Hello hello! Im on the Paper Issues blog today! It's still February and we are still working our way through all the things we love this month. For the Love of Books would you look at my reading list. oh wait. Right, Let me back up a bit. The challenge is For the Love of Anything but Pink and Red. That's right. No pink or red on this project. 

Now I can tell you about books! I love to read. eBooks are great, but there is still nothing like holding a book and turning the pages. Could there be any better match for this then Vicki Boutin Storyteller? I think not. I challenged myself to use the First Draft paper for the background. Who am I kidding this is the whole reason I bought this paper. I was still intimidated, but I powered through. I wound up layering the book ephemera, ending up with a stacked design, Appropriate yes? I struggled with how much more stuff to add. I didn't really want to over do it. So there are lots of pieces behind the photo, and a few heart stickers because, well, this is still about love. I couldn't decide what to do around the edges, so at the last minute, tore some holes txobreak it up a bit. And guess what. there is no pink or red!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you are inspired to try a background paper like this. You can grab it and so much more in the Paper Issue shop for 20% off  when you use DEVRA at checkout. Find this and all the February Challenges in our Facebook Group. You have all week to enter for your chance to win a gift card to the shop!  See you next time!

Valentine Mini Book

Hey Hey it's never too late to celebrate Valentine's Day. Yes! Today it rhymes!  I love Valentines Day! To me it's a day to celebrate the people in your life that you love. I'm having so much fun with this on this month's LOVE themed challenges. 

Today I'm on the Paper Issues blog sharing a mini album I made for the It Started Out Small challenge. Yep, I am that dork Mom who sends homemade Valentine's to her son in college. This year I made 14 pages little cards, one for each day until Valentine's Day, then bound it into a mini album. I used pieces from Swag Bags and Valentine's Day Collections from Crate Paper and Pebbles.

I grabbed a bunch of 3x4 cards, and cut some more. Let me tell you about my favorite new tool-the 3 way tag punch! I think almost every card has a tag on it. If I didn't have an ephemera tag, I made one! I just layered hearts tags and other embellishments. Super simple, and a great way to mix and match old  and new things in your stash!

Thanks so much for stopping by today. You can find this and all of our challenges in the February Challenges album in our Facebook Group. Shop all new Simple Stories and Echo Park Valentines collections in the Paper Issues store. Use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase! See you again soon!

Find Your Dreams

Hey hey hey, it's the 1st of February. That doesn't rhyme. I tried. Well, It's an exciting day around here. All new February Challenges are posted in the Paper Issues Friends and Fans Facebook group! This months theme is so Lovely. I'm starting the month off on the Paper Issues Blog   with the Let's All Sing Like the Birdies Sing challenge. This one has all kinds of options. Birds, music, musical notes, favorite songs.  

You know, we're in that weird time, impatiently waiting for new releases to arrive. So stash digging I went. Ohhh! I forgot I had some of this Vicki Boutin Wild Flower and Honey! Even better? There are owls in it! yay! Birds it is. I love rediscovering my stash!  I think the colors are great and the owls are perfect for a Graduation photo! I layered a bunch of everything! Paper, stickers, chipboard and ephemera. I have it all. There were so many inspirational sentiments this really came together quickly.

I highly recommend stash digging. It was so much fun. I wonder what else I have? You know what else I recommend? Shopping. There are some fun new embellishments and tools in the Paper Issues shop that can freshen up what you have on hand. I just picked up some Distress Oxide inks and new stamps!  Use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase! Remember to share what you make in the February Challenges album for your chance to win a gift card to the shop! Thanks for stopping by! See you next time!

 

 

Don't Poke the Bear

Hello hello! It's my turn on the  Paper Issues Blog today.  I had so much fun playing games with all of the January challenges this month! I have one last game to play and it's a good one, Cards Against Humanity!  

This was a fun one. I went straight to my Swag Bag stash and grabbed a stack of 3x4 cards. I grouped some of the colors together then fanned them out like a deck of cards. Boom. Game over! Ok, ok, it was almost that easy. The hard part? Embellishing! So many colors and patterns. I would up using a few pieces of ephemera, also from Swag bags, a bunch of enemal dots and Nuvo Drops!. 

Speaking of poking the bear? I really wanted to sew around the edge, but he was asleep and I didn't want towage him! Would you if  your child slept like this? Next best thing is the Dritz Tracing wheel! I ran it through Hickory Smoke Distress Oxides and rolled it around the edge a few times. I like the wonky lines it created. Well, that's really me not being able to go in a straight line....

