Bella Blvd Studio Blog

Bella Blvd & Hampton Art Blog Hop: Day Two

 

For the next few days, Bella Blvd is teaming up with Hampton Art Stamps to provide you with some stamping inspiration. Our newest cling stamps (Love and Marriage, Sand & Surf, and Kiss Me) are licensed and manufactured thru Hampton Art Stamps. We thought it was only fitting for a handful of our designers to team up with a handful of their designers, and see what they could all create using Bella’s products and the Bella/Hampton Art stamps.

“My Loves”, by Shellye McDaniel.

To begin my layout I started with strips of various Designer Tapes to create a background/photo mat. I then thought that the Ice Stripe Designer Tape would make a cute set of clouds. I applied the tape to paper and then stamped with black Staz On ink. When you're stamping onto a slick surface, be sure not to wiggle or walk the stamp back and forth as you may get a smudged look; instead stamp directly down and then back up. For the border of hearts, I only stamped the image a quarter, a third or half-way to create a staggered look. I used Color Box's Squash ink for this and it matches the Orange Crochet Hearts perfectly!

Supplies:
Love & Marriage: Smokeys in Love; Kiss Me: Alpha+Bits Stickers, Just Write Journaling Stickers; Sienna Chipboard Alphas: Frosting; Ciao Chip Elements: Borders; Designer Tape: Ice Stripe, Piggy Pink Stripe, Pickle Juice Stripe, Navy Dot, Pony Dot; Crochet Hearts: Orange; Hampton Art Stamps: Kiss Me

“Hello Sunshine” binder clip photo display, by Shellye McDaniel.
Photo courtsey of Aleksandra Gadji.

I recently ran across a cute idea using binder clips to hold place-setting cards...I wondered how well it would work as a photo display! 

I set out by adhering three large binder clips together by wrapping with a piece of patterned paper. Next, I made a 4x6 photo mat and backed it with a thin chipboard for extra sturdiness. After decorating the photo mat, just insert the frame into the binder clip prongs and it's ready for displaying. 

For the stamped clouds, I used Bordering Blue ink by Stampin' Up! and plain white cardstock by American Crafts. After stamping the image three times, I used a blue watercolor pencil by Faber Castell. 

Color in the bottom of the clouds only. Next, use a blending tool or paint brush and (starting at the bottom) begin blending in the watercolor pencil. 

To make the banner, I took a length of Designer Tape and applied it to a scratch piece of paper and then cut out. I then stamped the sentiment onto it with a black Staz-On ink; this works well and doesn't smudge!

Supplies:
Baby Boy: Momma's Boy, Wild About You, Cute Cuts; Ciao Chip Elements: Clouds; Designer Tape: Yellow Chevron; Hampton Art Stamps: Kiss Me, Sand & Surf

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We are doing a giveaway this week, and I think we'll start the week off with it! We will be giving away the Love and Marriage Collection Kit, along with coordinating chipboard and embellishments, to one lucky reader! We will randomly draw a winner from all four posts this week, which means you can comment each day to improve your chances. A winner will be announced on Saturday. 

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Now head on over to Hampton Art Stamps to see what their designers have created today, and also be sure to visit their Facebook page as well. They also have a giveaway happening this week, so be sure to visit each day this week.

Bella Blvd + Silhouette + Chipboard

 

Silhouette's May Promotion went live today, and we are excited to help them spread the news, while sharing some new project inspiration along the way. One of the newest additions to the products you can use along with your Silhouette and Cameo digital die cut machines is chipboard!

“Welcome Baby Boy” mini album, by Laurie Schmidlin.

I was so thrilled when I first saw the Silhouette Chipboard! It's perfect for creating mini albums, embellishments for cards, home decor items, and even for fun packaging! For my first project, I created a little Baby mini album! I cut out album pages using my Silhouette Cameo and some Silhouette Chipboard. I then cut some Baby Boy pages using the same cut files. Both the front and back have different patterns (all from the Bella Baby Boy collection). I decorated the front of the Album using some coordinating Baby Boy Ciao Chip pieces, Alpha+Bits Stickers, a couple of Saltwater Feathers, and a Star Button.

Supplies:
Baby Boy: Momma's Boy, Borders, Baby Boy, It's a Boy!, Alpha+Bits Stickers, Chipboard Icons; Feathers: Saltwater; Button market: Stars

Blooming Thanks Gift Basket, by Laurie Schmidlin.

One of the projects that I couldn't wait to create using the Silhouette Chipboard was a gift container! The heavier weight lends itself nicely to holding heavier gifts! I started by cutting out the Fruit Basket shape using my Cameo, assembling it, and then adding some white wash paint over it. I decorated it with a strip of Bella patterned paper, Ciao Chip, and a Button Market button!

