Back to making Cards!

Today I decided to spend the bulk of the day making cards. I haven't done any in nearly a week and I am getting grumpy!! I am trying to catch up with the challenges and one of my favorites is the 'All Things Sugar Nellie" over at Paper Craft Planet. The week 34 challenge was to use your FIRST Sugar Nellie that you ever got. Well, mine was a digital. I think it had something to do with the instant gratification. I wasn't all that thrilled with the choices of digital back then (maybe a year and a half ago) - NOW, they have some BEAUTIFUL digiitals that are awesome to work with. The fun thing about digitals is that you can resize them to fit whatever die cut you are using. I had sized this one a little bigger, but decided that I wanted to matte her, so made her a little smaller and printed it out. I used the Operation Write Home sketch challenge #52 and kept it simple and free from alot of embellishments. I am also using OLD DSP from Stampin' Up! I have so much that just sits, in addition to a box of 12 x 12 papers that are unopened from the move. I seriously do not need to buy any more DSP, however, I probably will since I can never seem to find the right (perfect) coordinating colors for the project I am working on.
Thanks for stopping by - I may be posting more throughout the day, or just craft all day and post later this evening or tomorrow morning - it all depends on the challenge deadlines! :)
~Paula~

Top Tip Tuesday Challenge

This week at Top Tip Tuesday we have a fantastic tutorial by my Teammate Carol. I am sure you have seen wordbooks at your local craft store and I am sure you have probably even bought one and embellished it (or at least plan to in the future sometime). The problem with these wordbooks is that they are never the words YOU want. I mean - wouldn't it be cool to have a word book that you have created for one of your children using THEIR name - which by the way is so unusual that NO ONE would ever carry something like that? Well, now you can - just take a peek at Carol's tutorial and you will be on your way to making word books of all kinds.

We have a couple fantastic sponsors this week - Pink Cat Studio and Catherine Pooler
There is also an extra prize that Carol is giving to anyone that makes a word book using her tutorial.
Now, if it all seems to daunting to make a wordbook - or the time is just not there for you this week - have no fear - you can still play along - just make something with a sentiment on it. Remember that you can also have a chance at a prize just by leaving a tip - so make sure you leave a comment on the Top Tip Tuesday Challenge blog with your tip.

Thanks for playing along with us this week.

~Paula~

A Change of Pace for a day!

This morning I woke up quite early and couldn't get back to sleep - so I got up and read email - there wasn't much at that time of day. I decided I would play around with my digital stuff. I haven't done anything with digital for a VERY long time and I have gotten quite a few kits from Scrappers Guide and haven't played with any of them in many many months.So, I downloaded the latest kit and then had a look around my folders at some of the other kits that I have gotten in recent months and found one called Garden of Memories. This one is a beautiful kit with gorgeous elements - so I played around with the paper and elements and then added my pictures. The pictures are recent ones from Christmas of my kids and husband. It was fun to work with some digital stuff again. I may have to pull some more out and work on my pictures from the move and the holidays. Tomorrow I will be working on cards again - I have fallen behind on my daily goal - so will have to make some clean and simple cards. I did get some new papers in and a new stamp set yesterday, so that will make it easy. There are also a few challenges out there to take a peek at as well.
Thanks for stopping by - hope you enjoyed the change of pace for a day.
~Paula~

Mojo Monday Sketch 173

I have had a very productive day making cards and finishing projects today. However, I am still one card behind my goal of one card a day. This card makes #10, so I will either work on one more card for today, or just do it tomorrow - which is more likely as the day winds down.
So, after coloring and playing with new Sugar Nellie images, I wanted to do something completely different. No Valentine, No little girls - just plain and simple. The sketch over on the Mojo Monday Sketch Blog was perfect for this. I LOVE this sketch and it sets such a pretty scene. I had to decide what I wanted to do first and I started out thinking I wanted to do something bright - not blue, not purple or red or pink! In the end, I chose blue afterall - but not before I chose the brown. Aside from brown and pink, I think I like the brown and blue combination best.This stamp set is another new one out in the Occasions Mini and it is a must have in my book. Just think of all those friends you can be encouraging!! I also used this set to make some mini cards for one of my friends at Christmas time - she LOVED them. Afterall, what girl DOESN'T love chocolate??
I started with a light blue base and then added early espresso. On top of that I added some old DSP (that I just LOVE) and then added my center piece. The roses are from Wild Orchid craft - and since I hadn't used any today, I thought I needed to give them a little love.
I hope you enjoy my card - come back tomorrow - as I will give you all a rest from my postings - and see what I come back with.
I am entering this card in the following challenges:
Mojo Monday - Sketch
My Time To Craft - Chocolate

