paper possibilities

hooray for the future...

As soon as class was done I had to head home and grab a Jordan and my neice and get over to a grad party that was happening down the road. I learned last year, in planning Jordan's party that this is not the norm in other places, besides Michigan. So friday night, I was pretty much ready for my saturday class at Scrappin' & Stampin' when I had to whip up a very quick grad card. {luckily I had just grabbed diplomabella when I was in Bellaland!}

I did not, however grab any sentiment for graduation, so I made up my own.

Lil miss Jackie was an honor student so she got the golden sash, and Lakeland's colors are blue & white, so girls got the boring ole white gowns. I kept my card simple and classy, and yes that means Paula worked on it at the last minute! LOL

Well, my week is full already and it's only sunday... I have a class on friday night at Scrappin' & Stampin' and we are doing full KETTO cards. Or at least we will attempt to do them, 4 may be a bit adventurous at this point. My girls only got through 3 images saturday. Did I tell you I use LOTS of colors!!! Pulling the colors out of their stash is a major task and I need to have my list typed and prepared ahead of time for the girls.  That we we have more coloring time, isn't that what it's really all about!!

I will be back soon with a fresh new sketch for friday's BellaRIFFIC challenge! see ya soon!!

some BellaRIFFIC news...

BellaRIFIC friday is here plus a little extra news for my Canadian friends...

First of all I have to tell you that Lindabella and I go back and forth about not being able to post a card if the other one has just done that image...we gotta give you guys time to forget about it before you see how we each turned around and re-did it. It's just our 'thing" I guess you could call it. So when I went to Bella to get my June order, I had 'cakey watt' waiting for me, but who posted a stunning little boy card using him...Lindabella!   uggg, I figured, well, it's gonna be a while until I can do him up. but.... I got a request for him and I caved. I just knew I could go ahead and do it, even though it won't be near as cool as Lindabella's one. She used blues, I needed to do mine kinda different. Long story short, here is mine and he is colored using the Cosmo Cricket paper as my inspiration...looks totally different from Lindabellas, and it worked out perfectly with this weeks sketch challenge!!  whew, that was a mouthfull!

Now, looking at it a few days later...I should have added something to the cake! waaaaaa, he's already outta here. ok, hope the little boy getting it likes it!

The deets are pretty simple here gang...I colored this on the paper that Emily is carrying in her store... I think she is calling it Bella paper and I hear it was awesome with copics...Lindabella LOVED it! I think it's pretty dang groovy with my pencils and I have plenty to keep me going for a while. {if I get a link to it on Stamping Bella, you can check it out1} So this little guy is colored with my prismacolor pencils...I think I can hear my Lyras crying...I need to show them some lovin'  :)     Dp is Cosmo Crickets 'snorkel' line  I swear if I had to live with one company's paper, this would be it! I used nesties and my clear glaze pen **** which is supposed to be available from Stamping Bella!! You gotta grab one of these if you don't have one, or two!!

Check out da Bella's blog later and see what else my Babe friends have done and how many of you all have participated!! It's my favorite part of friday!!

****Now for the news I been finalizing with da Bella... I am going to be in Toronto with my mom, who has never been. {Just the two of us since no one else, except my dad...has a passport.} I told Emily I was on vacation the week of Aug 24th-29th and I would be dropping by...well, seems I am gonna hang out and make some cards! What the heck, I am gonna teach a couple classes on Sunday the 23rd. If there is really much interest, I will be available for Monday too, but then I am officially a tourist and will spend a couple days sight seeing. It will be a pencil class of course and I have no idea yet exactly what I wanna color, something new! but they will probably be cute cards...lol  until we meet again over ink and pencil shavings...see ya soon!!

time to splurge...

Once again another night has slipped away and here I sit with so much to say, and show...