Supplies:
Birthday Girl: Miles of Smiles; Sophisticates: Sprinkles & Lace Punch, Ciao Chip Icons, Miniature Card Sentiments; Button Market: Hot Pink Flowers

“Super Great Friend” card, by Laurie Schmidlin.

I love adding both dimension and texture to my cards, so the idea of being able to create my own custom chipboard pieces really appealed to me! I used my Silhouette Cameo, Silhouette Chipboard, and various Bella patterned papers to cut out the tree and heart shapes for my card. For embellishments, I added a Miniature Card Sentiment and two Button Market buttons!

Supplies:
Birthday Girl: Miles of Smiles, Party Dress; Sophisticates: Sprinkles & Lace Ice, Sprinkles & Lace Punch, Miniatures Card Sentiments; Love And Marriage: Smokeys in Love; Button Market: Pink Flowers

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Silhouette makes some amazing products, and scrappers everywhere are addicted to these machines. If you've been thinking about purchasing either the Silhouette Portrait or the Silhouette CAMEO, now is a great time to make it happen. You can find these great chipboard promotions HERE, with prices lasting until May 15th.

Cards On Thursdays

"Thinking of You" card, by Gretchen McElveen.

Many times when I am kind of stuck in a rut, I go back and look through my albums or box of cards for a little inspiration. I usually can find something that will at least help me get started on my next project. Like this card, for example! I started this card by using the same design as I used on the "Congratulations" card above. Obviously, it evolved into something completely different! Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
Sand & Surf: Paradise, Miniatures, Alpha+Bits Stickers, Just Write Journaling Stickers; Love and Marriage: Smokeys in Love; Engaged at Last: Alpha+Bits Stickers 

"Congratulations" card, by Gretchen McElveen.

I have a cousin who got married over Thanksgiving weekend. The wedding was in Rhode Island and we could not make the trip. Confession: They just celebrated their 6 month anniversary and I have not yet sent a gift. So the inside of this card says, "Happy 6 month anniversary!" and I have a gift card to include. Better late than never, right??! I tried to make the card extra cute so that hopefully she won't be too mad that I am sending it so late!

Supplies:
Engaged at Last: Borders, Engagement Chipboard Icons, Bachelor/ette Chipboard Icons, Alpha+ Bits Stickers; Love and Marriage: Turner Hall Ballroom, Cute Cuts, Alpha+Bits Stickers; Sand & Surf: Paradise; Sophisticates: Miniature Card Sentiments

 

“Congratulations” card, by Sheri Feypel.

I really love the extra fun that the Feathers add to projects. They add a splash of color and texture that is exactly what some of my projects need. I designed this card around the feather and added a few of the Cute Cuts for the sentiment. Believe it or not this card came together quickly for me!

Supplies:
Love and Marriage: Smokeys in Love, Cake Testing, May Eighteenth, Turner Hall Ballroom, Cute Cuts, Miniatures Wedding Day; Feathers: Cotton Candy

“Boy” card, by Sheri Feypel.

I recently bought a mustache punch and I am obsessed with it! I want to use it on everything right now, so I created this Boy Card. I was trying to keep it simple and clean with only a few layers. I also had to work my foam adhesive in there popping each mustache off the card.

Supplies:
Baby Boy: Baby Blue, Momma's Boy, Borders; High Five Alpha Stickers: Brown/Cream

“Happy Birthday Wishes” card, by Shellye McDaniel.

It seems like squares are all the rage these days and I just had to play along! Using a 1.25" square die cut, I created a quilt of colors from the Birthday Girl Collection. After mounting them onto a piece of cardstock, I machine stitched down the center of each row. I kept the top simple by adding on a couple of chipboard stickers and a "wishes" banner under the die-cut shape.

Supplies:
Birthday Girl: Celebrate, Party Dress, Alpha+Bits Stickers, Chipboard Icons; Button Market: Pink Flowers; Crochet Hearts: Gulf; High Five Alpha Stickers: Blue

“Happy 4^th Of July” card, by Shellye McDaniel.

A small piece of feather gathered and tied made the cutest plume effect to the top of the chipboard firecracker! I attached the feather to the chipboard using a Ultra-Thin Glue Dot. I built a 4th of July collage using several components from the Alpha+Bits and Just Write Journaling Stickers. So happy and festive, and I love the idea of displaying it on our Patriotic buffet table. Bring on Summer!

