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!

spotlight on BasicGrey's "Second City" line at Paper Issues

morning, chickens!  how was your weekend?

i had some fun checking out our town-wide yard sale, some drinks with the hubbin, volunteering at a cat adopt-a-thon, and some seriously late-night crafting, which i hadn't done in a LONG time!

well today, i'm sharing the fruits of my labour on Saturday night...  i grabbed a slew of the new Kelly Purkey line, "Second City", from BasicGrey and it came in one of my most recent Paper Issues orders.  WELL!  there are some gorgeous, bold patterns, and for someone who is generally TERRIFIED of purple, i'm kinda loving it in this collection! 

i'm up on the Paper Issues blog today, along with my super-talented teamie, Jen Chapin, and we're showing you how it's done, Second City style...

here's what i made into the wee hours, using one of my fave Origrami prints, the Limba White Woodgrain cardstock (my absolutely fave white!), and various items from the Second City collection (plus a couple of Highline items and VERY old brads and alphas from BasicGrey mixed in)...

i wasn't planning to go all bright and colourful with the photo - it just happened!  but i loved how it turned out!  the transparencies are my favourites from this line (that little HOUSE!):

and page flags!

i have two cards up on the blog, too, but you'll have to go there to check them out!  besides, you won't want to miss the fabulosity of Jen's pocket pages using this line!  CLICK HERE, check it out, and to see all the fun Second City (and Highline!) goodies, CLICK HERE...  if any of it happens to fall into your shopping cart, i've got a code for you!  20% off all of it, anytime.  yep, everything!

Pink Paislee's Pen Pals at Paper Issues!

just 'cuz that was fun to type and hear in my head.  go on, say it out loud! 

so this Pen Pals line from Pink Paislee - i kinda super love it, bought EVERYTHING, and am afraid i'm hoarding already.  i've made a couple of cards but i tucked it all away in a safe place for now.  have you seen it?!  it's lovely!

LOVE.  everything you see here is from the line, with a couple of little bits of Swag Bag (our monthly mixed embellishment sampler) dotted in there.  if you're sending mail anyway, why not send a card that has a cute theme like this? 

here's some of the Pink Paislee that's available in the Paper Issues shop right now:

navy blue is SO hot right now, and this line is full of it!  check out the Paper Issues shop and if you're reading this before July 31st, there's an awesome sale going on!  after July 30th (and ANYTIME YOU LIKE!) use my code ORANGE for 20% off your entire order - of EVERYTHING! (yep, that includes SWAG BAGS!)

a scrappy page, inspired by a Chic Tags sketch

been a LONG time since i did a scrapbook page, chickens.  feeling rather melancholy but inspired, and when i saw the sketch challenge at Chic Tags, the page started to form in my mind.

the photo is from a professional shoot we had before one of our shows back in 2008.  it looks grainy - it's supposed to.  it was for a press release/poster and the retro/vintagey thing worked well for us.  so.  2008 was the end of the beginning; i was performing less and less and he was doing his own thing, and then it went a little wonky and i dropped out entirely.  i've tried since then to get back into it, but i just don't have the same passion as i did.  it was fun while it lasted though, and we had some AWESOME gigs around the tri-state area.  i'll always have fond memories!

so.  the paper is from Heidi Swapp and i threw a stencil down and sprayed some Pinstripe Mister Huey's on there and smudged it around a bit.  punched my circles from the Chic Tags Bookworm paper (from their Happy Place line), worked in some CT Happy Place phrase labels and an Everyday Life II Icon circle, plus a foldy tab that came in one of my CT grab bags.  added that to a hot little woodgrain journal card that came in my Paper Issues Swag Bag (currently sold out, but WATCH FOR ITS TRIUMPHANT RETURN!), added my title and a corner accent, and dropped some sequins from THIS MIX and voila. 

