Bella Blvd Studio Blog

Just Because Flower Cart Mini Album!

Hi everyone! It's Tara with Secretbees Studio and I have the cutest little mini album to share with you made with the adorable new Just Because collection by Bella Blvd. This amazing flower cart, part of the ephemera icons, was just too cute to pass up as a mini album cover!

Using two different pieces of the pretty patterned paper, I created a booklet with four pages to fit onto the back of the flower cart and then decorated and embellished it with the charming ephemera and stickers of the collection! Two of the pages have interactive elements like this one that features a pull out photo spot topped with a colorful rainbow icon!

This page is simple but oh so cute with layered patterned papers topped with a pretty chipboard flower border! The next page is also interactive with a fun photo flip that has lots of room for pictures or journaling and is accented with colorful sentiment stickers and tiny flower icons!

The last pages in the album are all about the flowers! A shiny epoxy flower highlights a sweet sentiment on one and the last page has a pocket that holds a bright layered tag cut from two of the colorful 3x4 cards and is topped with another dazzling epoxy flower!

Be sure to visit my Instagram page soon for a video of this charming mini album and to see all of the pages in detail! Thanks for visiting!

Just Because Collection

12x12 collection kit

Ephemera Icons, Ephemera Words

Epoxy Flourish

Ciao Chip

Let Us Adore Him Week Day 1 | Sarah

Happy Monday! I am excited to share another layout with you using the Let Us Adore Him collection! 

For this layout, I was inspired by the idea of light. As I was using a sweet photo from Christmas Eve a couple of years ago, I wanted to bring in the elements that make Christmas Eve so special to me, and light stood out in my mind. I love the idea of stars representing light, so I wanted that to be the focus of the layout. 

I started by cutting stars using the shapes option in the Cricut software and the offset tool to add a layer. By making the stars double layered, I was able to incorporate lots of patterned papers! I focused on using patterns with a dominant color in the forefront and the more multicolored patterns as the back layer. I also distressed the edges of each star. 

Once I had a general idea of where I wanted the stars and photo, I traced around them and lifted them up so that I could create the background. I started by using distress oxides and an ink blending tool to give each star a halo in a coordinating color. I then used distress inks in their liquid form (distress reinkers) to add another layer of color. Once that dried, I used the Bella Blvd Seeing Stars cut file as a stencil to add more stars around each color cluster. 

When the background was dry, I put the stars back on the page and used adhesive foam to pop them up and add a little dimension. I placed my photo on the page with a couple of patterned paper mats with distressed edges. 

I then got busy adding some embellishments around the page. I used stars from the puffy stickers in this collection and a few stars from the Trinkets puffy stickers in coordinating colors. I also added some phrase stickers from the Doohickey sheet and a couple of phrases from the ephemera found in the collection.

I used the Florence Alphas in coordinating colors to build my title above and below the stars. I love how these letters look on the page! I added a few enamel dots and my journaling, and I called it done! 

I hope this layout inspires you to create something special to capture your Christmas memories! 

 

Fall & Cut File Week Day 1 | Sarah M

I am so excited that fall is finally here! One of our most favorite activities to do as a family when fall arrives is to go to the pumpkin patch at our church and pick out pumpkins! We bring them home and work together to carve them, and the kids are simultaneously grossed out and fascinated by cleaning all the yuck out of the pumpkins! For this layout, I wanted to capture this fun memory of the start of fall for our family. 

I have used four Bella Blvd cut files for this layout: Family Fun, Smiley Pumpkin, Flower Pumpkin, and Leaves.

For the Family Fun cut file, I used the offset tool in the Cricut software to create the purple layer, and I used the Contour tool to cut the word FUN. I was able to distress the edges and pop that word up. To finish the look of this cut file, I added dots of green glitter the word family and a layer of orange glitter to the word fun. Adding these details helps it to stand out on the page!

