Hey there! I'm on The Cut Shoppe blog today sharing a layout I made using the Freebie FriYay Diamond in the Rough  cut file.

I've been eyeing this cut file for a while, really wanting to stitch it. I decided it was time to use it! All I had to do was figure out the rest! Which I eventually did. I'd also been wanting to play with this One Canoe Two Goldenrod collection. It wound up being a pretty good match. Nice muted, calming colors to go with a photo of me relaxing.

I resized the cut file to 10"x10" hoping the 'holes' would be smaller. No such luck. I doubled the embroidery floss which helped fill the space and add more color. I like that there are still gaps between each stitch. Layering a whole sheet of paper behind it fills in the gaps nicely. 

This background came out so beautifully, I didn't want to cover it up. I layered a few pieces of paper under one photo, adding minimal embellishments so it would be a focal point of the page. The Let Them Eat Cake (aqua) and Lovely Words 7 had the same calming feel as the rest of the page and added the perfect finishing touch. 

Thanks for stopping by my creative view today. Have you checked out the new shop yet? You can shop for all of our cut files there. Share your projects with us in The Cut Shoppe Scrap Spot Facebook group.  See you again soon.

Sunrise, Sunset

Hey there paper loving friends! I'm on the Paper Issues blog today with a Pinspirational, Pinsational, Pinspire Me project. Can we talk about how much I love this month's mood board? Lots. A ton. It has color. It has books and paint and donuts. Is that enough? 

Yeah....none of that was my inspiration today. I went in a completely different direction. See that square smack in the center of the grid? Yes. That's the one. It looks divided in half to me. Also like the sun setting over the ocean. Yes, I do know it's yellow, but that's what my creative brain sees. So this is what I came up with. A Yin Yang page divided in half!

I mixed a couple of collections from last fall, One Canoe Two Creekside with Carta Bella Welcome Home. I was looking for muted colors and these worked really well together. I used the sun from the Sun & Fun cut file. I just cut it in half. I layered everything else over it in a mirror image. The two sides of the page pretty much have the same style and types of embellishments. Chipboard, stickers and die cuts all tucked side by side.  The A Flair for Buttons Watercolor Words flair were the perfect addition. the soft color and sentiment fir right in to the page. Are you singing along yet because the title is what joins all of this together and ties right back to that center square! See how I did that?

I've decided the only good thing about the sun rising so late here in the mornings during winter is that I am awake and can take photos. It happened to be a clear day when I could actually see the colors through the clouds. They were pink and blue like cotton candy. It was beautiful. 

Sunsets here are intense. The sky becomes bright with saturated reds oranges and yellows. I treasure the winter sunsets because they are so rare. They too are photo worthy. 

There you have it. I hope I've Pinspired you to join this challenge! You can find it and all the other challenges in the May Challenge Album in our Facebook group. There are several new arrivals in the Paper Issues shop. Get some new Echo Park and Crate Paper now, use DEVRA at checkout and it will be 20% off.  Thanks for stopping by my creative view today and see you next time!

Greenlake

Hello there! It's my first August post and my first Paper Issues August challenge.  Notable Quotable is what's on tap today. Here is the quote we used for inspiration. I love the colors of  the sky and mountains. The quote written in white so you can see it clearly.  It's wonderful.

I was inspired by the water and fresh air part of the quote. Well, that and I really wanted to use the new Creekside by One Canoe Two with this photo. There is something about One Canoe Two that speaks to me. It's very sophisticated. The color palette is different. The colors are rich. The patterns range from small basic patterns to large elaborate florals and plaids.  Creekside can be used for any topic. Here I the backside of the Midnight Roses paper is the foundation of my page. I cut apart the strips from the Take Note paper, cut them in half again, placing them on either side of my photo. The rest are die cuts, stickers and Thickers. I love it!

This summer we decided to explore our own backyard. First stop was Greenlake park. We had driven by here a few years ago, but didnt stop. Call us crAzy. This park is beautiful. I think I read it's 3 miles around. There are paddle boats to rent, paddle boards also and a 'beachfront' area with lifeguards. That's just water activities! The park is huge, with many picnic and grassy areas. We walked about 1/3 of the way around, only because we didn't realize how big the park was. This will require a return visit for sure!

