WELCOME TO BLOGABELLA

Ok, who’s coming to visit me at CHA?

HMMMMM?  BOOF numbah 4317.  If you can’t make it, why not tell your local shop to come and visit me… we will take care of them.. PLOMISE! So  Be THEH or be SQUEH ( as my BFF would say in her South African accent)..  We are going to be doing some simple little colouring make and takes.. shading.. blending… oh my!  You can meet my Ryan too.. is that not reason enough? LOL

ok ok ok ok ok .. I need to show you anothah sneaky peeky… but shhhh don’t tell..LOL.. just kiddinK.. tell everyone!

When Christy C. Croll (I don’t think that is her middle initial.. I just made it up but it looks good and has a ring to it no?) and I thought up these characters together, they were supposed to be teeny weeny which I love.. then I got all these complaints from Lindabella that she doesn’t like to colour teeny weeny so we decided to make these biggah.. but the teeny weenies will be coming too LINDA!! LOL.  Paulabella coloured these up so BEEYOOTIFULLY and you just wanna squeeze these characters.

Meet ARTHUR and ANNIE… they will be sold togethah because they just canNOT live apart.. lol.  I think you will eat them up.. I already started to nibble..LOL

Paulabella’s ANNIE card

Meet ARTHUR by PAULABELLA

Whaddya thinky?  you lovey?  I DO-ey!

Don’t forget Bellarific Friday this week.. ANYTHING GOES.. send me a card with any of our images on it and you’re IN!

leave a comment on THIS post, and you have a chance to win $10 in Bella Bucks!

Mwah to da sistahs who love da SNEAKIES and da PEEKIES..

Em

somewhere far far away

nestled in between rainbows and palm trees is a little kingdom where only PIXIES live.  These pixies are such a wonderful bunch.  They are adorable, very friendly and affectionate and they grant wishes with their proprietary pixie dust.  They are magical.  They live in Pixie Palaces, drive Pixie cars and always help their neighbors whenever a fellow Pixie may be in need.  they have squeaky little voices and teeny tiny bodies that are almost edible they are so cute.  Each Pixie has her own personality.. no 2 pixies are alike.

So without further ado, please meet 2 of the new pixies drawn by Christy Croll for da BELLA.. there are several coming but this is the first sneaky peeky of the collection.

Here’s LINDABELLA’s sneak peek of PORTIA and PERSEPHONE pixie

Let me know what you think but in TRUE pixie FASHION, it has to be nice 🙂

mwah to da PIXIE sistahs

haven’t said THIS in a while…. IT’S BELLARIFIC FRIDAY SISTAHS!

AND oh, what a week this is!  Wait til you see the PHENOM entries!  OMG.. I am so proud.  It really makes me sooo verry happy when we have lots of entries from da SISTAHS and MINIBELLA’s alike!!  Please please please, if you can, please enter as I just LOVE to look at the entries.. and so does everyone else!

So without further ADOOOOO let’s talk winners from our last Bellarific friday

Winnah for CONTRIBUTING ($20 in bella bucks) goes to…

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

1- AMANDA R. you win! please email me and I will send you your voucher!

Timestamp: 2011-01-14 18:56:48 UTC

Now for the $10 COMMENTAYTAH winnah! ($10 in Bella Bucks)

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

19-Jen Shears! you win! please email me your info and I will send you a vouchah!

Timestamp: 2011-01-14 19:02:36 UTC

Ok.. now to BIDNISS.. lots of cards to cover!  So excited!

Here’s the sketch that we had to work with by Kimabella!

Now let’s see DA CREATIONS!

Paulabella used HEARTY PLANT for LULU

Lindabella used EUNICE

Kimabella used SOLLYTUDE

Danabella used SNOWBUNNYBELLA

Jeaniebella used LITTLE PEEP’S HEART

Paulineabella used IZZIE HAS A LETTAH

CATHABELLA used GRATTYTUDE

Elaineabella used ALICE by Christy Croll

Ebrubella used BRONTE and LOUIS

and to see her Video on making the card, you can tune into our YOUTUBE channel!

