Paper Belle Studios

April to June Projects

2011-06-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I have posted projects of my own. Here are a few cards that I recently made for family members and my dear friend, Rhonda.

I made these butterfly cards for my daughters and Rhonda:

My oldest daughter loved her Easter card so much she wanted me to make a similar insert for the music box she purchased for her friend's wedding gift:

To the right is the matching gift tag:

My Husband's Father's Day Card:
To the left is a graduation card for a friend.

To the right a sympathy card for my uncle:

And last but not least, a birthday card for my nieces first birthday:

Stampin' Bunco Projects Part III

2011-03-08T13:15:00.000-08:00

Here are the last of the projects I made at Stampin' Bunco:

Stampin' Bunco Projects Part II

2011-03-08T13:09:00.000-08:00

These were my three favorite projects of the day:

Stampin' Bunco Projects Part I

2011-03-08T12:40:00.000-08:00

I thought this was a fun little card. I gave it to my daughter to give to her friend at her birthday party this past Sunday. I thought it might be a little juvenile for an 11 year old girl but they loved it!

This card was made with one of my favorite sets from the mini catalog, Valentine Define:

This card was made using some free Sale-a-bration items:

These are the door prizes I won. The owl cone was a thank you gift.

2011-03-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

I went to an all-day event in Lynnwood, WA. These are some of the projects that were on display. Each of these first three were made using the petal cone die.

These cards were also on display:

New Baby and Anniversary Cards

2010-08-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

I have two cards to share with you today. My niece arrived over a month ago and my anniversary is coming up in October. I'm not sure if I'll actually give this card to my husband as it is a bit too feminine. But other than that, I really like how it turned out:

The anniversary card uses the Level 3 hostess set, Playful Pieces. The colors are Pear Pizzazz, Rich Razzleberry, and Rose Red.

The next card uses a retired set from last year's catalog called Out of the Box. It didn't seem to be very popular but I thought it was really cute. Plus, I've always had a thing for the Jack-in-the-box:

For the baby card I used retired DSP, Razzleberry Lemonade along with Crushed Curry, Rich Razzleberry, and Melon Mambo.

A Graduation Card for my Nephew

2010-06-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

I don't usually make or post cards with non Stampin' Up! product but I needed a graduation card in a pinch and don't own any graduation sets. So what was an easy solution?.... I purchased the Go Graduate Plus stampbrush set for My Digital Studio! And in case you didn't know it, all MDS image files can be used with other photo editing software programs such as Photo Shop.

With no time to send the project off for professional printing and my printer not being configured for Stampin' Up! colors, I just printed some sentiments, added some stickers bought from my local scrapbook store, and wallah!

To give the card a personal touch, I used the school's colors: black, silver, and purple. The graduate plays in the school's jazz band as well as with a professional group off campus. He's a very talented young man and we are quite proud of him. So for one more personal touch, I added a guitar sticker on the inside. (I'm really wishing I owned the stamp, Extreme Guitar) Guess what's going back on my wish list.

Thanks for looking,

Melissa

2010-05-27T19:26:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite project from Saturday's Summer Mini class. I used Tropical Party to create the focal image as well as the gorgeous background paper. The coconut is paper pieced while the shell was made using a faux suede technique. The stamped Shimmery White background paper comes out looking a little like shiny plastic in the photo but it's sparkly in person.

If you are viewing my blog post in an email update and are having trouble and/or would like to leave a comment, just click on my blog link at the bottom of the email message.

The New Summer Mini is Here!

2010-05-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

Wow! The time has just flown by this year! Can you believe school is out next month? That means I'm running out of time to get a stamp camp scheduled before your summer vacations start AND.... there is something scheduled on my calendar almost every weekend for the next two months. So, that leaves me only one weekend open to do a class and that is Memorial Day weekend.

If you will be in town, I'd like you to come to my Summer Mini Camp on Saturday, May 29th, from 11:00-2:00, at the Juanita Village Starbucks. Some of the things we'll be doing are the faux suede technique, making 3D scrunched flowers, making our own designer paper and using the new Smooch Spritz. The cost for this class is $20.

To register for the camp, please send your payment to me by Friday, May 14th. If you are new to my camps, just send me a quick email to melissa_canales@yahoo.com and I'll send you my payment address.

