dotted organdy ribbon (May Arts), glittered chalk (Pebbles), Sizzlits Little Leaves die cut (from Stampin Up)

Belli Challenge #61 - Happy Easter!

Happy Easter, everyone!!!!!!!!!

What?? What's that, you say? It's not Easter yet?? Are you sure?? Let me check my calendar........

Happy April Fool's Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hee hee heeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Today's Belli Challenge is to make a funny or humorous card in honor of April Fool's Day. Did I fool ya? Check out the sentiment on my card. What does that say? Hee hee hee - you crack me up! :-)

Would you like to see what the other Belli Girls came up with? Check out the new Belli Challenge Blog to see all the gorgeous artwork.


Stamps: A Good Egg (Stampin Up)
Ink: Basic Gray
CS: So Saffron, Basic Gray, Whisper White, Darling Dots (SAB designer paper)
Other: Saffron wide grosgrain ribbon (SAB ribbon bundle), Black journaling marker, word window punch