Supplies:
All American: United We Stand, Seeing Stars, Alpha+Bits Stickers, Just Write Journaling Stickers, Chipboard Icons; Button Market: Stars; Feathers: Ice

"Celebrate" card, by Wendy Wagner.

I decided to do a smaller card for this. I think it would be a fun card to share with someone hosting a party for the 4th of July or Memorial Day! I placed the Feathers to look like fireworks & added some stickles to the chip shapes. Thanks for looking!

Supplies:
All American: American Pride, Alpha+Bits Stickers, Chipboard Icons; Flags: All American Icons; Feathers: Surf N Turf

Today's Product Spotlight: Button Market

It's time for another Product Spotlight feature, and this month, we are putting the focus on Bella's Button Market collection!

"We Love These Girls", by Becky Williams.

For this assignment I wanted to really keep the focus on the buttons so I kept the overall page design really simple letting the buttons be the star. I used some of just about every kind of buttons available from Bella Blvd and love the mix of colors and shapes available. 

Supplies: 
Freestyle Sophisticates: Freestyle Banana; Engaged at Last: Engagement Icons; Love and Marriage: Just Write Journaling Stickers, Ciao Chip Wedding Icons; High Five Alpha Stickers: Piggy-Punch; Designer Tapes: Gray Chevron, Ice Stripe, Navy Dot, Pink Flowers, Orange Stripe; Button Market: Merlot Flowers, Gulf Squares, Pink Flowers, Wood Mix, Orange Stars, Outdoors, Feminine Mix, Text, Stars, Fruit Punch, Red Flowers, Hot Pink Flowers, Blues, Neutral Mix, Masculine Mix, Pickle Squares, Purple Flowers

"Lake Adventure", by Jenny Evans.

It is so easy to coordinate any Bella collection with their amazing buttons! I used the adorable large polka dot paper, Beach Balls from the Sand and Surf collection, and punch out the circles, and coordinate them with some Bella buttons framing the layout. Such a fun and different way to incorporate buttons onto a craft project.

Supplies:
Sand & Surf: Alpha+Bits Stickers, Cute Cuts, Ciao Chip Icons, Miniatures, Beach Balls; Designer Tape: Yellow Chevron, Pickle Juice Stripe, Ice Stripe, Blue Gingham, 12mm Combo; Button Market: Aqua Flowers, Pickle Squares, Blues, Red Flowers, Orange Stars, Gulf Squares, Outdoors, Checkers, Tie Dye Masculine Mix, Wood Mix, Neutrals Mix; Flags: Sand and Surf

“Mornings With My Boy”, by Jaclyn Rench.

It's not often that I make a page that doesn't include at least one button, and Bella's wood buttons are some of my favorites! While I love the raw natural element that the wooden buttons add to my pages, I wanted to add an additional pop of color with my embellishing. To change up the color of some of the buttons, I simply flipped them to their flat (non-design) side, pressed them into a clear stamp pad, sprinkled on some colored embossing powder and used my heat tool to melt and secure the powder. The finished result is fun and textural, not to mention a great way to make your supplies work, no matter the color!

Supplies:
Sophisticates: Tall Tags; Birthday Boy: Toadilly Cool, Borders, About a Boy, Just Write Journaling Stickers; Baby Boy: Baby Blue, Alpha+Bits Stickers; Thankful: Burlap; Ciao Chip: Baby Boy Icons; Button Market: Checkers; Designer Tape: Navy Dot

"Easter Eggs", by Leanne Allinson.

I really love how all the elements in the Bella Blvd collections color match perfectly with each other! Especially the buttons and the designer tape. This layout is fun and full of color because of that reason! To make the buttons stand out even more, I stamped the new cling stamp Sand & Surf images onto patterned paper and layered a coordinating button over the top. 

Supplies:
Freestyle Sophisticates: Freestyle Pickle Juice; All American: Borders & Cute Cuts; Sand & Surf: Beach Balls, Miniatures; Birthday Boy: Alpha+Bits Stickers; High Five Alpha Stickers: Gulf; Designer Tape: Yellow Chevron, Red Chevron, Blue Chevron, Pickle Juice Chevron, Orange Stripe, Polkadot Combo, Pickle Juice Stripe, Yellow Stripe; Button Market: Orange Stars, Outdoors, Wood Mix, Checkers, Tie Dye, Red Flowers; Cling Stamps: Sand & Surf

 

National Scrapbook Day: All About Becki & Jennifer

Happy National Scrapbook Day everyone! We have so much to share with you today, so we hope you'll keep popping in throughout your day. I challenged 24 of our designers to create an "All About Me" layout, giving us a peek into a little part of their lives. Each of them also answered five quick scrapbooking related questions. We will be sharing these 24 layouts over the next 12 hours. So sit back, grab a snack, and get to know our designers just a little bit more, and hopefully their projects will inspire you the next time you go to create!

