paper possibilities

a *new* chi-chi...

LOVE is in the air...if you can't feel it, then you can see it, right here! lol 

Here is one of Emily's {Stamping Bella's}latest releases, and a *new* chi-chi. Eloise has a heart basket, did ya know Eloise was my first chi-chi I ever colored. I did a composition notebook waaaaay back when, and put Eloise on it. This little lady is colored from a piece of Memory Box paper. The colors were kinda strange, not what I normally would have looked for, but I loved the pattern. Now for the really strange part...I did NOT use that piece of paper! LOL I pulled out 2 pieces coordinating paper and used this garden setting piece all by itself. So pretty...

Now, Lindabella does a lovely soft "feathering" technique with her copics and you can do the same with pencils too. That is why you see some veins in my flower skirt, it adds texture. Eloise is stamped on Bella's bestest paper and I distressed the edges with Tim Holtz Distress ink, in 'old paper'. {looks like it's the only color Emily doesn't have in stock!}

This past weeks challenge was so full of inspiration, I hope you did get to check it all out and see. pssssst...if you leave a comment and you can win $$$. Now this weeks BellaRIFFIC Challenge is a sketch...we have not done these in a while.  Now...for some reason when I looked at this on my laptop, it was an oval? Here it looks like a circle! Good luck and get creating and email a jpeg to Emily by Thursday afternoon.    :) 

 

...is it a circle or an oval?

ever see a pink ladybug?...

Morning friends! {can you see me waving like a crazy person?} Can you believe that January is over? It hits me like a brick wall when I have to turn in some paperwork at Flushmate for "month end". Well... I have my birthday BellaRIFIC challenge card to show you today. I know, I should have had this posted yesterday, I usually do...but I'll tell you what I was up to that kept me from my blog at the end of this post.  

Awwww, have you been following my blog for almost a year, and noticed that I do stuff for a sweet little baby named Sydnee? That cutie is turning a year in April {omg!} and her mommy already has her birthday party planned out and the colors and theme {ladybugs!} So, I really do appreciate lots of notice and then I can work my cards around that if a challenge or something I been wanting to do comes up. Well...this card hit so many things that I had to do my birthday card challenge for Sydnee. I have been wanting to get some more Lollipops colored up and I LOVED the idea of Jessica's colors for Sydnee's party. {dark pink, light pink and black} I know that I have never colored a ladybug in those colors...it just worked out perfect for me. {don't ya love it when a plan comes together so easily?}

Sydnee's Ladybuggy Lollipop is stamped on non other than Bella's bestest paper, colored with my brightest prismacolor pencils and blended with gamsol. Yes, the face is copic markers...nothing compares to using those for skintones! I use E0000, E000, E00 & E11. This is the first color copics that I purchased and I have been using them for over a year and finally refilled them this week. Pretty nice investment! The paper I used is the dotted swiss Bazzill...I LOVE it! I did not have anything fit for a little baby girl in these colors so I let the image stay my focal point. That is also why I like to keep a small assortment of these cardstock colors handy. They have such a nice texture to them and are a little bit more than just solid cardstock.

I bought a Martha ladybug punch for this card. I have NO idea what to do with a "double craft punch" It punched the ladybug into the paper, but I needed to snip it all the way out. Do you have any of these punches? What on earth would it punch only partially? I need to refer to her site because the box said nothing. There is a piece of black foam inside the punch to keep it from going all the way? I had no idea... Now, after I tell you all that, I ended up putting it on the inside of the card. It just didn't work on the outside for me. {you know I am embellishment challenged! lol}

I will admit to you, cause I won't lie...I myself have not checked out the gallery of birthday BellaRIFIC cards just yet...as I type this. But, I am gonna link up so you can see them HERE, and I will check them out now too!. Just as I thought...AMAZING as always! omg...I need to contact a fellow BABE {Jeanie} and see where her paper came from...I LOVED it!!!  Using balloon brads as the balloons was a GREAT idea as well... I think I have some too! And one of my local students here in Michigan...her fab card was out there too...Hey Cathy Groden!!

