All Day Project - Complete!!

Earlier, I posted that I would be working on another project - and I sure did have fun with this one. There are several challenges involved in this little project, so this will be a fairly long post, with many pictures.
I started out doing a card for the Mojo Monday Sketch challenge 172. Most of the time the challenges are for fun, but the first sketch each month there is a prize for the top picks. I decided to use one of my favorite packages of DSP and a new Elizabeth Bell digital image that has been waiting for me to color her up. I love using my prisma color pencils and coordinating the coloring with the cardstock that I use. I chose to use Rich Razzleberry, and Old Olive. I had some dotted grosgrain ribbon in rich razzleberry that I tied in a bow and added to my finished card. Once I had my card completed, I started working on other parts of this fun project. The next challenge from Top Tip Tuesday blog Challenge #16 was to either alter a tin or use metal somewhere on your project. Well, I have collected many tins over the last several years with the idea that I would eventually alter one. However, this is one of those crafting projects that is a little out of my comfort zone - so the tins sit and every once in awhile I see a project using a tin and think - wow - that is cool, maybe I will try that. The other hindrance is that some of my tins have a raised surface on the top - so how do I work around that? That is still a project waiting to happen. So, I looked through my tins that had flat surfaces and pulled out this one from "Let's Do Tea'. I have a friend that sells this tea and it is REALLY good - this particular flavor (snowflake) is really good too. Anyway, I decided to show you what the tin looked like before I started my project of altering it.I started out covering the tin with my DSP. That was actually the easiest part. I just had to decide which paper I wanted to use. I didn't want something overpowering due to the rest of the stuff that I had planned to put on the tin. Once I got the paper on it, I had to decide how I wanted to do the top. I knew I wanted to use some ribbon, but I had to change it a few different times before I got it the way I wanted - so in the mean time, I added this piece of DSP edged with rich razzleberry. With the ribbon where I wanted it - I set about to color my image - the same as I did on my card. I then cut my little rapunzel out with my nestibilities and matted it with old olive and sponged the edges with rich razzleberry. The backside of the dotted ribbon is plain, so I used that for my bow and then added the rhinestone for the finishing touch. Now, with a card completed and a tin completed - I had to figure out what I would put in the tin - afterall, we alter tins to put something in it to give as a gift, right? So, I couldn't think of what I wanted to do with the tin, so I decided to make a few gift cards - afterall, we all need a few giftcards, right? So, I measured the inside of the tin, so the cards would fit inside. Now this little tin will hold A LOT of little gift cards and I thought about using one of my new gift tags set from Stampin' Up - however, the set is for Christmas gift tags - and that just wasn't working with this. Now there are many other things that I could put inside this tin - like chocolate kisses, or hard candies, or even a votive candle that is embossed with this image WHEN I figure out how to print on tissue paper since this is an Elizabeth Bell digital image. For the final challenge, I am entering the entire project in the Elizabeth Bell Challenge for December (due by the 22nd of January) which is to make anything Winter. Now, I know this is not very wintery, I may have to alter another tin and do something similar in a winter theme. So, there you have it - my project that took the rest of the day - but was SO fun to do and now I am ready to do more - but that will be for another day. :)

Thanks for listening to me ramble on and on, if you have made it all the way to the end - thank you. If you care to leave a comment, that would be MUCH appreciated.

~Paula~

Singing the BLUES!!

I AM feeling blue today! I woke up with a sore throat yeaterday and it just got worse as the day progressed - so I didn't feel like doing any crafting at all! Today, I am feeling a bit better, but still under the weather - which is cloudy and rainy, so I suppose it fits. Well, the challenge on the Magnolia Stamp Lovers Blog just fits with the way I am feeling. It is a BLUES Challenge. So, I chose this LOVELY Violin Tilda, which one of my stamper friends kindly stamped out for me, to make this card. I used the Sunday Sketch #50 from Operation Write Homes Stars and Stamps Blog. It is a very simple sketch and I chose not to 'fancy it up'. I did use a couple different embossing folders and a bit of BLUE pearls and ribbon. I used my prisma color pencils to color with. I am really enjoying using the colors to blend, rather than using the gamsol (or similar product) I have to say I don't like her wings - I used a combination of gold and silver, but they look like she has been rolling in heavenly mud!! lol
Thanks for stopping by to see my simple card - I am going to take up another challenge and work on that this afternoon - so I may have another post later on, so come on back later and have a cup of your favorite beverage and keep me company while I craft.

