Always be the Color

It's Scraplift Sunday at Paper Issues and today we are lifting the amazing design by Amanda!  

Go stop by the blog and check out her awesome

 starry original using Dear Lizzy Star Gazer  

and the PI design team members unique takes on it!

For my take I used a mini paper art spinner

 that was originally designed for little 2x2 pieces of paper, 

I used heavy duty tape to secure my paper and I was in business for spin art background.

Here's a look at the process:

Jillibean Soup Shades of Color paper spinning

 after I added a dropper of Jillibean white watered-down acrylic paint 

to several rings on the background.

After:  Wet paint from the spin art machine.

 Isn't it kind of cool?  It was hard to cover it up!!

 I definitely will be trying out some other colors and layering colors

 to see how rad it can turn out to be for a magical background!

To fill in the burst color areas I added lots of Jillibean Soup Shades of Color ephemera.  I raided my sequin stash and found colors that coordinated in each section of the background.  I also included chipboard bits and Girl Power stickers from Pink Paislee Wild Child, and Dear Lizzy Star Gazer.

The Jillibean word sticker worked so well as a layer over the Wild Child rainbow.  The mix of embellishments wasn't too overpowering in the background as the white edges blended with the white paint spin splatters and they were mostly tone on tone. A part that I love is the "My Girl *bee* heart" cluster, as we often call Brooklyn "B" or busy Bee.

I absolutely love this photo of Brooklyn playing in the fresh powdery snow from Christmas break.  It makes my mom heart happy when she still wants to play outside and lets me take pictures!

So there you have it.  Play--

Play with new methods.  Try new mediums.

Give this a whirl.

Push yourself to use those papers and supplies you haven't touched!

I dare you to play--right now!

Capture your family or friends being playful.

Or take some time just for you--

have some creative play time.

We can't wait to see you play along with the challenges at Paper Issues.

As always, there's a special sale for you!  

Use code: Stacie to save 20% off of everything at Paper Issues!!

Free File Friday: Winter Wonderland or Winter Woes?

I am up on the PI blog today with a look at winter from a few perspectives!  I hope you are inspired to grab your cutting machines and download all of the free files that you need to get some memories documented this weekend!
I love this black text paper from American Crafts Sweater Weather and it was the perfect base for my wintery skiing pictures from last year!

Grab this winter title from the Very Merry Holiday file and the snowflakes from the Circles and Snowflakes cut file. Both in the Free File section in the Paper Issues store.

 I added stitching to all of the snowflakes scattered throughout the page as I love the white on white look! The added texture it brings the design is perfect.

I love adding mixed media to the background.  This is a mix of white acrylic paint and water to give a light transparent snowy look along with the more opaque drops for variation and depth.

Join us on Paper Issues Friends and Fans to share all of your latest creations.  

Enter your projects in the January Challenges for more chances to win the monthly gift card.

 I hope you'll play along with Paper Issues free files and add to our post full of projects. 

Tag us on social media so we can see your creative takes using free files!

Save 20% on all of your purchases at Paper Issues.

XOXO Swag Bag

Swag Bag kits for January "All the Hearts" are in the house!  Check out the blog today at Paper Issues to be inspired on how to use these awesome swag bag kits. As it was such a kit full of heart, I went with it and used a PI free cut file to cut hearts out of the kit papers!

I started by splattering the acrylic paints in a ring shape on the Simple Stories woodgrain paper.

I cut the heart grid background cut file multiple times to use up the paper included in the kit.  I trial and error messed around with placement in the circle before adding a small amount of adhesive and sewing each heart down the middle so they could be lifted for dimension on the page.  See my workspace and the additional swag bag items I didn't use on this project!  So much to still play with!!

Cassie includes so many amazing embellishments with each month's kit.

 I love the tassel heart and rosette heart.  I still have the washi tape roll,wood veneer, and several more paper cards, paper scraps, ephemera, and sequins to use!

I challenged myself to use a lot of this gorgeous January kit in this project and I was successful.  But, honestly there is still always so many beautiful kit pieces left to use on other projects!

I really do "heart" you!  Thanks for stopping by.

Grab this kit before it's gone.  Save 20% off with my code!

I la la love it!  You will never be disappointed these swag bag kits, 

they are packed full each month!

Life is Good

It's all about the perfect recipe to kick of a creative start in the new year! Scrap Soup is on the blog today at Paper Issues.  

For this recipe, I used Cocoa Vanilla Studio's Bohemian Dream.  I loved the burst of color and thought a heart would be a good focal point for my photos of our catamaran snorkel cruise.

I used Shimmerz Blue Lagoon for the chipboard title stickers.  Those are my "three of the same embellishment" and one of the fonts.  The cut file is floral sweetheart and is in the free files at Paper Issues.

I also used three tabs-two on top of the photos and one for the date.  The chipboard hearts in a group of three across the design as well.

I used more than one font as seen here.  Yes, the acrylic paint drops were still not dry when I took the photos.  It's winter and daylight is fleeting!

I can't wait to see your take on Scrap Soup. I hope you are inspired to play along.  The more you post your work in our challenges--the more chances to win now through Feb. 4th.

Paper Issues has everything you need and with my code it's always on sale!

Christmas Magic

For Try It Tuesday at Paper Issues today,

Amanda is challenging us to use party products in our design. 