For the Smiley Pumpkin and Flower Pumpkin, I cut them in matching colors and layered them up on the page. I distressed the edges of the pumpkins to match the background of the layout. I also added orange dots of glitter to the rim of the pumpkins, and I added some jewels and glitter around the outside of them to match the layer they were sitting on. I love how this draws your eyes to the pumpkins! 

For the Leaves, I cut those in coordinating colors with the pumpkins and background. The cut file itself has several layers, so it was easy to give the leaves dimension and interest. There is a tiny stem and veining piece of the cut file, but I attached this to the back of the leaf and used black thread that I hand-stitched to add the veins to the leaves. I love the texture this gives to the layout. 

For the center background of the page, I used patterned papers from the Besties, Oh My Stars, To the Moon, and You Are My Sunshine collections. I pulled patterns in purples, greens, yellows, and oranges. I cut small strips in varying heights and 4 3/4 inches long, heavily distressed the edges, and stacked them going down the page. To the left of that layer, I used distress inks in coordinating colors to peek out from underneath. I also added splatters of white acrylic paint. I love the messiness this adds to the page!

On the left side of the layout, I added a few more strips of paper to balance the page. I am so happy with all the fall colors and the way the cut files and patterns helped me capture this sweet memory for our family! I hope this inspires you in some way!

Mood Board Week Day 1 | Sarah

Happy fall! I absolutely love the mood board this month and the fall colors and themes! I’ve been ready to break out the pumpkins and sweaters for months, and I’m thrilled it’s finally here! 

For this layout, I was especially inspired by the colors in the mood board.

I love that circle image, and I wanted to incorporate those colors and a circle somehow. I started by gathering the colors I wanted to use. I pulled greens, oranges, yellows, and blues from several Bella Blvd collections: You Are My Sunshine, My Candy Girl, To the Moon, and Bella Besties. I also threw in a brown and grey while I was trying to incorporate the colors I saw in the mood board. I decided to use all of the beautiful papers to build a central circle on my page. I cut a circle out of scrap paper to use as the foundation. I hand cut triangles out of each pattern and tried to vary the sizes a bit. I wanted the visual texture and dimension the varied sizes add. I then distressed the edges of each piece and placed them around the circle, paying attention to the direction of the patterns (ex. I wanted hearts facing the correct direction). Once I was happy with how it looked, I glued them down to the circle. 

I then grabbed my background paper and lightly traced where I wanted the circle to go. I also quickly jotted down where each color was going to be behind the circle. I set it to the side and played with coordinating distress inks on my background. I love the messiness and depth the inks add to the layout. I tried to match the shades of inks to where each patterned paper would be. Once I was happy with that, I put my circle back down on the center of the page. 

I used two Bella Blvd cutfiles to tuck around my sweet pumpkin patch photos and emphasize the fall theme. The pumpkins add to the feel of my photos, and the leaves add texture to the scene. I added glitter to the pumpkins for a little shimmer and shine. I love the layers of the cutfiles and how they bring in more of those fall colors. 

I created my title out of phrases cut from patterned papers from the My Candy Girl Collection. I also added a few embellishments from the collections and finished the layout by adding my journaling to the bottom of the layout and white acrylic splatters around the page. 

I hope this layout inspires you in some way, and I’m wishing cooler weather upon all of you (especially my fellow Texans)!! 

 

Lunchbox of Love | Dorymar

Hi Bella fans, It’s Dorymar here today to share a fun project with you using the Squeeze the Day Collection and Bella Besties Pack.

 

To make my lunch box, I use the Summer Holiday digital set from SVGS cut.  I began by creating a box from Pink Graph and Dot Punch paper. The top lid was made with the Orange we Glad paper and for the trim, I used the “Bananas for You” paper. I decorated the outside of the box with chipboard, matte enamel dots, acrylic shapes, Bella pops and die cuts.  Also, I incorporate three beautiful flowers cut out form the Graph and Dot Bell Paper using the Bella Blvd Daisy Digital File at Silhouette Store.  

 

 

The box that holds three interactive cards with flaps and pocket, perfect to document lovely moments with you love one.

