:: happy fall y'all ::

Good Morning! I'm up on the Paper Issues Blog today with a project for the latest issue Fan-actics!  Around here we are big fans of fall.

Most of my papers are from the Simple Stories Pumpkin Spice collection, which I have just loved working with!  The colors are unbelievably rich and completely fall! I believe that orange paper is from Crate Paper's After Dark Collection, which I will highlight in an upcoming post!

Here are a couple of close ups!

I wrote a quote around the outside of the leaf "Every leaf speaks bliss to me, Fluttering from the autumn tree." - Bronte

Here are a few ideas if you'd like to play along for a chance to win a gift certificate to The Paper Issues Store!

• Tell us what or who you're a fan of, whether it be a sports team (or a particular player), TV show (or a particular actor), an activity, a guilty pleasure, something you collect, a scrapbooking manufacturer, etc.
• Show us your Halloween projects.
• Download the Favorite Time of the Year free printable from the Paper Issues store and use one or more of the cards on your project.

Grab yourself some Pumpkin Spice -- Christmas is in the store, too!  Use the code 'orangegearle' for 20% off your entire purchase!

:: rad friends. addicted gamerz. ::

It's time to get inspired with Sketchy Saturday over on the Paper Issues blog!  Here is the inspiration piece by Lisa Dickinson for Elle's Studio, and the Paper Issues sketch.

And here is my take on the sketch using Simple Stories So Rad collection:

You can play along with us! Share your project using this sketch as inspiration in our Challenge Album located in our Paper Issues {Friends and Fans} group for the chance to win a Paper Issues Gift Card!

Looking for the So Rad collection?  We have it!  Looking for the new Bella?  Amy Tan? Dear Lizzy? We have it.  And oh so much more. Check it all out here, and don't forget to use the code orangegearle for 20% off your order.

:: Frozen : Summer Style ::

Hi!  I'm up on the Paper Issues blog today with a layout using the Summer Vibes collection by Simple Stories.  This collection has completely knocked my socks off!

Does the design look familiar?  I used the Sketchy Saturday Sketch (the same one I used for this card).  Don't worry there is still time to play along and win!

Pretty much everything you see here is from the Summer Vibes collection, with the exception of the big  title alphas.  I used the frames to highlight the photos so they wouldn't be upstaged by the beautiful papers. The triangles are part of the 6x6 paper page, and I used the small letter stickers and the phrase stickers from the collection as well.

Check out the Summer Vibes Product Spotlight over on the blog -- the Design Time has left you some awesome inspiration!

While you are over at the blog, you can click through to the shop and pick up some Simple Stories (there are a couple new SS collections, too) and anything else you might need!  Don't forget to use the code orangegearle for 20% off your entire purchase!

Thanks for stopping by! See you soon!

:: Sketchy Saturday : Summer Vibes ::

It's Sketchy Saturday over on the Paper Issues blog!  This month Stephanie Buice's True Friends Layout for Doodlebug Design caught our eye!

It's it fab?  You can see why the PI ladies just had to lift it!  Here is the sketch created based on the layout.

I used this sketch as inspiration for a card!  (I KNOW!  I can't believe it!  Maybe I'm a card girl after all?)?!

You can see what the rest of the ladies created based on Stephanie's lovely inspiration piece by visiting the Paper Issues Blog.

I am simply loving the Simple Stories Summer Vibe Collection! I made another layout using this collection (and the sketch as inspiration).  I will be sharing that here soon!

Don't forget to use the code orangegearle if you want to grab Simple Stories Summer Vibe collection, or anything else at the Paper Issues Store!.

:: week nine ::

Today the Paper Issues DT are highlighting the I AM collection by Simple Stories.  I am loving this collection and I'm glad I was able to be a part of this product spotlight! I chose to use parts of this collection for my Week 9 project life spread.  It was exactly what I needed to complete this project.

How do you handle documenting difficult stories in your Project Life?  

Week nine was a really difficult week for us, both personally and professionally. 

My One True Love and I work in the same school district, and have worked at various buildings over the years. During this week we lost two long time district employees to murder suicide (they were married).  MOTL and I knew them both fairly well, and it was devastating for everyone involved.  They also left behind this sweet dog; a therapy dog that went to school to be with students every day. Primos is a survivor, so I made him this card.

