One Year On

It’s hard to believe that it has been a whole year since we lost our founder, Emily Block. Our Emilybella. Da Bella. ForeverBella. Time is such a strange thing. It feels like such a long time, and also like no time at all.

I hope she would be proud of us all for keeping Stamping Bella going over the past year, and for continuing the Sistahood she loved so much. I think she would be. It hasn’t been easy, there have been lots of tears, and a steep learning curve for me personally taking on many of the tasks Emily performed, especially without Emily there to help, or to receive and return ranty messages in ALL CAPS. I spend a lot of time sending her ranty messages in my head. It helps.

I miss her immensely, as I know that so many do. For me at least, Stamping Bella gives me a sense of connection to her. I hope it does that for others too. She remains very much at the heart of everything we do. When our illustrator and I work on creating images to become stamps my first thought is always “What would Emily say about this?” Sometimes the responding thought makes me laugh out loud. Thankfully we both worked on images with Emily for so long that we have a good idea how she would feel about them. She would love the stamps we have released this past year, and she would be so excited about those we have coming in future releases.

Emily LOVED rubber, or rubbah as she would say. She loved inking up our beautiful blue rubbah with a juicy (joosy) ink pad and feeling the impression of the stamp on the paper. She wanted to share the joy that sparked with the world, and she did just that.

Thank you so very much to all of you for continuing to support Stamping Bella, and for continuing to create and share wonderful things featuring our stamps, keeping that joy alive. It always meant a lot to Emily, and it still means a lot to the whole team, and to her family and friends.

MWAH!

Elaineabella

Bellariffic Friday – Emily’s Birthday Release Showcase

Happy Friday! This week the Babes have got some gorgeous new cards for us, showing off our special Emily’s Birthday Release again.

I also have some lovely news to share. So far our charity fundraiser UPTOWN GIRL EMILY DA BELLA stamp has raised $1055.39. We will be making our first donation to the Emily Block Memorial Fund shortly. Thank you to everyone who has purchased the stamp so far, not only do you have a very special stamp in your Stamping Bella collection, you’ve also contributed to a wonderful cause in honour of Emily. That makes me and everyone else at Stamping Bella incredibly happy. If you haven’t added her to your collection yet, don’t worry, the profits from this stamp will continue to be donated to the memorial fund. 

Let’s check out the inspiration from the Babes!

Jenny used UPTOWN GIRL EMILY DA BELLA with our PINKY PROMISE SENTIMENT SET

Debra used LILY OF THE VALLEY with EMILY’S SENTIMENT SET

Ginger used UPTOWN GIRL EMILY DA BELLA

Michele used BUNDLE GIRL WITH LILY OF THE VALLEY with our PINKY PROMISE SENTIMENT SET

Sandie used UPTOWN GIRL EMILY DA BELLA with EMILY’S SENTIMENT SET

Christine used UPTOWN GIRL EMILY DA BELLA with EMILY’S SENTIMENT SET

Hopefully this post will leave you feeling inspired for a crafty weekend. Enjoy!

MWAH!

Elaineabella

Bellariffic Friday: Emily’s Birthday Release Showcase

It’s Bellariffic Friday! Such an emotional week with our special release for Emily. Thank you for all of the love and support, it really does mean so much. Today the Babes are sharing more cards featuring the beautiful new stamps released on Emily’s birthday last Sunday. There’s a pencil colouring video from me too at the end of the post! We can’t wait to see all of YOUR creations popping up with these lovely stamps soon too.

If you haven’t had a chance to shop yet, don’t worry! You can still enjoy Emily’s birthday sale, it ends at midnight on Wednesday 5th July.

Let’s get to the inspiration! Love the different ways everyone has used the new stamps.

Michele used UPTOWN GIRL EMILY DA BELLA with EMILY’S SENTIMENT SET

I love how Michele simplified things for this card, wiping off all of the stuff on the desk. Such a great way to change things up and get more use from a stamp. You could also mask the card in her hand, or wipe off the image on the card before stamping to add your own design and customise it.

 

Ginger used LILY OF THE VALLEY with EMILY’S SENTIMENT SET

Such a beautiful design, and a great way to use this stamp.

Jenny used BUNDLE GIRL WITH LILY OF THE VALLEY together with EMILY’S SENTIMENT SET

Such a sweet card. I love how Jenny stamped and fussy cut multiple Bundle Girls to create a cute little line up all admiring the flowers.

Sandie used LILY OF THE VALLEY with EMILY’S SENTIMENT SET

Absolutely in love with the fact that Sandie created a pot for the flowers to stand in! Such a cute and effective idea. Wish I’d thought of that one!

Christine used LILY OF THE VALLEY with EMILY’S SENTIMENT SET

Christine’s die cut background gives such a pretty trellis effect behind the flowers.

Debra used BUNDLE GIRL WITH LILY OF THE VALLEY together with PINKY PROMISE SENTIMENT SET

There’s something really effective about Debra’s colour choices here, and the sentiment is such a lovely choice.

