Bella Blvd. = Baby Bliss!

It's a fun week week for us designers at Core'dinations Cardstock because we've had the chance to team up with the fabulous designers at Bella Blvd., to share some over the top creations and inspiration on both the Core and Bella blogs!  I'll just say, it's insane how wonderfully these two companies compliment one another, and I'm sure you'll all agree! 

That's right, be sure to check out all the posts at both blogs this week (and go back to check out Monday and today's as well).  There are opportunities to win some great Core and Bella Blvd. products so don't miss out!

For today I designed this baby card featuring Core Essentials and Whitewash paired with the adorable Baby Boy collection from Bella Blvd.  

This baby collection also has fun chipboard and sticker elements to match (take note of that sweet baby giraffe!).  And did you know Bella Blvd. now has their own Washi tape?  They do!! Swoon!! For this card I used some of the cool yellow chevron designer paper tape and I created some super cool alphas by applying some of the tape to a scrap of Core cardstock and then cutting them out using my Cricut. 

I used the Lyrical Letters Cricut cart - Jack Sprat font and cut my letters out at 3/4"... on the Core blog post I had said they were 1/2" letters, but they are 3/4"... sorry! 

Anyway, I only used one row of tape, but you could also line several strips together on top of one another and cut out larger alphas as well!

For this card I also folded some of the paper tape into tabs and used them on the neck of the giraffe diecut which was cut from some yellow WhiteWash Core. I embossed my giraffe die cut (Cricut New Arrival cart - cut at 6") with a Sissix animal print folder, sanded the spots and then went in and added some extra brown tones with a Ranger ink pad and the Ranger blending tool.   This really adds visual interest and texture to the die cut! 

Other product used here:

Core Essentials in green from the Nostalgia pack.

Bella Blvd. Simply Simona Orange Sophisticates Ciao Chipboard alphas.

Bella Blvd. Baby Boy Chipboard and stickers.

Bella Blvd. Baby Boy, Wild About You paper.

Martha Stewart Fringe scissors.

Bakers Twine from The Twinery.

Black pearls by Kaiser.

 

That's all I've got for now, but please remember to come back and visit the Core and Bella Blvd. blogs each day this week... you won't want to miss a thing!  Enjoy! 

Today I Want To Celebrate

Today is not one of my usual upbeat blog posts.  Please excuse me, and if you'd rather not read about my grief today, you may just want to by-pass the rest of the post... sorry!  See today is one of those days I'd love to be celebrating, but I'm finding it hard to even crack a smile.  I'd love to have balloons, some presents, a fabulous girlie pink cake and I'd LOVE to help blow out 4 big candles on top of that cake!  Rather I am here at home pondering what I should do with myself today.  I could be at work, but instead I took the day off... for Amelia's 4th Birthday.  But why?  She's not here.  Only me.  I tell myself I am taking off for her Birthday but the real reason is because I simply can't stand the idea of caring for and spending an entire day with a classroom of "4 year olds" and Amelia not being one of them... afterall, today is HER day!  So for right now I sit here crying, and missing her completely.  Sometimes I wonder just how much hurt my heart can possibly endure before I fall apart into a million pieces. 

So for today, I am going to celebrate with Amelia the only way I know that I can... by remembering her.  Just like I do every single moment of every day. I remember her strength and how much fight she had in her wee little body.  At only 18 weeks she lived and breathed for 45 minutes.  I remember her teenie little wimper of a cry when she came into the world.  She gave us a beautiful kitten like wimper that was a joy to my ears. Just as with Ava, we were not expecting to hear them cry... but both of them did.  I will never forget the precious sound of either. I remember holding her in my arms and to my heart... and loving on her with utter passion.  That passion has not gone away and never will.  I remember kissing her sweet little nose... the one that was shaped just like her daddy's and her sister Ava's noses.  And I too remember kissing her Good-Bye and surrendering her over to the arms of her Heavenly Father.  Amelia is my Angel baby... one of my greatest miracles from God. I want to share her life... no matter how brief.  I want to celebrate her!

