Paper Issues: April Mix It Up Monday

Hi Paper Pals!

Time to get your messy on with this month's edition of  

Yayyyyyyy!!! 

I love a lil mixed media fun and today's challenge is super awesome!

Simply use the salt resist technique with your favourite, inks, dyes and or, watercolours on your layout. 

Too easy, and boy oh boy, so much FUN!!!

But enough chatter, here's what I came up with.....

"Magic"

Isn't this stunning?! Just look at the salt resist pattern - so pretty!!!

The unicorn is part of the Spring Crop free cut files that you can grab in the Paper Issues store here.

I really love the free cutfiles and seriously, unicorns!?!! What more can I say. Love it!

You'll spy mixed veneers and stickers from my stash, a few odds and ends from TYPO, Thickers from Amy Tangerine, and Shimelle's Little By Little collection. 

Here's a closer look at that stunning mixed media work.....

It's so striking! 

I used purple, magenta, pink and red inks, lots of water and rock salt. 

The trick is to get the inks 'puddling' and then add the rock salt to dry it all up. Be sure everything is dried out before removing the salt. 

So much fun!!!

Magic, indeed!

OMG! How fun are all the photo filters / snap chat looks that you can play with? 

This rainbow unicorn one of my daughter is her favourite!  

(We may have hundreds of shots of her as a unicorn, lol!)

It adds to the playfulness of this design, and is just a perfect match with that cut file too!

All the papers in my photo cluster are Shimelle's Little By Little. This range is so vibrant, and whimsical and was the perfect choice for this magical layout! 

La la love this!

Wanna see more of Shimelle's Little By Little collection?

Grab yours here at the Paper Issues store

& 

REMEMBER: Use my code AMANDA to save 20% off your entire order!

Need more salt resist inspiration? 

Visit the Paper Issues blog here to see what the rest of out talented team created!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Paper Issues: Mix It Up Monday!

Hi Creative Friends!

Time to get a lil messy with Paper Issues 
Mix It Up Monday!

For this month's challenge, we're creating projects that use texture as a feature. 

Lots of fun and freedom here to create what you pretty much like!

I have been neglecting my stencils of late, 

so I pulled out my stash and created this fun page....

"Wander"

Told you it was fun!!!
How cool is that Mandala stencil??? LOVE it!
I've used my acrylic paints for the undercolour, and a medium weight modeling paste for the stencil work. So very awesome!
(& super easy too!)
I've teamed it all up with leftovers from my Pink Paislee Fancy Free stash.
Easy, fun, fabulous!

Here's a few close ups for you.......

Gotta love the glitter Thickers from this line! SO shiny! (I could've used them for this month's Working Title challenge!)

That stencil really is stunning, huh?!

And those blues!!! SOooooooo pretty!

Adding dimension with pop dots, thickers, and even cotton floss, helps to add a more textural appearance too!

Super cool!

Awesome! Playing with paints and texture is fun! 

Give it a go and play along with us this month! 

Need supplies? 

Visit the Paper Issue store here & 

REMEMBER: Use my code AMANDA & you'll save 20% off storewide!

Needing a lil more inspiration? Come see what the rest of our awesome team has created here

Thanks for stopping by!
til next time,

Happy Arty Days, 
Amanda xo 

Paper Issues: February Mix It Up Monday

Hi Creatives!

Welcome back for more Paper Issues fun with this month's edition of....

I love getting messy!

This month's challenge is really fun, & easy too!

Simply use embossing powder on your creation - anyway you like! 

Here's what I created....

"Dream"

And what a dream girl she is! Love my beautiful daughter! 

And how very pretty are all those butterflies too?!

For the challenge, I've used a variety of butterfly stamps from my stash 

(I think they're mostly Kaisercraft ones?)

& embossed them in white powder to create that super pretty background.

Here's a closer look.....

Aren't those embossed butterflies stunning?!! So delicate and soft!

Such a beautiful technique for a background!