So I was working on my tutorials and after dead batteries, two different cameras and time spent talking to myself {well, so it seemed!} and practically hugging a small tripod... I have learned this week that I have to film in short periods of time for a do-able download and use my small camera for the best quality. How funny to hear a voice that does not sound like me and watch my hands as they color. So, the first thing I colored is right here today! It took me 16 minutes to color this image...because I filmed it all, LOL I have to split my time because I have class on saturday and I needed to get that all finished and it's thursday already!

I pulled out MFT's Girls Day In, because I thought it would be kinda simple to film and not take to long...plus I think it's cute!

Seems like I am doing a study in texture and dots, don't ya think? All things that to me say soft and relaxing.  I used this scrap piece of Chatterbox paper for my inspiration and well, I LOVE pink!  I colored this image on my MFT Perfect Paper Panels, with my prismacolor pencils and gamsol. I added the dots with my Marvy liquid applique' {love that stuff too} and the texture on my chair is made with a brown .005 prismacolor pen. The dotted swiss, in case anyone out there has not seen it yet, and that has almost gotta be impossible, but, it's from Cuttlebug.

And that folks is my latest update on the filming industry. Now that I have done all the trial and error stuff, I plan on filming it all again on sunday... please cross those fingers for me.

Onto some exciting MFT news...I got a little package in the mail yesterday with some new stamps!! woohoo, right? well, MFT is going to be selling some *special* monthly kits. If ya already caught this on the other girls sites, then you are in the know, if not...read on!

MFT Kits – Just Add Color!

We are pleased and proud to introduce
something fresh, fun and completely
distinctive – MFT Kits!

Each month, a new Kit will be revealed,
complete with an exclusive, unreleased
stamp set, and the items you’ll need to
complete a very special project (s).

The set included with your MFT Kit is a brand new, unreleased set, and will not be available for a period of at least 3 months after the MFT Kit containing the set is released.

This week’s release and promo info:

07/08/09
Release: By The Seashore Kit $25
Kit contents:

*On The Pier (mini stamp set)

*6 die-cut tall gable boxes in ocean blue

*15 yards of hemp in natural

*6 Perfect Paper Panels

*5 yards, 3/8” twill in natural

*100 aged copper brads

*Memento Dew Drop in Rich Cocoa

*Project sheet download

Weekly Spotlight: By The Seashore Kit/digi paper (focus on simply spring collection)
Spotlight Savings: 10% off all digi paper packs
HTDT Tutorial: Incorporating fabric in your stamped creations (using digi paper): Kathy
First 50: Memento Dew Drop Collection, week 2! color: Bahama Blue
Hook up: Purchase the MFT Kit between 7/8-7/14 and you will receive a discount code good for a free digi paper download (2.95 value) as well as a coupon for a future order.

meet rory...

I got a package in the mail yesterday {an empty scrapbook} and boy...am I in trouble!! You see, when my friend Micki was pregnant with her first baby, a lil boy named Emerson, I made this really pretty little scrapbook, for his first full year. Guess what! Guess who flew in at Valentine's Day this year and told us at dinner...baby #2 is on its way!! Yeah, I can't wait... Oh, well hold on, maybe we have to wait...I gotta start scrapping againg so baby #2 doesn't feel like she isn't a special as baby #1 was. lol  Yeah, we'll call her baby #2 cause mommy & daddy had not agreed on a name, last I heard... What does all this have to do with what I'm gonna show you? Does it tie in to my card?? Yes, it does!! 

You see, all of us in my house are Gilmore Girls fans. Love it, LOVE it!! I have all the seasons on DVD and I am just finishing up watching the full series...again. {that's what I have on when I am in my room} So, Jordan kept asking if they had a name yet and Jim decided to name her ourselves... I'm cool with that, her name is gonna be Rory...{I guess I should let Micki know}  Soooo, I will tell you now, you will soon be seeing some of my scrapping handiwork. and here's Rory...

