Sketch Casing!

Sunday, Sketch challenge #12 was posted on the OWH Stars and Stamps blog. It is a really simple sketch that has the potential for SO much - however, I decided to case the featured card. I had a sentiment that had already been stamped and trimmed into a square - part of my scraps - and I decided to use the color scheme of that square.
I happened to have the Martha Stewart border punch that was used in the featured card, so I used that as well on my card. I did deviate a bit by placing the jewels on the strip of black as I already used the square for my sentiment and didn't need another sentiment. I also added this paper rose from Prima Flowers. I LOVE these little roses. They come in a package with three different colors and there are 10 of each color for a total of 30 little wonderful roses - for about $4.00 at Michael's. Not a bad deal.
Well, I am off to find another card to case - so come back soon for a visit to the Paper Spa - where you can relax and find inspiration.
~Paula~

More Scrap Play

Yesterday was sketch challenge on the OWH blog - however, I discovered that not only had I not done LAST weeks sketch, I hadn't done the week before either. So, this morning - after going and working out at the gym for an hour or so, I came home and got to work creating more cards. For sketch #10 we were to use tags on our card and though I have a small tag punch from Stampin' Up, I seldom use it. I have the book Tag Art by Paper Pizazz that has tags of all sorts in it - but the only problem is that they were in two's not three's! However, I did discover these three tags and decided I would make an AnyHero card using them. I grabbed a piece of Pacific Point for my card base and then found a couple scraps that I used for the tag frames and the backing behind the tags. I also used a piece of scrap vanilla cardstock for my sentiment. Just a word of caution - it is MUCH easier to stamp your sentiment, THEN punch it out! ~smile~

This next card was made using a piece of a card that I had gotten from a friend. I took that piece and mounted it on the light purple textured bg and then mounted that onto Eggplant Envy (this is a retired color from SU - in fact LONG retired) I chose a piece of vanilla cardstock and stamped snowflakes from the retired SU set 'Snowflake Spot'. While doing this, I discovered a couple snowflakes that I had previously cut out in the stamp box, so decided to use eyelets in the center and then popped them off the card.

Now, on to yesterday's sketch ~~~

Thanks for stopping by - I will have more posts in the days ahead.

~Paula~

Scraps - What do YOU do with them? It's a Challenge!!

If you are like me, you have TONS of scraps from your card making, and scrapbooking. You can't throw that little piece away because you could use it SOMEDAY for a matte on a sentiment, or as an added element, right? So, the scraps accumulate, until you are OVERRUN with them - and you contemplate throwing them away, because you know there are MORE where they came from, right? Well, the 'frugal' in you just won't let you - and why should you?
Yesterday, I spent most of the day playing with my scraps - did I put a dent in my scrap stash? Not on your life - but I did come up with a few cards - This first one I really like. I found the green scrap with the edge cut with no-doubt those fiskars paper edgers - yes I have TONS of those scissors laying around and seldom use them - but this piece was cut sometime ago - who knows when and I found it coordinated well with this DP. Using some of my new flowers that I recently purchased and a flower brad that I have had for WHO KNOWS how long - well, it just finished off the card nicely.
Now, this next one is a rare one for me - I seldom do green cards! I honestly don't know why that is, I just don't reach for green when making cards. However, I had this scrap of DP and the green base just fit. Now one of the frustrating things I am finding is that my circle punches are great, but they don't layer as closely as I would like - however, I did discover that my smallest nestibilities scallop circle and this circle punch nested the way I like - I guess I will just have to finally use my cut-at-home certificate and buy the nestibilities circles. Anyway, back to the card - Here is another one that made use of the fiskars scissors - and then I added the buttons - stolen from another project that I discarded not long ago. The buttons started out white and I colored them with my alcohol inks - great way to make things the way YOU like!! I made only 4 cards yesterday - so hardly a dent in the stash - but today I finished up some cards from a Basic Grey kit that I have had for quite some time and then did this final card (work calls and I have to go relax in the REAL spa) I had bought some of those border CB folders some time ago and was trying them out - so I had this pink piece just waiting for something to be done with it. The Basic Grey DP is from the bittersweet line and it worked nicely for the added touch to this simple card. The rub-on sentiment is left over from the Basic Grey kit. Adding the ribbon, and the card is done.

