:: 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!

:: the scarved crusader ::

It's Halloween Round up time on the Paper Issues blog! I played along with the October Swag Bag and a few items from Simple Stories Happy Haunting.

Exclusive flair in the October Swag Bag!

One thing I love about Swag Bags -- the potential for lots of layers.

Check out what the other girls did for the Halloween Round Up here!

And get a Swag Bag, or another other paper needs at the Paper Issues Store! Use the code 'orangegearle' for 20% off your order!

..:: crazy sock day ::..

It's time again to get out the mixed media materials for Mix It Up Monday over on the Paper Issues Blog!  The challenge this month: use stencils. If you are someone that has never used stencils before, just use them! If stencils are something that you do use, try using them in a different way. A few examples might be: use a stencil you make from a cut file, use mist, use acrylic paint, use water colors, use stamping ink, use texture paste, use the negative of the stencil, use the stencil as a stamp, etc.  Here's my take on the challenge:

I used stencils and ink pads for this layout! Here are a few close ups:

And finally I did create a short video of the technique I used, if that suits your fancy.

I hope you play along with us this month! Grab those stencils and get busy!