 

 

I created interactive cards from scratch.  Everyone holds space for journaling and photos. I decided to create fun titles with the Alpha puffy stickers and the Florence alphabet stickers. I covered the interactive cards mixed up the Bella Besties and the Squeeze the Day papers and decorated with the epoxy icons, Bella pops and many fun goodies of the collection.

 

 

Because this collection is so fabulous, I wanted to show it off and all the beautiful embellishments she has.  Each card has multi flip-out and pockets and every turn and flip are a magical surprise that conveys the pure joy and love! Below I show you some close-up shots so you can appreciate every element.

 

 

This adorable box would be a special gift that your loved one will fondly remember.

I hope this colorful project inspires you to express that great love you feel for your love.

 

 

Thanks for stopping by today! 

 

 

Bella Besties, Squeeze the Day Collection, Squeeze the Day Ephemera Words, 

Squeeze the Day Ephemera Icons, Squeeze the day  Epoxy, Fruity Mix Matte Enamels, 

Bella Pops (Pearfect, Juicy), Squeeze the Day Doohickey Sticker Sheet, 

Squeeze the Day Ciao Chip, Dotty Washi Tape, Wonky Alpha Stickers-Pickle Juice,

Florence Alphabet Sticker-Punch, Acrylic Shapes-Berry

Large Titles| Leanne

Hey Bella Blvd Friends! It's Leanne here today, kicking off the week with a fun idea to create a large title and make the most out of your stash along the way!

I love getting the most out of my stash and using up my chipboard alphas are no different. However, these chipboard pieces are not always the right "look or color" for my layout.

But they're chipboard, right?! So let's get creative and alter them to suit our needs.

The easiest way to repurpose them is to simply find a patterned paper that complements the layout and adhere directly to  the top of the chipboard.

1. Take the chipboard letter and place it reverse side down on the back of the paper you are using to cover it with. Trace around the outside edge of the letter with a pencil.

2. Cut the image out.

3. Add adhesive to the top of the alpha chipboard and glue the patterned paper to it.

4. Once it is dry, carefully trim around the outside edge and then using a nail file, smooth the edges to get a neat and even look.

After altering the chipboard for my large title, I placed it vertically down the right hand side of my photo cluster. The title helps draw the eye down the page without overwhelming the viewer.

To complete my layout, I've added layers of cut out hearts that have been machine stitched together.

My journaling was added to speech bubble sections and kept mostly to a limited color palette. 

Thanks for visiting the blog today..x

Freehand Graph & Dot: Cotton Candy; Squeeze The Day: Ephemera Words, Hearts Epoxy; Heart Hugs: Black & White; Santa Squad: 6x6 Paper Pad; Mom Life: Jammies All Day; Puffy Stickers: Punch Wonky Alphabet; Chipboard Alphabet: Ciao Chip Sophisticates, Amorie Alpha; Cute Clips: Pumpkin Spice; Bella Blvd Valentina Paper Collection.

Snow-globe ornaments | Kim Watson

Hello Bella fans!

In our house we are getting ready to haul the tree out & decorate our home for Christmas. Using this fun event as a motivator, I decided for today's post I would show you how to make some cute DIY snow-globe ornaments using the cute Santa Squad collection.

Snow-globes by Kim Watson

Look at how sweet all the little characters look surrounded by sequins & sparkly bits! They are going to look adorable on our tree!

Step #1:

Sketch out a few snow-globe shapes to use as templates.

Step #2:

Cut the globe shapes from discarded plastic packaging, & patterned paper for the stands.

Step #3:

Machine stitch the globes closed, leaving the bottom edge open for filling.

Step #4:

Fill with a mixture of bits....I used Bella-pops, sequins & punched snowflakes.

Step #5:

For this globe & used a combination of die cuts & Doohickey stickers.

Step #6:

Here, Santa is a Bella-Pop & he is holding an enamel candy cane, surrounded by a festive sequin scatter. 

Step #6:

 

To enable the globes to hang, all I did was attach a bakers twine loop to the top with a chipboard sticker. 

