Good morning! How did is get o be December already?!?!? Anyway, welcome to the first challenge of December at Paper Issues!  It's Sketchy Saturday. Wanna see the sketch?

It's a pretty fantastic sketch don't you think? I like it because it gives me a chance to play with clustering and layering, two things I like to do. A lot. First up, figuring out how to do all that and make it work. All I had to work with in the Simple Stories Old School is tickers and papers. Nothing a little fussy cutting and pop dots cant fix! Let's throw in some flair and acrylic stars in there too for something different. Hey look! It came out great!

I remember taking that photo on the first day of Kindergarten like it was yesterday. It's pretty hard to believe it was 12 years ago already. There is some truth to "Time Flies the you are having fun". Now I want time to slow down a bit. So much and not enough have happened over the last 12 years. I need to remember it all. 

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today. Come bak again soon. I'll have a lot going on this month. 

Head over to the Paper Issues shop to get new Crate Paper, Simple Stories and PhotoPlay. you dont want to miss out! Use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase.

Supplies: CS & alpha-American Crafts, pp-stickers-Simple Stories, acrylic-Color Cast Designs, flair-A Flair for Buttons

School is cool

Hey hey! Happy Sketchy Saturday at Paper Issues! Check out this awesome grid style sketch!

My very first instinct was to create a 2 page layout from the sketch, so I did. I had these photos that were in a frame that broke and I wanted to keep them together. They also were all 4x6 in size. It was easy enough to cut them down but not all the same size. The result is a grid that also breaks the plane. large and many photos call for simplicity on a page. Fancy Pants Take Note is just that. I chose the Little Things as the only patterned paper. The rest are die cuts , buttons and other little bits from my stash. It was fault easy to put together, and has a nice clean, but interesting look. 

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today. Come back gain soon, I have so much to share. Take Note is available in the Paper Issues shop. Pink some up for yourself for 20% off using DEVRA at checkout

Beach Girl at Heart

Well hello there! Im starting this month our with a bang joining in the first Paper Issues September challenge, Sketchy Saturday.

Love it. So great and can be used so many ways. I chose some wild papers for my page today. I was feeling a bit beachy. Summer Lights fit my mood. I grabbed any my embellishments, the foil accent thicker, the die cut ephemera, the Coastline thicker and went to town. Let's not forget about the gorgeous papers too. Such a fun collection to play with!

 I love the beach, It's my happy place, It's where I grew up. It will always be home. I will always be a beach girl in my heart.

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today. I hope you'll stop back again soon. I promise there will be not going on around here the month.

There are all kinds of new releases in the Paper Issues shop and all are available for 20% off using my code DEVRA at checkout. 

Berried

I'm back again! Let's make it 3 days in a row! Today is one of our favorite challenges at Paper Issues. It's Sketchy Saturday. Here is this month's sketch

Believe it or not, I had a hard time wth this one! I don't know why either. So I would up with a very literal approach to the sketch and there isn't anything wrong with that. I grabbed a couple of colorful photos and a bunch of different Fancy Pants including Hello Sunshine and Dream Big and just began to cut and glue, layering and scattering asI went along. I'm pretty happy with the results.

I really am not an outdoorsy person. I appreciate nature's beauty, but prefer to look at it than immerse myself in it. But I really love fruit, especially summer fruit. When I learned of a raspberry farm nearby a few years ago, I went. Now its become an annual July tradition. I go for the fun and for the sheer fact that I can. It's raspberries for days afterward, in pie, jam and by the handful!

Thanks so much for being here with me and my creative view. Stop back again, I have so much to share. New Photo Play has arrived in the shop! Use my code DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase!

Supplies: PP-Pebbles, Fancy Pants-Die cuts-Fancy Pants, stickers-Fancy Pants, Amy Tangerine, Flair-A flair for buttons, Fancy Pants, acrylic-ColorCast designs, mist-dylusions, Heidi Swapp

Happy Birthday to Me

Good morning and happy July! I'm kicking off the new month right with a page I made for the new Sketchy Saturday at Paper Issues. First let me show you the sketch.