A "rory" from Sugar Nellie that is. My friend & A+ coloring pupil sent him to me in a care package from South Africa. I see stuff on Meahni's blog and leave her a comment...stamp that out for me please! Honestly, I am keeping Rory naked until I decide just what I want to write on him. Isn't he cute!

I used my prismacolor pencils and gamsol, nesties and clear glaze pen. The dp is from My Mind Eye...and it's a 5x5 inch card...I almost forgot to add that, ooops.

Well friends, I need to bring this blog to an end. I don't wanna overstay my welcome and take up all your time. Thanks for dropping in today!! Love, paula :)

a purrrrfect day....

...would be staying home in my room and coloring. How would you answer that question? I just had 4 days off and I was napping and staying up late and it was nice. I was rarely in front of the tv, I was working on projects and in my 'happy' place. Today, reality slapped me in the face at 5:25 a.m., I love the sound of waking up to Jim clearing his throat, clipping his nails. I, on the other hand, tip-toe around without so much as a flicker of light, no turning on the faucet... I swear, right here and now, that all ends today.  Hows about a card?

This group of cats could live at my house...no problemo! Stamping Bella's 'attitudy' cats have got the sweetest little faces! Some day I will own more than one cat, {my yorkie is not fond of his feline sister} but until then, I can love these guys!

Can you guess what I used to color up my cats? Yes, you're right...prismacolor pencils and gamsol. I used my oval nestie to cut and shade with chalk inks and I pulled out my nestie tag set...because the sentiment fit inside. I was kinda nervous it was gonna be too long. The paper is from Cosmo Cricket and I used the front/back because the red plaid really caught my eye. The balls seemed to remind me of yarn balls that cats are supposed to love. {I say supposed to, because I don't have any idea if mine would love it...not a string of yarn in my house! lol} Am I slipping from my glitter phase, nah, just another card that didn't seem to say 'throw some glitter on me'. {card size is 4.5x6}

Now, onto some business called BellaRIFFIC friday! We got a sketch folks and Jen del Muro has worked her magic again. Check it out...

More than check it out, try it out and keep Emily busy...Send her a handmade creation by thursday with "BellaRIFFIC friday 7/10" in the title. Submit a card, leave a comment and double your chances to be a winner! Have fun! See ya soon!

greetings from an angel...

Time for something angelic... {maybe she's more like a fairy! lol}

These stamps from The Greeting Farm have been burning up a lot of blogs these days and I just so happened to have been given a few stamped images. I was playing around late, verrrry late on thursday night and I finally used my Koh-I-Noor woodless colored pencils. Yep, did I tell you they are the 'new kids on the block' in my room. I have only looked at them so far and not used more than just the silver and gold I got from Elizabeth at Elzybells. I liked the way they smoothly blended on my paper and then a lady in my first class brought them and I loved one of the blue shade she used for denim. So here ya have something other than my beloved prismas & Lyras.

Back to my card...It is a 5x5 square...my fav size in square cards. I was just coloring with nothing really in mind when I picked these colors on this angel/fairy. I did however just use this Bo-Bunny paper for inspiration on some Bella images and it was perfect for this little girl. Funny how that worked out! Last night I pulled a couple cards together because I have really be neglecting other stamp companies, and there are so many fun things to pick from.

This has been a productive weekend for me and I hope you also got a little crafting time in too...what? you layed around all weekend and watched fireworks, ate hot dogs and hamburgers... hehe, my kinda weekend too! see ya soon!

recent questions in my little cbox...

Instead of trying to answering questions in the chatbox on the right, I decided to do a quick answer session here!

Hi Paula! I know you said you ink around the edge of your images with chalk ink but.......how do you create that lovely glow that seem to come from behind your images? Ink or pencils? ~♥~ Stacey, June 30th.

Stacey, If you are refering to the color I add close to my image than that is with pencils. Chalk inks are used only when I mask with my nesties, near the other edge of my image. Tutorials will soon be available on The MFT website, I will keep all posted when they become available.

