Sweet Friends

Hi! I am up on the Paper Issues blog today with the new challenge Those Were the Days, My Friend.
I documented my sister and I along with our childhood friends from California. 
I couldn't wait to put this Cocoa Vanilla Studio specialty mosaic heart to use.

I used Cocoa Vanilla Studio Happiness collection and machine stitched with bright pink around the heart and all along the mosaic lines.  It is messy and imperfect, but that is ok!
 I love these die cut title words from CVS for added dimension.

The June Pontoon Scrapbook Kit is sold out, but this CVS heart was included in the kit.  Be sure to check out the kit page in the PI store for kits that are still available (yes, you need them!) and new ones that are for sale each month!

The journaling to this photo story seemed to balance out the dark title words.

Stop by and check out the new November challenges in the Paper Issues Facebook group
 and keep tagging Paper Issues on social media. We love seeing what you create. 
Get inspired to play along at Paper Issues!
Save 20% in the Paper Issues store on every order!
Code: Stacie

Super Sundae Player of the Game

Hello! Stacie here with the new June challenge, Super Sundae!

 Go check out more details on the Paper Issues blog.  

I couldn't wait to use the beautiful, new June kit: Pontoon.

The May swag bag for added ephemera and layers. 

I was inspired to create the look of sprinkles on top of the sundae!

The PI free cut file baseball heart is from the set called  Homerun Heart. 

I backed the cut file baseball with vellum for a cool opague layer. 

It created a nice title grouping in the solid "dish" part of the sundae.  My son loves the team huddle after each game to hear the coach talk and award the Dairy Queen sundae player of the game! 

We all play for ice cream!

The photo mat layers are from the June kit or the PI  Swag Bag from May. I love the pops of color that are stacked and lead your eye into the sprinkle toppings (polka dot).  The cool Bella Blvd. red Florence alpha for the title was such a fun pop of color on the layered title. 

I hope you are inspired to try a new June challenge including Super Sundae in the Paper Issues Friends and Fans Facebook group.  All June challenges are open until July 1st.

Have you tried a Paper Issues monthly kit?  If not, go grab the scrapbook  kit or swag bag kit-you'll be so happy that you did!  They are seriously full of amazing products each month!

Don't forget to save 20% on your whole purchase at Paper Issues.  Code: Stacie

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!!

Together

Hi! I am up on the Paper Issues Blog today for the first scraplift Sunday challenge! 

 Stop by and check it out! 

 I was so inspired by Jen's colorful layered scallops design!

 Here's my take on the beautiful design:

Here's Jennifer's fabulous original design using Fancy Pants Yellow Door Collection:

I used lots of bits and pieces from Paper Issues Swag Bags and the January Scrapbook kit to embellish and create my titles.

I love adding stitching to my background to lift items up to create dimension in the layers. 

I went crazy with the acrylic paint splatters to bring in lots of the colors from the hearts. I mean why not make a party of paint splatters on your page every once in awhile?!

Happy heart month and happy scraplifting!! 

Post your challenge entries to our Friends & Fans Facebook group

 and tag Paper Issues on social media.

Grab the scrapbook kits each month in the store, 

just like I did to help your designs come together quickly! 

Save 20% your order with code: Stacie

Free File Friday: Sweet Moments

Hello! Deccember is flying by and it's time to document 

more sweet moments of the season. I am up on the Paper Issues blog today 

with a free file Friday post.

The December Paper Issues kit, Hard Candy is absolutely fabulous

 and so easy to create pretty pages or projects with! 

The Candy Cane Hearts cut file is the perfect addition

 to the sweet treats my son was decorating with in the photo. 

The Kaisercraft ephemera pieces are so lovely for layering

 and adding details to add to the holiday vibes!

How about the sweet gingerbread cookie ephemera?? 

 I mean how could I not add the perfect sized Amy Tangerine mini bow to the gingerbread person!?

Yes, you need mini bows.  They are so cute on everything!

The woodgrain paper included in the December kit was so easy to match up with this gingerbread themed page. I used machine stitching around the border to off-set the backgrounds with the powerful red polka dots behind this layer.

I released the compound path on the candy canes and created a solid layer for the candy canes. To tie in the white, I added the white acrylic paint splatters and the snowflakes for a visual triangle. The cut file snowflakes are from Snowflake Grid free file.

