Keep Your Eyes on the Skies

It's a great way to celebrate New Year's Eve---play along  with Scraplift Sunday at Paper Issues.  Today we are inspired by Cassie's beautiful winter layout.  I loved the whimsical look with the flowy twine and floating snowflakes scattered in the background.  I had wanted to use the kites since the collection came out from Maggie Holmes Carousel and the matching cut files from Paper Issues. Soooo...today is the day to use all the things!

Our morning hike going up the Diamond Head volcano on Oahu, Hawaii was truly magical.  We are not normally up for hiking, but, we knew the views would be worth it, and it was all that and more!

It was the best way I could think of to document a rainbow--by using the quote"keep your eyes on the skies" and to use the clouds and kite cut files in fun colors to remind us to always look up for treasures in the skies!

I double cut the kite cut files in black and white cardstock to give it that slight outline/shadow look.

I hope you join us at Paper Issues each month as we give you lots of challenges to play along with. We hope we inspire you to use your collections, papers, and to scrap your stash!

Free File Friday: Holiday Joy

It's almost Christmas and we are sharing free files at Paper Issues Free File Friday! Get your holiday pictures documented with some fun cut files that are all instant download and free at Paper Issues.  This design is built on the stitching snowflake background and smaller snowflakes are from Circles & Snowflakes.
I adore this photo of my littlest and how he looked in his buffalo check Christmas jammies and how he loves the candy mustaches that I made for a fun treat/photo op!



I hand stitched it with silver and white baker's twine. I added messy silver threads for dimension under snowflake embellishments or cut files. I added more patterned paper from Falala to the grouping at the top and bottom border. The silver watercolor was a soft, subtle way to add shimmer and shine in the splatters!

I loved the buffalo check embellishments including the Joy stickers for my title. I finally used my stash of enamel dots that are glittery.

The cut file is attached to the background but I kept it as is  (lifted up) in some parts to add natural shadows and dimension. The snowflakes with the silver thread look like they could be floating down!

I love this buffalo check paper peeking out from the snowflake cut file.  It adds a vibrant pop of color against the white. The embellishments for Crate's FalaLa are so perfect.  I love the many tags and banners that were included!

So there you have it, turn on your favorite holiday music, NetFlix, or the Hallmark movies and pull out the Silhouette and start creating! Use any PI cut file to create a holiday or winter project.Play along as much as you are able now through Dec. 31st.
There's a huge year end sale at Paper Issues. Be sure to check the PI blog and Facebook rounds for the code to get the 50% discount.

Swag Bag December: The Magic

It's all about Santa and the magic of the season in our house right now!  We took our youngest two to see Santa this past weekend and I put the expensive mall photo to good use. The Paper Issues December Swag Bag kit was perfect for the page design! I still have so much of the kit left to use on another winter themed page that I will share in January. Check out the Paper Issues blog today for more Swag Bag inspo.

The Maggie Holmes Carousel starry background paper is the off-white cream color that picked up the gold tones of several of the embellishments and papers included in the December kit. I added mixed media to the background to soften the stars around the immediate design and photo cluster. I used the packaging technique to add sparkly green and gold layers.

The December Swag Bag rosettes added such fun depth and texture!  I love the snowy winter whimsy it brings to the design. I love the fun mix of sequins included in this month's kit. I used only the gold stars, but the crimson red,white, and other sequins will be used in another project--tis the season to sparkle!

If you have been wondering about swag bags, now is the time to try one! Cassie packs the kits full of fun possibilities.  This kit worked for the holidays, a visit with Santa, baking cookies, winter outdoors fun, sledding, not to mention perfect for your December albums if you are documenting each day this month!

Snow Love

It's Round Two of the December Issue: Holiday Happenings at Paper Issues. Go check out the new inspiration on the PI blog. I love the snowy white blanket of freshly fallen snow best of all. It is so magical to capture moments like this as the photo is simple, yet, oh so sweet. Crate Paper FaLaLa was my go-to choice for this design!

