Allow me to Espresso...

mornin', CHICKENS!  it's Monday, and while Mondays have a bad reputation, they hold a totally different meaning when it comes to Paper Issues!  we have a super fun issue going on right now, and today, it's part TWO of our Creative Team's inspiration! 

today's theme is "Let Me Espresso my Gratitude"... which means you're welcome to submit any NEW or OLD creation that fits the theme, and that can be PRETTY broad...  stuff like COFFEE (!!!), anything for which you're thankful, Thanksgiving (natch!), embellish with coffee-related stuff (have you seen the PaperPOPs in the Paper Issues shop?!), use our free printables and/or cut files (there's a new "Thankful Watercolor" printable available now!)...  make scrapbook pages or cards or anything that fits the theme!

i decided to give a little shout-out to my biffy for the last 15+ years for my page.  he's been a HUGE support through all the crazy stuff going on in my life, he's seen me through a move to New Jersey, a few great losses and job changes, and some very happy moments (there are some going on RIGHT NOW!).  i am totally grateful for my best friend, my Smudge-Paw...

this page uses some awesome papers from Basic Grey's "B-sides" line, Elle's Studio "Joyful", Seven Paper's "Clara" line, plus some goodies from Maggie Holmes' Shine and Pink Paislee's Cedar Lane and Memorandum.  OH!  and mustn't forget the Swag Bag bits!  don't know what a Swag Bag is?  have you been living under a rock?  ;)  CLICK HERE and grab yourself a subscription!

entering this challenge (do it by CLICKING HERE) means you're eligible to win a $20 gift certificate to the Paper Issues shop (and lemme tell ya, it can go a LONG, LONG way, especially when you combine it with a discount!).  you have until December 6th to play along!  just remember that when you link, your entry (blog post, Facebook post, whatever) needs to also link back to us.

so there you have it!  CLICK HERE to check out today's post and see what my teamies did to rock this challenge.  Jennie and Sherri kicked it hard, and have some gorgeous inspiration for you!

and when you win that gift certificate, or decide to shop for some of the new fabulosity in the shop, remember the code!

  

It's a Some Odd Girl costume party hop!

HELLOOOOOOO ODDIES!

It's time for Some Odd Girl's 3rd Annual Trick or Treat Halloween Hop!  WELCOME!

Thank you so much for joining us!  This year we're throwing a costume party and all of the Odd Girls are sharing Halloween costume-themed creations! If you came here from Kristy's blog, you're off to a good start!  If not, just click here to go back to the beginning and make sure you hit all the houses - I mean blogs!

How will the trick or treating work? At every stop along the hop, each Odd Girl will either have a treat for you, or a trick (don't worry! it's a crafty tip, and has nothing to do with house egging!). 

We're not telling who's got tricks and who's got treats! But to be in the running for a treat, you must leave a comment on every blog along the hop. Each person who wins a treat gets a code for $10 of digis in the Some Odd Girl shop!

Here's what I whipped up featuring the gorgeous Super Mae digi - she's an inspiration for ANY girl and I KNOW we all have a heroine like her inside us!  This Halloween, let your superhero woman SHINE!

Some Kelly Purkey paper, some BOLD colour, a handful of mixed sequins, and a strip of washi.  Mae is coloured up with my Prismacolor Pencils, because that's how I roll.  ;)

My little trick for you is this...
Let your papers work for you!  There are SO many awesome designs that may seem really specific but can make your job very easy!  The paper I used for my card was a scene in itself, so all I had to do was add my sentiment and bling it up, and VOILA!  Super Mae is leaping tall buildings in a single bound!

OOOOHHHHH!  But in the spirit of FUN, we do have a little treat for ALL OF YOU!  Use code TRICKORTREAT to get 20% off your entire purchase through the weekend!

Are we ready? Get hopping, leave your comments everywhere, and be inspired! Here is your hop order:

Some Odd Girl blog

The Odd Girl (KRISTY!)

Me

Alexis

Melissa

Katie

Anna

Ellen

Kimberly

Kim

And there you have it! We hop through October 31st at midnight Eastern, and our winners will be announced next week in the newsletter, so if you haven't signed up for it yet, CLICK HERE!  Happy Haunting – I mean HOPPING!