“My Typical Day”, by Becki Adams.

I used several different Bella collections, old and new to create this layout. I also went a little die cut crazy too! This combination resulted in a bright, fun, and happy layout that documents what my typical day looks like.

Supplies:
Love and Marriage: May Eighteenth; Sand & Surf: Flying High, Paradise, Alpha+Bits Stickers; Birthday Girl: Chipboard Icons; Freestyle Sophisticates: Freestyle Gulf, Freestyle Peep; High Five Alpha Stickers: Yellow, Pink-Red; Designer Tape: 12mm Combo, Piggy Pink Stripe; Button Market: Hot Pink Flowers

And now for some scrapping Q&A's:

1. What are your top 5 supplies/products that you cannot scrap without?
Patterned Paper (lots and lots of it), Letter Stickers, Decorative Tape, Brown stamping ink, and either enamel dots or wood veneer.

2. What do you listen to while you scrap? TV, music, or do you do your best working in silence?
Work in silence? I've never heard of such a thing ;) I do my best scrapping while the kids nap and I'm watching an old TV show on netflix

3. What snacks and/or drinks are beside you when you're scrapping?
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Occasionally I have a strawberry smoothie at my desk but mostly it's always chocolate.

4. When do your do your best scrapping? Are you a morning scrapper, a late night scrapper, or do you find time during the day?
I scrap during the afternoon and sometimes in the evening. It depends on the kids schedule.

5. Be honest. Where do your layouts go once you're done with them? In albums, in piles, or shoved in random places?
For a while they get piled together. When the pile gets too big I force myself to separate them and put them into albums but honestly, I only do that every few months.

"This Is Me", by Jennifer Edwardson.

I was excited to create this layout all about me. It's been a while since I sat down and wrote out how I see myself. I realized just how important it is going to be to my family because as soon as my kids came to see what I was working on they started reading, and they loved it. I've included the full journaling on my blog. The pieces I chose to create the layout around my words and photos really represent me. The blue is my favorite color, black & white is what I wear the most. As you'll read in my journaling, I love pink on others, just not on me so a splash of it here was perfect. I think life is good so that flag fit perfectly. All in all I love where I am in my life right now so the hearts represent those feelings.

Supplies:  
Baby Girl: Daddy's Girl; Baby Boy: Just Write Journaling Stickers; Sand & Surf: Alpha+Bits Stickers; Love and Marriage: Alpha+Bits Stickers, Wedding Day Miniatures; Corchet Hearts: White; Feathers: Ice; Baby Blooms A Bella: Azzini; Flags: Summer; Ciao Chip Versatile Elements: Clouds, Borders; High Five Alphabets: Blue; Buttons: Blues, Wood Mix; Designer Tape: Blue Polka Dot

And now for some scrapping Q&A's:

1. What are your top 5 supplies/products that you cannot scrap without?  
3D foam, a sanding block, precision scissors, cardstock and patterned paper

2. What do you listen to while you scrap? TV, music, or do you do your best working in silence? 99% of the time I MUST have cheezy reality TV on while I work. But when I have to do a lot of typing/writing I press mute for a minute.

3. What snacks and/or drinks are beside you when you're scrapping?
Chewy gummy sour candies, licorice and chocolate – terrible I know !!

4. When do your do your best scrapping? Are you a morning scrapper, a late night scrapper, or do you find time during the day?  
I fit it in whenever I am not running children here and there but lately have been doing most of my creating during the day and computer work (photos, blogging, etc) at night.

5. Be honest. Where do your layouts go once you're done with them?
In albums, in piles, or shoved in random places? YES, all of the above ;)

Bella Blvd & Petaloo Team Up Week: Day Two

Welcome back to the second day of our week long team up with Petaloo! We have a group of our Bella designers that have mixed Petaloo fun flowers, ribbons, and brads into our projects. And the Petaloo designers have been busy mixing Bella's collections and embellishments into their projects. We have loads of projects to share with you and today we are featuring projects by designers Shellye McDaniel and Kathy Martin.

“Baby Love Congrats” card, by Shellye McDaniel.

A palette of baby boy pastels are the charm of this sweet little card. I paired up elements from the Baby Boy Collection which I found matched perfectly with the green in the Chartreuse Embossed Daisies. For the centers of the flowers, I used a 1/2" circle punch and then layered the pieces onto the flowers with a foam square. A large glittered brad sits at the top and brings a nice bit of shine.

