Belle Papier {pretty paper}

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas yesterday. Was Santa good to you? I had a lovely day spent with my family, aunt and dad. So much to eat and that refrigerator is stocked full with leftovers. Yippee…doesn’t look like I’ll have to do much cooking for a while! Today I’m doing some designing and trying to get back to normal here. It’s been so busy I haven’t stamped in a week and so I’m really looking forward to it.

In the meantime, New Years is just around the corner. Now I’ve never actually sent a New Year’s card before…I’ve only designed two actually and so I’m sharing this quick design below. Lots of shimmer and fun.

Starry Glitter New Year’s

This design actually uses a Christmas paper that has a starry night with Santa riding on his sleigh. After designing a card with the image, i was left with this scrap of starry black patterned paper and thought it might be fun to try a New Years design with it. I love pairing up black and aqua. This cardstock is actually the retired SU Cool Caribbean cardstock as it matched up my glittery chipboard alphabet so well. This Making Memories chipboard is so sparkly and fun and easy to work with. H N Y for Happy New Year. On the right side of hte design…I used a little acetate Ghost Shape Snowflake by Heidi Swapp and over top… a Happy New Years epoxy embellishment from Around the Block. To finish it off…a couple rhinestone brads by Making Memories.

Hope you are having a great Boxing Day. That’s the day after Christmas…a holiday for most people here in Canada and also in Britain. I’m staying home and not braving the stores! If you do feel like doing a little shopping…you might want to pop by Jacksonbelle Embellishments. Lindsey is having a huge sale…most items in the store 25% off until midnight the 28th. Have fun!

It is so busy this time of year. So much going on…so many preparations to make…so many gifts to buy. I just had to take the time today to share my favorite Christmas card that I have designed. I actually designed this last year working with a Thankful Theme. You may have seen it before but as it is special to me, I wanted to share it here on my blog. Why is this design special to me? Well, I’m really pleased with how the design and elements on this card all came together, but mostly…it means something to me as it reminds me of the real meaning of Christmas. Remembering God’s Gift to us…his son. This card is designed around a verse…

Thanks….Be to God for his indescribable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15

The thanks is stamped on the front and the rest of the verse, computer-generate on the inside.

Thanks Be to God

This card also reminds me of one of my favorite Christmas songs… Mary Did you Know by Mark Lowry…

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered
Will soon deliver youMary, did you know
That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Did you know
That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little boy
You’ve kissed the face of God

Mary, did you know?
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
And the dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Did you know
That your baby boy will one day rules the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven’s perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you’re holding
Is the Great I Am

Supply List:

Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas!

It’s a Wrap! That’s today’s challenge. Couldn’t resist the play on words. It’s Thursday again and I’m once again hosting, hostessing…whatever!…a Way’s To Use It Challenge on www.splitcoaststampers.com So…….get ready to jump in and play along!

Now what do I mean by It’s a Wrap? Well….incorporate your stamping and papercrafting into wrapping up some gifts. Come on…there must be a few of you left who like me, still have a couple left to wrap up. If not…find ways to use that wrapping paper right in a card design. This is a very open challenge! As long as you use some wrapping supplies…it’s all good. It’s doesn’t have to be Christmas either…wrap up a birthday gift…just have some fun with it! Join us at WT145!

Pinkalicious Penguin Package (sorry…couldn’t resist the alliteration!)

Now this Christmas gift bag is going to be filled with lots of goodies for my Mother-in-Law. She seems to like everything I make so I’m sure hoping she will enjoy this. This design is actually worked up (very quickly this morning, I might add) combining two challenges. As you already know…for today’s WT challenge and starting last month the Splitcoast Dirty Dozen and Dirty Dozen Alumni (that’s me) are getting together and having a fun little challenge. This is my first month at it. The challenge…use a penguin stamp, no blue and some sparkle. Ok, ok…you have to look very closely on this to find the sparkle. But it’s there…some Crystal Effect and a couple little clear rhinestone stickers…you KNOW how much I love those! And so enough blabbing. I don’t know what’s gotten into me today. I must have kissed the Blarney Stone. I AM half Irish you know!