Now go ahead and visit that crazy awesome Alexis chick to see what's up her sleeve.  ;)

Have fun and from all of the Odd Girls, Happy Halloween!

How about THEM apples?! Join us at Paper Issues!

hey there, chickens!  how's things?!  busy in the life of an orange girl, but good busy!  SO busy, in fact, that sometimes i need visual and OBVIOUS reminders of what's on my schedule or it will pass right by...

today, we're sharing Part Two of our current issue at Paper Issues, and our theme this month is "How 'Bout Them Apples?!"...  it's no secret i have a HUGE crush on apples, period.  honeycrisp apples, quite frankly, are the world's most perfect food.

but i digress!  it's ISSUE time!  we kicked off on September 14th and now we're bringing you part two of the Creative Team's projects to inspire you.  play along!  there's a $20 gift certificate to the Paper Issues store up for grabs, and you still have PLENTY of time to join in the fun...  October 11th is your deadline. 

SO.  APPLES!

there's a bunch of super cute new Bella Blvd stuff in the Paper Issues store, and when i got my happy mail, i knew it was perfect for my little health-inspired reminder board!

this little clipboard will serve as my visual slap in the face, telling me that i have an appointment coming up, or that i have to buy more vitamins, or whatever.  and trust me, i NEED those reminders.  :)  the mammogram card is stuck on loosely with an unstickified pop dot, so when it's time to switch out with something else, it will come off easily.  and it hangs on the front of my studio door (so i see it every day!), but since we just showed the house, i didn't think prospective buyers needed to know i'm getting squeezed tomorrow.  ha!

SO!  yes.  current issue.  TONS of inspiration right HERE.  a fabulous prize, with which you can grab a ton of the awesome new stuff recently loaded into the shop.  there is a TON of it.  

and you might want to use this, too...

we're (P)inspiring you again at Paper Issues!

morning, chickens!  hope you're enjoying your weekend, and NOT labouring, because even though that's what it's called, that's not what ANYONE ever has on their agenda for the holiday, right?

well it's (P)inspire Me Monday at Paper Issues, and i'm so excited about the new mood board!  i whipped up this little pretty...

because Pinterest!  how much fun are these images?  what kinds of awesome crafty things can you conjure from the collage?  my choice is probably pretty obvious, and i knew it had to be that way...

omg.  that boy.  he melts my heart!  this picture is from nearly 2 years ago, when he discovered the wonderful view of birds and snow from my bedroom window.  just look at that intent stance!

love him.  seriously.

love his curiosity (he is the stereotypical cat in that regard) and his playful spirit.  

and he's a good boy.  :)

but now you're going to want to CLICK HERE to visit the Paper Issues blog to see what the rest of the Creative Team did with this mood board.  so many interpretations and styles - i love seeing what they all bring to the screen!  and CLICK HERE to visit the Friends & Fans Facebook group so you can add your take on the inspiration to the album, and be up for one of the monthly gift certificates!  

and then when you spend your winnings, use this to save on your whole order.  because i think you're fab. :)

there's a new sketch in town at Paper Issues!

hey chickens!

who doesn't love a sketch?

it's time for a new one at Paper Issues, and this one is based on a sweet and simple page by Lisa Dickinson... 

i used a bunch of the These Are The Days collection from Webster's Pages because holy heck, the color of my Gram's shirt!  not an easy one to match up!  there's some prettiness from the We R Memory Keepers Clearly Posh collection in there, Kaisercraft's Shine Bright, plus alphas from Simple Stories, and some subtle sticker action from Echo Park...  here's my page:

ZOOMs for some details:

THOSE ACETATE PIECES.  and those VELLUMS.  so gorje!

here's our sketch!  

and here's the inspiration from Lisa, created for Elle's Studio.  

CLICK HERE to see all of the inspiration from the Paper Issues Creative Team, and link up under the photo in the Paper Issues {Friends & Fans} group, and you'll be in the running to win one of two gift cards to the Paper Issues shop! 

and, um, there's some seriously HOT new product in the shop.  just sayin'.  remember the code...