Supplies:
Baby Boy: Cute Cuts, Alpha+Bits Stickers, Miniatures; Freestyle Sophisticates: Freestyle Banana; High Five Alpha Stickers: Blue

“I Love You” card, by Shellye McDaniel.

For this card I used a tone on tone combination which I separated with an edging of pink ric rac trim around the journal sticker. A cluster of chipboard hearts layered with Petaloo embellished crochet hearts sit below the speech bubble sticker. I cut apart one of the Green Assorted Daisies and fashioned them into leaves around the hearts. I love the addition of the rose brads at the center of each flower and they were so easy to insert through the crochet heart centers.

Supplies:
Love and Marriage: May Eighteenth, Alpha+Bits Stickers, Just Write Journaling Stickers, Wedding Day Miniatures; Ciao Chip Elements: Stars & Hearts; Crochet Hearts: Cotton Candy

“Easter 2013”, by Shellye McDaniel.

Following an 8.5x11 sketch from Page Maps, I created this layout using several fun collections from Bella Blvd and a circle of Mini Florettes by Petaloo. After cutting a large scalloped circle, I added a border of the Mini Florettes along the edge. I staggered the blooms in color and also raised every-other-one with a foam square. A small ribbon bow made a delicate bridge between the two different areas of the page. To the center of the flower circle I was able to add a journal sticker to tell of the Easter Day.

Supplies:
Spring Fling & Easter Things: Borders, Alpha+Bits Stickers, Just Write Journaling Stickers; High Five Alpha Stickers: Gulf; Sunny Happy Skies: Magic In The Sky; Button Market: Checkers; Ciao Chip Elements: Borders

“Sand And Surf” mini album, by Shellye McDaniel.

It seemed that a flower shaped chipboard album was fitting for a Petaloo and Sand & Surf mini! For the cover page, I focused on layering as many of the flower varieties together to show how well they could mix 'n match; the colors blended beautifully with the Sand & Surf Collection. Throughout the pages blooms can be found either layered or clustered together. I love that the Florettes have jeweled centers ... just the right amount of bling! 

Supplies:
Sand & Surf: Paradise, Surfs Up, Beach Balls, Under the Coconuts, GPS, Flying High, Cute Cuts, Borders Paper, Alpha+Bits Stickers, Just Write Journaling Stickers, Miniatures, Chipboard Icons; Ciao Chip Elements: Borders, Clouds; Flags: Sand & Surf; Button Market: Hot Pink Flowers

“Sunshine” card, by Kathy Martin.

For this card I combined Petaloo’s pretty flowers, brads and trim with Bella Blvd’s new Sand & Surf collection, a match made in paradise, don’t you think?

 

Supplies:
Sand & Surf: Flying High, GPS, Paradise, Surfs Up, Alpha+Bits Stickers, Just Write Journaling Stickers, Miniatures

 

“Sugar Cookies”, by Kathy Martin.

On Valentine’s Day I baked heart shaped sugar cookies for my boys. Christopher loved coming home from school to the sweet aroma and taste of fresh baked cookies. To preserve these memories I used Bella Blvd’s new Love and Marriage collection accented with these gorgeous paper flowers and brads from Petaloo.

Supplies:
Love and Marriage: Cute Cuts, Esther Fleming Floral, Vows, Miniatures; Engaged at Last: Engagement Flags, Ciao Chip; High Five Alpha Stickers: Green; Designer Tape: Pony Dot; Crochet Hearts: Cotton Candy; Feathers: Pickle Juice; Sienna Chipboard Alphabet: Ice

Flower Trinket Box, by Kathy Martin.

I love pretty little boxes. They make the perfect place to tuck away tiny goodies like jewelry or mementos. The focal point of this project is the layered Petaloo flowers topped with a wood button from Bella Blvd’s Button Market collection. The sides of this balsa wood box were easily decorated with Bella’s Designer Tape.

Supplies:
Sand & Surf: Flags; Designer Tape: Punch Chevron, 12mm Combo; Button Market: Masculine Mix

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Now, head on over to the Petaloo blog and check out what their Design Team has created using their embellishments and our fun Bella products! They will also be hosting giveaways that you won't want to miss out on. You can also follow them on the Petaloo Facebook page. Keep coming back to both blogs all week long, because we have a ton more projects to share with you. 

Bella Blvd & Epiphany Crafts Team Up Week: Day Three

Welcome back to day three of our big week. Bella Blvd is teaming up with Epiphany Crafts for a week full of inspiration. We have a group of our Bella designers that have mixed Epiphany Crafts fun punches, epoxy shapes, and charms into our projects. And the Epiphany Crafts designers have been busy mixing Bella's collections and embellishments into their projects. We have loads of projects to share with you, and watch for a giveaway at the end of the week as well. 

