Hey, what day is it? Oh right! It's Wednesday, or what we call at Paper Issues, Keep It Sketchy day!  Here is the first sketch of the month. It's a fun one and I'm sharing it on the Paper Issues blog today.

I took one look at this sketch and thought ,a cut file would be fun for this. It wasn't hard to find either. Have you seen the new Stacked Hexagons cut file?  It's such a great match for this sketch! 

Then the fun part. Paper. I had on my desk the new Bella Blvd To the Moon collection. On the fence about this one?Don't be. The best part of Bella Blvd is everything is primary colors and every paper has two sides. So you can do what I did which is use the non theme sides of the papers. The yellow paper is called Shoot for the Moon and has moons on the other side. I bought it for the yellow side! I'm telling you, don't let a theme stop you! There are plenty of stickers to use on the Doohickey Sticker sheet.  I mean, we all know stars are for every occasion! So are arrows and hearts!  So if you want awesome embellishments that go with everything, you will also need the Trinkets in all the colors. 

That's all I used to complete my page! Its a fun and easy sketch and even more fun when you have great paper to play with!

You can find all of the June Challenges in our Facebook Group. You have all month to join the fun and play along. your entries give you a chance to win a gift card to the Paper Issues shop! Speaking of shopping, use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your next purchase! Thanks for stopping by today. See you next time!

Waste Manager

Hello there!  It cannot be the last day of March already! Where did the month go?!?! Well, I'm on the  Paper Issues blog today closing out the month with this week's sketch. Look at how fun it is!

By now, you had to know I was going to give my own spin. Oh, dont get me wrong. This sketch is awesome. But I saw the chevron and got my own idea. I have the super versatile PinkFresh Studio Chevron stamp.  Im always thinking about different ways to use my supplies. So, for the stamp, why not flip it to create more of a patterned background! Same goes for Distress Oxides. I blended 3 greens all on the same stampto create a marbled look when stamped. I did the same with the 3 yellows. I also used textured cardstock so it looks a bit distressed. I stamped some extra images, then cut them out and popped them up for a little bit extra. 

Next? Paper.  PinkFresh Studio Keeping It Real. Why?  My favorite things are the stickers and ephemera. Come on, they couldn't be more perfect.  I didn't want to take away from the photos or stamping, so these little bits are enough! I even used my Tab Punch! I like using a sketch as a starting point as much as I like using it the way it was designed. I hope I gave you some ideas for both today!

Every day he watches and observes and absorbs everything around him. Lately, he has decided he doesn't like the trash can out so he is always trying to put it away. He figured out how to do it himself. Works for me. I wonder if I can teach him to put all the laundry away?

Like I said, I'm closing out the March Challenges. Never fear! April Challenges will be posted in our Facebook Group tomorrow AND, you have until Sunday, April 4 to enter your March projects for a chance to win a Gift Card to the Paper Issues shop! Head over there now to grab the PinkFresh Studio Chevron stamp or any of the new Simple Stories and Fancy Pants collections. Use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. 

Thanks for stopping by today. Head over to Instagram @thebeachygal to see more of what I've been creating. 

Everyday Adventures

Well hello there! I'm on the Paper Issues blog again today bringing you another of our awesome sketches! Check this baby out! So many possibilities!

So let me tell you a little secret. I actually started this layout a while ago. If I remember, I got stuck, so I never finished it. I started again determined to finish. 

There was only one choice of paper for this photo. Vicki Boutin Let's Wander and watercolor foundations paper. Need anything else? Not really.  Want to know another secret? I wasn't feeling the big background circle. Nope. What I did have though were some scraps of the Beach Vibe paper that I have cut some circles out of. Wow. What an awesome background! I cut another paper, layering strips. Then I covered them with a bunch of ephemera, stickers and chipboard. That's all I did. Really. I see the sketch don't you? 

I do not take for granted that he will spend time with me. Not only that, he makes the time to spend with me. We went to one of our favorite spots, Snoqualmie Falls for a morning of fresh air. It's nice to get lost in our own backyard.

Thanks for stopping by today. Find this and the rest of my stuff on Instagram, @thebeachygal. You can find  Vicki Boutin and so much more in the Paper Issues shop. Use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. Head over to our Facebook group to join this and all of our August challenges.  Even better, this weekend is our Summer Crop, you totally want to be there for fun & games and more than 20 new challenges.  Hope to see you there!

Special Moments

Hey there! I'm on the Paper Issues blog today sharing my project for the Keep It Sketchy challenge. This is such a fun sketch with so many possibilities! Let me tell you, when I first looked at it, I most definitely did not see Halloween for my page. I had all kinds of ideas. 