behold, some deets - stencilling, smudging, snips and sequins:

and more - us:

the woodgrainy journal card, decked out with tags, tab, alphas and such:

and those bits, all put together:

i usually do bold, graphic and bright, and this is definitely a step away from that, n'est-ce pas?  but it tells its story, and that's what i was after.  here's the awesome sketch off which my page is based:

and now i'm off to make a card and work on some DT assignments.  how's your weekend, chickens? wanna grab some of the goodies i used on my page?  CLICK HERE to visit the Paper Issues shop and use this for a sweet, sweet deal:

New issue at Paper Issues - we are GRATEFUL FOR YOU!

and hello again!  busy Monday for this little orange girl!  i'm happy to be sharing the brand new issue at Paper Issues, and appropriately, it's all about being grateful.  and YES, we ARE grateful for you!  not only do we get a ton of OSS support at Paper Issues with the participation in our themes every two weeks, but because the store has expanded and gotten more and more fabulous because of amazing customers (like me, and like you!).  keep supporting!  we love you!

and i am GRATEFUL FOR YOU.  see?

that there is Kimono Kaylee, a digi from Some Odd Girl, and she's colored up with my Spectrum Noir markers.  some pretty BasicGrey papers behind her (click here to see what BasicGrey products are available at Paper Issues!), a couple of snips of ribbon, stamped sentiment and stamped/fussycut leaves, and DONE. 

so there.  i'm thankful.  and it's nearly Thanksgiving in the U.S.  give thanks, folks.  don't take anything for granted because you don't know what or who's going to be there tomorrow.

participate in our current issue by CLICKING HERE!  read the rules, follow 'em, and you could win this:

and don't forget to use my code for a 20% savings on your WHOLE order at Paper Issues!

Endless Summer at Paper Issues - $20 to spend at the store!

okay, have you officially said goodbye to summer yet?  the afternoons still warm up around here, but the mornings are dewy and brisk, and in the evenings, i break out the slippers and onesies (yep, i wear those one-piece PJs!).  so while fall is here, there are still traces of summer lingering around the days like pigeons at the park, and we're not QUITE ready to bid adieu at Paper Issues!

this issue is all about summer, and you can do whatever the heck you'd like with it.  CLICK HERE for the current issue, and do the whole like/link thing and you could win a $20 gift certificate to spend at the Paper Issues store.  :)

here's my little tribute to summer - i will be VERY sad, to say the least, when the ice cream place around the corner closes its doors for the season.  so, ya know, kids eating scrummy treats...

and a close-up of Ice Cream Tia and Popsicle Tobie (for maximum freckle effect!):

okay.  so you know what you gotta do, right?  link your project - new or old - and then cross your fingers so you can win THIS:

and you can use this to save money:

I've got Issues... PAPER ISSUES!

yep.

WOO!

and a HOO!

and a WOO FREAKING HOO! 

i'm a Paper Issues girl!  :)  check me out!

i am VERY pleased to announce that i am one of the uber lucky chickens who get to spend the next 6 months chillin' with my Issues.  and we all know i have 'em!  :)  check out the big shout-out on the Paper Issues blog to see the whole team, and prepare yourselves for a FANTABULATIOUS term with these talented crafty folks!  i am still pinching myself!  but it's true!  SEE?!  i even have my own code to share!

yep, this means anytime you place an order through the Paper Issues Etsy store, you can use the code ORANGE to receive 20% off your order (and the divine Cassie will know i sent you - and that she made a good choice in making me a Paper Issues creative team member!).

and since a new Issue kicked off yesterday, you should CLICK HERE to check out the theme - Serendipity - do the hop, link a project, be inspired!  this one runs through May 4th, so you have plenty of time to contemplate all things related to Chance, Fate, Luck, Destiny, Karma, Coincidence...  if you play along (and check out the post for the rules), you could win one of 5 Serendipity prize packages from Elle's Studio!  (i know, RIGHT?!)

so there you have it.  that's the first installment of many bits of happy news i hope to be sharing over the next week or so.  now, i think i'll go swimming through the Paper Issues shop to see the new yummies in stock.

you might wanna grab one of THESE:
(hurry, there's only one left!)

or maybe one of THESE:

(available for PRE-ORDER - shipping May 1st):

i know, i know.  you're WELCOME.  :)
have a great Monday, chickens!