:: New Issue Monday at Paper Issues ::

I've said it before, and I will likely say it again -- New Issue Monday's make me giddy. Always. For this current issue the Paper Issues Girls received product from Color Cast Designs to play with. I got to play with the Embellish Me (Neutral) set and here is what I came up with!

When I initially laid out all the product, I did so in a grid.  So I went with it! I love the black, white, grey and wood veneer combo.  I ended up sticking with the black and white -- and I grabbed the Just Add Color collection from Bella Blvd. I did exactly as I was told -- I just added color. :-) I grabbed my watercolors and painted some flowers and a border. When all was said and done, I thought the painted flower paper took a bit too much away from the photos, so I sewed some vellum over the top!

Check out what Jana, Jennifer, Tarrah, Becky and Lisa made and the prize you could win by participating here.

Check out all the new goodies in the Paper Issues Store!  Don't forget to use the code orangegearle for 20% off your entire purchase (also, did you know that if you spend $60, there are no shipping costs??)!

:: 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!.

:: Our Adventure : a mini book ::

Hi! I am up on the Paper Issues Blog today sharing a mini book that I made about our adventures to the Indiana Sand Dunes. For this project I used mostly Crate Paper's Journey Collection.

I repurposed a very small clipboard for this mini by taking off the original clamp and replacing it with a Tim Horton two ring binder piece. I cut my papers and printed my photos in a variety of sizes (mostly the same width but varying lengths) to create a bit of extra texture and interest.

I worked on this project over a period of time.  In order to make it as easy as possible I stuck with one basic collection, pulled items that matched the collection and/or theme from my stash, and then placed everything in a tray (from Target).  This was so helpful. I was able to work on this project just about anywhere because I put everything together and I could just grab the tray and go (to another house, another place within our home, etc).

I simply love all of the gold and transparent pieces in this collection!

Sometimes I chose to print a photo or two (usually a favorite) a bit larger and let it just be a page on it's own (with a few embellishments -- digital and/or traditional).

One of my favorite things about creating mini books is including the ephemera that is part of the story.  An example: I created a few pages with "pockets" in them and included all the ephemera (like the room key, or a receipt).  I did most of my journaling on tags that I was able to place in pockets throughout the book, shorter stories were handwritten on journal cards or labels.

 

I had a blast creating this mini book!

If you would like to purchase the Crate Paper Journey collection, or all the things, click on the links and head over to the Paper Issues store!  Make sure you use the code orangegearle for 20% off your entire purchase!