Hey there! I'm wrapping up June with one last post. It's time for another Printable Roundup at Paper Issues. Did you know that every month  new set of printables are released that you can download for FREE? Today, I used one from the March Crop set. 

Since this page is about me, I chose one that's a good reminder about happiness, but always with a bit of sarcasm.

Frames. I've been loving frames lately. This is something I resisted for a long time. I didn't want to cut my photos to fit them, blah, blah, blah. Now that I've figured out how to use them to embellish a page, I lOVE them! And that's exactly how I used the big black frame here. The printable and frame are the only all black items on the page, so they stand out! 

I had a little bit of Simple Stories I Am left that I used for this page. I created a sort of wonky block across the page with my photo in the center. I surrounded the photo  with several frames, then filled in the block with other ephemera bits, stickers and a wood piece. Its been a nice change to be more free and less symmetrical on my pages lately. 

As always, thanks for stopping by my creative view this month. It's been a fun journey into summer. I hope you'll join me in July.It's sure to be a great month!

Stop by the Paper Issues shop and pick up some Simple Stories or other some other goodies! Use my coupon code BEACHGAL for 20% off your order

Supplies: PP, frames, sticker, alpha, ephemera, wood piece-Simple Stories

#All the Balloons

And Go! It's time for our monthly Scrap n' Chat in the Paper Issues Friends and Fans Facebook group. Boy, is that a mouthful. I am co-hosting this months mini crop and am here to  share the page I made for our challenge. We asked that you create a project using at least one item beginning with each letter of the word SCRAP. To make it even more challenging we've selected the items for you

S-Silhouette, Scraps, Sew, Stars, Stamp

C-Crate Paper, Car, Camera, Chipboard, Camping
R-Red, Rub on, Ribbon, Rainbow, Rounded corners
A-Ampersand, American Crafts, Alphas, Arrow, Airplane 
P-Paint, Puffy stickers, Project Life, Patterned paper, PI Printable

Well, I for one LOVE challenges like this and find them extremely helpful in getting that mojo to flow. I cheated a little and began by lifting a LO of a fellow team member, The LO is the most recent chosen for Scraplift Sunday.

The items I used are:

S-Silhouette, Scraps, Sew, Stars

C-Camera, Chipboard, 
R-Red, Rub on
A-Arrow
P-Paint, Puffy stickers, Patterned paper

I grabbed the new October Afternoon Summertime collection that was still in it's Paper Issues bulletproof delivery bag. I only used a bit of paper behind the photos, top & bottom of the page. I used the Silhouette to cut the word Balloons, stitching around that and the words above, with stars scattered throughout the page. The alpha I used is chipboard, but there is a small camera at the bottom of the page.The is red in the photo, as well as an enamel dot, the work 'click' is a rub on as well as the designs on either side of the photos. One arrow stands alone at the top of the page, sitting next to one of 2 puffy stickers.

It is difficult to buy things for my younger son. His preferences change constantly. However balloons have stayed a favorite of his. We save them for special occasions, keeping them a high preference item. But, every year on his birthday he gets a dozen balloons, filled with long life helium. The smile on his face is priceless and he plays with them for days. He pretty much takes them everywhere, up & down the stairs, to the table when he eats, even to bed. (Well he tries to anyway. There is a danger factor there that he doesn't understand.) I don't care that he's getting older. He is special, and balloons are special to him. That's all that matters.

Thanks for stopping by my creative today. I'm not done with June yet, so come back again soon!

New October Afternoon and so much more is in the Paper Issues shop. Go get a few treats for yourself and use my coupon code BEACHGAL for 20%off your order

Supplies: CS-Bazzill, PP, washi, puffy stickers, enamel pieces, labels & alpha-October Afternoon , brad-Simple Stories, wood pieces & paint-Studio Calico, rub ons-PinkFresh Studios, stitch template-American Crafts, thread DMC, Silhouette, 

Splash n' Play

Oh hello, Its time for another Product Spotlight at Paper Issues. On Tap today? Crate Paper Poolside. 

Oh, how I have love this collection.  I've found the muted colors of Crate paper hard to use in the past. But, these colors are beautiful and really let the brighter colors in the photos just shine. 

