Belli Challenge #127 - Paper Piecing

Today's Belli Challenge is all about paper piecing, and I've used this gorgeous Harvest Basket from Eureka for my project. After I colored the basket with Copic markers, I paper pieced the ribbon bow and the two smaller gourds on the right of the pumpkin.

When I was playing around with the paper flowers (Orange1 Collection), I accidentally pulled the petals apart. Instead of trying to tape the petals back together, I started arranging them behind my harvest basket. This makes for an interesting look, doesn't it? It's a fun and different way to use the paper flowers. :-)

Check out what the Belli Girls have created over on the Belli Blog and play along with us this week. We'd love to see your paper pieced creations!!

Have a wonderful day!


Stamps: Small Harvest Basket (Eureka Stamps)
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento
CS: Suede, White, Forever Fall (Bo Bunny)
Other: Copic markers, flowers - Orange1 collection (QKR Stampede), circle dies
TJ Technique: Paper Piecing

Trick or Treat - Candy Corn

In less than a month and a half, Halloween will be here! Walmart and the grocery stores already have the big ol' bags of Halloween candy out for sale, and it won't be long before we see all the fun costumes that the little kids will be running around in.

When I saw this cute Trick or Treat stamp in the Eureka store, I really wanted to have a candy corn background to go with it. I couldn't find any candy corn stamps, so I got a little creative.

I ordered two of these Trick or Treat stamps, and I trimmed the one on the right side so I could use it as designed.

For the second stamp, I cut out three of the candy corn pairs and trimmed them. I adhered them to a clear acrylic block and stamped them all over my background.

Now I can use the separated candy corn stamps to make backgrounds, to stamp next to a "Happy Halloween" sentiment, anything I want. Isn't that a fun little trick? :-)

Stamps: Trick or Treat (Eureka Stamps)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento
CS: Orange, Black, White
Other: Copic markers, ribbon (Offray)

Eureka - Fall theme Blog Hop

Welcome to the Eureka blog hop! Our theme this month is Fall and all the autumnal bounty it brings. If you have arrived here from Ceal's blog, you are on the right track. If not, please start at the Eureka blog so you don't miss any of the wonderful artwork today.

I found this gorgeous Pumpkins and Fence stamp in the Eureka store (2nd page in the Fall category) and I couldn't wait to color it up:

I decided to get back to basics and watercolor this image instead of playing with my Copic markers. I stamped the image on watercolor paper and used dye ink pads to color in the image. After it dried completely, I sponged the edges with a brown ink before matting it. The pumpkin cardstock has been distressed and manipulated into a Torn Frame (a TJ technique).

The sweet little orange flower is from the QKR Stampede store (a sister store to Eureka). I have the Orange Flowers 1 collection, but this sweet orange flower is in all four of the Orange Flowers collections. I cut some raffia and adhered it behind the flower, and then I added a button to the top.

I'm ready for the fall season after a long, record-breaking, HOT summer in Texas. Bring on the 75 degree temps, the falling leaves, the hay rides, and the cool crisp mornings!! :-)

I hope you've enjoyed my project today. Your next stop on this hop is Jessica's blog - have fun!


Stamps: Pumpkins and Fence (Eureka)
Ink: Timber Brown Stazon, dye inks from SU
CS: watercolor paper, pumpkin, suede, mustard dp
Other: raffia, button, linen thread, aquapainter, distress tool, orange flower from QKR Stampede
TJ Technique: Torn Frames

Christmas Dog

Hi folks! I've got a cute Christmas card to share with you today. This adorable puppy is from Eureka Stamps, and I colored him with Copic markers. The stocking is paper pieced and I added some white Flower Soft to the cap and the stocking.

Instead of adhering this to a normal ol' card, I tried this neat Center Step Card tutorial that I found at SCS. I punched out some holly leaves and added some red rhinestones to each cluster for a festive feel.

Have you made any Christmas cards yet? Can you believe it's less than four months til Christmas Day is here?? Are you ready?? :-)


Stamps: Large Snow Cap Pup & Tis the Season - Eureka
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento, Olive
CS: Olive, Chocolate Chip, White, Holiday Treasures dp
Other: red rhinestones, leaf punch (Martha Stewart), white Flower Soft, Copic markers
TJ Technique: Paper Piecing
Technique: Center Step Card from SCS

Mosaic Squash

I fell in love with this Mosaic Squash when I saw this in the Eureka store. There is a whole collection of mosaic images - squash, pumpkin, leaves, and sentiments. Look under the Fall section in the store and you'll see all the mosaic images on pages 2 and 3.


