Hello Hello! I have with my last project on the  Paper Issues blog today, and it's for the Treasure Map challenge. I always like challenges where I get to choose my design but have to use specific items!  This was definitely a challenge but so much fun. 

Today I used, White, gold, polka dots, frames, flair, ephemera and washi. Let me tell you, the two what were the hardest for me to stick to was the ephemera OR stickers and black or white. Want a tip on that one? Use a collection that has no black in it! This time of year it's a little easier. Summer collections such as the Echo Park Pool Party use navy instead of black. Ok, that problem solved. 

I started with the Sunbeam Stitching FREE cut file. I wanted to do something different with the sun part of it. That was the perfect place to create a little embellishment cluster using a frame and flair. I added some extra details with an Elle's Studio stamp and some gold sequins. It was really hard to use only ephemera, but that was the choice I made because I wanted to use the frames. I added some washi as one of the layers under the photo as the last treasure item on my map. Phew, I got them all on there!. Where is my treasure?

Bowtiful

Hey hey I'm on the Paper Issues Blog today! I rhymed! Anyway, in the month of everything Golden Girls, we have to talk about friends and all of the wonderful women in our lives right? My Thank you for Being a Friend project does just that.  My sister and I spent the day at Disneyland celebrating her birthday. It was the most incredible day and one of the best experiences I've ever had there. 

One of the things I like best about Amy Tangerine Brave & Bold is the color stories. There are pinks, greens, and reds and they all tie together with the patterns. There is also always black&white as well. I'm using reds, yellow and black because well, um,, Disneyland! Speaking of Black & White, that's what I used for the background paper. Next up Is the Full Bloom paper and yup, I used both sides! Man, I had to make sure cut it right or I'd have been moving to plan B!

I played with edges, and even broke out my sewing machine! Then the layering began. I have it all, ephemera, stickers, and foam Thickers. I found all kinds of sentiments and icons that were happy and cheerful, just like our day. I also used the stamp set. I love those flowers!

Thanks so much for stopping by today! If I were you, I'd head right over to the Paper Issues shop for some Amy Tangerine Brave & Bold. Use DEVRA for 20% off your purchase. You will be so happy you did. We always want to see what you create so join our Facebook group to join this and all of the May challenges. You have until June 4 to enter your projects for a chance to win a gift card to the shop!

See you next time!

 

Stay Salty

Hello Hello! It's Rainbow month at Paper Issues and I'm sharing my Somewhere Over the Rainbow project on the blog today. 

Rainbows. They are everywhere right now! In shapes, colors and design. I love adding them to my pages as embellishments and making them a featured part of my page. So, my first thought for today was, how do I make another rainbow page, but different? 

Well. I started with the Rainbow Clouds cut file. Instead of cutting it out, I converted the lines so I could stitch it. Oh wait. I've done that before too! Ooh, ooh! String art! Boy did that take a while. But it was so worth it. My plan all along was to cut it out, but I still wasn't sure how I was going to use it. 

Enter Amy Tangerine Brave & Bold. After sorting through all of the wonderfully whimsical papers, I landed on the Take Note paper for the background. That's when I thought, hmmm, how about flipping the rainbow upside down! Oh, after that decision, the rest was easy. I used both the Monarch and Brave&Bold papers under my photo. One of my favorite things about Amy Tangerine is how random her themes are. They go with any type of photo, story and idea. I grabbed some fun and funny sentiments out of the stickers, ephemera and Thickers, layering them around the page.  There are so many embellishment choices! And I'll tell you a little secret. I don't usually get along very well with multi colored alphas. I know! Call me crazy! But these Stories Alpha Thickers might have changed me. The colors are bright and, they really tied all of the colors together on my page!

We recently visited a small tourist town. It was a beautiful day and one of our first real outings in over a year. My sweet tooth took over when we saw a candy store. We walked in to find over 25 flavors of Saltwater taffy. Its an old favorite of mine so of course we had to buy some! (Don't tell my dentist!)

