Crafting ALL DAY!! (Well, sort of)

Today was a very productive day in my Paper Spa. In between doctor appointments - I was able to finish up some cards for a Stampin' Up Swap. The cards turned out wonderful and I will be posting them on my Stampin' Up website soon. When those were all done, I got to work on making another card for a few challenges. I got some new Sugar Nellies in the mail today, so once they were mounted, I stamped out one of the images. She is one of the new ones and when I saw her, I knew I just HAD to have her - and that was easy because I was the one picked through the random.org a couple weeks ago on the Sugar Nellie Challenge forum at Paper Craft Planet. This is the second time I have been chosen and I love it because I can add to my collection of these beautiful stamps. Taking a look at the new Sugar Nellie challenge that was posted earlier today - it was an easy one - use embossing. It could be heat emboss or dry emboss. I don't do heat embossing much anymore, but love to dry emboss with folders. However, today I used one of my new texture plates from Stampin' Up.I then added a piece of Blueberry Crisp DSP over which I placed a piece of this gorgeous guipure lace. When I chose the flowers, I decided to twist the wires together and then 'curl' the wire to add a bit more dimension. My Sweet Sugar Nellie is colored with prisma color pencils. I started out to do pink and then decided I wanted to do blue. Notice her pearl necklace and matching pearl ring! These teeny tiny pearls are a new item I just got from Stampin' Up and I LOVE these tiny little half pearls. I thought they would add such a fun dimension to this card.
This card meets the Sketch challenge for the Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps sketch challenge #29. I am also entering it in this weeks Sugar Nellie challenge and also the Wild Orchid Challenge which was to make a card that screams - 'one for the girls' - I think this is a very feminine card and it was fun to put her together.
I hope you have enjoyed visiting the Spa today - I love comments - so if you would like to leave a comment - that would make my day.

~Paula~

Pink Polka Dot Princess

There is a new challenge blog out here in Blog World!! The 7 Kids College Fund Challenge Blog For their very first challenge - they chose PINK and DOTS. The other stipulation is to use an image that they sell in their store. Well, I just happen to have some Magnolia Images - which they sell in their store - so I was excited to be able to enter their very first challenge. This cute Magnolia came to me by way of an internet friend that I 'met' on one of the Magnolia Forums I recently joined. Isn't she adorable? This is one of those images that I will eventually own for my own. I started with a 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 pink pirouette card base and added designer paper from Stampin' Up! (Shades of Spring and Tea Party) I also added a bit of Pretty in Pink to highlight the design paper which was cut with a Martha Stewart Border punch. I added a piece of this gorgeous Guipure Lace that I got from Wild Orchid Crafts. My Maggie is colored with Prisma Color Pencils and cut with Labels 8 Nestibilities Die. I cut a size larger of the label 8 from the Tea Party DP to frame her. She is popped off the page and surrounded by these beautiful mulberry roses, also purchased from Wild Orchid Crafts. I added a bit of greenery using another Martha Stewart branch punch. I didn't add a sentiment, however, I may add a 'Happy Birthday' Sentiment to the inside of the card before I send it on to the troops overseas through Operation Write Home.

Thanks for stopping by the Paper Spa today and I hope you have found inspiration for your projects. Stop by again real soon.

~Paula~

Summer Sketch

It has been a very busy week, and unfortunately, I haven't been able to play in my paper spa. Today, I decded I wanted to complete a couple challenges before the deadline - fastly approaching!! I haven't played with my Sugar Nellie stamps for awhile either, so decided to color one up. My Sweet Sugar Nellie has dumped her flower basket at your feet - aren't these GORGEOUS blossoms? I love these flowers that I recently got from Wild Orchid Craft. This was my first chance to open them up and use them - and what better way than to use them in a 365 Card Challenge. This card satisfies the challenge for Day 159 All of this past week on the 365 Card Blog they have been challenging us to use a recipe supplied - and they have added to it or changed the original recipe in some way. I LOVE using Card recipes - it is nearly a no-brainer for me. But today was a bit of a challenge. The recipe started out with a 5X5 card (I would rather use 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 just because there is less 'waste' - but I did a 5x5). Then we were to use TWO 3x3 pieces of patterned paper - well, had to go through my stash of DSP to see if I had anything that would fit the color scheme I had already chosen. We were to use one sentiment - where oh WHERE was I going to fit that on there? One Image - that was already a done deal - I love this little Sugar Nellie. TWO buttons - this was a MAJOR challenge for me and 4 blossoms - I could have used more of those. But trying to figure out where those buttons would fit into my scheme - and the fact that I wanted to use these particular buttons because they are colored clear and from Basic Grey's Marakesh line from how long ago? And I only had one of each color. I laid it all out first and when I got it the way I thought was decent, I went back and glued it all down. I like the way it turned out - but thinking I am more of a blossom girl than a button girl!! This card was also for the Week 17 Sugar Nellie Challenge over at Paper Craft Planet.

More to come - stay tuned!!

~Paula~

For a Vintage Look

Over at the Just Magnolia Challenge Blog this week, the challenge was to make a Vintage card using Magnolia images (of course) Well, since I only recently purchased a few Magnolia's I was stumped as to how to use either of them for this challenge, and I KNEW I wanted to participate in the challenge because I really like the vintage look. As I thought about it over the last couple of days - knowing the deadline to enter was getting close, the design began to come together. I knew that I wanted to use my Baja Breeze DP from Stampin' Up! (now retired - so sad!) as I think it just has that vintage feel to it. I finally decided to use my Beach Tilda - it was her or Picnic Tilda - but I didn't want to use the bathing ring with her so I had to think of SOMETHING for her to 'sit' on. I decided that the nestibilities die would be wonderful for that. I was going to use some crochet lace until I remembered that I had this piece of chocolate chip satin ribbon and it worked beautifully with the design that was coming together. I used a Martha Stewart border punch for the 'lace paper' and added the prima flowers to the ribbon for the final touch. Tilda is colored with prismacolor pencils in colors that coordinate with the paper.I distressed the edges of the bg cardstock and sponged with chocolate chip. I really like the way this turned out and think it looks very vintage - what do you think?

Thanks for stopping by the spa today - I hope you have enjoyed your visit and do come back soon.

~Paula~

Back to Sugar Nellie

After playing with my new Magnolia stamps the past few days, I began to feel that my Sugar Nellies were being ignored, so I decided to finish coloring this beautiful image for the Sugar Nellie challenge over at the Paper Craft Planet. The challenge is always to use a Sugar Nellie, but this week the challenge was to use BLUE. I had started to color her pants blue, so I just finished and it was so fun to color this precious image. I used some new to me (now retired) DSP from Stampin' Up! and layered that on the new Crumb Cake Cardstock (formerly Kraft). I used a scallop punch as a mask to do the bg on my image - thought it looked like floating clouds (sort of). I chose my flowers from my stash (just can't WAIT to get my flowers from Wild Orchid Crafts!!) I was trying to decide what sentiment to use. I originally had planned on some short 'skinny' phrase that I could turn sideways and place under the image mat, but then I found this stamp in my stash and it was PERFECT for the challenge - I don't usually do the inside of my cards - I leave them blank as I send most all of my cards to the troops overseas so they can send them back to family - so I leave space for them to write. However, I couldn't resist adding the rest of the phrase on the inside - with a complete change of color!! The saying says this: "if you're feeling blue - try painting yourself a different color. -Hannah Cheatem age-8"
I found these adorable sentiment stamps at Michael's awhile back and just HAD to get them. I remember when my kids were young and they said such silly sayings - wishing now that I would have written more of them down - I have a few written down, and I remember a few that were just hilarious - but most I don't and it would have been wonderful to catch them all like this. Perhaps I will just have to gather sayings from my friends grandchildren until I am blessed in that way!

Thanks for stopping by the spa today - I hope you have had a nice relaxing visit do come back again soon as I am posting nearly daily now.

~Paula~

Just Sitting Here!

That is what my sweet Tilda is doing. Before I even started coloring her, I chose the DP - it is a retired one from Stampin' Up! called Tea Party. I just love the soft colors in this beautiful paper and it made for a wonderful coloring session. I have been SO impressed with all the cards I see by the members of the Magnolia-licious Yahoo Group and the cards in the Magnolia Ink that I have wondered how my simple cards even measure up. Well - I think I am on the right track.
My Card Base is Certainly celery, then pretty in pink. I matted the image with So Saffron. After I colored the image, you would think it would be quick to throw the rest of the card together, but it took well over an hour (maybe two) of contemplating before I finally settled on the design. I added the roses at the top - but really wish I had some more of the bigger ones - they are on order from Wild Orchid, so soon I will get to play. I added the rhinestones for added bling and think it gave just the right touch to finish off the card.
Now, on a side note - while I was coloring her - I remembered while I was in College I had a pair of overalls that I LOVED and they were light blue - it was a fun memory.

Thanks for stopping by - if you'd like to take a browse, feel free and I love comments - it makes me feel really special that you took the time.

Have a wonderful rest of your day - wherever you are in the world.

~Paula~

Loving my Magnolias!!

My friends over on the Magnolia forum on yahoo were right!! I started out with a peek at a magazine, then bought two more - then bought a few stamps and now I want MORE!! But alas, I will have to wait as I am placing my big Stampin' Up! Order next week and I just placed an order with Wild Orchid Crafts for their BEAUTIFUL flowers. I have looked at SO many beautiful cards made with these flowers that I just HAD to order myself a selection of them. I bought some of the lace too - however, I forgot to add the pearls, oh, well - maybe next time!
So, after looking at the cards in the magazine and from the members of the Yahoo group, my little Beach Tilda looks so plain sitting on her bathing ring. I used a retired Stampin' Up! Designer Paper for my mat behind my Tilda. I masked my image and sponged the blue - a mizture of bashful blue and night of navy for my background behind her. I colored her with the prismacolor pencils - I really like the way they look. I cut the edge of the cardstock with one of my Stampin' Up! border punches, though it is hard to see because of the crotched lace I added (a Joann's find). She still looked real plain, so I added the flowers and the sentiment from Sweet Impressions and for added bling - the three little pearls.
Now I am off to my craft room to see if I can come up with something really spectacular - of course, I still only have these images and the picnic Tilda - so not sure what I will be able to create - sometimes these images are limiting and sometimes the skies the limit - today, I feel I am limited! I may break down and order a few more images before the day is out - we will see - watch for my next post to see how the day goes.

Thanks for stopping by - enjoy a cup of tea/coffee while you browse.
~Paula~

My VERY FIRST TILDA

I have seen the images and wasn't all that drawn to them. Then I saw an issue of Magnolia Ink, and flipped through it, and put it back on the magazine rack. Then I went back to the bookstore with my husband, and he saw the magazine and picked it up and I said, 'yeah' I have looked through that one. But the design of the cards really caught his eye and he encouraged me to get the magazine. So, I did - I mean, what do you do when your best friend/husband encourages your hobby? I brought it home and flipped through it some more and he encouraged me even more - and by the end of the evening, I had placed my first order with Magnolia-licious. My first order was actually for the first issue of the magazine and the latest one - I had bought volume 2. A couple days later I ordered my first few stamps. These stamps are SO versatile and I can see using the images in multiple ways. My little cutie is sitting on a bathing ring as she floats by with her greeting. I purposely put her on an angle, so it isn't the boat that is rocking making you see crooked! :) I started with a base of Pacific Point(SU) that I embossed with one of the new Tim Holtz embossing folders - this one is called Collage. I then layered a piece of Marina Mist(SU) run through with the top note die and sponged on the edges with pacific point ink. My image is Beach Tilda sitting on the Bathing Ring and colored with prismacolor pencils. I cut her with the nestibilities label 8 die and then sponged the edges again with the pacific point. I added the bit of crochet lace that I picked up from Joann's this weekend and layered the image on top of all this adding the flowers from prima. I was going to add a sentiment that said 'miss you' but when looking through my stamps I came across this stamp that I recently purchased from Great Impressions - stamp #E648 and it fit PERFECTLY with the image. Had I chosen the sentiment first, I would have positioned everything a little differently - but I still like the way my first Magnolia turned out.

More Blog Candy - Check it out!

Do you like blog candy? I sure do - and I discovered that Wild Orchid Crafts has some new items in their store and they have asked THIS blogger to give away a wonderful bundle of candy. Wouldn't you just LOVE to have these goodies for making all those vintage cards? Did you happen to check out the Magnolia card on Bev's blog? WOW - amazing wonderful awesome work.

Thanks for stopping by and good luck to you on the blog candy - I know I would love to have all those pearls and lace!!

~Paula~

New Item on my Blog

Did you notice the clocks on the left side? If you scroll over, you can see where I found them - aren't they cool? I decided to add the clocks because I participate in card challenges and some of them are sponsored by companies overseas. There is usually a deadline and that deadline is based on that country's time - so to keep everything straight, I decided to add the clocks. It is kind of fun to see how the world operates in terms of time.

Stop by the Spa later, I just might have some more cards to show you. In the meantime, grab a cup of your favorite morning beverage - mine is TEA, OR if you are in another time zone - grab your favorite afternoon beverage - and enjoy a sit with me.

~Paula~