Amy sure has a way with these sketches. It has such a festive feel to me so I created a very festive page. It's bright, colorful and silly, exactly like the photo I chose to use. Doodlebug Fairy Tales mixed with some Lawn Fawn had the right whimsy I was looking for.  I layered up several papers, and created a giant embellishment cluster. It didn't feel finished. I remembered I had some gold floss so I stitched some swirls, added some twine, then called it a day! Yay! It's such a happy page!

So yep, It was my birthday. I decided to ignore it by making fun of myself all day. I love my Letterboard and have had such fun playing with it. It was for sure the reason I even too this photo!

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today.  It's just the beginning of the month so come back again soon. Head over to the shop and get some new things to play with. It's always 20% off when you use DEVRA at checkout!

Supplies: CS-Bazzill, PP-Lawn Fawn, Doodlebug, die cuts, sticker and twine-Doodlebug, floss-DMC, alphas-trickers, PinkFresh, October Afternoon, flair-A Flair for Buttons, enamel dots-Doodlebug, Freckled Fawn, MME, Mist-Heidi Swapp

That's What a Hamburger's All About

Hey there! It's National Scrapbook Day and it's also Sketchy Saturday at Paper Issues! I love a good sketch with lots of layers. That's exactly what we have for you this month!

I didnt do a whole lot of creative extras with this one. It's pretty great as it is. The new Elle's Studio Live Laugh Love landed at my doorstep recently. We haven't seen much sun this spring, so these colors were a welcome sight! I mixed in a few older pieces I had left in my stash. I really like that the colors are pretty consistent in all the collections.  As usual, I have taken the every day sayings, and applied them into some sort or sarcasm, or other meaning. I guess you can call that a signature of mine.

In N Out Burgers has been a favorite of mine since I was a child.  My Mom took me to the original restaurant where she used to eat. So now, every time I go home for a visit, In N Out is a must!

Thanks so much for having out with me for a bit today. There's still some Live Laugh Love in the shop that you can get for 20% off when you use my code DEVRA at checkout.  Join us in our Facebook group to celebrate National Scrapbook Day and share your projects!

Supplies: PP, die cuts, stickers - Elle's Studio, flair-Feed your craft, alpha-October Afternoon

500 Miles

Good morning! How is it April already? I think that is the real April fools joke! Anyway, I'm going to start the month off right, beginning with Sketchy Saturday, the first Paper Issues challenge of the month. You can find all the details and rules of participation on the Paper Issues blog. Hen join us in our Facebook group to share your projects! Here is our new sketch. It's a fun one to play with! 

Here is my page using the sketch. I saw a lot of different ways to play. But I was really inspired to take the design and use it as the foundation for the page. Bella Blvd Make Your Mark was still on my desk and I thought it would be a great collection to use for these photos. I cut the Paint Me Pretty and Daily Details, and Make Time papers to use as the base of the design. I placed my photos on top, added several different embellishments and called it finished. It's a bright colorful page, indicative of how I feel about it.

I was recently gifted this FirBit. Sometimes a random act of kindness strikes at a time when you need it most, and therefore truly means a lot. This is one of those times. So the best way I can think of to day thank you is to use it everyday, which I am. My goal it to get to those 500 miles by June and I am well on my way. I'll keep you posted. 

As always, thanks so much for being a part of my creative view. I am really happy I bought the Bella Blvd Make Your Mark collection and I think you  will be too. So please, throw some in your cart and use my code DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your order. Cant beat that!  

Supplies: CS-AC, PP, chipboard, stickers, alphas-Bella Blvd, enamel pieces-Bella Blvd,Freckled Fawn, MME, ColorCast Designs, Wood pieces-Pink Paislee, mist-Heidi Swapp

Do You VooDoo?

Good morning! Whoa! It's March already! Well, that just means a whole new round of challenges at Paper Issues. Let's get things started with this month's Sketchy Saturday challenge.