Hi Paula -I would love to know what kind and where you purchase your "stumps"? from Terri July 1st.

Hey Terri, I have found my Taiwan stumps at a few places. I have ordered online from InkyAntics.com and I have purchased them at a local Dick Blick Store.

Hi Paula. I live in the North in Canada. Do you have any tutorials for your marvelous colouring.

Irene, I have been keeping mum on the tutorial thing because I just wasn't sure exactly how we were going to do this. But, I feel a little more comfortable telling you that soon my coloring techniques will be on the MFT website. If you can't make it to a class, I am working on filming myself coloring. Keep your fingers crossed! I have done my first tutorial in the MFT forum, showing you in picture form, how I do my grass technique. Check it out here. As soon as they are on the MFT site, you will all see it posted here as well. Kim is working on adding them as paid downloads.

When you do your write ups on your cards is there any way you could tell us the size of card you use? Diana July 3rd.

Hey Diana, you're killin' me! lol But just for you I will make a note to get those sizes down! I love square cards and those are usually 5x5. In general I like a smaller card, and need to make them larger to accomodate an image. My big thing is that after all this time I still grab an envelope and go from there. I can not remember the sizes... Did you see my photo? I'm blonde!

what do you sharpen your pencils with? Lynn, July 3rd.

LOL, ok, this one killed me x2..Then it dawns on me, maybe you mean do I use an electric or little manual sharpener. I do NOT use electric...it will chew your pencil down to a nub in no time! I use a silver triange shaped pencil sharpener from Faber-Castell. It opens like a little case and has three hole to choose from, depending on size. My BFF's Linda & Pauline turned me on to this, it makes a nice short point, like when your pencils are new. *** Now, when I find I have a broken lead, and that can not be repaired...I will use an electric sharpener to do a fast job and I feel it does reduce the amount of breaking. I hate broken lead!! I bought this sharpener at Michael's, Joann's & Dick Blick, approx. $5.00.

Hi Paula, would like to purchase a clear glaze pen that Nicky was talking about what store can I buy? Diana July 5th.

Diana, Stamping Bella will be carrying them. I showed them to Nicky & Emily last weekend. Sakura makes several different gel pens and you need the one that says Glaze'. I actually 'googled' it and someone was selling on Ebay, calling it 3D? It does give you shine & dimension. I bought mine at Archivers in 2 packs. Sometimes I have seen them at Joann's, but not in 2 packs, you may have to buy in a set at that store. I think that was how I did get my first pens. I use the black Glaze' pen for glossy accents in my KETTO's hair...love it! *** Be carefull if you do find them in a store in 2 packs...the white Glaze' pen looks VERY similar to the clear..I have made that mistake before. The clear has a pearly cap and the back of the package should say clear on it. Hope this helps!

 

How did you made the dot on the cake? Is that liquid applique? Silvia July 5th.

Yes Silvia, that is what I used. I bought mine at a local stamp store years ago. Archivers does sell this product, not sure where else. I am wanting to get some of the Ranger Liquid Pearls, but not done so yet. If I would have had that, I would have used it instead.

Hi Paula, I support Irene's question. When are you publishing a tutorial!! Meahni, July 5th

No more harassing from you sister...I have a package with your name on it that would make some nice blog candy...LOL

learned a lesson today...

Hey, I'm back, as promised. I went into my room to do something I have been thinking about since last weekend when I bought this image at Bella. 

Here was my plan....I bought a bottle of the Zing embossing powder in chesnut. I wanted to emboss the entire image and color the red poppies in orangy tones. I was writing one day last week with my South African buddy Meahni, and she said that it smeared the embossing for her when she tried this with sansador. Well guys, if you have not experimented with this technique, it smears with gamsol as well.  :(  What was I to do. I mean, you can be careful, but I didn't want this white line going around everything because I couldn't color right up to the image. Soooo, I pulled over that set of copics I had looking at me on my tabel. I did have some orangy tones that would do. Here is my first official post with copics, other than my skintones. Now, if I would have stopped there I would be thrilled right now...

