How about THEM apples?! Join us at Paper Issues!

hey there, chickens!  how's things?!  busy in the life of an orange girl, but good busy!  SO busy, in fact, that sometimes i need visual and OBVIOUS reminders of what's on my schedule or it will pass right by...

today, we're sharing Part Two of our current issue at Paper Issues, and our theme this month is "How 'Bout Them Apples?!"...  it's no secret i have a HUGE crush on apples, period.  honeycrisp apples, quite frankly, are the world's most perfect food.

but i digress!  it's ISSUE time!  we kicked off on September 14th and now we're bringing you part two of the Creative Team's projects to inspire you.  play along!  there's a $20 gift certificate to the Paper Issues store up for grabs, and you still have PLENTY of time to join in the fun...  October 11th is your deadline. 

SO.  APPLES!

there's a bunch of super cute new Bella Blvd stuff in the Paper Issues store, and when i got my happy mail, i knew it was perfect for my little health-inspired reminder board!

this little clipboard will serve as my visual slap in the face, telling me that i have an appointment coming up, or that i have to buy more vitamins, or whatever.  and trust me, i NEED those reminders.  :)  the mammogram card is stuck on loosely with an unstickified pop dot, so when it's time to switch out with something else, it will come off easily.  and it hangs on the front of my studio door (so i see it every day!), but since we just showed the house, i didn't think prospective buyers needed to know i'm getting squeezed tomorrow.  ha!

SO!  yes.  current issue.  TONS of inspiration right HERE.  a fabulous prize, with which you can grab a ton of the awesome new stuff recently loaded into the shop.  there is a TON of it.  

and you might want to use this, too...

we're (P)inspiring you again at Paper Issues!

morning, chickens!  hope you're enjoying your weekend, and NOT labouring, because even though that's what it's called, that's not what ANYONE ever has on their agenda for the holiday, right?

well it's (P)inspire Me Monday at Paper Issues, and i'm so excited about the new mood board!  i whipped up this little pretty...

because Pinterest!  how much fun are these images?  what kinds of awesome crafty things can you conjure from the collage?  my choice is probably pretty obvious, and i knew it had to be that way...

omg.  that boy.  he melts my heart!  this picture is from nearly 2 years ago, when he discovered the wonderful view of birds and snow from my bedroom window.  just look at that intent stance!

love him.  seriously.

love his curiosity (he is the stereotypical cat in that regard) and his playful spirit.  

and he's a good boy.  :)

but now you're going to want to CLICK HERE to visit the Paper Issues blog to see what the rest of the Creative Team did with this mood board.  so many interpretations and styles - i love seeing what they all bring to the screen!  and CLICK HERE to visit the Friends & Fans Facebook group so you can add your take on the inspiration to the album, and be up for one of the monthly gift certificates!  

and then when you spend your winnings, use this to save on your whole order.  because i think you're fab. :)

there's a new sketch in town at Paper Issues!

hey chickens!

who doesn't love a sketch?

it's time for a new one at Paper Issues, and this one is based on a sweet and simple page by Lisa Dickinson... 

i used a bunch of the These Are The Days collection from Webster's Pages because holy heck, the color of my Gram's shirt!  not an easy one to match up!  there's some prettiness from the We R Memory Keepers Clearly Posh collection in there, Kaisercraft's Shine Bright, plus alphas from Simple Stories, and some subtle sticker action from Echo Park...  here's my page:

ZOOMs for some details:

THOSE ACETATE PIECES.  and those VELLUMS.  so gorje!

here's our sketch!  

and here's the inspiration from Lisa, created for Elle's Studio.  

CLICK HERE to see all of the inspiration from the Paper Issues Creative Team, and link up under the photo in the Paper Issues {Friends & Fans} group, and you'll be in the running to win one of two gift cards to the Paper Issues shop! 

and, um, there's some seriously HOT new product in the shop.  just sayin'.  remember the code...