Amelia,  I can only imagine how wonderfully lavished and loved you are up in Heaven. It's difficult for me to comprehend that you could possibly be loved any more than you would be if you were here with me.  How could anyone love you more than I do?  One day I'll be able to clearly see and to understand, and then I can eternally celebrate with you, and reminisce on all your Birthdays!  Happy 4th Birthday, my sweet daughter... mommy's sweet little Angel for all my life!  I Love You completely to infinity!

Core Blog Hop with Peachy Keen!

Are you  ready for some mid-week fun and inspiration from your favorite cardstock brand?  Look no further... you have come to the perfect spot.  A few designers here with Core'dinations have teamed up with some Peachy Keen Stamps designers to bring you a blog hop full inspiration, so put in a load of laundry, grab your favorite drink and spend some hopping time with us! You know you want to, lol!  And this is a 2 day hop so please do visit us again on Thursday. 

Sooo, let's get started!  You will want to make sure you hit every blog along the way, and may I add, there are giveaways up for grabs!  So here's a complete list of our first day's installment...

Day 1
Core blog: http://www.coredinations.com/index.php/cat...scrapbook-blog/
Nikki Foraker http://scrappinnavywife.blogspot.com
Andrea Amu http://imlivinonscraps.blogspot.com/     *YOU ARE HERE*
Michelle Criswell http://www.scrappinwithmybug.com
April Derrick http://memoryvilla.com/blog/
Leanne Garner http://www.createdbyLeanne.blogspot.com
Debbie Standard http://debbiestandard.blogspot.com/
Raven Baca http://love4stamps.blogspot.com

Today for the hop I'd love to share with you a card set that I created using some way cute stamps that I got to play with in our swap with Peachy Keen stamps.  I had the chance to use an adorable collection called, Bee Happy (PK-244).  I designed two different cards using these super adorable bees...

Aren't they just so stinkin' sweet? 

Tons of other cool product went into making these cards.  Of course I cut out those beehives with my Cricut Expression using the Walk In My Garden cartridge.  Just too perfect for those bees.

Absolutely no patterned paper was used for these designs... strictly Core'dinations cardstock and tons of embossing!  The yellow beehive and the yellow background on the second card is Core Impressions Basic Grey Whimsy cardstock in the "Simon" embossed pattern.  The kraft background and kraft colored beehive is the Heritage Kraft (GX-3100-09) from the Graphic 45 Signature Series Core collection.  The cool hexagon embossing on the kraft was created by using the " So Trendy " Spellbinder's M-Bossabilities folder. 

The paper flowers on these are all from the Petaloo Core Color-Matching Series.  I used the larger Camelia flowers in Tulip Yellow and the Mini florals in Mantis Green and Tangerine.  I added some fine pastel yellow glitter to the centers of all the florals.  All the ribbons here are from May Arts Ribbon.  I used some Grosgrain ric rac in orange and Chevron twill ribbon in both yellow and lime green. 

Here are some more closeup photos...

To make the bees I stamped the images onto the backside of some Snowflake (GX-FB010) Core Essentials with a Jet Black Staz-On ink pad.  All the colors to the bees were added using Spectrum Noir markers from Crafter's Companion!  Love those markers... similar performance and impact as Copics, but very reasonably priced.  On the wings I also added a touch of Sugar Shimmer Fairy Dust glitter from Donna Salazar.  After stamping the images, I cut out around each bee, but I cut off the antennae and if you look close, you can see I added my own with some May Arts black Burlap Twine.  I poked a small hole in each bee head and inserted two pieces each of the twine into the holes.  I secured the twine from the back with some double stick adhesive and then I tied knots at the end of each piece of twine.  It was so much fun to create with and embellish these stamped images.  To complete these cards all I had left to do was adhere the bees to the cards with some foam sqaures for added dimension. 

Well, I do hope that my cards were Buzz-Worthy enough, bwaha-haa!  Get it?  Buzzz... bees?!  Okay, I'm finished, lol!  But you are not... still more stops along the way!  Next you will want to be sure to go to visit,  Michelle Criswell http://www.scrappinwithmybug.com .

Enjoy and remember to come by again tomorrow, June 7th for more creativity with Core cardstock and Peachy Keen stamps.