Soak up the Sun

Today I am up on the Paper Issues blog with a Working with Water Colors post. 

I used the Sun and Fun free cut file and turned it into a stitching cut file. 

The water colors are the focal point of the sun center and the background, 

as well as a way to add a vintage look to the title word strips.

Here are a few close ups of the layout: If you have never turned cut lines into stitching marks for your needle, check out my cut file stitching tutorial post here to show you more!

The foam adhesive keeps the layers separated and casts slight shadows to create depth above the water color background.  Water colors are also a focal point of the center of the sun cut file. I love how my children's beach sunset photo worked so well with this sunny cut file and water color splash background.

Adding watercolors is easy by using the packaging technique. Here's how it looked under the cut file and photo. It is important to layer the colors and dry the area in between the layers. I use a hair dryer to dry the paper quickly and this minimizes paper warping.

Here's another background showing the packaging watercolor process.  I cut a scrap of plastic packaging and add water color to it. It naturally beads up/pools on the plastic.  Press it onto the paper where you'd like the color layered.

When it is sufficient, I stop and dry the area with a heat device such as a heat gun or hair dryer.

On this example, next I moved onto a golden yellow stripe. You can see slight variations of yellow and gold I layered in varying places before drying it.

I added the light blue-green color after setting the yellow stripe. You can see the small scrap of plastic used for this.

Here's the final tutorial picture of this now dried watercolor packaging technique! Pretty cool look to build a layout design on!

I am excited to see your water color magic! 

 Post your projects on Paper Issues July challenge album 

and have a chance to win gift cards this month.

As always there's a SALE at Paper Issues!  

Grab all of your favorite swag bag kits, 

Christmas in July kit, or collecion favorites for 20% off!

Code to save: Stacie

Colors of Summer

Today I am up on the Paper Issues blog sharing my lift of this Sunday's Scraplift challenge. This week we are lifting the inspirational layout by Jen McMurtrey.  I love the new collections from Pinkfresh Studio and used Be You and Let your Heart Decide for this design.

Here is Jen's beautiful original design using Elle's Studio Noteworthy collection:

I adore this design's use of color blocking

 and I had fun time sorting through my Pinkfresh collections 

in search of embellishments that matched these color families.

The use of foam pop dots adds to the height variety in the quadrant of photos. 

  I lifted up two of them to vary it and create shadows along with

 the use of puffy stickers and enamel shapes which add shine and texture!

The metallic alpha add the perfect amount of shine. I adore the many colors of the Pinkfresh mini alphas that are carrried in the PI store.

I used the packaging technique (small pieces of plastic packaging with watercolors added) dab on the background paper to get the splotchy, spotty look of the watercolors to coordinate with the colors.  For some of the colors, I mixed multiple colors from the watercolor palette to get the exact match.

The golden color paper and the bright green were both cut from the Let Your Heart Decide collection Escapade paper and it is a favorite as it is ombré!

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today.

  I hope you are inspired to play along at Paper Issues this month

 with this Scraplift Sunday or any of the challenges that are offered until June 3rd!  There are gift cards you can win just by posting your projects!

As always, your gift for stopping by my blog or following me on social media:

Save 20% at Paper Issues on your entire order code: Stacie

Swag Bag September: Today was the Best Day Ever

Swag Bag kit in the house! Go check out the newest kit in the Paper Issues store 

and then check out the PI blog for inspiration on how to use the swag bag kits. 

 I used the newest swag bag for September and it was 

perfection for this colorful shave ice pic from Hawaii last month. 

I was inspired to make this background based on the Seek Rainbows patterned paper

 from Shimelle's Glitter Girl collection.

 I think you could totally cut the rainbow patterned paper into a circle for a similar look!

Here's how I started this layout-- gesso and a circle of rainbow watercolors using the packaging technique.  I just kept on layering shades of the colors until I had similar matches to the papers in the September swag bag kit. I added splatters of watercolors after I had stitched all of my circles and ephemera down.

The Shimelle Glitter Girl made a splash in this fun swag bag kit--see the fun lenticular camera ephemera--it says snap when you tilt the page! I love the speech bubble hello and all of the little circle faces paper with glasses.  I had so much fun punching circles from lots of the paper cards this month.

I love the title card also from Shimelle's Glitter Girl ephemera pack.  See the cute gummy bear paper circles--those are from the Happy Hooray collection by Pebbles. The glittery shooting star embellishment with little ribbons--totally adorable and you can get it from the Dear Lizzy Stargazer collection.

Happy Hooray puffy stickers are in the kit, see the balloon animal? 

Also some ephemera is included from Pebbles Happy Hooray.  

It all works so well together. After I stitched everything down, I added enamel dots for dimension and little circles to scatter in the ring.

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog today! 

 I hope you are inspired to try a swag bag kit for the first time or use a kit you've been hoarding!  

Grab your circle punches or your die cut machine and get pops of color from the rainbow of papers and then start layering.

Save 20% today on your swag bag and all of the items I tagged above at the Paper Issues store.

Use code: Stacie  this will save you 20% everytime you shop!

Go check out the swag bag kit and quick!  They sell out so fast each month.

I love that Cassie includes bits from all of the newest lines and matches them with papers that make it so easy to use in several projects. I still have so much left from this month's kit!

Free File Friday titles: Sun & Fun

I am up on the Paper Issues blog with a new installment of Free File Friday!  

We are focusing on using a cut file title this month!  

I used the Sun & Fun title from the Geo Tropical Palms cut file and converted into stitching dots.  See this blog post for the details on how to get the perfect-sized hand stitching holes by converting the cut file--it's so easy! 

Bella Blvd Secrets of the Sea was perfect for documenting my little fish!

After you convert the cut file lines to stitching marks, I usually cut the cut file out as a solid shape.  This helps when it's a scripty title or other intricate shape so you can lay the shape on top to see where the stitches go as well as spots you might want to add a stitch hole to make the stitching more rounded.

I adore this printed quote paper from Bella Blvd Secrets of the Sea.  I had wanted the quote to show--and voila--I realized by showing only the border of it the top and bottom of the paper display the entire quote.  So very sweet! The ephemera pack and sticker sheet worked well together for layering and adding details.

 I just played with Shimmerz brand watercolors for this layout. I love how it worked on the paper and the way it dried is so pretty.  Some colors were shimmery and all colors played off the color scheme of the Secrets of the Seas papers. I got paint into the stitching area in some spots but the twine just soaks it up.

More stitching and Shimmerz paint close ups on the cut file title. So, here's my "secret of the seas"--I started this stitching layout in June and just completed it in August!!!  Anyone else have page designs that you start and don't finish or take you forever to finish?!

One last view of the title in full. I added lots of splatters as you can see he was all splashed by the waves in the photo. I love the look of the ombre colors in the letters. The Bella Blvd fish were so cute with this design.

 

I hope you are inspired to use a cut file title in your projects this month.  

Paper Issues has so many words, titles, alphabets, and quotes to use to help you with your page designs. 

Create a title and submit your project in the August Challenge thread in PIFF (Paper Issues Friends and Fans on Facebook.)  

Who knows, you might be the lucky one to win a PI store gift card?!

Grab some cut files to download and get ready to create. 

Bonus if you create a title that you converted to a stitching file.

I love seeing what you create.  Tag us on social media so we can share some love!

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

Mix It Up Monday- XOXO Arrows

Today we are up on the Paper Issues blog for Mix It Up Monday.  This month Orange is challenging us to try embossing with mixed media!
I gathered up my stash of arrow stamps and embossed them before adding watercolors. I also had some floral stamps that I embossed and painted as well!  Love a good watercolor resist project!

The Simple Stories Love & Adore collection is so easy to work with!  I love the colors in it and that pop of yellow is just my favorite! See the embossed arrows peeking in the top corner? They were so much fun to create a pattern with on the top and bottom of the page.

I added watercolor to the chipboard Love in my title.  I love the mix of ephemera, 4x6 stickers, chipboard, and cardstock stickers included in the Love & Adore collection that worked perfectly with this page.

I added the embossed florals at the top corner of the LO and lower corner of my photo.  See the shine of the embossed arrows at the top edge?!  I love the black, shiny glitter embossing with this collection.  I love the paper elements patterned paper for quick strips of paper to add to a LO.  The polka dots paper add that pop of bold color to draw the eye to the photo.