Paper Issues - Crate Paper's WONDER in the spotlight

morning, chickens!

there's a new product spotlight on the Paper Issues blog today, and i can't tell you how utterly SMITTEN i am with the new WONDER collection from Crate Paper.  it may appear kind of babyish and themey at first glance, but i assure you it's perfect for a KAJILLION types of projects.  heck, i scrapped train tracks!

everything you see here except the white card stock and alphas are from the Wonder collection...  my favourite parts?  the chipboard and acetate sheet, hands down!  but i think i need to stockpile the corrugated patterned sheet, because i absolutely love it!

zoom:

seriously, this collection is SWOON-WORTHY.  for more inspiration, check out the Paper Issues blog to see what the rest of the Creative Team did to showcase it - and then be prepared to covet!

you can grab the goodies i used:

and whatever else is left, but HURRY, it's going fast!  THIS will save you some loot:

who knew i could be so planny?

evenin', chickens!  

so about a month and a half ago, i got this fabulous little gift box from the gorgeous and sensational Aimee Maddern, for absolutely no reason except that she freaking rocks.

in that box?  S'mores Oreos.  Reese's Oreos.  and THIS:

and now i'm all kinds of planny!

 me & my BIG ideas (MAMBI!) The Happy Planner.

yep.  it's pretty!  and so, so functional! 

my style is a combination of planning and documenting/memory-keeping, so i'll write down the things that are coming up, but i'll fill in the details at the end of each day.  i'm loving The Happy Planner, and these are my favorite pens:

i started late, but i jumped right in.  at first, i was just excited to fill the lines and boxes with stuff:

and was enjoying the bright and colorful pages as my days filled up:

but then i started getting a little more matchy and themey with colors and supplies:

and i thought it was important to remind myself to keep my chin up!

remember the boring stuff, and hey, maybe have a little fun in the meantime!

i laid out this week in advance...

and you're gonna see more of this stuff.  because...  planner love, yo!

Paper Issues - scrapliftin' and chippin'!

are you feeling inspired today?  whatcha workin' on?  maybe you've linked up to the Pinspire Me Monday post i've got goin' on at Paper Issues...  or maybe you're working on a project for our Sketchy Saturday feature...  or maybe you're scrapping some of the awesome photos you've taken and shared for our #iSpyWithPI photo scavenger hunt! 

well either way, i hope you're rockin' some mad mojo.  i was feeling rather inspired by the new issue and thought i'd play along with one of our past Scraplift Sunday pages from another of the Creative Team girls, Jana...  the big title had me all itchin' to make something, and what a great way to fill the space when the embellishments aren't quite working for you!

here's my page, because Wawa.  glorious, dark roast coffee.  the perfect cuppa joe.

i used bits of Amy Tangerine, Simple Stories, Doodlebug (i seriously can't get ENOUGH of the Sprinkles Vellum!), Crate Paper, a spattering of mist, fabric Thickers (inked up!) and some random bits of flair, twine and wood veneers from da stash.

linking up to the Chip Off The Old Block issue that kicked off yesterday, and hope you'll join us!  there's a $20 gift certificate up for grabs to the Paper Issues shop, and let me just say it's going to be EASY to spend with all the new stuff getting loaded up on the site!  not to mention, your $20 goes even further with this!

 

you're just a Chip Off The Old Block!

hey chickens!  it's Monday, it's 8 am, it's time for a brand new issue at Paper Issues!  

our theme for this go-round is "A Chip off The Old Block"...  

so we're playing with chipboard, anything to do with boards (surfboards, on board a ship, skateboards, etc.), being bored (or things to keep from being bored), blocks (colour blocking, building blocks, around the block...), chips (the potato or poker kind, or maybe veggie chips or wood chips?)...  family traits, or just go ahead and use the July, August or Chip Off The Old Block free printables from the Paper Issues shop! 

i made the first in a series of paper blocks to decorate my cubicle at work, and i used papers and stickers from the October Afternoon "Summertime" collection, along with some chipboard pieces from older October Afternoon, new Dear Lizzy, Simple Stories, and much older BasicGrey and Echo Park. added some enamel bits and fussy-cut some other bits, adhered them all, and voila!  mood blocks!

i have a pretty roomy cube at work, so i can place these strategically and choose which sides show based on my mood on any given day.  or as messages to passers-by.  i just love adding my personal, crafty little twist to the otherwise-boring decor in there.  

do you decorate your workspace?  i'd love to see what you have in your work area (home office doesn't count - you're not nearly as restricted with fixtures and colours there!)...  

