Bella Blvd Studio Blog

It's All About the Journaling

Hello there, friends!  Today I wanted to share with you a layout I created at the end of the year, on the cusp of a new one. I really wanted to remind myself in the coming year of all the things that bring me true happiness. Most of the time our layouts are all about photos, but they don't have to be all the time!

I knew this layout would include lots of different kinds of journaling, typed and written, so I pulled elements from my Bella stash that would be perfect for just that!  Because I needed some neutral papers to journal on, I pulled some of my favorites from the Plaids & Dotty Collection. I decided on a 4 color palette; pastel pink, magenta, teal, and black.  These are some of my absolute favorite colors, so I knew they would be a joy to create with!

I then pulled some various tags and little bits from my stash too, and I started positioning them around the page in a grid layout.  I knew I wanted to fill the entire 12x12 space.

I decided to use some Ciao Chips for my title, but I really had my heart set on black alphas for this page. So I set out to change my white Ciao Chips to black, using my black-eyed pea Illustrated Faith Ink Pad and a sponge blender. Always be sure to use your heat gun to set the ink, or let it dry overnight; otherwise, it might smear on other items.

I finished off my layout by adding all of my journaling. I wrote about each significant thing in 2018 that made me truly happy and how I wanted to bring those things into 2019. I wrote about my tornado of a toddler, about moving my body, my husband, and my cherished friends. Let this be a reminder that our journaling is just as important as our photos; in fact, I'd argue that it is more important. Sometimes a layout doesn't have to be a visual interpretation of your photo; maybe it's simply an exercise in creating something meaningful to you! In my case I wanted a visual reminder to focus my energy on things in this life that make me truly happy in the New Year.

 

 

I hope this layout inspires you to create a little something for yourself, not as a keepsake for future generations, but a visual representation of the thoughts of someone who loves to create! And remember your journaling is important! xo Lydia

 

Plaids & Dotty Collection, Wish Big Girl Chipboard Icons & Ephemera, Make Your Mark Puffy Stickers, You Are Loved Tags, IF Basics Tags, Ciao Chips, IF Black Ink Pad, Bella Bows

The Best Friend is a Friend That Bible Journals

 

I've been thinking of this idea for using my Bella Pennants for some time, and I finally got it down on a layout!  I wanted to trace out the shape of each pennant and create a playful pinwheel full of them!  I love when an idea translates so well on paper, and I couldn't think of a more perfect set of photos than this bunch of my Bible journaling gals and I to accompany it!

 

After backing my white cardstock with this pretty magenta cross paper from the Illustrated Faith Basics Pad, I stitched around the edge.  I then arranged my pennants about the page and chose which ones I would stitch.  I initially thought I might stitch all of them, but I liked the more playful look of only stitching a handful.  I left two spaces on a couple pinwheels to include my photos; I love the way they just nestle in!

 

All that was left was to stick one of those gorgeous giant Bella bows right in the middle of a pinwheel, since it didn't have a photo!  I just love those bows, and because they are felt, they go perfectly with the pennants I used!

 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by to see the layout I created inspired by the Bella Pennants! I'm so blessed to have amazing friends cultivated from this creative community! xo Lydia

Bella Bows, 12x12 Papers (Mom Life, Island Escape, Pop Quiz, IF Basics), Bella Blvd Pennants, Mom Life Ephemera, Enamel Dots, IF Watercolors, IF You Are Loved Stamp Set 

Smile Heart wall decor

Good morning everyone!!

Sarah here this morning to share a little wall decor I made thinking of my mom. And on the plus side, I got to dig into the new Mom Life collection! I was so excited to get this collection and I have to say I love all the new collections, they are even more beautiful in person!

I had recently been unpacking and organizing another box of my scrappy stash and found a canvas heart frame. It was actually supposed to be used as a little bulletin board, but I thought it would be great for a little home decor.

I knew I wanted to break into Mom Life, so I chose a picture and dove into the collection. In the ephemera pack there were already beautiful floral die cuts, but I wanted more. So I pulled out the My Tribe paper and started to fussy cut some of the flowers out. Its so hard to chose just a few to use, I had to remind my self that all of them didnt have to be used on this one project, even though I really wanted to play with them all!! 

