Mad, Cool Science | Paper Issues Put It on an Angle Challenge

It's my turn up on the Paper Issues blog today. Here's my post:

Why was the geometry book so adorable? Because it had acute angles! Okay, okay, I know that was a little lame, but this challenge is all about putting your layout on an angle. It can be ACUTE or OBTUSE, just make sure that with all your angles your layout looks RIGHT. I tend to be a very linear scrapper, so this challenge gave me a moment of slight anxiety, but then I told myself that going outside my comfort zone is what challenges are all about, so I jumped in with both feet. I not only designed my layout to flow along an angle, but I also angled the photos.

I am the worst kind of kit hoarder, so while I was challenging myself, I also challenged myself to go to one of the Paper Issues kits I've been hoarding from over a year ago.  Do you remember the one called "Blue Ain't Your Color?" This paper with the ink blots was perfect to document my grand-niece's science experiment. I combined the kit with some stamps and items from my stash to make my mad, wonky angled layout.

I am obsessed with the Bella Blvd Florence alphabets. I scrap a lot of friends' kids pictures, and they're a perfect, playful font and a perfect size for my pages since I scrap 8 x 8. I absolutely love the crazy playful look the yellow pom-pom trim in the kit gave to my layout. Cassie always includes unexpected surprises in her kits that add a unique touch to your layouts.

I stamped my monsters on several of the patterned papers from the kits and added googly eyes for fun.

I hope you'll come play in this challenge give this angled approach a try! Maybe pull out an older kit (to make room for new ones!). Cassie's kits are timeless. And don't forget to be on the lookout for the next kit to come into the store because they're so popular, and you'll want to grab one before they're gone! Please use my discount code, Debbi (no e on the end) and you'll get 20% off the kits, the Florence alphas, and EVERYTHING else in the store!

Cross Country | Paper Issues 30 Days of Sketches - Day 24

 I finally finished all 30 sketches! However, I'm really behind on posting them, so I'm doing some quick blog posts to catch up. Here's my page for Sketch 24:

Here's the sketch. I followed the basic design but had to use fewer photos because my pictures were oriented differently, plus I scrap 8 x 8.

Here are a few closeups.  I'm the worst kit hoarder, so I made a decision to try to use kits on as many of these sketch layouts as I could. I used Paper Issues' May 2019 "Fishin' in the Dark" kit.

Most everything is from that kit, but I added a couple of things from my stash, like the brads.

I also added the paper clip and a super-old mini-tag from Making Memories that I bought eons ago.

Did you know that Paper Issues has kits? They actually have two each month, a large one, and a small sort of sampler kit called a swag bag. They sell out fast, but it's cool that you don't have to subscribe. Whenever you shop at Paper Issues, please use my discount code Debbi (no e on the end) and you'll get 20% off of everything in the store, including kits, every single day!

Big Smiles | Paper Issues 30 Days of Sketches - Day 4

Hey, did you know Paper Issues is trying to keep up our spirits during this COVID-19 shut-in by giving us 30 sketches for 30 days. I'm going to try to do all of them! Here's my layout for Day 4:

Here's the sketch I used:

Here are some details. I used Paper Issues' Greener Pastures kit from last March. I tend to hoard my kits, and I decided I'm going to try to use them for these sketch challenges. You'll have to pardon that cheery blossom petal. There was a storm of them blowing off my tree while I was photographing my layout, and I didn't notice it was there until now, and of course it's raining outside now. Most of the stuff on my page is from Vicki Boutin's Color Kaleidoscope collection, plus a couple of pieces of ephemera from Maggie Holmes Sunny Days collection. The Nuvo drops were in the kit too. The tiny tassels are from my stash.

I fussy cut the hearts from one of the patterned papers, hand-stitched them down and folded the top layer up. I decided to add the tiny tassels for extra interest and texture.

Here's a shot of the title and journaling. The brackets are from a die by a French Company called Simply Graphic.

I hope you'll come join our challenge. If you like the Color Kaleidoscope collection, there are several pieces the Paper Issues store, and lots more from other Vicki Boutin collections, not to mention lots of other new products. Please use my code Debbi (no e on the end) and you'll get 20% off of everything in the store, every single day!

You're Loved | Paper Issues Sweet Talk Challenge

I'm up on the Paper Issues blog today. Here's my post:

Hey, Everyone! I'm here to wrap up February with a layout for our Sweet Talk challenge, which is to scrap with us about everything sweet--Valentine’s Day, love, candy embellishments, speech bubbles, funny conversations with kids, your sweetheart, etc. I chose to scrap this sweet Valentine picture of my friend's daughter as well as use speech bubbles.

I have a terrible habit of hoarding kits, so I still have last year's February Paper Issues kit, and most everything on my page is from that kit, plus a few odds and ends from my stash. This awesome kit, called Pink, is still available in the shop and has so many wonderful papers and embellishments. You can see additional photos of all the goodies the kit here.

Could those sloths from the Pebbles Loves Me collection be any cuter? This paper has a whole sheet of these darling critters to fussy cut. The gold heart came off of the sheet of gold puffy phrase stickers in the kit.