Elaine used LILY OF THE VALLEY with EMILY’S SENTIMENT SET

Lily of the Valley Coloured Pencil Video

Watch me colour this stamp in the video below. If you enjoy watching please do like the video and subscribe over on my YouTube channel.

Such a beautiful collection of cards. I hope you’re feeling as inspired as I am. Stay crafty and colourful, and have a great weekend!

Elaineabella

Emily’s Birthday Surprise Release & Sale!

Today would have been Emily’s birthday. The firsts are always hard. For us, the first blog post, the first release after losing Emily, and now the first birthday she isn’t here to celebrate. Her family and friends have had to go through all of those firsts and so much more without her, and our thoughts and love are always with them, as I am sure yours are too. If you would like to leave a comment in support, I know it will be seen and very much appreciated.

Over the past months we have been working on something extra special to honour Emily on her birthday. This extra special mini release took a lot of love and strength to create, and we hope you will be as thrilled with it as we are.

All of the stamps shown today are available right now in our WHAT’S NEW section on the store.

Most years on her birthday, Emily would share the celebrations and have a sale. We didn’t see why this year should be different. So, help us to celebrate Emily and stock up on stamps!

*The Uptown Girl Emily Da Bella stamp is excluded from the sale as she is a charity fundraiser. Sale does not apply to existing special offers.*

Our amazing Design Team and special guests have all been working hard creating gorgeous samples with the new stamps. We have SO much inspiration to share with you today, you will definitely want to grab a drink and some snacks as you check them all out below. By the end I have no doubt that you will be absolutely itching to go and get inky.

Sneak peeks and release posts were always Emily’s favourites – she loved to share all the inspiration with you and shout about how wonderful the stamps and our Babes are. I’m with her there. Creating the stamps is one thing, sharing them is where the magic truly is.

UPTOWN GIRL EMILY DA BELLA

If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you will probably have seen Emily refer to herself as DA BELLA. Just like that, in all caps. Oh boy do I miss the ALL CAPS messages. This Uptown Girl is totally DA BELLA, I cried when I saw the sketches for her. Our wonderful artist captured Emily so beautifully in our Uptown Girl style.

Our beautiful, creative Emily, surrounded by some of her favourite things. The card she’s holding is a nod to her two very favourite things in the whole world – her children Tyler and Jayden.

This stamp is extra special. All of the profits from sales of Uptown Girl Emily Da Bella will be donated to the EMILY BLOCK MEMORIAL FUND. In honour of Emily’s passion for art and her creative spirit, the fund supports children’s art therapy programs. 

Our samples for this release include some true to life versions, and some not so true to life. Emily would have loved this. She was all about people expressing themselves and colouring however they like. So when you get your Emily stamp, go wild, use bold colours, and share that stamping magic. Let’s fill the world with colourful Uptown Girl Emilys!

Uptown Girl Emily Da Bella Copic Video

Watch Elaine colour this stamp in the video below. If you enjoy watching please do like the video and subscribe over on her YouTube channel.

EMILY’S SENTIMENT SET

I bawled my eyes out creating this set. Emails and messages from Emily were sprinkled liberally with these phrases, and I miss seeing them from her so much it physically hurts.

You absolutely knew if a message started with “LET ME TELL YOU” or “OMG, YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE!” it was time to settle in for the ride. What perfect sentiments for fun cards to send to a friend or loved one.

Stamping is Magical – Emily would always say this, and tag her social media posts with it. She wasn’t wrong. Stamping is what brought Emily into my life, and into so many people’s. Stamping has given me some of my favourite people, and a truly wonderful community to be a part of. A #SISTAHOOD.

Every time I stamp a sentiment from this set, I’ll be thinking of Emily. I hope you will too. She created something truly beautiful in Stamping Bella, and we’re all so grateful to still be sharing that.

Card Samples:

First up we have a special appearance from an original Bella Babe, our amazing Paulabella. I know how much Emily had missed having Paula on the team in recent years, although she very much remained our Paulabella. I’m so happy that Paula could dust off her pencils for this one. It means a lot.

The rest of the team and our guest designers are no less special. Emily truly loved her Babes, and was so proud of this team and the way everyone always works to bring the stamps to life and inspire. I am immensely proud of how they have all come together to create such a special collection of cards for today. Absolutely OUTSTANDING. The love in this post is just…well… I can’t even.

Emily’s favourite flower was lily of the valley, so our next two stamps are in honour of that.

BUNDLE GIRL WITH LILY OF THE VALLEY

We already have a Tiny Townie Garden Girl Lily of the Valley stamp, but we absolutely needed a Bundle Girl! Isn’t she ADORABLE?

Card Samples:

 

LILY OF THE VALLEY

Emily wanted to add more standalone floral images to our collection, so here’s what will hopefully be the first addition of many to come.

Use this one on it’s own, use part of the image, use the whole image, use it as part of a scene. Colour it, don’t colour it. Pencils, markers, watercolour, inks… Whatever you do, it’s going to be beautiful.