Now...what has Paula been up to. Well, first of all. I have NOT been updating my blog properly. I will fix this soon, maybe today! I need to update links & answer some C-Box questions and questions from emails I have been getting. I have been getting prepped for another trip to Toronto and that takes lots of time and I am keeping busy cutting paper for that. My biggest thing this week was getting "stuff" cleared out for a garage sale at a local scrapbooking store, called Scrappy Chic. You see, I am a person who doesn't have a hard time getting rid of things she no longer uses. I do this sale, maybe once a year and it keeps things from taking over my small room. I have come to realize that scrapbooking is so far off my radar now, that I may never get to the chipboard I have been holding on to. Now, I mean, the barebones, only favorite chipboard...cause I have gotten rid of tons already! I price to sell!! I have very cheap Stampin' Up sets leaving my house tomorrow and while I loved having them here...they are hardly used and need a loving home. If my husband knew what was in those bags...UNUSED! he would have me commited. The sale is huge and I always get rid of just about everything, everything else goes to be donated...nothing comes back home with me. adios my little rubber/acrylic buddies....I loved you well!

priscilla has a valentine for you...

Hey there!

I was telling you in the last post that us girls got together to color on saturday and Linda thought she was soaking in some of my mojo...but I think I was getting mojo vibes off the other girls! lol 

I adore the Green Bean Baby images and these new Valentine/love girls are no exception!! {Anyone want a day job??} I wish I could color all these new Bella's up now and I am making a pretty hefty dent in them. 

Priscilla is colored to coordinate with my Anna Griffin paper. Bright and cheery, like a Valentine should be. I colored this with my pencils, gamsol and blending stumps. I stamped this with my versafine ink on Bella's bestest paper. That ribbon is some really nice stuff and the last thing I orderd from Stampin' Up. {love that shade of orange}

I need to get home tonight and finish up my card for fridays challenge...how about you? I am doing a special request card for a first birthday. I also need a baby shower card for Sunday...guess who's gonna have another busy week! Hope to see ya'll in the sistahood gallery.  Thanks for dropping in today.

another boy card...

Did I tell you we had a girls day in at my house on saturday?? Lindabella and Pauline were here and Mary and Dana, my Flushmate peeps. We had decided that we would no longer cook up a storm and spend the time coloring and talking...ok, when I color I don't talk much...LOL {it's about the only time I don't talk!} I did make a salad and Mary made a yummy carrot cake, but we ordered pizza and Jim was our delivery guy.  

I colored up a couple Bella's, and then turned my attention to this guy. I have had him forever and never colored him up. Man...I am a sucker for dragons. He comes from Stampavie and look...NO stitching!!!

He is stamped on Bella's bestest paper and colored with my prismacolor pencils to match the Basic Grey, Lime Ricky paper. Honestly, I could pick him up and carry him around! hehe I just made Jim come in here and have al ook at him, before he went to bed and he asked who's birthday is it?... I did add my own sentiment for a little boy and then Jim gave me a good idea. There is a special little boy out in California who turns 3 in a couple weeks! {yeah!!! I am ahead of the game!} Needless to say, I added no bow..he is going in the mail.

...ok, it's monday...Jack Bauer needs my full attention. peace out friends!

feel better pam...

One of my former co-worker/buddies had some surgery this past monday, while I was getting ready to leave for New York. I was able to hook into the hotel wi-fi monday night on my itouch and see that it all went well, but she does have another surgery scheduled for the same issue. I had colored up feelabella over New Years and when I found out about the surgery I knew where she was headed when I finally got it put together...better late than never, huh! 

I tell you, this paper was NOT my inspiration for the colors and I almost tore my hair out looking for which piece of paper was! grrrrrr, I tell you, I was lucky to have something that did go along with it, but I will drive myself crazy as to what paper was originally intended to pair up with this. {ever done that??} So, being I am dropping this into the mail, I kept things flat and no pretty get well bow. {I watched a little thing at Christmas about the postal service and how things that are lumpy on cards get caught in the machines...kinda made me rethink what I put in an envelope! LOL

I stamped my little sick Bella on Bella's bestest paper and I colored this with my pencils and gamsol. That stand in paper is the reverse side of some My Minds Eye paper...thank gosh I keep scraps. The sentiment is really one I wanted to put with cruisabella, but I want Pam to get all better soon because I know all her kids at school are missing her help.

This post is short and sweet tonight because I need to catch up on 2 hours of "24" from last monday when I was on the road.

But....for all you crafty gals who wanna play along with our next challenge...it's an easy one! BIRTHDAY! Make a birthday card and email it the Emily by thursday eve. Not only will you have a card for your personal stash, but you can win some Bella Bucks too.

martha and the "twinchie"...