For this design I used an 8 x 10 Kraft gift bag from Michael’s. I found the hard way that these bags are NOT easy to stamp on so I decided to cover it instead. I couldn’t use blue so I decided to have a little fun pairing up pink, white and kraft for a fun, festive look. I used a piece of Pretty in Pink cardstock and stamped it with Large Snowflakes stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms using white craft ink. Hard to see in the pic I know but really sweet IRL. I trimmed down the cardstock a little before adhering it to bag. To finish the top edge, I used a piece of white velvet ribbon and then decided to add a sentiment strip across the bottom of the design. Merry Christmas (Holiday Cheer set) was stamped in Pink Passion ink onto a kraft cardstock strip. The edges were sponged with white craft ink and then stitched on my sewing machine. This gorgeous Queen and Co. Felt Fushion embellishment caught my eye. Sooo darling and it worked perfectly under the sentiment for some definition. These felt cut-outs come is lots of gorgeous colors and now come with adhesive on the back. This is SUCH an improvement! I loved Queen and Co.’s first felt strips but they WERE difficult to use. A little rhinestone sticker from Doodlebug Designs dots the i and some Autumn Leaves button are adhered to the right side of the panel. Have I told you how much I’m lovin’ buttons right now?!

Quick Tip: When using the Queen and Co. new adhesive backed felt strips, peel off the backing slowly and carefully, making sure not to adhere it on itself. The felt can be torn under rough treatment but the look is well worth that minute of slowing down and being careful!

My little tag was so much fun to make. It is the first time I’ve inked up this darling stamp designed by Asela for Cornish Heritage Farms. I stamped it on white cardstock and then punched it out with my Mega circle punch by Marvy. The scalloped circle is the Giga size and is punched out of kraft cardstock and the edges swiped with white craft ink. After coloring my penguin with Copic markers, I sponged the edges with Pretty in Pink ink and then stitched around the circle. To add an “ICY” element, I added some crystal effects under his feet…sorry it is terribly overcast today and you can’t see it. Actually, I had to go OUTSIDE to take these photos. That is REAL snow folks! And real pine and spruce branches too! My neighbours must think I’m crazy but hey…a gal’s gotta do what she’s gotta do!

So……….. I really need to finish off this post! A little ribbon ties the tag on the bag handles and another button is tied with some gingham ribbon and adhered to the tag. The handles…well…they’re my favorite part! I’ve been hoarding this fuzzy stuff for about a year and finally broke down and used it. So fun and fluffy to wrap around the handles. Now I’m not quite sure what you call it…i bought mine at the dollar store! Boa? Maribou? Whatever it is…it’s super fun! Be careful though…fluff everywhere when you cut it. I KNOW! I had the dickens of a time trying to pick it out of my not-quite-dry Crystal Effects ice rink!

I love making altered frames! So much fun to do! This frame is a 12×12 frame and is perfect for using 12×12 patterned paper with. I created this frame to hang in my living room this Christmas season to hold a photo of my children this year. I love this picture. Do you know how hard it is to get five kids of varying ages to get close together and all smile at the same time?! I had to give them all credit for their patience. And each year…this is one of my favorite gifts….the gift of them to quickly and the memories a photo holds is something to treasure.

A Merry Little Christmas Frame

This frame uses Cosmo Cricket Be Good paper line and their fun Buck Naked Chipboard Ornaments. I love their products. I created this frame for a Craft Critique article a few weeks ago. You may have already seen it there. It is actually part of a tutorial article and if you want the instructions…check it out at…

A Merry Little Christmas Frame

You may want to check out Craft Critique today… lots of awesome blog links and starting tomorrow…our biggest carnival ever….three days of links to great Holiday projects.

How’s your countdown to Christmas going? I finally have my tree up…not quite decorated but it is up. The living room is decorated and the Christmas cards mostly out. Presents all bought and wrapped. Wow…it has been a busy year!

I think these must be among my top favorite embellishments that I have discovered in the past few months! I just adore these little pins! So fun and easy to work with…they make a great addition to most projects. I love their fresh look! The new Fashion Sense Pins from Fancy Pants Designs are so darling…I just want to have them all. Each package comes with 32 pins. There are 6 different selections available and in each one…4 pin-head designs and 4 different colors. The Sassy, Playhouse, Harvest and Splash pins have color combos to span the seasons. Tis the Season and With Love Pins are more seasonal in nature and have darling little shapes and colors to their packages.

