October Mini

Hi friends!

Those of you who follow me on Instagram, know I take WAY too many Instagram photos, but it is such a fun and easy way to document life's daily adventures. I figured creating a mini album would be a fun way to document some of my favorite Instagrams from the month!

Here's the cover of my mini...

I love the gold washi from our October Embellishment Add-On Kit.  (I know I'm not alone!). I like how it looks like gold leaf on the chipboard frame. AND those gold glitter Thickers? Super FUN!

 

Be sure to check out the other Design Team projects over on the Hip Kit blog here and if you don't have your hands on the October Hip Kit & Add-On Kits? You'll want to check those out here.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wishing you a happy & creative day...

xoB

Dusting off the old blog...

Oh my. How time flies! I'd say it's about time to dust off the old blog, clear away the cobwebs & get back at it! This happy mail definitely did the job to get my mojo flowing...

The September AND October Hip Kit and Add-On Kits arrived on my doorstep! Whoohoo!
Here's a little sneak of what's inside these glorious packages...

The September 2013 Hip Kit is full of Fancy Pants Collecting Moments, Amy Tangerine Cut & Paste and Maggie Holmes Flea Market from Crate Paper with a touch of Dear Lizzy & Studio Calico goodness. The September 2013 Add-On Kit features Maggie Holmes' Flea Market chipboard accents. Totally cute.

The October 2013 Hip Kit and Add-On Kits are the ultimate fall kit! A perfect mix of gold & orange with a touch of navy - LOVE the mix of colors in this kit. See those Thickers in the bottom left? Gold glittery goodness.

Here are a few Halloween cards and a layout that I created with the fun October kit...

Seriously love the gold washi in this kit. It adds just the right amount of shine to projects. I also added a bit of Heidi Swapp Color Shine in Gold...one of my favorite mists right now.

On this 'hey bootiful' card, I used my Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher to add some sequins & dressed up the skeleton sticker with a bow tie made from a couple of little paper triangles and an enamel dot...doesn't he look dapper?

I'm definitely a 'cute' Halloween type...no spooky Halloween stuff for this girl! So check out the cutie pie on this card. Love this sweet little squirrel from the Basic Grey sticker sheet. I used the candy corn sticker and added a bit of glitter for some sparkle.

 

This layout features a photo of my sis and I, circa 1980ish in our crazy, inflatable costumes. Don't ya love my sister's green pants and how I accessorized with a belt? So stylish! HA!
Instead of using the overlay on top of my photo, I used it as another layer behind the patterned paper. I like how the transparency adds another dimension/texture to the project.

For more inspiration using the October Hip Kit and Add-On Kits, check out the Hip Kit blog here. All kits are available for purchase (and subscription!) here.

Happy scrapping!

xoB

Playing Along with Miss Bossy Pants

Hi friends!
As I mentioned the other day, one of my favorite sources of inspiration & a way to get my mojo movin' is to visit Moxie Fab World. Another favorite way is by playing along with The Bossy Scrapper.
My friend Kim was February's Bossy Scrapper and here was her list of items that had to be used to create a project...

1. Only two photos - Check.
2. Ink or Mist - Check. (I used Heidi Swapp Colorshine - one of my current favorite products!)
3. Tag - Check.
4. Camera - Check. (The cutest ever felt camera sticker from Amy Tangerine.)
5. Fussy Cutting - Check. (I cut those fun circles from some Studio Calico patterned paper.)
6. Hand Written Journaling - Check! (But I did screw that up and had to creatively cover it up!)
7. White Cardstock - Check.
8. A Popped Up Element -  Check (That cute camera is popped up.)
9. Alpha Stickers - Check.

 

This layout was so fun to create...I loved playing with all the different layers, colors & textures. Totally fun.

 

 

 

I was not happy about journaling on the textured cardstock...and then I mispelled 'Laboratory', so I had to figure out how to cover it up. But I actually like how it turned out in the end - a happy mistake! 

 

 

A new Bossy Scrapper has been posted for March here. I'm totally inspired by Aimee's bossiness and can't wait to play along! 

xoBC

Perfectly Lovely

Hi friends!
Normally when I create layouts, I create 12x12 layouts. Pretty much because most of the page protectors I've purchased are 12x12 and because it gives me a larger canvas to create on. But let me tell you how awesome it was to create this 8 1/2 x 11 layout...