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today. This is the first go many projects I'll be sharing this month to so I hope to see you back soon. Treat yourself to some Creekside or any of the other new American Crafts collections that recently arrived. They are 20% off when you use my code DEVRA at check out. 

Supplies: PP, die cuts, stickers, Thickers-One Canoe Two for American Crafts, Flair-A Flair For Buttons, mist-Heidi Swapp

So Very Lucky

Good morning! Today at Paper Issues we are revealing the second half of our Anything goes Issue. So the funny thing is, it took me forever to decide what to do! 

Then one by one, things happened, ideas formed, and this page came together. First was the March free cut file. I honed in on the word lucky. Then came the photo and the Instagram post that went with it. Lastly, I'm obsessed with the Hazelwood collection. I cant get enough of it. 

I cut and stitched the cut file. I have just about scraps left of the Hazelwood papers. I used them to back the photo. The washi tape in this collection has been one of my favorite items to use. The strips add just the right touch to the page. Really, after I finished stitching, I added some ephemera pieces, stickers and cork pieces, finishing the page other quickly.

I took the journaling straight from my Instagram post. Every moment has two directions. I chose to take this as a grateful moment. There are many struggles in having a child with special needs, snuggles and smiles are not one of them

Thanks so much for stopping by my creative view today. I cant say enough about this Hazelwood collection. You can get some and so much more in the Paper Issues shop for 20% off when you use my code DEVRA.

Supplies: Cardstock-AMerican Crafts, Hazelwood collection by One Canoe Two, Silhouette, DMC thread.

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Live It Up

Happy Sunday to you. Nope. Paper Issues does not take Sundays off. Today Is the Notable Quotable challenge. See this quote? Super cool. So many ways to make inspiration!

Me? I went with the "live your life" part of it. I truly wanted to use this Butterfly Wreath cut file and more of the stunning Hazelwood collection by One Canoe Two. I started by cutting with the Woodland paid paper, then using the remainder to back my cardstock. Other than the scraps I used to back my photos, the rest of the pages uses stickers, enamel pieces, and ephemera. 

As my children are getting older, I'm finding myself kind of 'taking my life back'. This page is really just a reminder of who I was, who I am, and who I want to be this next year. 

Thanks so much for stopping my my creative view today. You too can get some of this beautiful Hazelwood collection in the Paper Issues store along with so many other new collections including Shimelle, PhotoPlay , Crate Paper and so much more.  Use my code DEVRA for 20% off your purchase.

Supplies: Cardstock-American Crafts, Alphas-Studio Calico, Thickers, PP, stickers, ephemera, enamel pieces, Hazelwood  by One Canoe Two. Silhouette, mist-Heidi Swapp

Bloom

Good morning! Today is Sketchy Saturday at Paper Issues! Boy do we have am awesome sketch for you!

Ok, ok, I know its winter, but I am optimistic that spring will be here soon. Besides, I couldn't wait to use the beautiful new Hazelwood collection, and that I did!  These papers and embellishments ate so amazing and such a different style that I usually gravitate to. I used so many things!  5 different papers, ephemera die cuts, puffy stickers, cardstock stickers, enamel triangles and even the cork phrases!  I moved around the embellishment placement, but pretty much left the rest of the sketch alone.  The result is this fresh springlike page that I love!

This kiddo of mines the happiest person I know. I'm sure he doesn't know his limitations, or even that he has any. He tackles each day with energy and determination, and always with a smile of his face.

If I were you, I'd grab some of this Hazelwood from the  Paper Issues shop now using the code DEVRA for 20% off your order. then add your sketch project in the Paper Issues Friends and Fans  Facebook group for your chance to win a  gift card to the shop!

Thanks for stopping by my creative view today. There is so much going on, you dont want to miss anything so come back again soon.

Supplies: PP, die cuts, stickers, cork, enamel pieces -Hazelwood by Once Canoe Two