How to Use

If you’ve never added pins to your designs, they are very easy to use. The pins can be held with ribbon, buttons, slid into chipboard or through felt, and are a great embellishment to work in with other types of embellishments. A cluster if you will. These pins sell for around $5.99 US and I know if you buy one package, you’ll definitely be back for more.
Where to Find

• I purchased my pins at my local scrapbook store… The Scrapbook Studio. I love their great selection.
• You can also purchase these Fancy Pants Fashion Sense pins on-line at various retailers

Holiday Wishes, Loving Kisses

I started off this design by wanting to try out a new stamp set from Kitchen Sink Stamps. I love this darling Three-step Mistletoe. What a great, flexible Christmas set and it has darling sentiments to go along with it too! The Purely Pomegrant, Bashful Blue and Old Olive color combo is pulled from this darling Striped Christmas paper from Webster’s Pages. I just love it!

After stamping my three-step mistletoe with …you guessed it…three layers of stamping, I added a little knotted piece of May Arts ribbon. I find it easiest to add the pin by first knotting the ribbon how you want it and then sliding the pin through. To add a fun touch to the pin, I added a little rhinestone sticker embellishments.

Quick Tip:  Have fun embellishing your embellishments for a fun, unique touch. Embellishments can be sanded, painted, inked or have stickers or rhinestones added to make them that extra bit special

To add a couple extra touches, I stitched around my layers with brown thread and then added one super huge copper brad from Karen Foster Designs.

Wishing you holiday wishes and may you get lots of kisses!

Some other designs… (click on image to go to original post instructions)

It’s Saturday…another busy Saturday as Christmas draws nearer! Only ten more shopping days to go! I’m busy trying to finally get up our Christmas tree today so this entry will be super short. I just know you have things to do as well!

Christmas Peace

This is a super clean and simple design using this darling little Christmas tree set, Playful Christmas from Kitchen Sink Stamps. I just love the two step stamping and had to try it out with a little flocking. The trees were first stamped with the solid image in Soft Sky and Olive Olive. Using my Essential Glue Pad, I inked up the funky circles tree and stamped it right on top. Using blue flocking, I sprinkled both trees and then tapped off the excess. I love how the flocking changes the colors underneath a little and the flocking looks so funky with those retro trees. I just love this Figgy Pudding 6×6 pad of paper from Basic Grey. What great fun color combos and patterns, sized perfectly for designing cards. A mat of metallic red cardstock and Soft Sky borders my image and for a sparkly touch…some big fat clean rhinestones from Doodlebug Designs adds a festive touch to the top of the trees!

Hope your Saturday is simply wonderful!

I love monochromatic color schemes and really, I just don’t use them enough. Soft, elegant and beautiful…monochromatic designs are all about design and texture and the beauty of the image themselves. It’s Thursday again and time for another Ways to Use it Challenge! This week the challenge is to find ways to use a monochromatic color scheme. If you’d like to play along…all are welcome! Check out the challenge at WT144

White Christmas

For this design, I actually limited myself to only white cardstock, Sahara Sand ink and a touch of soft yellow Copic markers to highlight the glow from the windows. When using only one color of cardstock and ink, you need to rely heavily on the element of texture to keep your design from looking flat. After stamping my Thomas Kinkade Stonehearth Hutch image from Cornish Heritage Farms onto my main image panel, I sponged the edges of my white cardstock with Sahara Sand ink. This helps define my layers. The sentiment, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, also from the Thomas Kinkade line was stamped directly on top of the image. On top of my main card base, the Textured Harlequin backgrounder was stamped on a slightly smaller white cardstock panel and again, my edges were sponged. After adhering my layers together, I straight-stitched around my main image and around the background panel, used a free-style stitch. The edges of my image were pulled up with my finger to add some more texture.

My finishing touches…some Basic Grey chipboard holly leaves were sponged with white craft and then the edges sponged with Sahara Sand. Three Making Memories rhinestone stickers form some glittering holly berries and keep with the monochromatic scheme.

Hope you enjoy this design. I’m hoping for a white Christmas here! It just doesn’t seem like Christmas without a little snow!