I decided that I wanted my photo backed with some more of the pretty papers, with the canvas background I thought it needed some more color to separate my photo from the background. So I pulled out some more of the My Tribe paper, Daily details and started to cut and add layers. Once I was happy with the layers and the way they looked I popped it up on foam adhesive and added it to the middle of the heart.

At this point I wanted to start tucking the ephemera pieces and the fussy cut flowers in the layers and behind my photo. I popped some of them up on foam adhesive, bent a few of them up, but just like a lot of my layouts I worked on a diagonal, I started from the bottom right, worked some of the pieces around the right side of the photo cluster and then moved to the upper left corner.

After I tucked the pretty flowers here and there on the diagonal, I went back in to my Bella goodies and pulled some more pieces that work perfectly with this collection. I love the little pom poms  and the epoxy stickers, so since they matched I started to add those in too. The little Pom poms added some more texture to my project and then the hexies mini epoxy stickers added some shine popping out around the heart. I did add a few cute clips.  Those little bows are so cute and girly and I  love to use them, so I pulled them off there clips and added them. I wanted something that would act like a title and I had a bunch of the acrylic words and Smile just stood out to me. We were all so happy in this picture, smiling and enjoying our selves, so Smile was perfect. I added that to the right of the photo and that finished off my wall decor. I had no clue where I was going with this when I started but I am so happy with the way it turned out!

Mom Life Collection: Daily Details, My Tribe, Ephemera pack, Acrylic words; Baby Girl-Cute Clips, Illustrated Faith Pom Pom clips;Bananas for you, Apple of my eye, Basics-Hexies epoxy stickers-Bananas for you, Oh my Heavens



 

December Documenting | Every Friday in December with Leanne!

Hello Friends! Today I am back to share with you my completed December Daily mini album! I am so happy with the stories and photos that have been captured and I love the look of all the tabbies, gift tags, Bella bows and other paper pieces that peek out between the pages.

 

Today's pages continue on from last week and I will share pages 17 through to 25.

 

December 17

Each year we attend a charity Christmas party, to help raise funds for our local children's hospital. It is always a fun night and Santa comes to visit! To document Day 17, I created a pull out tag from the Holly Jolly Christmas collection and slipped it into the pocket page.

 

December 18

Do you like to catch a few plays, shows or even just go to the movies during the holidays? My daughter was lucky enough to be invited to watch Matilda the Musical and help celebrate her best friend's birthday. I decided I wanted to keep her ticket stub for the show and so I created a simple pocket for it to slide into. I've kept it secure with a Bella Bow and a nutcracker paper piece from Holly Jolly Christmas.

 

December 19

Elf on the Shelf is a feature in our home. Two of my children are still young enough to enjoy the antics our Elf gets up to and even though I didn't take copious amounts of elf photos this year, I still wanted to include him in our album.

 

 

I do thank my lucky stars that my boys have fun with this Christmas tradition.

 

December 20

On Day 20, I've included my youngest boy's wish list. The journaling was typed up on the back of a Christmas tip-in that was trimmed to size. 

 

December 21

To be honest, some days I am too busy to take photos. But I wanted to record our weather situation this month, so I've included a weather radar screenshot alongside photos of a storm rolling in. I've also added in the journaling how frustrating these storms are for keeping three active boys inside!

 

December 22

Christmas light tours are always a fun yearly tradition we venture out on with friends. We had so much fun and even stumbled across Santa at one of the light displays!  

 

December 23

On Day 23, I decided I needed to document the "naughty" along with the "nice" aspects at this busy time of year. The cute CHRISTmas cut apart patterned paper was too good to pass! And for future reference, I wanted to let my boy know he is still loved even though his behaviour is not! *grin*

 I captured this photo by chance and I am so glad I did!!!

 

December 24 | Christmas Eve traditions...

The alphas are all I need for journaling Day 24. Keeping it clean and simple with white on white.

 

December 25

Christmas Day! These pages convey the excitement and fun the kids had opening and sharing their gifts! A photo collage helps to capture some of the craziness of the day!