”Beautiful Roses”, by Carina Lindholm.

To make the background for this layout, I used strips of a few different papers and  designer tapes. Mixing paper and tapes is a fun way to make unique backgrounds. To decorate my page I used a few of Bella’s cute buttons and the Shape Studio Tool Flower and Bubble Caps Flower. I punched out flowers in different colors and added the bubble caps from Epiphany crafts. It’s a very fun way to make your own embellishments.

Supplies:
Kiss Me: Flutter, True love; Sophisticates: Sprinkles & Lace Oyster, Miniatures Card Sentiments; Simply Simona Chipboard Alphas: Saltwater; High Five Alpha Stickers: Gulf; Designer Tape: Pony Dot, Pickle Juice Dot; Button Market: Checkers, Pink Flowers

“Party” card, by Carina Lindholm.

To make this colourful party-card I mixed and matched papers and elements from different Bella blvd collections. I adhered the large party chipboard letters at the top of the card and decorated the bottom half with flowers that I made using the flower punch and bubble caps from Epiphany crafts.

Supplies:
Spring Flings & Easter Things: Mom’s Bouquet; Birthday Girl: Miles Of Smiles, Alpha+Bits Stickers; Birthday Boy: Chipboard Icons; Designer Tape: Orange Stripe

“Happy Birthday” card, by Carina Lindholm.

I build a small landscape on this card using the Epiphany flower punch and flower bubble caps. I punched out flowers in different papers and adhered them to the cloud paper using pop dots. I cut out stems for the flowers in green cardstock and made quilled leafs using the same cardstock. I die cut some grass in green paper and then adhered it all in a polaroid shape. And to finish the card off I decorated it with Bella’s orange tape, buttons and letter stickers.

Supplies:
Birthday Boy: Toadilly Cool, Just A Note, Eat Cake, About A Boy, Borders, Alpha+Bits Stickers; Thankful: Borders, Burlap; High Five Alpha Stickers: Gulf; Designers Tape: Orange Stripe; Button Market: Outdoor

"Love you to the Stars and Back", by Becky Williams.

For this project I made use of my die cutting machine and cut some stars into the background and used Bella Blvd patterned paper and Designer Tapes to fill in the negative space. These coordinated perfectly with the smaller star shape from Epiphany Crafts. 

Supplies: 
Baby Boy: On the Go, Momma's Boy, Baby Blue; Birthday Boy: Borders; Kiss Me: Alpha+Bits Stickers, Just Write Journaling Stickers; Sunshine & Happiness: Borders; Designer Tape: Gulf Dot, Yellow Chevron, Hot Pink Dot, Pink Flowers; Sienna Chipboard Alphabet: Ice

"Smile" card, by Becky Williams.

I used the leftover cardstock stars from my layout for this card. First I made a background by using a mix of Designer Tapes and then added the cardstock stars and stars made using my Epiphany Crafts star punch. I finished it off with a diecut sentiment. 

Supplies:
Designer Tape: Hot Pink Dot, Pickle Juice Stripe, Yellow Chevron, Teal Stripe, Pink Flowers, Orange Stripe, Pickle Juice Dot, Piggy Pink Stripe, Gulf Dot

"Happy Birthday" card, by Becky Williams.

I have four daughters and as such hadn't used stars on my projects as much as you might use them if you had boys. Just as we use flowers a lot on girl-themed pages I think that stars are used a lot on "boy" projects. I backed the Epiphany Crafts stars with a mix of patterned papers and added them to this quick and easy card. 

Supplies: 
Birthday Boy: Borders, Cute Cuts; Baby Boy: Baby Blue; Designer Tape: Ice Stripe, Pony Dot, Yellow Chevron

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Now, head on over to the Epiphany Crafts blog and check out what their Design Team has created using their fun punches and accessories and our fun Bella products! You can also follow them on the Epiphany Crafts Facebook page. Keep coming back to both blogs all week long, because we have a ton more projects to share with you. And there might just be some giveaways too!

Cards On Thursdays

It's Thursday, which means it's time to share some free-for-all cards from our Card Designers. They've been busy making lots of cards with the Kiss Me collection, which is perfect for Valentine's Day (it's right around the corner!).

“Love You” card, by Shellye McDaniel.

The large journaling sticker turned out to be the perfect size for adding the chipboard letters to. I layered the "V" by adding a foam dot under the bottom part of the letter and then allowing the adhesive to stick to the other letters below it. I hand-cut three of the hearts from the cute tree on the Borders & Cut-Outs paper and added then with foam dots. Three "I Love You's" from the chipboard border was just the right length to go across the bottom of the journal sticker.  A little green bow brings out the color in the bottom border and adds texture and pop!