Speaking of butterflies, what about all those fussy cut ones?

Beautiful! Love the Moonstruck line! Soooooo pretty!

And those cork embellies....

Swoon! The cork is flecked with gold foil!!! All.the.heart.eyes! Love these!

Here's another view of those stamped butterflies....

Just stunning!!!

And there you have it! My take on using embossing powder in a project!

Can't wait to see your interpretations of this fun challenge!

Need supplies?

Grab yours from the Paper Issues store and use my code AMANDA to save 20% off every.single.time you order!

Need more ideas and inspiration? Visit the Paper Issues blog here for more awesomeness!

Thanks for stopping by!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Paper Issues: January Mix It Up Monday

Hi Happy Arty Days Friends!

Welcome back for more Paper Issues fun with 

Mix It Up Monday!

This month the challenge is to use both gesso, & acrylic paint on your layout.

As this is something I do regularly, 

I wanted to push myself outta my comfort zone and try a different approach....

Here's what I came up with, 

"Snowflakes"

Yep. I painted my own background paper - complete with cute penguin!
It's a lil too kitschy and cute,
but hey...
What a fun way to use your paints in your scrapbooking!
The birdy base coat is painted in both black and white gesso. The rest of the bird has been painted with watered down white acrylic, mixed with pastel watercolours to obtain that soft, washed out look.
I've teamed it all with the super cute Crate Paper Snow & Cocoa collection. Perfect!

Love the chipboard stickers in the Snow & Cocoa collection - I only have 3 left from the entire board! 

And how about that penguin paperclip?!! So adorable!

Super cute embellishments for such a sweet photograph and memory!

Love that fun penguin! 

What will you create for yours???

Need more ideas and inspiration?
Check out what our talented team created here

*REMEMBER: Use my code AMANDA to save 20% off every.single.time you
 order in the Paper Issues store here*

Thanks for stopping by today!
til next time,

Happy Arty Days, 
Amanda xo 

Paper Issues: December: Mix It Up Monday

Hi Happy Arty Days Friends!

Welcome back for more Paper Issues Mixed Media Fun with

Mix It Up Monday!

This is one of my favourite challenges as we can get a lil messy too!
This month's challenge is use a black/white/grey palette with a 'pop' of colour AND use at least 2 different media on the layout. SO much fun!!!
As indigo is one of my absolute favourite colours, I decided to use Pinkfresh Studio's, Indigo Hills line for this challenge.
Here's what I created.....

"Everyday Has A Story"

Isn't this stunning?! I love how it turned out! 

It's feminine, girly, & just a lil grown up too (a bit like my subject in the photograph)

She's grown up so fast!

I've also featured a cut file from the Cocoa Vanilla Studio, Colour Me Happy collection, as well as fussy cut flowers from the Indigo Hills collection. 

For my mixed media elements, I've incorporated, watercolours, inks, & stamping into my layout. 

Aren't those stamps fabulous?!! They're also from the Indigo Hills collection ;)

Love it all!

Here's a few close ups.....

How cool is that wood veneer clip?! Love the gold foil highlights too!

Lots of pretty ephemera here too.....

Cute heart puffy stickers and a coordinating heart stamp too! Very cool!

So much inky, stampy fun here....

And there you have it!

My take on this month's Mix It Up Monday!

For more inspirational mixed media ideas, see what the rest of the DT created here

To get your crafty fingers on Pinkfresh Studio and more visit the Paper Issues store here

& 

Use my code: AMANDA to save 20% off!

Thanks for stopping by today!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Paper Issues: November: Mix It Up Monday

Hi Everyone!

Welcome back for more Paper Issues fun! 

Time for this month's installment of 

Yay! I love this challenge - it's always such fun to get messy!!!

This month we're focusing on using our inks and stamping in our layouts.

Here's my layout,

"Crazy Fun"

This kid is ALWAYS crazy fun!!! Love him!

And how cool is my take on the challenge?!!