Thanks so much for stopping by today and for playing along with the challenges all month. February is right around the corner. Join our Facebook group for all the fun, challenges games and ideas! Get yourself a Swag Bag subscription in the Paper Issues shop. Use DEVRA for 20% off your purchase!  See you next month!

 

Elf Off the Shelf

 Hello Hello! I'm on the Paper Issues blog and yes, I know it's January, Christmas is long over, yeah, yeah, yeah...but I need to warn you! There's an elf on the loose! He wears a red & green sequin hat and never stops smiling while wearing... Ok, ok, Phew! I caught him! I'll be able to store him on this layout I made for the Jenga challenge. 

Jenga is a family favorite game. Stack 'em high and watch them..fall! Well, I went with a stacked design today using mostly Pretty Little Studio Christmas Cheer. It's a pretty simple page but you want to know the hardest part? Deciding which paper and how to place them! I lie. this one wasn't that hard. Staying in black and white made it easier. I added most of the color using colored labels   and other embellishments. I even used the title as one of the stacked layers, and it holds the photo too, An even 'square', just like the game.

Thank you for being here! This was a fun challenge! I encourage you to try it or any of the other January Challenges! You can find them all in our Facebook group! Start your year with some new supplies. Grab them in the Paper Issues shop for 20% off using DEVRA at checkout. See more on Instagram @thebeachygal

 

Wiiiiii

Hello and Happy New Year!  I'm  kicking off the all new 2021 challenges on the Paper Issues blog. Have you figured out the January theme? That's right! Games!  So let's get these games started already! First up is the Pictionary challenge. You can call it a mood board, I call it full of ideas! There are games, colors, shapes, pretty much anything!

I was giddy when I saw the Game Boy! Umm, maybe I still have one 😮 My son and I love to play Mario Kart, and yes we still have our Wii. I suck, but we always have fun and laugh while we play.

 I grabbed the last bits of Simple Stories Bro & Co. I never in a million years thought I would use the game controller stickers, but man was I happy to have them! I literally layered a bunch of scrap pieces under the photos, then tucked the few remaining journal bits I had as well. Oh and that banner?  I fussy cut from the Level Up paper! I wanted to make a fun light hearted page with these photos. Mission accomplished!

Thanks for starting the new year with Paper Issues. Join our Facebook group to find all the new January Challenges. Enter one or enter them all. Each entry gives you a chance to win a gift card to the Paper Issues shop! Grab your favorites in the shop and remember to use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. See you next time!

 

The Write Stuff

 Hello Hello! I'm up on the Paper Issues blog today. I cannot believe this is my last post of the year!And what a crazy year it's been!  Thought I'd end on a good note. I used this week's sketch for a layout that made me smile. 

I'll say this sketch had me stumped! I couldn't find photos in the right orientation.Or even a combination of photos and journal cards to ephemera. That's when I decided to do my one thing. That always seems to work. I chose 3 vertical photos work with. So instead of a photo block, I now have 1 main photo and 2 supporting it. Still 3! 

Now the fun part. I have a bunch of Studio Tekturek papers, stickers and flair. I love them. The patterns are great, There are bold and muted, like this 3 stars/4 dots paper I used as the background. It looks like it's whitewashed! Cool right? I added a bit of tonal stenciling using Tumbled Glass Distress Oxides. I love the extra texture it gives the paper. I used the This Summertime cut apart paper for the ephemera. Labels-check, tags-check, snarky sentiments-yes please! I was even able to cut the Pencil,  A, B and C I used in the title. oh, and my line is horizontal across my page. Dare to be different is my motto!

So you see, the sketch is still there. It just looks a little different. That's the point of  sketch right? Be inspired!

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today and all year. You deserve a treat for that! ! Grab yourself some Studio Tekturek,  new Elle's Studio , or whatever makes you smile ! Remember to use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. You have until Jan 3 to enter your projects for a chance to win a gift card to the Paper Issues shop. Add your projects to the December Album in our Facebook Group. See you next year! 

Like what you see? Follow me on Instagram @thebeachygal to see more of my creative view!

 

Shine Bright

Hey there! Happy Holidays! Speaking of holidays, I'm on the  Paper Issues blog today with a project for the Light the Candle challenge. This challenge has my name written all over it, especially this time of year. We celebrate Hanukkah in our home so there are plenty of opportunities to light candles. 

This year I'm so excited to have PhotoPlay Festival of Lights Hanukkah papers and ephemera  to play with. The papers have several fun patterns, including one with candles and menorahs. Couldn't have been any easier to choose that one. 