 

So much fun! I may be a 8.5 x 11 Convert now...especially for my favorite Instagram prints. It's the perfect size for those!

 

 

I created this layout with product from the January Hip Kit and Embellishment Kit.

I used several of my favorite products from these kits on this layout...

The 'Love' patterned paper from Crate Paper's Fourteen collection is aptly name...I love both the graphic pink & white target print, as well as the pretty floral on the other side. I wrinkled up some of the gold dot vellum in the Embellishment kit to add some fun texture to the layers on my project...and speaking of vellum, how cool are those Studio Calico vellum arrow stickers?! Definitely at the top of my current favorite product list. I like how both the patterned paper & the arrow stickers help draw the eye in to the photo on the page.

 

To create the title on this layout, I used one of the Fancy Pants Designs stencil cards. I splattered some Mister Huey 'Silver' and Heidi Swapp 'Primrose' Colorshine on the stencil card, layered it over a small piece of the floral print Crate Paper Love paper, then adhered the My Mind's Eye chipboard sentiment on top with some Basic Grey enameled brads from my stash.

Perfectly lovely, indeed! (If I do say so myself!) :)

xoBC

Sending Love

Hi friends!

Today I'm sharing a handful of Valentine cards that I created with the colorful and sweet January Hip Kit and Embellishment Kit. And actually, all but one of these could be sent to someone you love at any time of year!

One of my favorite products from the January Hip Kit is the Studio Calico Vellum die cut shapes - especially the hearts & arrows. These transparent stickers are so fun for layering on projects!

 

I used the Fancy Pants Designs Artist Edition Stencil Card 'LOVE' to help create the next two cards...

On the card above, I inked the punched out letters from the stencil with grey chalk ink...and on the below card, using the stencil, I traced the word LOVE then machine stitched on my traced lines. These stencils are great! There are so many different ways to use them on projects.

Be sure to pop over to the Hip 2-B Square blog to see the amazing projects that the Design Team has come up with...and the way they've used their Fancy Pants stencils from the kit!
xoBC

Picnics and Patriots

Wowsa...July IS right around the corner (even if it doesn't feel like it outside)!
As we count down to a month that celebrates freedom & carefree summer days with a dose of parades, picnics and fireworks...Paper Issues kicks off a new theme of 'Picnics and Patriots'!

Join in on the fun & inspire us with your projects featuring red, white and blue by linking up here! You won't be disappointed! Look at what's up for grabs...

Some Pink Paislee Declaration! Woohoo!
All you have to do is 'like' Paper Issues on Facebook and link up a project for extra entries...just be sure to leave a comment to let us know you want to win! Also, be sure to click on some links and leave some love! There's a lot of awesome red, white and blue inspiration to be found!

In the spirit of this patriotic color theme, here are a couple cards that I created...

{Patterned Paper: Crate Paper, October Afternoon & My Mind's Eye, Sticker: October Afternoon Cherry Hill, Stamps: Ant from G-Rated Rubberstamps, Happy Summer by Savvy Stamps, Embellishment: I have no idea where that metal clip came from...maybe Making Memories?}

{Patterned Paper: Little Yellow Bicycle Fresh Print Traveler, Rub Ons: Basic Grey, Embellishments: sparkly American Crafts button, Kaisercraft Sparklets in Rouge.}

Don't forget that the Paper Issues store is FULL of scrappy goodness right now. Go check it out (...and if you make a purchase and use code BETHANY at checkout, you'll receive a 20% discount!)

xoBC

Tis the season...

...for rain showers (we have our fair share of these here in the Pacific Northwest), glorious sunbursts, green sprouts and beautiful blooms! We have welcomed spring with open arms and are in full on gardening mode here at our house...LOTS of rain with little spurts of sunshine have made the weeds go wild! It is fun to watch the garden come alive...one of the first peonies actually opened up the other day and our Cecile Brunner rose bushes are an explosion of fragrant blooms! I absolutely love this time of year.

Here's a layout I was inspired to create about our first garden. The Jillibean Soup cardstock stickers included in the April Hip Kit that I used on my margarita card are perfect for garden themed layouts too!