Paper Issues - Crate Paper's WONDER in the spotlight

morning, chickens!

there's a new product spotlight on the Paper Issues blog today, and i can't tell you how utterly SMITTEN i am with the new WONDER collection from Crate Paper.  it may appear kind of babyish and themey at first glance, but i assure you it's perfect for a KAJILLION types of projects.  heck, i scrapped train tracks!

everything you see here except the white card stock and alphas are from the Wonder collection...  my favourite parts?  the chipboard and acetate sheet, hands down!  but i think i need to stockpile the corrugated patterned sheet, because i absolutely love it!

zoom:

seriously, this collection is SWOON-WORTHY.  for more inspiration, check out the Paper Issues blog to see what the rest of the Creative Team did to showcase it - and then be prepared to covet!

you can grab the goodies i used:

and whatever else is left, but HURRY, it's going fast!  THIS will save you some loot:

Paper Issues - scrapliftin' and chippin'!

are you feeling inspired today?  whatcha workin' on?  maybe you've linked up to the Pinspire Me Monday post i've got goin' on at Paper Issues...  or maybe you're working on a project for our Sketchy Saturday feature...  or maybe you're scrapping some of the awesome photos you've taken and shared for our #iSpyWithPI photo scavenger hunt! 

well either way, i hope you're rockin' some mad mojo.  i was feeling rather inspired by the new issue and thought i'd play along with one of our past Scraplift Sunday pages from another of the Creative Team girls, Jana...  the big title had me all itchin' to make something, and what a great way to fill the space when the embellishments aren't quite working for you!

here's my page, because Wawa.  glorious, dark roast coffee.  the perfect cuppa joe.

i used bits of Amy Tangerine, Simple Stories, Doodlebug (i seriously can't get ENOUGH of the Sprinkles Vellum!), Crate Paper, a spattering of mist, fabric Thickers (inked up!) and some random bits of flair, twine and wood veneers from da stash.

linking up to the Chip Off The Old Block issue that kicked off yesterday, and hope you'll join us!  there's a $20 gift certificate up for grabs to the Paper Issues shop, and let me just say it's going to be EASY to spend with all the new stuff getting loaded up on the site!  not to mention, your $20 goes even further with this!

 

the Paper Issues girls are here to Pinspire!

hey chickens!

it's Monday and i'm totally excited to bring you my very first Pinspire Me Monday post at the Paper Issues blog!  there's a whole new mood board for the month of July, and i had a TON of fun putting the images and color swatch together to get your mojo flowin'!

here's the fun mood board:

i was loving the yellow window and that fabulous distressed woodgrain, with some pops of colour from the other images...  here's the card i made to celebrate:

most of the elements on this card are from the Pink Paislee Pen Pals line - it's a little older, but it's SO much fun and there's still a handful of it left in the Paper Issues shop!  CLICK HERE to see for yourself, and hey, you may want to take advantage of a HUGE sale going on right now while the shop is getting ready for lots of new arrivals!  

code GIMME50 gets you 50% off EVERYTHING right now! lots of stuff has
already sold out, but you can take advantage of the sale until tomorrow - HURRY!

i scraplifted, because seriously. LOOK at this sketch!

hey hey, chickens!

are you a member of the Paper Issues {Friends & Fans} Facebook community?
there's, like, a TON of inspiration and we're bringing challenges and free files and fun left and right.

we have a new sketch for you, created with inspiration from the talented Steph Buice, and intended to drum up some mojo for everyone!  because seriously, how can you NOT be inspired by this one?

 

i LOVE the diamond shape, and i love the bits and pieces, and i couldn't wait to jump on this one!

here's my page, with the diamond slightly off-center and my own twist on the sketch:

so, the story with this one...  me and my girl Janice.  photo taken in a club in Buffalo when we didn't have phones with flip screens so you could see what you were shooting.  you pretty much turned a camera around and clicked, hoping something would turn out.  :)  yeah...  not so much in our case!

i used mostly I Am from Simple Stories, plus some ephemera from Crate Paper and Fancy Pants - there happens to be a TON of all of these in the Paper Issues shop right now, with awesome new arrivals from Simple Stories!

zoom to silliness:

LOVE this sketch.  care to join in?  CLICK HERE and play! 
oh, and HOLY WOW, there's a ton of new stuff in the Paper Issues shop.  grab it using this:

it's a Swag Baggalicious Sunday at Paper Issues!

hey hey!  what's shakin', chickens?

it's Swag Bag Sunday at Paper Issues, and i have a page to share using some happy little bits and pieces, mostly from the May Swag Bag but with a few others thrown in for good measure.  i swear, when i think i'm getting close to using up the whole bag, the stuff MULTIPLIES in there!

here's my page:

the pink burlap is from my stash, and i had some extra enamel dots to match the ones that came in my Swag Bag, and the alphas are Doodlebug and some older Thickers...  and for those of you who bought those Pixie Sticks from Doodlebug but didn't have a clue what to do with them, trust me, you're not alone!  i HAD to grab them and this is the very first time i've used them on anything.  :)

i used the silver foil sentiment stickers from the 7 Paper "Baxter" line from Studio Calico...  i don't have a dog, but i love the term "Fetch" to describe something nifty.

the little punched vellum is from THIS gorgeous paper from Doodlebug.  i am hording it, and stretching it, and only using it sparingly.  one little hexie was enough for this page.

 zoom!