Thank so much for stopping by my creative view today. I've been sharing more on Instagram @thebeachygal. Join all the fun in the Paper Issues Facebook Group where you can find all of the April Challenges. Shop for all new Amy Tangerine , Echo Park and Vicki Boutin using DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase!  See you again soon.  

 

The Story Teller

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!

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

 

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!

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!

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. 

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!

Decade

Hey there! I'm on the Paper Issues blog   on this favorite of days, Scraplift Sunday! Today we are lifting Kelly's bright cheerful LO.

I couldn't wait to lift this! Can you say awesome design?!?! You know what else? I was dying to cut into PinkFresh Let's Stay Home! Oh right. Let me get back to the design. Yep. Love it. But you know what? The photo I chose is bigger. So, automatically this was going to be different. But hey, that's why we call it a lift right? 

I started with the Hold On paper as the background. I mean why use plain white when you can use an awesome stripe?  I love the rainbow Better Things Ahead paper. I cut it apart to make my wonky strips. Remember I mentioned my photo being larger? Well, that meant I needed to simplify the layering behind it. Since this page is about my family and our house, I used some of the family oriented ephemera. And that was pretty much it. Oops, I almost forgot a title and some Nuvo drops. Now it's done. 

I can't believe we've been living here for 10 years. In a lot of ways it seems like a long time. In others it seems like yesterday. 

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today. Head over to Instagram @thebeachygal to find more of my crafty projects. 

You can find this and all of our challenges in the July challenge album in our Facebook group . Shop Paper Issues using DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. See you again soon!

Walk With Me

Hey there and good morning!  I'm on the Paper Issues blog today sharing this project for the July This or That challenge . I always think oh, this is going to be so easy. Nope. That's why it's called a challenge.

So, This or That turned out to be not so bad! My secret this month? The Paper Issues Kit and Swag Bag. It had everything I needed (and didn't need!) to get this done.  I'll be honest, the hardest decision was red or blue! I had to start there. This kit was filled with red making that an easy decision, so red it is!. After that, the rest fell into place fairly easily. Polka Dots, Flair, Circle, Paper clip, Sequins and Stripes. 

I love when paper does the work for me. Starburst paper as a background is one of the best for that. It can stand alone, making design so easy! That's how I used it today.  Next, I used the Photoplay Stick Together cut apart paper for the polka dot strip and the clouds! Yep. I fussy cut them out of another strip! A Flair for Buttons is my favorite flair, so that was a no brainer. Sequins add some sparkle to the clouds. The circles and paperclips came from my stash. See? Easy.

Of all the disruption COVID has brought to our lives, one welcome disruption for me is being able to walk my dog every day. I enjoy the time to get outside, clear my head and spend some time alone, well, with my dog anyway. 

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today. Head over to Instagram @thebeachygal to find more of my crafty projects. 

You can find this and all of our challenges in the July challenge album in our Facebook group . Shop Paper Issues using DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. See you again soon!

Squeeze the Day

Hey there! I'm on the Paper Issues blog today sharing this project for the Heavy Metal challenge.

No, I didn't do a music page. Today I challenged myself to use something I never use and have a zillion. Can you guess? Brads. They're metal! I have so many. So many! Big, small, shaped, plain. I have them all.

I don't know why, but thisAmy Tangerine Aloha Leilani paper spoke to me in a big way! It said "Embellish me!" So I did. I used a different stitch on each color of the rainbow. I added decorative brads into some of the stitching in the pink, red yellow and aqua bends. They definitely add some texture and dimension to the paper!

After I placed my photo, I tucked and layered pieces of the Picnic in the Park ephemera and 6x12 stickers. I only used rainbow and monochromatic pieces too! The last thing I did was add some Pretty Little Studio Insta worthy Document Life Flair. I mean if we're talking heavy metal, I needed to make a statement right?