As per normal, I had a tonne of extra photos from Christmas day so I created a second photo collage and used my favourite photos as the feature 4x4s. These photos were added to the last few pages of my album.

Thank you for joining me on this December Documenting journey. I hope I have provided ideas and inspiration to help you complete your album.

 

Supplies:

 CHRISTmas: Away in a Manger, God's Love, Daily Details, Tip-Ins, 6x8 mini paper pad, paper pieces, tabbies, Fundamentals Sticker Sheet; Holly Jolly Christmas: Daily Details, Mr Claus, Merry Merry!, paper pieces, tabbies, Fundamentals Sticker Sheet; Bright and Brave: 6x8 mini paper pad, tabbies; Oh My Stars: Blueberry Stars; Clear Cuts: Black Stars, Ice Stars; Enamel Hearts: Pickle Juice, Hey Sugar Sugar, Oreo Black; Bella Bows: Baby Girl; Tiny Text Alphabets: Black Tiny Text, White Tiny Text; IF Cartdstock Stickers: His Promise; IF Homespun: Bananas For You, Bless Her Heart, Black Eyed Pea; Homespun #: Oh My Heavens, Apple of my Eye. 

September Guest Designer | Leigh Odynski

Today we excited to have the talented Leigh Odynski along as our September Guest Designer! We sent over a few of our newest collections, so that she could work her creative magic with them to share with you.

Hi!  My name is Leigh, and some of you might know me as Artful Leigh. I am so honored to be your guest designer at Bella Blvd. for the month of September! 

 

I have been a painter, and an art and design enthusiast my whole life, and paper crafter since 1998. I run the blog Artful Leigh Creative, and love to share and encourage others with my love for traveler’s notebooks, scrapbooking, painting, graphic design, brush lettering, hand lettering, digital and clear stamping, and Project Life®. I basically enjoy any form of creating on paper! I graduated as Valedictorian in 2002, with an Arts Degree in Design. We focused on Graphic and Interior Design. I enjoy being on Creative Teams, and am completely humbled and honored to currently be on four teams. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow as an artist, and inspire others to do so as well! 

 

 "Like A Boss" Layout, by Leigh Odynski

Do you ever have a story you want to tell from the past, so you take a current photo to represent it? That’s how this page started! Once I printed the photo, I saw the Swiss Cross shape on the controller, and realized I could repeat that shape across the page. You can punch squares out of a variety of Alex patterns, and trim them into strips with scissors to create the swiss crosses. Two triangular corners from the McIntosh Stars paper frame the page. I stitched through the shapes on the diagonal to add line and texture. Then, added computer journaling to a tag in a pocket behind the photo. 

 

 

Supply List:
Alex: Paper Pieces, Tabbies, Alex Paper(Turn It Up, Borders, Daily Details, Killin’ It); Oh My Stars: Oreo and Scalloop Stars, McIntosh Stars, Gift Tags, Enamel Doodads: Oreo Black

 

 

"So Awesome" Layout, by Leigh Odynski

Love the Addison Collection so much! Sometimes the fresh designs of your supplies can inspire the whole concept for a page, as was the case here! The Addison Playlist Paper is perfect for any music lover. Have fun punching squares from this adorable line, and pile on some stickers, clips, washi stickers, and Bella Bows. Add a chipboard title and call it perf! 

 

Supply List:
Addison: Fundamentals, Tabbies, Washi Stickers, Designer Clips, Paper: Daily Details, Borders, Curfew, Fierce, Playlist, Free Spirit; Oh My Stars: 4x6’s, Borders, Fundamentals; Bella Bows: Milk White 

 

"Explore" Layout, by Leigh Odynski

 

The inspiration for this page came from an advertising catalog!

 

I used punches and scissors to create the individual flowers, hand cut the green stems, and washi tape, to replicate the photo back drop from the inspiration piece. I Love the bright and beautiful colors in the Oh My Stars line!

 

I layered lots of hand cut pieces behind the photo for impact. How many different styles of flowers can you create? Try it out and see! 