But noooo, Paula had to write her own sentiment to make a get well card. {{I also sadly realised I have none from Bella! how could that be?}} I then notice to my horror, it is more crooked than I would have liked and I tried to cover it up and mess around with it, but this is how it will be kids. I made that little flower embellishment to hopefully give you something else to nice to look at besides my cockeyed handwriting. lol

So, there you have it, lesson learned...no embossing when using the gamsol & colored pencil technique.

I am off like a bullet to go and take my guilt free Sunday afternoon nap. {{it's guilt-free because I don't have to work tomorrow and I don't need to worry about staying up late...yeah!}}  Have a great day, I won't bother ya'll anymore today!

 

happy birthday KIM & MFT!...

I hope everyone who celebrated the 4th of July had a safe, fun day! We went to a bbq at some friends and I left before the real fireworks started going off. They started with the firecrackers and bottle rockets and I knew that was my signal to get moving. I will say it is my parents fault I don't enjoy that sort of thing, as girls, we were not allowed to play with stuff like that...we had sparklers. Jim is kind of in the same boat, because his dad was the Fire Marshall of his town, they didn't play with fireworks either! lol

Guess what today is... it's the MFT Lady's Birthday... Happy Birthday KIM!!  It is also MFT's 3rd birthday and Kim is celebrating in other ways for us lucky stampers & MFT fans. Check out this post for all her surprises.

So for today I will get a double post going and here is the first...and it's in honor of KIM!! Birthday Flopsey...this is the card I made while I was doing my grass tutorial in the MFT forum.

So if you're looking at it wondering why it looks familiar...that's why! lol I colored Flopsey with my prismacolor pencils and blended with gamsol. I used some Marvy liquid applique for the dots on the cake. Wouldn't this be a cool look for a wedding cake too!

Flopsey is colored on MFT's Perfect Paper Panels and the dp is from American Crafts. They make some very fun contemporary paper lines, very clean... I love that! The scallop is from my corner rounder punch.

Well I better get a move on if I wanna post again later. The family looks hungry and so am I!

lemme brighten your day...

Ahhhh, BellaRIFFIC friday is here at last... I love fridays for almost just that reason. I mean, kick off to the weekend and some fantastic 'eye candy' to get the weekend rollin'!

How's about I show you just what I crossed back into the States with, last weekend, from my Bellaland trip...

Yes, that's right folks, I moved a mountain into my room! A mountain of glorious rubber!! lol 

and 'stuff' that is bright and prettty!  Look at that glitter, just shimmering in little bottles... hmmmm, I may need to take a day off just to stand around at my kitchen island and stamp it all out.

Raise your hands if you like quirky... and I mean this is the highest regards! I did the typewriter by Jessica Rose, and now I wanted to tackle Limelight. I did it first with the lights "on"...I will do it again with the lights "out" {at some point}  I have loved this image because it soooo much reminds me of my favorite section in one of my favorite stores IKEA!!! I love the hanging lights and this here is what I am talking about...

I colored my image using my prismacolor pencils and gamsol. I also used the Cosmo Cricket paper, Everafter, as a starting point for my color selection. {{see the light on the far bottom left? it looks like the paper color, a little.}} I tried to make them appear glowing, or more like radiating some sort of light...lol I added dimensional glaze to three of the lights and I followed the sketch pretty dang well. {thanks Lindabella for that sketch...mwah!}} I wrote the sentiment in myself, because by the time I was done with this card, I didn't leave much room for Emily's sentiment, which is the exact same... "you brighten my day".

I can not wait to check back to Emily's blog later and see what everyone else...including you all's submissions. Even my number one student Meahni got in on the action from South Africa!! Yeah!

Peace out friends and have a safe holiday if I don't see ya on saturday. I will be home for most of the day if you wanna drop by and chat, but I will be coloring!! :)