I do a lot of paper straight across the page and thought why not do something different. So it's at an angle instead.   You know Ive talked about frames before right? Well guess what I used again? That's right, frames! I just love to use them to house all kinds of embellishments. Having some themed pairs today really made this page really was a piece of cake to put together. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Check out all of the December Challenges in our Facebook Group. You can grab all of your Holiday paper needs in the Paper Issues shop. Use Devra at checkout for 20 % off your purchase. See you next time. 

Quite the Spread

Hey there, hey there. It's my turn on the  Paper Issues Blog today.  I'm making lists of all the things I have...oh wait. Nope, scratch that. I'm sharing my layout for the Makin' a List, Checkin' it Twice challenge!  

So lists! I make them. Don't always follow them. Couldn't come up with one to save my life when I needed to for a scrapbook page. Ahhh, but then Thanksgiving rolled around. There was so much food. Why not list everything we made and ate! So that's what I did. Yep. We had a lot of food

Let me back up a bit though. Thanksgiving and the November kit were made for each other, but I couldn't find a background paper that made me happy, so I made my own. I know, I know, I have hundreds of papers and I couldn't find one? Anyway, Distress Oxides and Vicki Boutin Stencils to the rescue. I smooshed the background then layered darker colors over the stencil. After I painted, I cut, tore layered and glued papers and ephemera. And I have to say the Simple Stories frames were my favorite part of this kit! A little secret? I combined a few of the sticker words to make the word Thanksgiving. It's not perfect, but it works!

Thanks for stopping by today! Head over to the Paper Issues shop to pick up the December Kit and some Distress Oxides. Use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. Join our Facebook Group to find this and all of the December challenges. See you again next time!

When September Ends

Hey there! I'm on the  Paper Issues blog today closing out November with a little This or That challenge. 

I actually really like this challenge. Sometimes it's a piece of cake, other times not so much. This is one of the easy times! Today I used Pumpkin, Orange, Thicker title, Leaves, Faux stitching, 3D bow, small hearts. Boom. 

I still cant get enough of this Amy Tangerine Late Afternoon. It's my favorite fall collection. I messed around with some Distress Oxides before I did anything. The way the background turned out kinda makes me think of falling leaves. But anyway, the hardest part for me was orange OR red! Stopping sticking with pumpkins kept me with orange. I used stickers and ephemera with leaves and hearts. I added Pretty Little Studio faux stitching and I tied a bow with twine. The Thickers were a no brainer. See? Easy!

That's about it for me today! You can enter November Challenges until Sunday Dec 6. December challenges will be revealed tomorrow in our Facebook group. Shop the store for Amy Tangerine and so much more. Use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. See you next month!

Thankful for You

Hey there friends! I'm on the Paper Issues blog  today with a project for the Ties That Bind challenge. So this challenge was bit more difficult than I thought. Yes, yes I know I could have tied a knot or a bow and called it a day but really that is not much a of a challenge for me? 

Well, enter the November Kit! As soon as I opened it the ideas come flooding! It's filled with Simple Stories Cozy Days and, oh, where should I start? How about these awesome chipboard frames! I tied some twine around the pumpkins stems, then a bow around the top of the frame. 

Maybe I should back up a bit...because before I could even lay down any paper, I had to make my background!Yes, that's right, I jumped on the Distress Oxide train. I mixed some colors through an Altenew stencil . I think I am never going to use a solid background again. 

Anyway, I trimmed, layered, tucked and tore a few papers and ephemera, then reconnected the two sides by tying them back together with more twine. And come on, I think we need to talk about how these two young men are the ties that bind, to each other and to me!

Thanks for stopping by today. Head over to the shop fast to grab yourself a  November Kit, some Distress Oxides and anything else that catches you eye. Use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. Share what you make with us in our Facebook Group where you can find this and all of the   November Challenges. See you again soon!

 

Birthday Selfies

Oh hello and welcome to my favorite day of the week. Yes that's right, it's Scraplift Sunday! I'm on the Paper Issues blog today sharing my take on Sindi's always awesome creativity. 

Do you ever feel like you are in a creative slump? Let me tell you, this scraplift was just what I needed to get me out of mine! I love the detailed simplicity of Sindi's LO. You know me though, I had to give it my own twist. 