Card Samples:

 

That’s it! Probably our smallest release ever, but it’s pretty perfectly formed. We hope you agree. Thank you SO MUCH for sticking with us, and helping us to continue with Emily’s dream. We appreciate it beyond words. YOU are absolutely OUTSTANDING.

MWAH!

Elaineabella

Bellariffic Friday: Tribute to Our ForeverBella

It’s Friday, which means it is Bellariffic Friday. Today the Bellariffic Babes are dedicating this one to Emily, our ForeverBella. The heart of Stamping Bella – always. It’s hard to believe she has been gone for a few weeks now, and we miss her terribly.

Thank you all so much for all of the love you have given Emily, her family, friends, and all of us. It is so appreciated. We love to hear how Emily and Stamping Bella have touched your lives and made you feel.

We’ve got a special guest with us today. Paulabella! An original Bellariffic Babe, Paula no longer plays with stamps and paper, but she is still getting her art on. I fell in love with Stamping Bella through Paulabella’s work, all those years ago. Much loved by Emily, Paula will always be a Bella. Because her stamps are hiding in a box somewhere, Paulabella joined us with her own special tribute to Emily. Isn’t this GORGEOUS? I know Emily would love it and claim it instantly. The big heart…the three stars in her sky… Just gorgeous.

Now for the current Bellariffic Babes! Each name will link to their own blog where you can see their post.

ALICEHUANGABELLA

Alice used UPTOWN GIRL LIBRARIAN.

AMYBELLA

Not going to lie, this one punched me straight in the feels when I saw it. So beautiful.

Amy used CURVY GIRL BESTIES

CHRISTINEABELLA

Christine used JOURNALING MOCHI GIRL

DEBRABELLA

Debra used HONEY BEAR STUFFIES

ELAINEABELLA

Elaine used TINY TOWNIE GARDEN GIRL LILY OF THE VALLEY

FAYEABELLA

Faye used BIRDIE WITH A MESSAGE

GINGERBELLA

Ginger used LITTLE BITS FLORAL SET

JENNYDIXABELLA

Jenny used CURVY GIRL BESTIES

SANDIEBELLA

Sandie used MINI ODDBALL WEATHER GIRLS.

SHELABELLA

Michele used TINY TOWNIE GARDEN GIRL LILY OF THE VALLEY and the FRIENDSHIP SENTIMENT SET.

STEPHABELLA

Steph used CURVY GIRL STRUTTING.

Thank you SO much for joining us. We can’t wait to check out social media and see all of YOUR wonderful creations. Upload them to the Sistahood group on Facebook, tag them with #stampingbella on Instagram, link us to your blog posts in the comments below. Show Emily and Stamping Bella ALL of the love.

MWAH!

~Elaineabella

Emily – Our ForeverBella

Elaineabella here, with a post that I never thought I would be writing. Many of you may have heard the news by now, but it couldn’t go unsaid here on the Stamping Bella blog.

What can I say. Our beautiful, amazing Emily – DA BELLA – has passed away. She had a long, hard battle and absolutely gave it her all till the end.

Emily Block - Creator of Stamping Bella

It doesn’t seem real. We are all heartbroken and in shock at the loss of the creator of Stamping Bella, this brilliant woman who brought us all together and created the amazing stamp company we have all enjoyed for so many years. Our friend. OUR SISTAH.

If you have ever bought a Stamping Bella stamp (I know most of you have bought many), you may have read the story on the packaging. Here it is:

“Once upon a time, there was a girl who had a dream. A dream that she NEVER thought could POSSIBLY come true UNTIL ONE DAY when she thought and she thought and she thought and she came up with an idea. An idea of a “SISTAHOOD” where stampers all around the world could UNITE in one place in ONE HOME where they could stamp and craft and share IDEAS and the girl’s dream FINALLY came true. THE END. MWAH!”

What an absolute privilege it has been to be a part of that dream, and part of this Sistahood she created and was so very proud of. She touched so many lives and made friends everywhere. If she knew you, she cared about you, and she made sure you knew it.

We will be paying tribute to Emily here on the blog soon, in the best way we know, using Stamping Bella stamps. Watch out for that, we’re going to make that rubbah sing like she always encouraged us all to do. Just give us a little time – it’s going to sting more than a little.

I know that some of you have asked about sending cards to Emily’s family. If this is something you would like to do, please email me on quixoticcreations@gmail.com for the details. If you would like to send your love and condolences, you can comment on this post or email Stamping Bella on the usual address – Emily’s family will see the messages.

Stamping Bella remains open for business, so you can continue to enjoy the wonderful stamps that Emily brought to us. Please keep using that rubbah and sharing your Stamping Bella creations – Emily was so proud of her Sistahood and the stamping community she was such a huge part of.

I will be here, sharing the weekly creations from Emily’s Bellariffic Babes. I can’t replace Emily, and I won’t even try. It’s not possible. But I will do my very best to honour her in every post.

MWAH!

Elaineabella