Supplies:
Kiss Me: Borders & Cute Cuts, Love Notes, Just Write Journaling Stickers; Ciao Chip Elements: Borders; Sienna Chipboard Alpha: Blueberry

“Sweet On You” card, by Shellye McDaniel.

For this card, I started with a lace die that I used to create a shape in the base paper, as well as to create background shape for the focal point. After adhering the base paper directly to the card-front, I used foam dots to give dimension to the inset piece. A smaller oval shape of patterned paper was attached and then topped with the adorable ice-cream cone cut-out. The small alpha stickers are in a size that's perfect for cardmakers!

Supplies:
Kiss Me: Borders & Cute Cuts, Flutter; Sophisticates: Sprinkles & Lace Ice; High Five Alpha Stickers: Brown-Cream; Button Market: Red Flowers

“U R My Sunshine” card, by Shellye McDaniel.

I have to say that making this card was so much fun! I started with a cardstock paper just a bit smaller than the card-front. I then alternated different patterns of the Designer Tapes on a diagonal. To create a little extra texture, I machine stitched around the perimeter. Next, a fun cluster of clouds, chipboard sun and sweet flags brought the card to life! I mostly love that with this sentiment, it can be given for most any occasion.

Supplies:
Kiss Me: Borders & Cute Cuts, Just Write Journaling Stickers; Designer Tape: Pickle Juice Dot, Yellow Chevron, Pony Dot, Punch Chevron; Ciao Chip Elements: Clouds; Flags: Girl; High Five Alpha Stickers: Piggy-Punch; Button Market: Fruit Punch

“Love You” card, by Kathy Martin.

Love is in the air with pretty patterned paper hearts floating around on this card in different sizes and a few hand stitched ones. My secret to getting the tags to pop from the card is a touch of foam mounting tape placed underneath.

Supplies:
Kiss Me: Love Notes, Flutter, True Love; Miniatures Stickers: Card Sentiments, Family; Button Market: Hot Pink Flowers

“Love, Love, Love” card, by Kathy Martin.

All you need is love! I like the visual impact of a repeated sentiment and these Sienna Chip Alphabets are perfect for this kind of design. A button, bit of craft string, chipboard heart and strip of Designer Tape complete the look.

Supplies:
Designer Tape: Orange Stripe; Sienna Chipboard Alphabs: Punch, Blueberry, Pony; Button Market: Pickle Squares; Ciao Chip: Baby Boy

“Get Well” card, by Kathy Martin.

When I’m feeling blue or under the weather, there’s nothing better than a shining sun to perk me up! Appropriately named, this yellow chevron paper, ‘Miles of Smiles,’ creates a very happy sun! I also think the whimsical font of the Alpha+Bits stickers make an equally cute sentiment.

Supplies:
Birthday Girl: Miles of Smiles; Sophisticates: Card Sentiments Miniatures Stickers; Birthday Boy: Alpha+Bits Stickers; Baby Boy Alpha+Bits Stickers; Sunshine & Happiness: Alpha+Bits Stickers; Spring Flings & Easter Things: Alpha+Bits Stickers; Winter Wonder: Alpha+Bits Stickers; Button Market: Purple Flowers

“Oh Boy” card, by Kathy Martin.

I love Bella Blvd’s Designer Tape and I’m always trying to come up with fun new designs for it. For this baby boy card I use horizontal strips of tape on three different levels. I think it creates a nice pop of color and a fun mix of patterns.

Supplies:
Baby Boy: Baby Blue, Momma’s Boy, Chipboard Icons, Alpha+Bits Stickers; Sophisticates: Card Sentiments Miniatures Stickers; Button Market: Blues; Designer Tape: Orange Stripe, Pickle Juice Chevron

“Happy Birthday” card, by Kathy Martin.

Birthdays are happy celebrations so I enjoy making cards that are like a little party on a piece of card stock. With all the great Bella Blvd accents, Designer Tape, buttons, Chipboard Icons and Flags, it’s easy to create festive birthday cards!

Supplies:
Birthday Girl: Celebrate, Alpha+Bits Stickers, Just Write Journaling Stickers, Chipboard Icons; Flags: Birthday Flags 2; Button Market: Aqua Flowers

“Valentine's” card, by Sheri Feypel.

I love to layer and this card is a perfect example of that love. I cut a few strips from the Borders and Cute Cuts sheet to create my flags. They are paired with a large scalloped circle from Love Notes and a Hot Pink Flower Button. I layered these all on top of my embossed background and a doily. Cards like these are a great way to use up those scraps leftover from layouts and other projects.