Want to earn some free stuff or get a discount on your class fee? Sign up a "new to me" friend for camp and you'll get to pick from my freebie basket (there are new/unopened stamp sets, ink pads, etc... to chose from). If you place a $50 order with me on the day of camp, I'll give you $5 off your registration fee. A $100 order will get you $10 off and hostess benefits kick in at the $150 level. Hope to see you all there!

On another note, all mini catalogs should have been delivered by now. If you are on my mini mailing list and haven't received your copy, please let me know.

Now for some fun pictures... I went to an event this weekend and saw a lot of great samples made with the new Summer Mini products. Take a look at the work of a very talented demonstrator:

Above is a full sized party banner and below is a coordinating mini banner that has been draped over a candle.

Here she made some festive table decorations, including a place card, napkin ring, and gift box.

And the last thing I have to share with you is the new project I have for your next home party. If you schedule a party with me before the end of June, look what your guests will get to make:

Flight of the Butterfly Boxed Card Set

This project makes a great gift for teachers, mothers, a friend's birthday, etc... Please let me know if you are interested in scheduling a home party!

One More Valentine Post

2010-02-14T22:51:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day with your loved one(s). We had a long, busy weekend so we stayed in today and ordered take out.

I have one final Valentine post for you. This was the box I made for the two giant Hershey bars I bought for my husband. The card was one I put together in just a couple of minutes for my oldest daughter. The two went so well together, I just had to take a photo to share with you all.

And below are a couple more photos of the two boxes I made for my girls. I decided to use Nerds as the candy for the drawers. I was prepared to empty the boxes into some small zip lock bags but two of the boxes fit perfectly. So, I just wrapped them all in coordinating paper for a nice finishing touch.

2010-02-08T21:18:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Have you finished your holiday projects yet? If not, here is a little inspiration to help get you motivated.....Enjoy!

I made a treat box for each of my daughters for Valentine's Day (one of which was also a camp project from last month). I haven't decided what's going in them for sure, probably some sour gummy candies or Nerds. Those are always a big hit with my girls!

The boxes are made using 3 cuts of the drawer on the Matchbox die. The hinges are also from this same die. I used Chocolate Chip Taffeta for the ribbon closure.

I used the Sending Love Specialty paper on both boxes. The designer paper as well as the flower brads on this box can be found in the Occasions mini.

The following "half cut shape card" uses the Mover's and Shaper's die along with the heart shaped window die. This technique is a very simple way to make a quick and easy Wow card.

This is the card front.

When you pull the left and right sides of the card it opens up to this:

Here is one more version. This card was also a camp project.

And if you aren't too tired of looking at Valentine's, this is a little card I made last year. It is one of my favorites. The envelope is made using the Scalloped Envelope die.

2010-02-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

This darling little gift created for a neighbor was another project from my January camp. The carrier holds four milk cartons that can contain all kinds of little goodies, like gold fish crackers, decorative office supply items such as paper clips, push pins, binder clips, etc., and of course everyone's favorite.... candy or chocolate.

To make this little treasure I used the new, totally cute Mini Milk Carton die, Pinking Hearts Border Punch, Good Neighbor designer paper (the images are cut out from the DSP and mounted on the Bashful Blue card stock) as well as, the Mini Tag Punch, Tiny Tags stamp set, mini binder clips, Bashful Blue satin ribbon, and Kraft taffeta ribbon. Hope you like it.

Please feel free to leave comments on my blog. I truly enjoy reading them! Thanks for looking!

January Camp Project

2010-01-28T22:40:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,

Sunday's camp unfortunately had to be canceled but hopefully you will enjoy this little peak of one of the projects I had planned for you. If there is enough interest, I would like to reschedule the class for sometime in early March. Please email me at energizerbunny67@hotmail.com if you are interested in attending.

This card features the new Sweet Pea designer series paper, Sweet Pea stitched felt, Jewelry Tag punch, Tiny Tags stamp set, Lots of Tags sizzlet die, chipboard owl from the So Tweet collection and a little piece of felt ribbon from last year. You can find the ribbon on sale in the clearance section of my online store for a great price!