~Paula~

ANNOUNCEMENT ~ ANNOUNCEMENT

Can you tell I am excited to share some NEWS with all of you? Well, if you can't see the logo on the right side yet - you will have to scroll down - or just keep reading!! MANY of you know how much I have wanted to be part of a Design Team. I started applying many months ago and so far nothing. UNTIL YESTERDAY!!! I got an email from Leanne over at Top Tip Tuesday asking if I just might be interested in a spot on her team since there was an opening. Well, hmmmm - do I need to think about this one????
So, let me tell you a little about Top Tip Tuesday!! EVERY week they have two sponsors - and every week two people win a prize. There is a theme each week - I will get to this weeks a little later - and you can also leave a tip each week. You will have to visit the blog to get the details on how you go about winning a prize. You can enter as many times as you like, however your project has to be new (no back dating).
This week, my teammie Moriah is featuring the project/challenge and you are going to love this one - ALTERING A TIN (or using metal somewhere on your project. Now I KNOW there are many of you out there that LOVE to alter things - so why not pull out your tins and get busy creating a masterpiece. The prizes are Fantastic - but you will have to go check out Top Tip Tuesday to see what they are.
I will be back later with some kind of project - so drop back by for a visit later this afternoon/evening.

~Paula~

Double Challenge

Do you ever find yourself opening several windows on your computer that have challenges that you want to do? I do this all the time and sometimes I get to the challenges and sometimes I don't. Well, this week, I am determined to complete the challenges on the windows I have opened. This second card (for today) is for the sketch on the Stamping 411 Challenge blog.

The sketch was posted on January 1 and it is Saturday Sketch number 184 - a new sketch for a new year! I changed it up just a little as I wanted to use this new punch from Stampin' Up. It was first featured in the Holiday Mini - which sadly ends today. There were such great products in that mini. I also wanted to submit this card for the challenge on the SU-Only Challenges I have been looking at that blog for awhile and just haven't taken the time to sit down and just make something with only Stampin' Up! products. Well, when I got the new paper pack last week and this new stamp set which you can order from the occasions mini stating tomorrow - I just had to put it all together in this fun card. The challenge on the SU Only blog was to use bling - to celebrate the start of a new year. I added the rhinestones to the scallop edge, underneath the bow and also on my sentiment panel. I had considered adding some stickles to the branches of the image, however - that would not have been totally Stampin' Up then and I don't have any of the diamond glaze yet.
So, there you have it, my first SPRING card of the New Year. Perhaps this card will warm your heart all the way down to your toes. I know with this cold in the air, I get chilled to the bone all the way to my toes and if my feet are cold - the rest of me is as well - so hopefully you have been warmed by this Spring card.
Here are the particulars on the card:
Vanilla base, Pear Pizzazz mats the Springtime Vintage DSP. Baja breeze edged cut with the scallop punch. Vanilla grosgrain 1/4" ribbon. Easter Blossoms stamp set stamped in baja breeze, sentiment stamped in pear pizzazz. Rhinestones.

Update - my kids are finally home - so I can go to bed and sleep peacefully tonight knowing they are tucked into their warm beds upstairs. They are tired, but glad to be home - it has been a VERY long day and I don't think any of them want to see an airport for a very long time!!

~Paula~

I am Crafting while I WAIT!!!

The kids are on their way home from Washington - I can hardly wait! But I will have to as their flight has been delayed and they won't get home until after 9:30 pm now!! They had delays GOING to Washington, and now coming home. They have been up since 2:00 this morning and they are tired and just want to get home - plus, they have school tomorrow - SO, while I wait - I craft!!
Some of my favorite images are my Sugar Nellie's and over at the Sugar Bowl not only are they celebrating their 50th challenge, but they are having their SECOND birthday and the prize is delectable!! A set of Nestibilities and SIX super sweet brand new Sugar Nellie Stamps for TWO lucky people!! This is the sketch that I followed to enter this challenge. You can turn it sideways - or leave it as it is - I chose to use it sideways due to the image that I am using. The added challenge was to use embossing. I chose a red and white color scheme because over on the All Things Sugar Nellie forum at Paper Craft Planet the challenge for Week 32 was to use red and white. Now this challenge was posted some time ago, so I am quite late in getting it done - however, the next challenge will be posted sometime tomorrow, so I am getting it in just under the radar - I seem to be flying that way a lot lately!! I have used a new DSP from Stampin' Up called Love Impressions. It is available for order starting tomorrow and it is a wonderful package of beautiful papers just in time for Valentine's Day. For the embossing part of the challenge, I used one of my Cuttlebug folders that has hearts all over - I found this one fitting for the challenge. I also used large pearls for the embellishments and a tiny little pearl for the ring on her finger. My flowers are from WOC. (Just LOVE those flowers!!) Of course, I colored with prisma color pencils.
I hope you like my little princess and I am glad that you stopped by today.
Thanks for all your comments they mean a lot to me. Keep coming back each day for new inspiration and something else - you just never know when I might throw in some candy!! :)
~Paula~

