The Cutest Pirate | Paper Issues Walk the Plank Challenge

Paper Issues is having pirate-themed challenges in June, and I just happen to have several pictures of friends' kids that are pirate themed, so I knew I had to play along. You don't have to use the theme, just the idea behind the challenge. This one is for the "Walk the Plank" challenge, which challenges us to use woodgrain paper.

How cute is this picture of my friend's little girl? I scoured my stash for pirate-y odds and ends and found the "ahoy there" sticker, which was actually a circle sticker, but I cut it out because it just looked weird as a circle. The stamps on this page (the seagulls and the compass) are by Les Ateliers de Karine, a French company. I found a red frame in my to match the colors in my layout and then die-cut another slide frame using a Bramble Fox die set. That gave me a few interesting layers behind my picture.

How adorable is this little pirate kid under the palm tree? It's an old October Afternoon sticker. I added a little heart to his hat because I always put hearts on the layouts I give away. I added a few more bits--a starfish cut with a Bramble Fox die, an old shell brad from my stash, a tweet and another heart to bring some red to this little cluster. The palm tree looked awkard just sitting there on that white plank paper, so I tore a kraft grid paper scrap from my brown scraps drawer and created a little island.

This cute pirate ship was on the same sheet of stickers as the pirate. I added a little anchor die cut from a Bramble Fox die and some ocean water cut from a paper scrap.

About a year ago, I was reorganizing some of my stash and came upon this sheet of giant raw chipboard letters. They're especially large because I scrap 8 x 8. I've been determined to use them up. I'm getting close. I had enough letters to spell out pirate except for the r. There are never enough r's in letter packs. So I decided to make my own out of an n. I also lost the dot for the i and remembered I had a bunch of little chipboard hearts from when  was on the 2crafty team. I painted the raw chipboard with a black Pitt marker. Those awesome sunrays are from a stencil by Bramble Fox. I used some Tim Holtz distress ink and then outlined them with a fineline marker.

Sparkly | CSI Case File No. 337 + Paper Issues Sketch

Here's my page for our second November Case File at CSI. I also played along with a sketch challenge at Paper Issues.

Here are the Case File and clues for this challenge.

I obviously used the color scheme, but I also used the following evidence clues: solid paper, florals, puffy stickers, fabric brads, silver metal, frames, rhinestones, transparent elements, and circular elements. The slant of the roof in The Scene led me to choose the sketch.

Here's the sketch that inspired my page: 

Here are some details. I used lots of old stash on here. Those slide mounts are among the earliest embellishments in my stash, which means they're nearly 20 years old. That old metal Making Memories frame has been in my stash forever too. Do you recognize that alphabet paper inside that frame? It's by ki Memories. Since gray was in the color scheme, I left some of the chipboard frames raw.

The green chipboard frames are also pretty old, by Making Memories. I found some purple sparkly letters in my stash that were perfect for this fun photo of my friend's daughter. Then I found some shaped Thickers in the same glittery purple. Perfect! That purple flower thing met the transparent element clue.

Some more purple sparkly embellishments from that Thicker set and some shiny metallic purple stickers finished off my layout.

Ready for School | CSI Case File No. 331+ Paper Issues Free File Free for All Challenge

The second September Case File at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration reminded me of a perfect FREE cut file from Paper Issues, one of our sponsors this month. And I had the perfect picture of my friend's daughter to use for this challenge.

Here are the Case File and clues for this challenge:

I used the color scheme and as always, I challenged myself to use as many Evidence clues as I could. I managed to use dots, text pattern, stars, planet (globe), light bulb, school-related elements, alphabet as a design element, stacked books, transparent elements, dangle elements, punch, string, and decorative borders.

Here's the awesome FREE cut file I used from Paper Issues.

I always enjoy digging through my stash to find the perfect elements for my CSI pages. All of the papers I used to back the book cut files were from my paper scraps drawers. Most are pretty ancient.

That little schoolhouse was cut out of a paper. I found that pencil on a scrap of paper, but I didn't have any full-length pencils on the scrap, so I pieced two halves together and covered it up with some old Jenni Bowlin school-themed letter stickers. The pink ledger chipboard alphabet are old Making Memories Noteworthy. The black chipboard letters are from BasicGrey. When all else fails, add a Tweet wood veneer from Studio Calico.

These transparent light bulbs are by Maya Road. The stars were cut out of the same paper as the little schoolhouse in the above picture. Those scattered letters in the background are a stamp by Carabelle Studio. The cool black heart globe is a piece by Bramble Fox.

I found this old Studio Calico wood veneer school  days speech bubble in my stash, which was a perfect touch.

I hope you'll come play along with CSI. As always, we have loads of sponsors donating prizes each month.

Fly | CSI Cold Case No. 329

I always love making pages for our stash-busting Cold Case Files at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration. I also used a sketch from Paper Issues. Here's what I created.

Here are the Case File and Clues:

Here's the Paper Issues sketch:

I just love using my older stash! I looked through my papers in search of a photorealistic paper and found this cloud paper, which was my starting point, and then I found a giant hot-air balloon sticker and matching paper with hot-air balloons that I fussy-cut.

