Saturday, June 16, 2018

Blue Knight GIVEAWAY Winner!

Hello my crafty and creative friends!

It's time to announce the BLUE KNIGHT GIVEAWAY WINNER!

But first, I'd like to thank you for visiting my blog this week...
and sharing in my love of Blue Knight Rubber Stamps.
I always enjoy getting word out to my crafty pals about products...companies...
and especially stamps...that I love and enjoy creating with.
I hope that as you visited my blog this week that you also fell in love with Blue Knight
and that you found some inspiration and ideas for creating cards of your own.

If you enjoy coloring...like I do
Blue Knight's stamps are ideal for you.
As I mentioned earlier this week...Their detailed images 
make coloring and shading SO EASY!
You'll be amazed at what you can accomplish with your own coloring skills 
whether you're a beginner...or an experienced colorist.

If you've browsed at the Blue Knight web site...
and have put together a wish list...
Don't forget about the coupon code
(You'll get a 5th stamp FREE when you order 4!)
OH!!...and don't forget to add the Cloud Stencil to your order...
(I am so happy with being able to FINALLY create really nice clouds...
after years of failed attempts with lots of other stencils and templates.)
Here's the coupon code
(YES!...I am a shameless enabler...I know!)


And now...
back to the GIVEAWAY...
Each comment posted here at my blog 
during BLUE KNIGHT WEEK received one entry.
and...
a winner was chosen the old fashioned way....
(Names written on a slip of paper... tossed into a hat...
and one name was chosen to receive a great bundle of Blue Knight goodies!

and....
the winner is....


Congratulations Michelle!

Please send your mailing info to me within 48 hours at:
tobellissimacards@gmail.com 

(*A new winner will be chosen after 48 hours if the original winner does not respond)

Thanks again for being part of Blue Knight Rubber Stamps week here at my blog...
and for sharing in my love of card making.

Have a wonderful day, my friends!
Michelle.

Friday, June 15, 2018

Blue Knight Rubber Stamps Re-Cap Day...and The Final Day to Enter the Giveaway

Hello my crafty and creative friends!

Welcome back to Blue Knight Rubber Stamp Week...here at my blog!

Today is re-cap day...
We'll be re-visiting each of the cards that I created during this fun week
I'll share photos of the week's cards
and will tell you the name of each stamp used to create that particular card
(For in depth details about how I colored and created each card
please go back to each of this week's blog posts 
where individual cards and lots of details were featured.

and...today is your last chance to enter the GIVEAWAY!
So...don't forget to post a comment below
for a chance to win a great bundle of Blue Knight goodies!
THE DIRT ROAD stamp ...the Cloud Stencil and a Stipple Brush          


and...
I've got one more thing to share...
A Blue Knight discount code...
Buy 4 stamps...get 1 FREE!
(A great way to work on ordering some of the goodies on your Blue Knight wish list!)
You can browse and order HERE

Okay...
Here we go...
a Re-cap of all of this week's cards...
each created with Blue Knight Rubber Stamps!

DAY #1 CARDS
Stamp: THE DIRT ROAD





DAY #2 CARDS
Stamp: SPRING BUNNY



DAY #3 CARDS
Stamp: MASON'S VIEW



and...a little video showing the fun "Wobble" 


DAY #4 CARDS
Stamp: COUNTRY LIFE



and...
DAY #5 CARDS
Stamps: THE OLDE MILL and WOODED FARMLAND




I have enjoyed creating each and every card that I created this week
with this wonderful assortment of BLUE KNIGHT RUBBER STAMPS.
I'm a lover of coloring..and experimenting with color
and love the magic of blending colors to create new colors..shading and depth.
Blue Knight stamps are ideal for all of the above!

If you're thinking that you "need" to start a Blue knight wish list...
it's my pleasure to enable you...
by telling you to go HERE...
where you'll be WOWED by Blue Knight's fabulous stamps!

But before you go browsing...
please take a moment to comment below
to be "in" on this weeks Blue Knight Giveaway!
(You still have time to visit any of this week's blog posts that you may have missed
to leave a comment under each post 
for additional giveaway entries)

Giveaway commenting will end at midnight tonight
and the Winner will be announced here at the blog tomorrow.

Thanks for joining me this week...
I hope that you've enjoyed...and have been inspired by each of the cards that I've shared.
I've had a great time coloring and creating...
and was happy to share my love of Blue Knight Rubber Stamps
with...YOU!
Have a fabulous Friday!
Michelle.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Day #5....Blue Knight Rubber Stamps Week and a Fantastic Giveaway!

