..:: this is fall ::..

 Hi Friends! I am up on the Paper Issues blog today with this week's Scraplift Sunday!  I had so much fun making this one. Here is a look at my layout:

And here is the inspiration piece by Lacy:

As you can see, I took this super fun summer layout, and fall-ed it up! I stuck with the same basic design with just a few changes. Here are a few close ups.

I stitched around the squares, similar to the inspiration piece, but I made it messy, because that's more my style! I also added like tangled thread behind each letter.

I am using the Cocoa Vanilla Studio Daydream collection (you can still get some of it here) and some Distress Oxides (also available here). This is a look at the specific inks that I used:

I did a fun technique!  First I applied gesso to the page and then I "stamped" the ink pad right onto the page. It created an imperfect square. Then I used some water and a brush to soften the edges of the squares and blend the inks. So. Fun!

You can find this and all of our current challenges in the August Challenges album in our Facebook Group. You have plenty of time to participate. Play along until September 6, for a chance to win a gift card to the Paper Issues Store. Shop the store using the code OrangeGearle for 20% off your purchase.

Thanks for stopping by and I will see you again soon! XO o.g.

..:: placement day ::..

 Hi Friends! I am up on the Paper Issues blog today with a layout for the Head of the Class challenge! I chose to tell this story about my daughter receiving her placement and teacher name in a new building for the 2020-2021 school year. Usually the students find out on the last day of school, but this year was different because of the school building closure. Here is a look at how I documented this important story.

We knew that placements would come in the mail, and thought it might be this day, so we went to the mailbox together. I took a couple of photos of her excitement. To be honest when I printed them out the first time, I accidentally printed them in black and white.  So I reprinted them in color and I ended up liking the four photos together! Happy accidents are the best kind!  Here are a few close up shots of the layout.

I used items from the Strawberry shake collection by Studio Tekturek. I love all of the bright colors! I added some stitching with my sewing machine and some Nuvo Drops in pink!

You can find this and all of our current challenges in the September Challenges album in our Facebook Group. You have plenty of time to participate. Play along until October 4, for a chance to win a gift card to the Paper Issues Store. Shop the store using the code OrangeGearle for 20% off your purchase.

Thanks for stopping by, see you again soon! XO o.g.

..:: love this lagoon life ::..

Hi Friends! I am up on the Paper Issues blog with a Keep It Sketchy layout for you! Here is a look at my mixed media fun!

And here is a look at the sketch that I used for inspiration:

As you can see I pulled the fun rainbow of mixed media from this layout, as well as the basic design. To start, I grabbed some white card stock and prepped it with gesso. When the gesso was dry I added seven different distress oxides (see below) straight to the page -- then added water and watched it slide down the page!  

Once the distress oxides were dry I went back in with a blending tool and a heart stencil and added some hearts over the top, using the same colors. I love how this turned out!

I added some heart clusters across the page for more embellishment. I tried not to add too much because there was already a lot going on. I did add some pops of black because that's my jam. Here are a few more close ups.

This was a really fun layout to make. You can find this and all of our current challenges in the August Challenges album in our Facebook Group. You have plenty of time to participate. Play along until September 6, for a chance to win a gift card to the Paper Issues Store. Shop the store using the code OrangeGearle for 20% off your purchase.

Thanks for stopping by and I will see you again soon! XO o.g.

..:: photog ::..

Hi! Orange Gearle here with a layout for the Touchy Feely Challenge over in the Paper Issues {Friends & Fans} Facebook page. For this challenge you are to use a lot of TEXTURE (like texture paste, textured paper, mesh, fabric, ribbon, etc).  I decided to add texture by stitching with my machine, adding pop dots, and lots of tangled thread throughout the page. Here's a look at my take on this challenge:

I used the Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor set that is available in the store, here, to create the stripes of color behind the photo, and then stitched after it was dry. This is what all that stitching looks like up close:

As you can see, I popped all those little bits up off the page and added tangled thread under the photos. All of those little bits are from Amy Tangerine's Picnic in the Park Collection that is also available in the Paper Issues store here. 

Here is the story, and a few close ups:

You can find this and all of our current challenges in the August Challenges album in our Facebook Group. You have plenty of time to participate. Play along until ?????, for a chance to win a gift card to the Paper Issues Store. Shop the store using the code OrangeGearle for 20% off your purchase.

Thanks for stopping by and I will see you again soon! XO o.g.

..:: hello summer ::..

Hi! Orange Gearle here with my first layout for the Pretty Little Studio design team! I am using mostly items from the Chasing the Sun collection and a free cut file that can be found here.  Here is a look at my project:

I used 8x8 papers from the Chasing the Sun collection to back the cut file (the orange is from the Documented Life 8x8 papers). Then I used the same colors to add stripes behind the cut file with distress oxides and water. 

Behind each photo I added a tag from the Fireflies Shipping Tags that are part of the collection. Then I layered some patterned papers, and frames behind each photo. I used the Fly a Kite Die Cuts and the Photo shoot die cuts to add some embellishments around the page.

I finished off the project by using the Face Painted patterned paper from the 12x12 paper pack as a boarder around the layout. This paper has every one of the colors in the layout, and adds the perfect final touch!

I made a video of my process if that's something that suits your fancy! 

Thanks a lot for stopping by and I will see you again soon! XO o.g.

..:: wander to magical places ::..

Hi! I am up on the {a flair for buttons} blog today with a this layout and process video. I used Simple Stories Vintage Great Escape collection and flair from the More Lovely Words 1 Flair Set. Here is a look at my layout:

 

I thought this collection was perfect for my photos! When I posted these photos on social media I commented that I was pretty sure gnomes or fairies lived in this log, and what perfect papers for that thought!  Also the words on the flair matched the sentiment of this story. Here a few close ups:

 

I layered a bunch of vegetation ephemera behind and around the photos. I loved making this one!

 

 I made a video of my process, if that's something that suits your fancy. I will let you know that it started a bit different than it turned out!

 

Thanks for stopping by and I will see you again soon! XO og.

 

 

 

..:: 2 peas ::..

Hi Friends! I am up on the Paper Issues Blog with a layout for the Streaks and Stripes Challenge over in the Paper Issues {Friends & Fans} Facebook Group.

I started with white card stock. I drew a heart with a pencil and then I got busy with my Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors to paint a rainbow of fun! When it was dry I stitched around the heart using black thread and my sewing machine. 

To embellish I used the Chasing Stars 12x12 paper from Vicki Boutin's Let's Wander collection and the same paper from the 6x8 paper pad.  I fussy cut stars in rainbow colors and added those to the page.

I typed my journaling and added a title. I also added a few layers of paper behind the photo and a 12x12 paper as a border around the whole layout. I love making colorful pages with pops of black and white!

I made a video of my process if that's something that suits your fancy!

You can find this and all of our current challenges in the July Challenges album in our Facebook Group. You have plenty of time to participate. Play along until August 2, for a chance to win a gift card to the Paper Issues Store. Shop the store using the code OrangeGearle for 20% off your purchase.

Thanks for stopping by and I will see you again soon! XO o.g.