CLICK HERE to see what the rest of the Creative Team have done with this new theme...  there are some seriously fun packs of chipboard frames in the shop right now, so maybe those will help inspire you?   (not like the CT's projects won't wow you enough!)

you're going to want to bust out your chipboard and whatever else might work for this theme, download your free printables (CLICK HERE to see them all!), and get in on the action by linking up on the blog by August 2 and you might be the winner of a $20 gift certificate from Paper Issues!  because have you shopped lately?  er. mah. gerd.  LOADS of new stuff coming into the shop nearly every day.  and THIS will  save you 20% off all of it, ANYTIME.  use code ORANGE whenever you shop - ENJOY!

the Paper Issues girls are here to Pinspire!

hey chickens!

it's Monday and i'm totally excited to bring you my very first Pinspire Me Monday post at the Paper Issues blog!  there's a whole new mood board for the month of July, and i had a TON of fun putting the images and color swatch together to get your mojo flowin'!

here's the fun mood board:

i was loving the yellow window and that fabulous distressed woodgrain, with some pops of colour from the other images...  here's the card i made to celebrate:

most of the elements on this card are from the Pink Paislee Pen Pals line - it's a little older, but it's SO much fun and there's still a handful of it left in the Paper Issues shop!  CLICK HERE to see for yourself, and hey, you may want to take advantage of a HUGE sale going on right now while the shop is getting ready for lots of new arrivals!  

code GIMME50 gets you 50% off EVERYTHING right now! lots of stuff has
already sold out, but you can take advantage of the sale until tomorrow - HURRY!

i scraplifted, because seriously. LOOK at this sketch!

hey hey, chickens!

are you a member of the Paper Issues {Friends & Fans} Facebook community?
there's, like, a TON of inspiration and we're bringing challenges and free files and fun left and right.

we have a new sketch for you, created with inspiration from the talented Steph Buice, and intended to drum up some mojo for everyone!  because seriously, how can you NOT be inspired by this one?

 

i LOVE the diamond shape, and i love the bits and pieces, and i couldn't wait to jump on this one!

here's my page, with the diamond slightly off-center and my own twist on the sketch:

so, the story with this one...  me and my girl Janice.  photo taken in a club in Buffalo when we didn't have phones with flip screens so you could see what you were shooting.  you pretty much turned a camera around and clicked, hoping something would turn out.  :)  yeah...  not so much in our case!

i used mostly I Am from Simple Stories, plus some ephemera from Crate Paper and Fancy Pants - there happens to be a TON of all of these in the Paper Issues shop right now, with awesome new arrivals from Simple Stories!

zoom to silliness:

LOVE this sketch.  care to join in?  CLICK HERE and play! 
oh, and HOLY WOW, there's a ton of new stuff in the Paper Issues shop.  grab it using this:

it's a Swag Baggalicious Sunday at Paper Issues!

hey hey!  what's shakin', chickens?

it's Swag Bag Sunday at Paper Issues, and i have a page to share using some happy little bits and pieces, mostly from the May Swag Bag but with a few others thrown in for good measure.  i swear, when i think i'm getting close to using up the whole bag, the stuff MULTIPLIES in there!

here's my page:

the pink burlap is from my stash, and i had some extra enamel dots to match the ones that came in my Swag Bag, and the alphas are Doodlebug and some older Thickers...  and for those of you who bought those Pixie Sticks from Doodlebug but didn't have a clue what to do with them, trust me, you're not alone!  i HAD to grab them and this is the very first time i've used them on anything.  :)

i used the silver foil sentiment stickers from the 7 Paper "Baxter" line from Studio Calico...  i don't have a dog, but i love the term "Fetch" to describe something nifty.

the little punched vellum is from THIS gorgeous paper from Doodlebug.  i am hording it, and stretching it, and only using it sparingly.  one little hexie was enough for this page.

 zoom!