CLICK HERE to see what the rest of the Paper Issues Creative Team did to rock their Swag Bags...  and if you haven't gotten in on this madness, CLICK HERE to check the Swag Bags out for yourself!  a 6-month subscription guarantees you'll never miss out!  and remember, code ORANGE always gets you 20% off everything in the Paper Issues shop!

"Mist-er Fix-it" at Paper Issues - sponsored by Fancy Pants!

hi gang!  there's a new issue in town!

at Paper Issues today, we have a ton of fab inspiration for you and an awesome prize from our awesome sponsor. 

our theme is "Mist-er Fix-it", and we encourage masculine pages, anything using tools (crafty, or around-the-house, or whatev!), mists, water, summer, father's day, incorporate our June printables or any Fancy Pants Designs products, or some other fun interpretation of our theme for your projects.  remember, your creations don't have to be NEW, but we need to see your inspiration, and you need to link back to the Paper Issues blog (be sure to edit your old posts to qualify!).  wanna see what you can win?  ALL OF THIS!  :)

i had the pleasure of working with the new Making Waves collection for my project, but on the 12x12 scale...  here's what i created - a summery, masculine-inspired page (not my usual colour scheme!):

i added in some gold bits from the Fancy Pants Flutter collection and the "almost" alphas and dymo are from my stash, but errthang else is from Making Waves!  i am ESPECIALLY digging the shipping tags and i've got a card in the works using this fun collection.

CLICK HERE to see what the rest of the Creative Team did to inspire you to play along with this issue!  be sure to like Fancy Pants Designs on Facebook, and a huge thanks to them for sponsoring!

Making Waves and the new Summer Sun collections will be in the Paper Issues shop soon - be sure to grab it up fast and use code ORANGE for a 20% discount off everything in your cart! 

i have I AM issues!

hey there, chickens!  i'm up on the Paper Issues blog today with a brand new layout featuring the gorgeous I Am collection from Simple Stories.  i have been loving on it since i laid eyes on it, and i've already made a few pages, with about 3 more underway!

here's my latest page:

zoom!

seriously, i LOVE this line.  everything except a couple of enamel dots, sequins, the strip of ribbon and the "fabulous damn it" alphas are from my stash. LOVE!  oh, and that divine Limba Woodgrain card stock.

there's not a LOT of this line left in the Paper Issues shop, but i'm getting a TON of mileage from the 6x6 pad, and it's TOTALLY easy to make it work with the items left in the store!  CLICK HERE to check out the Simple Stories inventory, and lemme just warn you - if you click on the "All New!" category, you might just find your shopping cart overflowing in no time!

there's new TWINE (mmmm, pretty!), new Snarky Stamps, the new Poolside line from Crate Paper, not to mention the new, ahem, MAY SWAG BAG.  hurry and grab it before it's gone!

remember, EVERYTHING in the Paper Issues shop is 20% off, all the time!  just use this!

 

Paper Issues is hopping with Tombow USA!

YAY!  it's time for a FAN-FLIPPIN'-TASTIC blog hop with Paper Issues and Tombow USA!

there's a whole list of creative folks blogging this fun event, and you MAY have arrived from Jennie Garcia's blog - great!  if not, CLICK HERE to start at the Paper Issues blog and be sure not to miss a stop!

Paper Issues and Tombow USA are giving away awesome prizes, so you'll want to make sure you comment on EVERY stop along the way in order to be eligible to win!  wanna know what's up for grabs?

Paper Issues is giving away a $20 gift certificate to spend on anything you'd like at the Paper Issues shop!

and the Tombow USA prize pack?  this fantastic adhesive bundle that i had the pleasure of working with!

Tombow Xtreme Adhesive Permanent (this stuff BONDS like nobody's business!), new Tombow Adhesive Dots (love these!), Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue and Tombow Mono Aqua Liquid Glue.  SO VERSATILE, and so many purposes for your crafty projects...

i made this:

i used the Aqua Mono Liquid Glue for everything that was paper, namely the box inserts, the banner, frames and the stands for my bits and pieces (they're all movable, so i can "redecorate").

