New Month, New Challenges~

We have over 200 members now at Bella Creations, all of whom will have the chance to win fabulous RAK's by entering the April Challenges. This month's Tres Chic Style challenge is 'Grunge' with turquoise, silver, metal and painted cardboard. Here is the 12x12" layout I designed~

This page is called Last First, as the photos were taken on the first day of my daughter's senior year~ her last first day of high school. I used Adirondack Paint to stamp in the uper & lower corners. I also used silver ink to stamp 'enjoy the journey'. The smaller photo is double matted and mounted on foam dots to elevate it.The fabulous embossed metal strip was made for me by a dear friend. The brown shape next to the photos is the high school mascot, an American Indian head. I always put items representing my daughter's personality and likes on her pages. She loves Peets tea so my painted cardboard is a cup sleeve. I added her initial, and the butterfly fit perfectly on this LO because her word for her senior year is 'evoluer'! (evolve,change,grow like a caterpillar to butterfly). I also used discarded gum wrappers to punch tiny silver hearts....Miss R chews gum everyday! LOL~

There is a quote by O.W.Holmes written on the edges saying, "A person's mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains it's original dimensions."

Rogue Redhead Designs is offering a sweet set of stamps for a random winner. Come play!

Spring Has Sprung~

I really know Spring is here when Trader Jos starts selling Daffodils in bunches. You can find them in baskets or bins, wrapped simply with a rubber band. They are such a steal....$1.29 for a vase full of sunshine! I take them home, cut off the ends and pop them in water. Within 72 hours they reveal their beaming yellow faces~

ahhhh, simple pleasures.....

Help Stephen say Thank you~

Stephen's cards~

I just read about a ten year old boy's efforts to say Thank You to every active duty service member in our military. Fifth grader, Stephen Goodman of Arizona, has a goal to send 180,000 thank you cards. Want to help? Donations are being accepted from anyone who would like to create handmade thank you cards on Stephen’s behalf. For every five cards sent to Bazzill, the maker will be entered into a drawing to win two FREE tickets to the last Creative Escape 2011 (travel and accommodations, not included). Cards must be received by July 1, 2011. Click here to download and fill out the entry form. Mail it along with the cards to: Stephen’s Thank You Card Project/Bazzill Basics Paper, 7001 W. Erie St., Ste. 2, Chandler, AZ 85226.  Can't wait to get started on my donation!

I'm A Little Teapot~

I never made an ATC until last weekend. I made this to participate in the ATC Challenge hosted by the Oh La La Group at Bella Creations. This particular challenge uses a background and image from Bella Creation's sponsor Gecko Galz. I printed out the background stripe, as well as the black & white girl image. Then I added a tiny 3D awning made with graphic45 Flight Of Fancy and trimmed in Spiced Marmalade Stickles. I colored the girl's dress with Distress Ink Broken China, and cut off the teapot lid to give her a hat! I used Hero Arts 'Paris' stamps to make the sentiment, and voila! My first ATC~

Perfect Pearls, Embossing Ink and Water~

I learned a couple of things watching this tutorial. I have not used Perfect Pearls yet, and I have only used embossing ink to heat emboss! Also, cool idea to spritz your Ink Blending Tool with water~

Erin Go Bragh~

I love seasonal traditions and feel like a kid at heart when I get out the Christmas decorations, bake Anise Cookies for Valentine's Day, or hang the St. Patrick's Day hand towels in the kitchen and bathrooms. We have a few other traditions on March 17; we place the Leprechaun Trap my daughter made in first grade in a prominent spot to entice any wayward leprechauns. Over the years, we've found a green button, a wee piece of a jacket, and a tiny note left there by an escapee! I also bake up several loaves of authentic Irish Soda Bread and Treacle Farls. This much used recipe for White Soda Bread comes from a 1996 issue of Bon Appetit Magazine. You only need 4 ingredients~
3 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used unbleached)
2 TB caraway seeds (optional, I go without)
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425 F. Lightly flour baking sheet. Mix flour, seeds, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix in enough buttermilk to form moist clumps. Gather dough into a ball. Turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead until dough holds togehter, about 1 minute. Shape dough into a 6 inch diameter by 2 inch high round. Place on prepared baking sheet. Cut a large x across the top of the bread, about 1 inch deep. Bake until golden brown, about 35 minutes. Bread will sound hollow when tapped on bottom. Cool on rack. So simple! Your kitchen will smell heavenly, and you will have a delicious loaf without all the kneading and rising  yeasted breads require.

Date Day~

My husband and I decided to visit the charming area of Old Towne Orange, with it's central Plaza Park, which has been a gathering place for residents and visitors for more than a century. This area has the largest Registered Historic District in California. It is a popular location for film and tv production too. There are antique shops, art galleries, an Army Navy Store, boutiques & restaurants. We started off by going into Tea Leaf Cottage on Glassell.

Lots of linens, dishes, jewelry and home decor to be discovered here. I found a chair I liked and it had a pillow on it with the perfect sentiment!