I am back home from my little vacation in the Big APPLE!! Martha was amazing, and it was all so surreal sitting there...Mary and I were just in a bit of shock! lol Martha, Emeril & a very talented Darcy Miller...it was a great show to be at. Even a personality that I LOVE...Robert Verdi, from Surprise by Design, now stylist to the stars, was in the audience with his mom & nieces.  

Mary and I were in the upper part of the audience, and sat next to this sign. I don't think they got us on camera. Martha had a few moments after the show to answer a couple questions and she was turned to the other side of the room. We could take photos at the begining, before the taping started, but had to put our cameras away until taping was finished. This bottom photo was where the first segment was filmed, when martha sat with Emeril's son and daughter and Darcy Miller's two oldest girls...so CUTE. If you have watched the show at any time, then you would recognize Darcy Miller, tiny, cute and the head of Martha Stewart Weddings.

Ok, here is where I get slightly whiney and tell you...I wanna go back!!  I wanna see more of the city. I need to find a fellow stamper who wants coloring lessons in exchange for a floor to sleep on and a place to park my car! This trip was a total dream come true. Here is a shot at Times Square...see the ball glowing from New Years? It says 2010 under it. I will share some more pics later on..I took lots.

 

It's BellaRIFFIC friday and I have a bright little "twinchie" card to share with ya. Did you check out the Bella's blog to see them all? Theyre are so many cool ideas and new ways to use you stamps... 

I had a piece of Pink Paisley paper as my inspiration, but I had to veto it's use on this card. You would have wondered what I was thinking...the scale was too much the same as the "twinchie". But...are these not fabulous colors!! This was so quick to color up, you could easily make a set of these for nice little gift. The Hanging Hearts, by Jessica Rose, is large enough to give you lots of variety in hearts. I am already wanting to do this again... may need to have my own "twinchie" tuesday going on my blog. hehe

Now, I know it's late friday when I am getting this posted...but you have all weekend to get a special birthday card made up for our next challenge. Yeah, Birthday's!! Who doesn't need one of these on hand. Any birthday theme and send it to Emily by thursday evening.

 

let's gossip, k?...

Did that new Basic Grey line...Origins, catch your eye? It caught mine, BIG time! After all that Christmas-y stuff we have been looking at for months...seeing this green/yellowy/brown combo was a welcome change of pace. {It took me a while to grab the 6x6 pad, so I started out with a few choice peices of 12x12.} So I got to coloring up gossipabella with my new sheet of Basic Grey. Am I hearing you say "paula, you hate using YELLOW", yes...it's true. But sometimes I can give a little and use some yellow in a yummy way. 

Thank goodness my mojo has returned and I am really getting back into coloring. It doesn't hurt when you have a super collection of images to match your mood...LOL

I went back to my own little straight forward layout too, did ya notice that? I also used another crocheted flower from Meahni's mom...what a talented and generous lady...she gave me a ton of them!

Bella is stamped out, as always, on Bella's bestest paper, colored with prismacolor pencils and blended with gamsol. The punch is kinda hard to see, sorry about that, but it's Fiskars apron border.

Get your "twinchie" cards designed and sent to Emily by Thursday, check out the Sistahood gallery and grab yourself some Bella Bucks! {no, you gotta enter and ya gotta comment!} hehe

izzy has a daisy...

It's sunday night and I have been as busy as a beaver getting a few things done before I leave for NYC...haha  {that would be in the coloring department!} I managed to get my Twinchie card made for friday. Did you already know that our next challenge was a "twinchie" challenge? You already know what a twinchie is, don't ya? If you don't have the official little 2" x 2" precut boards...you can simply cut your own! easy... Now...see what you can put on that twinchie and turn it into a masterpiece.

Now, did ya get a chance to meet some new Bella's already? Here is Izzy, and her momma is that talented Christy Croll. I was a huge Barbie & doll collector as a kid and I still love sweet little images like this. Izzy has a Daisy is stamped on Bella's bestest paper, colored with prismacolor pencils and blended with gamsol. I used the Fancy Pants paper called Vintage Valentine for my color inspiration. I used a Martha punch for my border, some old buttons from my collection, and another crocheted flower from Meahni's mom. The sentiment...I am keeping my fingers crossed that this gets to Martha herself !  I think we are not supposed to bring gifts, but a simple card...and I will put it in a clear envelope so her people see it's homemade. Wish me luck, I have no idea what this is going to be like...haha

I almsot forgot to add that I used a sketch from Taylored Expressions again this weekend. I love that they post a new sketch on fridays...it works great with my card making. {I get outta my same-ol'-same ol' rut!}  :) 

Well, I need to keep this short and sweet tonight because my show is returning tonight, and I am trying to type and watch "24" at the same time. Welcome back Jack Bauer!!

ps, I will have a tuesday post, that'll be about it until I return...friday-ish?

love is in the air...