How’s DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT for EYE CANDEEEE? HMMMMM?

Now let’s take a looky at what da SISTAHOOD came up with!

Amanda R used OLIVIA

Amy R. used SHOPPABELLAS

Ashley the minibella used WILBUR with the HEARTY BALLOON

Corey used ALICE by Christy Croll

Dawn B. used MOM OF THE YEAR

Erica JW used ROCKABELLA

Jenn B used MAVIS HAS A DAISY

Jessica W used CHARLIE

Julie F used ELOISE has a HEARTBASKET

Kerri B used EVERYDAY PRINCESS

Lauren (minibella) used DAYDREAMABELLA

Leslie G used POLLY PACKAGES

Linda C used HEAD OVER HEELS HUGGABUGG

Lynn M used GIFTABELLA WITH HAT

madison used TURTLE TOTS BAKER (minibella!)

Margo S used EUNICE AND IRVING

Maria used BESSIE LULU

Maria H. used APPLEY BOWL huggabugg

Mary C used TATIANA KETTO

Mckenna (minibella) used DAISYBELLA

mckenzie (minibella) used BAYKAHBELLA

Michele B used WRAPPED IN LOVE

Michele G used LULU'S WEDDING CAKE

Michele M used IZZIE HAS BALLOONS

Petra used PEACE HIGHTOPS

Rachel G used PRESLEY LOLLIPOP

Regan used HEARTY CUPPYCAKE

Shannon G used TURTLE TOTS BAKER

Sheila V used FRANCINE FLAPPER

Tammy H used ELLA LOLLIPOP

Violet V used GARDENBELLA

I had AMAZING INTENTIONS to finish this post earlier 🙁  but it got a little bizzy.. so I am sitting in my office at home WHILST my little Jayden is reciting the past 2 weeks of events to me (oy I have a BIT of a headache..LOL)..

I am in AWE of the posts this week… so PROUD.. so for that, I thank you sistahs!!

next week’s theme is… ANYTHING GOES!  Sooooo.. any beeyootiful Bella card is eligible!  Doesn’t have to be a Bella specifically.. just any of our stamps!

Have a GREAT weekend sistahs!  I am going to listen to the end of this 2 week adventure 🙂

Don’t forget to post a comment n’k?

Mwah to da sistahs who contribute (and who don’t of course)

Em

I can’t help it.. I just can’t!

Hiya sistahs!  the “OUTBREAK” has now subsided.. everyone is treated, nice and clean 🙂

I thank all of you for your funny stories and advice.. I love reading all the comments.. makes me HaPpY.

So CHA is around the corner and we are all running around with our heads cut off… I am participating in a sold out event before the show and have prepared such a cute little project of which I have to cut 75 kajillion pieces of paper but it is SO worth it.. I am NOT gonna show you the finished tin cuz it is under WRAPS but what I CAN show you is a sneaky peeky at some new stamps being launched at the end of the month.. and they are StUnNing if I do say so myTHELF (as my Tyler would say).. so without further ADO, here are some of my  coloured up RECIPE ICONS (sold as a set of 4) and the RECIPE CARD stamp – both done by Jessica Rose.. I love them.

Don’t look at the colouring job on the one right above.. didn’t have time..LOL

SOOOOO whaddya think of the sneaky peeky?  Should we do more of them?? hmmmm

lemme know

mwah to da sistahs who love sneaky peekies

Em

MY CHILDREN HAVE WHAT?????

Hiya sistahs…

How has your weekend been?  Well let me tell you what mine was all about.  And this aint no “AFTER RELAXING SHOWAH PICTURE” (taken by my Iphone)

So this is what happened.. in the midst of CHA preparations ,cutting, stressing, regurgitating (LOL) etc..