I browsed through some ephemera and saw vintage 'Merit Cards' with students and teachers names on them. Next, we headed over to Jalapenos for Mexican food. This place was hopping at 12:30. We placed our order at the counter, then found a comfy booth to sit and enjoy our food, salsa and beverages. The clientele was a happy mix of businessmen, college students, and couples.

We headed up the block to the intersection of Glassell Street and Chapman Avenue; here is the 'Circle', around which motorists pass the central fountain dedicated in 1937. We walked over to the fountain and sat in the sun to people watch and enjoy the weather...it was gorgeous out!

Refreshed, we continued south on Glassell to Paris In A Cup. I defy you to walk past this shop! It is charming on the outside, but wait until you get inside!

Yes, you read right...the window says Tea Salon, Market, and Chocolates! There are toile covered tables with umbrellas out front, and a doormat at the entrance that says Bonjour. Let's go inside!

My sweet, accomodating husband gave me plenty of time to look around and asked if there was anything I wanted to buy. There was SO much to see, and I knew I would be heading home with some delicious tea as soon as I saw the selection.

The owner has small clear jars with removable lids so you can see and smell the tea before purchasing. I chose Harney and Son's new PARIS which is a fruity black tea with vanilla and caramel, and a hint of bergamont. They also carry Kousmichoff teas; I love drinking Kusmi Troika in the afternoon. If you have yet to try loose leaf tea you are missing out! There is something for everybody, and it is simple to prepare a good 'cuppa'. Don't settle for tea 'crumbs' in bags dunked in lukewarm water...blech! Full afternoon tea and lunch is served in the elegant Tea Room here. I plan to return with my daughter for a gracious teatime experience, but for now we were full. So, I spoke with the cashier and asked to take photos of their charming gift and home decor displays. There are adorable Eiffel Tower themed items, soaps, candles, books, and chocolates.

Loved the necklaces and pins! Reasonable prices and unique gifts~

Everything was displayed so nicely~

I loved the chic paper napkins with the Eiffel Tower on them. Wouldn't those be nice for a casual brunch where you serve Quiche Lorraine?

Imagine the aroma! Mmmm, chocolate! Considering I had been a good girl and walked 4 miles the day before with my friend Stephanie, I did not want to undo the good we had done. So, I admired the view but grabbed my husband's hand and headed back to the car. It was a fun day.

This Week~

This is my DT submission for the Bella Creations Tres Chic Challenge, which is a 'style' challenge. We were asked to use a ticket, metal, vintage theme and navy & khaki color scheme. I added sheer ribbon, cardboard and a heart stick pin, as well as a Graphic 45 teapot image. The Challenge runs to the end of March and has a wonderful RAK~ see post below!
I also played around with two punches and fabric this week. I decided to punch shapes in a tag, then cover the punched opening with fabric. Next, I backed the fabric with a larger second tag so the fabric was sandwhiched in the middle. On my first try, I used plain muslin behind the punched shape. I used pencil and chalk to color the leaf.

 My Distress Inks were calling my name...yooohoo! LOL~ So for the next tag I used my Mini Misters and ink.

I punched a teapot (what else?), inked the tag, then quick dried it with my Ranger Heat It Craft Tool. This time around I used a small floral fabric which reminded me of a chintz pot.

I completed the tag with bakery string, a Verve Stamps sentiment and red ribbon. What punch shapes do you have that this technique would work with? It only takes a small amount of fabric and it gives the tag a cool tactile effect.

Coming In April~

Cool! Look what is coming to stores in April. Fun video, too. I think this would be great for my daughter when she starts college in the Fall!

Voila....viola!~

About this post's title...I could not resist the word play! My Group at Bella Creations is called Voila, Ink! We have over 60 members and share inking and stamping techniques, methods, and tips. I have the best time trying new things and sharing my results with the members, and it is so much fun to be cheerleaders, if not 'enablers', for each other! LOL~ The March Unique Challenge at Bella Creations is to use "spotlighting" or colorization of a black & white image. This is one I could sink my teeth into! haha. I gathered ink, punches, my Zig H2O pen and a stamp to try out this color technique.

I watched this Spotlighting with a punch tutorial before I started. (Bless our men & women in uniform!)
I stamped the viola on Krome Kote with waterproof Archival ink. Then I stamped the viola a second time on a smaller piece of paper. Next, I used a square punch to remove a portion of the second image. I used the Zig H2O pen and Distress Ink to color the punched portion, then matted it in black Bazzill. Then I attached the punched section to the bigger main image with foam dots. I embellished with ribbon, used a Martha Stewart punch on the corners, and stamped a sentiment on an oval punch. Voila!

This coloring method is striking! I think I am going to try it again soon. And something I will be using regularly while experimenting with ink will be the Distress Ink chart shared with me by Pcgirl over at Scrapbook.com. Laurie made a funny LO about her obsession, I mean appreciation of, T!m Holtz inks. I can relate. I already printed out a copy for myself and stamped it with the ink in my collection....and NO, I do not have every color...yet!