Some of my favorite parts of this line are the embellishments, especially the frames and chipboard titles. There is a modern twist to the vintage, marquis style lettering that feels really fresh to me. The frames can double as an embellishment as well as, well, a frame for photos. I used them both ways on my page. After creating a cluster with my photos, I tucked smaller frames backed with patterned paper around them. I added circular die-cuts & chipboard elements and a few seniments to complete the page.

This kiddo LOVES the pool. He takes his time warming up to it, but once he's in, he doesn't want to get out. Typical kid right? The higher we throw him, the harder he laughs, and the bigger the grin. By the time he's finally done, we are all worn out.

I highly recommend you get some Crate Paper Poolside from the Paper Issues shop. I've already used it for 3 pages, and have ideas for more! Need incentive? use my coupon code BEACHGAL for 20% off your order

Thank you so much for stopping by my creative view today. I've got a busy last week of June, so come back gain soon.

Supplies-CS-American Crafts, PP, die cuts, chipboard, title-Crate Paper, enamel dots-MME. puffy stickers-Freckled Fawn, mist-Heidi Swapp

The Waterboy

Well hello there Monday.  I've been waiting for you to get here. I've been holding on to this page for a week or so. I created it using a sketch from Boys Rule Scrapbook Kits, but am also playing along at Paper Issues for the new Issue "Seas the Day" sponsored by October Afternoon

As you can see, the sketch is upside down, which is how I used it.

All, I can say is I did a terrible job editing. oops. But, here is my very blue, page.  I started by drawing the wonky circle with the Silhouette sketch pens. I colored it in with a watercolor pencil, then stitched over it. I fussy cut the waves from the October Afternoon Treasure Map papers, then used the reverse sides in bits around the rest of the page. It needed another color, so I went with yellow

My younger sone loves the pool, but can't swim. He likes to think he can swim though. So swimming with him is like wrangling an octopus! He's worth it. especially for smiles like those.

Thanks for stopping by my creative view today. Come back again, there's always lots to share.

Supplies: PP-American Crafts, October Afternoon, stickers, die cuts, flair & alpha-October Afternoon, enamel dots-MME, pen-EK success, Silhouette, thread, DMC

Swag Bag Sunday

Woo hoo! It's another Swag Bag Sunday at Paper Issues. I love getting my little bag filled with bits and pieces each month. First I dump that bag out. Then I look at everything, then I sort it into piles of things that I think would work well together on a page or card. Who am I kidding, on a page.  Like this page here.

In the May Swag Bag, I recognized several papers Echo Park papers from the Creative Agenda collection.  I have that collection so I combined what I had with the Swag Bag pieces to create my page. I added several of the embellishment pieces again from my stash as well as the Swag Bag. I love the versatility of this bag of goodness. 

A few weeks ago, I walked into the playroom to check on my son, and this is how I found him. He always pulls all the couch cushions off the couch. It's just something he does. He thinks its fun.  But I've never seen him do this! He was laying like this watching TV, which is behind him, so that would be upside down. Everyday life around here. He's always up to something.

Thanks for stopping by today. You can get a Swag Bag and so much more in the Paper Issues shop. Use my coupon code BEACHGAL for 20% off your order.

Supplies: PP, chipboard-Echo Park, transparency-Bella Blvd, stickers-Simple Stories, Echo Park, Freckled Fawn, Clip & washi-Freckled Fawn, mist-Tattered Angels, Dylusions

GoodTimes

Happy Monday! As I mentioned earlier, It s double post day for me. There is a new Paper Issues Pinspire Me board! I love this one. Well, if you know me, you know I LOVE summer. And bright colors, the beach, kids playing. Well, this board has it all!!!

Here is the layout that resulted from this overload of happiness.  It's been a long time since I've grabbed paper before a photo.  I highly recommend shaking up your process. I almost always start with my photos first.  But, I couldn't wait to play with some of the new Crate Paper Poolside collection. The colors are bright, but soft, vintage and modern at the same time. I wanted to work on clusters and layering, so I used a lot of the ephemera die cut pieces. One of my favorite pieces though, is the chipboard word Thickers. 

All it took was this one photo of my son and I (mouths full of braces) in the pool at my Dad's house a few years ago to complete the page. The photo just represents the time spent together on a family vacation. I can't wait until we go visit again this summer.

Well, I'm off to create more with Poolside. You can get some too in the Paper Issues shop. Use my code BEACHGAL for 20% off your order

Thanks for stopping by my creative view today. There's more to share, so come back again.