Gee...I can't believe that it's already Day #5 of 
and GIVEAWAY...
here at my blog!
(Giveaway details shared at the end of this blog post)

Before we start looking at  cards...
I want to share a great discount code with you!
Blue Knight is offering  Bellissima Cards blog visitors something great!
Buy 4 Stamps...Get one free
You can browse and order HERE


I've been having a great time creating cards with some really wonderful
Blue Knight stamps all week long.
Today...I'll be sharing a few cards created with 2 different blue Knight Rubber Stamps...
THE OLDE MILL ... and WOODED FARMLAND

Both stamped images have lots and lots of image details...
and are great for those of us who like to color.

I colored the 3 images two separate ways...
One with pencils only
and two were inked.


I started off creating today's first card with the WOODED FARMLAND stamp.
I used my MISTI to stamp the image with brown ink.
I chose an assortment of ink colors...greens...browns and yellows to ink the image
                                                with sponge tipped eyeshadow applicators 
(always a great dollar store find)
The assortment of colors allowed me to create shading ...
easily seen in the trees and grassy detailed areas of the image.
(I used small sponge tipped eye shadow applicators to apply & blend the ink)
When the image was "colored"...
I used Blue Knights Heidi Pettie CLOUD STENCIL , a Clarity Stencil Brush 
and blue ink to create the cloudy sky.
(I am  a HUGE fan of this cloud stencil...YAY!!...I can finally create beautiful clouds!)
After I created the cloudy sky...I cropped the colored image to size...
then matted the image with Gold metallic card stock.
I chose brown wood grain textured card stock for the large base layer. 


The second and third cards  that I'd like to share today
were created with THE OLDE MILL stamp

I wanted to create an softly colored Autumn-like card....
So I chose ink pad colors that reflected Autumn foliage
The card was "colored" with ink....using the eye shadow applicators 
as small blending tools and daubers.
The image details give "hints" as to where colors should be blended and shaded
(Many of Blue Knight's stamps have details that guide your coloring)
This image has the reflection of The Olde Mill in the water...
something that I really like a lot.
When the image was colored...
I chose bronze and black metallic card stock for matting 
and added gold thread to the bronze layer
I positioned the matted image layer with a large piece of fun foam
for added dimension.
This image...the ink colors...and the metallic card stock colors that I chose
were ideal for creating an Autumn-like card with lots of soft Autumn color.

I love how the image details allowed me to create trees
that look very Autumn-y


And now...after a full and fun week of card making 
with some amazingly wonderful Blue Knight Stamps...
It's time for me to share the final card.
(Also created with The Olde Mill stamp.)

This time...I chose to color the stamped image with Polychromos pencils.
I layered colors to shade and create shadows and depth
and blended the pencils layers and colors with a Copic Blender pen (marker)
And...
this is what I wound up with....
After creating the Autumn card above...with soft colors...
I wanted to use a little bit of bold color
so I opted to color the Mill red...
and used a lighter red for the Mill's reflection in the water.
I chose a red/rust colored metallic card stock for the large mat layer...
and black metallic card stock for the image mat

So...can you believe it?
Sharing cards with you during Blue Knight week here at my blog 
is winding down!
It's been a week of fun and creativity for me
and I hope that it's been an inspiring week for you!
If you have an interest in "coloring"
many of Blue Knight's stamps wold be ideal for you!
They make detailed coloring a cinch...
because of the image details.
 The terrific image details will guide you as you color the image
and in the end you will be amazed with your own coloring!

And now...
some info about the GIVEAWAY
Don't forget to post a comment below to be "in" on the GIVEAWAY
A Blue Knight's "THE DIRT ROAD" stamp...
The Heidi Pettie Cloud stencil (that you've seen me use many times this week)
and a Stipple Brush

          

You still have time to post a comment at the prior 4 blog posts
and will have one ore chance to enter 
when I post a re-cap of all of this week's cards...tomorrow.
The GIVEAWAY winner will be announced here at the blog on Saturday!

Thanks for visiting today my crafty and creative friends!
See you tomorrow...
Same time...same place...
for a re-cap of all of this weeks Blue Knight Rubber Stamps cards!
Until then...head on over to Blue Knight's web site...HERE
to start your "Wish List"
Michelle 

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Day #4...Blue Knight Rubber Stamps Week and a Great Giveaway

Wow!
It's already Day 4 of Blue Knight Rubber Stamps Week and Giveaway
 here at my blog!

I've been having so much fun creating cards  with a great assortment of Blue Knight Stamps...
and am happy to share 2 cards with you today...
Both created with Blue Knight's COUNTRY LIFE stamp.

The cards are similar...but different.
The same stamped image...colored two different ways.
One with a brushed ink sky
and the other with a cloudy sky...
created with Blue Knight's HEIDI PETTIE CLOUD STENCIL

But...before we start looking at cards....
Guess what?
Blue Knight Rubber Stamps has a great discount code for my blog visitors
Buy 4 stamps...Get 1 FREE!
What a great time to work on your  Blue Knight Wish List!
To browse and order...go HERE



Okay...Now it's time to look at some cards!....Here we go...

The first COUNTRY LIFE card.
This card was colored by applying ink to the stamped image
with small eye shadow sponges.
I layered and blended an assortment of ink (pad) colors
paying special attention to adding some shading for depth.
When the image was colored...I cut it out...
at the top edge...along the tree line and hilltop edge.
I set the cut out image aside.
Next...on a separate piece of card stock...I stenciled the cloudy sky
using the Cloud Stencil...Clarity Stencil Brushes and blue ink lifted from an ink pad.
I matted the cloudy sky piece on gold metallic card stock
Trimmed the image piece to be the exact width of the cloudy sky piece
and positioned it over the cloud piece with fun foam.


Creating two separate pieces..
one for the image
and one for the stenciled cloudy sky...
allowed me to create dimension.

Here...in this photo...You can see the image piece in it's raised position...
over the cloudy sky piece
(The purple that you see is the fun foam)


I created a second card with this terrific COUNTRY LIFE stamp...
This time...the image was colored with a base layer of Copic markers
with shading and color blending added with Polychromos pencils.
The pencil shading was blended with a Copic Blender pen.
After the image was colored...
I used stencil brushes to add the fiery sunset sky
with ink lifted from sunset-color friendly ink pads.


The sunset sky that I created was inspired by the stamp packaging.
(Thank You, BLUE KNIGHT STAMPS, for the inspiration!)

If you are a person who loves to color...
or are just starting out with coloring stamped images...
Blue Knight stamps would be ideal for you!
The image kinda come with built in shading cues....
In other words..the images have details that indicate where shading and shadows would be.
This makes is REALLY easy to know where to shade and build color.

And now...
It's time for you to leave a comment below...
so that you'll be "in" on the giveaway!
(Bue Knight's "The Dirt Road" stamp...the Cloud Stencil...and a stipple Brush)
                          

You can also visit the blog posts for Days 1...2...and 3...if you haven't visited yet
and post a comment below each of those blog posts 
for additional giveaway chances.
The winner will be announced here at the blog
at the end of BLUE KNIGHT WEEK.

Thanks for visiting today, my crafty and creative friends!
I hope that as each day passes during Blue Knight Week
that you are feeling excited and inspired to create a Blue Knight Wish List
of your own
(Mine is very very verrrrrry long!)
And.... because I am a really good enabler...
I will say....go HERE...to the Blue Knight web site
to get your wish list started!

Looking forward to seeing  you tomorrow for Day 5 of Blue Knight Week!
Michelle

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

Day #3....Blue Knight Rubber Stamps Week and a Great Giveaway!

Hello again my crafty and creative pals
and welcome back to Day #3 of Blue Knight Rubber Stamps
and Giveaway Week...here at my blog!
(Giveaway details at the end of this blog post)

But first...before we look at cards....
I want to share a special discount code with you
(This is the perfect time to get some of the items on your Blue Knight wish list!)
LOOK!
Buy 4 stamps...Get 1 FREE!
(and because I am a shameless enabler...You can go HERE to browse and order!)

And now...
let's looks at some cards!
I've been having the best time creating cards this week 
with an assortment of fabulous Blue Knight Rubber Stamps!
(And pairing them up...at times...with a great Heidi Pettie CLOUD STENCIL 
that Blue Knight offers)

I'm really excited to share today's cards with you because...
1. The stamp, MASON'S VIEW, is adorable
2. The stamped image was lots of fun to color
3. The stamped image inspired me to create a "wobble card"
(Something that I haven't done in a really long time)

My love of this stamp means that I've got 3 cards to share with you today...
All similar...but different.
Each colored in a different way
and each with it's own look.

First up for sharing...
The Copic and Polychromos pencil colored version 
with the stenciled cloudy sky.
(How cute is this stamped image!?!)
I gave the entire image a base layer of Copic color..
then went back and added shading with Polychromos pencils.
I used a blender pen (Copic) to blend the pencil layering and shading.
I chose to create a blue "beetle"
(Memories from my teen years....when my sister-in-law...
who was then my brother's girlfriend...had a blue Volkswagen Beetle)
After the image was colored and the cloudy sky was stenciled
I cropped the image layer and matted it with kraft card stock.
Next, I chose a great print that has a map on it...
and matted the print with the same kraft card stock.
After the matted print was in place...
I positioned the matted image layer with a large piece of fun foam
for added dimension


I SO enjoyed creating this card....
I just couldn't stop after making just one card...

So...
I created a grey version.
This time...The entire image was colored with Copic Markers only.
 I chose a dotted grey and navy print and matted both the print and image layer 
with pewter colored metallic card stock.
The image layer was positioned with a large piece of fun foam for added dimension.
I added silver metallic thread to the left of the image to complete the card


Here's a close up...
You can see the metallic thread 
and the metallic card stock matting
nicely in this photo.


And then...
because I was enjoying coloring and creating cards so much 
with this MASON'S VIEW stamp
I had to make just one more card!
This time...
I decided to create a "wobble card"

I stamped the image...and colored it with Polychromos Pencils.
I used a Copic Blender pen to blend the pencil layering and shading.
When the image was colored...I cut it out...
Chose some coordinating prints
Matted the prints with bronze colored metallic card stock
Positioned and adhered the print layers to the card front.
Once the print layers were in place...
I used a "Wobble Spring" to position the car image

You can see the wobble Spring in this photo...attached to the back of the car piece

Here's a little peek at the movement that the Wobble Spring
that gives the car piece the ability to wiggle and move

I really had lots of fun creating today's cards
and am SO glad that I chose to create a Wobble card
with this MASON'S VIEW stamped image!
I'm already wanting to make a few more Wobble cards
with this wonderful stamp!

and now...
a reminder about the GIVEAWAY!
To be "in" on the giveaway:
Leave a comment under each day's blog post 
during BLUE KNIGHT RUBBER STAMPS WEEK here at my blog
Each comment = an entry
At the end of Blue Knight Week...
A winner will be chosen for a great bundle of goodies
Blue Knight's THE DIRT ROAD stamp....
Blue Knight's Heidi Pettie CLOUD STENCIL
                        
(If you missed Day 1 and 2...you can go back to view those blog posts ...
and leave a comment under each post for an additional giveaway chance)

Thanks for visiting today
Looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow!
Michelle.

Monday, June 11, 2018

DAY #2... Blue Knight Rubber Stamps Week and a Fantastic Giveaway

Hello again my crafty and creative friends
and welcome back to Day #2 of BLUE KNIGHT RUBBER STAMPS Week
and a great GIVEAWAY...here at my blog!

Today I am sharing 2 cards...
both created with a sweet Blue Knight stamp called SPRING BUNNY  .
I chose to color one image with ink only...
and the other with Copic Markers.
I paired Blue Knight's Heidi Pettie CLOUD STENCIL with the Copic colored version.


First up for sharing today....
The Copic colored Spring Bunny image with a stenciled cloud back ground.

I began creating this card by stamping the image with a suede colored ink
with my MISTI .
The bunny...grass and clover were all colored with Copic markers,
Shading Blue knight images is always easy...
because the stamped images have details that "remind" us where to shade.
For this bunny I used a combination of brown and grey Copics...
with a little bit of shaded pink(s) on the bunny's ear, nose and mouth.
I used a stencil brush to lift ink from an ink pad
and brushed the ground area until the ink color was just as I wanted it.
Next...I used the Cloud Stencil and a stencil brush to create the cloudy sky with a light blue ink.


I cropped the image to size...
and chose an ivory/pearl colored metallic card stock to mat both the image
and the dotted print paper.
I attached a sheer green ribbon tab to the top center of the image layer
and positioned the matted image layer with a large piece of fun foam,
for added dimension.
I am REALLY loving the cloud stencil...
FINALLY!!....I can create nice looking clouds
(Something new for me after many years of trial and error and fails!)


The second SPRING BUNNY card was stamped with the same suede colored ink
But this time...
The image was colored with Polychromos Pencils.
The ground and background colors were added by lifting ink from ink pads...
and brushing it onto the desired areas with Clarity Stencil Brushes.
The colors are more muted and a bit softer in appearance than the Copic Colored version...
so I kept the background colors soft as well....
Paying special attention to create a glow/halo effect around the bunny
with a very pale colored ink.


I matted the image with ivory colored metallic card stock
and used kraft colored card stock for the larger base mat layer.


This was a fun image to create a card with...
Start to finish time was very short...(If you like to make quick cards)
The colored images each have lots of nice detail
and opportunity to enjoy coloring and shading...
The image is the ideal size for A2 card making
and the Heidi Pettie CLOUD STENCIL is the perfect companion
to this sweet stamp.

You can HOP ON OVER to the BLUE KNIGHT RUBBER STAMPS website HERE
to see the SPRING BUNNY STAMP...and the CLOUD STENCIL
*Get it?...HOP on over...to see the bunny...Hop...as in bunny*
(Yes...I create cards...and can also be very corny at times)

and now...
My corny self will tell you about the giveaway!
Just leave a comment below to be "in" on the giveaway
and be sure to leave one comment under each of this weeks
6 BLUE KNIGHT postings here at my blog.
You'll get one chance for each comment posted.

I'll be sharing a new stamp and cards created with that stamp each day
this week... (June 10th - June 14th)
with a re-cap of all of the stamps and  cards on Friday...the 15th.
A Giveaway winner will be chosen on Saturday...the 16th
and will be announced here at the blog on Sunday...June 17th
                       



The giveaway prize bundle includes
THE DIRT ROAD stamp...The Heidi Pettie Cloud Stencil...and a Stipple Brush


Thanks for visiting today...
I'll see you tomorrow for Day #3 of BLUE KNIGHT RUBBER STAMPS week
here at my blog!

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Day #1 ...A Week of Card Making with Blue Knight Rubber Stamps and a Fantastic Giveaway!

Hello my crafty and creative friends!

I'm really excited to welcome you to my blog today
as I begin a full week of card making
and a wonderful Blue Knight giveaway!
(Details about the giveaway are below...at the end of this blog post)
and....

I've also got a video tutorial to share today!

Now...a little bit about me and my love of Blue night...
If you follow my blog and have become familiar with me...
and my very CAS card making style..
You might also know that I love to share my enthusiasm 
for favorite stamps...companies...artists...tools etc
A friend introduced me to Blue Knight a few years ago...
and I knew immediately, that I had become a "fan".
I'm guessing that at the end of this week...
You'll be loving Blue Knight Rubber Stamps as much as I do!

Today....I'm kicking off the week with a few cards
that I've created with "THE DIRT ROAD" rubber stamp

There's lots to love about Blue Knight's stamped images...
and one of my favorite things about the stamped images 
are the image details that make coloring & shading so easy...
almost effortless!

This is the first of 3 cards that I'd like to share with you today...

I stamped The Dirt Road image, with my MISTI
onto Spectrum Noir Ultra Smooth Card Stock with Tuxedo Black Memento Ink
I colored the image with Copic Markers.
I added blue shading to create a stream to the right
(an alternate idea is offered on the stamp's packaging....
showing this are as being a dirt road/ dirt field area)
To complete the scene...
I created the cloudy sky with Blue Knight's HEIDI PETTIE CLOUD STENCIL
by lifting ink from an ink pad with a Clarity Stencil brush
and applying it to the sky area.

I cropped the completed stamped and colored piece to size...
I chose black card stock to mat the image.
I backed the matted image layer with a large piece of fun foam
to add dimension to the card front.
I chose metallic green card stock as the base mat layer.

For the 2nd card...
I've got a video tutorial to share that will show you how to create 
a "spot-light" style card

Here's the easy to follow video tutorial:

 It's been a while since I've created a spotlight-style card
This image seemed ideal for a "spotlight"

Today's 3rd card came to be...by "happenstance"!
After I created the spotlight card above...
I had the colored piece leftover...with a big hole in the center...
I felt like it was too pretty to throw away...
even with a big hole in the middle...
So...
I stamped out one more image with The Dirt Road stamp...
left it uncolored...and created this card
(kinda a reverse-version of the spotlight card above )


I love the contrast of color against the black and white image.

Creating each of today's cards with THE DIRT ROAD rubber stamp
was lots of fun!
I found myself having lots of ideas as to what I could "do" 
with this wonderfully detailed stamp.
I love that the image details offer the opportunity for effortless shading.
If you're new to coloring (marker...pencil...water coloring)
Today's featured stamp will easily enhance your coloring skills!
Add the cloud stencil to the stamped image...
and you'll WOW yourself (and others) with your card making skills!

And now...
The Giveaway!
Don't forget to leave a comment below to be "in" on the giveaway.
(Comment each day for additional chances to be "in" on the giveaway!)

and..
Guess what??!!
Today's featured stamp...THE DIRT ROAD...the Cloud Stencil...and a Stipple Brush 
are all part of the giveaway!
                


Thanks for visiting today...
and don't forget to stop by tomorrow for Day #4
of Blue Knight Rubber Stamps Week here at my blog
Michelle