 

Supplies:
Kiss Me: Love Notes, Borders and Cute Cuts; Button Market: Hot Pink Flower

Wedding card set, by Morgan Bandkowski.

I decided to get a jump start on Wedding cards since I already have four for the year starting in May. The majority of the product I used for all of the cards is the Cute Cuts paper and the Borders page. The Cute Cuts is probably my favorite sheet of each collection. It is great for card making and layouts!

As soon as I saw the wedding dress, I knew I wanted to create a Gatefold card with the dress as the center. 

Supplies:
Love and Marriage: Cake Tasting, Cute Cuts

World Card Making Day: Hour Eight + GIVEAWAY

Welcome to our World Card Making Day celebration! Today is all about card making, sharing, and inspiration. There's just something special about giving and receiving a handmade card, whether for a holiday, special occasion, or "just because". We hope you'll hang out with us all day long, as we share new cards every hour for fourteen hours straight. There might even be a few giveaways mixed into the day, so keep your eye out for them ... in fact, there might even be one at the end of this post ;)

"It's A Boy" card, by Jenny Evans.

I love the Cute Cut paper you get with the collections! I think they are so perfect for cards!! I cut out the onsie and popped it on the top half of the card. The crochet flower is a soft, sweet embellishment and is my base for the flags. I added part of the sentiment sticker to the front, and finished off the inside with the second half of it. A nice, sweet baby shower card to have on hand.

Supplies:
Baby Boy: Baby Blue, Momma's Boy, Cute Cuts, Alpha+Bits Stickers; We're Expecting: Coming Soon; Flags: Just Married, Girl; Crochet Flowers: Juniper

"Congrats" card, by Gretchen McElveen.

Happy World Card Making Day! It seems like I can never have enough birthday and baby cards on hand. I used the Baby Girl line to make this card to take to a baby shower in a couple of weeks. I've made the card ... now I can't forget to go get a gift card to go inside!

Supplies:
Baby Girl: Cute Cuts, Snuggly Safari, Borders, Daddy's Girl, Alpha+Bits Stickers; High Five Alpha Stickers: Pink-Red; Button Market: Fruit Punch

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IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

We're giving one lucky reader 10 rolls of our very popular Designer Tapes! Here's the catch. This is a be-here-to-win giveaway. Meaning we are only accepting comments for ONE HOUR on this post, at which time we will announce a randomly chosen winner from those comments!

So if you are here reading this post during it's featured hour, you're in luck. If you've scolled down a bit and are just coming up on this post, then sadly, you've missed your chance. Good luck ... and keep your eyes out throughout the day, because we do have one more giveaway coming ;)

ETA: Comments are still open. However, they will not count towards the giveaway, which is now closed.

We'll see you back here in an hour for more card shares. If you're making some cards of your own today, we'd love it if you shared them with us on our Facebook page!

World Card Making Day: Hour Three

Welcome to our World Card Making Day celebration! Today is all about card making, sharing, and inspiration. There's just something special about giving and receiving a handmade card, whether for a holiday, special occasion, or "just because". We hope you'll hang out with us all day long, as we share new cards every hour for fourteen hours straight. There might even be a few giveaways mixed into the day, so keep your eye out for them ;)

"Just Because" card, by Diane Payne.

The crochet flower are the perfect little embellishment for a card and coordinate so well with all the lines. On this card I layered one on top of a flower chipboard for extra color and dimension.

Supplies:
Hello Beautiful: Borders N' Blocks, Alpha+Bits Stickers; Baby Boy: Cute Cuts; Quattrofina Alpha Stickers: Peep & Saffron; Ciao Chip Elements: Family Words; Designer Tape: Pickle Juice Dot; Button Market: Wood Mix; Crochet Flowers: Juniper, Daisies

"Baby" card, Leanne Allinson.

I love creating simple cards with a formula that I can use for all occasions. We have recently had a new baby girl join our family and I thought "World Card Making Day" would be perfect for creating something to welcome her. The blocks of Bella BLVD patterned paper have been dressed up with a cute ribbon and where there is a celebration, there is confetti! The little bits of pale pink cardstock coordinate beautifully with the pale pink flowers. Now I have something pretty and pink to send in the mail with her gift.

Supplies:
Sophisticates: Sprinkles & Lace Punch; Spring Flings and Easter Things: Borders; Lovey Dovey: Alpha+Bits

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We'll see you back here in an hour for more card shares. If you're making some cards of your own today, we'd love it if you shared them with us on our Facebook page!