Rhonda's Design Haven

Babies GALORE!

There has been an outbreak of pregnancies around me lately...I hope it's not contagious, lol!  Two of my cousin's wives are due in October and my daughter's preschool teacher is also just a couple of months along.  I had made a "just in case someone gets pregnant" card last spring but no one did and then...BAM...I needed three of them:)  I decided to use the same design but change the colors and of course I made one extra to have on hand, just in case!  All of the details can be found here on my post from a year ago.

This one is pretty in pink (designer paper from the hostess Prints Pack) and mellow moss.

This one is almost amethyst (designer paper from last springs Palette o' Prints) and so saffron.

This one is real red (designer paper from hostess Prints Pack) and old olive.

Tiny Bubbles..

The day that I got this image from Teri I had it colored but I never got around to making it into a card.  As I was looking at it I realized that I could make it into the Ways to Use it Challenge from last week to use basic gray (since my bathtub was gray).  This is quickly becoming one of my favorite colors as it goes with almost every color. 

The image is colored using prismas and gamsol.  Then I went over the water and bubbles with diamond Stickles.  IRL, this card REALLY shimmers:)!  I started with a 5 x 5 basic gray base.  Then I took a square of pretty in pink and ran it through my Cuttlebug with the bubbles embossing folder and matted it to black.  I punched out the corners of the main image with the ticket corner punch and then matted it to bashful blue, black and basic gray.  Soft Subtles brads were added to three of the corners.  I punched out a scallop circle using SU's scallop punch.  I went around the scallops with the smallest hand held circle punch to create a lace look.  A white circle was punched out with the 1 3/8" circle punch.  I stamped "Chilax" from High Hopes in the middle and doodled around the edges.  I closely cut a black circle around the white one.  Finally, I tied a bow with a piece of pink taffeta ribbon and attached it with a glue dot.

Bella RAK

I have been receiving so many RAK's in the mail lately I thought I better get stampin' and mail some more out myself.  I had this layout with the black and red in my head all week and then decided...what better stamp to use to send to a stamper than stamping bella!  I was at Michael's yesterday and saw this red polka dot ribbon and thought, PERFECT!!  I once again took the guard off my corner rounder punch to make the scallops along the bottom and blew the dust off my spiral punch!

I have had so much fun lately...spending my birthday money!!!  The first thing I bought was....The CUTTLEBUG:)!!!!  Yippee...FINALLY!!!  I then ordered a bunch of embossing folders from allthatscraps.com and scrappinggreatdeals.com. THEN...while I was ordering I thought I might as well get the...Lime green Crop-a-dile!!!  It is so cute, I can't wait to get it (just realized it will match my cuttlebug...very important to have co-ordinating stamping accessories you know:)!!!  I also bought a Marvy Giga Scalloped Circle Punch (another FINALLY), stickles and primas.  Now I can start stalking the mailman!  Expect my projects to really improve once these all arrive!!

You grow girl...

I finally have had some time to create something new!!  I've had some new Bellas and the small oval stamp from A Muse for DAYS *wink* and haven't had time to do anything with them.!   How did I survive...hehehe!  The patterned paper is another one of Stampin' Up's new designs in the Palette o'Prints collection.  I love how they look using paper piercing for the bellas outfits and accessories.  I have been loving all of the cards that Amy Rysavy has been making with her oval stamps so I had to get me some!!  I think I will be using it A LOT.  For the flower, I used the daisy punch and the Spring Bouquet Flower punch, layered them and attached them to the tag with a soft subtle brad.  I bent them up to look more 3D.   The image was colored with Soft Subtle markers.

So if you haven't heard...May 1st, Stampin' Up's retirement list came out.  We have only 2 more months to get the sets off the list that we love before they are gone!  As a demonstrator I cannot use these sets to demo any more and some of them I will miss dearly for using at classes.  Amongst my favorites were In Full Bloom, Cheesecloth and French Script backgrounds (oh say it isn't so!), Baby First's, Fishy Friends and In the Wild.  HOWEVER...this was the biggest retirement list that they have ever announced and that can only mean one thing....LOTS of new stamps!!!  (I am going to have to get a second job!)

Stamp sets:  Preggabella and sentiment by Stamping Bella, Small oval by A Muse, Hot to Dot wheel

Cardstock:  Apricot appeal, Certainly Celery, black, white, Palette o' Prints

Accessories:  SS markers, daisy punch, Spring Bouquet flower punch, ticket corner punch, round tab punch, word window punch, color spritzer, black marker, SS brads

Palette O' Prints

Here is a sneak peak at some of the double sided designer series papers that will be in the new Stampin' Up catalogue in July!  I was so excited to get my Palette O' Prints in the mail today!!!  They come in four colors:  so saffron, rose red, certainly celery and almost amethyst with several designs of each color.  There are (48) 6 x 6 sheets in all.  In the month of May, customers can order this collection of papers for only $13.50 when they purchase $50CAN of merchandise OR if you host a workshop in May and your workshop totals $600 or more, you get it for FREE!!  If you are interested in hosting a workshop, please give me a call and we will arrange a date!  These papers will be available in the Fall and Winter Collection catalogue but will be sold separately so this will be the only chance to get this neat little sampler.

For this bella card, I used beachabella and used two of the designer series papers for the towel and basket.  This was the first time that I tried paper piercing and it turned out alright!  Her bathing suit was colored with a so saffron marker and the stripes were drawn in using a black marker.  Simple shapes stamp set was used to create the geometric looking background on the saffron cardstock and for the faux brads on the patterened paper.

If you haven't heard about my bella blog candy....scroll a few posts down and leave me a comment!!  Draw is on Saturday!

Giftabella

Love these bellas!!! If you don't have any yet, check out my blog candy below!!  I colored her with an aquapainter and reinkers.  The scallops were done taking the guard off my corner rounder punch and the eyelets were set using the crop-o-dile.  I really didn't realize what an amazing thing the crop-o-dile is (I'm a little slow on that one) until my mom bought one last weekend.  I'm in LOVE!! I almost never used my eyelets because I usually only stamp while the kids are sleeping.  With this there is NO noise!! Yipee...my birthday is in 2 weeks, I'm putting it on my wish list:)!  My dear mother was kind enough to lend it to me for a week or two because she is leaving for Las Vegas pretty soon and won't be needing it.  I don't know...I think I would take it along;)!

Stamps:  giftabella (from StampingBella)

Cardstock:  Loves Me designer paper, taken with teal, regal rose and whisper white

Accessories:  aquapainter, reinkers, corner rounder punch, vintage eyelets, white organdy ribbon, silver cord

I forgot to mention that I will be drawing for the blog candy on Saturday night at 8 p.m.!!