I just love Daisy D’s line of patterned paper. So warm and vintage looking…perfect for the holidays. What is warmer and homier than Christmas?! This month, Jacksonbelle is having a Daisy D’s Holiday paper product spotlight and I made up a quick design to play along. I’ve been wanting to use this paper more and I certainly didn’t think twice about having a little fun with this. I also hadn’t inked up this darling little reindeer stamp by Inkadinkado. Isn’t he sweet?

Happy Reindeer with Snowflakes and Holly

This Snowflakes and Holly Daisy D’s paper is a fabulous 6×6 size and is perfect for making cards. I love that scaled down print size and the beautiful color combos. The prints I chose have a gorgeous pinky red color, you could perhaps call it Rose Red or cerise. I love using slightly different variations of reds and green for my cards instead of that bold primary look of pure red and forest green. For this design I paired up my “red” with Always Artichoke for a festive but unique look.

To create this design, I started with a 5.25″ square card base and layered it with my patterned papers. After stitching around the perimeter of the design, I distressed the edges and added two copper Karen Foster brads to add to the vintage look.

My main image is the Happy Reindeer stamp from Inkadinkado. He is so cute and quick to use. I simply colored him in with my Copic markers and added a fun rhinestone single on his nose…he looks like a Rudolph to me. To finish off my image panel, I matted it with some Artichoke cardstock and then set an eyelet and tied some stitched ribbon to the bottom right corner. It still needed a little emphasis but I didn’t want to cover up too much of that darling snowflake on the printed paper. What to do? I found a scrap of vellum on my desk and it worked perfectly. I swiped the edges with my Canvas Stewart Superior ink for a frosty look and you can still see the paper patterned underneath.

Another super quick holiday design to share with you today….simply Saturday. As you know, I love to post very simple designs on Saturdays….more than just Saturdays actually these days. This design uses some simple scrapbooking supplies to make a quick, glitzy design.

Rhinestone Lights Holiday Card

I’ve been designing a lot of white cardstock designs lately but this design uses a black cardstock base to really make those rhinestones pop. I just love this Christmas bulb rhinestone sticker from Me and My Big Ideas…so fun and festive. I adhered it to a black cardstock square and then matted with Cool Caribbean cardstock. A strip of Chatterbox patterned paper breaks up the design and don’t you just love those colors?! I added a little brad border (Making Memories silver brads) along the top of the paper to add some interest and repeat that dots from the rhinestones. My sentiment also repeats some dots in the black berries of my Bo Bunny Happy Holidays rub-on transfer. Quick and fun…if you still need to whip up a few Christmas cards…this is so easy to do.

Wishing you a simply wonderful Saturday!

With so many great holiday packaging ideas around these days, Anna and I decided to have a little fun with it ourselves! It is always fun to think out of parameters of a card design and try something a little different. My project is a super quick holiday project…perfect for busy people this time of year. Anyone else really crazy busy right now?! I’m keeping this one simple for you! For Anna’s fabulous project…make sure you check it out on at Sweet and Sassy Notes. Enjoy! I know that you will love it because everything Anna does is fabulous!

Sparkling Winter Candy Gift Jar

I picked up a few of these great glass jars a few weeks ago at the dollar store. I just love how the metal lid seals on and the flat top and side panels were perfect for stamping on. I pulled out my new Snowflakes Large stamp from Cornish Heritage Farms and it was so quick to stamp the sides of the glass with White Opaque Stazon ink. Once the sides were dry, I added some of my favorite bling rhinestones stickers to the center of each snowflake for a fun look. I wish I could have gotten a better shot of the snowflakes…the shine of the Hershey’s Kisses inside makes it difficult to see. In real life, the snowflakes are so pretty and much easier to see.

To decorate the top of my lid, I used my Azure Stazon ink and the new Broad Striped Backgrounder, also from Cornish Heritage Farms. I stamped the stripes across on the angle for a fun look. To add a little more sparkle, I inked up a fun little chipboard snowflake from Cosmo Cricket
with white craft ink. While wet, I sprinkled it with a glitter embossing powder, and then heated with my heat gun. I love the sparkle. Around the edges of my lid, I wrapped it around with some beautiful Flair velvet Ribbon and adhered it with some sticky strip adhesive. Make sure you check out Lisa’s Lined Paper Memory Tin…the metal lid was inspired by that tin.

Lots of fun to do, this project was also quick and inexpensive. Perfect for a last minute idea. Wishing you a great Friday and wonderful weekend…full of lots of winter treats.