I found the perfect photo to go with these two elements. I found some older patterns with dots and stripes and florals, which I fussy cut. 

You can also see that I used, from the list of clues: clouds, white rub-ons, older labels, hearts, butterflies, a banner, and I used magic number 20--those blingy elements (the flowers and insects) are from the 20th embellishment drawer. The chipboard pieces (except for the alphabet) are 2crafty pieces, from when I was on their design team a while back. They're one of our prime sponsors.

I found a mutli-color banner in my stash, by KaiserCraft, that I've had for a while, but I never seem to be able to use because of all the different colors. And that circle thing is ancient--by K&Co. A the end, I added the yellow Nuvo drops for added texture and interest.

If you're like me and delight in using up some of your older stash, come play along with us! You can make room for new stash that you might win from one of our sponsors this month:

Girls Just Want to Have Sun } CSI Case File No. 328

Our second Case File at CSI: Color, Stories, Inspiration is perfect for summer, beachy photos. I also played along with Scraplift Sunday at Paper Issues. Here's the layout I created:

Here are the Case File and clues for this challenge:

I used the basic color scheme but brightened up the green. For the Testimony, I documented a beach trip. I used lots of evidence clues--stripes, cross-hatch pattern, plain cardstock, summer-themed elements, fruit, drinks, camera, animals, butterfly, circular objects, and sunglasses.

Here's the awesome layout by Orange Gearl that I scraplifted:

Here are some close ups. That cross-hatch background is from a BasicGrey pad, I believe. I think it looks sort of beachy, I don't know how Orange Gearl managed to get her paper rolled so perfectly and how she managed to make it stick, but I had to sew mine to the background. I have this pack of ginormous enamel dots, and I was happy to use a couple on this page. I toally messed up on the paint splats, but I had already done the paper rolling thing and I hate wasting paper, so I left it.

The sun is from a metal die, and I thought I'd add some wood veneer accents to give some more texture to my layout. 

I love it when I can add buttons to my page. I have so darn many!

The flamingo is from the same metal die set as the sun.Who says you can't have a green flamingo?

I hope you'll come play along with us at CSI! We have several awesome sponsors donating prizes this month:

I Love My Daddy | ACOT Guest Designer

I was delighted to be invited as a guest designer at A Cherry on Top.

As a part of guesting, they gave me $50 to spend in the shop and asked that I create three layouts and blog posts. Here is my first blog post, which will be published on the ACOT blog soon:



Something Old, Something New
by Debbi Tehrani

I’ve been scrapping since 2000, which means I’ve been collecting supplies for 20 years! The thing about this hobby, is they come out with fantastic supplies faster that I can use them, so I’ve got a range of stash that spans those two decades. I love using the latest and greatest products, but I have a fondness for my older stuff too, so I usually try to include both on my pages.

As a guest designer, I was invited to choose some new supplies from A Cherry on Top. For my first layout, I used Crate Paper’s lovely new collection, Fresh Bouquet.

I scrap 8 x 8, so I like to order the 6 x 8 pads, which I used on this layout. I also got a few sheets of 12 x 12 paper to serve as backgrounds, since the 6 x 8 pages aren’t quite big enough. Once I chose the Fern Paper for my background, I tore the edge of the top and added strips of the floral Heartfelt Paper from the 6 x 8 pad at the top and bottom. I always add hearts to the pages I give away, and I added some hearts from the Fresh Bouquet Sticker Sheet to one of the tags tucked behind the photo.

I think different textures add so much interest to my layouts, and I found a piece of pretty lace to tuck behind the torn paper. That “together” element is made of glass, and it’s an old embellishment from my stash. Believe it or not, the package said it was from 2003! I don’t think it looks too old! The ribbon I tied to the tag is also pretty old. I saved it from a gift I had received a few years ago. I save all kinds of things that I might find useful for my scrapping!

I love to layer elements, and I started off with a Paper Issues free cut file and then layered some tags and other ephemera and stickers from the Fresh Bouquet Ephemera pack and the Fresh Bouquet Sticker Sheet. I layered my photo on top of two papers from the 6 x 8 pad (the patterns called Cherish and Keepsake).

The Fresh Bouquet Puffy Alpha Thickers make such a pretty cursive title! The hummingbird and a sweet little heart and flower, all from the Fresh Bouquet Sticker Sheet were perfect to add to the open space in my title. I needed some flowers for the left side of my page, so I fussy cut some from the Flora Paper in the 6 x 8 pad. This paper has beautiful gold foiling on it which adds a lovely shimmer.

As a finishing touch, I added some Nuvo Vintage Drops in coordinating colors. I love adding enamel dots to my page, and Nuvo Drops, which come in a variety of colors and textures, are a great alternative. I especially love that you can control the size of the dots, which is especially important on my 8 x 8 pages.

I hope I’ve given you some ideas for using this beautiful new collection by Crate Paper, and I hope you’ve inspired you to mix old and new stash on your page!