I used the Tissued Color technique from Technique Junkies to color in the squash, and I sponged the edges of the oval with some Antique Linen distress ink. I added some raffia, some punched leaves, and this pretty little flower on the edge of the image. That pretty little flower is from the Orange paper flowers collection in the QKR Stampede shop.

I love the fall season - cool, crisp air contrasting with the warm sun shining down on me, hay rides, trips to the pumpkin patch, and the promise of some great holidays coming up. Ahhhhhh.........


Stamps: Mosaic Squash from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Curry, Tangerine, Durango, Walnut Stain, Antique Linen
CS: Curry, Chocolate Chip, Vanilla, Indian Summer (Basic Grey)
Other: button, raffia, Frond punch (Martha Stewart), oval dies, brads, flower from QKR Stampede
TJ Technique: Tissued Color

Cow and Cowboy

I've got one more Cowboy and balloon card to share with you today. I have had lots of fun with this adorable Cowboy Holder from Eureka, and I've paired him up with a Cow Balloon today. Isn't that a hoot?? You've just gotta go look at all the cool balloons and holders in the Eureka store - so much fun!

I colored the images with Copic markers, and then I created a scene by cutting out some clouds and some grassy green hills. Unfortunately, we don't have green hills here anymore - just brown crunchy mounds. I can't remember the last time we had any rain here, it's been that long. We've been fortunate enough to still have some grass down in our meadow, and our parents have been moving their horses so they can graze down there. My husband has only had to mow maybe 3 or 4 times this summer, quite a change from when he usually had to mow every weekend.

I hope you're having a wonderful week! Stay cool!

Stamps: Cowboy Holder, Cow Balloon (Eureka Stamps)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Celery
CS: black, white, Celery, Bashful Blue
Other: copic markers, linen thread, sponge, glitter pen, cloud die

Eureka - Balloons and Holders blog hop

Howdy, y'all!! Are ya ready for a fun blog hop with balloons and holders from Eureka?? If you've arrived here from the Eureka blog, you're on the right track. If not, please start there so you don't miss any of our fun projects today!

I picked the adorable Cowboy holder and the Horse balloon for my card today. There is also a Lasso and a Cow balloon to go with this cute cowboy, as well as a ton of other balloons and holders that you can look at HERE. Think of all the fun combinations you can come up with using all these unique stamps!

How dadgummed cute is that?? LOL I cut out a fence and some clouds to make a fun little scene. The horse balloon and the cowboy are colored with Copic markers, and I tied some linen thread around the horse balloon and stuck it in the cowboy's hand. I used some letter stickers to form the sentiment "Yee Haw."

Your next stop on this hop is Kristine's blog. You're in for a treat - she has something fabulous to share with you! :-)


Stamps: Cowboy holder, Horse balloon from Eureka
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento, Suede
CS: Rust, White, Bashful Blue, Kraft, Naturals White
Other: Copics, cloud die, fence die, letter stickers, linen thread, sponge, glitter pen (on belt buckle)

Lasso Cowboy

Howdy, y'all! Are you ready for another Monday morning? :-) This cowboy is ready to lasso you outta bed and put you to work!

Hee hee hee! This cute cowboy is from Eureka Stamps, and I added the lasso to his hand before coloring them with Copic markers. They are stamped directly onto kraft cardstock for a rustic look, and I added some die cut letters for the sentiment.

Taking the rustic theme further, I sponged a little bit of brown ink on the edges of the kraft cardstock, and then I distressed the edges. Some cross-stitched x's frame the upper left corner for a fun and unexpected touch.

Hope y'all have a great week!!

Stamps: Cowboy Holder and Lasso from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Rich Cocoa Memento, Suede
CS: Suede, Kraft, Naturals Ivory
Other: copic markers, glitter pen, distress tool, linen thread, Wingo Zingo alphabet sizzlit

Town of Bethlehem

This is a very quick and simple Christmas card using this wonderful Bethlehem with Verse image from Eureka Stamps. I inked it up with Versamark and embossed with gold embossing powder. Then I cut the excess cardstock away from the edges and adhered it to a vanilla card base.