Family Christmas Card

2009-12-29T00:35:00.000-08:00

With the holidays behind us it is time to look forward to a new year and some new products from Stampin' Up! But before I get into what is new, I'd like to share the Christmas card I made for our extended family this year. Since I forgot to snap some pictures of the cards before sending them off to the post office, I am sharing with you a slightly stepped up version which went out to a dear friend of mine in Texas. The bow on this card was too big for standard post so I left it off and stamped Peace on Earth in Real Red in it's place. I also ended up using the Perfect Details embossing plate on the tree instead of the Petals-a-Plenty embossing folder used here. The deeper embossing by the folder made the tree a little hard to work with.

Now on to some Great News! In case you haven't heard, Stampin' Up! has been busy making some improvements to some of their products ........

New Clear-Mount Rubber Stamps by Stampin' Up!

Over the past few years, there has been enormous demand from demonstrators and customers alike for a line of repositionable clear-mount rubber stamps. Well, you asked for it, and now you have it! Starting with stamps in the 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog and the 2010 Sale-A-Bration Brochure, Stampin' Up! now offers our exclusive stamp art in both traditional wood-mount, and the new clear-mount option.

Our new clear-mount rubber stamps are the result of extensive research with the intent to maintain the very best image quality in the stamping industry, while at the same time offering the ease-of-use and storability inherent in repositionable clear-mount rubber stamps.

Clear-Mount Rubber Stamp Features

Nine different sizes of clear blocks available individually or as a discounted bundle.
Blocks have ergonomic grooves on all four sides for easy grip and traditional wood-mount feel.
Stamps and blocks are durable and easy to clean with your Stampin' Scrub and Stampin' Mist.
Optional image labels on stamp backs let you decide if you want to see the image through the block or not.
Tight die-cutting for easy image positioning.
Large clear blocks can be used to create collages or spell words with alphabet sets.
Stamps store easily in standard, DVD-type cases with artwork on front and spine, making organization easy.

Another great improvement involves our punches......

New Punch Design

Starting with the new 2010 Occasions Mini Catalog and continuing with all new punch designs going forward, Stampin' Up! has adopted a new body style for our punches!

A few features of the new punch style:

Low-profile, rectangular punch body allows for easier stacking and storing
Punches lock shut for easier storage and transport
Dual labels on top and end allow for easy identification and selection when stored
Available in three sizes: small, medium, and extra-large
New punches allow for larger punched images and more intricate designs while providing greater ease of use.

Extra -large punch images also allow for two-step designs like the Two-Step Bird punch in the Occasions Mini Catalog

Corner punches allow you to punch a corner design along the inside edges of a page, not just corners
larger, whole-hand handle design provides better leverage for easier use
Available in an exclusive Stampin' Up! color

Part of Stampin' Up!'s commitment to providing customers with the very best crafting tools includes the belief in what we call continuous improvement. Essentially what this means is that even if something works very well, but we see a chance to improve it, we will work to make it even better. While new punch designs will be in the new body style, existing designs will remain in the existing body style for now.

For those of you on my mailing list, the Occasions Mini and Sale-a-bration catalogs should be arriving in your mailboxes soon! Please send me an email if you would like to be added to the mailing list: melissa_canales@yahoo.com.

Upcoming events will be announced soon!

12 Days of Christmas Sale

2009-12-11T19:36:00.000-08:00

12 Days of Holiday Sales Begin Today!

December 11, 2009

These might be the most exciting 12 days of December with select Big Shot dies and vinyl sheets for the Big Shot on sale! The 12 Days of Holiday Sales begin today and runs through December 22.

Some of the items introduced in this sale are new colors of Décor Elements vinyl sheets. There are 18 new colors to choose from, and they make great projects when you use them with Big Shot dies. Consider pairing the Clear Décor Elements vinyl sheets with the Tulipe Bigz die to create an etched-like design on a vase. Or use the Decorative Accent Bigz dies with the Old Olive Décor Element vinyl sheets to enhance a frame. The combination of Big Shot dies and Décor Elements vinyl sheets is sure to take your creativity to a new level!