Thanks is much for stopping by my creative view today. I've been on a creative roll lately. Find more of my creativity on Instagram @thebeachygal. I'll be back here again soon. In the meantime, you can find this Amy Tangerine Picnic in the Park, Pretty Little Studio and so much more in the Paper Issues shop. Use DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase. You'll be glad you did!

All is Bright

Well hello there! I'm on the Paper Issues blog today with my project for the Split Personality challenge. This is a new challenge for us. Immediately I started thinking of ideas. Black/white, pattern/solid, stripes/polka dots. The possibilities are endless.

I will be honest, this is nothing like the idea I had in my head. I have no idea how I ended up this way. Well, I do, so here goes. I love all the Pink Paislee Together for Christmas plaids papers and wanted to mix them up to create a half and half. Nope. Couldn't make it work the way I wanted it to. on to plan B. 

I lined up the plaids. Hmmm. I like that. Then I stitched them down. No changing it now! I kept going, loading up the right side of the page with paper, stickers, ephemera. Then hit me. My split personality could be most of the design on one side of the page, a little bit on the other side. I added a small cluster on the edge of the left side. And that's the story of how my split personality page came to be. 

I found this light festival was in town over the holidays. We don't usually do Christmas stuff, but I wanted to do something with the family that we could all enjoy. There were over 1 million lights hanging, dangling, in all kinds of shapes. It was a bit cheesy, but also lots of fun. Plus, it's always a bonus if you can get a family photo, let alone a good one!

Thanks for stopping by my creative view today. You can find this and all of our challenges in the January Challenge album  in our Facebook Group. Join us for fun, daily chit chat and much more. Shop the Paper Issues store using DEVRA at checkout for 20% off your purchase.  See you next time. 

Baking Spirits Bright

Hey there and good morning. I'm on the Paper Issues Blog today with my project for the Grid Lock challenge.  I really like using a grid design with my photos on my pages and do so often. Today I wanted to do something different. I mean why not. It's a challenge after all right? So, I created a grid as the base for my embellishments.

I started by cutting the Pretty Little Studio Frozen Sky paper using the December Tags cut file. I altered one of the tags that had an ornament in it, then repeated the design to created a grid. I layered the ornament paper over the Crate Paper Snowcapped paper. Yep. I purposely placed those snowflakes right in the center.

After giving it some thought, I realized I could make it look like a shaker card if I used pop tape. So that's what did.  I sprinkled some of the Pink Paislee Mixed Embellishments  in a few of the spaces, adding a few Crate Paper stickers. I drew a thin line around the grid using Nuvo Drops add a bit more color.

It really was that simple.

I love to bake and used the excuse of the holidays to over do it again this year. I find it so relaxing, The house smells so good, and they taste good too. I should bake more often. 

Thank so much for stopping by my creative view and for spending the last year with me here. I plan on continuing into next year. I hope you'll follow along with me here and also on Instagram @thebeachygal. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year. 

Thankful

Hey there! I'm on the Paper Issues Blog today sharing this project using our incredible FREE cut files. Yep. It's a Free File Free for All!

I used two cut files today. The first is the Leaves and Laurels for the leaves under my photo. I cut them out of 3 different papers from the Paper Issues kits, then layered them. It kinda looks like the photo is sitting in a basket of leaves. I love it! I cut the title, Thankful out of the Gorgeous Ovals .

I've been pretty obsessed with the Paper Issues kits. Here's what I love most about them: 1) They are a great value. There is so much in each kit! 2) They blend well from one month to the next! and 3) The vary in each kit is amazing!  Anyway, can you guess what I used on this page? Yep. I  mixed the October and November kits. I layered several papers behind the photo and added a bunch of the stickers and Nuvo Vintage drops.

Between the cut files and the kits, this was east and fun to put together!

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today. When I'm not here, you can find me on Instagram @thebeachygal. Can't wait to show you what's next.