 I have used the stunning Indigo Hills collection from Pinkfresh Studio - looooooove this line!

I had a ton of fun creating this background.

 I stamped a mixed media stencil in Versa Ink: Royal Blue, made my own liquid colours from soluble ink pads plus water (& splattered), plus I also used some good ole fashioned stamping with Staz On ink in black. 

The stamps are all from the Pinkfresh Studio: Indigo Hills set. 

Let's take a closer look......

How awesome is all that stamping?!! Love it!

That gold foiled wood veneer clip is also a stunner - I mean, seriously, gold foil veneers?!!! 

Pinkfresh Studio is just so contemporary & on-trend!

Those pattern paper circles have been punched from the pattern paper, 'Dover'. 

That rubber charm is a cutie too! Also, it coordinates perfectly with the stamp set - yay!

So much awesome!

My favorite boy indeed!

Hope you feel inspired by my take on this month's Mix It Up Monday challenge! 

For more stunning inspiration, check out what the rest of the team created here.

Need some Pinkfresh Studio?!! (silly question!)

Click here to visit the Paper Issues store & don't forget to use my code:

  AMANDA to save 20% off!

Thanks for stopping by!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Paper Issues: October Mix It Up Monday

Hi Friends!

Time to get your messy on with Paper Issues: Mix It Up Monday!

The October challenge is to use a stencil.
Yep. that's all! I know, it totally leaves the creative door wide open.... 

Love how fun stencils & templates are! So many different ways to apply them to your projects!

Here's what I came up with...
"BLOOM"

Isn't this pretty?!!

A really delicate and elegant mixed media page.

I've used Fancy Pants Designs: Life Is Beautiful collection 

and teamed it up with a Donna Downey peonies stencil (from my stash). 

I combined Lindy's Stamp Gang Magical's in Salt Water Taffy with some gel medium, and applied it to the stencil using a palette knife. Love the result!

So delicate, & it works perfectly with Life Is Beautiful!

Here's a closer look at that stenciling....

Love the shimmer of the Magical and the high sheen of the gel medium - so glossy!

Those puffy stickers & that flair!!! Love me some Fancy Pants!

The sheen is just divine, huh?!

How stunning is that floral pattern paper?!! 

Incase you want to order, it's called Save The Date ;) 

Super cute ephemera too!

Love it all!!!

You can check out the Fancy Pants collections here 

& use my code: AMANDA to save 20% off your total order!

To see what the rest of the team created, 

& to get started on this super fun challenge, 

visit the Paper Issues blog here.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!

til next time, 

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo 

Paper Issues: September: Mix It Up Monday

Hi Everyone! 

Welcome back for a little more Paper Issues fun!
Today's Mix It Up Monday 
is all about using up those messy mixed media scraps for a new layout ;)
I had a few strips of an old hot pink, orange and yellow watercolour background that I knew would work beautifully for this challenge -
Here's what I created with those scraps,
(& the new Pink Paislee: Paige Evans: Take Me Away collection!)

'Fantastic'

Talk about 'give me all the colors'!!! Such a bright and playful page!

You'll spy my watercolour strip on the left hand side - I punched it with an old scallop border punch to create a little interest. I also used some of my watercolour scrap to matte my photo to.

 And lastly, I punched out those butterflies too! So pleased to use up my scraps, but also some old punches that I had forgotten about! 

Apart from the doilies and thread, everything else on my layout is from Pink Paislee's Take Me Away range - such a fabulous collection to create with!

Here's a few close ups.....

So cute! Love these two! 

& how darling is that paper clip?! love it!!!

And I can't forget that thickers title - literally, fantastic!

Here's a view of my punched butterflies.....

Such a fabulous and easy challenge to join in on!

I do hope you'll come play too!

To find out more & see what the rest of our talented team created click here

To order Pink Paislee and other scrapbook delights visit the Paper Issues store and use my code: AMANDA to save 20% off!

Thanks for stopping by!

til next time,

Happy Arty Days, 

Amanda xo