Good morning and welcome to round two of this month's Issue Let's Play Post Office at Paper Issues! Haven't played along with one of our Issues yet? Here are some ideas to get you started

-Use office supplies like binder clips, tags, push pins, postage stamps and envelopes. -Alter a clipboard. -Include stamping on your project. -Document a piece of mail or a love letter. -Create a layout about your latest Paper Issues package (either a photo of the box and/or contents). -Show us your kids, grandchildren, etc. at play. -Share something about Valentine's Day/love.

I was mostly inspired by these photos and the story they tell. So I went with the envelope/love letter idea. This Fancy Pants Sweet Nothings has been staring me in the face. Especially when I saw that SWAK in the ephemera pack! I love the variety of embellishments with this collection. The tags and puffy stickers are the best! I have them mixed in each of my embellishment clusters. I love that there are other patterns and colors in this line so I can use it for other purposes than Valentines.

My son is affectionate as they come. He will hug, cuddle and snuggle, but has never given us kisses. For some reason, this time when I said "give Dad a kiss", he did! It was a big, sloppy, wet, toddler like first kiss, but we didnt care! The funniest part about it, was when We asked him to 'give Mom a kiss", he shook his head NO. 

Thanks as always for being here with me and my creative view. I loved playing with  Fancy Pants Sweet Nothings and am happy we had it as one of our Product Spotlights this month. I'm also happy to play along at Scrap Our Stash this month and their tic-tac toe board. I used the top row: red, polka dot paper and tags. 

You can play with us too when you purchase some from the Paper Issues Shop. Use my code DEVRA for 20% off your purchase too!

Supplies: PP, ephemera, puffy stickers, tags, alphas- Fancy Pants Sweet Nothings

Taste of Chicago

Hey there! Im back yet again today with another layout for Paper Issues. Today is the new Roll the Dice challenge. This month the dice rolled to 5 photos and at least 3 circles. You can play along by linking your challenge in our Facebook group, Paper Issues Friends and Fans 

Usually, if I'm working with 5 photos, I would make a 2 page layout. The subject of this page, really called for only one page. I printed all 5 photos on one 4x6 card. I dove back in to my stash of Shimelle's Go Now Go for this page of my favorite places to eat in Chicago. The base of the page is the Stroll paper. I loved the pre printed aspect and it gave me the two places to tuck my photos. I layered some more papers under the photos and created several embellishment clusters. circles are all around the page and the Adventure Thickers finish of the page. 

On our last vacation to visit friends in Chicago, we went all out. With food that is. We pretty much ate only pizza and Portillo's. But that's another story. I took photos of some of my other favorite places I liked to go to when I lived there.  

Thanks again for being with me along with my creative view. You too can get some of this great Shimelle line as well as her new line Little by Little and so much more in the Paper Issues shop. Use my code DEVRA for 20% off your purchase too!

Supplies: PP, stickers, chipboard, alphas, ephemera, wood buttons-Shimelle's Go Now Go

Fist Bump

Hey there! I broke out of my box, or umm, went outside the lines a little bit for today's Mix It Up challenge at Paper Issues.  This months challenge is to use embossing power on your project.

So, I dug out my stamps, pigment ink and embossing powder. I even grabbed a stencil too.  This is stuff I have, will never get rid of, but hardly ever use!  I placed the ink over the stencil randomly, in 3 places on the page, then embossed it. I also inked, stamped and embossed the cut file in the title. I cut around the embossed areas and slid the Bella Blvd Alex papers underneath. A few Tabbies and paper pieces and I was finished.  So now, I have to remember how fun to was to use my heat gun!

This photo is a few years old, but it was at a time when he was learning social greetings. High fives and fist bumps were a couple that we could get him to do. Not a big deal to many, but it was to us.

Thanks as always for being here with me and my creative view. You can get yourself some Bella Blvd Alex as well as some other new goodies in the Paper Issues shop. Please use my code DEVRA for 20% off your purchase.

Supplies: CS, alpha and Embossing powder-American Crafts, iml-ColorBox, Stencil-TCW, Cut File-Paper Issues, Silhouettte, PP-die cuts, stickers-Bella Blvd, 

He Always Has Time For You

Hey there and good morning to you! I love this time of year! Want to know why? No, it has nothing to do with the weather. It has everything to do with new scrappy releases!  There is so much to choose from that I have a terrible time deciding which collections to buy! This time around is no exception!