 

Supply List:
Addison: Fundamentals, Free Spirit paper, Washi Stickers, Tabbies; Oh My Stars: paper(Punch Stars, Borders, 3x4’s, 4x6’s), Designer Clips, Gift Tags IF: She Blooms Washi; Ciao Chips (Adventure); Enamel Dots(Guacamole)

 

 

"Latte Love" Layout, by Leigh Odynski

 This page came together quickly, and the color scheme was taken directly from the photo. The heart shape in the latte art was repeated in the different size hearts punched and added to the hand stitched floss and yarn stripes. Kind of like those wall weavings all over Pinterest right now! 

 

Supply List:
Oh My Stars: paper( Gulf, Ice, Guacamole, Pickle Juice, Oreo and Scallop, Gulf, 3x4’s, ) Gift Tags, Designer Clips, Clear Cuts: Stars Black Alex: paper(4x6’s) Fundamentals IF: Oh MY Heavens Enamel Hearts

Thank you for allowing me to guest design this month at Bella Blvd.!

 

Thanks so much, Leigh for sharing your talents with us this month!

 

To check out more from Leigh, you can find her in the following locations:

 

Current Teams

2016-2017 Citrus Twist Design Team

Project Life Creative Team 2016

Shimelle Laine Design Team 2016 

2015-16 Kellie Stamps Digital Creative Team

2015-2016 Clique Kits Design Team

 

My Blog

http://www.artfulleighcreative.com

 

YouTUBE Channel

https://www.youtube.com/user/scrappyleigh/videos

 

Facebook link

https://www.facebook.com/ArtfulLeighStampinOnEverything

 

IG

https://instagram.com/artfuleigh/

 

Pinterest

https://www.pinterest.com/artfulleigh/

 

Twitter

https://twitter.com/artfulleigh

 

August Guest Designer: Tegan Skwiat

Hi everyone! My name is Tegan Skwiat and I am thrilled to be the August Guest Designer! I love all of the new Bella Blvd products and had a blast creating these projects to share today. I live in Northwest Indiana with my hubby of 15 years, Andy, and our Cairn Terrier named Pixie. About 17 years ago my little sister suggested we try this thing called “scrapbooking” that her friend’s mom did. Needless to say I have been head over heels in love with papercrafting ever since! I love the process of starting with a blank canvas and moving different patterned papers and embellishments around to see what I can create. When I am not crafting, I like to take the fur kid on walks or watch football.

"Love You", by Tegan Skwiat.

I love anything with a rainbow of colors on it, so I was excited to see that the Oh My Stars collection included the star patterned papers in so many colors. And, of course I used as many as I could! I started this layout by using my Silhouette Cameo to cut the heart pattern out of white cardstock. I then cut strips from the various star patterned papers and adhered them to the back of the layout using foam adhesive to add dimension. So easy, but I think it looks so cool!

Since the layout is so colorful, I used the black and white star patterned paper to anchor my photo. I love that the bright red bow really helps draw attention to my picture as well. I seriously can’t wait to make another layout with a rainbow pattern like this one!

"Lovely", by Tegan Skwiat.

There are so many things I love about the Addison collection, I don’t even know where to start. The jewel tones are amazing and the jewel shaped ephemera pieces are so fun! The colors and patterns are so hip and perfect for young ladies. And the blue and black buffalo check patterned paper is my favorite thing from this collection! The Ciao Chip pieces are great for using as titles. I easily made the cool “Lovely” title by painting it black so it would stand out against my background.

The enamel dots are perfect for adding little accents to layouts. I love the dimension and the texture that the Bella Bow adds. And the new Designer Clips are so much fun! Dare I say this is my new favorite layout?

"Beautiful Selfie", by Tegan Skwiat.

On this last layout, I really wanted the patterned papers from the Bright and Brave collection to make a dramatic statement. I think the black background helps me achieve this look. I used my Silhouette Cameo to cut the various sized stars from white cardstock and used coordinating embroidery floss to outline them. I used the Bright and Brave Designer Clips to create interest at the top of my page. I used the white Amorie Chipboard alphas for my title. And, I couldn’t help but dot my “I” with a little heart sticker!