Now off to the spa where I will give relaxing massage to a couple clients - however, I will return later today and will play some more with my scraps - Until then - my CHALLENGE to you is to get out your scraps and DO something with them - then leave me a comment and a link to your project.

Thanks for visiting the spa today - tell your friends to stop by for a visit and join in the challenge.

~Paula~

Tuesday Tidbits

Since my big push last week to get the 100+ cards sent off to OWH I haven't done much in the way of crafting. Of course, the Easter weekend fell upon me - I did get a card made for my mom and I did make up some little 'baskets' for my teens - that was fun. My mom will go home tomorrow - she doesn't live all that far from us, but far enough to stay over - and then I can get back to my crafting. Of course, it doesn't help that the kids are on Spring break right now, so today we are going to the San Diego Wild Animal Park - they have never been, including my mom and it has been YEARS since I have been there, so it should be an adventurous day - with lot's of pictures to take as well. I can't wait to get the pictures digi-scrapped that I took at the San Diego Zoo last week - GREAT picture of the lion and the koalas too - SO cute!! Out of all the Koala's in the area, there was only one that was awake and that one was far in the back, so I didn't get any GOOD shots of active Koala's. Anyway, the kids are waiting -

Thanks for visiting the spa today, I am sorry I couldn't stick around and visit with you, but feel free to enjoy a beverage while you look around and find inspiration.

~Paula~

Changing the look

I didn't get much chance to make cards today - so I worked on getting a three column blog up and running. Thanks to my friend Gloria and her advice to check the Three Column Blog, I now have a 3-Column blog - with a few bugs to work out.
I did do a bit of remaking of cards, until I ran out of adhesive.
I hope you like the new look - check back here in the next few days as I will be posting more cards.
Thanks for visiting,
Paula

Twins Cards

Yesterday before I had to leave for work, I made a couple cards for another birthday party my youngest daughter was attending. The party was for twins - so I decided to take their 'favorite colors' and twist them a bit.

They both like blue and purple, so I made sure that I had the right amount of each color to make two cards. I started with the white base and chose Brocade Blue and Rich Razzleberry for my colors.


I have a stack of sketches from Splitcoast stampers and used one of them (SC260) for the card. I love the Cottage Wall DP from SU especially since I really like the Rich Razzleberry - it is such a pretty color. I simply reversed the colors on the cards to make them the same, yet different - just as I suppose twins are - the same, yet different!

Two more cards

Today another sketch was posted on the OWH Stars and Stamps blog - so I have decided to finish posting the previous sketch challenge cards so that I can then move forward. ~smile~ I probably won't get a chance to make the card for today's sketch challenge for a day or so - but we will see - perhaps I will get some time this morning to make the card, or later after I get back from the spa.
Anyway, on to Sketch #2 - I have been making alot of Mother's Day cards lately - the deadline is April 1 to have them to the shippers - but in the midst of making them, I decided to throw in a Father's Day card - the deadline for those is May 15th. So, I found this bright yellow cardstock - I believe it is Marigold Morning from Stampin' Up - a past In Color. I cut a strip of Delicate Dots DP also from SU and tied a piece of green twine around the top, then mounted this on the gold. I used white cardstock and mounted it on Old Olive then used the ticket punch for the corners. I used a variety of stamps for my images. a reed stamp from Stampscapes, the sentiment is from Sweet Impressions and the scroll stamp is a clear stamp from 7 gypsies. I wanted to do something a little different for a Father's Day card and thought this one was just that.