I haven't used a kraft background in awhile, so it was a fun change for me! I love how the colors pick up Ranger's coat and it pops against the white snow/snowflake cut file.

This fun teal woodgrain was in last year's Simple Stories winter wonderland collection.  It was the perfect addition to the Crate Paper FaLaLa collection.

My paper must've shifted on the mat as this design cut-- you can see the last few snowflakes are off center!  I double cut all intricate designs, so this may have been the effects of the second cut and slight movement on the mat!  Well, like the saying goes- no two snowflakes are alike, they are all unique! Grab this snowflake background here.

Those sweet little flag banners from the FaLaLa collection are the perfect pop of color at the top of the photo. This Love and Joy Deer cut file that I used as my mega title "snow Love" is new in the shop!  I hope you'll try it out in your page designs!  Ryan adores his cousins' dog, Ranger, and looks forward to holidays to play with their dog! Ranger wasn't a fan of playing dress up with his Santa hat!

It's such a busy week ahead full of preparations and festivities.  I sure hope you'll also squeeze in some creative time to play with paper or create a project that fits in with this winter and holiday issue!  You can share your projects now through December 31st!  We can't wait to see what inspires you! See you online in our Facebook group at Paper Issues.  If you have time to check out the amazing sales going on at Paper Issues, it's worth your time to scroll through the shop to see what you need!

Red Cup 2017

It's Scraplift Sunday at Paper Issues and we are lifting a fun circle grid design by Rachel. When I saw it, I instantly got to thinking about a Starbucks Red Cup holiday design. I love this gray toned wood grain from Simple Stories as the base of this fun and festive cozy holiday design.

Pink Paislee Turn the Page by Paige Evans has the perfect red (Paper 17) and green for the Starbucks cups! Use up your B sides of patterned paper for some subtle tone on tone pattern and a layer of color! Crate Paper FaLaLa has the perfect color embellishments in the chipboard, stickers, and ephemera pack!

 Pink Paislee Turn the Page wood veneer star is perfect for holiday pages! Silver thread doesn't photograph well, but it sure adds sparkle in my album!

PI cut files Circles and Snowflakes has additional snowflakes in the download and I used these to tuck through out the layers in the design. Yes, the one circle cup was ripped, but I salvaged it without having to make a Starbucks run to drink another coffee for the sake of crafting!!

Join us at Paper Issues now through Dec 31st for this scraplift and all of the other challenges! We hope you will play along! 

Tis the Season to Fa La La La

It's a new Working Title Challenge at Paper Issues.  Amanda is challenging us to use song lyrics in our titles this month.  I made it easy and used a free PI cut file  "Tis the Season" with holiday song lyrics on it.

I love that the cut file gives the design a starting shape and place to build the rest of the layout off of--it truly made this come together quite quickly when I pulled out all of my new Pinkfresh December Days collection!

I pulled out some older Pink Paislee Merry & Bright green paper to back the cut file letters.  I love that Pinkfresh and the Pink Paislee both coordinate with my son's winter hat.  He informed me he doesn't like hats like this anymore because some kid at school says it's babyish. *Sad face*

 The puffy sticker stars are my fave!  I love how they popped this background paper! The red and gold alpha stickers were a fun way to add interest to the "snow" area of my photo!

I hope you'll join along with the Working Title challenge this month at Paper Issues.  Also, go check out the Paper Issues store!  40isBetter will save you 40% for the next few days!

Try It Tuesday: Paper Strips

Today on the blog at Paper Issues it is Try It Tuesday! I love all of the fun ideas Amanda has to get us creating! For the month of December, Amanda wants us to create a design with strips of paper.

 I grabbed the Dear Lizzy Star Gazer collection and cut off a stack of paper branding strips/tear away strips to use with this brush stroke chevron background. I grabbed the Nuvo white glue and started sticking down paper strips in random placement! 