CLICK HERE to see what the rest of the Paper Issues Creative Team did to rock their Swag Bags...  and if you haven't gotten in on this madness, CLICK HERE to check the Swag Bags out for yourself!  a 6-month subscription guarantees you'll never miss out!  and remember, code ORANGE always gets you 20% off everything in the Paper Issues shop!

"Mist-er Fix-it" at Paper Issues - sponsored by Fancy Pants!

hi gang!  there's a new issue in town!

at Paper Issues today, we have a ton of fab inspiration for you and an awesome prize from our awesome sponsor. 

our theme is "Mist-er Fix-it", and we encourage masculine pages, anything using tools (crafty, or around-the-house, or whatev!), mists, water, summer, father's day, incorporate our June printables or any Fancy Pants Designs products, or some other fun interpretation of our theme for your projects.  remember, your creations don't have to be NEW, but we need to see your inspiration, and you need to link back to the Paper Issues blog (be sure to edit your old posts to qualify!).  wanna see what you can win?  ALL OF THIS!  :)

i had the pleasure of working with the new Making Waves collection for my project, but on the 12x12 scale...  here's what i created - a summery, masculine-inspired page (not my usual colour scheme!):

i added in some gold bits from the Fancy Pants Flutter collection and the "almost" alphas and dymo are from my stash, but errthang else is from Making Waves!  i am ESPECIALLY digging the shipping tags and i've got a card in the works using this fun collection.

CLICK HERE to see what the rest of the Creative Team did to inspire you to play along with this issue!  be sure to like Fancy Pants Designs on Facebook, and a huge thanks to them for sponsoring!

Making Waves and the new Summer Sun collections will be in the Paper Issues shop soon - be sure to grab it up fast and use code ORANGE for a 20% discount off everything in your cart! 

CROP with the Odd Girls! lots of prizes, new recipe challenge!

WOOT!  it's CROP WEEK in the Some Odd Girl Facebook community, and if you haven't already dropped by to see what we're up to, you're missing out! 

this week, we Odd Girls are hosting a challenge each day, Monday - Friday, and there are five $20 gift certificates to the Some Odd Girl shop up for grabs!  BUT THERE'S MORE!  there will be one GRAND PRIZE winner of a $50 gift certificate!

wanna know how to win?  CLICK HERE and play along with any of our challenges this week - each entry in the challenge gets you a shot at that $20 gift certificate, PLUS one entry into the grand prize draw. 

for my challenge today, i've got a RECIPE for you.  it's an easy one! here are your ingredients:

1 - incorporate a GRID into your project somehow
2 - use a technique.  anything that ALTERS any other thing (besides, like, stamping and coloring)
3 - mix up your fonts!  combine 2 or more fonts to create a sentiment

and don't forget to use Some Odd Girl stamps!  that's it.  you can create a card, a scrapbook page, an altered item, a tag, an art journal page, a piece of home decor, whatever! 

here's my card featuring the UH-DOOR-UH-BULL Pixie Dust clear stamp set, plus the frame from Garden Gwen, and clear sentiments from Wink Mae, In Stitches Tia and Walk the Dog Piper: 

my grid and my technique are combined - i embossed 7/8" squares all around the front of my card, punched 3/4" squares and adhered them into random squares.  embossing is my technique - told you it was an easy one!  and here's a hint - MANY of the Some Odd Girl sentiments combine different fonts for a dash of whimsy, so that one should be easy, too!

Pixie Dust is coloured up with my Spectrum Noir markers, and the sentiment and frame are stamped on clear acetate (because these would never stamp nicely on the embossed lines of my card!).  here's a zoom!

and that's how it's done!  so you want to play along, right?

CLICK HERE and go to the community.  enter your NEW creation (made especially for our challenge), upload it to the appropriate album (not just on the wall), and feel free to combine with outside challenges, but not with other crop challenges this week.  everything closes at midnight on June 7th, with the winners being announced in the Facebook group and in our email newsletter (CLICK HERE to subscribe so you don't miss all the dirt!) on June 8th.

OH, and because i'm a total enabler, you might want to know that all of the stamp sets i used except Walk the Dog Piper are in the RETIREMENT category right now, with limited quantities and DEEP discounts!  

see you on Facebook, and happy croppin'!