Day 2 and a GDT Call

How are you all doing on your decision to make cards everyday of the year? Is it working so far? Well, it is okay if you haven't made that decision - I have and so far, so good. Today, I have made a card - just in the nick of time for the Guest Design Team call over on the Digi Bell Design Team Blog. Now, are you familiar with Elizabeth Bell and her beautiful designs? I LOVE them. For the Call, we were given a couple of sketches to use for our creation. I used this image that I got last year from Funky Kits when her designs were available through that shop. This one is called Demure and was one of the first ones that I purchased. I have used her in so many different cards and have loved everyone of them that I have colored. Here I used some new DSP that I got last week. I used a couple different border punches and flowers from Wild Orchid Craft. I just love these flowers and they go SO well with Elizabeths' beautiful designs. I added a bit of diamond stickles to the flowers to make them sparkle.
Thanks for stopping by to see my card for this GDT spot.

Have a glorious rest of your day and remember to come back tomorrow to see what I cook up!!

~Paula~

Happy New Year!!

I am determined to make at least ONE card a day throughout this year - we will see how that goes. It took me awhile to get going on this card today - simply because I am still trying to organize from the move. I added more shelving in my under stair closet - thanks to my sweet husband that helped me with that - so now, the items I had in my big box are out where I can use them if I so choose - like my bind-it-all and my cricut!
Anyway, so I got started very late on my card - but combined a few challenges with this one. I used one of the new Magnolia images that I got in my Fall kit JUST before I left California. I have not had any time to stamp them, so took the time tonight to see what these cuties look like. I also got some new papers from Stampin' Up - these papers are lucious and will be available starting on Monday. This paper pack is called 'Springtime Vintage' and it is full of lovely two-sided papers. So, with my image stamped and my papers chosen, I set about to color my image with my prisma color pencils to coordinate with the colors in the DSP.
I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Mojo Monday - a sketch challenge - two choices, I obviously chose the square.
Magnolia-licious Highlites - a recipe: 4 flowers, 3 patterned papers, 2 magnolia images (I am wondering if my Edwin and Tilda count as one or two??) and 1 ribbon
Totally Tilda - Ribbon and Roses
Stamping Scrapping Challenge Central - Anything Goes
7 Kids College Fund Challenge Blog - Anything Goes
I am very pleased with the way this turned out and wonder if this is a sign of the way my crafting will take off this year?? I sure hope so.
Well it is now way past my bedtime and nearing tomorrow - so I better get to bed.
I appreciate you coming by to take a look, I will be back tomorrow with some more fun - there are other challenges I will be making cards for, so stop by the spa and see what relaxation you might find.

Paula

A Partridge in a Pear Tree

It is TRULY the Christmas season - and many of you know that by the white all around you and others by the ioncredible amount of rain and wind that you are getting. Wherever you are - I wish you a Peaceful Holiday Season.
After moving across the country, and then settling into our new home in Alabama, I just haven't done ANY crafting as I have wanted to get everything all in it's place so it will be easy to find things when I do set about to craft. I think my Christmas cards will be a bit on the late side this year! :)
However, I am working on some other projects at the moment and have thought about THIS project since it was challenged on the Elizabeth Bell Challenge Blog

I LOVE her images and wondered how I was going to use Eden's 2nd Christmas (used on last month's project) for the candle. That image is a digital and it is a wee bit hard to pass tissue paper through the printer - SO, I used this image - which I have not used very much, but it is PERFECT for this time of year.
Now, putting an image on a candle is something I have NEVER even tried, but a friend of mine told me how to do it and it is QUITE easy that I think I might just do a few more of these in the future. Basically, you stamp your image on tissue paper and then color it. You can use markers, but I used my colored pencils and think that the image is just as bright as if I had used markers. Besides, I have MANY colors of pencils and not so many markers!! Then I tore the image out from the tissue paper - you want to do this for the feathered edges you get. I stamped the sentiment on a separate piece of tissue and tore it in the same way as the image. Then I placed the images on my candle - which is vanilla scented - in case you might be wondering! :) I then took a piece of wax paper and completely covered the image with it. I got out my heat gun and began heating in the same way you would do if you were embossing something. You can watch the image 'melt' into the candle - much the same as watching embossing powder go glossy. Once you have done the whole image - let it cool just a bit and then peel away the wax paper. Your image has become part of the candle and it is so AWESOME looking! I have left some room at the bottom of my candle for ribbon, or a candle ring.
I hope you have enjoyed seeing my project - which I have completed JUST in time to get it into the EB challenge for the month.