I hope you will mix it up this month and join us on PIFF for a chance to win a PI giftcard.  Embossing on a project is so much fun to try out.  I have used this technique a few times and it is always fun (think crayon resist art as a child!!)  I love the look it creates.

Save 20% on all the things at Paper Issues.  There are soooo many new things calling your name.

Beautiful Smile

Today it's all about getting messy at Paper Issues with a new Mix It Up Monday.
The challenge this month is stamping and using stamping in a variety of ways.

This process was fun and tiring all in one.  I would stamp a few images and then quickly add the embossing powder and run over to my heat wand.  A few times I had to emboss the circles a second time as they were too faint..  I added messy stripes of water color to match with colors in Amy Tangerine's collection.

I embossed two different circles stamps.  The Amy Tangerine stamp crosshatch circle and the other was from my stash.

I painted and mixed the gelatos over the letters on the white foam Thicker title.  I love the red polka dot paper (side B) of the Around Town paper from this collection.

I added ephemera and clear acetate pieces since haven't used many of them, I challenged myself to put them in the design.  I also used clear stickers from the sticker booklet for the rest of the design details.  Since the painted and stamped background is busy, I kept the rest at a minimum!

Isn't this the cutest?  The dragonfly landed on his shoulder and stayed there for the longest time!

I hope you are inspired to try some new techniques with your stamps and mixed media on your projects!  Share with us on Instagram or in our Facebook PIFF group!  We'd love to see what you create!

Halloween Round Up!

Today on the Paper Issues blog we are giving you lots of Halloween inspiration!  Here is my latest using Bella Blvd Spooktacular. My kiddos last year went as Jake and the Neverland Pirates, a witch costume custom made by my mom, and a baby.  My middle schooler bought this mask on a shopping trip with friends.  Creepy baby mask, for sure!

First I prepped my paper with gesso and then used the packaging technique with watercolors to add oranges, red-orange, and gold to the background.  I finished by adding splatters once it was dried.

I super love this text paper instead of white cardstock for a change!

I used the cut apart paper (the little 2x2 squares) to make little banner ends for both sides of the photo.   I added messy threads in matching colors to add dimension in a few places.

The 12x12 sticker sheet , clips, and die cuts and pieces pack gave me plenty of things to embellish with.  I also love the Doodlebug Design enamel eyeballs.

Here are my other Halloween pages I have made this month:

This was for the Pinspire Me board for October.  I used lots of Doodlebug Boos & Brews and the background border is Bella Blvd, Spooktacular.  The photo mat papers are Bella Blvd Trick or Treat.

This was using the same collection- Bella Blvd Spooktacular.  I scraplifted Dona, Orange Gearle, for this Mix It Up LO of hers.  Here's my background for it.

Messy stenciled chevrons for the three colors.  I started with gesso, then added watercolor via packaging technique, and then stenciled with ink pads.

If you made it this far, thanks for scrolling through! I hope you were inspired to get those fun pictures into your albums! It is my Halloween Round Up for this year.  I hope you will check out Paper Issues blog and store for more inspiration as well as on Instagram and Facebook.  Save 20% at the shop with my code: Stacie 

Take Me Away: Paige's Page Kit Product Spotlight

Today we are shining the spotlight on Paige Evan's newest Pink Paislee collection called Take Me Away!  Check out all of the inspiration on the Paper Issues blog.  Here's my project using her mini kits called Paige's Pages.  It comes with foam adhesive, acetate pieces, embellishments and the background layers.  I usually can use the extras on multiple layouts.

I decided to make the white die cut quote into a mixed media color bomb.  I started out with gesso over the die cut background.

I matched watercolors to the Number 5 map paper that I used behind the die cut quote.

I tucked my daughter's photos behind two of the letters.  I then stitched down the die cut quote to the map paper.  I added embellishments from the ephemera pack and foam heart Thickers.

I added the word phrase stickers to the top and bottom to follow the background color.  I used Paige's roller stamp hearts and xxxxx's in various spots in the background.  

Thanks for checking out how to alter a Paige Kit and make it work for your photos and design.  My daughter loves that she can see part of Minnesota, California, and Florida peeking out through the letters. I hope you'll give one of these pre-made kits a try! They are stocked in the store and you can save 20% with my code: Stacie