They came out so well....that I am going to make more. Our tree is sure to be a hit with these little guys hanging all over them. Thanks so much for stopping by. Be sure stop by the Bella online store & grab some of these cute Santa Squad goodies for yourselves.

Have a wonderful day further.

Santa Squad Collection

12 Days of Christmas Books | Kat Benjamin

Good morning, everyone!  Kat here today to share a fun little project that I'm really excited about.  This is my daughter's first year where she kind of understands what is happening with Christmas.  She knows who Santa is and she's so excited about trees and lights and we're trying to educate her all about the reason for the season.  I also really want her to be excited about the big day, so I decided we'd do a fun little countdown to Christmas once there were 12 days left. 

I found a cute little set of books at Target that had a fun variety of all different subject matter, from the 12 Days of Christmas, to baby Jesus, to Santa's reindeer.  I wrapped each of them and put a number tag on them so we can countdown to Christmas Day.  

I broke out the Santa Squad collection to make all my tags and it coordinates so well with a bunch of other great Bella products.  I think I used a little bit of everything from my stash to create these and I had the best time!

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Does your family do anything fun to count down the days until your favorite holiday?

6x6 Paper Pad: Santa Squad; Doohickey Stickers: Santa Squad; Ciao Chip: Santa Squad; Bella Besties: Freehand Graph & Dot Pickle Juice; Clear Cuts: Hearts McIntosh; Florence Alphas: Pickle Juice, White, McIntosh, Guacamole, Ice; Designer Washi Tape: Red Stripe, Oh Christmas Tree, Snow; Ephemera Icons: Santa Squad; Ephemera Words: Santa Squad; Bella Pops: Hedge Hugs, Spread Some Cheer; Epoxy Stickers: Snow Fun; Heart Hugs: Christmas, Wild Berry; Acrylic Shapes: Gingerbreads; Enamels: Christmas Mix; Bella Bows: Guacamole

Santa Squad Gift Card Holders

Hi everyone!  Corri here today sharing some gift card holders I made featuring the adorable Bella-Pops from the Santa Squad Collection.  My kids always ask for at least one gift card for Christmas.  These cute gift card holders are a great way to make the gift cards feel more special than the plain holders from the store. 

 

For my first gift card holder, I found this gingerbread house in the Silhouette Store and embellished the front with the gingerbread Bella - Pop and some ephemera pieces.  

The base of the house slides out to hold a gift card. 

For my second gift card holder, I cut this present shaped gift card holder from the Silhouette Store and then added the Santa Bella-Pop along with a tag from the ephemera pack.  

 

This one also has a slideout insert to hold the gift card. 

For my last gift card holder, I grabbed this pop up gift card holder and added the puppy Bella-Pop and some trees and a sentiment from the ephemera pack.  

 

The interior of the card has space for the gift card and for a handwritten message.  

Give these cute gift card holders a try! There are so many cute icons in the Santa Squad collection, you will love dressing up your gift cards for quick and easy gift giving. 

 

Santa Squad Ornaments

Hello everyone! It's Dorymar on the blog today to share a fun idea using the beautiful Santa Squad Collection!

The Santa Squad collection can be used to create so many Holiday-themed crafts such as ornaments, Christmas cards, home decorations, gift bags, tags, layouts, albums and so much more because it's stunning! The options are endless!

This time I designed beautiful ornaments for the Christmas tree.  To create them I used an embroidery hoop with some patterned paper and cute embellishments of the collection.  I love the bright colors and fun designs in this collection!

There are so many different elements to choose from in this collection!  I had lots of fun looking through the pieces! 

Hope this inspired you to create beautiful projects to celebrate the Holidays with your loved ones!

Happy crafting!

Santa Squad Patterned Papers; Nutcrackers, Reindeer Crossing, All Wrapped Up.

Santa Squad Chipboard, Santa Squad Ephemera Words,

Spread Some Cheer Bella Pops, Merry Acrylic Word,

Guacamole Bella Bows, Mclntosh Bella Bows