This is my littlest posing in Hawaii this summer. He loved trying to master the "shaka" hand in all of his pictures. He truly captured the spirit of ALOHA!  He is my little light and this colorful page captures his spunky heart of gold!

Close ups of this fun brush strokes chevron background so you can "try it" too!

I love the copper/rose gold detailing on the Star Gazer Thickers and Star Gazer ephemera.

 The flair included in the Star Gazer collection are so cute! The 6x12 stickers, ephemera, and Thickers are so easy to cluster and stick together.

Stitch around the border and add the finishing touches! I hope you are inspired to grab this brush strokes chevron cut file and use your branding/tear strips off of the paper from each collection. No trimming necessary (besides the length of the stripe) this cut file is the perfect width of branding strips to layer them!

I hope to see your amazing work online or in our PIFF Facebook group! Please tag us if you create with a Paper Issues cut file. #picutfile #paperissues #Paperissuesfreefile will help me find your creative work!

Join this challenge or any of the many challenges that are offered weekly on Facebook!

Shop Paper Issues now for all of the Dear Lizzy items you see here. 

It is a beautiful collection to create with!

Pinspire Me: Pastel Winter

Today on the blog at Paper Issues it is time for a new Pinspired moodboard made by Mary-Ann! I call it Pastel Holidays! Winter is usually white and soft here in MN, so pastels are the perfect partner!

I was inspired by all of the trees.  I created a tree farm cut file to use with Crate Paper Snow & Cocoa.

I cut the background cut file from white cardstock and then cut a background pieces of patterned paper for behind the openings and then cut a patterned paper tree from the cut file to layer and stitch together.  I was able to lift the layers for instant dimension to the trees.

Up close details of the layers. Crate Paper Snow & Cocoa chipboard, word stickers, ephemera, 12x12 patterned paper scraps & 6x6 papers.

 Side view of the tree dimension. I love that I could include so many of the cute patterned papers in one design without being too crazy looking! Pink and black splatters to fit the moodboard vibes.

 A bit of white twine to string the ephemera tags together.

Play along with this beautiful board now through December 31. Be pinspired by all of the inspiration images.  Maybe try a cut file with your design--there are 100s of free files in the PI store for instant download!

Don't forget about the Paper Issues sale going on right now!!

Free File Friday: Snow Thankful

Today we are up on the Paper Issues blog with a Free File post for you!  Snowy, winter, holiday titles! Check out all of the ways to incorporate a cut file word, title or quote into your project design.

I used the Circles and Snowflakes cut file for my title word "Snow" and the snowballs.  The added snowflakes are also from the same cut file.

Gesso and white acrylic paint to blur the edges of the cut file background.  Paint flicks of white all over the design and on the background. Snowy, messy, fun!

Grab this Crate Paper Fa La La La collection and more during the Paper Issues sale--happening now through the holidays!!

Play along with the Free File Friday now through Dec 31st.

Thankful: I heart Fall

Today it's all about math on Paper Issues--Add it Up challenge is live on the blog and you need 200 or more points on your projects.
I used Carta Bella Hello Fall and some PI free cut files on my project to get to 200 points.

Here's the chart to help you tabulate!


A few closeups:
Carta Bella Hello Fall was a must to coordinate with my guy's adorable rascal shirt.  The woodland critters had to be used!

Gold shimmer and fall is my favorite! Mist drops for fall leaves. Find the cut files for free in the free files section of the PI shop. I love the Fall is my Favorite cut file--my fave is the i (heart) fall script!

 Add all the fall colors of mist--packaging technique with gesso gold, Heidi Colorshine gold mist drops, tan and orange mist drops. Stickers, puffy enamel stickers, and enamel dots to add movement and dimension! I used the PI swag bag for November for several embellishments as well.

I hope you decide to Add it Up, too this month! Join us and play along!

There's always a sale at Paper Issues use a code and save!