Well, I settled on a few, ok, several lines. Today I am using the new Pink Paislee Oh My Heart by Paige Taylor Evans. My son and my Mom have such a social bond. This collection seemed to have everything in it to showcase this.

I began by die cutting the heart from Paper 14. I layered that over Paper 21. Then I was stuck! Hmmmm, cardstock or more patterned paper as the base of the page? As you can see, more patterned paper won out. Paper  8 to be precise. I love stitching on my pages, so I did some stitch art over the heart. (A little rhyme for you there).

The ephemera die cuts, Puffy Stickers and Accent Thickers add just the right finishing touches to my page.

 The copper foil ephemera is my fav!

Thanks so much for taking a look today. I hope I've given you some ideas using Oh My Heart . I cant wait to create more with it! You can get some for yourself along with so many other new collections in the Paper Issues shop! Use my code, DEVRA to save 20% on your purchase!

Supplies: PP, die cute, puffy stickers, chipboard-Paige Taylor Evans for Pink Paislee, alphas-Webster's pages, Freckled Fawn, cut file, Silhouette

XOXO

Hello there! It is Cut It Up Saturday on the Paper Issues blog. That means a new FREE cut file has been released. It's so awesome. You are going to love it.

Ok, So I was a little crazy. I got this idea in my head and I went with it. I searched my stash for ombre`paper to cut. After I cut it, I had to keep them in color order! I also cut a and traced a larger heart as a template, then stitched around it.  Yep, then I laid out all the hearts, stuck'ed down, and folded them up. After all that, the rest was easy...Crate Paper Heart Day was already in my head. I layered a few papers under the photo, clustered some stickers, die cuts and chipboard and was done. 

It seems most of our family photos lately are selfies. I guess that's what happens when the rest of your family lives far away. Anyway, this is us. Just the way we are. I love us just like this.

Thanks, as always, for stopping by my creative view today. Head over to the Paper Issues store to do some shopping. There are many new colorful collections to choose some. Be suer to use my code DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. 

Supplies: PP-Echo Park, Crate Paper, die cuts, chipboard-Crate paper, stickers-Pebbles, Crate paper

Caution! Joshua Was Here!

 Good morning! It's a double post day for me so thanks for being here again! It's time for another Take 5 Tuesday at Paper Issues. Here are this month's ideas:

From the list, I used: red, white, yellow, cardstock and arrows. So, I got this caution washi tape last fall. I also saw the August Graphic Stripes Free cut file. I thought, hmmm, how can I make this work together? Well, it was easy. First I cut the file, them I covered it with the tape! th rest was super easy after that! I cant seen to get enough Crate Paper Cool Kid. I really am going to be terribly sad when I use it all up. Anyway, a couple of staggered paper under the photo, several die cuts, stickers and chipboard and I was done!

Yes. This is my son and 'his' playroom. When he gets out his toys, he dumps them out, then throws them around while he's looking for the one or two items he's looking for.  Every. Single. Time. It's one of his quirks, but he seems to know what it is he wants. Cant fault him for that. Needless to say, there is always cleaning up to do. 

Thanks again for being here, and following my creative view. It's been great to be so creatively busy again. You can get some Cool Kid of your own or many of the other new collections in the Paper Issues shop. Use my code DEVRA for 20 off your purchase.

Supplies: CS-American Crafts, washi & alpha-Doodlebug Design, PP-BoBunny, Crate paper, die cuts, stickers, chipboard-Crate paper, silhouette, cut file-Paper Issues

Vogue

Well hello!  Today's Get It Scrapped  blog article is a topic close to my heart. The subject is taking inspiration from pop culture in certain decades. I was given the 1980's. 

I grew up in the 1980's. My memories are of music icons, fashion influenced by them and fun slang language, some that I still use today. I used these influences in color, texture and motif on this page. Neon colors of pink, green and turquoise are grounded by black and white. Records and cassette tapes reference music, the lace of fashion influenced by music artists such as Madonna and Boy George. Some my favorite slang words and phrases are also scattered throughout the page. 

 My friends and I took over the photo booth at a sorority reunion.  We were celebrating 30 years of friendship, that began in the mid 80's, making this an easy decade to inspire this layout.