Enjoy your evening wherever you are in the world.
~Paula~

Another Sketch Challenge

One of my friends in California is a phenomenal paper crafter. I have learned SO much from her and have aspired to emmulate her in my papercrafting - though we have very different styles. She now creates her own sketches and she has created a sketch for Christian Paper Crafts. Now I am not a member of this group, but I liked the sketch that she created and used it for one of my newest Sugar Nellie Images. Interestingly, this image is called Faith! She is one of the newest digital images found at Funky Kits I altered the sketch just slightly - which is always something that we as paper crafters area at liberty to do, right? That is what makes this art so unique for each one of us. My DSP is from one of my new packages from Stampin' Up! It just works so perfectly with this old fashioned image. I also liked using my deckle edged oval nestibilities. I have always thought that deckle is another of those old fashioned things.
Anyway, I hope you like these newest images - I have a few more that I will be coloring up over the next few days to share with you.
Now on to one more sketch challenge.
~Paula~

OWH Sunday Sketch #51

Do you ever wonder what to do with all the DSP that you buy for each holiday season when the season is over? I know, Christmas you can do cards all year long and by the time it comes around again, no one will remember that you gave them a card with that paper last year - at least you hope not. But, what about Valentines Day? I mean, there are so many cool papers out right now and you can really only make one (unless you have kids) Valentines card, right? So, what do you do with all the rest? Well, of course you could make cards for OWH, but the deadline for Valentine cards is way past, so what do you do? Well, you just change the sentiment!! By changing the sentiment to something like this, or 'thinking of you' or something along those lines, you can still convey your love for the person you are sending this to no matter what time of year. So, when I saw this sketch, I decided to make a card to match another project I was working on yesterday (it isn't quite finished, so you don't get to see it yet). By the time I DO finish the project, I may have made a completely DIFFERENT card to go with it - you know how that goes. Anyway, I loved the simplicity of the sketch and can see using this one for many different cards. Afterall, I DO have kids, and Valentines is coming soon and I want to show them a little love - but shhhhh, don't tell them!!

So, I am catching up with my one-a-day cards - so stick around to see my next card - you will LOVE it!!

~Paula~

New Toys to play with and some sketches!

Do you like new stuff to play with? I sure do - and the challenge over on the 'All Things Sugar Nellie' forum at Paper Craft Planet last week was to use new stuff that we might have gotten for Christmas. Well, I didn't really get any new stuff for Christmas, however, I did get new stuff around the holidays and just this week got some more stuff. I discovered that Funky Kits has some NEW digital images and they are absolutely adorable. These little ladies are old fashioned and so innocent. I just had to have them all! This little girl is Grace. The shadows in the image are so helpful in coloring her and she colored up SO well. I was going to use my standard blue - but decided that she needed a lavendar dress instead. I did slip the blue in there on her overcoat - but for the most part, I chose the purple family. For my sketch, I chose the Stamping 411 sketch challenge #185. It was a simple sketch that just fit for this card. I haven't been adding sentiments to my cards too much lately, but when the challenge went out from the OWH Stars and Stamps blog to make cards that said 'thinking of you', I decided I would use this stamp that I just got last week. The sentiment is actually all one line, however, I wanted to make it fit without covering any of the beautiful Grace so I stamped part of it, then stamped the rest of it underneath. This is a wonderful way to use sentiment stamps that either don't fit, or you like part of the sentiment - or you only want to use one or two words of the sentiment. This particular stamp set has several other sentiments and some small micro images that would be perfect for many different cards. It is a Sale-A-Bration stamp that you can get (starting the end of this month) when you place a $50 order or more.
Now a little about my bow - I have seen these little gadgets that help you tie your bow easily. Well, the interesting thing is - I have had one of these gizmos for about 10 years. I used to belong to a stamp club when I lived in Washington and one of the ladies in the club brought each of the members these gizmos that her husband had made. I seldom use mine, but thought I would get it out and play with it. It really does make tying the bows SO much easier. I just have to figure out how to make the double loop bows!!
Anyway, I appreciate you stopping by and taking a look at my card. I have some other sketches I am going to be working on today, so stop by later for another peek.