Happy Holidays
~Paula~

Busy - non-crafting!

As many of you now know - we moved out of California and bought a house in Alabama - just south of Birminghan. It is a beautiful home, however, I have been so busy with unpacking boxes and settling things in that I haven't had time to craft. I have had alot of people ask me for pictures, so I have uploaded a few of them here for you to take a peek. These pictures were taken prior to us moving in, so it has a very uncluttered (think 'unlived in') look to it - but believe me, it is getting well lived in now!
So, come along on a tour of the downstairs! When you first arrive at my home - you might get the feel of stateliness - I did when I first saw the pictures, and well - it DOES look that way in real life. It is considered a 1 1/2 story house - I understand what they mean, the upstairs is not a full upstairs - there are rooms to the left and rooms to the right, but the space in between is all open. There is a bridge that connects the two sides of the upstairs - but we aren't there yet - we have barely come in the front door. We are going to walk straight ahead and off to your right you will pass the guest bathroom (or should I call it a powder room??) I must tell you, I do NOT like the color and intend on changing that fairly soon. Paint is cheap!! :) If you need to stop in there before we continue on our tour, we will wait. :) Now, continuing on into the livingroom you will see the beautiful fireplace. It is a gas lit fireplace with a fake log. We are talking about eventually replacing the box and putting in one with a blower, that way the heat that is generated - and believe me, it DOES generate alot of heat - will blow out into the air and gas is SO much cheaper than electricity for heating. I have already decorated the mantel with my Christmas village and my snowmen stocking hangars. I also have a clock above the mantel that has snowmen on it and it plays a Christmas song every hour. I found it in a little shop southeast of us. Now, if you turn to the right, you will see a doorway that takes you into the masterbedroom suite. This picture was taken after they repainted. There was a leak in the bathroom, so they fixed that and then had to replace the carpet in the walk-in closet and repaint. I was able to select the carpet, flooring and paint color, so I went with this light lavendar for the walls and a darker for the drop down part of the tray ceiling. I didn't think the bedroom was that large when it was empty, but now that it has our furniture in it - well - it is quite spacious. I won't show you the masterbath or closet because there isn't anything real special about them - just a counter with two sinks, a tub and shower. The closet is a walk in, with wire hanging shelves on all four sides. It is quite full now with all my crafting stuff! So, back out of the room and across the livingroom to the kitchen. I LOVE my kitchen. It is not too large and not too small, just perfect. There is a 'eat-in' portion - which is actually not IN the kitchen itself but just to the north of the counter. It is a spacious area and I have placed my Precious Moments display cases there - the figurines are still not out of the boxes - maybe later this week. We took the white refrigerator out of the kitchen and replaced it with our black one. The stove is black, so it fits well with the white and black color scheme.I have already had the pleasure of cooking several wonderful meals in my new kitchen and even serving guests.Now, continuing through the kitchen - wafing with wonderful homemade scents of yummy stuff, we come to the formal diningroom. Now, until this past weekend, the table was not set up in the formal diningroom. Now it is not only set up, but it is also set for a formal dinner. We have enjoyed one meal in there already with our friends James and Lisa - who put up with us for a month at their house while we were waiting to close on our house.If you walk out of the formal diningroom, you will see that we are back in the entry way and if you turn and look back toward the livingroom, you will see the staircase to take you to the upstairs. I have garland and ribbon to decorate the banister rail - which is 16 steps from the entryway to to the top - and then the railing across overlooking both the livingroom on one side and the entry way on the other.
So, there you have it, a tour of the downstairs of my lovely new home. It still doesn't feel real to me - but I am sure it will become more so as time goes on.

Thanks for stopping by today - I hope to have some other items of a crafting sense to share with you later in the week. I REALLY need to get my Christmas cards started!!
Have a beautiful day wherever you are.
~Paula~

A little Snowmen

I LOVE snowmen! I have quite a few snowmen stamps - but this is one of my Sugar Nellie stamps. This week on the All things Sugar Nellie forum on Paper Craft Planet the challenge was to make a 'step' card. Well, here is another kind of card I have never done. There are several types out there and I really wanted to make a different style, but couldn't find the directions on how to do it. Of course, I didn't really look that hard. I had a raging headache this morning and just did something simple. I hope you like my snowman.
Thanks for visiting my little spa on this blustery sort of day. I have not been out since I took my husband to work - but planning on going out shortly so we can do the final walk through on our house.

~Paula~