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...

"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! 

Paper Issues has Halloween Witches with SRM Stickers!

it's time for a brand new ISSUE on the Paper Issues blog!  we are sponsored this time around by the lovely and TOTALLY versatile SRM Stickers (seriously, they have something for EVERYTHING)...  but they don't JUST do stickers!  oh no, there's more!

first, lemme tell you about the issue.  our theme - "Witchin' You a Happy Halloween!" - with a TON of things you can do with it!  share your projects featuring:  Halloween events or characters, costumes, creepy things, dark Halloweeny colours, Halloweeny embellishments, spiders, bugs, creepy or haunted buildings, ghosts, scary movies, HAPPY things (literally anything that relates to happiness, since the word "Happy" is in our title!), all about YOU pages, SRM products (stickers, borders, doilies, bags, etc.)...  

i used a slew of cute SRM Halloween Stickers and included two of their pillow boxes and a bag (the corrugated pillow box is repurposed from my stash) and i created some little borders and tags from the stickers.  here's my Halloweeny ensemble!

you might spy a little Doodlepop on there, some Limba white woodgrain vellum (on the little batty box), as well as a piece of Toni From Designs flair! 

this kind of project is a little outside of my usual comfort zone but i can't wait to give these to the next-door neighbour kids on Friday! 

CLICK HERE to see what else the Creative Team did with these awesome SRM products, and join our link party for your chance to win an awesome gift pack from SRM Stickers!   you have until November 9th to play along, and remember, even though Halloween is Friday, the theme is WIDE OPEN for you to interpret and link up new or old projects!  (just remember to link back to the Paper Issues blog to be eligible for the prize!)

and THIS, folks, is yours forever! 

grab the newest crafty goodies before they're gone (like the new stuff from Gossamer Blue, Amy Tangerine and We R Memory Keepers), and subscribe to the awesome Swag Bag and be one of the cool kids!  :D

new Link Party at Paper Issues, sponsored by Jillibean Soup!

hey there, crafty friends!  today kicks off a branch new Link Party at Paper Issues, and we are sponsored by the ever-fab Jillibean Soup!  our theme?  those of you old enough to know it will have it stuck in your heads for days...

"Tell me dies, tell me sweet little dies!"

yep, i know!  enjoy that!  :)

i had the pleasure of working with some awesome pieces from their Spicy Social Soup and Sightseeing Stew collections, and it all came together for a fun little pairing.  here's what i made; all i added were an image, a paper clip and little enamel arrows (plus some mist on the die-cut).  otherwise it's ALL Jillibean Soup (and i'm loving these lines!)...

SO!  a pillow box with little improvised taglets using the papers with which i was working:

and my girlie, Strolling Mae, who is pretty much me:

now if YOU want to get in on this action and win an awesome prize pack from Jillibean Soup, you'll want to CLICK HERE.  then you'll want to link up old or new projects that fit the theme "Tell me dies, tell me sweet little dies" - and really, who doesn't have a die-cut shape?  use a pre-cut shape or die-cut your own...  or use a song title (like the Fleetwood Mac one that's repeating in your brain right now), or incorporate something that's dyed (hair? t-shirts?), or stretch it a little further and go for William Tell with the whole apple thing or archery - really, it goes on and on!  just be sure to link back to the Paper Issues blog in your post and you could be our lucky winner!

go like Jillibean Soup on Facebook and tell them the Paper Issues gals sent you!  

and shop in the Paper Issues store for some cute Jillibean Soup stuff HERE!

use my code ORANGE and take 20% off these and everything else in the shop, ALWAYS! 

playing with TAPES from Hazel and Ruby at Paper Issues!

hey there, friends!  brand new issue up NOW at Paper Issues, and this one's sponsored by the fab Hazel and Ruby...  we got to play with a bazillion different washis in different widths, some with scalloped edges, all quite lovely.

WELL!  Hazel and Ruby are also generously giving away a fun goodie bag of some of their products, and if you haven't played with their extra wide washi yet, JUST YOU WAIT!

our theme?  "MIX TAPE", which i think is just a TON of fun...  mix up your tapes, do a music-themed project, show us a fun mix of themes, mix up some ingredients for a favourite recipe, whatever!  there are TONS of ways to interpret this!

i wanted to mix up my tapes, so i made a page with 'em...

taaaaaaapes.  wide rolls?  scalloped?  yes, please!  i used 4 different tapes on this page, added some "animal" dots (hi, Lenny!) and stars, some floss, a couple of Pinkfresh Studio shapes and some doodly little speech bubbles - that's IT!

zoom!

i'd never stitched on a page before, so i had a little fun with a stencil and glitzed it up just a smidge.  i love how the tapes replace patterned papers here and all i had to do was add my embellishments! 

wanna link up?  CLICK HERE to check out the rest of the Paper Issues Creative Team's projects using these fun Hazel and Ruby tapes, and you could win a bunch of them for yourself!

just be sure to link back to the Paper Issues blog to be eligible - you can link up new AND old projects!  annnnnd, i'm pleased to say that there are some AWESOME new Heidi Swapp Mixed Media goodies in the shop, so if you're hankerin' for some new crafties, CLICK HERE to check out all the newest arrivals, and use this for a sweet, sweet deal!