I had put together my own little kit, if you will, made out of pieces from the July, August and September Swag Bags. Red blue and yellow? Yes please.  Love the triangles, so I trimmed a few of the papers into triangles. I felt like I needed more of a background, so I used Distress Oxides with the new Well Rounded stencil. Ahhh, that's better, or ummm, louder. i sifted through all the swag bag embellishments to find ones that fit my page. I scored with Dude, you & me and Birthday! Then I threw down some red splatter, (and yes I know red splatter is always a risk, but I did it anyway) added some Nuvo drops and called it a day!

Thanks for stopping by today! If you've never purchased a Swag Bag, It's time that you do! Seriously, what a time saver. Grab yours in the Paper Issues Shop along with all of your Ranger obsessed needs! Use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase.  Join us in our Facebook group where you can find this and all of our November challenges. Share what you make for a chance to win a gift card to the shop! See you next time!

 

 

Inspiration is Everywhere

Hello! I'm on the  Paper Issues blog with this weeks episode of Keep It Sketchy. Today's sketch is brought to you by the super talented Stacie. She  designed a beautiful sketch that I was super excited to play with. 

I love that this sketch shows some sort of background. The creative opportunities are endless, right?. Mixed media? Patterned paper? Stitching? Or you can do what I did and use one the FREE cut files available in the shop. 

I started with the Brush Stroke Background cut file.  I can't believe I've never used this before! Altenew Enjoy the Ride has been staring me in the face. I thought it would the right collection for these photos. 

I chose a piece of Vicki Boutin water color foundations paper to layer under the cut file that matched beautifully. I am not going to tell you how long it took me to decide which flowers to use, chipboard or fussy cut and then how I wanted to arrange them... Let's just go with way too long and leave it at that. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Head over to our Facebook group to see more sketches and all of the October challenges. It's crop weekend! Head over to the Paper Issues shop to get some Altenew , Vicki Boutin  and so much more. Remember to use DEVRA at check out for 20% off your purchase! See you next time!

 

Diamonds are my Best Friend

 Good morning ! I'm on the Paper Issues blog today. In case you don't know by now, baseball is my favorite sport. I live and breathe baseball season. That's why I had to tackle the World Series challenge!

No, you wont find any baseball themed products today! I got a bunch of new things I wanted to try including Distress Oxides and the PinkFresh Chevron Stamp!  I started with one of the Vicki Boutin water color backgrounds, then used the Faded Jeans over a stencil an several other colors with the stamp. Nope, its not a chevron! I took the smallest piece, stamped it twice to make a diamond shape. 

After I was sone with the background, I grabbed the new StudioTekturek  papers and embellishments. A page about 'diamonds' has to be girly right? Oh right! Baseball. See what I did there?  The background is so much I didn't add very much paper. I felt like it needed something else, so I covered some old wood pieces with Nuvo drops. Now it's done!

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  You can find this and all of our October Challenges in our Facebook Group.  Head over to the store! There is so much new stuff including Amy Tangerine !  Use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase!  See you next time!

Eight Days a Week

Well hello and welcome to October. Yes, that's right. October! Wow. Where did the year go? umm, ok, we don't really need to get into that. Let's talk about the real reason we are here! I'm on the Paper Issues Blog today sharing my project for the Attachment Issues challenge. 

So here's the thing. You see these photos? I have more. This is a small sampling! I almost titled this page Attachment Issues! This boy of mine loves his snuggle time before bed. But let's be real. This boy of mine loves his mama and is pretty much attached to me all the time. Like I said, Eight Days a Week. Enough of that, time to move on. 

I'm a sucker for frames. I love them. Lucky for me the My Favorite paper is all frames. It's part of the PinkFresh Studio Days of Splendor collection. This is a beautiful and unique fall collection. I love it! I cut that page apart so fast. I created a wall of photos with the frames and ephemera, then added some stickers. They are hanging on the perfect backdrop, the Oh So Delightful paper. It kinds made me think of wallpaper. Is it just me?  I attached the photos to the 'wall' with brads and twine. Now, they really look like a gallery of photos!

Thanks for stopping by my creative view today. You can find me on Instagram @thebeachygal when I'm not here. Head over to Paper Issues to grab yourself some of this beautiful fall PinkFresh Studio Days of Splendor collection. Use DEVRA at check out for 20% off your purchase.   See you again soon, maybe sooner than you think!

Up One, Down Two,

Hello there! I'm on the Paper Issues blog this finest of Scraplift Sundays! Oh my do we have a LO to lift today! Stacie created a masterpiece. Man, I don't know if I can do it justice, but I sure tried!