Our yard has evolved quite a bit over the 11 years that we've lived here, so it was fun to look back at these old photos and finally document what our garden looked like back then. I should really get outside and snap some photos of what it looks like now so I can document that too!

Happy scrapping~

BC

Oh Happy Day!

Hi friends!
I love Saturdays. Don't you?
Today I wanted to share another card that I created using the April Hip Kit. This is such a simple card design...and sometimes those are the ones that I end up liking the most! This design is a great way to use up bits and strips of patterned papers that you don't want to waste.

This card came together especially quick because of the cute 'oh happy day' diecut found in the Lilybee Bag of Bits...but you could also stamp a sentiment or use some of the Jillibean Soup word stickers (also included in this kit) on a plain diecut or punched shape to create some quick & cute thank you, birthday or just because cards for your stash!

Happy crafting!

xoBC

Ready for summer...

Happy Friday, friends! Are we all ready for the weekend or what?! I've been ready all week...
The sun is shining and we have three whole days of freedom ahead!

Yesterday I had a chance to play for a little bit and decided to work on my first ever SMASH book! I've been collecting bits and pieces of SMASH product...and have two empty books waiting patiently to be SMASHed. Since summer is quickly approaching, I figured I'd get one of my SMASH books ready to record our summer adventures...

I used some of that fabulous SMASH washi tape, chipboard elements from the super cute Crate Paper Story Teller line, some great badges from Studio Calico and a splatter of my beloved Mister Huey.

Added in some stitching, a few random buttons and a couple stamped images from My Minds Eye...

So bring on the sun and the fun...and let the adventures begin!
Wishing you a happy, relaxing and creative weekend ahead!
xoBC

Doilies and Lace

Hi friends!
I played along with another of the fabulous Moxie Fab World challenges...

The Doilies and Lace Challenge
The challenge: Create a paper crafted project (card, gift bag, tag, layout, home decor item, mini-book cover, etc.) that incorporates a doily or lace element in an innovative way.

Here are my two takes on this challenge...

{Supplies: American Crafts cardstock, Crate Paper patterned paper, sticker and chipboard element, Maya Road gingham flower, lace flower from Jenni Bowlin kit, Heather Bailey fabric, My Mind's Eye brad, washi tape - unknown source}

{Supplies: My Minds Eye patterned paper, doily sticker, banner rub-ons, brads and die cut, Echo Park patterned paper, October Afternoon lace trim}

You can find all the details on this challenge & how to play along on the Moxie  Fab World blog here.

xoBC

Mama & Me

Hi friends!
In honor of Mother's Day weekend and in celebration of my wonderful mama, I pulled out an old photo of her & I to use on this layout...

I created this layout with product from the April Hip Kit.

I absolutely love, love, love the Crate Paper Storyteller Chipboard Accents from the Embellishment Add-On Kit...just look at that cute chipboard camera!! I included a cluster of the lovely chipboard pieces on this layout, along with some of the fabulous buttons and one of those super cute Crate Paper clothes pins to create lots of layers.

This photo was from my first 4th of July! I love how this color combo strayed from the traditional red, white & blue that would typically be used for 4th of July photos. The colors in this Hip Kit are so fresh & fun!

When creating this layout, I was also inspired by Moxie Fab World's Spatter Technique Challenge. As I've said over and over...I love me some Studio Calico Mister Huey's! So I pulled out my Mister Huey in Calico White and Taxi and flicked some of that lovely ink on my layout.

Hope you're inspired to pull out a 'vintage' photo of you and your mama or a photo of any special woman in your life and get it scrapped! And perhaps play along with the Spatter Technique Challenge too!

Happy crafting!

xoBC

Chevron Love

Hi friends!
I must admit, I do love the chevron trend, and this paper does not disappoint...it is one of my favorites from the April Hip Kit! It's the 'Puddles' paper from Lily Bee Design. The chevron print in aqua and white with some bookprint thrown in...absolutely LOVE it!

I layered up some of the pretty red 'Trademark' paper from Crate Paper's Story Teller collection, a diecut from the Lilybee Bag of Bits, a couple of fun Crate Paper Story Teller chipboard pieces and one of the Studio Calico wood veneer frames from the April Hip Kit Embellishment Add-On Kit. Then I added just a tiny splash of Mister Huey 'Calico White'.

I never tire of this aqua, red and white color combo!
Happy crafting!
xoBC