Guest designing at the SRM Stickers Challenge!

hey there chickens!  

i'm totally excited to be joining the team as a guest designer for the SRM Challenge!  thanks for having me, SRM!  :)

the theme....   SUMMER!  yep, an easy one!  create a summery project and be sure to follow a few simple rules:   
1 - use ONLY SRM Stickers and Products (they can also be used in combination with your own stamps, papers, die cuts, etc.) 
2 - comment on the links before and after you when you submit your project!
3 - participating in other challenges is absolutely acceptable!
4 - be appropriate and respectful with commenting, and even with your project.
5 - annnnd, that thing we should ALL do ('cuz hey, it's FRIDAY, so why wouldn't we?!) - HAVE FUN!

SO!  it's no secret that SRM makes AWESOME stickers, and one of my faves is this Happy Birthday sentiment sheet...  SO many fun combinations, and the sentiment on my card is a hybrid of chopped up words from different complete sentiments on the sheet.  it was FUN!  and just because i used birthday stickers didn't mean i am limited to making only birthday cards with them!  behold:

the Beach Mae clear stamp set from Some Odd Girl was perfect for the summer challenge, and you really can't go wrong with a seagull/albatross wearing shades.  add in some crepe paper borders (Little Yellow Bicycle), some patterned papers from Amy Tangerine, Pink Paislee and LYB doctored up with colored pencils, a wood veneer from Chic Tags (backed with papers), a white gel pen, a couple of pop dots and sequins, and voila! 

zoom!

And that's gonna do it!  There's a fab SRM prize pack up for grabs, and you'll be in awesome company.  ;)  CLICK HERE to see what the brilliant and talented designers have done, and be sure to show them some love!

you have until Wednesday, July 2nd to play along, so let's get rollin' for an awesome theme!  how do YOU think of summer?  barbecues?  picnics?  swimming? graduation?  weddings?  the beach?  fruit?  whatever the case may be, have a great weekend, and good luck!

Paper Issues - new issue sponsored by Ruby Rock-it!

there's a new issue at Paper Issues and you are invited to join us!  our fab sponsor for this go-round is the radical Ruby Rock-it!  (i'm showing Ruby Rock-it lotsa lurve this week!)  our theme?  "The World is a Circle", which seriously can go just about anywhere!  places, circle elements (die-cuts, buttons, brads, gems, etc.), travel, your circle of friends, your family circle, any Ruby Rock-it products, etc...

i played with some of the soft and subtle East Coast line from their Essentials collection, and i added my bold pops of colour because that's what i do!  who says soft and pastelly has to stay that way?!

with the exception of the die-cuts and mist from Heidi Swapp, the grey and black alphas and the black pearl bling, everything you see is from Ruby Rock-it (i did add in some paper from their Color Fusion line from my stash), even those little teensy-weensy white alphas (which i LOVE!)...

zoom of me and mah bestie:

(the "ess" word started out as "blessed" but, well, this totally fit so i couldn't resist!)  get a little closer!

that journaling card - the most fav ever?  yeah, i love that (but i'd totally add an E to make it FAVE)

so that's us, CHA Vegas 2013. 

got some ideas to play along with this issue?  join the Link Party by CLICKING HERE!  you can share old or new projects, as long as they fit the theme.  and if you remember to link back to Paper Issues in your post, you're eligible to win this:

this whole fab collection (excluding the album) could be yours!  it's the lovely Essentials East Coast collection, which was the basis for my whole page, and it's so versatile!  i love the season cards!  

click here to see what the rest of the Paper Issues Creative Team did to show off this line, and be sure to link up to win!  you've got two full weeks to join us!

we're PITCH PERFECT with Lawn Fawn at Paper Issues!

new link party at Paper Issues!

the theme for this link party at Paper Issues is "Pitch Perfect"...  there's SO much fun to be had with this theme!  music, chorus, camping (pitching tents!), baseball, what you consider perfection, a perfect day, a sales pitch/commercial, quotes from the movie, throwing something, pitching a FIT/tantrum, etc...  LOADS of room for interpretation!

we are sponsored by the fabulous Lawn Fawn, so we Paper Issues girls had some fun working with one of their new stamp sets, "Stay Tuned", which happens to be the prize that's up for grabs, too!  so you can also link up any project using Lawn Fawn products!