Look! its a multi photo sketch! And what a beauty it is! 

Oh, I went over the top with this one! I have so many donut photos! And This Doodlebug Cream & Sugar collection is so perfect for them! Oh, the plaid Sugar Doodles paper and hooray for Donut paper! Like I said, over the top. Donuts are everywhere. Stickers, Die cuts, and flair! I used so many strong patterns with bright colors. that I decided to leave the top and bottom of the page open. It would have been just one thing to many to add more to it. 

We were told oh, you have to try VooDoo donuts if you ever go to Portland. Well, we went to Portland, and found VooDoo donuts. Now it's become a tradition for us to get a few, ok, a dozen, every time we road trip there.

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today. Get ready. It's going to be crazy around here this month.   I highly recommend you get some of this Doodlebug. Not your cup of tea? We have many new lines in the store from My Minds Eye, Cocoa Vanilla Studio and more. Use my code DEVRA for 20% off your purchase

Supplies : Cardstock-American Crafts, PP, Die cuts, Stickers, washi tape, enamel dots-Doodlebug Designs, Alpha-Fancy Pants, mist-Tattered Angels, flair-A Flair for Buttons

Timewarp

Well hello again. Ive got another new page to share today. It's part Sketchy Saturday at Paper Issues. Isn't this an amazing sketch!

I chose to show off the lovely new Shimelle Little by Little for this page. There is something for everyone in this line. Florals like this Cultivate Joy paper. , animals in the ephemera pack, clear stickers and washi strips in the sticker book all of it is so fun to play with. I, of course, flipped ithe around before I began! Once I did though, I pretty much left it alone. The layers and embellishments are all near where they are originally designed. 

So this is a fountain in the center of the small downtown area near where we used to live. I cant tel you how many times we went there. Many pennies were thrown in that fountain. Many circles were walked around that fountain, and many photos were taken in front of that fountain. When we visited last summer, my son suggested we take a photo. I was so happy he did, and even happier that I found an older one of us sitting in almost the exact same place, in almost the exact same position.

Thanks so much for following along my creative view. I love creating and playing with all this colorful paper and such. Paper Issues has the best selection. I'd love for you to shop now using my code DEVRA for 20% off your purchase. 

Supplies: CS-American Crafts, PP, stickers, enamel pieces, die cuts-Shimelle Little by Little, Thickers-American Crafts

Bloom

Good morning! Today is Sketchy Saturday at Paper Issues! Boy do we have am awesome sketch for you!

Ok, ok, I know its winter, but I am optimistic that spring will be here soon. Besides, I couldn't wait to use the beautiful new Hazelwood collection, and that I did!  These papers and embellishments ate so amazing and such a different style that I usually gravitate to. I used so many things!  5 different papers, ephemera die cuts, puffy stickers, cardstock stickers, enamel triangles and even the cork phrases!  I moved around the embellishment placement, but pretty much left the rest of the sketch alone.  The result is this fresh springlike page that I love!

This kiddo of mines the happiest person I know. I'm sure he doesn't know his limitations, or even that he has any. He tackles each day with energy and determination, and always with a smile of his face.

If I were you, I'd grab some of this Hazelwood from the  Paper Issues shop now using the code DEVRA for 20% off your order. then add your sketch project in the Paper Issues Friends and Fans  Facebook group for your chance to win a  gift card to the shop!

Thanks for stopping by my creative view today. There is so much going on, you dont want to miss anything so come back again soon.

Supplies: PP, die cuts, stickers, cork, enamel pieces -Hazelwood by Once Canoe Two

Bubbles & Giggles

Boom! Happy 4th of July, Independence Day and America's Birthday! I'm celebrating with family today, but that's not stopping me from sharing the latest sketch at Paper Issues for Sketchy Saturday. This month we created a sketch from a layout we came across on the Doodlebug Designs blog created by Stephanie Buice. For more information, you can check out her blog My Bits of Sunshine and her Instagram-@stephbuice.