I decided to take my darling children to the hairdresser..  they were SO excited to get their cuts and Tyler decided to mention at that moment that kids were sent home from school for LICE.  And then I get some FLASHBACKS whilst (love WHILST) sitting at the hairdressers waiting for their turn.. I decide to inspect their heads there and was unsure what I was looking for.  Now here’s something I should not admit but Tyler has been scratching for a while and he told me that it was because he was RUNNING (LOL at the association of the two).. and LOL even MORE at the MAMA who was too busy to even realize what was going on… So then I see he has white stuff in his hair and DEMAND that he CONDITION his thick locks and he did…    Ok so now back to the hairdresser.. one of them inspects and says it is nothing so Jayden proceeds to get her hair cut.. Tyler is in his chair with his hairdresser and I ask that they check him.  So then the BIG KAHUNA OWNER comes over, parts his hair and immediately finds the MAMA wandering around my sons head.  I almost FAINTED.   The BK (BIG KAHUNA) decides to amble over to my daughter’s head and proceeds to PART IT and sure enough  he found the MAMA wandering around there.. I literally almost needed an ambulance to come scrape me off the floor.  Ryan was working.. I was on my own.  Then the 2 hairdressers proceed to look helplessly at BK and ask if they should FINISH the haircuts!! Tyler was being BUZZED so UM… AHEM.. they saw the look of horror on my face and they finished the job.  KINDA.  There ARE a few crooked sections .. LOL.We had a group of people staring at my poor kidlets and I proceeded to pay  VERY quickly and tip VERY MUCHLY.  Then my darling son decided that he should STICK HIS hand in a chocolate box for a snack.. I almost DIED of embarassment.  Thank goodness there was a pharmacy next door where we bought a $36 OIL shampoo and SNACKS of course and made it an afternoon’s event.

Both children were stripped at the door (shivering), beds were stripped in about 6 seconds and then they were hosed off..LOL.

Then Denabella came to the Rescue, with lice comb in hand and showed me how to do my job properly.

That night we mushed OLIVE OIL and GEL on their heads and covered them in showercaps for them to MARINATE…LOL.

Sunday was a day of combing and nothing more was found.  The scary part was thinking that my head of hair had it but THANK GOODNESS it doesnt..

That was my weekend.

HMPHH.

Mwah to da sistahs who feel so sorry for me and da kidlets

Em

p.s. Don’t forget this week’s BELLARIFIC sketch! due thursday night!

ONE WORD. ONE LITTLE TEENY TINY WEENY WINY word.

How can someone expect someone like me to think of one word when I can verbalize about 6500 words per minute?  How can someone expect someone like me to think of ONE tiny word when I have my own LANGUAGE?  hmph.  Well, I tell ya, Ali Edwards has gotten me thinking.

Ali is running a class called ONE LITTLE WORD on her website and boy does she have a following.  Many of my customers are doing it and Denabella is doing it as well.  Every year since 2006, Ali has run this class and the premise is that you must journal/scrapbook  for the year based on that little word.  This keeps you focused (ME??? FOCUSED???), goal oriented (well, I am that, kinda).. and makes you keep to this word throughout the year.  Yes, I have had a KAJILLION words, goals, breakthroughs, ideas, resolutions but when I read about this ONE LITTLE WORD concept, it made me really THINK.

So I started spewing out 50 kazillion words to my family and dena and they just laughed it off until at last.. I found my word.  Yup.  I did.  It’s a word I use all the time.  A word I TRULY believe in.. a word that I may not follow through with all the time but NOW it’s gonna be different.

My one little word is

commitment.

Yup..this commitment does go hand in hand with my resolutions and it is a REHEALLY powerful word.  I, STAMPING BELLA, EMILY BLOCK, MOTHER, WIFE, DAUGHTER, GRANDAUGHTER, NIECE, COUSIN, FRIEND etc. am going to focus on my COMMITMENTS this year.  There are many.  And boy am I DETERMINED. (OOOHH another good word!)

So sistahs, since I am lacking some creativity due to the preparations for CHA,  I guess we will just “chat”.

Do you have a word?  one little word that means so much to you?

Would love to hear from you.