so...  my hubbin and i have a band (although we've been on hiatus for a while), and i jumped at the chance to do a music layout using a particularly hipster-looking photo that i took in Seattle last spring.  here's my page:

and there is a TON of Paper Issues product on there.  a TON.  my papers, the vellum, the little chevrons, the hipboard (chipboard), the little title and all kinds of awesomeness from various Swag Bags. 

zoom!

stars!  i totally have a thing for stars.  and i can't get enough of the Doodlebug Sprinkles Vellum.

one more zoom!  this is how our music has been described - consider this our "genre"...

be sure to "like" our awesome sponsor on Facebook by CLICKING HERE, and drop by their blog for loads of inspiration...  oh, and FYI, they have a really fun YouTube channel and are always sharing fun, new ideas, so check it out!  here's the stamp set!

link on up and get in on the action!  and ohhhh, if you're feeling inclined to do a bit of shoppin', you might find some new things in the Paper Issues store, like this:

the new Webster's Pages stuff is HOT, people!  those little lightbulbs are killin' me!  :)  jump on it before it's gone, and don't forget the discount!

Paper Issues and Creative Scrappers teaming up!

so yep, there's a FABULOUS flippin' sketch challenge at Creative Scrappers, and they invited the Paper Issues gang to play along!  there is even a $30 gift certificate to the Paper Issues store up for grabs, for one lucky crafter who joins us!

the sketch is SO. MUCH. FUN. and while they are generally a bunch of scrapbooking goddesses over there, i decided to apply the sketch to a CARD, as i am wont to do.  :)

here's the sketch:

and remember, you can interpret however you'd like...  the triangles don't have to be triangles.  the square doesn't have to be a square.  the arrows don't have to be arrows, and the title doesn't necessarily have to go there.  in fact, the Paper Issues girls had LOADS of cool ideas and translated them into unbelievably gorgeous projects.

i, however, didn't have much room on a little card front to do much except for a pretty direct translation.  here we go!

the papers are from the yummy new Prima "It's All About Me" line, some of which you can still grab by clicking HERE!  :)

the background panel is Heidi Swap paper, misted with some Blush and Seafoam Color Shine, with a BasicGrey Mint Julep chip (framed by more of the Prima paper), and arrows from Studio Calico.  oh, and some twine and my sharpie sealed the deal.  :)

you can grab most of this stuff from the Paper Issues shop, and don't forget to use this!

link up to the Creative Scrappers post by the 24th, and watch their blog all week to see inspiration from the Paper Issues girls!  :)

how to win some Heidi Swapp Color Shine

simple.

link up to our Halloween Party at Paper Issues, 'cuz that's our current issue!  the Paper Issues girls DO have Halloween Issues!  :)  some might say we've gotten carried away.  ;)  personally, i love it, and hey, if by getting carried away with us, that means you might win something FAB, then so be it. 

so bring it on!  i'm not sharing a Halloween project right now, but showing you the a sampling of the GORGEOUSNESS of the prize you can win:

the burlap was frayed and messed up and sprayed first with the Navy Color Shine, then i laid my bottom panel down in the pool of blue that was on my craft mat.  next, i masked the letters and sprayed White Color Shine on top for contrast and to mute out the background but keep that fabulous blue shimmer.  i traced the letters with a white gel pen, and the snowflakes were sprayed with the Citron Color Shine for pop.  :)

check out the SHIMMMMMMMAH:

i love the marbled vein throughout!  of course, trying to capture the shimmer in a photograph is challenging, but ERMAHGERD, this stuff is HOT.  you NEED it.  you WANT TO WIN IT!

link up HERE and this whole set could be yours!

and if you just want to grab them for yourself, plus any other goodies available at the Paper Issues store, i've got a sweet deal for you!

come and link up your HALLOWEEN projects at Paper Issues!

there's still time - we're having SO much fun at our Halloween Linky Party that we've decided to extend it another week!  you TOTALLY want to jump on this one - there's a most delicious treat (not a trick, i promise) to be won!

this is a page from my early crafty days - i still don't know HOW to make a proper scrapbook page, and i just do my own darned thing, but i couldn't help but link this one up:

my super awesome friend Dee always showed up at the Cont in full makeup - she rocked the spider eyes and i loved that she did her own thing.  i think that's why i loved the ess out of her.  i didn't quite do the gothy/industrial thing either:

white cardigans, red lipstick and birthday cake hats.  not exactly the picture of goth, right?  (that reminds me, it's HAT SEASON!)

well there you have it.  you can win THIS:

and trust me, the stuff is OSS.  i'm a little obsessed with the green (Citron).  get it HERE at the Paper Issues shop, and once you've filled up your cart, do this:

happy linking, happy shopping, and happy HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEN!