Spring Tag Swap

The Red Lead Art Sisters had another swap.  Our assignment this time was to make 3 Spring Tags using any of Red Lead's exclusive rubber stamps and manilla tags (3-1/8"x6-1/4."). In return we each  receive 3 original Tags from the talented Red Lead Art Sisters and the brand new Red Lead Buttercup Bunny Stamp. Due to time constraints, I had to keep mine fairly simple.

 Several different colors of Ranger Distress Inks on tag.  ATC  stamp from Red Lead.

This one and the next have images cut from a Red Lead collage sheet. The red flower is handmade but not by me.   Chicks and rabbit stamps from a story stamp.

This last one is my favorite of the three.
Today is my birthday.  So does that make me an Easter Bunny or an Easter Chick?
To my blogger friends celebrating Easter, have a blessed day.

The Art of Fan Making

Today's Gingersnap Creations Design Team art involves fans as we continue our voyage to the Far East.  I used more of my Washi papers and another Gecko Galz image to create my card.

Please visit the GC blog to see what the rest of the Gingersnap Creations design team has made to inspire your creativity. You have until May 15 to link your fan project to our Random Redhead Challenge GC99. 
All the details are over at Gingersnap Creations.  Ten Ginger Gems will be chosen as well as a Home Page Artist. 

I want to give a shout out to the ladies at Prairie Art Stamps in Springfield, IL where I got my supplies.  They introduced me to Washi papers and also sold me a foam/cardboard set to make my  fan.  I used my new Martha Stewart score pal to make the creases/folds in the mini fan.  (Have you seen Petra's tutorial on the GC blog on accordian fan folding?)

I used DCWV dark green cardstock for the card base.  All my stamper friends will gasp, but I actually dug out some ancient gold stickers for the letters.

BELLA BLOG CANDY GIVE AWAY

Bella Creations wants to promote their NEW BLOG!

What better way to do this then to GIVE AWAY SOME AWESOME BLOG CANDY!
That’s right, you heard me, BLOG CANDY GIVE AWAY.

Close-up of part of the blog candy:

There are a lot of exciting things happening over at Bella Creations, some have been announced, others are in the works. In the mean time we want blog followers so that you can get the latest up to date information on what is happening over at Bella Creations.

So we decided that when we reach the first 100 followers of our blog we will randomly draw for a winner for some awesome blog candy! If you like this little BLOG CANDY kit that was put together by our very own founder LACEE,

then you will LOVE LOVE LOVE the mini album kit she has for sale (UPDATE 4/14/11 @9PM--MINI ALBUM KITS SOLD OUT),

and………….wait…………that’s not all, beginning in JUNE she will be selling full size kits! Yup, you heard right, Bella Creations will be on its way to being a kit club, with the talented Lacee designing her own kits.

Like I said, a lot happening, and that’s why we need followers to keep you informed and up to date on everything that is going on, our challenges, our sponsors, winners of the challenges, kits and MORE…………………….
So you must leave a comment and become a follower. Spread the word!

Here's where you go to become a follower and leave a comment:  BELLA CREATIONS BLOG
http://bellacreations.blogspot.com/

 

Attention Bella Bloggers!

ONE!!!!

Bella Creations has a BLOG !!!!!  In addition to our ning site, we now have a blog for easy access.  We'll post the winners of our special badges and list the current challenges with photos of the amazing prizes.  So blog on over and become a follower: 
http://bellacreations.blogspot.com/ and snag our blog badge (created by our Bella Creations member extraordinaire, Heather Hudson):

TWO !!!!!!
Do you know what else you'll find on our blog?

Our very own Lacee Broyles, founder of Bella Creations, has just released her first mini album kit!!!!

Here's what Lacee has to say about her first ever Bella Creations Mini Album Kit:

I am very proud to offer you the very first Bella Creations Mini Album Limited Edition kits. The kit is chocked full of FUN pretties, Dusty Attic chipboard, IAMROSES flowers, Prima "Madeline collection 6x6 pp, and a 6 page Cosmo Cricket chipboard mini album. Everything you need to create a GORGEOUS album is in this kit!!! Hurry and purchase fast as this kit is very limited and will sell out quickly!!!
4/14/11 9PM  SOLD OUT! 
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THE NEXT KITS!

Purchase it on our new blog here or here: Lacee's blog

THREE !!!!!
Our Bella Creations design team work is featured on Gecko Galz.  After you enter the site, look to the left, find the new tab entitled Guest Designer, click on it, and you'll see our art work made with an image from their new Paper Moon ephemera set.  Mine's the last one featured--a matchbox ATC.  Please look around their site.  You'll discover some free images for the taking.  And this lovely Paper Moon image is free on the Bella Creations site for you to create your very own Bella Muse project for our April challenge. 

FOUR !!!!!!
My Bella Creations design team work is featured on Rogue Redhead Designs, LLC. I was caught Redhead Handed using the Relish Reading stamp set on my Bella Creations Tres Chic sample for the April challenge. 
Check it out:  Rogue Redhead Designs.  I love it--I'm a challenging rogue on the run!

SO PLEASE DO JOIN US BELLAS AS WE BLOG AROUND!!!  
AND THEN SETTLE IN TO CRAFT WITH LACEE'S NEW MINI ALBUM KIT!

My Garden

This is a hangie thingie.  I have more than I need of those cardboard easel frames from vintage photos.  I cut this one up so if you turn it over you see the part with the hole to hang it by. I just happened to have the prefect size for the book page that Redlead Paperworks sent me from one of the Art Sisters Swaps.  I had to use the page because it fit my theme perfectly.

I started with the Grungy Monday requirements, using my favorite stamp, Tim's Umbrella Man. I couldn't wait to use this stamp since Micupoftea's challenge required an umbrella.  I used many distress inks to create the feel of April showers passing through the garden.  I crackle painted a little wood fence and then decorated it with grungepaper flowers and a butterfly, all Wendy Vecchi Studio 490 stamps. I needed 3 flowers which I stamped with Wendy's corner dot stamp that I also used in the top left corner.  The butterfly is perfectly pearled.  The blue flowers also are coated with Rock Candy stickles to make them look wet from the rain.  I threw in some Maya Road gem flowers as well. The layered pink flower is from another Wendy stamp set.  Back to Tim Holtz, I added the April calendar and word SPRING from his salvage stickers packet.  I found a very old scrap of rubons so I used them along the bottom and behind the left fence.  The trim is Websters Pages (my version of grass).  My two new favorite products are the turquoise Stickles (that I used in the corner) and Claudine's Multi Medium in matte.

Challenges Entered:
Micupoftea's April Showers challenge in the Voila! Ink group at Bella Creations.  We're to use an umbrella, spring colors, and ink or stamping.

Jeanette's So Artful Challenge: April Showers Bring May Flowers

Linda Ledbetter's Studio L3 Grungy Monday challenge   based on Tim Holtz' techniques. This week were taking a trip to Ranger Industries to learn how to use distress ink with multi-medium. And of course the tag also gets posted at All Things Tim Yahoo group.

Vicki Romaine's travel/destination challenge #15 at The Cheerful Stamp Pad

Simon Says Stamps and Show --Anything But a Card 

Everything Wendy Vecchi Yahoo Group: Making Art Challenge #8: a hanging using three or more grungepaper flowers and a perfectly pearled grungepaper object.

And I want to send a second entry over to My Shabby Tearoom for this week's spring color challenge. (see my tag in the post below as the first entry)  Yup, I almost forgot, since I'd already entered once!

Put On Your Spring Bonnet with All the Frills Upon It.....

I moderate the Oh La La group at Bella Creations.  Each month we use an image donated by our group sponsor, Gecko Galz, to create some art work.  In April I'm having a tag challenge that includes decorating the bonnet on this image from the Gecko Galz Hats ephemera collection.  Come on over to my Oh La La Group at Bella Creations to join in the fun.  Winner, chosen by random draw, gets a free ephemera set of their choice from Gecko Galz.

When I saw this week's challenge at the Shabby Tea Room, I knew this tag would be a perfect fit for their theme.  The Shabby Tea Room Week 56 Spring Color Challenge  is to use the colors  in this inspiration photo plus a neutral.  I kept these colors in mind as I chose my tag background, trim and embellishments for my spring bonnet tag.

I was happy to clean out some of my old stash: the patterned paper that matches the colors perfectly,  the blue metal label holder, tiny flower brads topped with a couple of pearls, some flower trim for the hat, and the big Petaloo flower.
All the trims on the bottom of the tag are new this season.  The hatpin and pink pearls (earrings) are from Melissa Bove's blog candy.

Japanese Wisdom

The start of April means the start of another 6 month design team term as well as a new set of challenges at Gingersnap Creations.

 Joining the design team Gingers this term are Gerri Herbst, Trisha Neal, Alexa Nobel, and Deb Corder.  The complete list of continuing and new Gingers, along with links to their blogs, is on my sidebar.  The Visiting Artists for April are Tina of Art Chix Studio, Valerie Jael-Tups, and Chris Slater.  This month's muse is Juliet Arrighi.  I'm excited to be working with all of these talented artists. 

April has us Gingers traveling to the Far East to explore the delights of the Orient.  This week's Chestnut Theme challenge is GC97 Geishas. You have until May 11th to link your creation to Gingersnap Creations.  You may be selected as one of the 10 Ginger Gems!

I used Washi papers and an image from Gecko Galz Asian Flair collection.  The wisdom stamp is from Stampin' Up's Kanji set. I heat embossed the words to replicate black lacquered Oriental furniture.  I took liberty with the hairpins, creating my own using floral twine and hatpins.  One hat pin was in a vintage pocket of goodies from Melissa Bove.  The other is vintage from my grandma's collection.

This tag also qualifies for Hels' Sunday Stamper Week #148 Golden Slumber challenge.  We're to include the color gold and some stamping.

It's Only a Paper Moon in a Scrap of Darkness

This is my design team entry for our third main challenge at Bella Creations.  The April Muse challenge uses this lovely Gecko Galz image of a woman swinging in front of the moon. This is one of the images from their newly released Paper Moon ephemera set.  I fussy cut her out and hung the flower ropes of the swing inside the little shrine ATC that I made.  The Bella Muse challenge is to use the image in any form of art you choose.

Not only do you get this free image for your artwork, you also may be the challenge winner, by random draw, of this amazing prize from this month's sponsor, Scraps of Darkness.

Scraps of Darkness advertises themselves as not your Mother's kit club.  Their scrapbook kits are designed for the "alternative" scrapper. They specialize in creating monthly kits for scrappers who love dark layouts, steampunk, grunge, and other alternative styles. Kits come out on the 15th of the month along with amazing layouts for inspiration from the very talented Scraps of Darkness design team.  As a matter of fact, they are having a design team call right now.  So do check out their site, kits, gallery, and news at the Scraps of Darkness blog. You'll also see some of the Scraps of Darkness design team work in our Bella Creations gallery.

More about my ATC:
I made a shrine ATC using a matchbox.  I learned this technique from the tutorial we had in March in my Oh La La group at Bella Creations.  The tutorial was provided by one of our members, Lesley D.
I painted the box black and put inside a scrap of black paper with silver dots (hard to see in the photo).  I used some punchinella (sequin waste) as a stencil  and stamped silver ink on the ATC.  Then I used some delicate black trim to frame the inside of the box.  I added some ribbon and netting from a veggie bag as well as a Petaloo flower.

I hope to see you this month, at Bella Creations, entering any or all of the three challenges that I've shown you in my three latest posts.  Great Challenges!  Great Prizes!  Great Fun!

A Bella Unique Springtime

For April's Bella Creations Unique Challenge technique, the Design Team Bellas were asked to make our own flourishes with Liquid Pearls on a project of our own choosing.  Deciding on the birdhouse project was the easy part. But I was very hesitant to try this technique (guess that's why they call it a challenge!) so I kept it simple, just a few dots to outline a bird's wing.

Our sponsor for this challenge is the Flying Unicorn.  Be sure to visit owner Alda Stevens' blog where she posts her amazing art,  her Etsy shop with one of a kind embellishments and her on-line store.  The G45 Once Upon a Springtime Collection, flowers, two wood flourishes decorating the sides, the pink bling gems, clear button, brads, white lace (I made it into a rosette), and, of course, the Rouge Liquid Pearls are the types of things you'll find in her shops.

The Flying Unicorn giving this fantastic prize to the winner of the flourish challenge.

The winner will be chosen at random, so please come over to Bella Creations and try your hand at making flourishes with Liquid Pearls.  We'd love to have your company!

Additional items used for this project include:
a chipboard house shape, chipboard bird, and tissue nest from Red Lead Paperworks
green Glitter Bling circle from Making Memories
mini Framedangoe from Everlasting Keepsakes (wood flourish at the top)
pink acrylic paint, Tattered Rose Ranger Distress Ink

Archival Brilliance Pearlescent Orchid ink used to stamp a flower from Stampin' Up onto the brads

Reading Takes You On a Journey Without Leaving Home

At Bella Creations our April Tres Chic Style Challenge is going grunge.
Lacee gave us our design team marching orders to use turquoise, silver, black and white along with the items she sent us: a turquoise painted corrugated cardboard, two brown flowers, a metal disk, a garter ribbon, and two K and Co embossed  butterfly stickers .

Since our April sponsor for the Tres Chic Challenge is Rogue Redhead Designs LLC., I chose to incorporate 3 stamps from the Rogue Redhead Relish Reading Plate (yes I bought it as soon as Shar released it).  The image of the girl sitting at the tree  was stamped 4 times so that I could cut it and layer it.  I ran the tree trunk thru the Cuttlebug Forest Branches embossing folder and grunged it up.  I stamped the skirt on an old book page.  I cut Lacee's ribbon garter into 3 strips, using the middle for the waistband and the two sides for the double ruffle.  So that meant I had to layer her arm on top of it all.  I dusted off the Copics too!  Of course the young woman is a redhead!

I meticulously cut out the swinging kids, losing one of the ropes 3 times. LOL! (Edging the images in black to make them finished is when all the trouble started!)  I used both brown flowers by layering them together.  I paper punched the tiny flowers from the same book page.  Then used my Color Duster (stiff bristle brush) to stiple Vintage Photo distress ink on top of them as well as the skirt.  Putting flowers on top of a bare tree trunk is not original to me, but hopefully punching flower words to make a tree of knowledge is.

I put to use a pin I made, in a metal technique class (taught by my friend in art and amazing artist Linda Cain --do click on her name to see her work) by anchoring the swing to it and placing the smaller butterfly on top of it. I added white acrylic paint to the journal metal tag to highlight the stamped word (another trick I learned from Linda).

I added a few more of my own embellishments.  After all, what's grunge without some Tim Holtz hardware?

Rogue Redhead Designs LLC is giving 4 stamps from the Relish Reading Plate to the winner of this Bella Creations Tres Chic Challenge.

You have until the end of April to submit your creation to the Tres Chic section in the Forum at our Bella Creations ning site, and the winner always is selected at random.  Just click on the Bella Creations blinkie on my sidebar to be magically transported to the site.