Free File Friday Together

Hello, I am on the Paper Issues blog today with a new cut file design! 

I grabbed the new February PI kit and the Love You Hearts cut file to create this lovey-design! 
 I love that this cut file can stand out, but it isn't the entire background!

For this cut file, I wanted the mixed media colors to peek through the vellum layer on the cut file and be a splatter of colors around the edges.  I found acrylic paints that matched the Crate Paper background colors and watered them down to use the packaging technique. I couldn't resist and also added some gold Heidi Shine mist drops!  Gold makes everything sparkly and fun!

Hello, rose gold mini Pink Paislee alpha included in the February kit!!  I love how these can be used in small spaces such as on top of a cut file as a fun mini title or added dimension to your project!

Pop up your cut file off your background with foam dots.  This helps it to standout from a patterned paper background and adds a shadow effect that adds interest to a simple design! 

Have you checked out all of the new free downloads at Paper Issues??

 This new free PI cut file is Love You Hearts.

Grab this free cut file or any of the 100s of other ones from the Paper Issues store

 and hopefully you have this amazing February kit!! 

It is so easy to pull together a layout or project when you have all you need

 gathered up in one package!

 If you haven't tried a PI scrapbook kit or swag bag, you need them in your craft room!

 I can't wait for March's kit--it is going to be a beautiful blast of color! 

Have an amazing weekend! 

 Share what you create in our Paper Issues Facebook group or on social media!

 Tag our cut files with #PIcutfile and #PaperIssues so we can find you!!

As a thank you for stopping by the blog---

save when you shop!!

Happy New Year! Get in Motion!

Happy New Year!
I am up on the Paper Issues blog with a new challenge.

This January Challenge is all about things in motion.

I don't know about you, but coffee is what signites me into motion each day!

Motion or movement on the page could also be interpreted as the repeated circles and patterns on the page. The Joyful cut file includes circles that I cut in varying sizes and cut the coffee cups and sleeves into circles to layer around the photo.  For this design, I used two large coffee cups.

I started with white gesso on the red patterned paper to soften the edges around the circles.

 Next, I added  the splatters. 

I dry them with a hair dryer after each color of splatters so they don't smear/blend.

 The paint is watered down acrylic paint in red, black, and green.

Yes, total advertisment for Starbucks.  This is my third yearly design using their special cups.

This year, I had to document trying a new flavor: Juniper Latte. 

Also, I love that it shows I was drinking more coffee at 4 pm!! 

Tis' the Season to need

more hours in the day to do all the things!

 Yes, I agree--coffee=magic!

Love these Christmas Thickers in a wood tone color from Crate Paper Merry Days.  The mini foam alpha from Pink Paislee are perfect for secondary title words!

Make the 1st day of the new year a great one with

time to create and play along with the new

  January Challenges in the Facebook Group.

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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.

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!

So Sweet: My Girl

Today at Paper Issues for Free File Friday we are focused on Thankful.  Allllllllll the people, things, and places that we are thankful for. I love the leaves and glow that autumn brings.  My daughter was captured in this perfect sun flare and it was perfect for some Maggie Holmes Carousel!

I love the leaf from the November Grateful Leaves cut file.  This is one of the original cut files that Paper Issues offered. Grab it for yourself!  I welded the leaves together in groups of two and three.

I kept it quite monochromatic and added gold gelatos to the roses in the paper as well as the chipboard. I am always a fan of black and white! 

The Maggie Holmes' bows are a fave of mine

 (psst--grab some they are still in the shop!)

I added a second project to my post since it was just Thanksgiving!  Here's my little guy with his colorful turkey.  I was nostalgic as this was our favorite thing to do as kids back in the day waiting for Thanksgiving dinner. 

Cocoa Vanilla Studio Bohemian Dream and the Fall is my Favorite cut file brought this design together.  I added watercolors to the background and to some of the cut file words.

Have a wonderful weekend!  Thanks for stopping by the blog today. 

Don't forget to shop small at Paper Issues this weekend.

Fall's Finest Moments

Today it's all about the circles for Try It Tuesday at Paper Issues. 

I wanted the look of coffee rings/coffee stains on a napkin for my background. 

 I dipped a circle cup into watered-down tan Mr. Huey's mist.

I used Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper.  I love her new Carousel line. 

The colors worked with the fall feel I was going for. 

The puffy Thicker phrases, chipboard pieces, and stickers all add details and dimension to the design.

I love the Kraft Chipboard Thickers for a page all about coffee and fall!

A close up at the "cup rings" for a coffee background minus the caffeine!  I added the Maggie Holmes Carousel woodgrain background paper edge to balance the brown touches. The gold plaid paper is a total fave. It just pops with fall tones!

Splatters and banners.  Coffee is totally worth celebrating in my book! 

I wanted my stitching to stand out a bit more, so I kept in white thread, but added a bobbin of black thread which makes the stitch have just a point of color showing through.

Repeated colors and journaling to finish it off. Don't forget a bow!

Go grab Carousel in the shop and start creating some fun projects! 

 It doesn't have to just be used for fair pages or adventure parks with zoo animals!

Try out this month's Try It Out with a fun circle theme.  

Post your new projects in Paper Issues Facebook group.

Save 20% on all things in the Paper Issues store.  

Get your shop on soon--new things have been arriving!!

Free File Friday: Mom Life

Hello and hooray for Friday!  It's another look at Free File Friday on the Paper Issues blog. It's a great week to celebrate moms, friendships, daily life (it's a feat somedays!!), and other special ladies in our lives!  I love this picture of my mom and I on Mother's Day a few years ago and was glad to get it documented!

Here's a closer look at this layout and cut files:

I cut the heart in black and white cardstock to make it shadowed and more prominent against the Crate Paper Maggie Holmes patterned paper. Next, I added mixed media packaging technique to add mint and pink to the background.  To lighten the colors and blend out the background, I added white gesso over the center of the page where the cut file heart will be.

I love Maggie Holmes' Chasing Dreams collection and used tags to back the mom life open letters.  Here's better look at the mixed media colors peeking through.

 I love the Chasing Dreams puffy gold hearts and the dimension they add!  I popped up the mom life cut file with foam dots.

Thanks for taking a peek at this layout!  It was a good challenge for me to use a bold and busy background paper for a sweet page about my mom and I.

Check out the Paper Issues Free Files for the Mom Life cut files or the Slices of Life file for more day in the life or mom moments! If you use one of the cut files, be sure to post your project on the Facebook challenge thread.
As always, save 20% in the PI store on all of the gorgeous Maggie Holmes Chasing Dreams or anything else that makes you happy!

Mix It Up Monday: Salt Background

Today on the blog at Paper Issues we are all about mixing it up with mixed media.  Orange Gearle is challenging us to try salt with your watercolors or other wet mediums.  Here'e my take using Crate Paper Oasis.

Here are a few close ups to see the salt effect:

I loved playing with Crate Paper Oasis for this summer day at the lake. I always use Crate's chipboard stickers for dimension.  They have the cutest sayings and designs to add to projects.

 Love the Tealightful pink foam glitter Thickers!  Perfect for this summer fun design!

I love Crate Paper's summery Oasis.  It was perfect for this swimming, playing, jumping in the lake kind of a day!

We hope you will Mix It Up, too this month!  Post your projects in the Facebook group for a chance to win!