I heard through the grapevine (hee hee I have CONNECTIONS YA KNOW) that there is now a little teeny tiny weeny winy bit of room on the cruise!!! SOOOO if you wannnnnna join in on the fun….. click on Stamp and Cruise for more information and COME AND JOIN US!! will ya? won’t ya?  we NNNNEEEEDDD to meet DA SISTAHS! and boy do we have goodies planned.. ohboyohboyohboy (said with hands rubbing togethah)

for even MORE information click here

You can rest assured sistahs that Nichole, Gina, Nicky and I have lots of goodies planned!!!

 let me ..er ‘ahem’ I mean, let us know if you can make it

You may be asking yourselves.. there is NO WAY my hubby would join me on this adventure *right Sarah?* *winks*

but rest assured that the hubbies will be entertained! I mean Ryan will be there and Ryan is a MASTER ORGANIZER.. Nicky’s hubster Joe, and Gina’s and Nichole’s hubs… it will be fun!! The guys will have such a great time just knowing that we will no?

Mwah to da sistahs who will swim with DIS SISTAH (well, not so much swim but HANG OUT FO SHO’)

Em

Ok, so I am in love with these stamps.. n’k?  I ADMIT IT..  I think we  needed these!  I have a few more to post tomorrow so bear with me.. but NICKABELLA has OUTDONE herself 🙂  Check these out.. and mixed with dots and daisies.. YUMM-O (that’s new…LOL)

introducing funky dandelions

[photopress image=”cardsoliddandelions.jpg”]

introducing flowery weeds

[photopress image=”cardsolidfloweryweeds.jpg”]

take a looky at the daisy peach embellishments with bling centers.. OMG.. in love with a daisy..LOL

introducing funky grass

[photopress image=”cardsolidfunkygrass.jpg”]

on the bottom right of this card you will see the poppy glitter dots “resting” on top of the raindrops eyelets.. it’s a feast for the eyes.. the gloss of the raindrops and the glitter from the dots (YUMMM-O– again..LOL)

mwah to da sistahs who LOVEY the word YUMMO

Em

OK so I had to post this card.. I mean, it is WAY too beautiful to pass up no?

[photopress image=”justanotecard.jpg”]

Created by the wonderful and talented NICKABELLA.  I just love this technique and wanted to share especially cuz it is SOOO quick and easy!  I also wanted to explain that Nicky did NOT make this technique up.. we saw it somewhere.. probably on someone’s blog or splitcoast and thought it was a PHENOM technique!

Step 1: Nicky SHMEARED lulu lavender ink onto the cuttlebug folder.. always remember.. A neat trick I learned from DONNA is that the side of the paper you would like embossed should be placed under the CUTTLEBUG black logo on the embossing folder..  (how BRILLIANT IS THAT?) 

[photopress image=”justanotestep1.jpg”]

[photopress image=”justanotestep2.jpg”]

[photopress image=”justanotestep3.jpg”]

Cut your white paper to size to fit in the inked embossing folder and close

[photopress image=”justanotestep4.jpg”]

put it through your CUTTLEBUG or BIG SHOT… is this the CUTEST MACHINE YOU HAVE EVER SEEN??? it is my ULTIMATE FAVE… it has BLING and it is a POWERHOUSE.. Have I mentioned it is INCREDIBLE??

[photopress image=”justanotestep5.jpg”]

[photopress image=”justanotecardstep6.jpg”]

then you run it through an VOILA!!

[photopress image=”justanotecardstep7.jpg”]

IS IT NOT STUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNINNNNNNNNNNNNNG?

we used the MEMENTO dye based ink  which works wonders and used my 2 FAVORITE punches that are now in the what’s new section… LOOOVE them  small flower power and the medium retro flower punch! and end it with a little GLITTAH DOT!  Mwah!  YUMMALISH!