I love the mix of florals and geometric prints in this collection. The mix of teal, black, greens, and hot pink is so fun. And while it is faith based, it still gives you lots of pieces that aren’t. As always, the enamel dots are the perfect little addition next to my journaling.

Thank you all for taking the time to look at my projects. And a huge thank you to Bella Blvd for giving me this amazing opportunity. Have a great day everyone!

Focus On: Bella Bows

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

“Egg Hunt”, by Kat Benjamin.

I was really excited to take on the challenge of incorporating a bunch of Bella Bows in my layout. I decided to make a grid and place bows on coordinating paper. I always love a good grid layout, so I am a fan of how this turned out.

Supplies:
Simply Spring: Spring Patchwork, Sunshine, Dancing in the Rain, Gingham, Hippity Hop, Eggstravaganza, Borders, Daily Details, Treasures & Text, Chipboard Icons; Sienna Chipboard Alphas: Frosting; Ciao Chip Elements: Flowers & Clouds; Bella Bows: Punch, Bell Pepper, Pickle Juice, Saltwater

"Go See Do", by Heather Leopard.

I decided to embrace the bows by creating cut files similar to the Bella Bows. You can DOWNLOAD IT HERE for free. I repeated the bow pattern, mixing Bella Bows with bows cut from the cardstock background and backed with various pattern papers. Repeating a pattern multiple times adds a sense of whole while allowing you to create a relatively fast project that is visually appealing.

Supplies:
Let's Go: Perfect Weather, Air Traffic Control, Go See Do, Baggage Claim, Tourist Spot, Taxi, Paper Pieces, Chipboard Icons, Treasures & Text; Color Chaos: Scallop Strandz; Ciao Chip Elements: Hearts & Stars

Valentine's Day: Projects, Projects, and More Projects

This week we are bringing you TONS of Valentine's Day inspiration using the Valentina collection, along with some pieces from our everyday collections sprinkled in here and there. I asked our talented designers to focus on fun little projects, and they did not disappoint! We have a fabulous mix of projects to share with you this week.

Birdhouse treat box, by Corri Garza.

I love giving little treats for Valentine's Day. I found this little birdhouse treat box in the Silhouette Store and knew it would look great with one of Bella Blvd's woodgrain papers. The lid is secured with a piece of ribbon so the recipient can get to the candy inside.

Supplies:
Halloween Magic: Daily Details; Valentina: Cross My Heart, Little Bits; Simply Spring: Spring Patchwork

Heart Pocket, by Corri Garza.

This small treat pocket is the perfect size to hold mini candy bars or other small candy. I found this file in the Silhouette store. The little pocket cuts out in one piece with only one glue tab making the assembly very quick and easy....perfect for classroom treats! 

Supplies:
Valentina: Cross My Heart, Treasures & Text; Enamel DooDads: Oreo Black

Valentine’s Birdhouse treat boxes, by Stephanie Buice.

Valentine’s Day is one of my favorite little holidays. I like to set up a cute table full of goodies and make a nice dinner for my guys. My husband and I usually have our own night out and celebrate without our son, so I like to include him in this little way.

I decided to make these cute little birdhouses that I found in the silhouette store. After I cut them out, I assembled and decorated them using some of my favorite Bella supplies. I added a white Bella bow to each of them and enamels around the little roof tops. These will be perfect to leave by their plates for our little family dinner.

Supplies:
Valentina: Love, Borders, Cross My Heart; Freestyle Sophisticates: Punch; Make it Merry: Treat Exchange; Bella Bows: White; Enamel Dots: White, Punch, McIntosh, Cotton Candy; Enamel DooDads: White, McIntosh

Valentine's Day: Projects, Projects, and More Projects

This week we are bringing you TONS of Valentine's Day inspiration using the Valentina collection, along with some pieces from our everyday collections sprinkled in here and there. I asked our talented designers to focus on fun little projects, and they did not disappoint! We have a fabulous mix of projects to share with you this week.

“My Everything” gift, by Laurie Schmidlin.