Mwah to da sistahs who are COMMITTED

and WORDY 🙂

Em

2011 HERE WE COME!

Sistahs,

another year has passed.  Where did all the time go?  hmph.  Kids are a year older, business is a year older.. I AM A YEAR OLDER.. I guess it is better than the alternative right? right!

I hope you are all celebrating tonight with your loved ones.. we are going to a friends house tonight and having about 25 people.. should be fun!  Actually very excited to welcome the new year.. new resolutions, new goals, new everything.  It is the time that the page is turned and we face new challenges.. and conquer them.

Not sure if any of you have made a list of “resolutions” for 2011 but here are some of mine (in no particular order AFTER #1..LOL) .  Would love to hear what da sistahs goals are!

(1) spend more time with my family.  It has been a CRAZY last 6 years and I can finally take some time to make them my priority (they have always been my priority but you know what I mean)… A lot of things have “fallen through the cracks” and I need to be HOME more and ENJOY them more.. they are getting so old (getting a little teary 🙁 )

(2) live simply. “collect less”.. use what i have MORE.. and enjoy the simple things.  PURGE and CLEAN the stuff I don’t need and reorganize

(3) be healthy. Kick some bad habits and adopt some good ones.  I would usually say LOSE WEIGHT LOSE WEIGHT LOSE WEIGHT.  I am going to alter my focus and focus on HEALTH in general.. the rest should come by naturally (we can only hope!) LOL

(4) BLOG more. YUP I promise

(5) make art every day.  whether it be journaling, smearing paint on paper, making a beeyootiful card.. anything.  I have realized over the last year and a half that I NEED this in my life and I am going to make the time for myself.

(6) make more videos for you to enjoy and learn. Education is really important to me.. I am constantly learning new things and I would like to share it with you.  So stay tuned.

(7) HUG more

(8) be more ORGANIZED.  I think this will be my biggest hurdle LOL

(9) continue to bring you the BEST PRODUCTS EVAH

(10)  pay it forward.  Help people who need help.  Even just a little bit. AND make sure that the person does the same for the next person.

I am still thinking about what else I need to do.. this list will be evergrowing 🙂

Again my sistahs, I thank you again for your SUPPORT, LOVE and LOYALTY in 2010.  I have a LOT of AMAZING things planned for this year.. there is ONE thing I think will KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF.. and we are going to have a GIGANTIC release in January for CHA.. stay tuned.

I am now leaving you with my new Favorite Song.. I find it so inspiring.. I just wanna stand on the desk and sing! LOL.  The DOG DAYS are OVER by Florence and the machine.  ENJOY!

PS. last day of 20% sale code: boxingday2010

and the 20% continues til tomorrow night midnight! code: boxingday2010

Sistahs,

I know I have been a terrible BLOGGISTA for the last little while… with the holidays and a SURPRISE VISIT from PAULABELLA, I haven’t had much time :(.  Paula decided to come and visit as a surprise to me and the kidlets and Ryan!  The kidlets are in LOVE with her.. they can’t get enough of her.. even my little Jayden who isn’t the “warmest” of sorts, was ON TOP of her..LOL.  We did lots of fun things.. visited stationery shops, paperies, and of course, my FAVORITE planner/agenda/filofax shop in the quaint little area of YORKVILLE here in Toronto.  If you are ever in the area, I would HIGHLY recommend visiting LAYWINES.. Peter Laywine and his staff are the most helpful and of course with my ongoing SEARCH of the best way to organize myself for 2011, Tuku, who works in the store, took the time out to help me find the solution and she has!!  I know that I am not the only one searching for the “right” system.. I know between the blogs that I have mentioned in this post HERE and flickr photostreams that people are interested in it.. and combining this with a little bit of creativity and stamping.. there is nothing more fun for me!

I will explain what this new system is and I am hoping it will help you as much as it has helped me and basically made a light bulb go on in this jumbled head of mine.  It is really quite simple when you think about it… Denabella and I have actually made a game out of it..LOL.