Thanks for stopping by the blog.  I can't wait to see how you use Paper Issues free cut files in your holiday projects.

There are so many ways to layer cut files, alter them, super-size the design... the ideas are endless.

Here's to hoping your Friday is fabulous!

Happy Holidays!

Stacie

Swanky Swatches: Magical

Hello! Today I am up on the Paper Issues blog with a new layout based on this month's swatch colors!  I couldn’t wait to look through my holiday photos to find one to coordinate to the swatch and use the new Paper Issues December scrapbook kit "Hard Candy"!  I drew inspiration from the swatch colors as well as the wreath image!  Scroll to the end of this blog post for the December swatch!

 The Lawn Fawn patterned paper trees are so much rainbow fun and a great option away from the typical green and red!  I love mixing the enamel dots in to further add colors to the design.

I layered the free PI cut file bud wreath, which included the inner circle to cut the Lawn Fawn patterned paper to size. Get out that thread and add messy strings as well as stitching to add texture.

The watercolored Kaisercraft ephemera pieces are so beautiful and mix right in with other collections.  I recommend stocking up on extra Kaisercraft items in the store before it's gone. 

 It is such a pretty holiday collection.

 The December kit includes Pinkfresh wooden alpha stickers and they are the cutest!

 The small size is perfect for smaller titles and using to layer just as I did on top of the photo. 

I also layered the Magical title word on top of the photo and it is from the Joyful free cut file.

I wanted to remember this sweet story of a giving man

 who noticed us at church Christmas Eve and

 asked if we would enjoy a day at the nearby LegoLand since he works there. 

He rounded up six tickets for us and it was a fabulous

 95 degree day in LegoLand to end our holiday vacay in FL.

Some people are truly magical!!

 I hope you will check out the December challenges

 on Paper Issues Friends and Fans Facebook album and play along.

  Swanky Swatches is a great place to start. 

The color swatch and images are instantly inspiring!!

Thanks for visiting today!                       

Play along with all of the December challenges and tag us on social media. 

I love to see what you are creating!  

I hope you grabbed your December scrapbook or swag bag kit!

 If not, get one today for 20% off, 

use code: Stacie 

Scraplift Sunday- Family

Hello!  It is Sunday, and that means there's an all new Scraplift Sunday to check out at Paper Issues.  Today I am showing my lift of Angie's amazing concentric circles!  I am up on the Paper Issues blog today with more on this lift including Angie's original.

Circles are a design element I am drawn to and I couldn't wait to change up the design slightly by using a circular cut file.  The Concentric Dotty Rings free cut file  was perfect for the base of this design idea. I used the Authentique floral paper from the November PI kit: Family Tradition to peek through the back of the cut file. It was a subtle way to add colors behind my background.

Check out the amazing  Jen Hadfield Patio Party woodgrain Thicker words, and I was drawn to how Angie used them in her design.  I lifted that immediately from the PI November kit (yes, the amazing wood-look Thickers are included!), and started pulling little leaves stickers, chipboard, and fall ephemera items.  This November kit includes so many it was easy to find enough to cover the entire space!

Stamps are something  I have so many of and yet, I rarely pull them out to add them to my page designs.  I adore how Angie had the Heidi Swapp word stamps sprinkled throughout her circles admist the ephemera pieces.  Since the cut file had so many holes, I limited the stamping to just a few in three spaces.  The handwritten stamp words by Heidi Swapp are a must to have if you don't already own them!

The gold mist was the perfect touch to add to the swirly effect of the fall leaves.  I added it at the end and love the added color it brings to the design.  The November Family Tradition kit made this design come together so quickly.  I also snuck in there the October kit: Uma Thurman's PLS Corn Maze paper for my photo mat.  It is definitely not just a Halloween kit. The double sided papers are so versatile for other projects.

We hope you are still playing along with this weekend's Fall Online Crop at Paper Issues Friends and Fans Facebook group. There are so many fun challenges to get inspired. Hope to see your entries in the crop albums!

This week's SLS will be posted in the November challenge album. Play along all month long on the November challenges.  This one is a great one to play along with and customize like I did by using a cut file, stamps, embellishments or stickers.

Shop at Paper Issues and grab the new November kits or new holiday collections!
   Save 20% off of your entire purchase! code to save: Stacie