Those tags came from the kit too. They're by Heidi Swapp, and there's a whole package of ephemera.

Nuvo Drops are my new best friend! So much cheaper than enamel dots, and you can make them in any size you want. I know they've been out for a while, but I just started using them, and I'm in love!

I hope you'll come play with one of our many challenges. Share your creation in our Facebook group for a chance to win a gift certificate to the shop. Speaking of the store, go check out all the latest and greatest scrappy stuff, and please use my code, Debbi (no e on the end), and you'll get 20% off your entire purchase!

Summer Concert | Paper Issues Scraplift Sunday

It's my turn on the Paper Issues blog today! Here's my post:

Happy Sunday, everyone! You know what Sunday means here at Paper Issues: Scraplift Sunday! I have so much fun trying on a fellow scrapper's style! Here's what I made this week:

And here's Kelly's amazing layout I scraplifted. 

I happened to have a sheet of that awesome Vicki Boutin mixed media paper that Kelly used, but I didn't want to copy, so I tried making my own. Well, that turned out to be a great big mess of a failure! So I went ahead and used it--hey, it's called scraplifting, right? It looks different on my page because I scrap 8 x 8, so I had to cut the paper down.

I used the You Should See Me In A Crown August Kit, plus a few odds and ends from my stash.

Here's a peek at some of the things in this awesome kit:

The word "Summer" is from the Summer Days free cut File.

The puffy Thickers in the kit are so fun and colorful! There's a Pink Paislee paper in the kit that's full of words, and I cut out the word LIVE (live music, get it?) and glued it onto the puffy sun.

I hope you'll come play along in this fun challenge. So many possibilities! Post your creation in our Facebook Group for a chance to win a gift certificate to the Paper Issues store, and speaking of the store, please use my code Debbi (no e on the end), and you'll receive 20% off your entire purchase!

Let's Fly | CSI Case File No. 289 + Paper Issues Kit

CSI's mid-month reveal is live. Here's one of the pages I made (I made several, which will be shared over the next few days). I used the Paper Issues kit called Fishin' in the Dark, which, as of this writing is still available in the shop.

And here's a look at the kit I used. Click here to see more pictures of the kit and a description of all the items in the kit. 

Here are the Case File and Clues for this challenge:

Clues I used: The Scheme--I used all of the colors; Evidence - dots, stripes, geometric pattern, other transportation, string, eyelets, clouds, border punch, wet medium.

Most everything on the page is from the kit, but I did use a few things from my stash, like the big navy Thickers, which are generally too big for my 8 x 8 pages, but they worked out here for such a short word. And I had a paper with those cute dogs flying airplanes in my stash. I've really been on a mission to use my stamps, and that label in the title is a stamp.

I started this thing on the pages I'm making for kids--to hide a heart (or more) on each page for them to find, which is why I've got that enamel heart on the cloud.

For the geometric shape clue, I used a stencil by The Crafter's workshop. And I used a notebook edge border punch for another clue. That "fun" is a stamp.

Remember when eyelets were all the rage? I have a ton of them from those days and never think to use them, but it was a clue in the Case File and I had to use them.

I hope you'll come play along with CSI this month! Besides all of our other sponsors, Paper Issues is donating a $20 gift card to their shop! Use my code, Debbi (no e on the end), and you'll get 20% off your entire purchase!

And here are all of the sponsors donating prizes this month:

Family Smooch | Paper Issues Kit and Sketch Challenge

Did you know that besides the hundreds of free cut files and all the latest and greatest scrappy stuff, Paper Issues has monthly kits? And the cool thing is, you don't have to commit to a subscription, but you'll want them all! I store them separately from my other stuff, and I tend to forget to use them, so I've been making a concerted effort to use them lately! Here's a page I made yesterday with the kit called Pink (Aerosmith), which is still available in the shop.

Here's a look at that kit. You can see other pictures plus a detailed list of the contents here.

And here's the sketch:

Here are some details. As you can see, I substituted the stars in the sketch for those adorable sloths sitting on the heart that I cut out of a patterned paper from the kit. I placed them on the paper and they just seemed to be floating there, and then I thought, floating--hey! I could have them floating in the air by adding clouds. And then I thought, I could make those hearts into balloons by adding string! I stamped those sweet clouds with a Jillibean Soup stamp in my collection.

How awesome are those gold letters? They're in the kit. The gold hearts on my page are from the same package. The puffy sticker is also in the kit.

Most of the stuff on my page are from the kit, with a few things added from my stash because you know I love to use up some older stash when I scrap. And I've been on a kick to use stamps because I have a million of them. I made the tab at the top by stamping the phrase onto the pink polka dot paper and cutting it into a banner shape. The little tab with the 3 hearts is from the branding strip of one of the papers in the kit. I just used my scissors to round the corners. The Dymo stickers are ancient. I just have a few left on that sheet. I don't know if I've ever used up an entire sheet of anything before, but this one's coming close!

I hope you'll come play in this or one of the many other challenges. Submit your creation to our Facebook group. Make sure you check out the cook kits in the store and all the other awesome stuff, and please use my code, Debbi (no e on the end), and you'll get 20% off your entire purchase!