If you'd like to make a purchase, please visit my Website and click on the Shop Now button in the upper right corner. Then to the left of the screen you will see a list of links and the "12 Days of Holiday Sales" is right at the top. Here's what is on sale:

3-D Ball Pop-Up Bigz Xl Die

Price: $29.96

5 Point 3-D Star

Price: $16.96

Bashful Blue Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Basic Gray Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Baskets & Blooms Stampin’ Up! Bigz Xl Die

Price: $31.96

Big Bold Cupcakes Stampin’ Up! Sizzlits 4-Pack Dies

Price: $18.66

Bird W/Leaves & Flowers Bigz Die

Price: $16.96

Black Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Build A Flower Set #2 Sizzlits Die 4-Pack

Price: $16.96

Certainly Celery Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Chalkboard Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $11.21

Cherry Blossom Stampin’ Up! Embosslits Die

Price: $8.96

Chocolate Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Circle 3-D Ornament

Price: $16.96

Clear Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Dark Gray Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Decorative Accent Bigz Die

Price: $15.96

Flower Bigz Clear Die

Price: $15.96

Flower Burst Stampin’ Up! Embosslits Die

Price: $8.96

Flower Layers Originals Die

Price: $13.56

Flower Layers W/Leaf Bigz Die

Price: $16.96

Fringed Flower Bigz Die

Price: $15.96

Gable Green Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Hearts Set Sizzlits Die 4-Pack

Price: $16.96

Hi Stampin’ Up! Embosslits Die

Price: $8.96

Kraft Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Matchbox Stampin’ Up! Bigz Xl Die

Price: $36.51

Night Of Navy Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Old Olive Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Pennant Stampin’ Up! Bigz Xl Die

Price: $29.96

Perfect Setting Stampin’ Up! Bigz Xl Die

Price: $32.21

Pixie Pink Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Pretty In Pink Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Pumpkin Pie Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Real Red Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Rose Red Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Sahara Sand Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

So Saffron Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Sweetest Stem Stampin’ Up! Embosslits Die

Price: $8.96

Taken With Teal Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Tempting Turquoise Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Thanks Stampin’ Up! Embosslits Die

Price: $8.96

Three Tier Cake Pop-Up Bigz Xl

Price: $29.96

Timeless Type Alphabet Junior Stampin’ Up! Sizzlits Die

Price: $59.96

Tulipe Stampin’ Up! Bigz Die

Price: $16.46

Two Tags Stampin’ Up! Bigz Die

Price: $18.66

White Décor Elements Vinyl Sheets

Price: $9.71

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of Halloween cards for you today. On both of these cards the skull was embossed in black embossing powder, heat set and then sponged on the inside with frost white shimmer paint.

Below is a close up of the heat embossing and the shimmer paint....

and one more variation of the previous card......

Thanks for looking! Have a safe and fun Halloween!

My First 'My Digital Studio' Upload andLast Call for the Christmas Card Class

2009-10-29T18:38:00.000-07:00

Stampin' Up! is providing demonstrators with training and the opportunity for certification in the use of the new My Digital Studio software. One of the things I have to do to get certified is make and purchase a project. I had actually spent a couple of days on a very nice brochure but wasn't able to submit it for printing as single pages are not yet available. With the deadline looming, I had to come up with something else fast. This card took me only a few minutes to complete. Very simple!

On another note, registration for my Christmas card class is closing in just two days! If you would like to attend (and I haven't heard from you already) please send me an email and let me know. If you missed the announcement, I am holding this class on two separate days: Thursday, Nov. 5th from 10:30-1:30 and Saturday, Nov. 7th from 1:30-4:30 at the Juanita Village Starbucks. Here is sneak peak of two more of the projects we'll be doing...

....I'm afraid my camera just doesn't pick up all of the little details - like the richness of the designer paper and the dry embossed dots on the Bashful Blue card stock. This Season of Joy card above was taken from the Idea Book & Catalog.

Again, with this Berry Christmas card the dry embossing looks subtle in the photo and it's really quite intense and beautiful. You simply must see these cards in person to appreciate them fully.

Time to Make Some Christmas Cards!

2009-10-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

My Christmas card camp is right around the corner! Class dates: Nov. 5th, 10:30-1:30 and Nov. 7th 1:30-4:30. We'll be making six cards, two of which are shown below. The cost for this class is $20, payable in advance. Registration deadline is October 30th. Please notify me by email (energizerbunny67@hotmail.com) if you'd like to register and I'll send you the payment address if needed. Thank you!

Inspiration for this snow globe card came from
the back cover of the Holiday Mini Catalog.

This card uses the designer series paper,
Christmas Cocoa, and the darling new single stamp set, Dasher,
which can be found in the back of the main catalog.
Inspiration for this card card came from Nancy Riley.