Here is the sketch adapted from her layout

Here is what I made! I was so eager to break into the new Simple Stories Summer Vibes! oh, those colors. Its a bit vintage and so modern at he sam time! I kept the design as the foundation for my page, and use it as a matte for my photos. The photos are larger, so I split my title. I like the whimsy that the zig zag stitching brings to the page too!

You can always get a smile out of my son with a few bubbles. But bubbles are even better when you are sitting in a pool! I swear sometimes I can hear him giggling through these photos. I think the polka dot paper gives a feel of the bubbles blowing through the page too!

Thanks for stopping by today. I've got more stories to tell, and more pages to share, so come back again soon. 

You to can get some of this delicious Simple Stories Summer Vibes and so much more in the Paper Issues store. Please use my coupon code BEACHGAL for 20% off your order.

Supplies: PP, chipboard, brad, die cuts-Simple Stories , stitch template-Bazzill, thread-DMC, alpha-October Afternoon, pen-EK Success

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

Penny for Your thoughts

Good morning, Happy May, Happy iNSD and all that good stuff. Its the first Saturday, which means it's Sketchy Saturday at Paper Issues! We're shaking things up this time around. We found a fabulous LO by Nicole Nowosad on the Fancy Pants blog. 

Using her permission, we created this month's sketch.

I knew right away how I would use the sketch, but took some time to put it together. I did some experimenting with speech bubbles, the Silhouette and vellum. And little bits. Lots of little bits. Let's see, there are so many bits. Crate Paper, Simple Stories, Bella Blvd, October Afternoon and of course, Snarky Stamps make the page quirky! It's pretty cool looking even if it has some of everything!

My younger son is non-verbal. I often find myself feeling like I can see him thinking. Other times, I wish I knew what he was thinking. This photo and page are one of those times. I decorated the speech bubbles with things he may be thinking about. Or not. Maybe things he wishes he didn't have to think about. Or not. Who knows. But that's what the page is all about. 

There is a ton of inspiration on the Paper Issues blog today. By linking your project, you have a chance to win a $10 Gift Card to the Paper Issues Store. 

While you're there, remember to use my coupon code BEACHGAL for 20% off your order

Thanks for stopping by my creative view today. There's a lot going on this month. I hope you'll come back again

Supplies: CS-Paper Accents, PP-Crate paper, brads, & tag-Simple Stories, Wood Pieces-Studio Calico, Crate Paper, epoxy & clip-Freckled Fawn, Cork-Michaels,  stickers-Freckled Fawn, Lily Bee, Simple Stories, chipboard-Bella Blvd, Fancy Pants, alphas-Octobe Afternoon, Bella Blvd, Stamps-Stamps, Ink-Colorbox, mist-Heidi Swapp

Shine

Good Saturday morning to you. Today is Sketchy Saturday over on the Paper Issues blog. Here is the  sketch created by the wonderful Jennifer. 

This is what I did with it. I wanted a bit of a wonky look, so I hand stitched some crooked lines to create the grid. I knew I wanted to use one photo and I knew exactly which one. That made the product choices easy.  I had a some Webster's Pages Hall Pass left. I liked some of the sayings and they were great for the idea in my head. I cut pieces into different sized squares and rectangles, then layered them. I tried to treat each space as it's own little page, drawing attention to some spaces more than others. I chose embellishments that complement the theme of the page, my thoughts about my son growing up. Stars, inspiring sentiments and arrows all support the story.

If you haven't played with a grid design, this is a great sketch to get you started.  Head over to the Paper Issues blog to see other ways the sketch was used. Like the products you see on the pages? you can find them in the Paper Issues shop, along with many new products, such as Bella Blvd, Simple Stories and Elle's Studio.  Use the coupon code BEACHGAL for 20% off your order

Thanks for stopping by my creative view today. I always have more to share, so stop back again.

Supplies-CS-American Crafts, PP & stickers-Webster's Pages, resin & clips-Freckled Fawn, Sew Easy, thread-DMC, wood pieces-American Crafts, Studio Calico, washi & enamel dots-MME