Thanks so much for being here today. I appreciate you following along my creative view. Come back again.I have much more to share.

 
Supplies: Patterned paper-Simple Stories, Amy Tangeine, Card Stock-American Crafts, Stickers-Simple Stories, WRMK, Amy Tangerine, Fancy Pants, Die Cuts-Amy Tangerine, lace-May Arts, enamel dots-Doodlebug Design, Freckled Fawn, washi tape-AmyTangerine, Freckled Fawn, sequins-Michaels, Silhouette, Die cut-Stacie Dietz for paper Issues, design inspired by Cassie Box
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Live It Up

Happy Sunday to you. Nope. Paper Issues does not take Sundays off. Today Is the Notable Quotable challenge. See this quote? Super cool. So many ways to make inspiration!

Me? I went with the "live your life" part of it. I truly wanted to use this Butterfly Wreath cut file and more of the stunning Hazelwood collection by One Canoe Two. I started by cutting with the Woodland paid paper, then using the remainder to back my cardstock. Other than the scraps I used to back my photos, the rest of the pages uses stickers, enamel pieces, and ephemera. 

As my children are getting older, I'm finding myself kind of 'taking my life back'. This page is really just a reminder of who I was, who I am, and who I want to be this next year. 

Thanks so much for stopping my my creative view today. You too can get some of this beautiful Hazelwood collection in the Paper Issues store along with so many other new collections including Shimelle, PhotoPlay , Crate Paper and so much more.  Use my code DEVRA for 20% off your purchase.

Supplies: Cardstock-American Crafts, Alphas-Studio Calico, Thickers, PP, stickers, ephemera, enamel pieces, Hazelwood  by One Canoe Two. Silhouette, mist-Heidi Swapp

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

You Call These Sprinkles?

Good Friday morning to you! Oh wow! The new Paper Issues Pinspire Me board is unbelievable! 

Do you see those love birds! Oh, this board has so much inspiration!  Well, as you can see, I may have taken my inspiration from the center square, the sprinkles on the donuts.   This gave me an excuse to break out more of the Fancy Pants Joy Parade.  Oh, this line is so much fun! I started with the Sprinkle Some Joy paper as the foundation. I layered the Lighter Than Air , Happy to be Free and Wrap It In Color under my photo. From there I selected die cuts and puffy sticker embellishments that went with my story. That's one of my favorite things about this line. Although it is a 'birthday' line, it also has current sentiments and icons that go well with many themes. 

When we lived in Illinois, our local DQ offered sprinkle dipped cones. I mean dipped in sprinkles, just like a chocolate dipped cone. Its not something we ordered often, but it put a smile on our faces when we did. After visiting there last summer, we decided to order the same thing from our DQ here at home. This is what we got. It most definitely was not the same!

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today! Im having a blast creating with all these yummy products. You can too and get them for 20% off when you shop in the Paper Issues store using code DEVRA at checkout.

Supplies: PP, die cuts, cork, stickers, flair-Fancy Pants, alphas-October Afternoon, Fancy Pants.

Endless Love

Hey there and good morning! I've got my first post of February here for you today, and I think you're going to like it. We have a new challenge at Paper Issues called Working Title, which gives you a prompt to help you create your title. This month the prompt is to use a  song title, lyric or a heart in your title. 

Well, I am not usually a Valentiny paper person, I just LOVE! (pun intended;-) ) Crate Paper Heart Day! I combined it with the FREE Heart Wreath cut file .   I came across this photo of my Grandparents, and ideas starting falling into place, including the title. It's a cheesy love song from the 1980's called Endless Love.  I used Thickers and some of the Heart Day chipboard to create it. The title is large, the papers are busy, which means small amounts of embellishments strategically placed. 

I have been missing my Grandparents a lot lately. Seeing this photo made me smile and remember how much they loved each other. I cant think of a better way to remember them.

There are many wonderful layouts on the Paper Issues blog today. Check them out! While you are there, you should definitely go shopping in the Paper Issues store. So. Much. New. Stuff! Including Dear Lizzy, Shimelle, and Crate Paper. Use code DEVRA for 20% off your order when you shop.

Supplies: PP-Websters pages, Crate Paper, Chipboard, stickers, die cuts-Crate paper, Alpha-Thickers