..:: family commute ::..

It's time for the March Issue over at Paper Issues. This month it's ANYTHING GOES. Check out the blog for details on how you can play along.

Here's my take on the issue:

I went to snap a selfie of myself one morning on my way to work. My intent was to send it to my team to let them know that I would probably spill coffee on my light clothing before I got to school.  But I had a great photo bomber -- so, I had to scrap it! 😂 The journaling talks about how lucky I am that I get to carpool each morning with My One True Love and B. 

I used a combination of Pinkfresh Studio bits and bobs from their latest collections as well as items from Fancy Pants Joy Parade.  I started with green and orange and it became a blast of colorful confetti. 

Hope you play along this month!

..:: seriously, don't grow up ::..

The Quotable Challenge is up at Paper Issues today!  This month I played along. Here is the quote:

And here is my take on the quote: 

As soon as I saw that chipboard phrase in the Dear Lizzy Lovely Day collection, I knew it was perfect for this quote challenge! In fact, I used all Dear Lizzy on this layout! Here are a few close ups.

I did some fussy cutting for this one. I cut out a bunch of the flowers (black line, doodle almost), and water colored some of them. I liked the pop of black and white, but also wanted some color, so I used both! LOL  I layered them on top of each other for a bit of dimension. 

There are a ton of cute little puffy stickers in this collection. I used a bunch, and some enamel dots, too.

All the gold in this photo meant I needed to add a bunch of gold thread throughout the layout. 💟

Hope you enjoyed this one -- I loved making it!  I hope you play along with us -- details here.  Grab some Dear Lizzy or anything you need from the Paper Issues Store and use the code 'orange gearle' for 20% off your order. 

..:: time to stand up ::..

It's a Product Spotlight over on the Paper Issues blog today -- and I played along!  I am totally digging this Dream On collection. Each time I name this collection I sing it, do you? Gotta love me some Aerosmith.

I thought this card was perfect for the theme of this one.....I built the rest of the layout around this card and the photo. :-)

A little bit of flair from {a flair for buttons}

I just loved everything about this collection, right down to the alphas. :-)  Play along. Grab some Pinkfresh Studio yummies from the Paper Issues Store and use the code 'orangegearle' for 20% off your order.

..:: Where's Waldo? ::..

It's SWAG bag Sunday at Paper Issues and I played along this month! I absolutely love these delicious little bags of joy!

This is a photo that was taken by a colleague that I work with. It's a photo of my daughter, on pajama day, taking her winter reading assessment.  My friend appreciates the uniqueness of our daughter -- including how she sits. She snapped the photo and sent it to me. When I sent it to My One True Love, his response was "Where's Waldo?" and a title was born.

This SWAG baby was pretty valentine-y, but I was easily able to make it work for a non-Valentine layout. I do love this tiny flair, and the zillion little hearts that came in the bag this month!

The entire journaling reads: It was pajama day and testing day at school. This is how she sits when she's eating breakfast. Apparently it's also how she tests.

Lots of fun little layers in this one. 

I made a process video if it suits your fancy!

Do you get a SWAG bag each month? If not, you should totally try them out. They are great for cards, layouts, and pocket page spreads.  You can sign up for a subscription (that can be canceled at any time -- but you get first dibs each month), or you can buy them each month when they come out. So. Much. Fun.  

Grab what you need at the Paper Issues Store, and use the code 'orangegearle' for 20% off your purchase!

.:: love without looking back and always choose crazy ::..

I'm up on the Paper Issues Blog with another Mix It Up Monday Challenge! This month we are using embossing powder on our projects!  I used this free cut file from the Paper Issues Store.

I used the Dear Lizzy Lovely Day collection for my papers and embellishments. 

Thanks for stopping by!

:: lucky us ::

It's another Pinspire Me mood board over on the Paper Issues blog today and I played along!  Here is the inspiration:

And here's my take on it! I made a cut file on using the Silhouette software to mimic the black harts in the bottom row. Then I used the cut as a stencil. I used a blending tool and Hero Arts ombre inks to make the rainbow hearts. 

A few close ups...

I used a some papers and embellishments from the Pink Paislee Moonstruck collection.

And this lovely flair from {a flair for buttons}!

All of these little sayings are from a 12x12 piece in the collection that has 2x2 squares on it. Most of those squares have phrases on them -- I just cute out the phrases and placed them on hearts that are around the same color. 

Stop over to the blog and check out the other inspiration from the Design Team -- and I'd love to see what you make.  Add your photos to the album in the Paper Issues Friends and Fans Facebook Group!

..:: sweet hugs ::..

The Paper Issues Blog is full of projects using Fancy Pants' Sweet Nothings collection today!  And I got to play along!

I wanted to get as many yummy papers from this collection included on the layout, so I grabbed a free cut file from the Paper Issues Store (there are a bunch that can be found here) and back the file with papers from the collection. I also used the heart puffy stickers and some washi from the collection.  That arrow flair is from another Fancy Pants collection! :-)

A layout isn't complete with out some splatters and a little mess -- and some stitching -- so I did that of course.  I also added some stamped sequins from the stamp set included with the Sweet Nothings collection.  