 Hope you love it!

oh, and if you click on the magnifying glass icon under the card, you will see all pieces that went into the card

 mwah to da sistahs who missed me already

Em

where have I BEEN?  I honestly don’t know.. under orders?  in a big PLATTER OF SUSHI? searching for Copics? hmmmm all of the above!  It has been so much fun in “BELLALAND” which is what our sistah friends Dana, Karen and Leslie have coined our digs (big hugs!!!).. Other words I have heard are “it’s our HAPPY PLACE”.. LOL.. So yes I think the name BELLALAND the HAPPY PLACE will stick!  Nicky has been hard at work creating the most LUSCIOUS YUMMY cards with a new line we are coming out with.  It is quite different from our usual 🙂 but I KNOWWWW that you will love it!  I PLOMISE (as my 3 year old Jayden would say)

Tomorrow is Tyler’s 6th birthday.  Where oh WHERE has the time gone… I remember him in my tummy.. ummm is he still in there? Sure looks like it..LOL.. Watching him grow and become a little gentleman has been an amazing experience I would trade for NOTHING in this world.  My little boy will be going to GRADE 1 in September.. can you BELIEVE IT?  I can’t!  I don’t think I am OLD enough to have a 6 year old.. LOL.. mentally I am definitely not.. PHYSICALLY I can have a 50 year old..LOL!  Happy Birthday my little man.. I LOOVEY YOU!

We are going to Montreal tomorrow for the weekend as I have to visit my grandma in the hospital.. she had a bad fall and lots of injuries so I must go and visit.. we are also celebrating my sister in law’s bridal shower!  SO we will be veeeryyy BizZy.

I have started to load some of the copic sketch sets (had to mix in a ciao or two here and there to make the complete sets and the prices will reflect that.  I have these in very limited quantities so get them while you can!  These are the colours we find blend beautifully and you can find them on the SIDEBAR under Bella’s favorite Copics!  and on the Copic paper found under new products.. YUMMALISH!  so enjoy sistahs! (you will notice that I have provided NOOOO active links… YA KNOW WHY??? cuz I got a new MAC and have no idea how to use it..LOL.. I am logged in through home and all these commands are coming up etc.. and I am IGNORING THEM.. YA HEAR ME MAC?  Forgive me sistahs!!!!)

So next week we will have some surprises.. would love to hear from you and will miss you LOTSNLOTSNLOTS

Mwah to da sistahs who need da COPICS

Em

Should i release a BELLA tomorrow?  hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…

whaddya thinky?

p.s. I will be in DOT heaven tomorrow posting my HEAD OFF.. so stay tuned!

Our “54 that we adore” have no magically evolved into “57 that come from heaven”… LOL

 my list is ready so some of you have emailed.. I will try my best to get it to you ASAP.. if you don’t “hear” from me by tomorrow, please email me back and I will send 🙂

mwah to da sistahs who love the numbah 57

Em

Ok sistahs, I promised and I deliver.

I LOOOVVVVVE this bag.. it is so functional and it can also house your cuttlebug folders, nestabilities etc.. the gusset is on the “CORRECT” side, so it doesn’t “constrict”  expansion.  It is clear.. it can stand on your table while you work.. the only thing it won’t do is serve you brekkie but I will work on that 🙂

I actually have the whole line of these products which are PHENOM and will try to post soon.  They are made of tent material, stands up to bad weather and honestly, is SUCH a great quality and has beautiful attention to detail.  This TOTALLY gets the Bella Stamp of APPROVAL.. LOOVE IT.  Did I mention that I love it?

 I also wanted to thank everyone for their responses regarding the Copics and I would be more than pleased to give the list.  Please email me and I will get back to you as soon as possible.  I understand that the investment is very great so what I think I will do is take my “54 that I adore” and break them up in color families.  this way you can “collect” and it doesn’t hurt the pocketbook.  I am hoping that that will help.  So here are pics of my favorite copic “tote” and I think I will continue this MYFAVORITETHING bidniss n’k?  like posting goodies I sell that I adore

[photopress image=”copicpack1.jpg”]

[photopress image=”copicpack2.jpg”]

[photopress image=”copicpack3.jpg”]

[photopress image=”copicpack4.jpg”] <—- a closeup of the detail

[photopress image=”copicpack5.jpg”] <—- now how GORGEOUS IS DAT?