~Paula~

Anything Goes

That is right - it is time to finally reveal my first project for the Top Tip Tuesday of which I am part of the design team. It has been a very exciting week as I have started thinking about the projects and tutorials that I want to share with all of those that follow the Top Tip Tuesday blog.This week the new team members have their first chance to share their work in an ANYTHING GOES challenge and you can join in too. I will tell you what you can win - but first, I won't keep you waiting any longer - here is the project that I have created. Now, I am sure you are asking what this is, right? Well, do you remember during the holidays seeing little sacks with lights in them that light the pathways and walkways at some homes? My friend Lisa does this and it is beautiful. I always thought it would be cool to have luminaries - but have never gotten around to buying any. Then I came across a tutorial on how to do them and they are SO easy to do.The holidays are behind us, but winter is still very much in the air. We had an ice storm that hit our area night before last and closed up EVERYTHING yesterday. I didn't even as much as venture out to take pictures - perhaps I will do that before it all melts away. Anyway, back to my project. The windows are made from vellum and I decided to try embossing them with this beautiful snowflake folder. I LOVE the way the embossing turned out. I got out my Pergamano kit next and used the dorsa crayons to color the back of the snowflakes a bit to give them some color. You can use colored pencils as well - I know, because I tried, but since I have the dorsa crayons, I used those and then rubbed it out to make a nice subtle coloring. I thought it turned out pretty cool, but then when I put a light (I just used a flameless tealight that I bought at Wal-Mart) in it and took it into a dark place - WOW the embossed snowflake REALLY popped and it looks beautiful. I am picturing several of these going up my long staircase to the upstairs. (see pictures in an earlier post here). Of course I would put them on the outside - and they fit PERFECTLY. I will need to make 15 of them if I want one on each step and will need a ladder to reach the top five!! I do have tall kids, so they could probably reach up to the 12th step. Anyway, these could be made for all those holidays you celebrate.So there you have it. Now, if you want to have a chance at some fabulous prizes - head on over to Top Tip Tuesday. Our Sponsors this week are: Sew Many Cards and Making Handmade Cards (for the tip challenge)

Remember, all you have to do to win a prize is:
Create something using the theme of the challenge OR leave a tip (using the comment section)OR do both!! So get on over there and post your creations - remember this week, it is anything goes - so a card, a tag, an altered project, whatever you fancy, just get creating and then go post it.

Now, before I leave here - I want you to know that something very special is going to be happening here very soon - and I wouldn't want you to miss out, nor any of your friends - so start sending your friends over here to become my followers - you won't want to miss this one!!
Have a wonderful day - and come back a bit later, I just might have some CARDS to show you!!
~Paula~

Working on more projects

Today with ice on the ground outside from the ice storm that hit our area yesterday - it was a good day to be inside near a warm fire creating. I got a new Elizabeth Bell digital image last week and had colored it, but hadn't decided what I wanted to do with it. I came across this tutorial for a kleenex box cover and decided that this was a perfect way to use this image. I used NIght of Navy for the base and Baja Breeze for the box lid. I then took four white panels and embossed them with a snowflake cuttlebug folder. I took my ink and sponge lightly over that to bring out the emossed surface a little better.I used an old designer paper for the top of the box as well as the sides of the lid. I kept the oval cut out from the box top and decided to use it as an added element behind my image. I sponged all surfaces of my box top, the designer paper and my embossed panels as well as my image panel. I popped the image off the box with pop dots and then added the snowflake cut-outs - also popped off the image. I added the rhinestones for a little bit of bling.
I thought this was a perfect image for this box because after the kids have played out in the snow for endless hours, they come in and their noses are cold and red and they reach for a tissue. If they were bundled well enough, then they won't have to keep running back to the box because they caught a cold. This past week, I wasn't playing in the snow (that is not something we normally get here in Alabama) however, I was fighting a cold and this image just brightens up each time I have to reach for a tissue.It's better now, and the box is displayed on my mantel - not an ugly old box of tissue, but a beautifully embellished box. I am enjoying making different projects, not just cards.This project is a winter project that I am entering in the Elizabeth Bell Monthly challenge.Thanks for stopping by and taking a look at my project for the day - come back tomorrow when I reveal my design team project for Top Tip Tuesday.

~Paula~

Making projects

Today I did craft - however, I did not make any cards - HOWEVER, I am still up to date as I have made six cards so far this year - and it is only the 6th! What do ya know!! lol
Anyway, I worked on some projects that I can only show you a sliver of right now - you will have to wait for the complete reveal to come soon.
This first sliver is for an upcoming Virtual Stamp Night over on SplitCoast Stampers. I am one of the hostesses and therefore get to see what the other hostesses are doing ahead of time. It gives all the hostesses a chance to make the projects/cards before hand, so at the time of the VSN we can sit and comment on all the cards that everyone is doing. I haven't been a VSN hostess in a few years, so this will be kind of fun. I still need to work on what my challenge is going to be.
Now this next sliver you will get a chance to see MUCH sooner.
It is for my DT project for next week on Top Tip Tuesday. You will just have to wait until next Tuesday and come back when I reveal the full project. :)

Thanks for stopping by today - I just didn't want you to think that I wasn't crafting. STILL need to get a job though!!

~Paula~