So here is my new system.  I am of course, going to still use my amazing French 6 ringed custom made binder by l’AGENDA MONDIALE.. and here will be the inside (it is blank for now.. I CANNOT wait to start writing, stamping, inspiring and make it MINE..OMG)

Ok, so with the help of TUKU and a little bit of my own ideas, here is my 2011organizational system.. that I AM GOING TO ADHERE TO! This is one of my 2011 resolutions.. more tomorrow on what else I have been thinking about.

Ok so binder will start with a MONTHLY VIEW FILOFAX refill.. what’s special about this monthly refill is that each month is independent of the next whereby the back of one month is NOT the next month but a space for goals, appointments, notes etc.. PHENOM I tell ya

Behind this section, I have a WEEK ON 2 pages refill to expand on the month should I need it (p.s. all of the refills are in a LUSCIOUS cream colour)

Ok now HERE is the “PIECE de RESISTANCE”.. Now really I think this is BRILLIANT and I think this system will help you in ALL of your endeavors, whether it is your filing system at home, at work, and your daily planner.  It is really quite simple so it is funny that I never thought about it.  Here goes.  You buy an a-z index like this

Now I am using this index instead of tabs like “finances, books, restaurants, kids.. etc”.. Behind each letter, I have an address/phone sheet and lined CREAM paper.. so this is how it works.. I am currently searching high and low for a phone number for one of my suppliers and I CANNOT REMEMBER the name of the company..LOL.. under this new system, I would file it under the letter that I think of when thinking about this supplier… so if it is for GLUE for instance, I would file it under G.. for glue or under S for supplier.. or both!  this way, I know where to look and I will find it!  If I have a list of restaurants I would like to try, I would probably NEVER find it under the name of the restaurant.. so guess what I will do?  File it under “R” and I know that that is where to look for the restaurant.. my insurance company?  under “I” instead of their actual name :)… all CHA plans.. yup! under “C”!  Although it sounds so simple, I never thought of it.. I think I just over analyze everything and make my life so difficult all the time..LOL.. which will be another RESOLUTION.. LIVE SIMPLY.  You can do the same thing at home.. if you have warranties/manuals etc.. instead of filing it under “GE” (general electric) file it under S.. for STOVE and O for oven.. you are guaranteed to find it when you need it..  Are you as EXCITED as I am with this discovery?  probably not.. but I AM SO HAPPY..LOL.

So all you heard in Bellaland yesterday was this (me SHOUTING to DENA across the room and DENA shouting back..LOL)

DENA: “ok so would you file a NECKLACE you found on a website under “J” for jewellery or “W” for website?”

ME: “Hmmmmmmm”

ME: ” probably BOTH when in doubt”

ME: ” Ok where would you file your Banking stuff.. under “B” for bank? or “M” for MOOLAH?” LOL

DENA: “hmmmmm”.. M for Money

ME: (still trying to “stump” Dena -I also did this in the store with Tuku who uses this system..LOL.. she actually said to me.. are  you trying to stump me Em?  I actually said yes I was!).. “DENA, how about an ETSY website.. would you file it under “E” for etsy or under “w” for website” or under the item itself?”

DENA: “I think under E for ETSY”

So this was our WHOLE day of entertainment.. you see where I am going with this…LOL

So now I am back to working on my catalog (MISERABLY) and hope to finish and finalize by this afternoon and start on my next projects for CHA..  hmph

Sorry for the long winded post but when I am excited about something, and i KNOW it will help others, I GOTS to share 🙂

Mwah to da sistahs who will take advantage of the last 2010 Sale and who will start using this system 🙂

Em

NE:

MeHHEEERRY Christmas to da SISTAHS who celebrate :) Oh and a SURPRISE tomorrow so stay tuned!

Since I have had a little “time on my hands” lol.. whatever that is.. Ryan has shown me a few things that have mesmerized me.  Needless to say I am now a FLASHMOB addict.. (If you ever saw the Oprah and Black Eyed Peas event in New york–that is a flashmob.. and it is amazing)

Here are a couple that I have played multiple times.. OMG..LOVE.

I am always EMOTIONAL at the airport 🙂

enjoy sistahs!

please come back tomorrow for some REAL goodness

Mwah