[photopress image=”copicpack6.jpg”] <—- upright so you can see the colours

[photopress image=”copicpack7.jpg”] <— standing up so that it is easy to work with and pull out markers on an as-need basis

[photopress image=”copicpack8.jpg”] <— ready to boogie whenever you are!

you can find the case here

Hope you lovey it as much as I dooooo

Mwah to da sistahs who can HIDE their “alcohol” in a gorgeous dotty bag

Em

can’t really tell you what I have done but I have not STOPPED whatever it was that I was doing (note to self, see where time goes during the day)…

So it seems that da sistahs liked our tutorial on Friday so we may have to repeat it *winks*..   So I have been thinking very long and hard about DA COPIC SKETCH MARKERS… and I love them so much.. and ME + LOVING SOMETHING= DISASTER…LOL.  Soooo I have made a decision.  I will be taking special orders on copics.  Nicky and I have made a list of the “54 that we adore”… LOL (cute name, no?  THANK YOU KRISTIE!!!).. So…  this is the scoop.  The colours we have chosen, in our humble opinion (humble.. WHUSS DAT?) are from different necessary colour ranges, minimum of 2-3 of each color chosen to allow for blending and basically a comprehensive set where it doesn’t make you cry for more.. (I have cried and cried until finally I accumulated over 250 sketch markers.. YES I AM NUTS).. the colours chosen are blendable and BEEEE-UUUUUUUU-TI-FULLLLLL and pretty much foolproof once equipped with the proper tools and lessons.  We will be focusing some classes in the BOOtique on Copics and will try to teach online as well and share the love.   Ok this is SO not important BUTTTTTT I have also found THE PERFECT CASE to house 48 copics.. OMG.. IT IS PHENOM and CUTE and PINK and LUSCIOUS and AMAZING and STUNNING and I LOVE IT and and and… I will post pictures tomorrow and it will be up for sale tomorrow.

Now, I will not post the copics/price online.. it will be a special order only so bear with me and should you have any questions at all, PLEASE don’t hesitate to call me or email me… I am trying to gauge demand so please email me or comment on the blog to let me know if you would be interested in our very exclusive bella-esque list

Mwah to da sistahs who love alcohol

alcohol markers, DAT IS

Em

after 1.5 years of being a cardmaking blog/shop that it was TIME to post 1 tutorial..LOL.. ya think?  So here is DA TUTORIAL for DA WEEKEND.. make copies, share with friends, call everybody you know cuz DIS MAY BE IT.. LOL.. or at least LET US KNOW, if THIS SHOULD BE IT.. LOL!

This card is PHENOM and of course by Nicky.. The technique is called FAUX TEARING

This is what the end result is..

[photopress image=”coffeebordercard.jpg”]

now to prepare for this card

you need

low tack masking tape

ink colors of choice

stipple brushes (one per color family)

coloring medium of choice (we used Lyra Colored pencils with spirits)

Bella DOTS (but of course!)

Bella handpicked ribbon

glitter

quickie glue pen

coffee border stamp 🙂

steps

1. Tear masking tape or paper very jaggedy to create dimension on either side of the image

[photopress image=”picture1.jpg”]

2. tap stippling brush into respective inks and then swirl between the two ends of the jaggedy masking tape over the image

[photopress image=”step2coffeebordercard.jpg”]

[photopress image=”step3coffeebordercard.jpg”]

[photopress image=”step4coffeebordercard.jpg”]

3. Make sure you only stipple one color at a time and no more than three colours (Says NICKY who is sitting next to me).. or else it looks muddy/murky

4. peel off G-E-N-T-L-Y… YA HEAR ME???

[photopress image=”step5coffeebordercard.jpg”]

 do you see what I SEEEEEEE???? YUM!! Voila!  Faux Tearing!

5. Layer, Embellish and BE HAPPPY!

Nicky’s scallops were made by punching out a 1″ circle

[photopress image=”fullcircle.jpg”]

and then she cut them in half and glued under the layer

[photopress image=”halfcircle.jpg”]

and there you have it.. FAUX TEARING… CLEAR AS MUD?

[photopress image=”coffeebordercard_1.jpg”]

you likey da TUTORIAL?

if not, just write Nicky.. it’s HER fault. (LOL)

Mwah to da Sistahs who don’t need to TEAR no mo’

Em