I used a paper treat bag in the layers and a Christmas glittery gift tag is tucked inside

 to document my 5 year old Ryan and his list for the year.

Here's a close up of my "party or holiday party items" that I added to my layers.  I love that I can keep his list tucked into the page for reminding us years from now what he was interested in!

I loved working with Pinkfresh December Days.  The chipboard, puffy stickers, ephemera and wooden buttons were the perfect little bits I needed to layer this festive design.

The sequins were included in the Swag Bag kit for December.  Make sure you grab a PI swag bag kit when Cassie releases them as they are the perfect layout finishers!  I mean--it's the go to stash of items to add to those spots you need just a little something!! The epoxy black stars were included in Heidi Swapp mini packs of stickers.The PI store has the Heidi Swapp scripty stickers all in stock and they are adorable to add to pages!

We hope you will join us on all of the January challenges at Paper Issues.  They are open now through Feb 4th.  Don't forget to grab items from the Paper Issues store--it's always on sale and the shipping is fast. Cassie adds the best detailing with each order! Don't miss out!

Snow Day

I love Mary-Ann's mood boards and this month at Paper Issues is a new one to inspire! Today it's all about being Pinspired on the Paper Issues blog.

I love the snowy background!  I was inspired by the reds and light blues, obvi the snow, too!
I went with a new cut file for Paper Issues in the Free Files for my background.

Here's how the cut file snow grid background looked backed in Sweater Weather paper and stitched. I added the positive snowflake pieces in the openings.  I had to add snowflakes to go along with the mood board snowy images.

I added lots of Sweater Weather ephemera and chipboard from CP FaLaLa. The flair was from Fancy Pants holiday collection from last year.

I loved the soft blues in the moodboard and backed the snowflakes to mimic this element.

I love my little Kylo Ren-  he's such a Star Wars loving kiddo. I embraced the red and made that the "pop of" color for this design. Just a sprinkling of red just like the mood board images.

I hope you will play along at Paper Issues and create something sparked from this awesome mood board.  You have now through February 4th to submit your projects.  Simply add them to the posts on Facebook.

I heart you!

It's my fave day! Scraplift Sunday is always a way to boost

 my creativity and gets me cutting into collections I haven't used yet!

  Today we are lifting the super talented Rachel and her holiday design using CP Falala. 

 I didn't go too crazy switching up her design.  

I made it super easy by using Crate Paper Main Squeeze. 

I am such a fan of pop dots to add some dimension to the layers.  I adore the puffy Thicker pack for this collection! The added puffy hearts are always needed!  I love the ephemera pack with the cutest
 b & w hearts with faces. The scripty ephemera sayings are such the cute addition to paper layers.

I love how last season's Crate Paper Heart Day also coordinates to Main Squeeze so I was able to stashbust items in this design. They were the perfect layers, details, and colors that I needed.

Play along with this awesome Paper Issues Scraplift now through Feb. 4th.  

We can't wait to see your beautiful designs and take on this lift!

Sketchy Saturday: January Edition

Hello! It's my favorite way to ease into a scrappy session--use a sketch or find a scraplift to play along with. Ann has a fantastic new sketch waiting for you on the Paper Issues blog. Check out the Paper Issues Design Team and what inspiration they have shared using the January Sketch. 

Here's my take using Crate Paper Good Vibes.

I absolutely loved this cacti paper and pink of course.  I made sure to take lots of cacti pictures this past summer in TX because--duh, I need to use these fun papers!  My husband was all, "Are you for real?  We are at the Alamo and you are busy taking pictures in the back gardens of cacti?"  

Yep.  Sure am.  Somethings just need to be documented for the sake of paper.

Am I right?  Paper Issues has me covered!

The champagne foam Thickers are so pretty! The puffy Thicker words are sooo cool.  I can't wait to use those on more projects! It was my first time using Nuvo drops (linked a different color) for my "splatters  or enamel dots" and I loved the ease of using it!

I am always a fan of Crate Paper collection chipboard and ephemera. It makes layering and design clusters come together so quickly.

Free File Friday: 3 2, 1...Happy New Year!

Today we are ringing in the first Friday of the new year with Free File Friday at Paper Issues. Use numbers with a Paper Issues cut file or use a number cut file to document the new year, past year, list of favorites from the holidays, goals for the new year, top three(five, ten) memories of the past year, use a cut file and layer number stickers or Thickers on it, coordinate a cut file with numbers...anything goes! 

 I played along with Sub Zero by Simple Stories.  My littlest is five and he is obsessed with getting his own skates to play hockey on the pond in our back yard. He definitely has had a countdown to winter of 2018 for months now. I converted the Celebrate 2018 cut file into a stitching cut file.  Grab one or both from the free files. The 'Countdown to' from Top Ten cut file made my title work along with the big numerals. 

Yay for new snow.  Excited for the flakes to fall!

This baker's twine is from the We R Memory Keepers Stitch Happy collection.  I used the baker's twine as the perfect thickness to stitch with!

I used lots of Simple Stories ephemera pieces, stickers and chipboard.  Sub Zero is such a fun collection.

Join us at Paper Issues and grab all of the free cut files while you are looking!  

They are always a free download.

Play along with this challenge and so many more now through Feb 4th.