Clean, simple, striking, elegant, and best of all - mailable! I whipped out a set of these in less than 30 minutes. You could do these in any color you wish, and you can easily produce 50 of these at the last minute and pop them in the mail.

You can see I created a set with four different colors below:

Stamps: Bethlehem with Verse from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Versamark, Antique Linen (sponged around edge of vanilla card)
CS: Vanilla, Burgundy, Eggplant, Artichoke, Night of Navy
Other: gold embossing powder, sponge

Santa and his Rein-dillos!

Ho ho ho!!!!! Yup, you read that right - Rein-dillos!!!! Santa doesn't have reindeer in Texas because it's just too darn hot for those reindeer. Ever resourceful, Santa loads up his special armadillos when he gets to the Texas border. Hee hee hee!!!

How's that for a fun Christmas card? :-) I watercolored this Santa & Dillos image from Eureka with some dye inks. I sponged "dirt" around the armadillos and I sponged around the entire piece with some dark blue ink and used a white gel pen to add some stars to the sky. The yellow stars & gift bag and the black wrought-iron work around the sleigh were painted with some shimmery Creative Inspirations Paint. You can see the shimmer here:

I used the Faux Chipboard technique to create this star and this is also painted with some shimmery yellow Creative Inspirations Paint:

Stamps: Santa & Dillos and Ho Y'all from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Jet Black Stazon, Not Quite Navy, Blush, Basic Grey, Caramel, Red, Going Gray, Pumice Stone distress
CS: Red, Kraft, White
Other: sponges, aquapainter, glossy accents (dillo nose), white gel pen
Creative Inspirations Paint: Onyx, Sunshine
TJ Technique: Faux Chipboard

Eureka - Christmas in July blog hop

Hiya, folks! Welcome to the Christmas in July blog hop with the Eureka design team! If you have come here from Kristie's blog, then you are on the right track. If not, please start at the Eureka blog so you don't miss anything.

For my project today, I used the Three Wise Men stamp and the O Holy Night sentiment stamp. I stamped both with brown ink and then cut them with some oval dies. While they were still inside the dies, I sponged some Antique Linen ink around the edges. Some dark chocolate satin ribbon on the left side and some pale blue patterned paper is all I needed to add to this Christmas card.

I hope you have enjoyed my Christmas card today! Please hop on over to Dawn's blog to see her Christmas project. Have a wonderful day!


Stamps: Three Wise Men and O Holy Night - Eureka Stamps
Ink: French Roast (A Muse), Antique Linen distress
CS: Vanilla, Dark Chocolate, patterned paper from Hobby Lobby
Other: oval dies, Dark Chocolate satin ribbon
TJ Technique: Wisped Frames

3D Christmas Tree

Did you have a nice 4th of July? With the burn bans across most of Texas, we didn't get to see any fireworks, so we stayed in the house and watched fireworks on tv. At least it was nice and cool in the house! :-)

I promised you a lot of Christmas projects this month, and here is another one. This is a 3D tree from Eureka Stamps. It's so neat! You just stamp the image, cut and score, and then glue it down.

I actually sponged extra ink onto the tree to emphasize the edges, and then I adhered a million tiny little red rhinestones all over. This will be a fun tree to decorate - think of all the different colors you could use, glitter, pearls, brads, anything you can think of. I used the Wisped Frames technique from Technique Junkies on the vanilla background behind the tree. I kept the rest of the card simple so that the tree would shine.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

Stamps: 3D Tree Pattern from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Olive, Antique Linen distress
CS: Olive, Vanilla, Dashing dp (SU)
Other: sponge, May Arts ribbon, rhinestones (Kaiser), Label 8 die (Spellbinders)
TJ Technique: Wisped Frames

Razzleberry Flower Basket

I was in the mood to color one night, and I just let the feeling guide me in picking out these colors to use on this gorgeous Flower Basket from Eureka. No, these are not my normal colors, but what can I say? I was just having fun and these colors just wanted to come out and play that night.

I paired this Flower Basket with some papers from Prima and some Razzleberry cardstock and ribbon. I sponged some Antique Linen distress ink over the colored flower basket to give it a vintage feel. I love how this turned out. :-)

Stamps: Flower Basket from Eureka
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Antique Linen distress
CS: Razzleberry, White, Botanical dp (Prima)
Other: circle die, lacy circle die, Copic markers, sponge, Razzleberry satin ribbon

3D Shell birthday card

Good morning! Ready for another workweek? Here's some eye candy to help you get through those Monday blues.