Grab some Fancy Pants (or anything else that suits your fancy) from the Paper Issues Store and use the code orangegearle for 20% off your purchase!

Thanks for stopping by!

..:: the amazing beatrice ::..

It's one of my favorite Mondays -- New Issue Monday on the Paper Issues Blog! I played along this month with this layout using some old (er) Amy Tangerine, some alphas that I hadn't touched, and those Doodlebug matte enamel dots that I've been hoarding forever!

Here are a couple of close ups:

I hope you play along with us this month! Get all the details here!

Remember, you can always get 20% off your order from the Paper Issues Store, by using the code 'orangegearle' at check out!

:: top 16 of 2016 ::

Wow!  Happy New Year's Eve! We are sharing our Top 16 of 2016 over on the Paper Issues Blog! Check it out here! It's fun to see them all in a collage like this!  

Here we go 2017! 

..:: birthday selfies ::..

It's Mix It Up Monday on the Paper Issues Blog and here's my take on the challenge this month!

This photo was taken on my birthday while we were out to eat celebrating together as a family. B. is always ready for the camera!

I used lots of bits and pieces from several collections this month -- it alls started with Simple Stories New Year's collection which I did use a bit of, but mostly the colors grabbed me!  So, I got the black and white started and then I grabbed the colors that I wanted to pop off the page from multiple lines. 

Check out the other inspiration from our Design Team here, and make sure you play along!

..:: the boys ::..

I played along with Sketchy Saturday over on the Paper Issues blog! These photos were taken when my oldest grandson met his new baby brother! Yay!

I used Crate Paper's Cool Kid collection (I've used this several times for layouts of this little many -- and now I have two little men)! 

This is a great sketch! Check it out and play along! All the details can be found here!

..:: oh so loved ::..

It's Take Five Tuesday on the Paper Issues Blog! I played along this month with this layout I made using mostly the Gather collection by Maggie Holmes for Crate Paper.

The challenge asks you to pick five things from a list of twenty and use them on a project. You can check out the list at the link above. I chose: 

1. blue 2. white 10. mist, ink, paint 12. alpha letters 13. stickers 15. fussy cutting (I fussy cut those rectangles from patterned paper)

Play along with us! Check out all the details here!

..:: winter wonderland ::..

There's a product spotlight going on over on the Paper Issues Blog! I happen to love these and this time I was able to play along. Anytime I can use Crate Paper, I pretty much do! This spotlight is using Crate Paper's Snow & Cocoa collection. I've made two or three layouts with this collection already, and I think I'm going to use it for most of my December Documentation. I simply love it! 

I made a cutfile for this one (the trees) and it is free to you here. Here are a few close ups:

Check out what the other girls made by visiting the blog. Still need to get some Snow & Cocoa? Grab some in the Paper Issues Store and use the code 'orangegearle' for 20% off your purchase!

..:: play more ::..

It's Swag Bag Sunday over at Paper Issues! You may have seen my Swag Bag opening on Facebook (it was my first live FB video).  As soon as I finished the video, I found a photo (taken just that day) and made a layout! It was that inspirational!  Here's the layout:

Nearly everything you see here comes from the Swag Bag! I even used the glassine bag that it came in as part of my layers behind the photo and card. I added the orange background paper and a couple chipboard elements and flair. Most of that came from Cocoa Vanilla Studio's Love Always collection. 

Grab a Swag Bag (or sub) here and tell 'em Orange Gearle sent you (by using the code 'orangegearle' for 20% off your purchase)!

..:: love this ::..

It's Mix It Up Monday: November Edition on the Paper Issues Blog today!  This month I challenge you to use some inks and/or stamps. Here's my take on the challenge:

I made a background paper (see all that yellow?) using a yellow ink pad, some water, and the packaging technique.  Next I stamped numbers all over it! It's a perfect match with Cocoa Vanilla's Make a Wish collection and for this layout about Bea's seventh birthday.  Here's a close up of the layer that I made.

Grab some Cocoa Vanilla, or any of your paper needs in the Paper Issues Store today. Don't forget to use the code 'orangegearle' for 20% off your purchase!

:: snow shenanigans ::

It's a new issue over at Paper Issues and I got to play along this month!  The theme is Going Cold Turkey in Snowvember. I love it! I chose to go with the snow idea, and used the new collection from Crate Paper called Snow and Cocoa.

The photos are from January. It was such a fun day, and Bea enjoyed exploring the new neighborhood and play in the snow. She also got a little silly. She found these giant snow balls in the play yard of the school across the street.  These photos were perfect for this collection!

Thread and layers for the win. ;-)

Lots of water colors in the background, and I love all the gold pops throughout this collection.

I used the wood veneers in the collection, but I wanted some gold -- so I embossed half of each letter. Then I added 'shenanigans' using a cut file that I created, backing each letter with patterned papers. 

I loved working with this collection! I would love if you would play along with us -- details on how to do that are here.

Grab some Crate Paper or anything else you need at The Paper Issues Store and use the code 'orangegearle' for 20% off your purchase!