I had a few outdoorsy photos of my son and I.  Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey was sitting on my desk. I love the large flowers and natural pieces in the ephemera! I kinda thought they were made for each other. But what was I going to use for the shaped part??? Ohhh, I thought I remembered there was a wood grain or tree something or other cut file in the shop. Yup. There are actually a couple! I used the Rings of Life  FREE cut file, trimming the edge off after I glued it down.  I've been playing around with sequins and Nuvo drops lately. I think they pair nicely. I like that there are so many colors to play with.  So there you have it. A super fun sketch that can be used in a bunch of different ways! How will you use it?

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today. Catch me on Instagram @thebeachygal to see more of my stuff. Grab Vicki Boutin Wildflower and Honey and so much more in the Paper Issues Shop. It's 20% off when you use DEVRA at checkout. Join the fun in our Facebook Group where you can find this and all our  October Challenges. See you again soon!

Hakuna Matata

Hey there and good morning to you. Wow. It's finally February. Was that the longest January ever or what? Anyway, I'm starting the month off right with a new project on the Paper Issues blog today for our February Keep It Sketchy challenge.

Here is this month's sketch. I love it. SO many possibilities, where do I begin!?!?

Well, first, I began by flipping it. I tried to use it the way it is, I really did, but the rebellious side of me took over again. So now the photos are on the bottom of the page. They looked better this way. Well, I think they do.  That meant I could make the title really, really big! Because that Sketch Alphabet cut file is really cool! 

What made this so fun to put together is the monthly kits. If you haven't jumped on board these kits you are missing out. It's such an awesomely unique mix of embellishments to complement patterned papers galore! So yes, I mixed a bunch of the papers together. Lots here, little bits there. I used frames behind the photos, even created one of my own. Needless to say, I love how there is so much to choose from that it works for any type of photos you're using or stories you are telling. 

Date night! This one was long overdue as we were celebrating our anniversary. The show was amazing and so was the night. I also think Hakuna Matata is a good motto to live by, don't you?

Check out these embellies! I covered a wood piece with Nuvo drops!

 Layers upon layers of ephemera, puffy stickers and more!

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today. Ive got a lot of ideas swirling in my head. Hope you'll come back again to see how they live on paper.   Its the beginning of the month so you have plenty of time to join the fun in our Facebook group where you can find this and all of our February Challenges. Shop the Paper Issues store for all of your paper needs using DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. 

My Favorite 4

Hey there! Happy June! Yes, I said June! Already! New Month also means a new round of challenges at Paper Issues!  I wanted to start the month off right so I'm sharing a project I created for our Keep It Sketchy challenge.

This sketch is really fun to play with. It has so many possibilities. Can you see what I did today?!?! I used this awesome Amy Tangerine paper as the burst! Who needs a cut file? This paper did all the work for me. All I had to do was layer a few papers and LOTS of embellishments and I was done.  The embellishments are a bit wackadoo but then it dawned on me that I had the 'You are Unique' flair from the Strut Your Stuff A Flair for Buttons set. That meant the Peacock die cut made a little more sense. The key though is in the details. See all those dots? Yep. Nuvo drops. I know I could have stitched, or sewn to give it some texture, but this was more fun!

You know, our family is as wackadoo as the embellishments in this collection. Sometimes we get a good photo, sometimes not. Regardless, we are who we are and I wouldn't change a thing.

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today. Check out some of the new things in the Paper Issues shop including Doodlebug Designs. Shop using DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase.

Snow Bros

Good morning! I know it's been a while. I'm off my game. I'll be trying out a new routine over the next few weeks so bear with me. I promise it will be worth it! Anyway, I'm 'Keeping it Sketchy', with a new project for Paper Issues using the Feb sketch. 

You know me, I have to be different, so I said no to the hearts! I traded them in for snowflakes instead. This page is all about the snowflakes. I used the free Snowflake Grid cut file to create the background. What could be easier than that? Umm, maybe backing it with more snowflake paper, then layering more Crate Paper Snow & Cocoa snowflakes onto the page. I love the extra bits of color and sparkle they add. 

We don't usually get enough snow around here to play in, so we definitely took advantage of it. A nice long walk, even letting the dog off the leash to run around. The best part for sure was watching him laugh in the process, and of course getting a few great photos. 

Thanks so much for joining me and my creative view today. I have a few ore things to share coming up so check back again soon. All new releases are arriving in the Paper Issues shop, so you need to check in there frequently. As always use DEVRA at checkout for 20% your purchase!

Supplies: PP-Crate Paper, Carta Bella, American Crafts, Silhouette, Die cuts-Crate Paper, American Crafts, 

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