Supplies: PP, Die cuts, stickers, wood pieces, chipboard-Crate Paper, mist-Heidi Swapp, ink-Prima

Nani Love

Hey there!  It's a busy day around here. First up I have a project for the new challenge at Picture This. This week's challenge is 

one photo + stencil + paint

Well, this was easy peasy for me. But it was also a good reminder to get out my stencils and actually use them. I use my paints & mists all the time. Stencils, well, not so much. Here I created a subtle background behind the photo and layered papers. The result adds texture to an other wise bland Cardstock base. 

The rest of the page came together nicely. I grabbed some scraps  and an ephemera pack and just started adding pieces, then moving them around until I had an arrangement I liked. Oh, and I was determined to use that large gold acrylic heart! It worked nicely to house the title. The colors are soft, but not dull, and support the photo and story.

I love this photo of my Mom and my son. They have such a sweet relationship. They understand each other. My Mom is patient, playful and loving with him, but firm when necessary. He knows all this, and just loves her for it. 

Thanks for taking a look at my creative view today. I have another story to tell, so check back again later this morning for another post. 

Supplies: CS-Pulp paper, PP-Crate Paper, Echo Park, MME, die cuts-Crate paper, washi-MME, LittleB, stencil-TCW, mist-Heidi Swapp, alpha-MME 

#BFF

Just a little short bit today. I'm playing along with Scraplift Sunday in the Paper Issues Friends & Fans Facebook Group. Each Sunday we choose a project created by a member of the design team for everyone to lift to make their own.  This week we are lifting this incredible page by DT member Becky.

Here is mine. Oh, the original design is there, I just added a few extra layers under the circle, and a little bit more at the top too. I broke out the Fancy Pants Flutter for this one. It was just pink enough for the page I wanted to create.

This is one of my closest friends and I, 5 minutes before I left to move across the country. We chugged a drink, cried, hugged goodbye, I got in the car and drove away. I wrote this on the "and then" card, but tucked it away. I know what this picture means by looking at it.

That's it for today. There is so much new stuff in the Paper Issues shop, as well as this Fancy Pants line. Use my code BEACHGAL for 20% off your order

Thanks for taking a look at my creative view today. Come back again soon, there is a lot going on here this week.

Supplies: PP, die cuts-Fancy pants, alpha-American Crafts, mist-Heidi Swapp, doily-unknown

Cut File Sat

Good morning! It's Cut File Saturday and that means there is a new FREE cut file available in the Paper Issues shop today.

I went a little outside the box with this one. I used the Celebrate card, but in a completely different way. I made bookmarks!

The timing was perfect for this release as I needed some teacher gifts. I extended the card, moved the words and stars around, creating two cuts. I added one of the double starts to the front side. I changed the setting for that star to 'perforate' so I could hand stitch it.

There you have both front and back. I left enough room on the back to add a handwritten

note from my son to his teachers. I received a nice note back thanking me, and acknowledging the work then went into them.

See, how versatile a cut file can be?  You can download this cut file, as well as others in the Paper Issues store.  While you are there, be sure to check out all the new product that has been added this week. You can use my discount code BEACHGAL for 20% off your order!

Thanks for stopping by my creative view today. There is lots more to come this week, so stop by again soon.

Supplies: PP-Bella Blvd, Basic Grey, Simple Stories, thread-DMC, pen-Sakura, twine-Doodlebug Cut file-Paper Issues, Silhouette

Congrats!

Good morning! There is a fun new article on the Get It Scrapped blog today: Designing pages with text elements. The idea for this article came from some of the layouts designed by fellow Creative Team member Doris Sander

I had so much fun putting this page together. I laughed the whole time. 

My husband was absolutely smitten with our new puppy Snickers. My son and I teased him that he treated Snickers more like a baby than a dog. 
 
I used a selection of baby themed product to add some humor and play on the idea that the dog is a baby. The text around the page are all sayings that are associated with a new baby, but in this case, also double as things people say about puppies.