 

 

the Xtreme Permanent Adhesive secured paper to wood WONDERFULLY, especially inside the squares so SOME of the paper boxes are permanent.  and the new Adhesive Dots were for the random bits like the twine, key ring and bird that are partly adhered and can also be moved.

there are TONS of little bits from many different manufacturers and lines in this project.  i grabbed everything with miniatures and scoured until i found a happy combination:  Fancy Pants' Office Suite, Pink Paislee Switchboard and Bella Rouge, Pebbles (Jen Hadfield), October Afternoon Treasure Map, Seven Paper and Webster's Pages, Doodlebug, The Twinery, enamels from Chickaniddy Crafts and We R Memory Keepers and some other blingy randoms from my stash.

 

i had a TON of fun making this and i am just as excited as you are to hop! 

be sure to "like" Paper Issues and Tombow USA on Facebook, and the clock's already tickin'! 

here's your full hop list for easy reference...

Paper Issues
BethWatson

Kathy Skou

Daniella Hayes

Heather Joyce

Erin Reed

Jen Boumis

Jennie García

Leah l’Orange

Jennifer Priest

Mary-Ann Maldonado

Latrice Murphy

Meaghen Calder-Losier

Tombow USA Blog

 

now off you go to visit Jennifer Priest for more crafty inspiration!

THANK YOU so much for hopping, and remember to leave your comments at each stop! (then go to the Paper Issues Facebook page to tell us which project is your fave!)  you have until Tuesday, May 12th at midnight EDT to get your comments in - our random winners will be announced on Wednesday, May 13th.  HAPPY HOPPING and happy SATURDAY!

limits, inspiration, and color swatch for Some Odd Girl!

sometimes limiting oneself can have WONDERFUL effects, especially when one feels overwhelmed with the amount of crafty things in one's stash.  ;)

today, i'm up on the Some Odd Girl blog with some inspiration for you!

i surprised myself by playing along with part one of Kristy's Color Swatch Journal for May!  she's thrown down the Copic color BG23 or equivalent Spectrum Noir color GT2, and invited all our crafty friends to share their blendy combos to see what we can come up with!  since i'm a Speccie girl, i went for the GT2 and instead of sticking within the GT family, i went with BT2 (which was much lighter for my base) and BT6 (which is a step darker than i might normally choose to blend).  my challenge was to limit myself to just 3 markers and try to rock some monochromatic coloring. 

enter our gorgeous Coy Kaylee digi stamp - she's one of my absolute faves!  the simple outfit helped with this "challenge" because i didn't face the struggle of aiming for more depth than i might be able to achieve with just 3 markers.  you can always layer on top of color once everything is dry, but after too much saturation, there tends to be a mottled effect and i really wanted to avoid that.

here's my card, featuring sentiment from our Birthday Mae clear stamp set, Sunshine Sorbet paper, and Hexie Dots wood veneers:

 

whatcha think?  is she looking a little sickly, or is the combo fun?  i've played around with pink and blue monochromatic coloring (and, of course, grey tones), but this is the first time i've ventured into the green family (aside from hair colors) and i wasn't sure as i was going along.  in the end, i'm pretty content with it, and now i'm anxious to try the other Color Swatch Journal prompts!  have you checked it out before?  CLICK HERE to see what i'm talking about!

here's a (slightly) closer view of my girl:

and i may just try this one again soon!  tomorrow's Friday - any plans for the weekend?  apparently The Son has a lunch or dinner thing in mind for us on Sunday (it's Mother's Day here in the U.S.), so i have a little quality time to look forward to.  in the meantime, i'll be back Saturday with a super fun event you won't want to miss!

Sketchy Saturday at Paper Issues!

hey there, chickens!  it's SATURDAY!  i'm in Canada right now, taking care of business (there's still SO much to do for my Dad's estate and getting the house ready to sell), but welcome to a Sketchy Saturday, on the Paper Issues blog!

we've got awesome sketches for both scrappy pages and cards today, and while i've been doing a LOT of scrapbooking, today i'm going the card route because i knew i HAD to use this paper and saw the speech bubble in my mind.  the card practically made itself while i was sleeping!

here's my card, featuring the gorgeous Pinkfresh Studio paper, a label (cut in two) from the Fancy Pants Office Suite collection, the speech bubble die-cut from this fun Jen Hadfield set for Pebbles, and sentiment from Snarky Stamps (it's two of the sets mashed together):

i went for a pretty LITERAL translation for the sketch, but there's a lot you can do with it!  rotate it, flip it, change the shapes, as long as we can see the sketch!

and here's the layout sketch:

want to play along?  want to win this:

CLICK HERE and join us!  i promise you'll be RIDICULOUSLY inspired by the Paper Issues Creative Team and what they've done with BOTH sketches, in case your mojo just ain't goin'!  have fun!