I don't know what is more striking, the background stitching or the fact that it's on a chalked black background...It's genius. All of it. I wanted to recreate it, but in my own way. Well duh, that's why it's called scraplifting... anyway. I thought of using paint, creating streaks with ink, even layers of paper. Then I saw these photos and realized I had to stitch, but in a different way. At the same time, my August Paper Issues Kit and Swag Bag arrived giving me my colors. 

I have a whole bunch of old stitch templates. I used several of those to hand stitch the background, as well as the Pretty Little Studio Clear Stitch Stickers. Once I was done stitching, the rest was fairly simple. As in Stacies, the background speaks for itself! I layered several swag bag papers under the photos adding a few select pieces of PinkFresh Let's Stay Home ephemera and Chipboard flair.  Really, deciding on the background was the hardest part! ok, maybe teaching my son to sew as, but we won't tell him that!

Yep. I think the monotony and isolation of this never ending quarantine has finally gotten to him. He's like me and cant sit and do nothing. He asked me to teach him how to sew. He came home a few weeks ago to visit and that's what we did. He found it calming and relaxing. Mission accomplished. 

Thanks so much for stopping by today! You can find Kits, PinkFresh Studio and so much more in the Paper Issues shop.  Don't miss out! Use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. Then make all the thinsgs and head over to our Facebook Group for all the fun, games and September Challenges. See you next time!

 

Stop, Drop & Read

Well Hello there! Did someone say Books? Oh yeah!  I'm on the Paper Issues Blog today sharing this project for the Book Worm challenge.

There couldn't have been a challenge better suited to me. When he was a little boy, I would find him sitting exactly like this. On the floor, in the grass, in his bed, sitting the exact same way. 

Simple Stories Bro & Co couldn't have been more suited for this photo. I'd been waiting to use the So Rad paper for just the right photo. You should know by now I like to put paper to work for me. It makes putting a page together so easy!  Well, that is after I pushed the photo, ephemera and stickers around for an hour 😁 Those stripes! Could there have been a better place to house a title?!?!?  Every time I looked at the Level Up paper, all I saw were banners, so I cut it up! It ties in all the colors and adds some whimsy. Easy Peasy. It's simple, but detailed. 

Thanks for stopping by my creative view today. I have all my projects on Instagram @thebeachygal as well. There is still plenty of time to join the September Challenges. You can find them and join all the fun and games in our Facebook Group . I think I have enough Simple Stories Bro & Co for one more project. It's still available in the Paper Issues Shop. Grab some for yourself and use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. 

Emmy Watch

Hey there, I'm on the Paper Issues blog today and we are saying hello to September! A new month means a whole new group of challenges! September also means the return of my favorite TV shows and the arrival of new ones! 

It's Season Premiere time! Yep. That's the name of this challenge. My page is all about TV! I love the Emmy Awards. With so much time at home, I decided I was going to watch as many nominated shows as possible!  With a little help from PinkFresh Studio Let's Stay Home and the Binge Watch FREE cut file, I was able to show off some of my favorite shows so far. 

Speaking of favorites, I also love frames. LOVE. They are such a fun way to feature a photo. I like to embellish them with stickers and ephemera also fill them with embellishments. My last favorite thing today? PinkFresh has the best sentiments on their stickers. I found a sticker to match something about each show!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! Join the fun in our Facebook group where you can find this and all the new September challenges. Every challenge you play along with earns you a chance to win a gift card to the Paper Issues shop! Grab some PinkFresh new Fancy Pants and so much more using DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase! You'll be glad you did! See you next time. 

Be the Color

Hey there and welcome to the last week in August. Say what? Anyway, I'm on the Paper Issues Blog today with a project for the Let's Get Strip Faced challenge.   

Oh I had ideas for this challenge. Ok, one idea really and it involved rainbows, patterned paper and Swag Bags. Who doest love that? Let's talk about the Swag Bag for a sec. These papers are already cut into 3x4 pieces of paper. All I did was grab a handful of paper, 2 of each color in the rainbow, then cut them into strips. That's when the fun happened! I wove the 2 pieces together! Oh yeah, that was totally relaxing. Then I wove all the colors together. So cool! I didnt want to cover it up! But I did. I only added a few embellishments, some glittery Amy Tangerine hearts, some Shimelle Never Grow Up stickers and a variety of enamel dots and shapes. It really didn't need much else.  I really like manipulating paper to fit my needs. Try it sometime! its fun to do something different!

I'm so happy you stopped by my creative view today! You can find this and all of our challenges in the  August Challenges album in our Facebook Group.  You have until Sept 6 to play along for a chance to win a gift Card to the Paper Issues store!  Remember to use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase!  See you next time!

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!