Thanks for stopping by my creative view today. I've got a lot going on this month, so stop by again soon. 
Supplies-Patterned Paper, feathers-Bella Blvd, Stickers-Bela Blvd, Cosmo Cricket, clip-Freckled Fawn, Wood Pieces-Elle's Studio, Freckled Fawn, Alphas-Bella Blvd, My Minds Eye, American Crafts, enamel dots-My Minds Eye, Theresa Collins, ink-Memento, pen-EK Success, adhesive-EK Success, Scotch,  

Popsicle Face

Well hello there! I'm so happy today to share this project! It's Sketchy Saturday on the Paper Issues blog. This month we have adapted a sketch from a layout we found and admired on the October Afternoon blog. The page was created by Sasha Farina

Here is the sketch 

Here is my project. I turned it into a 2 page layout. The original design is still there. I kind of did a mirror image of both sides. Instead of stitching, I used patterned paper, washi tape and twine as a border. 

I came across these photos of my son when he was about 3 years old. They are from the time before digital cameras, so I really have tools them up. There was no way to edit them down to one or two photos. When you look at them, they tell the whole story: How much he was loving this popsicle given to him at our neighborhood 4th of July picnic. Well, to me, nothing says summer like bright colorful paper and this new Doodlebug Designs Sunkissed collection. I mean, there are popsicles on the paper! I also couldn't think of a better use for the mini doilies. They just add a bit of texture. I also love the skinny alphas in the same colors as the papers. It makes my life so much easier that the color already matches ;-) 

I am so happy you stopped by my creative view today. I have a lot of projects up my sleeve, so come back again soon. You can find Doodlebug and so much more in the Paper Issues shop. New things are  constantly arriving. When you shop, please remember to use my coupon code BEACHGAL for 20% off your order.

Supplies: PP, stickers, washi, twine, doilies, sprinkles and alphas-Doodlebug Designs, acrylic-Freckled Fawn

This is What Morning Looks Like

Hey there and welcome back. Today's article on the Get it Scrapped blog is a truly colorful, anything goes one. Creating scrapbook pages inspired by wedding cakes! We were asked to browse around, find a cake that inspired us, then translate that inspiration onto our pages.  I love looking at wild wedding cakes. I think Duff Goldman is a mad genius. But when it came down to making a decision, I chose my favorite cake, my own wedding cake that I designed.

I loved my wedding cake. It was simple, elegant and timeless. It's a white cake, with dots cascading down from the top to the bottom in 3 places around the cake,  like a triangle. I wanted mostly white sugar roses, with a few lavender ones as well. Lavender roses are my favorite. The more I think about this cake, it is so much a reflection of me. 

I was inspired by the near monochromatic colors of the cake as well as the stacked tiers.  I designed the page with stacked strips of paper. Although they are monochromatic in color, they are not in pattern. The patterns and embellishments lend themselves to the outdoor theme of the page.

Every morning when I take my dog for a walk, I get to see the sun rising over the trees. I always feel awakened by this process. When we moved here, and I started my morning walks, I was reminded how much I missed mountains and hills, and greenery all year round. No matter how cold or rainy, I get out there every day, take a look around and smile.

Thanks for taking a look at my creative view today. Take a read through the article. I know there are other fantastic layouts and incredible cakes!

Supplies: CS-Paper Accents, Patterned paper, die cuts-Paper House, Twine & doily-Doodlebug Designs, mist-Studio Calico, stencil-The Crafter's Workshop, washi tape-Jenni Bowlin, alphas-Authentique, Freckled Fawn, ink-Memento, Pen & adhesive-EK Success, 

A Bookworm Fantasy

Happy Monday! Yes, I don't mind Mondays. Especially reveal Mondays. It's June, (June already?!?) so it's time for a new challenge at Picture This.  Here are the requirements:

2 photo + banners + flag

Well, I got a bit creative on this one. The photos are not great, in color or clarity. In order for them to stand out, I used small geometric patters for the page. I loved the idea of the larger chalkboard style paper to house the title and journaling. I made the die cuts, cut them in half and made the banner. Whoever said a banner has to be flags or triangles? I used the flag stickers to draw attention to the large cluster at the bottom of the page.

My son is like his Mom, and loves to read. We had the opportunity to meet one of his favorite authors at the time, Rick Riordan and jumped on it. First it was a question and answer session with him, then He autographed books for all of the kids. My son was ecstatic. He has since outgrown this author's books, but keeps his autographed one on his shelf.  I was so happy to share this experience with him. 

Thanks for taking a look at my creative view today. It's going to be a busy month, with tons of fun around here, so come back again soon.

Supplies-PP, Stickers, brads-Simple stories, Dies-Lawn Fawn, twine-Recollections, alphas-American Crafts, MME, Cosmo Cricket, pen-Souffle`.