...even though as a scorpio, I am not the most lovey person you could meet! LOL But I looooove my pencils and I looooove to color different images, and I loooove patterned paper & cardstock! Oh yeah...and I love the new image I got for the newest release today from Stamping Bella. {How will I work today when I have no idea exactly what all the other Babe's got and what's new?}  

I think "Kiss Me You Fool" is by Christy Croll, but I am not positive yet. I know I had been picking up a few pieces of Valentine paper here & there and this paper was my first choice for my mice. But can't you see yourself giving this to your hubby for your anniversary too? 

A few card details... paper is from Fancy Pants, tiny heart border punch is from EK Success, button is from Button Bonanza, crocheted flower by Meahni's talented mom, and made with love in South Africa. I used Bella's bestest paper in cream, and colored with my prismacolor pencils and gamsol. I was going for an old fashioned Valentine look and I sponged wheat colored pigment ink around my image with the help of my nestie die. 

I am writing this post late thursday night and I just can't wait to get a chance to see all the new stuff tomorrow and see how you all interpreted our "lovey dovey" challenge. If you are liking what you are seeing here, and you have never been around for a Bella release, than stop by Emily's blog throughout the day. She reveals all the newest rubber as she enters in, so you get a chance to get a little work done...pop onto her blog, go back to work, take a break...pop back on. It's like opening a present all day long, or is it torture?? LOL

peace out!!

 

wild about martha...

Hi. Here we are again, just you and me. Since I feel like you and I are kinda close, I thought it was about time I let you in a little somethin' I been meaning to share and not done so on my blog. {some Facebook friends have already been informed on my big adventure...coming next week} Me, paula, lover of all things neat, organized and crafty...is going to be sitting in non-other than Martha Stewart's audience!! I was stunned when I heard the news that my friend Mary had gotten us tickets. It sounds like it is no small feat, and I never in a million years dreamed I would be in NYC for this reason. I have always wanted to live my adult life in the BIG APPLE, and in some way be an artist. Now, I tell you...after meeting George, Martha would be next in line. {no, I have never met him, but who knows?} Seriously, I never dreamed of this! Oh, and yeah, a Bella will be tucked into my purse, I just gotta decide which one. 

Now that I have told you that, have a look at what I feel is one of the best things I have colored in a LONG time. Stamping Bella's King of the WILD things is total boy and I have really been trying to branch out into a few male things...now and then...LOL  I ordered all the new Christy Croll boys, except the skateboarder, he'll be next. This was colored during my New Years coloring blitz and I used this paper from My Minds Eye, Abbey Road as the perfect inspiration. I bought this paper the last time I was at Bellaland, figuring, like I do...some day a boy image will be needed and boys like dinosaurs. I stamped my image on Bella's bestest paper and colored it with my prismacolor pencils and gamsol. His face is colored in with copics, {E0000, E000, E00 & E11} I know I tell you I always use my pencils, but my skintones are copics, unless I am doing this for class cards. The sentiment is from Bella too, and it was spaced well enough for me to snip it apart last night and not re-stamp it 4 times. 

I almost hesitate to say this because as soon as I do, I am affraid it will drop by the wayside. But I am trying to broaden my sketch horizons and trying to do sketches from different sites. I have been keeping my laptop running while I create so I can pull up some favorite sites. Why am I dong this? because it forces me to look at other gorjuss cards that you all have submitted and maybe I can add a little more ooomph to my stuff.

This sketch worked really well for me yesterday when I went to the Card Positioning Systems or CPS website. {omg, I used to go there ALL the time!}so here is my take on the sketch #149. I have 

already been checking out the teams cards, and I LOVE them!

 

Don't forget to make a card for Bella's friday challenge because Emily loves giving away Bella Bucks! This week you need to make a "Love" inspired card, and send it off to her by Thursday night.  emily@stampingbella.com. Holidays are over, time to break out your creativity!!