This Shell Pattern is an awesome stamp from Eureka Stamps. You basically stamp it, color it however you want, and then follow the lines to cut and score it, and assemble it so it forms the 3D shape. So cool!

I colored this shell with some Distress Stains and then flicked some dark blue ink splotches over it. I paired this up with the Happy Birthday Script stamp and some fun twine with little shells on it. Below is a close-up picture of the 3D shell:

Check out all the neat 3D stamps in the Eureka store by clicking HERE. I've got a few more of these stamps and I'm working on putting some together. You'll see more in the next few weeks, so stay tuned. Have a wonderful week!

Stamps: 3D Shell Pattern and Happy Birthday Script from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Not Quite Navy, Antique Linen
CS: Not Quite Navy, White, Minuet dp (Memory Box)
Distress Stains: Weathered Wood, Peeled Paint, Wild Honey
Other: shell trim (Walmart)

Summer Fun - Eureka Blog Hop

Welcome to our Summer Fun blog hop! This is the very first blop hop featuring Eureka stamps by the brand new Eureka Design Team. If you have come here from Kristine's blog, then you are on the right track. If not, please start at the beginning by going to the Eureka blog and following the links along the hop.

Today's blog hop is all about summer fun, and I thought these hot air balloons were perfect for a fun summer activity. I stamped them with orange and turquoise inks and cut them out. What's a hot air balloon without some clouds? I cut out a few clouds and stuck them behind the balloons. Some purple baker's twine is wrapped around the bottom for a fun, unexpected pop of color.

I hope you enjoyed today's project! Your next stop is the fabulous Roxie - you're going to love what she has in store for you. :-)


Stamps: 5704 Hot Air Balloon from Eureka Stamps
Ink: Orange, Turquoise, Olive
CS: White, A Walk in the Park (Echo Park)
Other: cloud die, Lilac Baker's Twine (The Twinery)

My first Eureka post!

Happy Monday, everyone! This is my first posting as a member of the Eureka design team. Today, I'm sharing this card and envelope that I've created using this Heart Tree. Isn't that cute???

This Heart Tree stamp is so versatile! I gave this one away yesterday as an anniversary card, but it can also be used as a Valentine's Day card or a "just because I love you" card. You can customize the card to coordinate with someone's wedding as well. Wouldn't that be fun?

I stamped the Heart Tree with black ink and then colored it with Copic markers. I sponged on some green ink at the bottom and used a pale blue Copic marker to color in the "sky." I wanted a matching envelope, so I repeated the process except I only stamped half of the tree on the side.

I hope you have a wonderful week! It's going to be another hot and dry week here in Texas. It's just crazy to have this kind of heat so early in June. Thank goodness for air conditioning!


Stamps: Heart Tree (Eureka)
Ink: Tuxedo Black Memento, Bamboo Leaves Memento
CS: White, Chocolate Chip, Hopscotch (Basic Grey)
Other: envelope, Copic markers, sponge, hole punch, May Arts wrinkled brown ribbon

Exciting News!

Can you believe it's the first of June?? This year is just flying by. Maybe we can skip over all this horrid summer heat and head straight into some crisp, cool fall weather?? Heheheee!

I've got some exciting news to share with you today. First of all, I have joined the Eureka Stamps design team, and I'll start sharing my Eureka artwork next week. When I was on the QKR Stampede design team, the owner asked me to stick around until she was ready to start a new design team for Eureka Stamps. As of today, she now has three design teams, one for each of her rubber stamp stores: QKR Stampede, Eureka Stamps, and Biblical Impressions.

The second thing I'm excited to share with you is that Pat Huntoon asked me to join the Technique Junkies design team! I've been a long time subscriber and fan of the Technique Junkies newsletter, and it is such an honor to be asked to create artwork for TJ. The June/July 2011 issue of Technique Junkies will always be a special one for me as it is the first one in which my artwork has been published. It was thrilling to see my own creations in print in my own little hands!

This is a fun card using a new technique called Copic Sections. This one really expresses my desire to get back to some cool 50 and 60 degree weather instead of these 95+ degree days. :-)

I hope you have a fabulous week! Join me on Friday for another Chapel Road card, and I will share my first Eureka project with you on Monday.