A couple of months ago I promised a solution to the relative expensive Gelli plate.  Here is a recipe for a very good alternative.
4 pkgs of Knox gelatin
1and 1/2 cup po hot water
1 cup of alcohol
1/2 cup of glycerine

mix together and pour into a shallow pan or container.  Let set up on a flat surface.  Refrigerate until hardened.  Play with as you would a Gelli plate.  Return to fridge to harden.  If the plate gets torn or worn pull it up from the pan and place in a microwave safe bowl and gently heat until liquid.  You might want to skim the bits of paint that might be on the surface.  Pour into shallow pan and allow to set up and then return to fridge.  This appears to be something you can do over and over before having to start a new batch.  Some like to take the sheet out of the pan for use but it seems to hold up better for me in the pan.
Check out the Gelli projects on YouTube.  So many fun printing projects.
This recipe came from Patti Parrish on Youtube.  Thank you Patti.

colored pencils and scrapbook paper

Have you ever brought home scrapbook paper just because it was so pretty and then had to buy a box to keep it nice?  The paper then got stored in the box on the shelf until you forgot what you were going to use it for and now it is just not quite the right color blue in the flowers for your current project.  You might be snowbound or, as the case is here heat bound and unable or willing to go out and buy more paper.  Such was the case here.  I am teaching a colored pencil class next week at Paper Boutique and wanted something new and different for the class to color on to practice shading.  I had a lovely piece of cardstock with butterflies all over it.  The background was neutral and the butterflies were not colored.  Inspiration!  Those butterflies needed coloring.

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This was so much fun and so easy to do that I have gone through my papers and found so many flowers and birds and prints that I have updated in the colors I need right now.  It is simply a matter of looking with a new eye at old paper and trying to figure out how you can adjust the color of the design to meet the need you have for the paper now. 
I was offended one day when a shop owner asked me if I just bought paper to be buying it or did I actually make things from the paper.  The answer is I shop somewhere else!
Have fun and I hope this idea helps you use up your stash.  Watercolor pencils and chalk and markers will all work and soon I will have some Inktense pencils to try.