And here is the left side of this week's two page spread.

This entire side of the layout is dedicated to the story of Sherry, Mitch and Primos. The way I chose to document this story was through hidden journaling. 

The two cards above started out as just plain white card stock (4x6).  I typed my journaling on the inside and then embellished the outside.  That circle stamp is from Ali Edward's Story Stamps.  I used washi from my stash, and the other elements are from the I Am Collection.

 When you pull out the card, you can open it up to see the journaling inside. One of the cards tells the basic story of Mitch and Sherry as we knew them.  The other one is all about Primos and what I did with Primos that day.

In some cases I used I AM patterned paper and just cut it down to size.  Other times I used the cards that come on 12x12 sheet with the collection.  For one of the cards on this side of the layout, I used some of the patterned paper, but cut it so that most of the sentiments worked. Then I took some of the stickers in the collection and put more appropriate sayings right over the less meaningful ones to make this card work.  I like how this collection is really about strength, journeys, beauty and goodness.  These are all great words to help tell Sherry's story, as well as how we have responded to the tragic even in our small community.

I decided to dedicate the whole other side to happy stories, and stories that tell about how thankful I am to have my family, and how life does go on, a new normal arrives at some point.  We still dream, our children grow, and we smile again.  Here is the right side of the two page spread.

This week our nephew turned ten and we had a birthday gathering at My One True Love's parent's house. Our nephew got a dog for his birthday!  What could be better than that?

The above card is one of my favorites because I love the paper clip!!!  :-)  That paper clip actually came from a Swag Bag at Paper Issues!

Here is a look at how the two page spread came together.

The I AM collection was perfection for this week's stories.  If you'd like to pick up this collection, a Swag Bag or just about anything else you need -- check out the Paper Issues store and use the code orangegearle for 20% off your entire purchase!

:: project life : week 7 ::

Hi friends!  Welcome to week 7.  I'm  almost completely up to date on my sharing for this year!  I had just gotten a package from The Paper Issues Store full of Simple Stories Life Documented yumminess.  So I broke it open and got started (and I even caught it all on video, see below) This was Valentine's Day week. I have a two page spread, with an insert of valentines!

:: week 7 left ::

:: week 7 right ::

:: week 7 spread ::

:: week 7 spread with insert ::

I took B.'s valentines from school and cut them up into 2x2 squares -- sometimes showing the kid's writing, sometimes showing a portion of the valentine itself.  I filled this coin protector, front and back.  FUN!

I struggled a bit this week because I didn't have very many photos -- but I like how it turned out and I love that insert.  I grabbed my iPhone and took video as I created the two page spread.  Check it out if you are interested. I hope to do more process videos (PL and otherwise), so subscribe if this is something that interests you!

Since I used flair from {a flair for buttons}(Script Words in Color and Words to Live By 1) I'm linking this up to our latest issue at Paper Issues (last day to link up!), sponsored by {a flair for buttons}.  Nearly all the rest of the supplies I used can be found at Paper Issues here.  Use my code orangegearle for 20% off your entire purchase!

Thanks for stopping by!  See you soon!

:: halloween cards ::

Cards?  Did I say cards??  Yep. Outta my comfort zone for today!

There's a new issue up at Paper Issues this week -- "Witchin' You a Happy Halloween", sponsored by SRM stickers.  One of the things that I love about Paper Issues link parties is that they really are open.  You can get the details for this link up here.  You will see that it doesn't even have to be about witches or Halloween -- so many options!

I'm not a theme-y kinda gearle when it comes to scrapbooking, and I am certainly not a card maker.  But when I saw this awesome collection by Simple Stories called Frankie and Friends, I had to have it all (well, most of it anyway).  I may not be a theme-y gearle, but I do have Paper Issues, yo!

I started by cutting one 12x12 piece of kraft card stock into 4x6 inch strips.  I used these for my base.  Then I grabbed my Halloween Swag Bag (from Paper Issues) and the Frankie and Friends collection and got to work.

The 3x4 cards that come on a 12x12 sheet in the collection are so cute and simply perfect for what I was going for.

I think this one is my favorite:

If you want to grab the Frankie and Friends collection, or anything else, don't forget to use the code 'orangegearle' to get 20% off your entire purchase!

I'm working on Week in the Life this week (my first attempt)!  More on that one coming soon!