It's FRIDAY!!

For me, that means the day off and playing in the Paper Spa for awhile. :) Remember this card front that I did earlier this week? Well, I got my shipment yesterday from Stampin' Up! So, as soon as I got home from work last night, I put away all my goodies - which really wasn't that much, but I did get the cardstock I was waiting for to finish this card. So, this morning, I got up and got right to work playing with the new cardstock and new toys!! I decided to do an easel card - they are really SO fun to do. So, I cut the card base and scored it where I needed and then added my card front to it. I didn't have any more of the buttons in those colors, so I decided to add another piece of the baja breeze seam binding ribbon and then added the DSP punched with the BRAN. D NEW Lace Ribbon Border punch (122362)I think I will be using this border punch - ALOT!! It is SO fun and cuts so nicely - though with cardstock you do have to have a very sturdy surface and stand up when you punch it, but it cuts cleanly.
So, with that card finished, I pulled out my sketch folder and decided to get work on my Elizabeth Bell Challenge. I missed it last month - and it was one of my favorite techniques too - an easel card. I thought about combining the sketch with an easel card for this months challenge, but when I got done with the card decided that I would leave it. I am not real crazy about the card - but I do think the coloring turned out nicely. I am just not an 'orange' kind of person and have a hard time using this color - other than in fall themed cards. I chose to use this Whiff of Joy image created by Elizabeth Bell called 'Willow with Hot Chocolate'. My FAVORITE drink is hot chocolate - I also like hot tea, but since I really like chocolate, I would say I drink hot chocolate more than hot tea. Even on some of our cooler summer mornings I have a cup of hot chocolate. Of course, this image could work for coffee too, if you like coffee, but I don't! Anyway, I got this image from Simon Says Stamps. The thing that makes this such a special stamp is that my friend in the UK (Debs) gifted me a certificate that she won and could not use - so I put it to good use and got myself some more Elzabeth Bell stamps. Now, I will have that opportunity once again as I just found out that I won another gift certificate to this lovely store. So, I will be looking for more of those wonderful Elizabeth Bell Stamps. It seems that since I moved my craft studio upstairs, I get washed out photos of my work - this one really isn't as fair as it looks. I used some bold colors on this one - Pacific Point for my base card and some DSP from the retired pack Blueberry Crisp. I used a bit of bashful Blue to matt my image frame and then added a the new ribbon border punch in pumpkin pie to the matt. I wanted to pull the orange color in her sweater out. I thought the sentiment fit - at least for me because drinking hot chocolate is just pure bliss. :) I added a touch of white satin ribbon and the flower spray to finish off this card.
There you have it - my card for the Elizabeth Bell Challenge for June/July. Next month I might have some new images to play with - and I already have my cling mount ready and waiting for new images to arrive. I love getting new items to play with - so stick around, or come back and see what else I have to show you - maybe some new ribbon?? Or maybe some more creative ideas for that new punch. You just never know what you will find here in the paper spa.

~Paula~