Don't forget to check my website tomorrow (Monday) morning for the new deal of the week!

My Digital Studio 50% Off, New Deals of the Week, and My Upcoming Classes!

2009-10-13T08:57:00.000-07:00

Current Promotion Details

Don't forget about the Clearance Rack in my Stampin' Up! Online Store

Upcoming Classes

I am having a holiday card making camp on Thursday, Nov. 5th from 10:30-1:30 for you stay at home moms/weekend college students and again on Saturday, Nov. 7th from 1:30-4:30.

Come get a jump start on those holiday cards! We'll be making six Christmas cards using various sets from both the Holiday Mini Catalog and the Idea Book and Catalog. The cost for this camp is estimated to be $18. I will have the cost nailed down by the registration deadline, October 30th. Seating is limited!

Sign up a (new to me) friend to come with you and you'll get to draw from my prize bag! For those who attend, I will have the projects for my next two camps on display. Please email me if you are interested in attending either of these dates:
melissa_canales@yahoo.com

My Digital Studio is Coming.............

2009-09-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

Holiday Mini Catalog

2009-09-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

I have been looking in my mailbox everyday this month expecting to see my extra copies of the new Holiday Mini catalog and everyday all I find are bills and junk mail. I determined it was time to look into the situation but the only thing I was able to find out for sure is that my order never went through. I don't really know what happened there, sorry ladies.

I did want to let you all know that I'll be picking up some copies of the catalogs on Monday from a fellow demonstrator who has so graciously come to my rescue. Yeah, thank you Tessa! I'm also posting a link here on my blog to the PDF version of the catalog for you to look at while you are waiting. I don't know about you but looking at the catalog online just isn't the same.

Melissa

Just Buzzin' Buy Workshop

2009-08-19T21:44:00.000-07:00

I'm offering the Just Buzzin' By workshop for only a few more weeks. If you would like to host a workshop in your home, please contact me to set up a date. Don't know what a workshop is? Just invite some of your friends over for a fun evening of stamping and socializing; I bring the projects, you supply the guests and refreshments. In return for hosting the workshop you earn free stamps and accessories based on the orders taken in that night. And for a limited time Stampin' Up! is offering the following promotion:

Sweet Rewards Hostess Promotion

Earn even more free products with our limited-time hostess offer!

Through November 30, get My Digital Studio 50% off--a savings of nearly $40--when you host a $400 workshop!

Or choose any one item* from the Holiday 2009 Mini Catalog for just $10 when you host a $250 workshop.

Make plans today to host your own Stampin' Up! workshop and enjoy this sweet reward.

*Offer does not include My Digital Studio or hostess sets

Just for Kids... and the Kid in You

2009-08-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

From August 1–31, get a FREE package of Designer buttons—a $7.95 value—when you spend $35 on stamp sets in the Growing Up section of the catalog or my Online Store.

They Grow Up So Fast.....Track your children's growth with the limited-time Décor Elements^™ Growth Chart, now on sale for just $24.95. But hurry—it's only available through September 30!

Country Living Summer Cookout Kit - 40% Off!

The Country Living Summer Cookout Kit gives you everything you need to hold a fantastic summer party, including:

Creative invitations
Fun food wrappers
Customizable coasters
And more!

Now only $14.95 (refill $9.95), the Country Living Summer Cookout Kit will ensure your summer party is a hit. Available through August 31, or while supplies last.

Look Here Country Wedding Gift Card Holder

2009-07-06T22:46:00.000-07:00

I am just loving the new Big Shot Die, "Look Here". I made this gift card using the new die for my sister's wedding this weekend. Since she requested a gift card to Lowe's, I needed a way to jazz up the presentation.

The designer paper I used is retired. I chose it because of the gingham print. She is having a country wedding and the tables are covered in red gingham picnic cloths.

Retro Treasure Chests

2009-04-23T16:45:00.001-07:00

These cute little boxes are made using the Matchbox die from the Occasions Mini, some card stock, ribbon, chipboard and a few rhinestone brads. That's it! Super easy and super cute!

First Post Test

2009-04-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

This is my first post. It's just a test so nothing too exciting. I wanted a way to showcase our Decor Elements and thought the best way would be on something portable. So I decided to put some on my laptop.