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays, and I just love giving away little gifties to my friends and family! I started with a food safe glassine bag filled with Valentine's colored candy corn. To decorate the bag, I added strips of patterned paper from the Valentina collection. I also added some coordinating stickers and even a cupcake cutout (from the Valentina Daily Details sheet). For embellishment, I added some ribbon, twine, and various Enamel Dots and Enamel DooDads.

Supplies:
Valentina: Little Bits, Treasures & Text, Cross My Heart, Daily Details, Borders; Enamel Dots: Punch; Enamel DooDads: Cotton Candy, Oreo Black

“Snap Chat” card, by Laurie Schmidlin.

I cracked up when I saw the Snap Chat graphic (from the Valentina collection)! For my card, I went with the black & white color theme of the focal image and combined a couple of different patterned papers (also from the Valentina collection) to create a quilted collage background. I also added a little sentiment sticker on the upper right corner. For a bold pop of color, I added a Punch Enamel DooDad to the camera.

Supplies:
Valentina: Little Bits, Love, Cross My Heart, Daily Details; Enamel DooDads: Punch

"Love You", by Jennie McGarvey.

I knew that in creating a Valentine's page that Valentina would be the natural choice! I did combine a little of that there, but I thought it would be fun to take my favorite color scheme (red + blue) and create a LOVEly page that was Valentine's Day inspired. It's a different take on one of the traditional colors for the holiday.

Supplies:
Color Chaos: Oreo Strandz, Gulf Strandz; Valentina: Let's Kiss, Treasures & Text; Star Student: Borders; Clear Cuts: McIntosh Hearts, White Chevies; Crochet Hearts: Gulf; Bella Bows: McIntosh; Amorie Chipboard Alhpas: White; IF Enamel Hearts: Apple Of My Eye, Bananas For You

Pinterest Inspired

It's always been fun to browse thru Pinterest, looking at the endless ideas and inspirational images that are out there. Our designers always enjoy taking whatever image we provide them, and using it in whatever way inspires them the most as they work on their projects. It's amazing to see how many different ideas and designs can be inspired by just one image.

{Image credit: Show & Tell}

"Love", by Kat Benjamin. 

So, my inspiration from this image is pretty obvious! I was inspired to make a GIANT “Love” title. Since the layout is all about love, I figured I should use the love-ly Valentina collection. I also decided to do something new for me and hand-cut the letter outlines. They’re not perfect and I kind of like that!

Supplies:
Valentina: Love, Cross My Heart, See You Soon, Treasures & Text, Borders, Daily Details; Sienna Chipboard Alphas: Frosting; Enamel Dots: Punch; Bella Bows: McIntosh

"You Are Love", by Jennie McGarvey.

You never know how a project is going to go, but with an inspiration piece like this -- I knew I was going to have a fun page. I loved the rectangle sign and the scalloped edges. I knew I wanted to recreate the other all design of the sign on my page, so that is where my basic design came from. Then, after having that all nailed down, I simply embellished and had a page that I was excited to add to my album.

Supplies:
Valentina: Cross My Heart, Borders, Daily Details, Treasures & Text; Crochet Hearts: Punch; Enamel Dots: Milk White; Enamel DooDads: McIntosh

“Love” card, by Corri Garza.

This card was inspired by the large Love on the inspiration photo. I found this screen card in the Silhouette Store and couldn't wait to cut it out. I cut the letters from red card stock and used foam dots to pop them up off the card face. I added some heart stickers and black Doo Dads. Not only is this a cute card it also makes a great display!

Supplies:
Valentina: Cross My Heart, Little Bits; IF Whatever is Lovely: Treasures & Text; Enamel DooDads: Oreo Black

“We Flamin-go Together” card, by Corri Garza.

As soon as I saw the Valentina collection, I fell in love with these adorable flamingos. The Love pattern paper makes a perfect background. I trimmed a piece of the ombre side of the See You Soon paper to fit behind the flamingos. I love the way the colors in the paper match their wings. I finished off my cute card with a bow and a sticker from the Treasures & Text sheet. 

Supplies:
Valentina: Love, Daily Details, See You Soon, Treasures & Text; Bella Bows: Cotton Candy