Well, Sketch #1 - Finally!! I made another Mother's Day card for this one as well. I started with the white base and added a piece of rose red that had been punched with the scallop border punch from Fiskars. This had been sitting in my scrap stash for quite some time and it worked perfectly to add that extra touch to this card. The big square was a bit more of a challenge in that I didn't know if I wanted to stamp an image or if I had a word stamp large enough. Looking through my stamps again, I found this sentiment stamp that was perfect. I thought I had pulled all my 'Mother's Day' stamps out - but I missed this one because it was in color. I added the prima rose - LOVE these!!! And the card is done - and I am all caught up on the sketch challenges - Yeah!!
Thanks for sticking with me over the last few days and watching the sketch challenges unfold - I hope you have enjoyed your visit in the spa today and that you will come back often for rest, relaxation and inspiration.
~Paula~

No cards today . . .

. . .At least I didn't MAKE any cards today, but I still have cards to show you - so sit back and enjoy the next few posts.
I was sorting through my incredibly large amount of scraps and found this panel of the three hands 'writing' - well, when I looked at the OWH Stars and Stamps blog Sketch #3 - submitted by Lauri I knew that half my card was done! The set is an old SU set that I have had for awhile and rarely use. The hands are stamped on creamy caramel with close to cocoa (I think). This panel was mounted on a piece of eggplant envy. My background paper is a lavendar velvet paper -another ancient item from my stash that I mounted to white cardstock. I finished off the card with the sentiment panel stamped in eggplant envy on the white cardstock that I rounded off the corners with my corner rounder. Just another simple card that I dressed up a little with the velvet paper.
So, here is a question - do you have items in your stash that have been there 'forever'? I am sure you do if you have been stamping for awhile - so my challenge to you is to get those items out and USE them - make a card, something simple. It doesn't have to be fancy - and then send it to OWH - let me know here about what you do with your 'secret forever stash'

Until then - have a restful time in the spa - and come back soon.
~Paula~

Sketch #4

This sketch was submitted by Kathy and I had a tough time with this one - I actually made two different cards, but the first one that I made didn't quite look like the sketch and it seemed a bit blank to me, until I added the butterfly. I like the colors, but just wasn't sure about how much 'white' space the card had. I looked at some samples of what others had done with this card and got the idea of adding the butterfly. I had gotten the butterfly in a kit and hadn't used it yet - but after putting it together - I want the die-cut from Stampin' Up!!

The next card was the one that closely follows the sketch that Kathy provided. I have had this DP for a VERY long time - and it just HAPPENED to be sitting right in front of me - so I thought - why not just use it. I was going to use ribbon at the top, but didn't know how I was going to wrap it - then remembered that I have the slot punch from SU and it is perfect for punching slots in the folded side of the card so that you can thread ribbon or whatever through. I decided against using ribbon and grabbed the gold cord instead - doubling it. The light blue cardstock was another in my bits and pieces stash and the flowers are from a recent order that I got from England! A few friends went in on an order from this company that has fantastic prices on their flowers and the shipping is barely noticeable. The sentiment is from a clear stamp set that I got locally.

Thanks for taking another look at my creativity - I hope that your visit to the spa today has inspired you to create a little bit of color in your life today.

~Paula~

Counting down to #1

If you have been following my blog the last few days, you know that I have been working on catching up with the sketch challenges from the Stars and Stamps blog. Well, yesterday I finished up the final countdown to #1. But before I show that card, I have to start with #5 (remember, we are counting DOWN) ~smile~ The sketch was submitted by Caryl. I set about making this card, grabbing a piece of DP - it's a Graphic 45 that I have had for awhile and keep snipping away at it, using it for one card or another. One side has dots and the other the flower pots, so I used the dotted side as my 'side bars' and the flower pots for the center of my panel. I was trying to find a Stampin' Up cardstock that matched the colors of the flowers, but didn't have any on hand, but I did have this Old Olive and I thought it coordinated quite well. I used my CB to emboss the background cardstock using the dotted swiss folder. I found the sheer ribbon that matched the olive and tied that around the botom of the card. I cut the sentiment panel using my nestibilities and for the final touch added the coral rose. I love these roses. They are a paper rose on wire from Prima that I found at Michael's. I bought two packages that had three different colors in each, so I have quite a nice selection on hand, but I could go back and buy a bunch more. I guess you could say they are becoming my latest greatest embellishment. ~smile~
Hope you like my rendition of the sketch - I will post the other sketches in separate posts so don't go too far.

~Paula~